The smoke haze is in. Gave the rising sun a nice redish color.

Working my way up the lake, decided to stop off at Fart Hole for a few casts. Started with topwater just because. Nothing after about 6 casts in the area. So switched to old faithful dropshot. 2nd cast and fish on! Not a giant, but about 2# SMB. Then another, another, another, and more. I think caught 7 in 30 minutes. Some back to back casts. Awesome. The first one was the biggest, the others were those 14-15" ~1lbers. Lost 2. I lost what felt like a really nice one. Set the hook and it didn't feel big at all. Start reeling and it barely fought. Then all of a sudden, it must have realized it's hooked cuz it digs down and sweeps to the right. Rip some drag going downwards. Then it just comes unbutton. Boo.

Start moving up to where I originally wanted to fish. Again, start with the topwater in that area but no takers. After that, I gave up on topwater for the morning. Started using the swimbait and crankbait to search. Got a few swipes on the swimbait but no action on crank. Then just concentrated with the DS, since it was producing consistently. Got several 1.5#ers or so. Some dinks.

Moved further north and start working on a deep point. 2nd cast in with DS and get a bite on the DS. Pull in another 2# class SMB. Kept tossing the DS in the area and caught several more SMB. Another 2# and more 1#ers. Ran a crank through the area without a bite.

Continue north. Stopped off at a dock where I brought off what felt like a nice fish. 2nd pitch at the exact same spot, see the line jump and start moving towards me. Set the hook and fish on! Doesn't feel like a biggun. Flashes and it's a LMB! Just about a 1.5#er. Checked it's mouth and don't see old line or hooks. Made a few more casts in the same area to see if the biggun is there, but no dice.

I didn't want to stay out too late since today would be hot. The smoke haze is creating a fog like effect, blocking a lot of the sun's intensity. I figure I'll check out the west side area too. Pitch the DS on the backside of a dock and feel rapid taps. Then a thump. Set the hook and my line sweeps way to the right. Get color and see it's about a 2#ish SMB. Does a couple of more runs and I'm about to grab the next. Leaned down and all of a sudden, it comes unbutton. Oh well, I saw it, so close enough.

Continue on down this stretch and catch several more SMB. Another 2#, a few 1.5#ish and some dinks. I start thinking, this might be a good time to utilize the Carolina rig, especially at Fart Hole. The fish are telling me, they are hugging the bottom in deeper water. Willing to bite. I don't use the CR at all. Only tried a couple of times in the past without success. But I got all this tackle that I keep buying and never use. Figured now is a good of a time to expand my techniques. Get it all setup on my favorite most sensitive rod.

With my CR all setup, I still stuck with the DS since it was so productive going down this stretch, lol. Saw another boat fishing a little farther down. They seem to be staying put working a specific area. When I got closer, I gave them space and left. Figured it's about time to head in. But will stop off at Fart Hole and see if the fish are active again. Catch a couple 1#ers quickly. I figure I'll toss the CR rig out and see what happens. And boy am I glad I did. Caught bigger fish with it. Took a couple of fish to make the adjustments with feel and hookset though. You'll feel a lot of tap tap type bites. Don't set the hook. Wait until you feel weight after the tap before setting the hook. Sweep to the side instead of upwards on hooksets. You'll also feel a lot of the knocking of your weight on rocks or whatever crude is on the bottom. You'll also feel drag in the line when your bait or weight has grass stuck on it. For the most part, the bait will be weedless. I'm not sure I like the hook I'm using for it at the moment. It's great bc it has a screw to secure the bait, but it's an EWG hook. It doesn't allow my bait to lay flat on the bottom 100% of the time, but it allows space for the meat of the bait. I lost a fish because of this.

I set the hook on what felt like a tank. Rod doubled over and it was a chore to bring in. I get it to the surface and see it's a very nice SMB. 3# class. I also see I'm hooked inside the bottom lip. It does a few runs and flips but still holding. Another flip and it comes unbutton. Hate when they are hooked on the bottom lip. Odds way in their favor.

The weight of the fish feels so much heavier using the CR. Maybe bc my baitcast reel doesn't have a drag as smooth as spinning reels. Makes it for a fun and challenging fight IMO.

Something funny and dumb. I know I had a bad backlash with this rod/reel yesterday and had to cut the line. Well apparently I didn't run the line through the line guide on the reel after fixing it. Today after my 2nd fish on the CR, I was like why is the line spooling up only 1 side. That's when I noticed the line running on top of the reel instead of the guide. LOL what a noob.

Anyways, set the hook on what felt like a really good fish. It comes torpedoing out of the water. All I saw was a white belly. Wondering if it was a trout.... It comes back up for another jump and broadside, see it's a nice SMB. Good fighter and best fish of the day, verified. 2.70# SMB.

There's been an eye perched up high in the tree watching me for about 30 minutes. It was making sorts of noises. Was hoping to catch a squaw to feed it.

Also the Blue Angels did at least 1 run over the lake which was cool. I know the picture is terrible, but they were much closer than they appear.

Headed back in by 12:15PM because it was getting hot out and no more bites. My original plan was to head in at 10AM, LOL. Probably should have headed in at 11:30. Anyways the fishing was red hot. Landed probably close to 30 SMB. 7 or 8 over 2#'s. Crap load of 1# class. Several dinks. And 1 LMB.

Wow this is a novel. Time to delete and use cliff notes only.

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