lo n slo

a weightless/floating worm or lizard can get the job done. toss the intuder right up in there with the babies and witness the carnage.

unbelieveable

no the gator was sold. see above. but one of the hunters has two huge gator mounts in his trophy room, one of which is over 13'

it depends. living in western NC, we'll get whats called a "back door" cold front that will push cooler air off the Atlantic from the NE and it will "dam up" against the Appalachian Mountains, bringing clouds and drizzle along with it. during the winter it can stiffle the bass bite but enhance the striper bite. other seasons it does not hamper the bite, just the fisherman. tropical systems can push easterly winds and really, really enhance the bite. i love that stuff. high pressure invloved with a big sun and east winds are not that good for me. but the fish are gonna eat sooner or later. typically that wind stuff applies in late winter and early spring anyways. now it may position the fish differently on structure but dont stay home. go find them.

yep

that is me in the pic and the gator was not alive. taking the pic was my choice and was no risk at all.

i would also like to add that these guys are sanctioned nuisance gator trappers and hunters and operate under FFWC guidelines. they provide a valuable service and their work is extremely dangerous.

spending a few days with friends in Clermont, FL and went out with some gator hunters yesterday evening. freakin' awesome! got this 10' 8" beast tagged and bagged.

another worm guy here. 3/16 oz bullet is my preference. but if the wind is up i'll go up to a 1/4 oz. i mostly use lighter line, 10 to 12 lb fluoro. i fish structure and cover, points, drop offs, humps, rocks, docks, brushpiles, lay-downs, and stumps. right now it's anywhere from 10' to 25' til the thermocline develops, which may be sooner than later the way it's heating up. try different weights til you find one that works for you. good luck.

good call man we still do this today, maybe not at night, and it still works. it's the way i learned. i dont have the SI sonar but i can line up with those two tress with my boat in 15' of water and throw towards that island til i hit the mark. never said it was easy but it's a method i've come to love....a sense of accomplishment. i sometimes wonder if we're taking the "sport" out of bass fishing but i dont care to debate the issue. i do appreciate what catt said about keeping the emphasis on the fisherman above all else. i'm old school myself.

assuming we are talking relatively clean water here. i'm generally hitting the deep water docks, 20-30 fow, off the ends. but that does not mean those fish will specifically be deep, especially if a thermocline has been established. i've seen them right up on the bank near those docks. they'll suspend in the shade zones underneath too. but dont discard those shallow side docks completely. there may be brush or structure there that will be holding fish. if you are hitting an area for the first time, give it a look with the sonar or drag a t rig around each dock. moreso if you see rod holders or a fishing boat moored there. try the areas between docks and off the ends too. you never know where that secret brush pile may be

lol, you went swimming! nice fish too!

you got some duds. throw them in the garbage. get some Spot Removers or Dirty Jigs. your pal, slo

git r done

test ride is critical. test everything while on the water. paying a mechanic to check out the motor is money well spent. i once owned a sea nymph for over 20 years. aside from replacing plywood and carpet twice, she never gave me any problems. good luck.

LOL

i stayed home this morning because of the intense heat (waaah). but the next best thing is scrolling thru all these pics. we all share this common bond, a passion and appreciation for fishing. thanks to every one of you for sharing your experiences from all across the nation. keep them coming.

we've been catching some good fish on brush anywhere from 10-20 ft deep on t rigs. we've caught numbers of schooling spotted bass too but those are generally smaller fish. sometimes you can idle along a point or in a cove til you see activity on your screen and then start firing away. just my 2 cents. good luck.

been throwing a 3/16 oz t rig on12 lb fluoro with my revo sx for the last two years with no issues but i do know guys who just cant get, and keep, theirs dialed in. tweak that tension knob ever so slightly with your brake at, or near, 5. works for me. good luck.

i'm in too

this thread reminded me of something we saw a couple of years ago on Lake Norman and thought i'd share. zoom in on this osprey nest disaster.

another vote for the Berkley Lightnin' Rod or Shock Rod

yes, put it behind you. her memory will linger but there will be others.