Woody B

The only thing I've figured out about topwater is I don't have a clue when it will work, and when it won't. The lakes I fish have little to no vegetation. I rarely see or hear any frogs. (in my mind that's due to the lack of vegetation). Most years the top water action heats up when bugs get active and start falling into the water. Find someone mowing grass near the lake, throw something topwater in that direction. The strangest top water experience I've ever had was January of this year. I was at a lake I don't fish much. I caught 3 or 4 early (for January) relatively deep on an A-rig. Then I lost them. I couldn't find the bass. It was a sunny winter day. The water was fairly clear and calm. I was skipping a dock and got hung on an underwater rope. When I went to get my lure loose I could see bass in almost no water, facing the bank. I cast a t-rig onto the bank, and crawled it into the water. They ignored it. Again, I could see these bass in the water, not on sonar. I threw a jig onto the bank, and crawled it into the water, still ignored. I tried both of these several casts, and at a couple different locations. Finally, laughing at myself the entire time I tied on a Devils Horse. (top water). I didn't cast it onto the bank, but right to the edge of the water.....18 inches or so in front of a bass. EXPLOSION!!!!!! The bass was almost out of the water getting the bait. I didn't even move the lure, and barely had my reel locked. I caught several more the same way that day. The water temperature was in the upper 40's. I figured the bass were soaking up the warm Sun. Was there something coming down the bank (or out of the ground) into the water for them to eat? I wasted a bunch of topwater casts in COLD water after that. The only other topwater bites I had until April or so were one Bass and a 13 pound Catfish over cane piles. (I thought the Cat was a hawg for a while)

Most of the time I put a #4 short EWG hook on the rear of a devils horse. I use the short hook in combination with a split ring. I sharpen the front 2 hooks, and eventually replace them when they get "tired". The old brick mason who took me fishing when I was a kid said he don't think a bass "sees" the devils horse, they just see the disturbance. Bluegill will peck the heck out of a devils horse, especially during the mayfly hatch. I think they think the spinner is a may fly. My second biggest bass of 2022 came on a devils horse, with a bluegill hook to it. (6 lbs 10 oz). For me a devils horse works best when it's dead calm. Targeted, accurate casts that land like a butterfly hitting the water work best. Most of the time what works is trying to move my line a little bit without actually moving the lure. Think a really small twitch. I've also had some success "walking" a devils horse. I've caught a few bass as deep as 20 feet (on cane piles) walking a horse. Think about what a spook looks like worked properly and imitate that with the 'horse. For some reason when I cast a Spook, regardless of what I try it lands like a concrete block hitting the water. This might not matter in deeper, or rougher water, but it hurts my confidence. I believe confidence is a MAJOR factor in bass fishing. I've had a little luck with an Evergreen SB-105 when the water is what I think it too rough for a 'horse. My SB-105's are clear. I also caught bass in the past on a jitterbug. My Grandfather loved to fish with a Creek Chub Darter. (Yellow, he called them Yellow Darters) I've got a couple of his old ones but don't fish with them due to sentimental value.

My pictures are a work in progress. I've got a phone holder on my console I can put my phone it, then set a 10 second timer. I kneel on the back deck with the fish. This works "OK" with bass, but not for the bigger catfish I accidently catch on occasion. I need to put a phone mount somewhere for me to get further away from it. For smaller bass I (still) usually just take a selfie. I try to fill the screen up with bass. This makes a good fish picture, but kinda makes them all look the same size. I need to make a cardboard cut out fish and practice pictures. The first bass pictured below is 14 inches long (selfie), the 2nd one is 18 inches long. The bass look the same size, my hands don't. The 3rd picture is a 6 pounder, in a selfie. It was hard to get it all in the picture.

My favorite top water lure is a Devils Horse. Pictured earlier by @Captain Phil My most productive color is "Perch"......which happens to be yellow. I've had dark colors work at night. I've had silver colors work during a bright day, but perch/yellow pretty much always works.

Unlike many here I don't use many rod/reel combos. My most used/favorite combo is a Shimano SLX XT paired with a Lews Mach MAPC. (7 foot, Medium/moderate action) I use 12 to 14 pound Trilene XL and XT. I change line often and get whichever one my local tackle shop has.

Just go fish somewhere else. I fish for fun. I'm not going to let some bu thead ruin my day.

I've got a small tear in my right labrum. Effortless casting is a BIG deal for me. I don't "watch" fishing but I've noticed the pros aren't "swinging for the fences" when they cast.

FWIW I keep the spool tension set the just remove any side play on all of my reels. Tight spool tension (the way that's recommended for most reels) robs you of distance, and creates the need for extra effort. With the spool tension set the traditional way (lure barely drops) you have to "heave" the lure to get any kind of distance. With the side play barely removed a pretty much effortless pitch (and some thumb) ends up with great distance. However, if you try to "heave" it with this setting you'll end up with line around your neck. Try both ways, I'll guarantee you you'll get better distance with the loose setting, and an effortless toss with any reel than you'll get with the spool tension tight. The downside it, you can get a backlash simply threading the line through the guides.

My biggest numbers day last year was less than a day after a hurricane passed through.

Lowrance units (at least the ones I have and have had) dim by pressing the power key. You can either press the power key multiple times to bring down the brightness, or press the power key once to bring up a menu that had a "brightness" setting. It's also got a night mode that's really red. I prefer it dimmed a bunch but not put into night mode. None of my have an automatic dimming setting.

I'd recommend disconnecting one of the jumper cables (either wire like you mentioned) letting them sit for 24 hours or so then get them load tested.

I like late Fall, early Winter. It's not in the 20's, and the lake is way less crowded. Everyone with a boat is fishing from early Spring until it get's into the 90's. After it get's into the 90's the lake is full of wake boats and jet skis. I love to fish in the Summer rain. It empties the lake and I believe it excites the Bass. Way too often Summer rain includes lightening though.

I've never got a Longnose Gar in the boat. It's my belief that their boney beak/mouths are impossible to sink a bass hook into. A friend of mine fishes for them. He described a piece of felt(?) attached to the hook for their needle teeth to get stuck in. I landed an 18 inch spot a few minutes after whatever snapped/bit my line off on the same line. For people who don't catch Spotted Bass, an 18 inch spot is like a jet powered submarine.

I went last night from 11:30 until 3:30. I was going to go a little earlier but had to wait out a thunderstorm. I caught 8 Bass and 1 small Blue Cat. Bass were all spots, between 14 and 18 inches. I lost 3, but I think they may have been Gar. It was cloudy/no moon so it was really dark. All 3 that I lost jumped really high (like longnose Gar do). 2 came loose on the jump, the 3rd was still hooked, when it landed but line went limp. It looked like it had been cut with a knife. Not frayed at all, no curly area like knot failure either. I didn't have much pressure on it. I had checked my line a couple cast before and it had no nicks. 7 of the Bass and the fish that were lost were on a bladed jig. The Cat and 1 Bass were on a DT6. I would have stayed longer but Mrs B is out of town. Our Yorkie get's an insulin shot at 5:30 and I had to be home to administer it. Dolly (yorkie) went with me yesterday morning. I didn't think a night trip with her would be a good idea.

@LrgmouthShad I'd guess I'm a couple hours from Badin. I've never been there. I like in Grover, which is Interstate 85 right at the NC/SC state line. I fish Lake Wylie, and other Catawba River lakes mostly.

I went to a local smallish lake this morning(Moss lake Shelby NC) to see if my healing finger could stand fishing. I don't usually catch many there. I caught 2 bass, a catfish and a bluegill. The bluegill and the 2nd bass were a double. My finger is fine. I'm going back to Lake Wylie tonight, probably around 10. There was a mayfly hatch back in June, but a friend of mine said they're hatching again. Hopefully that will translate into some nighttime top water action. First bass and cat were on a bladed jig. The bass/bluegill double was on a DT6. (the same DT6 that lost a hook into my finger last week)

My Grandpa broke me from EVER wanting to smoke another cigarette when I was 12. He caught me and my cousin getting ready to smoke one of his Pall Malls. (the ones with no filters) He made us smoke the whole pack. He'd probably get locked up these days for child abuse. The truth is he probably kept me from being a smoker.

Another reason (for me) to have a boat instead of a Yak. I'm 59. I have to pee pretty often. I suspect it's kinda hard to relieve yourself in a Yak.

Decades ago when I had my old boat a friend and myself got lost (on Lake Norman) night fishing. I "thought" I had a good sense of direction but figured out when night fishing I relied on the stars some. It was a cloudy night. We had no idea where we were so we just kept fishing until daylight. We were only 1/2 mile from the landing. Today, with modern GPS charts can keep you from getting lost. Be careful, pay attention and don't go flying across a dark lake. Even if you know the lake there might be something floating. I stay under 15mph at night. I've been going really early quite a bit, but the only time I've went true night fishing was last Saturday. I got to the lake around 1. I didn't catch anything until right about Sunrise. Then I ended up with a treble buried in my finger. It wasn't darkness fault though, the Sun was up. I'm going in the morning to a close lake for a short time. If my still healing finger is OK I'm going back tomorrow night (to the lake I normally go to) around 10PM.

Of course @dodgeguy uses ATF+4. He's a Chrysler Master Tech. I use Dexron 6. I'm a GM Master Tech. (ATF4 is Chrysler transmission fluid. Dexron 6 is GM transmission fluid)

I applaud you for knowing how your engine should be ran. Way too many people say "boat engines are supposed to be ran wide open". Your Pro XS (and my 50 efi) get really rich past 85% throttle.....or about 5000 rpm. This wastes fuel and isn't good for the engine either.

Keep the boat. Forget the tournaments. Fish is supposed to be fun, not some he man mines bigger than your contest. Multiple times this year Kayak anglers have come up to my boat asking if I had any bass they can take pictures of.

Outback as well as most of the chains.

Do I play hookie to fish? Why, what did you hear?

I have a knack for being too quick.....or too slow. Spotted bass (I think) like to nibble at stuff before actually picking it up. I blame the worms that break right behind the hook on a hookset on Spots. Largemouth pick stuff up quickly, and many times swim away with it. A couple weeks ago I laughed at myself until it hurt. I made a perfect cast under the center of a pontoon boat with a t-rig. I can't skip a t-rig, just made a nice 2 inch above the water cast at least 15 feet under the boat. I was standing there thinking "what a great cast" when my line started moving. I ended up landing a ~3 pound Largemouth, but it "felt" like it took me 5 minutes to engage my reel, get up the slack and set the hook. Last year during the spring I was fishing mostly topwater. I keep a t-rig handy, and close by to cast out if something rolls on my devils horse, but doesn't take it. So......I had fished an area and was getting ready to move. I had stowed my trolling motor. The worm off my t-rigged rod was dangling into the water a few inches. When I went to pick it up a small spotted bass nailed it. I boat flipped a 10 inch spot when picking it up. It was flipping around in the boat. I picked it up, and put it back in the lake, then I noticed the hook was still completely buried in the worm. I guess it grabbed the tail, then got a ride into my boat. Added: I've got stuff to do right now but I'll go try the reaction timer later to see how old I am. I "think" I still have quick hands. I'm a former boxer. When sparring (with protective equipment and heavy gloves) I wear out my 17 and 19 year old grandsons. They can't touch me. I also drag raced for 20 years.