5 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Got to be the boat captain for a high school tournament this past weekend. Running the boat for @HaydenS and Gavin. Had lots of battery issues Saturday that cost them over 2 hours of fishing and left them stuck to fishing a small area close to the ramp, but they fished hard and put 3 keepers in the boat and had a chance to fill out a limit if a couple other bites would have converted. Fishing was tough and they got 6th out of 45 teams. Sunday was bluebird skies and very little wind. It was even tougher with Gavin catching one very skinny keeper largemouth early on a Super Spook Jr and having a big smallmouth miss it shortly after. That was pretty much it for the day. Ran around and just never could make them bite. Had a good time and it was a fun experience getting to do the boat captain thing for the first time. I even got to fish a little bit at the lake we were staying by with Gavin's dad and showed off my drum fishing skills. I think I caught 6 of them in the hour we had to fish Saturday night after dinner. 

The crew.

 

Thanks again, I hope it wasn't too terribly boring! 

Fishing was tough this weekend, but it was a ton of fun!  Caught one of our keepers this weekend, had several fish follow our baits right to the boat.  Had a 3+ smallie follow a spinnerbait all the way to the boat, and several fish follow a ned or jig, but never commit.  

Finished 7 and 20 this weekend, decent showing!

And here is @Bluebasser86's video from the first tournament!

 

24 minutes ago, HaydenS said:

And here is @Bluebasser86's video from the first tournament!

 

How's it work with those sponsors on your shirts?    You get free products, or do they pay the entries?

 

I enjoyed the video, you guys are great anglers....although I thought somebody was going swimming ?  Two on front deck is always tough.    

On 10/9/2022 at 8:32 PM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Beautiful fish friend!   I love the panfish finesse stuff, and have been carrying at least one setup but it's a whole artform unto itself.    Sheesh catching panfish is harder than Bass ?

 

Looks like you're fishing some super clear water.....something very foreign to me.   

I’m pretty fortunate that my favorite retention pond has a very healthy population of bluegills, what I mean by that is they’re not all dinks like the bass are. There are some decent crappies also which are a bit harder to find. Next time I’ll get some pictures showing their shoulders and healthy bellies. The water finally cleared up after a few weeks from the fall turnover, and although it’s clear you have way more water to fish in your video with those kick butt looking spots to boot ?

1 hour ago, Eric 26 said:

I’m pretty fortunate that my favorite retention pond has a very healthy population of bluegills, what I mean by that is they’re not all dinks like the bass are. There are some decent crappies also which are a bit harder to find. Next time I’ll get some pictures showing their shoulders and healthy bellies. The water finally cleared up after a few weeks from the fall turnover, and although it’s clear you have way more water to fish in your video with those kick butt looking spots to boot ?

I would love to see some bluegill pics. I sure miss catching those guys. I did catch one big pumpkinseed while bass fishing this summer and quite a few surprisingly big yellow perch, also while bass fishing. Next summer, I'm going to return to the pond where I caught those yellow perch, keep some, and have myself a fish fry.

11 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I would love to see some bluegill pics. I sure miss catching those guys. I did catch one big pumpkinseed while bass fishing this summer and quite a few surprisingly big yellow perch, also while bass fishing. Next summer, I'm going to return to the pond where I caught those yellow perch, keep some, and have myself a fish fry.

If you can wait til next summer, visit your TN friend that doesn’t fish this winter. We have lots of big yellow perch, you might turn him into a fisherman after he eats a plate of perch 

11 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

How's it work with those sponsors on your shirts?    You get free products, or do they pay the entries?

 

I enjoyed the video, you guys are great anglers....although I thought somebody was going swimming ?  Two on front deck is always tough.    

So we get discounts, and some free product donated to the team.  I believe the team sells the spots on our jerseys, and the bigger the spot, the more the company pays to our team.   I believe we use the sponsorship money for team food after tourneys and team meetings.  

 

Thank you!  My partner's sunnies weren't polarized, so he couldn't see these huge boulders and stumps, he almost went in a few times.  My balance is pretty bad in a boat so I almost fell a few times as well! ?

56 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I would love to see some bluegill pics. I sure miss catching those guys. I did catch one big pumpkinseed while bass fishing this summer and quite a few surprisingly big yellow perch, also while bass fishing. Next summer, I'm going to return to the pond where I caught those yellow perch, keep some, and have myself a fish fry.

 

We ought to get you on a boat with SWMBO. She'd just as soon blister a school of panfish as catch anything else. The whole reason we have ultralight gear is for her.

1 hour ago, HaydenS said:

So we get discounts, and some free product donated to the team.  I believe the team sells the spots on our jerseys, and the bigger the spot, the more the company pays to our team.   I believe we use the sponsorship money for team food after tourneys and team meetings.  

 

Thank you!  My partner's sunnies weren't polarized, so he couldn't see these huge boulders and stumps, he almost went in a few times.  My balance is pretty bad in a boat so I almost fell a few times as well! ?

I think that's so cool what you guys are doing, and I would have loved to have had that opportunity.

 

It's amazing how big of difference a good pair of polarized glasses make.   In Saltwater it's pretty much mandatory. 

 

Keep up the great work, and don't stop chasing your dreams!  

14 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I think that's so cool what you guys are doing, and I would have loved to have had that opportunity.

 

It's amazing how big of difference a good pair of polarized glasses make.   In Saltwater it's pretty much mandatory. 

 

Keep up the great work, and don't stop chasing your dreams!  

Thank you sir!

3 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I would love to see some bluegill pics. I sure miss catching those guys. I did catch one big pumpkinseed while bass fishing this summer and quite a few surprisingly big yellow perch, also while bass fishing. Next summer, I'm going to return to the pond where I caught those yellow perch, keep some, and have myself a fish fry.

One of my biggest regrets in life was and still is not taking more time to head to Navy Pier with my brother who passed away several years ago from a construction/work accident. He would go on weekends before dawn for the fisherman’s special parking rate in the fall/early winter months. The few times I went he would have to bring an anchor to crack the skim ice which was quite comical and he not so much me would proceed to put on a clinic catching  them perch with minnows until you couldn’t feel anything in your entire body. He would fillet and freeze them in 1 gallon ice cream containers then in the summer my sister and younger brother with our families would meet at my parents house for a fish fry. I’m not a fish eater but my lord I could put away some perch ? Also if you want to see some truly amazing bluegills google “Sarah the closer Parvin” , she’s active on social media and “Outdoor Life” has a great on-line article on her and her dads work on raising some of the biggest gills you’ll see. They look like swimming platters with fins? She’s in the same state as @AlabamaSpothunter who between you and he are catching and posting more and way bigger bass in 1 week than I will all year?

9 minutes ago, Eric 26 said:

One of my biggest regrets in life was and still is not taking more time to head to Navy Pier with my brother who passed away several years ago from a construction/work accident. He would go on weekends before dawn for the fisherman’s special parking rate in the fall/early winter months. The few times I went he would have to bring an anchor to crack the skim ice which was quite comical and he not so much me would proceed to put on a clinic catching  them perch with minnows until you couldn’t feel anything in your entire body. He would fillet and freeze them in 1 gallon ice cream containers then in the summer my sister and younger brother with our families would meet at my parents house for a fish fry. I’m not a fish eater but my lord I could put away some perch ? Also if you want to see some truly amazing bluegills google “Sarah the closer Parvin” , she’s active on social media and “Outdoor Life” has a great on-line article on her and her dads work on raising some of the biggest gills you’ll see. They look like swimming platters with fins? She’s in the same state as @AlabamaSpothunter who between you and he are catching and posting more and way bigger bass in 1 week than I will all year?

Really sorry to hear about your brother friend, and he sounded like an amazing angler.....a true angler who doesn't let weather, comfort, or time of day get in his way.

 

Thank you for sharing a bit of him with us, it's how we keep them alive in our hearts.   My uncle was like that, I wished we could have fished so much more, but he was taken to soon as well.   

 

I'll have to check out Sarah the closer Parvin.   

 

What Alex said, Eric. Your brother sounds like he was a hoot and a half. Thanks for the Sarah tip. I'm going to Google her right now.

Booyah One Knocker has been my go to lately. I take spells with various baits. Right now burning a lipless on a breezy day is a blast. This one was probably just shy of 3 lb. Caught fourteen in about an hour and a half this afternoon. Our temps are up and down right now. We're supposed to get chilly again after frontal passage. Wish fall was year 'round. Still wanting a 6 or better before I'm rehabbing a new left knee end of next month.  5.8 has been my best this year.

2 hours ago, The Bassman said:

Right now burning a lipless on a breezy day is a blast.

 

Hard to beat a good lipless bite.

9 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

you might turn him into a fisherman after he eats a plate of perch

Jumbo perch out of cold water is the best eating freshwater fish there is up here. Unfortunately jumbo perch are like an endangered species here nowadays so finding a school of them is like trying to find gold.

1 hour ago, galyonj said:

 

Hard to beat a good lipless bite.

Nothing like that thump or better yet when they chase it to the bank. I had one do that today but I yanked it away from him reflexively. Couldn't follow up because my line got tangled in the hooks as the bass stayed there for a couple of seconds looking for the bait. Reminded me of our cats. 

4 hours ago, The Bassman said:

Booyah One Knocker has been my go to lately. I take spells with various baits. Right now burning a lipless on a breezy day is a blast. This one was probably just shy of 3 lb. Caught fourteen in about an hour and a half this afternoon. Our temps are up and down right now. We're supposed to get chilly again after frontal passage. Wish fall was year 'round. Still wanting a 6 or better before I'm rehabbing a new left knee end of next month.  5.8 has been my best this year.

 

5.8 is nothing to sneeze at, but here's hoping you land that 6+. That One Knocker is putting in some work for you lately.

Got a 17" and a 15" on a Texas rig after work today.

Nothing to write home about the last few days but as I understand it, nobody's exactly killing it on Ray Roberts right now. Lake's turning over and today is a steady 15mph SW wind. Still managed 5 including the fish sandwich. Best bass of the day got away without a picture...flopped out of my grip in the water as I fumbled with my phone. Couldn't have been more than 2.5lbs though.

Fished for about 2 hours in between two big storm cells before dinner......took just one rod, and fanny pack with a few chatterbaits.    Caught 5....4-1 LGM for a change, all on the MiniMax in Gizzard Shad 3/8th model.  

 

Played around with different trailers on this MiniMax, and it's very temperamental to having the proper trailer.   It doesn't like anything bigger than 3", and doesn't like a heavy action trailer.   Both interfere with it's ability to quickly get back on plane if you wanna call it.   Armor Shads were built for these MiniMax models it seems.

The most gorgeous tree on this entire lake, absolutely stunning in color 

Beautiful bass and tree. Alex, I'm surprised at how red that tree is. I would have guessed that your fall would come weeks or even a couple months after ours. 

5 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Beautiful bass and tree. Alex, I'm surprised at how red that tree is. I would have guessed that your fall would come weeks or even a couple months after ours. 

Thanks pal, wonder if our drought that only ended today contributed to that.   You are right though odd how ours are changing at the same time.

2 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Fished for about 2 hours in between two big storm cells before dinner......took just one rod, and fanny pack with a few chatterbaits.    Caught 5....4-1 LGM for a change, all on the MiniMax in Gizzard Shad 3/8th model.  

 

Played around with different trailers on this MiniMax, and it's very temperamental to having the proper trailer.   It doesn't like anything bigger than 3", and doesn't like a heavy action trailer.   Both interfere with it's ability to quickly get back on plane if you wanna call it.   Armor Shads were built for these MiniMax models it seems.

The most gorgeous tree on this entire lake, absolutely stunning in color 

Yes, this is the small chatterbait experience. "On plane" is a great way to describe it. Vertical-finned or shad-shape plastics with a slimmer profile have been the quickest to plane for me. Paddletails are a no-go. The 1/4oz is less temperamental to plane in my experience at low speed. Love the minimax. Great, great baits. Just wish they cost less and had a more removable skirt.

@AlabamaSpothunter rain delay gave you some time to catch ‘em!