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2.9lbs on a 6th Sense Baby Live Bluegill squarebill.

I've found that the beavers prefer the old style wooden lures instead of the newer plastic ones

This is one heck of a boat if it can talk!

I do whatever I have to do to back boat my partner.

Gotta go back and revaluation all your posts lol.

After getting skunked the first two trips of the year, I was starting to wonder if I still knew how to catch one. So I went out yesterday to Laurel Lake, I was hoping it still had some clear water after all this rain, and fortunately it did. Still very cold though, water temp was 40-43. For the first spot of the day I ran down to a long sloping point, and on about my 6th cast I ran into this big Smallie: Definitely the biggest I've ever caught on Laurel, and right up there with my PB, I never carry a scale so I couldn't say for sure. Water temp was 41 when I caught it, so it was also the coldest bass I've ever caught. (Well, I fished live bait in rivers years ago during the Winter and caught some, so a few those may have been colder but that's a little different anyway ) I think I fished for about 5 more hours and I didn't get another bite all day, but I was still happy with the results.

Scaleface, beaver huts are great to fish. I start with a wacky Senko all around the hut. Then go to a Texas rigged Zoom trick worm on a shaky head. Don't throw crankbaits unless I am over 20-feet away from the hut as it can extend under the water making it a wonderful crankbait eater. And remember to watch for snakes. Snakes love beaver huts. The snakes usually will leave you alone and you never know they are there. But they are there, watching you. So stay in the boat and don't walk on top of them.

Just a pic I like from a couple years ago. This guy wasn’t done eating his lunch when he wiped out my pit boss.

Prespawn is officially here. I love pitching jigs in the cypress knees when the girls start showing up, and the in close battle. This is the first one that looks like she's been fanning a bed. Bottom tip of tail is a little red

That's why I have my own boat.

My youngest son & his friend were talking on the way home about; water was extremely low, low tide on the of that with little movement, very murky, & cold water. I replied; the problem was operator error?

I use leaders more for saving money on main line (braid). Some reels have had a braid for years! if I spooled them up all with other lines I would've changed them more frequently. So for me it's a cost savings, but there are times where abrasion resistance is necessary too. So if you use braid as mainline for most techniques you should be fine with the exception of sharp edges..etc. Also find that using a leader for drop shot, it is easier for me to tie on the rig. I have caught fish on yellow braid straight and white braid straight. No ill effects.

He should try structure fishing off shore, instead of bank beating!

I have a very early bass fishing game somewhere. Haven’t played it in decades. I left fish in the livewell I hope their ok. Lol

2.9lbs at Johnson-fountains.

Here is my most recent fishing report from.......er, my office at work on Friday:

I made it out for an hour and a half before dark. The fish are bedding finally. Traditionally , the first batch of bedding fish on my lake relate mostly to wood bulkhead. Today was no exception. I used a 10 inch grape shad culprit to catch the first fish ( 3.11 ) against A wood b.head. A subtle presentation is best, so I either skip the worm into position, or cast to the bank and gently pull it in , which is how I caught the first fish. Fished other areas, including laydowns near the island, with no results. Caught the 2nd fish ( 2.8 ) near a dock and b.head, with some kind of black grape with green specks ribbon rail worm. Had to winch him out from around the dock pilings. Turned around and skipped the next cast into a nice pocket between the bulkhead and grass bed. The 3rd fish ( 3.14 ) Hit the same worm. Excited to see the fish up shallow !?

Lots of aggressive 2-3 pounders have been moving up the past couple weeks... hoping the big girls aren't too far behind. Apparently even carp like Ned rigs... Big one of the day.

Ha! I used to have a fish and ski and I feel your pain. Soft plastics sticking to a windshield equals trophy backlash

^^^^^ Right here ~ I prefer to fish into the wind. However depending on the 'Briskness" that particular day (or night), I may have to cave and fish with it. As for casting L or R - makes no difference. My lack of accuracy & consistency is equal from both sides. A-Jay

Left to right, with the understanding that I will NOT hit the windshield!!!! (Again)

Only when I'm fishing fast do I prefer to have my targets on the left side of the boat.

That #@$&_ polecat has been climbing into my boat ever since it started raining. I hate muddy water. It was so muddy Monday you could see coon tracks on the water. I'm not good at shallow green fish

Just sold an old Heddon Mark IV reel a couple months back (pic). Still have a couple old non-free-spooling Ambassadeurs. I finally parted with my old Daiwa TD-1Hi's years ago, still own several older green Curados and original Castaics, and my Dad still has his old Daiwa Prolite on a Team Daiwa Larry Nixon pistol grip worm and jig rod

@RickB its all about water temp and river levels. If you can pick days just a week ahead then look for days when the daily high temps are going to be in the 60's or higher and the daily low temps are going to be in the 40's. There usually is a stretch of good weather, maybe just 3 or 4 days, when the weather gets nice in late March but April is a better pick in my opinion. Also check out the USGS website and find the nearest river gauge to where you are going to fish. If you see the river levels are projected to be relatively stable or, at the very least, no going to rise rapidly then that is a good time to fish because the river won't be as muddy. You can still fish in muddy water, it just isn't as good. As far as baits what I use mostly are largemouth bass size spinnerbaits with gold colored Colorado blades and chartreuse or fire tiger colored skirts, big swimbaits like Strike King Shadalicious 4.5 inch, Keitech Swing Impact Fat 4.3 to 4.8 on a 1/4 oz. jig head,and Cotton Cordell Big O Squarebill crankbait in 3 inch. Two things you should notice about my selections is all of them are big baits and all make a lot of vibration in the water. Don't think smallmouths at this time of year won't hit big baits. They are feeding heavily for the spawn and will attack a big bait. I've even used baits used for redfish with a lot of success. Also vibration is important because you won't be fishing clean water at this time of year. Warm weather means snow melt and that combined with spring rains means stained to muddy water. Also bring along some tubes and grubs in dark colors and 1/4 jig heads. Parts of the Susky around Duncannon are rocky and dropping a tube around these rocks is a great way to pick up big smallies. Good luck with your trip and have fun.

Average about 8-9' and it gets deeper near some feeder creeks. Most of the shoreline is pretty consistent with the sharp drop off. There are a few creeks that feed into the canal and a couple ponds attached, At the far end there are some old gravel pits that are 20'ish, the water back there is usually very clear. At lock one is where they do a Thursday night tournament, so all the fish get released there.

That just pi**es me off!! If I saw that net while fishing I'd put enough holes in that thing you'd be able to drive a truck through.!! Mike

4 1/2 hours in the marshes are the Sabine River produced the following results skunked first time in 2018 ?

The reason 5052 & 5056 are used is they are both highly weldable. Any untreated aluminum is susceptible to corrosion & you don't need saltwater to cause corrosion, all you need is moisture.

Ummm . . . too late on that one!!! Yamamoto beat you too it!!!

Confidence plays a big role in fishing. If you think bass have the brain power to reason and figure out that fishing line is a bad thing but that treble hooks, wood, metal and plastic are OK to eat, than you should keep using leaders. I believe bass are not that smart and I have a lot of confidence that they will try and eat my artificial lure even if it is connected to line that they can see. So I will continue to use braided line without any leader. By the way, contrary to what the line makers say, FC line is visible underwater.

Exactly. ANY WATER is bad for untreated aluminum. All Aluminum boats are treated. Why do I doubt that this is the boat? The point is, one can't make a statement that riveted boats being weaker than welded, and then claim leakage at the rivets helps with strength. It doesn't add up. And you, as a riveted Lund owner know the rivet deal is false. Can rivets leak? Yes. Can a welded boat bust a seam? Yes. Ask me how I and two other welded boat owners know this. There's no better, just different, and varying quality.

John, there are two types of jerkbaits: Floating with yellow eyes and Suspending with red eyes. These jerkbaits are designed to float parallel to the surface when jerked. If you add weight to the nose the baits will point downward, which may or may not look "natural" to the bass. Tournament guys will use a snap to change baits quickly and most snaps do not infringe the movement of jerkbaits, depending on their size. A swivel will add weight. So, to answer your question: Experiment. Fish with and without the swivel and snap and let us know what you find out. Should be an interesting experiment and we all are interested in your findings.

Lights are mounted (they even work!). Switched the jack to the other side so no more worries about busted knuckles from the winch handle. Did have a minor setback when I discovered the bunks seem to have significant wood rot and will need replaced. Probably for the best to just put new ones on now and not have to deal with it a month or two down the road or have one break while loading the boat. Decided I'm going to paint the boat in a camo pattern for duck hunting. Watched enough Youtube videos on how to do it to feel like I can manage to not mess it up too badly, I'm sure I'll prove myself wrong there though.

They're interchangeable at times, but fish with almost always show a noticeable preference for one or the other for me. I'll usually go with a spinnerbait in clear water, when I want to fish fast, or around wood. Bladed jigs are my go to in stained to muddy water, around vegetation, docks, rocks, and when I want a slower moving bait.

I saw some version of this question posed a couple times around here last November, when St. Croix put the last-gen LTBs on sale in the website.. One that seemed to be mentioned a lot was a model I had also been looking at: the 6'10" ML-XF "drop shot/finesse" spinning rod. So I got one. Wish I could tell you how well it fishes....but of course, that was only in november, and I live at about the same latitude as you...

The two things I really enjoy are fishing and Powerlifting. I have noticed that when you want advice with either it really is the same thing. 1.You can almost always learn more from someone who has struggled. 2.Everything is situational and condition specific. 3.Keep it simple. 4.What works for someone else may not always work for you. Do what works for you. 5.Time practicing your craft is essential to success.

I love beaver huts. Always a gold mine. I throw everything at them depending on conditions. I like to start with a crankbait or chatterbait on the outside edges...im talking about 10 to 20 feet away as branches can be scattered. Then ill swap to a jig or small soft plastic and work the immediate edge and then I will punch through any branches on surface near house. Sometimes they will be right up in tight holes really shallow...juat like in thick grass. My most consistent producer is a drop shot! You can hit deep and shallow targets and can catch fish after fish after fish off one hut.

Awesome thread going here. Been fly fishing entire life, started bass fishing in 2016 when I purchased a business on the edge of a killer river. Initially, I read, read and read some more here and other places. I even asked the typical newbie type question or two. One thing that does jump out at me on replies to the type of questions highlighted in this thread is the following. It isn't often a poster worrying about the lure is told to get better at casting. My experience since picking this up has been the more I practice my casting techniques and accuracy the more fish I'm catching. Granted I'm lucky that since 2016 I'm spending almost 200 days a year now with a rod in my hand if only for an hour and am progressing quickly on casting. But even if only in the back yard or a soccer field practice casting like a fiend. I also will spend a little time each outing in the boat dedicated to strictly boat control. A little wind and/or river current and the best lure for the current situation ain't doing squat if you can't get into position to even cast. As a quick example. Mid January a huge scrub bush thing got hung up in the tules where I'm at. It had a massive root ball and 6 inch thick trunk. For a week straight I caught a fish a day under that root ball on everything from a spinnerbait, wacky worm, creature and a paddletail. It was a relativity technical cast to get the lure over the root ball, between the bush branches and tules but if you got a lure to fall in that spot it seemed like it didn't matter what lure, a bass smacked it. At this point in my personal journey of bass fishing I'm of the believe that being able to cast very well is every bit as important as what is tied on the end of your line.

Lots of good advice above. @Turkey sandwich nailed it...I'd offer a refinement from my experience: A lot of fly guys tend to bias towards more traditional flies...the "Clouser/Deciever" in his example. Good stuff, and they work great...here's my "refinement": I tend to look at traditionally successful gear presentations...and try to tie a fly that mimics the size and color, then adds the "hang-in-the-fish's-face-and-breathe" factor. As an example the bottom fly is a tie I use on a red 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook in a lake where smallies smash Rapala clown patterns. The top fly is on the same size hook, but black, and aimed at pike and musky that can't resist blue/pink in stained water. Neither of those flies look that nice any more...

I cast near them with crankbaits. I did catch a large silver salmon near one. In this spot one beaver is 48” long with his tail. the beavers and freshwater otters are making a comeback. Everywhere I fish has beavers and freshwater otters. Otters are out at first light. I seen a doe with her two fawns at the waters edge trying to get a drink. Two playful otters were splashing them. It was fun to watch, I was about 50yards away. Being there fishing every morning at the time they weren’t afraid of me.

Thank you all for your advice. I think I knew that would be the logical thing to do, but I was hoping someone would tell me to buy one Oh well

You are absolutely on point. I do enjoy it from an educational standpoint although I feel the drama is somewhat reality tv driven. I feel like they target small bass just to add weight, which is the point of MLF, but I just don't enjoy it. That said the fake , staged shows are indeed worse.

I really don't see how a largemouth study of an eighteen acre lake has any relevance to Great Lakes Smallmouth fishing rules or practices. Or smallmouth bass in any environment. You just cannot extrapolate this study to any smallmouth waters of any size or location. It is a very specific study of largemouth ponds.

I'm just Rank ~ A-Jay

I'm running a 1652 Alweld which isn't that much bigger the your's but I'm running a 40 hp. Why? To get me off the water in an emergency?

This is a photo from back before I left for Toledo Bend, but I think it's worth sharing. Living the dream!

No.