Woody B

I lost a few fumbling for a light, and still occasionally lose one fumbling for my net. I use one of these lights and no longer lose fish trying to turn my light on. This light has a sensor you just wave by to turn it on. I can pick my arm up, waving my bicep past it to turn it on without taking a hand off my rod. https://www.amazon.com/Rechargeable-Christmas-Waterproof-Flashlight-Repairing/dp/B0B4KJ3MWK/ref=sr_1_9?crid=3RC8FYH9SPAJZ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.X4FB1XekOcJowkux5Ayim4UW-BPqenb5rDcz0IF0nYOCb6XgWZIrNnWctj68GPsy73p7-08wZl1CCWoZNIAOEBgO-O4q_0AQfPORY6QoVMsQ1NzOkQvYxfgTWCHAkGyg2eiAYv9CXJ5ZxpYvYt031U1zdXjtQmZzYEZfRy9Y29LBDClg5qU0mxevBaYV1qNW548uANvxpsF_G7qZZQCEhTmH0jgOrS6XDz7rslsAhBKBqlc6ZYwQOFOU68GObCS6lKztcGtbIHQsRk5zLXXWfb5mk4mm4DlOfkGFglgJbXQ.1CCRRz1zwV_ZiwyenV1JW4MwwBvWTEFfugdPouwdCds&dib_tag=se&keywords=head%2Bworn%2Blight&qid=1720880112&sprefix=head%2Bworn%2Blight%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-9&th=1

Like others said, go catch that monster. 2 weeks before I caught my PB and only DD I lost a big Bass that came from the same stump. Like you it broke off next the the boat while I was trying to lip it.

Get well soon.

I normally carry a Spyderco Endura. It's works quite a bit better for peeling apples, cutting braid or even opening a bag of chips than any of my Glocks or Sigs.

I usually go early when there's no one at the ramps. If this is the case I back most of the way down the ramp (after prepping my boat in the parking lot). I'll tie a rope from a rear cleat to a cleat on the dock, untie the front of the boat, and back in just a little more to "send it". I've got a tough, beat up aluminum boat so I'm not worried about a little bump on the dock. If the landing is crowded after I've back in far enough I take a rope and lead my boat to the end of the dock. This get's my boat out of the way for others while I'm parking my truck/trailer. Everyone, follow Toms advice above regarding backing a trailer.

I'm going to throw a wrench in the fan. Like many I used the improved clinch knot when I was a kid, and most of my adult life. I use a palomar for braid, but I rarely use braid. I tried a spool of Fluorocarbon and had heard it "liked" certain knots better than others. The friend who recommended the line recommend a triple loop knot. The triple loop knot is basically a trilene knot with 3 loops through the hook, instead of 2. The Fluoro didn't impress me enough to pay what it cost, but I liked the triple loop knot. I use it now with Big Game mono. It's easy enough to tie, especially if you're used to tying a trilene or improved clinch knot. There's a BUNCH of knots that work for a BUNCH of people. I recommend experimenting with some. Do some tests to see if the knot breaks before the line or not. Pick out one that holds good for you, and you can tie quickly and correctly every time. Stick with it. For me a triple loop knot usually breaks right at the strength of the line. IE, using the memory feature on my scale fresh 12 pound Big Game breaks around 15 pounds. A triple loop knot, in 12 pound Big Games fails around 14 to 14 1/2 pounds. As long as my line is in good shape IF I have to break off I won't lose a bunch of line. This also give me pretty much full strength of the line. For me the strongest knot is a Palomar. Also, for me it's not as easy to tie on a big lure with treble hooks. Also, if I get snagged in water that's 25 feet deep I might lose as much as 25 feet of line if I have to break off. I'm giving up 1/2 to 1 pound of knot strength so I don't leave a bunch of line in the water/lose a bunch of line if I have to break off.

I wonder about total Bass (and fish) population at times, including what is the biggest Bass in the lake. The lake I fish most of the time is ~13000 acres. I'm sure I haven't caught the biggest Bass in it, however, I do believe I catch some of the biggest 5% or so in the lake. My youngest Grandson caught this Bass a couple years ago in a 1/2 acre farm pond. I suspect it was the biggest Bass in that body of water. He didn't have a scale...didn't weigh or measure it. He's 6'2" so it's not like a 4 foot tall kid holding that Bass.

My pet peeve is many of the videos on youtube about.....anything. There's enough bad information on youtube about stuff I know about I wouldn't use it for a serious source for....anything. I'm not a cook but what you're saying makes sense to me.

IMHO the 8 speed is a good transmission as long as it has good fluid in it. Changing it before you have any problems is an excellent idea. If you ever get a torque convertor shudder (feels like you're running over rumble strips during light acceleration) get your fluid changed soon. Pretty much the only ones I've had to replace or do internal repairs too had ran with degraded fluid for way too long.

Disclaimer: I'm an ASE Master Tech, and former GM World Class Tech with 42 years experience. During many of these years I specialized in transmission repairs. Drop the pan, or use a evacuation machine to suck the fluid out and replace it. I like to do this 3 times on the GM 8 speeds. (I'm assuming yours is an 8 speed since you got upgraded fluid) I'm not against flushing but there's 2 problems. Your transmission has a thermostat that controls fluid flow to the cooler. This hinders the flushing process. The biggest problem I have with flushes is the snake oil chemicals most put in when they do a flush. No ones transmission needs any additives beyond the correct quality brand fluid. If yours in an 8 speed you need to use Mobil 1 Dexron HP LV

I'm not an expert, and I didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn last night. In many cases I think fishing pressure .......not just pressure but what the other anglers are using can make lure selection "different". The lake I fish most of the time has quite a big of fishing pressure. For the past few years pretty much EVERYONE was throwing Spinnerbaits and jerkbaits. I caught quite a few decent Bass on everything except spinnerbaits and jerkbaits. Now, this year "they" are still fishing jerkbaits, but they've switched from spinnerbaits to soft plastic swim baits on tungsten jig heads. I've been catching quite a few on spinnerbaits lately.

So far I've never forgot mine......but once every couple months (including today) I forget to take the tie down straps off the back of my boat. It's kinda funny watching the back of the trailer float up.

I struggled again today. I got 4 Bass in the boat, all spots. One "micro bass" and 3 cookie cutters. I also got a Blue Cat that would have been around 10 pounds. I took my pliers and shook it off next to the boat. I didn't want slime all over my boat. All , including the cat were on a shaky head.

A couple days makes a big difference. I caught 17 Bass Thursday. Today I managed one 13 1/2 inch Spotted Bass a couple small Catfish and a Yellow Perch.

As most of you know I have an aluminum boat. Aluminum boats "can" be noisy. I'm constantly tightening, adjusting and lubricating stuff on mine. One of the BIG plusses of having FFS is watching Bass react to noises. Dropping something on the deck will make them scatter every time. So will a squeaky seat, hinge or trolling motor. I also believe shadows are important too. Whenever possible face the Sun so your shadow in behind you instead of going over the area you're fishing.

Howdy. I'm in Grover NC, less than a mile from the NC/SC state line, and less than a mile from Interstate 85.

Dolly won't net them either. She did jump in once when a decent Bass was walking on it's tail.

What lure(s) are you trying to skip? Start with a wacky rigged Senko, or Senko copy. IMHO that's the easiest lure to learn on. The angle is what's most important. Go out in your yard and practice. If you can skip on grass that's a couple inches long you can skip on water.

Most of the time my night trips don't start until midnight or so. If I end up fishing at dusk I'll fish lighted docks for an hour or so. After that I mostly stay away from lights.

I drove through the landing around 1 this afternoon. It was 3/4 full. I suspect it will be fuller later. I'm curious to know how many annual passes they've sold this year compared to last. I bought mine last year on July 4. The number (starts at 1) on mine was 256. I saw a picture yesterday on social media that someone had purchased #140. I suspect they'll sell a few less than last year, but....there will be an increase in revenue, and the lake will still be crowded. The city of Kings Mountain has been spending money foolishly for a decade or so. I suspect they're simply looking for more revenue. As I stated earlier the City Manager said they don't want powered boats on the lake. I believe that statement was made so people would pay the increased fees just to "show him". Kings Mountains water, as well as other utilities are the highest anywhere around here. Currently residents are complaining about a bad smell from the water. A friend of mine who works at the water treatment plant says lack of maintenance on the tanks is the reason for the smell. I'm not a Kings Mountain resident. My water actually comes out of Moss lake but it goes to a different water treatment plant. My water has no smell, and is less than half the price of Kings Mountain water.

I have the required navigation lights. I believe the requirements are base on Coast Guard regulations, and are probably nationwide. For the 360 degree light (usually found on the rear of a fishing boat) Use one that's LED. I don't think it draw bugs as bad as an incandescent light. Also, get one that's fairly tall, and wear a cap or Sun hat. This will keep you from "seeing" the light and effecting your night vision. I have a spot light in my boat, but rarely use it. I know the lake I night fish at like the back of my hand. Still, I never run over 15 mph in case there's something floating in the water I can't see. I use a head lamp (light that goes on my head, with a head band) that's a strip of leds. It's not super bright, but bright enough to re tie, or unhook a fish. Tom mentioned a flashlight on his landing net. That's a good idea. I'll be adding one to mine. The head mounted light I use has a "wave" swtich. I don't have to press a button to turn it on, I just have to wave my hand past the sensor. Light is in this picture. The yellow strip is a strip of leds.

Decent Buck checking me out today. There were 2 more smaller ones back in the woods. Normally you see the small ones, and the bigger ones are lurking the background.

I've only been to Jordan once. It was over 40 years ago water skiing with my sister. (who lives there) I did see the first Bald Eagle I ever saw in the wild that day.

I suspect it's going to be hard to skip from a canoe being so low in the water. Since you're good with a spinning reel start with that. I suspect a shallow spool bait cast reel would be great but I get by with a "regular" one. I used to struggle some skipping. I was basically slinging the devil out of my lure with a low side arm cast. Guy Eaker (retired Bass fishing pro) was at the reel counter of a local tackle store one day when I was there. I asked him about skipping, and if I needed a different reel or rod. (I wasn't getting backlashes, just not very accurate). He yelled "Hank, come over here". Bass pro Hank Cherry came up and started telling me how to skip. He said use a roll cast, not just a sidearm sling. They took me out back and had me skipping in the grass. I'm pretty good now. I've caught Bass as far as 40 feet under a dock walkway. Hats off the Guy and Hank for helping me with technique instead of selling me a sponsors product.

I considered just resting today with my rare holiday off work but went early. (I have to work 2 holidays a year. This year I worked New Years, and I'm working Labor Day) Not up to Bass Resource hammer standards, but I had a really good day for me. I caught 17 between 5:30 and 9:30. All what I call "cookie cutters", between 14 and 16 inches, with the exception of one 12 inch Spot. It was a good mix of Spots and Largemouth. It took me 1/2 hours to find them, but when I did it was on. Last weekend they were off shore, no where near the bank on humps and long points. (not super deep, just off shore) Today they were up on flats gorging on Shad. I caught one on a Devils Horse, the rest were on a DT6. All but a couple were when I was absolutely burning it. For the most part they were barely hooked in the edge of the mouth on the rear hook. I tried slowing down but they wouldn't bite. Some had the rear hook in the edge of their lip and were skin hooked by the front hook. I suppose swiping at the bait. I also caught a couple smallish Channel Cats. I shook them off at boatside instead of sliming my boat. First and last Bass are pictured.