I'm a spinning gear guy myself but Lew's is making some really nice reels for a great price. For around $100 you can get a really nice reel that will last and cast really nice.

True story of the best bad night I've ever had. Fishing a small club tournament on Pickwick lake part of the Tennessee river impoundments can have it's challenges. The ramp at Florence Alabama’s McFarland Park is about a half mile down river from Wilson Dam. Water releases from Wilson can really get the current going at times so this one particular night my partner and I decided to run down river to start our 12 hour Smallmouth only tournament and fish some of the slower current areas. I fish out of a 20FT. Bumble Bee bass boat and was headed to our first spot a few miles down river when I either hit something or one blade of my prop broke off. Somehow I got the boat shut down without any other damage but now was miles down river from the ramp with heavy current and only a trolling motor to get back to the ramp. As we started our slow troll back up river I pulled up close to a rock pile and made a cast. A tick on the line to and a hook set brought a nice 3 pound Smallmouth to the boat. Wanting to save as much battery for the Trolling motor I dropped the fish in the live well and didn’t put the pumps on told my partner we’ll keep a close eye on the fish to watch for stress. I picked up my rod and headed back to the front of the boat and walked directly off the front of the boat and fell head first into the river. I came up with Rod in one hand my hat still on my head and a toothpick in my mouth. My partner ask if I was ok then began his round of laughter, telling my it was illegal to get out of the boat to fish, he helped me back in the boat and I found a change of cloths and continued our long troll back up river. About an hour in I remembered the fish in the live well and ask my partner to take a look and see how it was fairing. He opened the live well lid and my nice 3 pound Smallmouth took his chance and jumped out of the live well. Now I said it jumped out but I mean it jumped out of the well and never touched anything but water. This fish must have been doing laps around the Live Well to get that kind of air because It jumped out of the boat never touching anything crushing my only chance of maybe weighing in a fish at weigh in time. My partner and I just stood there looking at each other, dumbfounded at our bad luck.
Not long after the great fish escape the dam shut the current off so we figured at least we’ll get back to the ramp and knowing a couple good spots just across from the ramp we got back with about 45 minutes to fish till weigh in time. The spot I stopped on was a pile of rocks close to a bluff that held some good fish at times so we decided to spend our last few minutes there. I cast a jig out and picked up line and thump, hook set BIG rock. Breaking this jig off thinking this night will never end I tied on another and made another cast to the rock pile. Jig hit the bottom and I started working it back through the rocks I turned to my partner and said “man it feel fishy down there”. The words just out of my mouth another thump but this time a hook set revealed I had a nice one, then it got bigger and started pulling harder, a big fish broke the water and jumped about 3 foot up before falling back in with a splash that sounded like someone threw a large dog in the river. The battle was on, the fish ran under the boat and started peeling line off my spinning gear. Suddenly there was a loud splash 20 feet or so on the other side of my boat. My partner ask what that was and I followed with MY fish. Somehow I led the fish back around the front of the boat and after a couple more hard runs and another epic jump we led the fish up to the boat when I realized we didn’t have a net. I made my way to the drivers seat and lipped this big smallmouth finally ending the fight. I was astounded at the size of this fish but with little time left we dropped it in the live well and got back to fishing. I swung the boat around and my partner made one last cast to the rock pile and bam he was hooked up. After landing his really nice fish we were out of time and had to get to the ramp for weigh in. Ended up the fish my partner landed went 5 pounds 2 ounces and mine tipped the scales at 7 pounds 4 ounces my personal best. To end the story our combined weight 12 pounds and 6 ounces was just enough to win first place in the tournament and my 7,4 was enough to net us the big fish pot. All in all this just proves don’t give up on fishing till the bell rings cause there just may be a pay off at the last few minutes.

Thanks for the replies @Sprit Smallmouth after dark is just about like smallmouth during the day. I usually fish a hair jig tipped with a craw trailer of some sort. The fish here will move up after dark and makes them a little more accessible. Fishing close to Channel swings and points will usually get you in touch with a few fish. Also use a 1/2 oz Colorado blade spinnerbait, that I also make myself, slow rolling along the same type structures will get plenty of violent bites. cast them along channel drops and points, allow it to tick along the bottom during retrieve and hang on cause they will crush them and try to take the rod out of your hand. During the summer months it's warm enough to fish all night and after 10 the lake will settle down from the ski boats and the fish move up.
I do spend a good bit of time on the water but age is catching up now and slowing me down a little. Growing up in this area there's a lake or river close in any direction, an hour drive puts you on a great lake but since I live about 800 feet from the ramp at Tims Ford Dam it's hard to go much farther. Pickwick lake is my second favorite lake and sports some really big Smallies and Largemouth. Personal best Smallmouth comes from Pickwick at 7 pounds 4 oz. with two others over 7 and a boat load of 6 and 5 pounders. I've got pics but haven't figured out the site and posting yet, I'll get there.

Like to introduce myself, Everyone calls me Ivey form Tennessee live on Tim's Ford lake south central TN. Good Smallmouth, Largemouth, striper and crappie fishing on the lake and good trout, Rainbow, Browns and Brook fishing for miles below the dam. I prefer to fish for Smallmouth and like to fish after dark when possible. I've fished the Tennessee river impoundments Guntersville, Wheeler, Wilson, Pickwick for over 40 years. They're all great lakes with a chance to catch a trophy is possible on all of them. You can to paddle the Elk river below the dam and fish for trout on the hot summer days. The river is a natural air conditioner and cools the the air even on the hottest days. If I'm out on the lake or paddling the river I usually got spinning gear in my hands. I do a little fly fishing and some bait casting for top water largemouth but I really love to fish a light hair jig that I tie myself. That's about all I got so hi y'all let's go fishing.

Fishing isn't always about catching, I mean it's a big plus catching a ton of fish but you can get a lot out of wadding down a creek just taking in the nature. Enjoy what you are doing and try not to concentrate so much on what's not happening. Keep casting and learning you'll get there .

If you're fishing you're doing one thing right. Keep casting and learning the fish will come.