Scott F

I never boil it anymore since I discovered this method.

I usually choose red in the fall, it’s been a good color for me. With no good, repeatable explanation, some colors just work better on some lakes than others. Trial and error is often the best way to find out what works on your lake.

Modern GPS/depth finders are very picky about supply voltages. If the voltage drops even a little, they just shut off. Just one of the reasons not to use the same battery for your trolling motor and depth finder

Kevin is right. The State Park has miles of shore access. Drive down either side of the river and park in the hunter access parking lots. There is often a trail from the parking lot down to the water. You can also use the parks at the Warner Bridge and walk the banks or wade from there. BE CAREFUL! There are sharp drop offs near the shorelines that can’t be seen if the water isn’t clear. You often don’t even have to get in the water but if you do, a wading staff can help you find the drops without stepping off the edge.

Spinner baits are only native to a few very remote mountain lakes yet thousands of bass are caught on them every day. If you present nearly any bait available at Bass Pro Shop in the right place in your lake, at the right time, the right way, you will catch a fish on it, even if they’ve never seen a live version before.

Things come with instructions that as men, we instinctively ignore.

For those DIYers, you all ready know how great YouTube is for getting info on repairing almost anything. I was a repair tech for 36 years but I never worked on cars. I watch Rainman Ray’s YouTube videos where he repairs cars. Seeing what he does and all the tools he has makes me certain I won’t ever try to repair much of anything on one of my cars ever again. Watching him gives me a better understanding of how things work and hopefully will keep me from being ripped off by shady mechanics. It also make me appreciate how difficult car repairs can be.

It may not look pretty, but if you’ve used big rods and worked heavy baits, especially for muskies, you can appreciate how much effort it takes. Having that pistol grip would make working baits easier.

Get out there on a tournament day and observe where and how guys are fishing, especially the guys who are catching fish.

You might find larger fish in shallower, deeper or a different stretch. There is no formula that fits every river especially large deep rivers like the one you are on. It depends on the river, where the forage is, current, or temp. Too many variables. Just keep fishing, trying new spots.

iPad for me too.

Great river bait. For river or lake, rig them on a small jig. Fish them like a Ned rig.

2019 Ford F150. Took delivery 3 years ago today. Slightly over 18k miles.

This is where accurate casting is important. I’ll cast upstream of the boulder and let the current sweep my lure as close to the boulder as I can get. A feeding bass will be watching, waiting for food to be swept by. Because the current pushes food past his hiding spot quickly, the bass does not have a lot of time to inspect the lure. It’s a big reason your choice of lures isn’t that critical, he has to strike fast or the food is gone. It might take several casts around the boulder to get the lure in exactly the right spot. It often depends on how big an eddy is where the fish my be sitting. One big reason that wading can be effective is how you can work a spot. In a canoe or kayak, you may only get one shot at a spot like that before you drift past and your cast has to be perfect. When wading, you can throw at that spot several times till you get it right. The more you fish those spots you’ll get a feel for what casts work better than others.

I’ll repeat what’s already been said…not true. One of my favorite patterns on sunny days is to drift the river shorelines, cast under trees in the shade and along any shade line you can find. BUT, during the warmest days of the summer, (like right now) if the water temps are high, they will often seek out deeper water shade lines that form in the middle of the river next to sharp breaks.

Next time you talk to your professional repair guy, ask him how much of his work is fixing what the homeowner screwed up by trying to do the job on his own.

If it were me, I’d head north to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. More lakes and rivers than you could fish in several lifetimes. Cooler, more comfortable weather in summer, and minimal pressure on the bass. Places like the Boundary waters in Northern Minnesota or the Sylvania Wilderness in the UP of Michigan are motor free and perfect for bass fishing kayakers. There are beautiful smallmouth rivers and outfitters to help with shuttles. Tourist towns are scattered throughout the Northwoods to provide hotels, restaurants and shopping so you don’t have to rough it the entire time and your wife will be happy with.

Use this chart from Minn Kota to determine shaft length https://www.minnkotamotors.com/support/faqs/how-do-i-select-trolling-motor-shaft-length

I’ve caught a fair number of big, river smallies. I almost never get them directly in faster water, they are usually right next to the faster water holding in the still water behind a boulder or a log or on the edge of an eddy.

I’m currently at the end of a fishing vacation. Worst vacation I’ve ever had. Starts off with $5 a gallon gasoline. I get up to northern Wisconsin at the start of a cold front. Fishing is very slow and the weather very cold, then my motor quits. Another cold front comes in with 2 days of all day rain. I’m giving up and returning home today. At least I saved a lot on boat gas…….

I only use 20lb braid on my baitcasters and don’t find that the line digs in on reels. I never lock down my drag. Even 25 lb pike don’t pull out drag. I don’t fish for bass in the slop, I don’t see cover like that on lakes I fish. If I get any kind of backlash, I make sure that there isn’t a buried backlash that will stop the cast short. I also don’t use the reel to pull out snags.

I’m leaving for my spring smallmouth trip in the morning. 416 miles each way. The additional cost of fuel will add about $125 to the cost of the trip. That’s quite a bit, but not enough to change my plans.

I use yellow polarized glasses for low light conditions.

If you choose to crank the lure faster than it’s designed to run and the lure twists your line, that’s your fault, not the lures. Crank baits will do the same thing if you crank them too fast.

If you use two of the same size battery, in parallel, positive to positive, negative to negative, you will get twice as much run time without having to rewire your set up every time.