I got the rare opportunity to get out and try some new areas along the river
alone. Usually saturdays are 'competition days' for me and my son-in-law,
but he was busy with some other things this weekend. I don't have any fancy
name for my boat ... other than spelling it "boot" ... I have hip waders and
started out on the edge of town (Anderson) and headed upstream. I new is
would be a good day when smallie fought be all the back in, on my first
cast. We've gone this way once before, but I was trying to get farther
upstream, and I barely made it thanks to many of our finned friends. ...

I got started about 7:15 am, and had the quick torpedo bite. From then on,
except for 1 deep hole with alot of current, everything, 19 fish, hit on 1
tube. I had 25 total including a small rock bass. The Deep hole was good -
ran a rattle-trap type bait and landed 3 more there and 1 very small fish on
a floating rapala ... This has to be my personal best day ... 6 keeper size
fish ... We all ways measre and if they're big enough we have scales - so I
end up w/ a 5 fish sack of 4-10. Not big ... But I figure I'm just getting
started. (well sort-of). And if number mean anything - most of the other
fish were fat and over half of them were over 10 inches - so next year
should be even better.

Since the question was just asked recently about hooks and bait for
smallies - I was using a 2-3/4" bitsy strike king tube on either (first) a
No 2 Tru-Turn hook on 8# floro leader, with a No. 3/0 split shot just above
the a small snap-swivel. (its my utra-light wading version of a carolina
rig). about halfway thru the day - I had to cut the leader to get a hook out
of one of the keeper size smallies. The hook was almost through his eye, so
I cut the leader and pulled it thru; which actually went very easy for him.
After that I had a No 1 BPS EWG worm hook - rigged the same way. The way the
tube fits these hooks, the point is through - but flush with the outside of
the tube - weedless.

Hope this is helpful; I enjoy reading how everyone else has done - so I hope
you all enjoy hearing about this.

"Brother" Bill