Woody B

Congrats on your PB. I wouldn't worry about gill hooking it. Regardless of it's survival there's nothing you could have done differently.

I heard that #FBD stands for "Fishing Boat Docks"

Are the Stripers able to reproduce in these lakes or do they just keep getting stocked? "They" say Stripers can't reproduce in the reservoirs around here. Something about needed running water. I've heard that they successfully spawn in some of the Tenn. tail races.

I rarely fish anywhere clear enough to sight fish beds. I've been told that the biggest threats to Bass eggs are Bluegill and lizards so it's my belief that a lure that emulates one of those is best. 41 years ago I was fishing Lake James (clear water) during the Smallmouth spawn. A friend of mine had told me to catch the buck, put it in the livewell, then catch the big female. I had a 12 year old kid with me. We were fishing Texas rigged lizards. He caught a buck, then I caught my PB Smallie (6lbs). Both were then released. A few minutes later I caught a buck. He made a perfect cast to the female. She picked his lizard up by the tail and moved it away from the bed. I had to grab and hold him in a bear hug to keep him from setting the hook. He made a 2nd perfect cast, same thing, except I didn't need to hold him. His 3rd perfect cast netted him an 8 pound 3 ounce Smallmouth. If not my favorite fishing memory that has to be in the top few. A 12 year old nervous kid makes 3 perfect casts in a row and is rewarded by a lifetime Smallmouth. He also did a great job landing it, by controlling it, but not getting impatient and breaking his line. I've still got the Ambassador 5500C reel and Ugly Stick rod he caught it on. He's a heckuva fisherman now with a super nice Vexus boat. I need to call him and give him that rod and reel.

I'm not normally a hat wearer unless it's cold or really sunny, but I always wear a hat when I'm fishing with someone. Last year my Grandson got a terrible backlash when he took the hat off my head with a crankbait. The hat prevented the pain so we really enjoyed laughing.

I think I saw your lake front property yesterday, and it wasn't in Maine. There was a house under construction....5000+ square feet with a huge newly constructed dock and boat lift. There was a single canoe on the boat lift. I should have taken a picture. If I get back in that area this weekend I'll snap a pic if the canoe is still there.

If I were to try and catch Catfish I'd probably skunk every time. 9.66 pound Blue on a bladed jig yesterday. It didn't twist and turn like a Cat. It was fast, pulling like heck, and shaking it's head. The first time I got it near the boat I saw a gray/silver flash. I thought it was a big Spotted Bass. I suppose I got "catfished".

2 day report. I had family stuff yesterday and today but I managed to fish a little. Yesterday (in 3 hours) I caught 7 small Largemouth. (no pictures, I'm talking 10 to 12 in buck bass). I couldn't find the big ladies. I thought I had one. I caught a 9.66 pound Blue Cat. (soon to have picture in other species thread) The Cat's I catch on bass lures usually slam them. This one was on a bladed jig. It didn't slam it. I felt the blade quit moving, and set the hook. It didn't twist and turn like Blues usually do. It was fast, and shaking it's head while staying deep the whole time. The first time I got it near the boat I saw a gray/silver flash. I thought it was a huge Spot until I got it ready to boat. I have more family stuff today, but it was on the lake. I fished early, went to lunch, then fished a few more hours. I ended up with 15 Bass, mostly Largemouth. They were all ~halfway back in pockets hugging cover. The smallest one "might" have been 14". (first picture) It was really pale, like a winter Bass. 2 others were pale also. The biggest was an 18" fat Largemouth full of eggs. I didn't weight it, just held it next to my inch markings on my boat and quickly released her. A couple (including the pale one) were on a Buzz Bait before the wind got up. The others were split between a shaky head, spinner bait and bladed jig. I guess the water temperature has confused the Bass as much as it has confused me. Yesterday I found bucks on secondary points. Today I found bigger "does" further into the pockets. No bloody tails or other post spawn signs on any the last 2 days. The lake was FULL of boaters both days. Between that and the wind the lake was like the ocean. Added: The hair police have been stressed lately due to his weather. I got a hair cut so I wouldn't induce any more stress.

What about a backlash after the cast? I saw a decent sized Bass under a floating dock. I made a perfect skip with a weightless T-rigged lizard. I was admiring my cast then the Bass took it. I set the hook without locking the reel, or even having my thumb on the spool. I had to cut that one out and respool. I landed the 2 1/2 pound Bass. I reeled it part of the way in but the reel got locked up with the over run. I drug it around with my trolling motor until it was tired enough to handline in. I had 2 pretty good ones back to back. On a cast the ring pulled out of the lip on a crankbait. This was a line changing backlash. I changed reels, and baits, but forgot I had the brakes turned all the way off on the reel I had installed. I was able to clean out that backlash, but it was a pretty good one.

I haven't "boycotted" any fishing tackle companies but I'll quit using a product in a heartbeat for political reasons. Attach the 2nd Amendment and a company won't get another penny from me. I never bought much from Dicks Sporting Goods but I wouldn't even consider anything from them now.

One of the reasons I don't fish tournaments is once I get started I'm WAY to competitive. I'd spend $1000 on gas to win a $5 prize just to keep someone else from winning it. I enjoy fishing too much to let this happen so I stay away from tournaments. The 2 hours lost fishing is a big consideration too. FWIW, in Florida even with engines that are compatible with E10 the high humidity can still cause some problems. E-10 works for me with my location and application. Burn what you want to. I was trying to point out earlier that the cost difference isn't really all that much. A 2 hour round trip in a big boat with a 250 horsepower engine is going to burn a few bucks worth of gas regardless of flavor. Added: Nice boat!!!! Good luck in the tourney.

I've never tried guessing weight in videos. I'm not much of a video watcher. I can guess weight pretty good once a fish is in hand. Pictures are often very misleading. (and not on purpose, at least on my part) I try to fill the camera so I get a good picture of a fish. It's not "trickery" on my part. I usually just take "selfies" because it's easy. After a fish get's a certain size it's hard to take a selfie. I have a holder for my camera. I set a time, then get in the screen. The first Bass pictured is over 1/2 pound heavier than the 2nd one. The 2nd one "looks" bigger because I just took a selfie with it.

Vs ~$165 using E-10?

I don't even know who these people are but it reminds me of Jim McMahon (Chicago Bears QB decades ago) getting fined for wearing a headband with "Adidas" on it. He responded by wearing a headband with "Rozelle" hand written on it. (Pete Rozelle was NFL Commissioner)

I've never seen them "go back" but I think maybe for some reason they have this year. I've caught 3 LM's over 5, and several Spots over 3 earlier this month 7 feet or less deep. Maybe it's a different group of fish but I caught 9 today (all spots) and they were all at least 15 feet deep. After struggling yesterday I decided to use my electronics. The shallowest Bass I caught today was 15 feet deep at the end of a dock. It was the biggest, but only 16". (pictured). The others were toward and off the ends of points 15 to 25 feet deep. 6 of the others were between 14" and 15" with a couple "micro bass". Not what I was wanting, but it was nice to catch a "limit" that was legal length. (even though there's no limit on Spots here) I stopped by and talked to a friend of mine (who's a retired pro Bass fisherman) today. He said this weather has the Bass scattered. It's not been cold but the water temperature is 3 to 4 degrees cooler than it was 2 weeks ago. I suppose, in addition to the crazy weather there's a diverse bunch of spawners. A couple years ago I caught a Bass with a bloody tail (near the Nuclear plant discharge) in January. Last year I caught one that was fat and full of eggs in late June. Katie, I had some "Hot Hands" hand warmers. They just hadn't warmed up for the first picture. My hands weren't cold and wet for long.

If I'm reading right the fish kill was caused by too much dissolved oxygen in the water? That's interesting. I could see thin ice "magnifying" the sun light kicking off algae growth.

There was a death during BASS college practice on Lake Murray earlier this year. I suspect participants sign multiple wavers, but sooner or later one of these speed junkies is going to hit a non participant.

I've been managing to catch a few but no big ones lately and not big numbers. Most all I've been catching have been on the main lake. Bass should be up the creeks and in coves this time of year. I haven't been able to find them anywhere but on the main lake this year, I committed to fishing up the creeks today. I was "rewarded" with 2 Bass in 6 hours. I caught the first one, (a 17 inch Spot) on my second cast. I cruised up a creek looking at my side scan. I saw 4 fish ~10 feet deep on a secondary point. I turned the boat around and was able to catch one. I didn't get a good picture, my hands were wet, cold and slippery. I was afraid I'd drop my phone. It's the first Bass I've caught this year that appeared to have been spawning. It had a worn/bloody tail. It still appears to have some eggs. As I said earlier it was near the bottom in 10 feet of water. I don't know if it was spawning there, had spawned somewhere else, or just had a bloody tail. Morning water temp, after yesterdays rain was only 57 degrees. So I was hopeful to catch one so quickly, but they disappeared. I stayed in the creeks. I couldn't find them on sonar, and I tried quite a bit of "search casting" too. I caught my second, and last one ~6 hours later. It was suspended under a floating dock. I slipped a wacky in the space between 2 floats and it took it. It was a nice healthy small Largemouth. I didn't measure it, but it was small. Look at my hand in the picture. After than I called it a day, came home and took Mrs B out for Supper. So why aren't Bass in the creeks, and why do they seem to be so scattered? We've had record rainfall the past few months. I wonder if "bad stuff" has washed into the creeks and something just isn't right with the water. I'm sure a bunch of swampy stagnant water got washed into the lake via the creeks but the rain started several months ago. There's some baitfish up the creeks, but not like years past. There's a BUNCH of turtles up the creeks. Do oxygen levels vary from one part of the lake to another? I would think the levels in 57-60 degree water would be pretty stable. I was going to go to another lake one day this week (Monticello Reservoir SC) but it's been really windy. Monticello is way smaller that Wylie but is basically a big round bowl. It turns into the ocean in strong winds. The wind was straight out of the North today, strong enough for big whitecaps. I know where to go, and where to not go on Wylie in my smallish boat and strong winds.

That's interesting. Can you see any on "regular" sonar or have you looked? With my set up (Lowrance Active Target 1, and HDS Live 9) sometimes I have trouble seeing fish that are hugging the bottom. The contrast setting is VERY important on mine, and I suspect any live sonar. (I think it's "gain" on LiveScope). If the contrast is too low stuff in the middle or top of the water column is hard to see. If the contrast is too high stuff on the bottom kinda washes out. Bass that are tight in cover are hard to see....sometimes. I see Spotted bass hunting in pack occasionally (at least Spots are what I catch from these packs) but rarely see/catch Largemouth out "hunting". It may be my 9 inch screen (instead of 12" or bigger) or the fact I keep my range on 90 feet (most keep it closer I think) but I have a hard time determining species just by the image. Behavior is more of a factor to make me think "that's Bass". @Koz wait until you see a 30+ pound Catfish, that was unseen on the bottom dart up and take your lure. For people who have recently got it. Don't jerk the hook out of the fishes mouth. I struggle with that when I first got mine to the point I'd look away when I saw a fish near my lure. It's like top water fishing. You need to feel the fish before setting the hook. For the people who hate, or strongly dislike it. That's cool with me. Differing opinions is one thing that makes the World great.

The funny thing about this whole thing is for as long as there has been organized sports household names have been getting beat by new kids. It's a natural progression. Richard Petty got older, there was Earnhardt. Earnhardt got older, here comes Gordon. Every so often it happens in every sport. New kid Brady was Bledsoe's backup.

Don't all the major tournaments require a camera in the boat recording continuously? It would be easy enough to review footage and enforce the rules if "they" wanted to. The problem is way too many people think these guys are "heroes" because they make bad decisions, putting their own and other peoples lives at risk. All of this is to "get there first". These guys are supposed to be professionals. The local "heroes" see this and try to emulate it. In NC every bridge is a no wake zone. Every few weeks I see a local "hero" blasting under a bridge at ~70mph. I always laugh when bass fishermen fuss about recreational boaters. Most of the bass fishermen are good people, but there's a few (everywhere) that are the most dangerous people on the water.

These videos and thread amaze me. A quick internet search shows that Hank last won the Classic in 1989. Just more attention seeking behavior from a has been. (there I said it) Let's go back to cane poles and jon boats. This other stuff is too expensive.

Myself and Mrs B are back from camping. I'm off work through Monday so I'll fish some more. I didn't catch them like I wanted to while camping. I averaged a Bass an hour, but the biggest was a 17 inch spot(pictured). Mrs B went out one time, but didn't fish long due to the cold and wind. Dolly (our Yorkie) went out with me several times. She get's really excited when I catch a fish. She love to lick them. She thinks she's a BIG dog, so I tell her the fish are all big, even if they aren't. She thinks the one she's licking in the picture is a 5 pounder. Alex, hats off for mastering spinning gear. I can't do it. I simply can't cast accurately. I have arthritis in my right trigger finger, perhaps that's part of the problem......or just my excuse. It doesn't bother me shooting. I use wackys with a bait caster all the time. I'd estimate that 1/3 of what I caught, including my biggest was on a wacky. Weightless Bizz Baits sassy stick. Most of the others were on a spinner bait. (don't tell Tnriver) To the haircut police. I don't want to cause any more stress. I'll try to keep my hat on.

There's been (at least) 2 boat crashes last week at some Toyota tournament somewhere. People are complaining saying these crashes happen due to too many screens. That will get the number, and size of screens limited. However, the real problem isn't the screens, it's the boaters. One was going 70mph in a no wake zone and basically ran over another boat. The other one was speeding down a small canal and ended up on the bank somehow. I feel like the least that will happen is a limit on screens. However, screens didn't cause these crashes no more than 250 horsepower outboards did. Bad choices on the water caused the crashes. There will be guys rushing back to weigh in with no screens. FWIW I don't care what they do. I don't watch fishing beyond an occasionally video that comes up on my fakebook feed.

There's no limit on Spots here. The lake, and basically the entire Catawba river chain is full of heavy metals, PCB's and coal ash. I'm not much of a sea food/fish eater anyway. I take a livewell full of small ones to my Sister in Law (that lives on the lake) occasionally. The fish in this pictures is a little Wiper isn't it? I thought it was a White Perch at first, but haven't seen stripes like that. My Son in Law is a Striper fisherman. He says Wylie isn't cold enough for them. I suppose the State (NC or SC?) thinks Wipers will survive. I've caught a few little ones but never one over 10 inches long.