T-Billy

It happens. The lake I went to is the best SM lake around me, but it's a mess right now. The shallows are choked out with Chara and most of the shallow wood is covered in a blue/green alge. I fished some deeper hydrilla and some rock structure that usually gives up some SM and eyes, but it was the dead sea last night. I probably won't make the drive back down there until late summer, after the Chara dies off.

You'll have to keep looking. LOL. 10hrs two small LM. I SUCK!!! I hit a different lake. Hadn't been there since April. My plan didn't backfire, it blew up in my face. Back to lake #1 tonight.

She has a rather surprised look on her face. LOL.

I thought of you last night when I botched netting a 6# ish saugeye and watched it swim off, leaving my chatterbait tangled in my net. It was the only floater I snagged. I ended up with eleven 10-17" LM in about 4hrs of fishing. We had a cool front with heavy rains come through a couple nights ago. Water temp is down 4 degrees. Everything's changed since last week. Getting ready to head out on a marathon all nighter tonight.

I do it for several reasons, but none better than that. Jeepers, I hibernate in the A/C when it gets over 80F.

I don't do a lot of finesse fishing, but when I do, it's with a Curado BFS and a Phenix Feather L or ML. Spinning gear is for crappie now.

I've been through a BUNCH of rods looking for a chatterbait rod I was happy with. I found it in the Ark Invoker 7'4" H MF composite. I like this rod so much, I now have four of them. They're great for all things single hook moving bait, and baits with big stout trebles. The MH MF is too soft IMO. The H MF has the needed tip with plenty of backbone though the mid and butt sections. I also throw a chatterbait on braid and a 7 speed reel.

I still like a composite here, but I use a H action and braid. Second choice is a graphite blank that's on the slower side of fast.

John Wayne toilet paper.

My mechanic recommends 87 octane along with a good fuel conditioner.

Ark Invoker $149 or Tharp $129 series, 7' MH XF. Light, very sensitive, very well balanced. Outstanding for light jigs and trigs.

Now ya just need to pick up a cheap tripod for your phone and you're in business.

You can get BIG eva knobs for your reels. I'm an advocate of just winching on them, because with the lift and reel down method, everytime you let up pressure to reel down, you're giving them an opportunity to turn and get you buried/tangled up. Get em coming on the hookset and keep it that way with steady pressure.

30# Sufix 832. It's abrasion resistant, and sinks better than most braids because of the gore fiber. Problems with a leader are, it's a weak point, and heavy fuoro will impede the action of your weightless plastics. I vote straight braid with a heavy gauge hook. The heavy hook will help get your bait down and be less likely to open up under pressure. Don't do this when fighting fish out of heavy cover. Set the hook hard to turn them and get them moving toward you in one motion. Then just keep the rod loaded and winch on 'em.

Bass slobber is the best scent/attractant. I put Mega Strike on new baits, after that I just roll with the slobber.

Ark Tharp Series "Grinder". 15# XT or YZH.

To bad the bucket brigade wasn't there. Copping a squat on one of their bait buckets would be a priceless moment.

30# will serve you well. It'll still cast those baits a long ways, it's limber enough to not impede their action, and will allow you to pull HARD on fish. Largemouth don't care about seeing it, especially when they're in cover. I'm still on the fence about that when it comes to smallies in open water.

I'm in this camp for single hook moving baits. Ark Invoker 7'4" H MF composite rod, Daiwa Zillion HD, 40# Fins Infinity braid. Good feel, solid hooksets at any distance, and the rod does a great job of keeping them pinned.

Given that info, I'd start shallow and work out. If there's wood up shallow choked with grass, that would be my starting point. Plan B would be looking for transitional areas where the grass types mix. C would be working the first break. No matter where I find them cover wise, I'm gonna be paying attention to where they are on the structure, points, cuts, up on the flats etc. and continue to run similar stuff.

His recent 8-14 was probably 9-2 before the golden shower. ALWAYS weigh 'em FIRST @AlabamaSpothunter!!! ?

I'd approach it from downwind so the fish don't smell me coming.

I've straightened flippin hooks, boat flipped 6# bass, wrestled big flatheads and muskie in laydowns, and poked countless snags loose with my Tharp "King Cobra". Brittle it ain't.

40# braid. No leader.

The most majestic dumpster divers out there. ?