Bird

Reminds me of that show " turtle man ". Nice smallmouth though.

Nice catch. I'd also guess 4 - 4.5

Line really doesn't dictate what a rod is used for nor does bank or boat. Look at lure rating on rod. Med in my boat usually has treble hooks, like Jerkbaits. A more versatile rod would be a MH, covers a wider range. Imo

Really good find and really nice boat. Hope you enjoy it.

I have video of those cicada killers......killing cicada. They also fly around the house at night, apparently drawn to light and moths. My brother calls them European Hornets, don't know but they certainly don't act aggressively towards humans.

Smallmouth around here are more voracious than LM and aren't near as picky about what they will attack. My top choices are Jerkbaits, flukes, 1/4 spinnerbaits, zoom lizards and brush hogs. The old school hair jig and pork trailer is also effective.

I really want to start throwing more soft plastics but the fish won't leave my Jerkbaits alone.......they've also been roughing up spinnerbaits.

That's a good fish pre-spawn post-spawn, anywhere.

Never heard of boiling fishing line before but know of a few good local fishermen who pre-stretch Flouro or mono before spooling.

Very good question and one I can't answer, don't know the manufacturer. Bought it years ago from a local bait and tackle shop going out of business. I did however catch my 2 biggest LM of 2020 on it. Another pic.

Pick yourself up a 2000 series spinning reel and spool it with 12# Vanish Flouro.......that should pretty much eliminate your desire to throw straight Flouro ever again. That actually happened last month to my best friend. First cast and looked like 2 slinky's mating. I like Sunline sniper.

Very sad news. That lake has a few very shallow sandbars that extend out quite a ways.....we almost hit one last summer.

One more helpful tip to up your catch rate. On the cast, the bait must be moving forward as soon as it hits the water so it's aligned, blades spinning. You'll loose a bunch of fish with a plop and retrieve technique.

Spinnerbaits are reaction baits, use a nice steady retrieve around submerged cover, edges of logs. I only have 2 colors, white and chartreuse, always use trailers, prefer willow blade in back, colorado up front. If I do throw a spinnerbait in open water, it's horizontal to bank or shallow water, like coves. If water is murky, I throw chartreuse with a black trailer.

Fisherman have this in common......they vary drastically in equipment and technique. Lol I throw a Buzzbait on mh rod, 20# braid and sweep the rod instantly on bite, just like a spinnerbait.

35* here in Va with wind gusts of 30 mph, 32* tonight........BUT 80* coming Friday, wow.

It should have came with instructions but it's basically plug and play regarding the canister......undo some velcro and screw in the arming kit.

Water temps have an effect on fish activity. Air temps have an effect on fisherman activity, this one anyway.

My local lake gets terrible with slime during the summer months. Frogs are great. Flukes along the edges of surface blooms and drop shots paired with floating baits. Every soft plastic needs the hook to be tex-posed to alleviate slime buildup. That said, still battle some slime.

Nice fish. Love seeing young fisherman throwing casting gear.

I'm only a bass fisherman but can tell you this......every single pike, pickerel and Musky I've accidentally caught over the years was caught on a Jerkbait.

Same issue here as this is my 1st full year of retirement. Went yesterday " Thursday "on 178 acre lake and betting 50 boats, trucks parked in the grass. Every cove I entered in search of spawning fish, I got leap frogged. Lol

Deer Rapids is just south of Strasburg on the river. Yes, can get very shallow in summer months.

We must be fairly close, fish quite a bit around Deer Rapids, above and below.

Well at least your compassionate about the fish you pursue and yes , yanking them from their beds can be a disruption. BUT on most occasions I visually see them return and resume duty......it's the game we play.