Blue Raider Bob

These are the fishiest looking soft baits ever. My problem now is all my rivers are high and muddy. Looks like I'll be waiting awhile to try them. I'm sure they will get bit on lakes as well. I can just see all little BG's pecking these all the way to the boat!

I've got a thread, "Show your fishing holes", in the Smallmouth site. Please add your water body to that one. I sit at my desk and peruse everyone's fishing spots while I turn a dark green with envy! Kind of like self-mutilation without the physical pain. My man cave has got a big picture of Ray Roberts reservoir kindly shared by thediscochef.

Real nice spot! I get pretty excited when I can get spots in the three pound range. I've only had a few but they keep me coming back.

I'm laughing at the weather explanation, not your lower unit misfortune. 🙂 You are right on about the wind. It is only calm during the summer when it is needed.

That is a possibility, but I didn't think that a little bit of water could explode it. And the bearing carrier is outside the sealed housing. The prop was not damaged, so nobody ran into my boat while I was having dinner or anything. Just an expensive mystery. I found a lower unit in Minnesota so I'm back in business in a week or so. It wasn't easy, or cheap to find a lower unit for a 47 year old engine. I'm glad you found some hungry smallmouth. Maybe I'll find some too!

Just got my order, on the Helgipedes. Can't wait to drift the river with these. thanks

2024 Has started out to be the toughest yet, but yesterday I unknowingly took Murphy with me. Went to Lake Nickajack, one of the Tennessee River impoundments, and the first thing I do is back in without putting in the plug. Well, a few choice words and labor fixed that, so back to the ramp to launch. Warmed up the Merc and shifted into gear....only no gear....no forward, no reverse, no matter what. Resigned myself to fishing within trolling distance but the weather man was wrong again. The light 5mph winds were on somebody else's lake. The blistering north winds froze my fingers and celebrated another skunking. Packed up, went home to ck on gear linkage, but ended up staring at a busted lower unit housing! Keg broken off, bearing carrier shattered, and housing cracked open. For the life of me, I don't remember ever being in that wreck! I hit some rocks on the Cumberland two years ago, but I never noticed the housing busted. Can't explain this one but perhaps Murphy can. Searching for a lower unit now and hopefully I'll fish alone next time!

I'm thinking hybrid Pat. Our Greenies have a distinct yellow/orange edge on all fins. That long earlobe makes me think Redbreast, but that mouth is more like wolfhound. No telling but it ate the bait!

What kind of sunfish is that? Ear lobe too long to be a BG. Not a greenie. Is it a Red-breast? Or some hybrid?

I agree Katie, I think Pat could catch fish on morning dew! I could see Alex hanging a hog out of my goat trough! Me? Well.....I catch my lunkers vicariously through my BR friends! I can catch the newborns all by myself!

Pat, not only will you need a small fortune, but you'll need a strong desire to self-inflict harm, a high tolerance for stress, and reservations for a rubber room and restraining devices! I thought owning my own pond was going to be heaven on earth. It is, but I have to share it with a bunch of little devils!

Done that! Went with some buddies of mine in the building trade to the Elk River in southern middle Tennessee. They put me on a hole that had catfish in it and showed me how to reach in. I actually reached in and patted a monster on the head but was too chicken to grab the sucker. They laughed and went in and pulled out a forty pound flathead. I'll just stay in the boat from now on and leave grabbin' to the fearless!

It's January and you have lilly pads! Dang! I've got ice!

Crazy how we anglers all have the same DNA but are so different in some ways. I couldn't stand to be power fishing for more than say, 5 minutes. Probably because I have little confidence, and just know I'm wasting my time. On the other hand, I can finesse fish all day and never get bored....well....unless I never get a tug on the line. Perhaps if I were a better angler, and could catch fish spinning that handle I would feel differently. As it is, I just drift and catch the little, dumb ones!

Glad you were clear about the water temps.......I could feel some of these BR boys ready to pounce! 😁 I was skunked yesterday on a local state run lake. Water high and muddy after 5-1/2 " of rain the past four days. Only stayed two hours. My trip was chilly too! Makes me wonder what wrong with us!

Just placed an order! I like the suggestions of drifting the bait in slow current. That's the way I like to fish, slow, easy, and unhurried.

Nevermind these guys Bird! I've come to realize you make a mistake around here, you're payin' for it! 😁

Alex, it has been five minutes since I watched your video and my heart hasn't stopped racing yet! Not only were you talking to the fish, but I was talking to the fish as well. Durn! Hopefully this chest pain will ease as I try to get some work done! But really, thanks for taking me along!

We've always heard and read, "Fish the Points, always fish the points". Why is that? What makes fish gravitate to the points. I do not have that answer but as you can see in the following photos, last years BG fry accumulate at the points. This is the new rip-rapped point where my dock bridge is attached. The water falls off to the deepest part of the pond, (8'), and has proven to be a baitfish magnet. There are scattered BG populations over much of the pond, and much of the pond bank is void of baitfish, but the main concentrations remain at this rip-rapped point. Sorry about the picture quality but hope there is enough of interest. The water clarity is improving daily.

I am speechless looking at this photo! Would like to know the story behind it, (not really).

Really enjoyed learning about my BR friends fishing history. What an extensive, and exotic range we have. Great thread Katy, really enjoyable. I feel like we've pulled back some layers and shared more than just stories, we've shared our souls, who we are, and why we do what we do. Hunters, fishermen, and outdoors people in general, have a restless, curious personality that in the words of one of your earlier posts, "Just want to see what's over that next bridge".

I think you both could. I grew up fishing the oxbow swamps of eastern Arkansas, northwest Mississippi and West Tennessee. Never knew how good I had it until I moved away and realized that fishing isn't as easy as I thought. Never heard the term "skunk" until I moved to middle Tennessee. It was unheard of to come home empty handed from the old river runs back home. Many's the time we would be the only people on the swamp lakes. It would be us, bass smashing shad, gars rolling, and the endless sound of the bream feeding under the trees. The Reckless youth and bellies full of beer couldn't keep the fish from getting hooked. Now in the clearer, deeper, and definitely more crowded waters of my local lakes and rivers, it takes a plan, plan adjustments, and more adjustments to catch fish, muchless the fish I would be proud to show you guys!

Wasn't funny at the time but just a couple of months I backed my boat and trailer into the Tennessee River, got out and walked down to the water, promptly slipped on algae an cracked the back of my head on the concrete ramp. Got soaking wet but had the trusty change of clothes in the emergency pack in the toolbox. Spent the whole day fishing with a goose egg knot on the back of my head. My fishing buddy reminded me of it yesterday and we got a laugh!

Woody, you are much too humble. I've seen countless pictures you've posted and your fish are NOT minnows. I, on the other hand, can claim to be a minnow fisher!

Well said! I get to read about the best anglers daily thanks to BR!