Woody B

I've got a couple "that got away". The first was a Blue Catfish. Mrs B and myself were fishing on Lake Wylie in April. We had caught a few bass going up a creek channel. There were people swimming ahead of us so I turned the trolling motor to cut across to the other side. While we were crossing the channel my wife had her flatside CB trolling behind the boat. Right in the middle of the channel she said "I'm hung on something". I looked, the water was 25 feet deep so I knew she wasn't snagged since her lure would run 6 feet deep at best. She done a real good job fighting the fish. She got it close to the boat once, and it ran again. The next time I thought it was ready. It was a big blue cat, too big for my net. I had my gloves on ready to pull it into the boat. I grabbed it in the mouth with my right hand. It wasn't ready. It twisted/spun and I had to let go. It got the line wrapped around my hand, and pulled the hooks loose. I blame myself for that one. I either should have let it tire some more, or grabbed it with both hands. The next week, same lake, several miles away she caught a 37 inch long Blue cat that weighed 26 pounds, 15 ounces. (on the same flatside crankbait) The other one I lost a couple weeks later. I was fishing with my Grandsons. I hooked something big near a lay down on the main channel. I hooked it on a spinnerbait 10 feet or so from the boat. When I set the hook I saw a silver flash. (it wasn't a flathead, it could have been a blue or channel cat) It went under the boat, toward the center of the channel. It never offered to jump or come up, but didn't twist and roll like a cat does. It was strong and quick, but didn't "feel" as strong as the 50 pound flathead I'd caught a few weeks earlier. I was keeping pressure on it, getting a little line, then losing a little line for 3 or 4 minutes, then my line just went slack. It has gotten off. There wasn't any slime on my line. Catfish usually twist and roll, and they usually get slime on your line. I believe the silver flash I saw rules out a big bowfin, or gar. I suppose I could have snagged a carp somehow, but the chance of snagging a carp with a spinnerbait is slim, just like the chance of a carp hitting a spinnerbait. I wonder if it was a fairly big spot. Most of maybe all of the big Largemouths I've caught would surface, and either jump, or stick their head out and shake. This did neither. My best Largemouth of this year (7 pounds, 13 ounces) was out of the water nearly as much as it was in, after I hooked it. My biggest spot, this year (and all time) was 4 pounds, 4 ounces. It fought like a whale, but this fish was stronger. If this fish was a spot it was either an exceptionally strong one, or it would have been a new state record. It could have been a Stripped bass but they're not very common in Lake Wylie these days.

Mrs. B and myself went for an hour and half after I got home from work today. We caught 3 each including this fat spot.

I threw mine away. I never caught anything on it. Seriously, I've never had one. I've tied a weight to my line but there's no wind resistance. I keep damaged lures and remove the hooks for casting practice.

Old thread is back. I keep trying to like braid but I just can't. I HATED every brand of braid I tried until Sufix 832. I can kinda tolerate it, but doubt I'll use any more. I like the sensitivity, but that's about it. I hate the way it feels. I haven't had problems with any knots but usually tie a palomar just because you're "supposed" to use it with braid. I've had guide problems recently with 2 rods. Both had problems while using braid. Week before last I broke a guide. I changed rods, and inspected my line. Saturday I broke my line on a hookset. A few minutes later my lure floated to the surface. It had 20 feet of so of line on it. There was probably a nick in the line I missed. I'm out of braid and won't be buying anymore. Plenty of people catch plenty of fish using braid. I'm convinced I simply don't catch as many. Regardless of whether braid has anything to do with it confidence is a big factor. I recently got active target. With mono I can see my lure in the water. With braid (Sufix 832, 40 pound) I can see my line and lure. I'm currently working through a spool of Trilene Big Game. It seems a little stiffer than XL, but it's OK.

Post storm bass fishing is supposed to be rough. It was like night and day between yesterday and today. Yesterday (Sat, Oct 1) I caught 16. None were huge but all were between 14 and 18 inches. Today I only managed to catch 4. (12 to 15 inches) The 17 inch spot pictured is the plainest looking spot I've ever caught. It looks like a winter time largemouth. I don't know what kind of bird I took a pic of. It's not a chicken, quail or turkey. Perhaps @AlabamaSpothunter can tell us about it. It's kinda grainy. I shouldn't have used the zoom on my phone.

The water supply is (supposed to be) purified and treated. I've got a friend who recently retired from our local water treatment plant. He says all kinds of stuff like that is checked. It's possible to filter pcbs and heavy metals out of water. It's not currently possible to filter it out of animal tissue. I'm not sure what the current water problem is in Mississippi. Back when Flint Michigan had lead problems with their water it wasn't lead in the actual water supply. "They" had skimped on a chemical that was supposed to keep the water from extracting lead from older plumbing. (or something like that)

I suspect this stuff happens way more than people think. It would be hard to pull off at a major tournament, but I suspect the local and club tournaments are rife with cheating.

I believe in keeping it simple. Using "whatever" kind of line, with a different kind of leader isn't what I consider simple. (for bass) People catch a bunch of bass using "blank" line. (whatever kind of line you can imagine). If you're not catching bass it probably isn't because of the line. Edit/added. I believe confidence is a big factor, not only in fishing, but pretty much everything. If using "special" line, with a "special" leader, or whatever gives you confidence it's a good thing. I suspect the best fisherman around here use different techniques and equipment. I also suspect they all have a bunch of confidence in their methods and equipment. Regarding overthinking stuff. I overthink stuff all the time. It keeps my mind occupied and helps keep me out of trouble.

I think the bass get used to a noisy dock. Kinda like people who live next to an airport of train track.

Our neighbors stole my beagle one night. They wanted me to know what it was like to live next door to someone who's dog barks all night. Our Yorkie is very calm and well behaved. You can tell by the way she's dangling on my cargo shorts in this picture.

Yep, many, of the floating docks around here either have no poles (anchored to the walkway) or only 2 poles on one end. With some boat movement it's easy enough to get a lure under them. I've also tuned crankbaits and spinnerbaits to run to the right or left.

My brother in law bought one of those electric work sharp things. Then he pretty much ruined every knife he touched. Be careful, anything electric can and will take too much material.

I skip stuff under suspended docks. For floating docks I cast, then move the boat so my lure will run under it. However, around here the docks have been fished to death by this time of year so I give those fish a break. Plenty of other cover and structure, at least on the lakes I fish.

That's all I said to him.

The mishandling is one thing. Livewell trauma is what ticks me off. The people who fill their livewells for a picture at the landing tick me off. Every now and then I end up at a landing where there's a club tournament. Watching them literally throw their bass back into the lake after the weight in ticks me off. Someone who actually eats the fish is OK with me. A co worker kept a 5 1/2 pound Largemouth a few months ago for a skin mount. I don't see the point in mounting a fish that many people, including myself don't consider a trophy. I've caught a few this year bigger than that, and didn't consider a mount. I don't think there's anything wrong with a skin mount. I just think it's a waste of resources, and money to get a small one mounted. I do think, that in most cases a modern replica looks better, and even more realistic than many skin mounts. I had a skin mount of a 21 pound Striped bass done when I was a kid. It looked like crap. That kinda turned me against skin mounts. I've got a replica of the 50 pound flathead cat I caught earlier this year. I considered it for a 7 pound 13 ounce Largemouth, but decided to hold out for at least 8 pounds. I'd like to have a replica of my PB from 30+ years ago but I don't have any pictures.

Bed around 9, asleep by 10, up at 5:30. Sometimes I get up earlier on fishing days. For 4 1/2 years I worked from 3PM until Midnight, 1AM or 1:40 AM. Back then I was in bed by 2:30 usually up around 10. I hated those hours. I'm glad to be back working a "normal" 7 to 5.

Speaking of dogs, my neighbor stole my dog. He wanted me to know what it was like to live next to someone who has a dog that barks all night. Regarding what's really factual........ Sixty percent of all statistics are made up on the spot. Eighty two point four percent of people believe them, whether they're accurate statistics or not.

I'd go with the Ranger.

Great......... Now I'm going to have to shoot the signs at the landing. . Should I use a handgun or shotgun up close or shoot them from across the lake with my 50 cal?

Two things needed to sharpen any blade (beyond the necessary tools) 1. Keeping a consistent angle. 2. Patience

I've got a couple extra bedrooms in Grover NC if anyone needs refuse from the storm.

I've been told that Gar and Bowfin are really slimy too. I doubt they'll twist and slime your line like a Cat does. We had to pressure wash the carpet on my boat after both big cats.

Big cats slime the line by twisting and wrapping up in it. I caught a 50+ pound flathead and had slime on the first few feet of my line. My wife caught a 27 pound Channel cat. Her line was slimed too. Both of these were on crankbaits.

It looks broke to me. Any repair either isn't going to hold or you're going to end up with a heavy, stiff spot in an important section of the rod. That's not a very expensive rod. (it's expensive by my standards, but not by most) Don't throw money away trying to fix it. Put that money toward a new rod.

Everything from McDonalds should have a warning label. I have not doubt there's "stuff" in commercially available food. I suspect the farm raised stuff is full or growth hormones and anti-biotics. I wonder about radiation level in pacific seafood since the Fukushima nuclear disaster. I just started this thread so people wouldn't think they were eating "clean natural" food since they were eating stuff they had caught.