Macsimus

You have no idea...😢

Please post. Anxious to hear what you find out.

I have tried those as well and liked them except for the weedguard. After a fish or two, it's all bent to heck and a bit of a challenge to get straightened again. I prefer the mono guards. Found these recently and although I haven't had a chance to throw them yet, I like the small head, guard, and choice of hook sizes, #2, #1, and especially the 1/0. I'll be giving them a workout in 6 weeks or so, Lord willing. 😉 They're a little pricey, probably due to the use of tungsten for the head. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Keitech_Mono_Guard_Jig_Head/descpage-KEMGJHD.html

I always laugh whenever I remember Johnny Carson talking about going to Our Lady of Perpetual Guilt. I was raised strict baptist, so I get it. 😄

I keep seeing these threads about fish being caught from what to me are incredible depths. I can't recall the last time I even tried a depth over 40' much less caught one from that depth. Isn't there a barotrauma risk bringing fish up from that deep?

I've never liked the minimum size regulations. I know what they're supposed to do. But in my experience, all they do is encourage the "keep and kill" of larger fish. Wisconsin has had a 14" minimum for many years and I have fished numerous lakes over there where it seems all you catch is 13 to 13 3/4" fish. If all you care about is numbers, it's a great reg. Just a thought, but maybe a different term for fish over 15" other than "keeps" or "keepers" would help. Just idle thoughts on a winter day.

Best wishes Champ, for a successful surgery and quick recovery.

Excellent, entertaining fishing report, Royal Blue. Keep 'em coming.

I "boat-captain'd" for my grandson this year and several of the high school tournaments he fished were in the SATT - Student Angler Tournament Trail - https://www.studentangler.org/ The trail is strictly MLF format. The first event had 134 boats and the second had 83 and I was mighty impressed with how smoothly they ran. One of the organizers has written a custom app for smartphones that allows upload of pictures that we take while each fish is weighed on a supplied scale along with data that we enter: angler team, weight, and species, LM or SM. The data is tabulated real-time and there is a live leaderboard in the app so I could keep the boys posted on where they stood. We were allowed to launch and return to any of the available boat ramps on the lake and it was really nice to avoid the cluster of a weigh-in with that many boats. The app also had a boat check-in and check-out feature ensuring that all boats got on and off the water. While the adult boat captain is no absolute guarantee against cheating (eg, over-zealous parent), it certainly ensures that it is kept to a minimum if not avoided completely. I certainly don't understand the business/sponsorship side of it, but it surprises me a bit that the sponsors are willing to go with a no weigh-in format. All of these kids are wearing jerseys and the way in which the tackle and boat companies are salivating over this upcoming generation of buyers is laughable, to this old fellow anyway.

Kind of hard to see. Their natural color blends in so well with the surroundings.

Perhaps he teaches an English Fiction class?

Truly delighted to see that you are fishing. I would have to think that with all you and your family have been through lately, it is extra sweet this time. Hoping you have a wonderful trip.

Absolutely love blue bass boats. That is spectacular!

You are not alone sir. In 5 years of coming down here for the months of March and April, I've never seen it this tough. I am reminded of a quote by fly-fishing author, Thomas McGuane: "What is emphatic about angling is made so by the long silences - the unproductive periods." Personally, I am ready for some "emphatic".

My bad. They had him up there at the start of the pro side weigh-in in the hot seat without any fish. Odd.

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Being from MN, I consider myself somewhat hardy when it comes to cold weather. But, I have to hand it to you. Running that distance yesterday morning with temps at the freezing mark is nothing less than impressive (if not a little crazy). I saw others blasting around during the early morning hours and I remember thinking that I was glad I didn't have a derby yesterday.

The Fishing Hot Spots maps have mile markers denoted on the channels. It shows KC to Aunts to be approx 9 1/2 miles. From KC to the dam, 14 miles.

Way to catchem up!

Love that nice smallie! Way to go.

Wow! Dialed in you are! What was the weight of the biggest?

What sort of water clarity were you seeing up there? Seems like the clearer the water, the better the Ned works? Nice catch by the way!

Good luck. Thanks for the report.

Nice chunks!

I know, right?