Carolina Pines

@Functional I'm starting to think you may be right, it would explain his vague health comments and why he didn't really want to continue the conversation. My wife has mentioned some things that support this theory as well. @Pat Brown That could also be the reason, I've noticed he has had time to go on a couple charters in 2023 with some of his work friends. They caught some big reds down in Texas and some wahoo offshore NC. Incredible fish for sure, but charter fishing just isn't my style. You're paying a lot of money to reel in someone else's fish (in my opinion). It could be he just got bored with bass fishing and doesn't want to tell me. @Susky River Rat Thanks for the comment, y'all are absolutely right, I need to take every chance I get to fish with my dad because that time is limited. Now that he's retiring I'll make sure to ask him as often as possible. @gimruis You're right, it's none of my business and I shouldn't be asking about his drinking. I could tell he didn't want to talk about it so I dropped it immediately and haven't brought it up again. What you said is very true, we make the time for the things that we prioritize in life. He's not really prioritizing fishing like he used to, but it seems like it might be related to some personal business so I'll take the hint and find some other people to fish with.

I use 832 braid tied to a 12lb FC leader. Sometimes I'll step up to 15lb leader in the fall if the lily pads are thick. I like braid for jerkbaits but you need a good glass rod with a moderate action. Finding the right rod with enough tip to work the bait, while providing enough give to keep the fish pinned is key. There's not a lot of room for error with rod selection if you're fishing them with braid. I fish 110s some, and catch some fish on them, but I throw my LC pointers a lot more often.

Thanks @ol'crickety, it was the second fish ever on my new Pop Max... I was originally doubting that the pop max would get bit at all since they were going for the much smaller Splash It, but I was glad I tried it when it got slammed repeatedly! I should have started the afternoon with it. I use my bag same way you do... I keep a dry towel in there, a small lighter, a small pair of channel locks, and a few other tools. I also keep my phone and scale in there until I catch a worthy fish. I'm not fishing areas as remote as you are, but I was a boy scout for many years in my youth and I was always taught to "be prepared" because you never know...

TLDR – he’s making excuses and hasn’t fished with me in a year. He also quit drinking entirely which seems weird too. Should I keep asking him or move on to other friends and my dad? Here’s the situation, most of y’all can probably relate to this. For the past 3 years or so I’ve fished primarily with my brother-in-law. We both fish out of my aluminum V hull boat, or my Old Town Canoe. He’s a good guy, we always seem to get along well, and we’ve had some really great times on the water. I don’t mind fishing alone, I do it quite often… but fishing alone all the time gets old after a while. And even though I’m a very strong swimmer (lifeguard for many years), it’s a lot safer on the water with someone else. Both of us started out with similar skill sets, and we’ve both improved quite a bit while fishing together. It always felt like a great partnership to me because we pushed each other to improve, and while we are both a little bit competitive, it’s always been in good spirit, and we always have fun. Some days he outfishes me, other days I’ll outfish him. But we always catch fish. Both of us have gotten 2 new PB bass each since we started fishing together. Lately though, things have changed some. He spent a lot more time working in 2023, and we had a major home remodel taking place (among other things), so neither of us had as much time to fish in 2023 as in the prior years. However, I did make the effort to invite him on nearly every trip I planned. I’d ask him about his calendar and when he would have time off work, to try and plan trips to align with his schedule. I felt like he probably wanted to go fishing, he was just really having trouble finding the time. One day I looked at my phone and realized it had been nearly an entire year without us fishing together. We went to his place for Christmas, and we figured out that we both had some time off. I told him I’d plan a fishing trip for us on Wednesday the 27th if the weather cooperated, or Thursday the 28th if need be. Tuesday the 26th was the best looking day weather-wise, but he wasn’t free, so I fished alone Tuesday and figured he would come Wednesday. Wednesday rolls around, and now instead of him having time off, he’s working in the morning. Then he has a school tour for his daughter, and some “stuff to do around the house” … none of this was mentioned to me over Christmas, but I get that stuff comes up sometimes. I said OK, what about Thursday? He says yeah maybe he can get some time to break away in the afternoon Thursday. Well guess what, he never hits me up on Thursday. I knew he wasn’t going to, it’s par for the course lately. It just seems weird to me, in the years past he never had a problem finding the time to get some fishing in. He doesn’t have his own boat, and I don’t think he’s fishing with other friends that I’m aware of… so I’m wondering if maybe he’s just losing interest in bass fishing. It could also be some personal stuff he’s dealing with… I noticed coincidentally about a year ago he quit drinking entirely. Neither of us are heavy drinkers, and we never drink while fishing. But I do like to have some beers on the weekends, and so did he… except now he’s dry as a bone, and I haven’t seen him touch any alcohol even at Christmas when we were at his place. I hope he’s not judging me for drinking, because lately I’ll bring my own cooler over with a few beers when I go to his place on the weekends. I never get drunk or anything remotely close, but it does feel weird that now neither him nor his wife seem to drink any alcohol whatsoever. Christmas day without a glass of wine or a beer?? That just seems a little bit weird to me, especially since they both were different in years past. I’m not the type to judge others at all, I’m just wondering if there’s some reason behind this that I’m unaware of. Maybe it’s none of my business. I very casually asked him a little while back about why he quit drinking. He made some vague comments about his health and I sensed the conversation getting awkward quick… so I dropped it and haven’t brought it up since. But I’m curious as to what made him change so suddenly. I’d also like to figure out a way to ask him if he still wants to go fishing with me or not… without sounding like an *******. If he just needs some time to himself to get things sorted out, that’s perfectly fine with me. But this whole making excuses thing seems passive aggressive to me. I hope he feels comfortable enough to “be real” with me and not beat around the bush so much. I’ve got other buddies who see the big fish I catch, and they are chomping at the bit for a chance to get on my boat. Also, my dad is about to retire in February and I really enjoy fishing with him. And to top it off, I’ve got a new buddy at work who is an incredible surf fisherman, one of the best I’ve ever met. He’s going to take me on some trips next fall to show me how to read the beach. I’ve wanted to improve my surf fishing game for years, so I’m very excited to fish with him. Should I let my brother-in-law chill out for a while, and hope he doesn’t get his feelings hurt seeing me fish with a bunch of other people? Or should I try to be direct with him, and ask him what’s going on that’s caused things to change so much?

Here's the last of my 2023 bass, caught 10 or 12 of them on 12/26. Biggest fish was a 3 pounder so nothing too exciting... but I did catch almost all of them on topwater so it was a fun time. Most fish came on a Megabass Pop Max, also caught a few on a Don Iovino Splash-It. Topwater pickerel was an interesting bonus. He slammed it hard!

Zoom Mag Trick Worm Zoom Mag UV Speed Worm I throw them both weightless most of the time. I also like the big Zoom lizards and Brush Hogs. The worms get way more use however.

I might show this thread to my brother in law, he struggles sometimes fishing mag speed worms rigged weightless on EWG hooks. Some days he's on, some days not so much. I tried to tell him he needs to adjust his hookset... but I could tell it was bothering him watching me catch nearly everything that bites my mag trick worms. He'd miss a fish, then I'd throw to the same spot with my trick worm and catch it. 🤣🤣 I dunno, 5/0 EWG has worked so well for decades with the mag trick worms I never thought about using worm hooks. Those mag worms are pretty thick... I just reel down and sweep hard to the side, gets them right in the corner of the mouth pretty much every time. My opinion is they do bite differently (softer) in the colder water, and they seem to drop it sooner as well. You just gotta figure out when to stick them. For me in the winter it's maybe 1-2 seconds after the initial bite.

Welcome, nice redfish!! Lived in NC all my life, love the fishing here.

I have never caught a smallmouth bass! They just don't live down here where I'm at in NC. We have hunting property in VA on the James River but whenever I'm there I'm usually deer / turkey hunting. I need to make some trips up there with the canoe so I can experience some brown bass action!! Do you fish jerkbaits on spinning gear? All my bigger jerkbaits like (pointer 100 and up) I'm throwing on casting gear and I can't imagine not having a DC reel. I'll bomb cast them straight into the wind with zero hesitation... the noise is a little annoying at first. But wow what a difference a DC reel makes on a jerkbait rod. Completely thumb free!!

I just started making my own spinnerbaits about a year ago, I've been buying pre-cut wire from Ebay in 6" lengths and bending them myself. So far all of mine have been the typical R bend, but I think I might have just enough length to get a couple twists in for a closed eye design. I haven't had many issues with line wrapping but I do like idea of a closed eye much better.

I have a setup just like you describe except a heavy power rod, for throwing swimbaits 1-3 ounces. Tranx 200 was the reel I chose. I debated between 200 and 300 and I'm glad I went with the 200. I also use mine in the saltwater occasionally for Carolina rigs. I really like the Tranx, it is a smooth, solid reel. I was able to put about 150 yards of 17lb mono on it.

Thanks @GreenPig I will tell her! I'm very lucky she's willing to fish with me sometimes!! She said this past trip was a lot of fun! She loves fishing at the beach from the piers, and in the surf... that's something I need to get better at myself. I do alright inshore fishing, but it usually takes me a while to get on a bite. I think she gets bored when we're out for a few hours with little or no action.

Thanks @RipzLipz you are absolutely right, I have so much to be thankful for and I appreciate the kind words!! It's true things have been tough in a lot of ways, but I'm extremely lucky to be back to work, that was a huge weight off of me. I got a very good severance package from my previous employer which helped tremendously while I was job hunting. We found a great school for my daughter, she loves it and we won't have to deal with political nonsense being shoved down her throat. Hopefully the other two kids will be attending as well when they reach her age. And most of all, everyone is safe and healthy.

I've been regularly fishing for largemouth since around 2009, but I just recently started targeting trophy size fish in 2022. I realized it had been over 10 years since my last PB!! I finally got a new PB 7 pounder in December 2022, my previous PB fish was a 6 pounder back in 2010. Then I got another PB in late February 2023, a 9lb 10oz fish. In March 2023 I was laid off after nearly 10 years. April 15th 2023 drunk driver crashed into our home and displaced all 5 of us. Lots of other weird events as well, life sure is strange how things all stack up sometimes. Ever since then I've only gotten a handful of fishing trips in. Dad and I did pretty well inshore fishing this year though during our family's week long beach trip. I'm still chasing a DD largemouth, if none of this other bull**** had happened there's a good chance I'd have one by now! I'm catching a lot more sizeable fish on a regular basis now that my tactics are improving, so it's just a matter of time. We're moving back home in a week or two and I'm gonna hit the lake every chance I get... but with 3 kids under 6, I'm lucky if I get on the water twice in a month!

1. Spinnerbait w/ single #4 Colorado blade and 4.5" paddle tail trailer. I bend them myself from .040 stainless wire. I can cast it quite a ways, and I can fish it any depth. Catches fish deep in cover and catches them in open water. It catches them year round, and it's also responsible for my PB largemouth this year. 2. Lucky Craft Pointer 100 Jerkbait. Another confidence lure of mine. Mostly I use American Shad and Chartreuse Shad colors. It's not as versatile as the above spinnerbait, and they won't typically hit it in the summer months, but it's killer December - March. I have various other pointers and a few vision 110s but the regular old Pointer 100 gets the most use. 3. Zoom Magnum Trick Worm, watermelon red flake. Most often I'll throw it weightless on a 5/0 EWG hook. The Magnum worm casts further and it seems like I get bigger fish compared to regular trick worm. Catches them year round but shines April - September. 4. Booyah Pad Crasher frog in black. I've tried lots of frogs including live target, scum frog, etc but I like the Pad Crashers the best. I bend the hooks very slightly and trim the legs to around 2" long. 5. One Knocker Spook in Bonehead. I love the one knocker and Bonehead is a great color. I can't wait to take it to the coast and hopefully catch some redfish on it. Sits low in the water and easy to walk. I also like how I can make it spit. 6. Lobina Rico popper in blue chartreuse. I just got this popper, only fished one trip with it, but I absolutely love it already. I can't believe how far and accurately I can cast it. I can easily make it pop and spit in place, and it walks really well too. It worked very well for me last trip and easily earned a top spot in my box. I'm sure it will become another confidence lure. I love the acrobatics from bass when they hit it. I had several launch themselves completely out of the water going after it. I'll post some pics when I get home from work.

This time of year I never downsize. If anything I upsize, but I will slow my presentations down. I'm in NC as well, just a little bit east of you. Right now especially, find the bait and you'll find the fish. Look for schools of shad being pushed into coves and onto the flats. I like slow rolling spinnerbaits and 5" swimbaits on offshore flats and around the edge of submerged weedlines. This was my most productive technique last trip, I caught maybe 20 fish like this and the wife got around 10 or so. Keep a jerkbait ready as well, I'll switch back and forth between the jerkbait and spinnerbait to keep the bite going. Once the water temps drop into the low 50s the jerkbait bite will really turn on. Lipless crankbaits also really shine this time of year. Don't discount medium sized swimbaits either, this past trip I also got a nice 3 pounder on a huddleston 68 fishing it slow along the bottom. I'll be throwing the swimbaits even more as water temps drop into 50s. Always be on the lookout for bass busting schools of shad. Especially on warmer sunny afternoons. You'll usually get a topwater bite in the later half of the day. Big fish last trip went 5lbs 7oz and I got him on a popper. I'll also throw spooks a lot this time of year. I've been catching big fish in the winter for years. November - February is a great time to catch a new PB in NC. Sometimes it takes a little while to find the active fish, but there's always some. They eat year round down here. You just gotta keep moving until you find them.

For my birthday I asked my parents to watch the kids so the wife and I could hit the lake. This was my first time out in over a month! Water temps were between 59-63, partly cloudy, breezy 8-12 mph. Air temps were in the upper 60s. It was a very nice day on the water!! Most fish were caught on spinnerbaits. Mrs. Carolina Pines caught a 4lb 1oz (new PB!) slow rolling her spinnerbait in about 12 FOW. I caught a few on a jerkbait (pointer 100) as well. We took a lunch break, and the wife declared victory thinking hers was the big fish of the day. She left to run some errands while I fished through the afternoon. After lunch I was able to get on a nice topwater bite! I caught a couple on a one-knocker spook. I began following some schools of shad around and got a 5lb 7oz bass on a Rico popper! This was my first time using my new Rico, but definitely not my last. I caught probably 10 or 12 more topwater bass on the popper before the bite died down around sunset. I ended the day with around 30 fish, wife caught maybe 8 or 10 herself. She's getting pretty good with the spinnerbait. Things have been really crazy as we prepare to move back home. I can't describe how much I'm ready to put this crazy chapter of my life behind me. It's been a whirlwind of insanity but there are some silver linings... I have a new, better job with higher pay and good vacation. The house is looking incredible so far and I can't wait to see it when it's finished. We're taking advantage of the remodel to make some changes to the living room / dining room layout, and we're completely remodeling the kitchen w/ a new gas range. The new countertops go in on Friday. It'll be so nice getting back to having my favorite lake 15 mins away instead of 45 mins from our current rental home. I'm anticipating many more fishing trips in 2024!

I'm from NC as well, and fish inshore saltwater for reds, trout, flounder, etc. using a lot of the same rods I use for bass fishing. I'm almost exclusively braid to leader. Mostly I use FC leaders. I need leaders for freshwater also. There's a good population of chain pickerel in my local lake so the FC leaders keep my lures from getting bitten off. FG knot is all I use. I've tried many knots over the years... but none have matched the strength and small diameter you get with the FG. It's a pain to tie when you're learning it but once you do it a few times you get the hang of it. The only times I've ever had it fail were due to it unraveling without me noticing it. I think it has happened once or twice over the hundreds of times I've tied it. I like to finish them with a couple of half hitches that are carefully positioned to cover the leader. Lately I've been adding a tiny drop of super glue to the very top of the knot where the half hitches are. It keeps them in place covering the leader, and I've never had one unravel on me since.

I love my Tranx 200, I have it on an ALX Hammer 7'0" heavy power rod, 17lb Armilo mono. I use it for medium sized swimbaits in the 1-3 oz range, and big spinnerbaits. It's a very smooth and strong reel. I bought it for both bass and inshore saltwater fishing. Inshore I'm using it mostly for throwing Carolina rigs for flounder and drum. 200 size is perfect for the rod I have it on, it's a very versatile combo.

@airshot @Skunkmaster-k My outboard is an old OMC Johnson 2 stroke from 1969 and it gets a steady diet of ethanol gas. It's way more convenient. I've never had an issue... although when I bought it, I rebuilt the carb with all new components, and replaced all the fuel lines with ethanol compatible materials. It's got over 110psi compression in both cylinders. Runs like a top and starts 1st or 2nd pull. @Stevo_fishes Congrats on the boat! In your situation I would definitely stick with non-ethanol fuel, unless you're doing a complete rebuild of your fuel system. It does seem to cause issues fairly often with engines that are switched from non-ethanol gas to ethanol blended. My opinion is that the ethanol gas quickly breaks down the deposits already present in the fuel system. The first tank of ethanol gas releases them and sends all that gunk straight into the carb jets.

I'm very happy with mine, it was money well spent. It lightened up the front of my boat significantly and performs much better than my old setup, a pair of 35ah lead acid batteries. I have a 12 volt trolling motor, a MK Endura max 45 lb thrust. It has the digital maximizer circuit. My 50ah battery runs the trolling motor, and my 24ah battery runs my electric anchor winch and serves as a backup battery. I can fish all day long, rarely fire up the outboard, and still have plenty of life left. I've gotten two days out of it before, but I charge it after every trip whenever possible. I'm not sure if a 24v trolling motor would run well on two 50ah batteries, you need to check the max draw of your TM to make sure they can supply enough amps. @Bankc brought up some really good points too about making sure the BMS will allow them to be run in series. Just do some research first, I don't know anyone who regretted the switch to lithium.

Both of mine came from the jungle as well lol. I have a 50ah (Power Queen) and a 24ah (DC House?). It looks like the 24ah battery brand name has changed since I bought it. Keep in mind all lithium battery chargers are NOT created equal. I tried to use a cheap ebay charger at first but it wouldn't charge the Power Queen. You need a charger that is designed ONLY for Lithium batteries, not one that will supposedly charge multiple battery types (AGM, Lead acid, LiFePO4, etc). Power Queen customer service informed me of this, I bought their charger that is designed specifically for lithium and it's been working well ever since. It also charges my other brand lithium battery. One time I dropped a pair of pliers across both terminals of the Power Queen 50ah. It shorted out with a big flash. At first I thought I killed it but all it needed was to be hooked back up to the charger to "reset" it. They have "battery management systems" with small computer chips to keep them from getting damaged. I've had zero issues with either of mine, they are much lighter and perform much better than heavy lead acid batteries.

I'm confident in my spinnerbait setups... but hopefully I'm not set in my ways so much that I can't take advice from an experienced angler such as @Captain Phil. If he can get his trailer hook spinnerbaits through Florida pads then I need to listen to any tips he's willing to offer. I'm sure the lily pads in FL get pretty thick. If I can find a way fish a spinnerbait that has a big trailer, with a trailer hook, through the gnarliest of lily pads without getting hung up then consider my mind changed.

I don't doubt that it works well for you. I also fish spinnerbaits in pads (very thick ones) and I haven't found a trailer hook yet that will make it through... but I like experimenting and I'll keep trying different options. Maybe I need to try a bigger trailer hook. I do prefer bigger trailers, it made a significant difference for me. Gizzard shad are what I'm attempting to imitate. Ever since I started making my own I prefer a large single Colorado blade for slow rolling. I also use Hildebrandt blades on mine w/ ball bearing swivels. I throw mine on 30lb braid w/ 20lb fc leader around cover.

@thediscochef You'll likely do well up shallow in winter, especially after a couple of warm sunny days. At least that's how it works in NC where I'm at. I love those warm spells we get in the winter. The top few inches of water warms up, bait comes up, bass follow. I always do well with spinnerbaits and swimbaits around shallow cover. Often times you can get on a great topwater bite too once they start schooling up.