senile1

After all these weeks of ups and downs, I am glad you received good news! While you may have been in bed at the hospital, the mind could use some rest from all the worry. Rest up, Catt. I am happy for you.

Words fail me. All of those are magnificent fish! Congratulations 10 fold.

Wishing the best for you, @Catt.

Have you looked at the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks site? https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Where-to-Fish-in-Kansas/Fishing-Locations-Public-Waters/Southeast-Region/Mined-Land-Wildlife-Area#:~:text=Located in the southeast portion,deep with steep sided banks. Also, down at the bottom of the page above is more information including a link for bathymetric maps of the area. Zoom in on the mined lands at this link: https://ksdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=3e0ba6a852d2479aa6e384b4f87a0c2b.

@12poundbass If I remember correctly, I think we posted pictures of the scale weight along with the fish caught back in the day.

@Catt You are definitely in a world of hurt if a boat coming your way on that path doesn't slow down and try to avoid you. There are some narrow boat trails on Smithville Lake in the treed portions but there is always room and then some for boats driven properly to pass each other port side to port side. Still, I have had a couple of occasions where I had to pull over into the trees to avoid an oncoming boat speeding right down the middle.

Me too. Meeting someone head-on, both boats should veer to starboard to avoid each other, but I don't know how many times I have seen the other boat turn the wrong way. I will completely take a 90 degree starboard turn well ahead of time just to avoid a boat whose driver doesn't seem to know right-of-way etiquette on the water. Meeting a boat coming from your starboard side, you are the port side boat and the one who is supposed to yield, but I don't know how many times I have seen this violated either by people who aren't aware, or who just don't care. I make a habit of avoiding getting too close to these boats because one never knows which way they will choose to go.

This says it all. As for skill or luck, the more skilled one becomes the more often his or her location, timing, presentation, and persistence will be optimum for catching a big bass. As you develop your skills, luck should play less of a part in the big bass equation, though now and then it is nice to have luck on your side. 🙂

I have no superpower. Combining many of the traits mentioned so far such as persistence, patience, determination, casting skill, awareness of bass behavior, etc., I am able to catch bass on a regular basis and sometimes catch some big ones in the process. It took me a few years of honing my skills and the plan for the future is continuous improvement. It has taken work, though working to be a better angler is work I love. There is no superpower involved.

@islandbass We are very similar in that regard. I am using the following: One Chronarch 200 E7, Four Curado 200 E7s Two Citica 200 Es One Revo STX that I bought around 2014 One Stradic 2500 One Symetre 2500 I clean all of my reels on a regular basis and I have had to replace some minor parts on rare occasions. I will be replacing the Symetre soon as it is starting to feel worn. Additionally, I have a couple of Citica Ds but only one of them, the DPV with the 5:1 gear ratio, gets much use and that is for slower cranking. Other than the Symetre, all of these reels function like new, which is why I see no reason to replace them until needed. Of course, some of them do have a worn and scratched finish but that doesn't bother me.

The following verges on TMI but I thought it might be helpful to some. From approximately 2008 to 2014, I began experiencing issues with my digestive tract with extreme pain that would double me over for 4 to 8 hours at a time. It occurred about every 5 or 6 months. I had a number of colonoscopies and endoscopies and the doctors could find nothing. They diagnosed me with IBS, but they really didn't help me. I pretty much had to figure it out on my own. I discovered through trial and error that I was having tremendous gas pains but nothing would come out either through burping, flatulence, or bowel movement. The gases were trapped in my digestive tract. Also, when this would occur I would have a lack of motility. Nothing would move. I would have loose bowels like diarrhea but nothing would come out. As a short term fix, I learned how I was feeling the hours before this would occur and I would take a laxative to clear myself out, thus avoiding the trapped gas. Long term, I have experimented with a number of diets and it seems that the removal of chips, most pasta, sugary items like cookies and cakes, and most processed foods has helped a great deal. Also, avoiding overeating, even at holidays, has helped as well. I have also looked into and experimented with the FODMAP diet. (An explanation for this is too long for this post. Do a search if you want to know what it is.) That has helped too. Since making these changes, I have had only one or two episodes since 2014, and I was able to head those off at the pass, so to speak. I still have digestive tract issues but the pain is much less acute and more along the lines of normal IBS than it was before.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I am fine with the understated look as long as the rod performs its stated function. I don't dislike more beautiful rods either, but functionality always rules.

Do an internet search for "basics of running a bassboat." The search will provide videos and reading material that should answer your questions. The Idiot's Guide to Boating and Sailing, or Powerboating For Dummies are good books for beginners, although if you have been running a boat for a year you may be looking for something more inline with the internet search I mentioned.

I second @Jig Man's recommendations. Stockton Lake is simply awesome. At approximately 24,900 acres it isn't small, but to me it fishes like a smaller lake. Maybe it just fits the way I fish, but I have not had a bad day there in a long time. Having said that, it could just be luck of the draw because I am only able to get down there a couple of times a year. During week days traffic on the lake is minimal. Pomme De Terre is fun too. Although, I only fish it now and then the bass seem to cooperate there as well.

Very, very sorry to hear this. I hope the further testing discovers something positive for you. Best thoughts and wishes for a turnaround.

@Glenn As a Chief's fan, I agree that the referees blew it on those calls. But then again, when I watch NFL games objectively I see bad calls on all teams, including the Chiefs, and unfortunately sometimes they affect the outcome of games. And it is more irritating when it is your team that is hurt by the bad calls. I do wish the referees would do better. Of course, those 8 sacks of Stroud had nothing to do with the Chiefs win, right? 😉

These are both good rods but I am in the Kistler camp as well.

Very important on slow days, IMO.

To the OP, there are no rules. There are only tendencies that have resulted in "rules of thumb" that may or may not apply. The winter tendencies you read about are created by water temperatures in the 30s and 40s. If your waters don't cool below 50 or 55 degrees, the behavior of your bass will tend to be different from these rules of thumb. Use temperature as your guide.

I break down, clean, and service all of my reels once a year. The last time I had someone else clean them I sent them to The Reel Mechanic in Park City, KS. David, The Reel Mechanic (username .RM.), was a member here and my reels were smooth as butter when he took care of them. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2014.

@newapti5 If your drag is set correctly the line should only break if the musky's teeth cut it. Rules of thumb for setting your drag range from 20 to 30 percent up to a third of the pound test of the line. I have always used approximately 1/3rd of the pound test of the line.

I haven't used every brand so I can't say I have a favorite. I have some I have used that I liked so I continue to buy them. Currently I have spools of Sufix Siege, Sufix Elite, Berkley Big Game, Trilene XL, and Trilene XT. Quite a few years ago, I used Stren but I had some batches that seemed to have more stretch than I liked so I stopped buying it.

I suppose I viewed this question as this: Is what I am doing while performing the act of fishing more science or art? We certainly study the science behind fish behavior, how to find fish, lures, fish finders, FFS, etc. and use products developed with science behind them. When we are on the water we are making decisions based on what we have learned, as well as intuition, and this learning does make us better anglers. But ultimately at the point where the rubber meets the road (when we attempt to catch a fish with a lure) numerous factors come into play that can only be processed through that imperfect memory of what we have learned and our imperfect intuition, while trying to catch a fish that we imperfectly understand with a plethora of techniques, lures, and lure cadence choices before us. After putting it that way, it makes you wonder how we ever catch a fish. LOL. Fortunately, perfection is not always needed to hook them.

We don't have the time to incorporate the full scientific method in our observations on the water, nor do we get to repeat the same experiment under the exact same conditions to confirm our results. Also, it is pretty much impossible to isolate and control for the variables we alter when it comes to fishing, nor can we ever know exactly what our prey's true motivations are when they bite or don't bite. Therefore, we use some science when we fish, but fishing isn't a science. We make somewhat educated guesses based on the relatively little bit of science we do know. Some synonyms for the word, "art" as a noun, are craft, knack, facility, talent, flair, etc. By this definition there is an art to fishing. Some people have a flair for it, while others have to really work harder at it. It is absolutely more of an art than it is a science.

@Columbia Craw I hear you. Like you, I also missed about 6 weeks in the spring because I had to get a new outboard for my boat. Additionally, the last few years have been difficult for our family. (See the post below.) In the past year it was discovered that my wife's 97 year old Mother has terminal cancer. We spend a lot of time driving to her town and spending time with her. Her husband, who is 96, has a bad back so I also take care of chores and maintenance at their house. They have both lived long lives, have their wits, and up until now had been physically capable so they don't like this new stage of their lives. I think they thought they would just pass away in their sleep, but unfortunately, life is full of surprises. Having said all of that, like @king fisher, I plan to fish every chance I get and see what bites. There will be a trip or two to Table Rock and quite a few to my local lakes within a couple of hours.