OCdockskipper

Glenn was right about going into a corporate store. What you wanted does not create any commission for the clerks, so those at authorized stores typically aren't interested in assisting you & have been known to pass along misleading information.

Why is it so hard to solve a murder in West Virginia? Because all of the DNA is the same and there aren't any dental records.

I think you just broke the law...? The response to that is "I wasn't aware that he was lost. Have you tried posting his picture on a milk carton?"

OK, so I am happy with my Drain the Lake performance so far. I had Logan, so I once again got the huge bonus for picking the winner of the tournament and having Christie & New helped get me to just under 2000 points for the event. After 2 events, I am in 157th, feeling pretty good about my position. So I check out my wife's score. She is in 31st, 156 points ahead of me. She didn't even know it until I showed her. How can I win a fishing trip with Zona when I can't even be the high score in my own household?!? With the huge bonus you get for picking an event winner (additional 300 pts for the 5 regular events, additional 600 pts for the Classic), I am thinking it will take getting at least 5 of the six event winners to have a shot at this. Interesting, the history at Guntersville & the 2 northern stops may make picking the winner with your 8 choices very doable. That would make the Classic the tougher one, but the smaller field again makes it not out of the realm of possibility.

The 4.75" Yum Swurm (a soft jerkbait). Works well for skipping under docks even with a decent amount of wind. I just keep using mend-it on the ones I don't lose.

No, but I use a shoe as a hammer, a butter knife as a screwdriver and I trim my hedges with a lawnmower...

I agree, I have found that topwater success varies greatly based on the part of the country you are in & more importantly, the particular lake you fish. For example, many people have mentioned how clear water tends to lead to more bass hitting topwaters. Well, my home lake has visibility that varies from 4 - 7 feet year round and there are maybe 5 days a year when you can catch more than a handful of bass on topwater. In my opinion, the reason why is twofold. First, there is a lot of human presence on the water (pontoon boats cruising around) without a lot of cover for the fish, so it tends to push them towards the bottom (the deepest spots are 12 feet). Second, all of the forage on this lake is bottom oriented (crayfish, bluegill, small carp), so these fish have become accustomed to food being below them and danger being above them. I believe these are the same reasons why a Ned rig is an absolute killer on this lake.

I believe I told this story before, but it is worth repeating. Back in 2015, the B.A.S.S. Elites held a tournament on Lake Havasu the first week of May. Most of the fish were post spawn, but there were enough bass still on beds that some anglers targeted them. Timmy Horton picked up a few bed fish and then saw one that looked to be about 4lbs (better than average at Havasu). He spent about 30 minutes working the fish until he finally got it to bite. A quick battle ensured & he boat flipped a healthy 3 plus pound fish. Unfortunately, for him, it was a Redear sunfish.

Correct. Without a rudder (or engine) on the back of any boat, when you steer with a bow mounted electric, the back end will swing. Their is no resistance on the back as the front moves. To get a visual of the difference, take a pen or pencil and lay it down on a hard surface in front of you. Use your finger to push the pen one way or the other & you will see the back end swing out. Then to contrast, place a finger against one side of the rear of the pen and use your other hand to push the front of the pen the opposite way. The front steers while the back stays in place.

I too have the original version, albeit with a bunch of modifications. When I saw the new version, I was disappointed, for many of those changes hinder the ability to store tackle or utilize the space on the boat. The new version kind of reminded me of the Simpsons episode where Homer designed a car. Cut off the top & bottom of an old trolling motor, leaving just the mount and the shaft. Attach the bullnose rudder to the shaft & you are set. I know the bullnose rudder is designed to be attached to an active trolling motor, but using it as a rudder works great for me.

When I was a kid, we vacationed at the Delta at New Hope Landing. Someone told me that the freshwater clams were good to catch catfish with. So I dug a few up, put it on my hook and ended up catching a larger clam. I catch clams a lot when using a SK Redeye shad & bouncing it along the bottom. The lure falls quickly and the hooks are exposed, so the small clams end up closing on the shank of the trebles.

How will I ever catch up to you in the standings if we keep picking the same guys? ? It was so much easier when you used to pick Rick Clunn... You can check out his lineup by clicking on his name & then changing to the past event. He had: Livesay Blaylock Combs Pipkens Zaldain I had the identical lineup save for Patrick Walters instead of Livesay, meaning I was ahead of him the whole tournament and then he zipped by me like I was standing still on Sunday.

As was stated, lure wise the Chatterbait and the Ned rig are a couple of items to check out. Considering you are in smallmouth country, the Ned rig may end up being a pleasant surprise. One suggestion, follow the advice of guys like Bluebasser86 and Team9nine regarding the technique and for a moment, pretend you are a beginner. This is one of those techniques where seemingly simple things do make a world of difference if you choose to instead do it "your way". I was like you, I had taken time a decade plus away from intensely fishing. Learning to fish a Ned rig properly changed and improved my skillset, not just for finesse fishing but for other techniques as well.

No, I didn't take any pictures, I will though the next time I am there. The pond (3 acres) is just a portion of a small creek that runs from the property in Georgia into Florida (just north of Tallahassee). I was told the previous owner installed the dam about a decade or so ago. While it is a pond, the water is typically still flowing into the pond & out of the spillway most of the time, so much of the characteristics of a river are still present.

Reread what he wrote, he wasn't contradicting you. He used a double negative, that he "has not had one not hang up", i.e., they all hung up.