How the weekend started and how it finished up with me taking a PTO day off today 🤣

Did a Club Tournament at Smith Mountain Lake in Southwest Virginia. Never been there before so fished two days and then the tournament. Found enough fish to finish 3rd with 5 fish for 11.8 pounds. Bait fish were everywhere so it was tough to get’em to bite an artificial lure.

Caught them in open water below bait balls on a soft swimbait ( Sexy Shad colored), Crankbait ( Sexy Shad) and a 6 inch spoon ( sexy Shad). Notice a theme?

Just want to thank B-Lat for last week’s “sermon” on fighting big fish. I’ve never been one to actively adjust drag during a catch, however I definitely did during this catch, which is now my PB - 5.94 lbs (extremely rare for my home lake).

B-Lat! I think you forgot the number one rule in fighting a big fish…stay calm.

Just a few from the mini retreat

I'm off to a good start in our Fall Classic... 83.15" today, and biggest spot.....(biggest so far..) I probably caught 25 or 30 bass today, plus a dang gar...lol. All on the Oconee river, Milledgeville, Ga..with NO ffs.!

Caught my first fish on a crank bait( found it in a tree last week) anybody know why there’s a swivel on it?

Retreat catches from yesterday

4th cast on gville

Fall fishing has come to Texas and everything is keyed in on shad. One minute I'm snatching smallies off the boat ramp rip rap with crankbaits and the next I'm cutting anchor and taken for about a 15-20 minute ride in my kayak. Poor crankbait took a beating with the split rings stretched out. (2nd image shows the crankbait)