OPENLAKE

That's one pretty smalljaw RoadWarrior. Congrats!

x2! Always have 2 people on boat that are experienced enough to run the boat very well while on the river and especially with lots of water like now! x3! That river is rolling at 100K of water flow. Be very cautious, especially when the water is this cold. There is no room for error. That being said, if you play it safe, good fish can be caught.

I tried to fish last Friday, but the wind and temp was brutal. I'm hitting it this Saturday. If the forecast holds, it will be sunny and warm for this time of year. Should be some good fish caught this weekend.

The river gets the nod for the start today. It's going to be cool all day. The smallies were hitting hard and jumping all night long (in my dreams).

Thanks for the update. I'm heading there on Friday, but am still undecided on whether to fish the lake or below the dam.

They are good reliable gun. More of a stick it in their belly to get the bad guy off of you than a long range target pistol. The trigger pull is a little long and hard, but for this type of carry gun it works out well. The resale value is always good with a S&W. The laser is cool at first, but after awhile you won't even keep it turned on. Nice pistol. Good luck and have fun.

Yep, a good contour map is the best place to start. Most bait shops and convienence stores near the dam or down to Yellow creek have them for sale. You don't NEED a side imaging high dollar depthfinder to get started. Take a look on your map at the major creeks and target some likely looking areas where shallow contours "drop" to deeper water. Ask around for what depth most fish are being caught and target those depth contours. Your current depth finder will most likely work. A few bouys will help you mark the areas you want to fish, then it's time on the water to dial it in. Good luck.

Very impressive video. Thanks and congrats!

I'm thinking there is no absolute correct answer except maybe "just one more". I like three crankbait rods minimum with different colors and maybe different crankbait actions. Then the regular spinnerbair, jerkbait, spinning (grub), Jig, fluke. That's eight, but I usually have several more.

I never get tired of looking at a nice smallie. Keep the pics coming please.