Season Kickoff

[Spankey]

Will kick the season off midweek on approx. the 10th. Here in the North East/Mid Atlantic we’ve been slammed with some torrential rains (the way of Mother Nature) a few rivers have to get back to a normal. Tuff river conditions right now. 
 

Can kick it off on the lake. Smallies are a tough catch. At least in my case. Will cove fish for them and fish chunk rock banks. More apt to catch Mr. Greenjeans. But I’m fine with that. The lake has a heavy stain to it and up right now.  Went to the ramp today. Needs a few days of sun on it. 
 

Bass season doesn’t kick off until mid June but my bass fishing is 100% catch and immediate release. For the most part not late to the party getting out. Been hammering the trout fishing spinning and fly fishing. My middle grandson has been having some real fun with it and I enjoy spending every minute I can with him. We’ll keep getting out for more. Have him signed up for a couple of fly fishing seminars that I’ll go with him. 
 

My winter project of finding duplicates (triples) of some of my crankbaits didn’t go real well. Many of my productive Bombers and Bandits are long out of production and longshots to find. But not impossible as I did find a few. Rapalas are a go to anytime I’m out but have started fishing some SPRO, MegaBass, Googan and 6th Sense with success over the last handful of years. I like my old school but want to get out of the box every once in awhile. 
 

I have to get back heavier into the topwater game for river smallies. Have not been fishing it for longer time lengths. Been too quick to switch techniques up. Not that that was a bad thing but I’m shorting myself on topwater time. 
 

Sorry for being so long winded. Got carried away. 

[TnRiver46]

Hope you slay em spankey!!!

[bloom]

spank em spankey!

[Spankey]

Kicked it off yesterday. River conditions not great but fishable and safe. Had it in my head to fish jerkbaits on a few incoming creek points.  Just the way I would normally start off covering these points first on any day I’m out.

I fished Rapala Husky Jerks, Count downs and a few X-raps. Accomplished nothing on them. Don’t think fish were there, but can’t say that for sure. Kicked myself in the butt for not fishing some Shad Raps and a DT’s. I would have fished them faster. 
 

Switched to soft plastic craws on these points and caught 3 smallies and had countless hits. 11” fish, sounds like nothing but it’s my start. 
 

I got hung up fishing these jerkbaits and craws. Should have thrown more stuff. Grubs, tubes and Spider jigs next trip out.