So you can't use a baitcaster, I guess I will bring my 8 year old to this challenge so he can show you how a baitcaster works? So any lake, I guess I will see you on that mud hole Pines.

How about Pines?

This lake sounds fantastic, maybe I should go to the pines for my first trip out?!?!

You really should, and be sure to rig up with 8# line and throw nothing but a drop shot.

I hate it when pines is up so high this time of year. Nobody ever thinks about the fish, they think about themselves catching fish so the focus is to drop the lake level so people can access it. I always hear people talking about how with all the newly submerged structure and all the water it's going to be a good spawning year. That's true to some extent, but what happens when fish make beds and they drop the water 2 feet in 24 hours? Yes it might be a good spawning year, meaning that all the fish are doing it and they are up shallow and catchable, but the focus should be on spawning retention, meaning how many of those beds produce young of the year and eventually new fish for the lake. You end up loosing a big portion of your potential spawn by dropping levels to quickly. Sure fish know where the normal bank line is, and they try to stick to it, but when they spawn the eggs have to have light, and warmth which is up above that bank line at this point. Just something to think about this time of year, especially after they've been holding water so fish move up shallow to spawn, then they drop the levels.

As for those of you who haven't been catching any fish. That sucks. Lakes that are high are hard to fish, especially pines. That being said, a buddy of mine just won a club tournament out there with a nice stringer so it's doable. Me personally, I'm not going out there until this wind dies down cause I like fishing slow without a 10 foot bow in my line.