Thornback

Once I placed my rod/reel on the deck as I was doing something. Yep, it went overboard. I think it snagged on the bottom as the wind moved the boat. So I used another rod/reel and tied on a large treble hook. I hooked the lost rod/reel about the fifth cast and brought it back to the boat. Bad luck and then good luck.

This comment always makes me smile, "I had a 10 pounder break my line last week".

My buddy and I were given permission to fish a lime pit on private property that the owner claimed had bass. We drove to the pit with my buddy's little jon boat in the back of my pickup. Once close we carried the jon boat to the water. We were casting plastic worms when suddenly my buddy set the hook and his pole made a U shape. As he started reeling he remarked, "This one is big". He got it up to the boat and I lipped it. He had brought along a portable live well with a little hinged door in the top because we were fishing for food. I told him I wanted to take a photo before he put her in the live well. I had him hold it in several poses and got some nice photos. Afterwards he opened the little door in the portable live well, holding the bass vertical by the mouth, dropping the bass' tail into the live well, she flipped and sailed overboard. I'll never forget the look on his face and I couldn't stop laughing. At least we got a photo of "the one that got away'.

I call any largemouth 12" and less a dink.

My buddy took me to a private lake he had access to. I put on a watermelon plastic worm and cast it. He said that color never did any good in that lake. 3 minutes later and about my fifth cast I put a three pounder in the boat.

I'll guess 5 lbs 12 ounces.

As a kid I heard, "fish won't bite in cold weather".

Last Wednesday my buddy and I picked up three dozen shiners and headed to the Rodman Reservoir. We picked a spot, anchored, and in 2.5 hours had put 12 nice bass in the boat. No hawgs, largest was 3.12, but all were legal keepers had we wanted to keep them, but we catch and release. We were back at the boat ramp at 10:30 AM.

I would ignore it. Always expect perfection but be a realist. That guide will become your good luck charm and the rod will become your favorite the first time you land a big one.

I have fished George several times and caught a few bass. One time I was disappointed because I was running aground within 50 yards of the bank and another time the hydrilla was so thick near the south end boat ramp I could hardly run my motor. We have had a wet spring and summer so maybe the water level will be up when you fish there. Since you will be in the area I would recommend Rodman Reservoir as a better fishery.

I carry extra fuel line in my boat. Once when preparing to launch and I pumped the bulb, gas dripped on my wrist. There was a split at the clamp for the motor. I cut the end off and re-clamped. I was glad the gas dripped on my wrist because had I been on the water and the motor started sucking air I might have had trouble determining why the motor shut off.

I find the guys I fish with bring along these huge tackle boxes and we stumble over them while fishing. And I know another guy who keeps a plastic zip-loc bag containing hooks in his pocket. He says that's his tackle box

I have owned a 2005 Bass Tracker Special Edition 175 with 60 Merc 4-stroke EFI. I usually fish at least twice a month, always fresh water. In ten years neither the boat or motor have ever been in a shop for repair. I changed the water pump impeller once myself. I would buy another BT without hesitation. The other day I saw a new 2013 17' Alumacraft with 70 Yamaha 4-stroke, with trailer, at a dealer marked down to $16,500. I was considering trading for it but they sold it. You might want to look for a new leftover 2013 or later look for a leftover 2014.

I spent three days in a 4-bedroom military house on the base with a retired colonel and two other couples. Very nice as we had a boat house and dock to tie my boat up to. Cruising around the lake we saw a camp site on the other side and he told me that was a public park. All we used was plastic worms and we caught dinks like crazy by throwing up in the weeds. One night I caught one bass by trolling. Never caught anything large. When we were loading the boat to leave a guy was getting his boat ready to launch. He said he worked at the camp, he had a large boat, and said all he did was troll at night. He showed me his lures he trolled with. They were 10" long with treble hooks.

I guess I'm in the minority because I fish with wild shiners. I travel light without a tackle box, fishing out of my 17.5 Special Edition Bass Tracker. I'm using a 7' cherry wood Berkley MH rod. The reel is an Abu Garcia Pro Max, 8 bearings, 7.1:1, bait caster with Power Pro #40 braided line. I tie on a 3/0 Kahle hook with the Palomar knot. I carry two spare rods and reels and I carry about 6 spare hooks and floats.