Woody B

I saw a couple University of Tennessee busses on the way to my Dad's house yesterday. I figured some of y'all would get a kick out of a picture.

My fishing goal is simple. To have fun. I've had a BUNCH of fun fishing this year and plan on having more. My New Years resolution for 2023 was the same it's been for decades. To not die. So far so good for 2023.

Regarding waiting on a topwater hit until you feel the fish. I know, I just can't make myself do it. I was busy yesterday so I'm posting yesterdays (Sundays) report this morning. Temperatures dropped over night. It was 41 when I left my house, 43 when I got to the landing. Water temperature dropped a couple degrees too. (76 to 74). I attempted to target Largemouth Saturday but I figured the temperature drop would slow things down. To keep decent numbers I stayed on the main lake for Spots. I ended up catching 7. I launched by boat at 7. I usually post pictures of my first and last. First was a dink spot at 7:15. I wasn't going to post it, but decided to stay consistent. My second was my only Largemouth of the day at 7:17. The last was a snake pattered Spot at 9:48. 2 of the 7 were dinks, the rest were 14" to 16". Largemouth was on a T-rig. All the spots were on cranks.

I've got a bunch of comments, not directed at anyone in this thread and not intended to step on anyones toes. I'm referring to live sonar/FFS/whatever as Active Target. It's what I've got and IIRC it's what Josh Jones uses. First, I suspect there's less than a dozen people in the World that could accomplish what Josh Jones has regardless of technology. I haven't watched this or any or his videos, but I suspect this video is just for publicity. He's charging an astronomical amount to take people fishing. This video will probably just make more people hire him. I'm guessing from earlier comments that the video mentions 80 something DD bass in 80 something trips. If I were a millionaire I'd probably book a trip with him. Second, I don't know about Musky, or many other species but Bass are different than Crappie. I'm not a Crappie fisherman (some people say I'm a crappy fisherman LOL) but at the suggestion of a friend I bought an assortment of Crappie jigs to learn Active Target. I could watch my bait, and the Crappie's reaction, then change colors, presentation ect until they bit. After that I could pretty much catch the whole school. Bass simply aren't like that, at least the ones around here. One or two tries and they're gone. (except when they're spawning) Small Spotted bass will hang around longer from more lures and presentations but catching 10 inch long spotted bass isn't going to ruin anything. I did use it once to target a big catfish. I could tell by how it acted (and it's size) it wasn't a Bass. It would follow my crankbait, then my bladed jig, but circle back to the same spot under a dock. I caught it with a wacky rig on my 7th or 8th cast. I was going to cast stuff to it until it bit or left. (only cat I've caught on plastic) "Riding around" using Active Target to find bass simply isn't going to happen unless you're in a really small lake or area. It's live sonar. It doesn't work very good while moving much over 1mph. Down imaging, and side imaging (which is historical data) works better when moving 3 to 5 mph. I've used them riding around to find bass, then stopped and started looking on Active Target. I have followed schools of bait fish with Active Target and waited for some action. This "action" always happens near some type fish holding structure. I've had more success just going to the structure instead of following bait fish around looking at a screen. Like others I believe live wells, boat flips to carpet, hero pictures ect harm more bass than anything else. Of course if more are caught due to technology there will be more bass harmed. If we really want to help preserve big bass populations we need to stop these things. I also can't help but notice that most or all of the people who are saying how easy Active Target makes it to catch bass have never used it. Obviously I didn't buy it because it makes Bass harder to catch, but it's simply not magic. I live in Grover NC. I mostly fish Lake Wylie, but occasionally fish other nearby lakes. Anyone on Bass Resource is welcome to come with me fishing to see this stuff in use. I can drive the boat, run the trolling motor, and run the electronics or you can. (any combination, your choice) I'd like to have Mega 360. It's not live but still "forward facing" I don't need that much stuff hanging off the front of my boat, or that many screens to look at. I was torn between buying Active Target or Mega 360. I already had Lowrance stuff. That's why I choose Active Target.

The correct answer will probably depend on the climate where you live. If it's "comfortable" inside your house your firearms should be OK. I open my safes once a week to keep the air inside fresh. My house is dry enough I have to run a humidifier most of the time for my guitars.

I think it's kinda a double edged sword. IF (big if) Alabama Bass have the potential to ruin a good Smallmouth fishery then that's something to be concerned about. Lately I've been catching good numbers of Spots/Alabama bass, and an occasionally Largemouth. I attempted to target Largemouth today. I didn't catch as many but I did manage to catch 7 decent Largemouth and 1 small spot. It's hard for me to pass up bigger numbers but it was nice to catch mostly LM's for a change. NC (and I suspect TN) is soliciting money to help stock their magic F1 Bass. I feel there's a money angle to much of their fear mongering.

Have you ever fished with FFS?

After thinking about all the comments in the "Alabama Bass" thread I decided to "try" and target Largemouth. I caught 8, 7 Largemouth and 1 small spot. The Largemouth were all between 15 and 17 inches. They were on points up creek channels. All but 1 were on a Shakey Head with a Bizz Baits "Dizzy Diamond" worm. (Historically I've been a Zoom worm user but Pat Brown pointed out that Bizz Baits is in NC so I got some of them) The other was on a bladed jig. I lost a couple good sized Spots. Spots mess me up. They (at least for me) like to chew on a worm for a bit before "taking" it. With Largemouth I have to be ready, with a quick hookset or they'll spit it out. The 2 spots I lost were barely hooked in the very edge of the lip. After my latest rash of broken rods no more boat flips for me. Both were boatside waiting to be netted when they came loose. The hook would have probably torn out when attempting a boat flip anyway. Pictures are boat launch at 6:45, first bass at 6:59 and last bass on last cast at 9:53. Regarding walking baits. With most topwater baits I miss a bunch of fish. I "believe" I have a tendency to pull the bait out of their mouth on a hookset. I have good topwater luck with a Devils Horse. I fish it with some slack in the line. I believe that slows down my too quick hookset.

NC Wildlife has a page with a BUNCH of links involving Alabama bass studies. https://www.ncwildlife.org/Fishing/Black-Bass-in-North-Carolina/Alabama-Bass#119772470-reports-summaries--publications

Both of my parents and 3 of my Grandparents were diabetic. I've had several glucose tolerance tests over the years. I also get my A1C checked a couple times a year. So far I'm good. I'm 59. My A1C for the past several tests has been 5.2%. My Mom and both of my Grandmothers developed Type 2 diabetes when they were in their 40's. My Maternal Grandfather developed his after he retired. He was a commercial plumbing contractor. His work was physical, and many times outside in the heat. I suspect his work activities kept his glucose levels good, until he retired. My Dad also developed it after retiring. He was a building contractor. My job is physical, and involves a bunch of walking. According to my phone I average 15,000 steps a day at work. I'm not lean, but when I retire I plan on coming up with some kind of exercise regimen so my activity level stays the same. I believe one of the biggest contributors to type 2 diabetes is artificial sweeteners. My Mother and both of my Grandmothers drank "diet" soft drinks like they were water. Artificial sweeteners are designed to make your brain "think" they're sugar. It's my believe you brain sees what it thinks is sugar, and has your pancreas release insulin. This causes a blood sugar crash. After so long your body starts to "ignore, or not use" the insulin it produces. Neither myself or my Sister are diabetic. (My sister is a year older than I am) Neither of us drink soft drinks of any kind, or use artificial sweeteners. Our primary drinks are water, and unsweet tea. My Dad is currently 88. He takes Metformin but they recently lowered his dosage. His (medicated) A1C is in the low 6's. He eats whatever he wants and drinks sweet tea. He's 88 so I'm not going to fuss at him for what he eats or drinks. He has sciatica, and had bypass surgery 12 years ago. He doesn't have any issues or complications that his Doctors blame on diabetes. My Mom passed away 16 years ago from Hemophagocytosis. I don't understand it. A Doctor said the medication she was taking for Crohn's disease allowed a virus to cause a mutation in her bone marrow...or something like that. According to her doctors diabetes had nothing to do with her death. Diabetes was not listed as a primary cause of death for any of my Grandparents. What I'm trying to say is, with modern medicine diabetes is not a death sentence.

My dog only attacks me.

I'm a "make your own decisions as an adult" person, but a kill switch can affect others, even people who aren't in the same boat. I wear an inflatable with my kill switch lanyard attached to it. I saw a guy ejected from a bass boat earlier this year. He had on an inflatable life jacket, with his kill switch attached. It happened ~100 yards from where I was fishing at the time. I heard the motor cut off, then could see him in the water. I picked up my trolling motor and went over there. He as OK, swimming back toward his boat. It went a fairly long way after cutting off. (Surprised me how far) He grabbed onto my gunwale, and I took him the rest of the way back to his boat. He said he had no idea why, or how he came out of the boat. To everyone one. Make yourself use your kill switch lanyard. It doesn't take long for using it to become a habit. I've always used my kill switch. I got, and started wearing an inflatable life jacket after @A-Jay talked about first responders and rescue workers risking their lives to either save me, or find my body if I weren't wearing a life jacket.

It breaks my heart that you're done fishing for the year. Your a bass catching machine. Come on down here. You and Mrs B can hang out at the casino during the week and you can show me how to catch bass on the weekends.

Get well soon!!!!!

I'm very scientific when I decide whether to change lures or not. I use a magic 8 ball.

I think the OP is in California. I'm pretty sure in Cali it's against the law to transport a live game fish. I think I saw @WRB mention this once. (Is this correct?) NC (where I live) requires weighing on a certified scale, (with witnesses?) and an examination by a biologist. (perhaps a biologist from the State) I do know that's it's possible to keep a potential record alive. ~10 years ago a NC angler though he had caught a state record Spotted Bass. An examination by 2 biologist as well as genetic testing of a fin clip determined it was a hybrid between a Largemouth and Spotted bass. NC's only record for hybrids is for Striped/White bass hybrids. I was told my multiple sources that the bass lived out the rest of it's life in the aquarium at Bass Pro Shops in Concord NC.

Can I be in the "dink" club? This was a couple weeks ago.

Not looking to argue, not intending that tone with this post. Although not as common as interbreeding with Smallmouth, Largemouth and Spots will interbreed. A few years ago a man caught what he thought was a new NC record Alabama/Spotted Bass. (in Lake Norman) For NC to certify a record a biologist has to examine the fish. According to the biologist this bass came from a Largemouth mom and a Spot dad. At this point there's nothing we can do about the Spots. I'll admit it's fun to catch a BUNCH of bass but I haven't heard of a DD bass from the Catawba river chain in years. My biggest since I started back fishing a couple years ago is 7 pounds 13 ounces. (in Lake Wylie) I have caught a few spots over 4 pounds. (biggest 4 pounds 15 ounces) They're fun but it's disappointing knowing that's pretty much the top end weight wise. Can anyone confirm that Lake Norman was basically the dead sea in the late 90's early 2000's?

I've been waiting to comment until I took time to watch the video. I watched it and I have a few comments. At least 1/3 of the video was the people making the video talking about themselves. "Enough about me, what to do you think about me?" It is a 28 minute video with ~5 minutes of information in it. I truly believe that moving fish from one body of water to another is a bad idea. I also don't believe the Alabama/Spotted bass explosion in NC (lake Norman was mentioned in the video) is due to fisherman bringing them to the lake in their livewells. I strongly believe at some point the state stocked them. I can't believe a few livewells full of spots can take over a 30,000+ acre lake in a few short years that's already full of Gar, Striped Bass, big Catfish and other predators. I quit fishing for 30 years until recently. Back then Lake Norman was a super Largemouth fishery. I've been told it turned into a dead sea shortly after that. I believe the State stocked Spots to bring back the bass population.

I've been busy. I'll go back and like all of y'alls fish pictures later. I managed to get out yesterday and today. I caught 12 yesterday but I was just sore lipping juvenile bass. The first picture is the biggest one from Saturday by a bunch. It was barely 14" and the only one over 12". I had limited time to fish so I just kept catching little ones instead of looking for bigger ones. I found bigger ones today but no BIG ones. I caught 9 between 14 and 16 inches. I broke another rod today. That's way too many in the past couple months. I boat flipped a 15" bass (the second picture). On the next cast my rod broke between the 1st and 2nd guide. (no the tip, near the base) This rod was only a couple weeks old. 2 others I broke recently were severely high sticked by me, by accident. I suppose this one just wasn't up to the task of boat flipping a ~2 pound bass. If it was from high sticking it should have broke closer to the tip. (?) This was a Falcon BuCoo med/med 7' rod. I bought it locally for WAY less than they're listed online for. I wonder if it was a blem, or otherwise had something else wrong with it. Water temp was 76. Most of the bass were on cranks, near or at secondary points.

I haven't commented in the Spotted/Alabama bass thread because I haven't watched the video yet. The "tale" is a few fishermen caught spotted bass in Lake Keowee and took them to Lake Norman. Lake Norman is literally full of Spotted bass. I don't believe a few live wells full of fish started this in a lake that's over 30,000 acres. Every lake on the Catawba river chain has a decent population of Spots. I think either they migrated there naturally (doubtful) or at some point the State stocked them. Man messing with nature probably isn't a good thing in most cases but I believe most of the "invasive species" horror stories are unwarranted. Tom has a good example with all of the HUGE Bass caught in California, but none are native there. I won't be transporting any fish from one body of water to another.

I didn't get any A-rig action last year until the water temperature got below 55.

I only have 2 things to say. 1. I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said. 2. If you can't say it nice, say in nice and loud.

First, I'm glad they got the appendix problem taken care of. Second ANYONE with a kidney stone. Getting in a tub of HOT water will temporarily relieve the pain. When the water starts to cool the pain will come back. Just drain it and add more hot water. Kidney stone pain can be terrible.

I've never caught a Pike, Pickerel, or Musky. I caught a Walleye once. I've caught a few Bowfin, but it's been years. I had a bowfin get off right at the boat Sunday. I occasionally hook a Longnose Gar but I've never got one in the boat. I don't think my bass hooks are getting set good in their boney snouts.