There definitely used to be more participation from high level anglers but I don’t see much bragging board stuff unless it’s from guys that rarely post or the guides. Who can fault those guys for wanting to show off their catch or drum up new business? My buddy Tim gives good Bluecat info on here and helps anyone who asks. Trent has always helped me anytime I have asked. Shannon is always willing to answer any channel cat questions. I see lots of informative info from a handful of guys and everything on this post has been covered 1000 different times. Every time I’ve seen someone ask a question it gets answered by a number of successful anglers but it does tend to be the same 5 guys sharing the good info or consistently catching good fish. It’s just harder these days to find guys who are willing to help but that’s a sign of the times. Only time I see a question go unanswered are questions from Juggers and I think a lot of the reason is most anglers are tired of seeing abandoned jugs all over our lakes or juggers posting pics of big fish about to be cleaned. I know I’ve helped countless guys on here and I tell folks exactly how, when, where, and why we do it. I even post our bad trips when we have one. Some guys just get tired of answering the same questions over and over.

Not sure I have much to add here... several reasons for that - primarily I still say I am new to this game a couple of years in, and second is that most of my learnings have come from a few on this board.

I have rods with 30 lb mono and 50 lb braid - about same luck with both. I am using 50 lb leader because I have a whole spool of it, and have not had any issue with it yet - no reason to change. I am drifting Santee Cooper 95% of the time. Mostly 6/0-8/0 in summer, and 10-0 in cooler months. Drift with wind, using socks most of the time, target .3-.5 in winter, and up to .8 summer. Trolling motor to adjust, and try to follow contour or channels, etc.

Leaders different lengths, and different weights, as I learn more about what I like where.

Biggest thing I will offer to try and help from my limited experience is to adjust until you find what they like, and try to fish where the fish are (thanks Chris!). Still learning to graph better, but this is a big help!

When I say adjust, I have had days that chicken or buffalo were out catching fresh shad. Different length leaders worked better than others. I have swapped baits to different rods, just to see if it was bait or leader length, etc. to prove the trend. Some days you can catch them on a bare hook, and others it would take TNT. BUT most days, you will find a couple of things they like better than others... why I have no idea yet, but it has happened to me enough that I have started watching daily trends.

Above all, THANK YOU to those who share knowledge!

Tight lines all.

Ken

You are right about the brag board. I am probably one of the biggest offenders there. I love sharing the big catches with guys who I know get as excited about them as I do. But... I started out trying to give the how along with the what. I will try to get back to that more. I do think this site is a great opportunity to share knowledge and help guys learn as we all go. I learn a lot from this site. I hope everyone else does too...

[quote=Texas Brit]For me (I’ve been taught well….).

(no snell knots for me as they are the DEVIL).

?? Why are they the DEVIL? Asking, not arguing...

I love your posts Tim and enjoy following along on your adventures with Wyatt and family! I think you do a great job of sharing the story and helping guys whenever they ask and I respect that about you. That’s a big reason I think we get along so great buddy. I’m a big fan of trip reports with depths, temps, and details and that’s why I try and give a report every time we’re on the water! I love seeing how everyone does things a little different too…

I don't understand why snell knots are the devel either Bob…please elaborate.

Snell knots.



I can't tie them.

^ well practice then you idiot!!!

Yes, but no. I lost a monster as the snell knot I had tied came lose. I could have cried after losing that monster mid way in, only to have this crumpled bit of line on the end of my leader where the hook used to be. I practiced, thought I had cracked it, only to have the same thing happen again. That's two fish lost due to my ineptness.

The bottom line is I have lost confidence in the knot, and just can't trust them. I use the same knot on my swivels as my hook....works for me.

If your snell knot failed it wasn’t a snell knot Bob. Just saying. Never lost a fish in 25 yrs due to snell knot failure.

I consider the snell about the easiest thing to do... it's really not even a knot imo, your just kinda putting the line in a bind with itself.

Bob I have never had a snell fail, but I will tell you that 80# leader is hard to keep a snell tight. Try dropping down to a 50-60# leader and it works a lot better.

I use 80# when I go to the coast and one thing I do is leave my tag end longer than I do with 50-60#. I have had 80# get a little loose before but usually when I cinch it down really tight it holds. I usually put the hook in 1 of my t-top rod holders and pull down hard on the leader

Texas Brit-
Gotcha, tks.

Ok Bob, full disclosure last time we were out together, I tied a no-knot-snell on a hook just to show you how I do it. I have never had one of those knots fail...ever. But. As we discussed when we were on the boat. If you don't have confidence in something, don't use it. And I think you said you started using the modified clinch. Nothing wrong with that and if you have confidence in it, it's a much better choice for you. I use the no-knot-snell on my hooks, the Palomar knot on the main line side of the swivel and the Centauri knot on the leader end of the swivel. I had to look hard to find the name on the Centauri knot. I don't even remember where I learned how to tie that one but I've been doing it so long I can literally do it with my eyes closed. I (unlike my friend Blue Cat Bob) love the no-knot-snell. I don't know why I ended up using 3 different knots for the 3 tie points on my rigs but I can tell you I have never lost a fish because of a knot failing. I trust each knot in the place I use it.

One man's snell is another man's clinch or something like that!

God Bless and Tight Lines everybody...

Yup, to be crystal clear the problem is not the knot itself its the idiot tying the knot!

Seriously, I practiced again and again and again, and still I am screwing up somehow. The thing is I use a modified clinch and never have any issues, and as Tim pointed out I have lost confidence in my ability to tie the snell, not the knot itself, so I'm done.