StretcherJockey

#1 Trokar Weedless Finesse is my go to. I’ve tried the circle style wacky hooks and just had a really hard time getting used to simply reeling into fish as opposed to setting the hook more traditionally so I tend to stay away from those.

I’ve become a big fan of the iRod Genesis II series. I’ve got 4 casting and 1 spinning and plan to get some more over time. They’re my favorites I’ve used at it around that price point. The owner of the company is really solid and very helpful. Great customer service. If you’re interested in their rods you can send him an email on their website and he’ll help you with anything you need. That’s what I did and they’ve made a definite return customer out of me. They perform great and if you’re into aesthetics they look pretty dang slick imo.

You are correct.

All the Z Man stuff floats in my experience. Might be a little harder to get a nail weight to poke into that kind of material but if you can those might be the ticket. is floating really that important for a neko though? I usually uses a Senko for my neko’s and the nail weight keeps it upright very well it seems.

TWRA posted this to Facebook yesterday afternoon. UPDATE FOR THREE BOATERS MISSING NEAR PICKWICK DAM HARDIN COUNTY, Tenn. --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, TEMA, and Hardin County Fire Department will be reducing the workforce in search and recovery operations for the missing boaters near Pickwick Dam. The reduction will begin Monday morning with the anticipation of heavy rain and rising waters. Local resources will continue searching, and volunteers may assist but will not be required to check-in. Press releases will be suspended until there is a development in the search and recovery. Over the last seven days, search crews have conducted surface and sonar scans in attempts to locate the missing boaters on the Tennessee River. Multiple aviation units have assisted in air searches along the river banks. TWRA, Hardin County Fire Department, Sumner County EMA, Decatur County Rescue, Hardin County Sheriff’s Department, Henry County Rescue, Henderson County Rescue, and EMA, Lake County Sheriff, Humphreys County Sheriff, Carroll County Rescue, Chester County Rescue, Samburg Fire Department, Finger Fire Department, Obion County Rescue, Fayette County Sheriff’s, TEMA, TVA Police, and Pickwick State Park staff, Jackson Police Department Aviation Unit, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol Helicopter have assisted with searching for the missing boaters on the Tennessee River near Pickwick Dam. Thank you to all good Samaritans that have made donations with food, drinks, and supplies for all the volunteers this week. The preliminary investigation indicates that a Stratos boat containing 43-year old Kenneth Driver and two 15-year-old boys was last seen in a picture taken above the dam on Saturday, Feb. 22, between 8 and 8:30 a.m. The three occupants and the 20-foot bass boat went through the floodgates at Pickwick Dam. Search efforts are concentrated on a 14 mile stretch the Tennessee River for the missing boaters. The three people were reported missing after the fishermen failed to return from an Obion County club bass tournament. #tnwildlife

TW just got some business from me for a variety of True Bass Swimbaits along with some Dirty Jigs Swim Jigs.

The boat was pulled through the flood gates of Pickwick dam and was found down river a pretty good ways. Not a good sign at all. We’ve had lots of significant flooding lately and that area has been dangerous to be around. Generations through Pickwick Dam have been around 200,000 CFS and higher for the better part of a week. I was fishing Pickwick the day they went missing and the current was absolutely ripping. I stayed far away from the dam due to a big personal fear of something happening and getting pulled through. Just a sickening and tragic situation. Thoughts/prayers/condolences to the families of everyone involved. Keep the emergency personnel in your thoughts as well. I’m a Paramedic for my occupation and a volunteer rescue squad member and situations like these are very difficult on the rescue/recovery personnel as well.

He also seems like one of those guys that’s so nice it almost makes you suspicious ?

I like feathered trebles on walkers but I recently put one on a Sexy Dawg Jr and it completely killed the baits ability to be walked. I tried several different cadences and rod positions and just couldn’t get it to work properly. Odd experience.

I love watching Wheeler. He seems like one of the most genuinely gifted anglers to come along in quite awhile.

Thanks! I’m definitely a glutton for punishment.

New PB from Saturday the 27th. 9.42lbs. Caught on a chart/black 6xd off a stump row in 10-12ft of water. Was sure I’d snagged a catfish in the back or something for at least 30 seconds or so. Even better I got to share this awesome experience with my dad. Was released to be caught again one day.

Fished an ABA at Pickwick awhile back and the number of bass floating on their side in the tank prior to being released was really unsettling. If you’re gonna fish deep water in tournaments then good learn how to fizz your bass.

I prefer a 3/4-1oz football jig or a T-rigged 10in ribbontail with a 3/8oz weight at those depths.

Hey gang my Dad and I are planning on fishing DH for 4-5 days in late October or early November. Any recommendations on places to stay on the lake? I’ve looked at several online but first hand experience would go a long way with helping us make a decision. Thanks!

I’ve been using Humminbird’s FishSmart app. You have to purchase individual lakes but I’ve been very pleased. I prefer the Lakemaster maps over Navionics to begin with though so I may be biased.

All ebbs and flows of ecosystems if I had to guess. 10-12 years ago some of the Texas lakes were struggling (relative to what they had been and are now) and now they are flourishing. Guntersville is back with a vengeance after a down 3 or so years earlier this decade. Won’t be long until the FL fisheries will be back in business.

The weights from this tournament are almost comical they’re so great. 85 teams with 20lbs+ And 118 with 18+.

PB Largemouth was on a small TWRA lake in West TN. Any of you guys from the area can probably guess where. Overcast with impending TStorms probably 75 degrees out. First week of May. 8lb 11oz with a Zoom Ol Monster. Caught a 5lber maybe 10mins later and had to get off the water due to lightning. Capped off the best week of bass fishing I’ve ever had in terms of size. 7 bass over 7lbs with numerous 3-4lbers in 5 days of fishing. All on the same sub 600acre lake. Never experienced anything like it before or since. I like my PB Smallmouth even better though. Yellow Creek on Pickwick on my 15th birthday. Dad and I caught tons of largemouth that day on rocky secondary points in about 10-15ft of water. Not a single smallie on that pattern and not a single fish shallow until we eased into a little cove where I pitched a black trick worm on a shaky head into a lay down and pulled a 5lb 12oz smallie out of less than 2 feet of water. Never in a million years would have expected any smallmouth, let alone one of that incredible caliber to be in a place like that.

This time of year ledge fishing on Pickwick I have good success with an 8in 3oz Castaic Flutter Spoon.

TW has Castaic Jerky J’s for $4.79 a pack right now on all sizes.

I prefer quartering and throwing in a croc pot with everything I would usually use for a regular pot roast. I also bake them and eat like chicken wings. Found that recipe in this book https://www.amazon.com/MeatEater-Fish-Game-Cookbook-Techniques/dp/0399590072/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=steven+rinella&qid=1558996782&s=gateway&sr=8-2 Incredible cookbook that is an absolute steal for its price point.

Can’t speak for other parts of the country but Kentucky Lake is struggling big time with the Asian Carp invasion. Doesn’t help that their invasion seems to be coinciding with a natural downturn in the lake that every lake has from time to time. Along with a poor year for the shad in 2017-18. I’ve come across very few 3-5lb LMB in the past year or so. Measures are being taken to fight them but man it looks pretty bleak from my perspective.

They could have been biting it light and you just not really noticing the bite until they had it for awhile. I have trouble with gut hooks on “no feel” type baits such as weightless senkos or Ned Rigs.