Woody B

I use a 40+ year old Ambassador 5500 for deep cranks. It worked when I was a teenager and it still works now.

I haven't watched any professional sports since they went.....woke. I pretty much only watched baseball before that. I haven't miss it. I get more stuff done around the house, and also get more time fishing.

The 3 pictured together are no longer with us. They used to all sleep in the same dog house when it was cold. We moved ~20 miles in 2006. Blue (the cat) jumped the fence and ran off right after we moved. A few weeks later I stopped by my old house to check the mail. Blue came running up and jumped in my truck. He had lost a bunch of weight, but made it ~20 miles to his old home. We got Pete, the beagle in the middle in 2000. He died in 2014. We got Katie, the other beagle in 2008. She passed away last year. Katie was lonely when Blue passed away in 2016. We got Sammy (beagle mix, pictured with my Grandson) from the pound to keep Katie company. Dolly, the Yorkie in my first post looks all innocent in the boat. She's a handful, and you can see in the picture of her dangling from my shorts.

I didn't see an official dog/pet picture thread so I decided to start one.

Howdy, I'm in Grover NC, less than a mile from SC.

No leader for me....but...no braid for me.

Nice bass. I caught a 5 pounder on a Devils Horse this morning on my first cast.

The family will be in mine and Mrs B's prayers. I was on Lake Norman (NC) yesterday and Lake Wylie(NC/SC) today. Both lakes were basically mad houses by noon.

What I've found is "most" of the time it doesn't matter. When it does matter silent is what's needed. (What I'm saying is most of the the the rattle doesn't hurt anything....but real baitfish don't rattle)

Like others said, cinch it down good. Also wet it (for lubrication) before cinching. Are you sure it's slipping or is it breaking somewhere in the knot? I use a trilene knot, or an improved clinch knot, depending on my mood. I've never had either slip. (mono only). The only time I've had trouble (breaking "in" the knot) is when I get sloppy with my loops, and have wraps in my loops. (I hope I explained this good enough)

I "caught" a fairly big soft shell a month of so ago on a texas rig. It wasn't 3 feet across, but it was at least 2. I keep a long pair of needle nose pliers in my boat. I was able to twist the hook out of it's mouth while staying a foot or so away. I didn't care about the hook but felt the turtle didn't need it in his mouth. I wish I would have taken a picture. The next week a snagged a smallish snapping turtle in a back foot with a crankbait(not on purpose). I grabbed it by the other foot with one pair of pliers and got the hook loose with another.

I'm 58 kinda fat, and have good cholesterol numbers. Also good blood pressure and blood glucose/A1C numbers. Decades ago an old retired Doctor told me to take a shot of unfiltered apple cider vinegar every day due to my family history of diabetes. It's terrible, kinda like taking a drink of fire, but I've been doing it every day for ~40 years. Both of my parents, 3 of my grandparents, and my sister have/had diabetes, as well as high blood pressure. I don't know if the ACV helps, but I'm not going to stop to find out.

This is my best one. My wife and I were fishing. He line was frayed so I re tied her lure. (You can't tie a lure on without making a cast, I think it's a rule) I cast her lipless crankbait out the back of the boat, totally away from the area we were fishing and caught a 4 pounder. 2nd best one. I saw what I thought was a log on my side imaging. I thought "there may be a bass under that log". I cast in the area of the log. The log was a 50+ pound catfish that I was finally able to land over 30 minutes later. Some people get aggravated if they catch another species when bass fishing. I'll take a 50 pound anything on bass tackle.

I only use baitcasters, and I keep my drag a little on the loose side. I use my thumb during hooksets, and if I need to hoss one out of some brush or something. FWIW I've landed a 50+ pound catfish on bass tackle with 12 pound test. I check my line for frays often, and re tie when needed. I believe this is the major cause for most line breakage. I've had my line broken 2 times this year. Once was after I knew I should have re tied. (a 3ish pound bass on a devils horse) The other was something big wrapped itself around a bridge pilling. I don't think a tighter drag and/or high strength braid could have prevented this. Boat positioning was the cause.

It's been years since I stayed in a Hotel. We've got a camper and take a few vacations throughout the year. I have to work Monday so no Memorial Day vacation for us. I'll fish Saturday and Sunday. My Titan get's 19mpg empty, 15mpg towing my aluminum boat and 11mpg towing our camper.

I'll be on the lake before sunrise Saturday and Sunday. I've been doing that since the weather got warm. There usually isn't many wake boats or jet skis before 11 or so. They usually aren't drunk before 1 or 2. I usually leave sometime between 11 and 2. I've got to work Monday.

Thanks for all the information. I've heard before that the Mustang HIT's are the best. I see people mention Onyx ones. Academy has them. I could try one on to make sure it's comfortable. I've got all the required PFD already stored in my boat. I don't need another one that I don't wear. I know I "should" wear a life jacket. I'm an Eagle Scout and a former lifeguard. I also have a fire extinguisher and first aid kit in every vehicle I own. It appears to me that the vests can be re armed if they're used. Is there any reason (besides $$) not to jump in my pool with one on to see how it works? I've finally gotten to the point that I remember to attach my emergency cut off switch lanyard 90% of the time. (I still forget to take it off most of the time when I get up LOL)

There's a recent rash of threads recommending people wear their life jackets. Right now the only time I wear mine is when the water is below 55 degrees. I'm considering getting an inflatable. (is that the right term?) What brand, and what care/maintenance is needed? I would leave mine in the drivers seat with my cut off switch lanyard attached to it. I'm tight, but cost isn't really a factor.

I work hard, and make decent money. I don't spend more than I make. I don't worry about what I spend.

A Devils Horse is pretty much the only lure my Dad would use. I've got a bunch of ones that might possibly be older than I am. (I'm 58). I caught my PB on a Devils Horse 30+ years ago. I still throw one fairly often from dusk to dawn. I've caught bass in water 20 feet or more deep at the end of lighted docks with 1. To use one let it sit until the ripples are gone. Give it a twitch or 2, wait a bit, then repeat the twitch(es). For me there's nothing more exciting than a bass hitting a ' horse. Many times it sounds like you threw a concrete block in the water. For me, it's not a bait you can cover a bunch of water with. You need a visible target, or at least a precise area to cast, and work it. I can cover more ground with a buzz bait, but a buzz bait strike doesn't usually compare to a devils horse strike. I change the hooks, as did my Dad. I don't use split rings. I do put a drop of carpenters glue on the screws when I put them back in. The 3/8 ounce ones are all I've ever used.

Braided line.

Old racer here too. I always indexed them in my 2 stroke. I haven't touched the plugs in my 4 stroke, but they'll be indexed when I do.

Are you alone in the boat, or is the person in the passenger side lighter than you? My boat done that when I was by myself. The boat would lean to the right, making the left side view not work correctly. I lowered the transducer and tilted it a little to correct it.

Off topic, but it's gotten off topic. At my work place we're required to have on "cut proof gloves" anytime we're using a razor blade. I bought a pair, and put the left one on when dealing with a fish/lure with trebles.