Drawdown

So I haven’t taken the plunge yet—but at some point I’ll start focusing on learning a go-to topwater technique (and hopefully mastering it). What should it be? Types of Water: - mostly TN River Lakes from a boat (lots of grass, laydowns, some shallow shell beds, some sandy bottom) - occasionally N Georgia Rivers and COE lakes from the bank (mostly rocky structure with plenty of current, but also some laydowns, more frequent sandy bottom) Forage: Threadfin shad, gizzard shad, bluegill—but also, seasonally, soft shelled small turtles, and to a lesser extent perch (and crawfish, FWIW).

Ray Price - “Heartaches by the Number”

I have a 2009 Outback 2.5L. Every 115,000 miles or so, the self-tightening valve system can overtighten, causing trouble. It’s an expensive repair. Adjusting them before it happens is also expensive. As for head gasket leaks, Subaru makes an OEM coolant additive that seals it. Funny it works so simply, but it does.

@Captain Phil wonder if a livewell/cooler full of ice would help?

I love that worm in Green Weenie. Has a lot more purple than the stock pics show. It’s a poor man’s Jackall Crosstail (and maybe better?).

Heck yeah! Going to snag the more I try bottom contact, but they come in a pack of 20 and 1/8 oz jig head with a #1-2/0 hook ain’t exactly pricey.

I could see it being better than, say, a 6’6” ML/F, for drop shot in deeper, offshore structure. Takes less rod movement to drag the rig, “set” the hook, and fight the fish. Though maybe a M/XF is better for deeper water if using straight fluoro instead of braid—>fluoro leader. Same for sparse cover Neko rig—but there again you might want heavier weight to get it down to depth, and a Medium or a shorter ML to not have too much tip. Was quite something seeing Tyler Rivet on Bassmaster’s Lake Oahe throwing a 3/4oz weight for his drop shot rig. But they get a lot more wind up there than I suspect I’ll ever fish in TN.

I’m guessing y’all don’t have any carp problems or overpopulation of catfish down there. ?

That’s what I’m thinking! Barracuda they are not.

Amazing this much freak out has gone on over a SINGLE alligator gar. TL;DR in China officials have begun draining an entire 30-acre lake just to capture a single alligator gar, ostensibly because they’re worried it’ll attack humans. The specimen in question is supposed to be less than 30 inches long. But it’s become quite the sensation on Chinese social media. https://apple.news/ApqaZ0F0GR8yPqiIwCXGNvg

I should have gone more often with my dad when I was college-aged and living in the same town. I’m back in the same town, and we do still fish together, but now I have 2 small kids and a wife. But I’ve learned a lot more about fishing this past half year researching and trying new techniques. So I’m enjoying it more now than ever, whereas back then all I did was grab a heavy shakeyhead with a Zoom UV Speed Worm or a crankbait and beat the bank. Still caught fish that way—but now fishing is intellectually stimulating, too.

Has to be some Labor Day sale action heating up

I’ve done fine in swift current, but only when the water is clear. Haven’t figured out swift + chocolate milk.

Spots may be my favorite catch. I just don’t come across smallmouth regularly enough to enjoy them, though I have always considered them the most crazy fighters of the black bass. Spots to me are a nice mix of regularity (you can find them) and fight—I love targeting them when I fish North Georgia, something magical about one heavier than 2 pounds. There’s also small pockets where I fish in TN that they seem to outdo the LMB.

A couple years ago I was in the city for a conference—I got to try a fantastic Korean burger fusion joint in Boys’ Town. Meat like bulgogi, but with that excellent Asian mushroom umami sauce on it. Killer fries in duck fat I think, too. Then just 2 doors down, best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had, at Ann Sather’s, a longtime restaurant that used to be owned by a Swedish family. The chicken pot pie in the Walnut Room in what is now the premier Macy’s in/near the Loop may just be the best I’ve ever had, too.

This is why I buy Eagle Claw jig heads, EWGs, and cheap lead weights (and sometimes, those cheap $2.50 SK skirted jigs from Walmart.. Unusual for me not to lose 5 lures a trip when fishing rocky cover from the bank.

I realized it’s extremely uncomfortable driving and carrying 6 o’clock. So lately I stick it in the glove compartment, where it stays most of the summer. Once cooler weather rolls around, I carry a lot more. Sadly, I carry most of the time around the house—neighbors have poorly socialized pit bulls across the street. And I’m not taking a chance their “prey reflex” (or whatever term pit bull apologists favor) kicks in while my toddlers are trying to play on the trampoline.

Welcome from further downriver!

On an EWG, I’ve started pulling the plastic over the hook eye a bit. This with the tip above about hooking the plastic a bit deeper works pretty well for me. Typically when I hook a fish, the plastic travels up my line above the hook with minimal damage, and it takes no time to get it ready for another cast.

Now that you mention it, I think this could be part of why my 1/8oz Texas-rigged Zoom UV Speed Craw was getting slammed yesterday afternoon in a small pond. Frogs are one of the primary forage species, there (need to toss some bluegill in there). I was slowly swimming it with a regular twitch—not dragging it on the bottom “traditional” Texas style.

Bon appétit!

No pic this time, but I got 4 packs of Zoom UV Speed Craws in Green Pumpkin, Black/Red Flake, Watermelon/Red Flake, and Junebug. Still figuring out how I like to retrieve and rig them, but I am thrilled at how easily you can fish them at every point of the water column on a light Texas rig. Now if I could only get a bite.

First ever topwater catch for me—white buzzbait after dusk. Nothing like seeing the lure get pulled down and the line load the rod tip. Didn’t weigh this fish before releasing (I felt bad after accidentally dropping it on rocks while getting the hook out, and didn’t want to prolong things), but going by feel he was somewhere between 1lb 11oz and 2lb 4oz, comparing how he felt to two others. Going to have to get a lip-grabber to hold on (and weigh) safely.

On Sunday afternoon I caught this 2lb 4oz spotted bass on a GP/blue flake YUM Spine Craw rigged on a 1/8 light wire jig head. Just below some rapid whitewater. Cast just beyond the boundary between the turbulent rapids and the calm eddy, let it sink and get pushed along, then slowly but erratically reel. Quite a fun fight on my ML rod.

Were his from back when they were under the different brand name? The numeric perfume style name, before 13Fishing’s name got put on all the models, including the Blackout?