ElGuapo928

Usually here there’s a pretty good window for summer morning topwaters. Spent this morning fishing a couple of main lake points, water temps between 82 and 85, little bit of chop on the surface. Got a lot of short strikes on a Plopper 75, switched to a Sammy and got a couple 1-1.5 pounders and a couple dinks before the bite shut off around 6:30.

I wear prescription Oakleys, I hit them with “Cat Crap” anti fog every couple of weeks with good results.

I mainly use the skinny ones, and switch to the old lead cannonballs where it’s really rocky. I’ve found the skinny ones to get through grass, brush, wood, and junk better.

I keep the bulk of them in a Flambeau hanging box, and keep 3 or 4 of my usuals hanging on a magnet strip on my gunwale.

6” Zoom lizard 4” worm straight tail 6” floating worm 5” Zipper worm 3” Reaper 1/2 oz RedEye Shad DD22 3/8 oz spinnerbait Whopper Plopper 75 Pointer 100

This is the winner here! Works wonders on just about any stain.

Most of my topwater fish the last few years have been on a Plopper or Choppo. I have found that my hookup percentage is best with the 75mm size - I’m assuming less leverage to throw it, or just easier to get both hooks from the side.

Basically just a slow, steady retrieve. I like to randomly kill the retrieve, and usually get a strike right when I start moving again. If you leave the factory galvanized hooks on it, hit them with a file before using it - they are dull as can be.

A lot of the distributors are over the barrel just as much as the small retailers. With all the buyouts/consolidation in the industry, individualized customer service has become something of a foreign concept.

Haven’t had too much variation from normal this year, other than adopting a new favorite spinnerbait. My heavy hitters have been: Zoom 6” lizard - Salt&Pepper, 3/16 oz free rig Nichols Catalyst - 3/8 oz in “Bombshell Shad” Red Eye shad, 1/2 oz in Citrus Shad

#3 Aglia (silver blade) and the one with the minnow (Comet I think?) were the deal on Black River smallmouth when I was a kid. I also remember silver with red spot Z-Ray spoons as a winner. Now I’m going to have to go look through grandpa’s “Black River Only” box and see what else is in there…..and maybe plan a weekend up there as well.

Thanks!

I’ve gotten to that point a few times more than I care to admit, especially in tournament situations when the fish have no intentions of cooperating with me. It was worse in the days before I learned to ignore the weekly fishing reports and stick with what I know works. After kicking a couple rods over the side, I went to my 4 on the deck.

‘89 Ranger 363V, 175 Black Max. In dire need of carpet and upholstery, but I’ll get to that eventually.

I’ve found that cheap jigs and expensive ones have exactly the same lifespan in the rocks, which makes me perfectly content with dressing up a hook point from time to time.

I still carry them, and they still need a few passes on the hook file, just like they did in the 80’s. When I’m splitshotting or doodling, it’s virtually always on a Tru Turn.

When my oldest boy was about 6 or 7, he absolutely had to have one of those little tiny orange Beetle Spins (looks like a candy corn on a Jighead) - I lost count of how many yellow bass he put in the boat with that goofy looking thing.

I’ve never been too crazy about Trokar hooks. They have always seemed to dull way too fast, and there’s too many better options at a better price point. I do still have a stash of Lazer Sharp “.45 Auto” worm hooks that I won’t give up on.

I normally carry 4 on the deck. It’s not too much effort to pull rods from the locker if needed. I don’t have FFS on my boat, so I keep a crankbait, spinnerbait, free rig and dropshot on the deck - other stuff is in the locker until called for.

That could very well be - I don’t have the foggiest memory where they came from, but they were in the jig box for at least 10 years.

My all time favorite jig color was one that I have no clue the name of. I don’t even remember where they came from, but I can remember precisely what they looked like: 3/8 oz Arkie type head painted a light gray, light gray skirt with some lime green and orange strands mixed in. These things worked really good, and I just lost the last one in the rocks a couple of months ago.

Theodore Roosevelt Lake is home. 21,000 acres or so, 300 foot deep in main channel. Brushy, and fluctuating water levels keep it that way too. After a couple years of staying in the 90% plus range, fishing is phenomenal. Had a few bad years because of gizzard shad introduction, but game and fish stepped up with the Florida strain stocking and this lake is back in a big way. A couple weeks ago there was a 35lb sack in a tournament. #12 on Bassmaster’s Western list, I personally give a 9/10.

Straight shank hooks always get buried, and really soft plastics (Roboworm, ACB, 5150, hand pours) will get buried as well.

I’ve got one of those BPS Megacast reels on the shelf still. I bought it for a striper trip on the river, then used it a couple of times throwing big football heads. I’ve retired all of my round reels as of now, but I do occasionally find myself wanting to take one out for a spin.

I’ve got absolutely zero skill/luck/karma with a shakey head. I can’t even get a bluegill to tap at one.