Ham

"To every thing there is a season" I don't usually hit flows for Smallies when the lakes are fishing so well. It's doable ; I just don't. The s-berry is not commercially served. It is an interesting stream. Slower and less clear than I am used. It has a lot of small fish. I think the locals meat fish it pretty hard. I saw a guy hauling out about 20 small smallmouth on a stringer. It also has a LOT of Cottonmouth. I had one strike at my boat. I should not have paddled so close to it! And I waded thru a riffle (a freaking riffle!) and looked down at my feet and saw what I thought was a dead cottonmouth. When I picked up the carcass with the t handled paddle, I discovered it was in fact a) not dead and not happy. I saw several other cottonmouth, but those were the two close encounters I had.

The rain seemed to slow my morning as well. I went looking for LMB in dirty water and found neither dirty water nor LMB. I wanted to show the guy that that taught me the Zig Jig how the Ned rig works. Misson accomplished ! Never caught a fish in the rain. Started picking up Spotted Bass back up the creek, but rain out to main lake area and started picking up better smallies. Numerous solid Smallies. Fat. Eating well and growing eggs. Found the gizzard shad spawn. I could not get any to bite though. I had a few follows and nips, but no gizzard shap to my credit.

Heck of a sale.

I wish it had 2008 shown on that graph

Ike struggled on the last day, but Skeet caught them so well Ike could have caught 20 lbs and still lost. Ike was fishing thru the pain too. He had surgery on a leg he injured at the last tourny.

Do I see a "clicker"?

That's what I said!

Dave apparently doesn't need to have any secrets. He all but forces all of us to learn to use the Ned rig and tells everyone where he fishes. I never crank my motor and I stay in "Creek X all day for x number of days in a row". There likely isn't a fish in that creek without at least one hook mark when he goes home and I bet a lot of them have more than one.

I am telling you that in south Louisiana there would not have been an intact window in their vehicles when they returned to the ramp IF the vehicle had not been pushed into the lake. There is zero tolerance for that crap in Cajun land. I ain't saying its right, I'm just saying that is what would happen.

Then that's the one I'll get next year, but I ain't putting a $400 spining reel on it.

Hey Bill, The years get by, but the first Cara T7 I got was about $190. I wish they still were. I will agree that the Premier is a couple of notches below the Cara, but I find the Avids I own in practical use terms to be pretty close to the Cara I own. I have an Avid MXF and an Avid MHXF they bracket the Cara MH I have. Tough to compare apples to apples because the tapers aren't exactly the same. They are all light and sensitive and comparable cosmetics to my eye. Don't at all misunderstand me. I'd love to own more Falcons and maybe I will one of these days, but I would like to find a Falcon Cara that is rated for lighter line and lighter weights than the "Mediums" I see listed on TW, but I guess they perform great with 5 lb line and light baits regardless of the numbers painted on the blank. Maybe the walleye guys have slower tapers in their walleye rods and are shocked by the faster tapers of the Falcons.

Wire brush or steel wool and then pull a trailer a time or two. If you use it fairly often, it will stay rust free.

Exactly ! OMG No!

Barnes Bay has ALWAYS been a disappointment to me. I KNOW ppl must catch them there sometimes, but when conditions are right and it is happening in other locations close by, I can not get but there. Sister to the east, Little Sisters to the west. I love Gunnel Fork areas. You could fish multiple days in and around there, but that's a little bit of a boat ride from your launch point.

I've got Silver Thread in 6, 8, 10, 12,14,17, and 20 now that you mention it. Lol. CX Premium is better on spinning IMO, I was happy witht he Silver Thread until I tried the CX Premium. I still like Silver Thread for my casting mono apps. Yes, I have directly compared Fluro to mono with a FB in cold water with subtle bites and I absoultely felt more bites and caught more fish with the fluro. I wish it weren't so. Darn stuff is expensive.

Yes I do remember and yes I still likely have some and NO I don't throw them anymore. Likely they would still get bitten from time to time.

That's a funny looking spot. Mom or Dad was a meanie that bred back maybe? He doesn't look 100% spotted bass to me.

I'd love to catch me some gizzard shad.

Bill, I did snap one spybait on Nano, but it was leader and not the nanofil. Luckily it landed in about 2 foot of water (along a bluff line!) and I got the bait back. Lol. I just have not had the breakage issues. I use 6, 8 and 10 lb. I've never bought the 12 lb. Of course, keep on, keeping on. Whatever you are using is obviously working for your peeps.

I have some Lunker City 2.75 inch swimming Ribsters that I need to find amongst the chaos.

Or you could just spool up with Nanofil 6 lb and forget about it.

Tough time for Dave to be away from the WWW.

I would look for Dave in his Ranger.

Bill, no love for the 3.8?

Lol, Charlie I'll have to look thru all my old junk. I have a Herb's Dilly or two that would be happier in your tackle box.