Bankbeater

We had an oxbow lake here in Missouri that became infested with Asian carp after a flood. The DNR literally drug a net through the lake to catch the carp and then released the other fish back into the lake.

I've loaned some of my tools to other anglers out on the water, and I've helped younger anglers out when they asked for assistance. Nine times out of ten the younger folks need help with their reel.

Congratulations on the new boat. That was a good find.

That looks painful. Glad you got through it.

First finds of the year. I found the humpback in an exposed tree root, and the frog was up in a tree. It always amazes me how high up in the trees these baits are.

My teeth problems come in waves. I will get a couple of abscess teeth a few months apart and need root canals on them. Since it started warming up the problem I'm having is sinus pressure in my teeth.

I had to play around with my reels to figure out how to set them for pitching. I started out with tension loose, and the brakes at the lowest setting. I tightened everything up a little at a time. After a while when the bait got hard to pitch I backed off on the tension and brakes.

I have a BPS 3700 Extreme Qualifier, a 3600 Extreme Qualifier, and a BPS Satchel. The bag I take fishing depends on what type of fish I will be going after, and where I will be fishing. My Grandpa had a box like this, and early on my dad had a box like this. You couldn't leave it open in the jon boat. It took up too much room.

Great gift. Happy Anniversary!

I've already been out a couple of times this year to some smaller ponds. They still have a lot of dead vegetation around the bank, which really limited my bait selection. Swim jig. Vibrating jig. Spinnerbait. Texas rig.

I've got an Abu 4600C3 that I got used back at the end of 2005. It was probably about 10 years old at that time. It was the main reel I used for moving baits until the middle of 2018. Now it is semi-retired, and spooled with braid. I use it to punch mats now.

I have a few of them, but there is one size and color I always take with me.

Depending on the water I am fishing I will be using a swim jig, Texas rig, spinnerbait , crankbait, or lipless crankbait.

Around here if the wind is blowing hard enough to make the water do that then I will be fishing from the bank or not at all.

Nope. I think I will wait a while

I kept all of my dad's baits after he passed away so I have well over 100 lipless crankbaits.

Wind direction isn't as important to me as how hard the wind is blowing. If I know the wind is going to be gusting then I look for a smaller size lake with hills, or a lot of trees, growing around it.

This is from last fall

Lipless crankbait, shallow or mid depth crankbait, spinnerbait, and swim jig.

I caught this bass a couple of years ago. The green bait is mine and the pink one was stuck deep in the bass' throat. I'm not sure how long it was in there but I had to use pliers to get it out.

For some reason I am picturing that toad on a punch rig.

I've never used Lew's, but I have an SLX that is smooth and it will cast out a good distance.

St. Croix Premier 6'6" m/f BPS Carbonlite 2 6'6" m/f if you don't mind the micro guides.

I fish them on a Texas rig and split shot rig.

Nowhere to fish where I work. If there was, I probably wouldn't get anything done.