> “I caught my lake fish dropshotting a shad bait and a Netbait Contour Worm (gp chartreuse) with a 1/4-oz weight and a 1/0 Owner dropshot hook. Fished both on a 7′ 2″ Spiralite Defiant Series Spinning Rod Geared and Ardent C Force (6.0) reel.

> “My river fish were on an Angler Assets Hybrid Jig (gp) with a Netbait Paca Slim (Alabama craw). 7′ 6″ Spiralite SQ Series Rod, Ardent Apex Elite Reel (7:3).

> “Also in the river a Bagley Knocker B topwater (shad) on a 7′ 2″ MF Spiralite Defiant Series and Ardent Apex Elite Reel (6.4).

> “On the river I concentrated on current eddies. Some were small and tight, one was a small flat which is where I threw the topwater.”

> DUEL Hardcore 4+ (gizzard shad and baby bluegill), 7′ MH Kistler Feel N Reel rods, Cabela’s Arachnid Reel (8:1), 12-lb Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon (“very key”). “Those Smallies would not react unless the bait was moving swiftly through the water column.”

> “Dropshot setup was a Kistler Helium 3 M-action spinning rod, 2500-series Cabela’s Verano Spinning Reel and 15-lb Seaguar Smackdown Braid with an 8-lb Tatsu leader. #1 Owner Mosquito Hook and a 4″ Erie Darter (steiger ice).

> “Expansive flat with 16-18′ of water on it. Random patches of eel grass and perch grass. The fish seem to be loners that were roaming these areas feeding on perch and gobies.”

> “Was in an area with several other competitors on the U.S. side and found little sweet spots on the flat. Had short grass and tons of bait.

> “Fished only the Canadian side of the lake, had 4 or 5 places. Most of them were small sweet spots, 100 yds by 100 yds. Mixed clean bottom and isolated patches of grass. Not schools of smallmouth just one here one there. Tons of perch, probably feeding on alewives.

> “Every day it almost seemed like you’d never catch them on same place as the day before. Early morning and afternoon were the key times. Cooler weather had to be the reason.”

> “A big dropshot bait was key for getting a big bite and being really visible in the algae bloom going on.”

> 5″ Strike King Zero/Z-Too (ice), 1/0 and 2/0 straight shank finesse hook and #1 Owner Circle Hook, 3/8-oz Strike King Drop Shot Weight, 10-lb braid to 8-lb Seaguar Tatsu fluoro, Quantum Smoke Speed Freak Reel, 7′ 4″ Quantum KVD and 7′ 4″ Quantum Smoke S3 rods.

> “A longer rod gives you more leverage, and a high-speed reel is key for letting you fight the fish, not it fighting you.”

> Brothers Darren and Joey Sexton have hunted Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge’s trophy bass for years, and the stars finally lined up earlier this month when they each caught an 11-lb bass.

> The first trophy catch came Aug. 7, when the brothers were fishing in separate boats on one of the impoundments at Lacassine. “I caught (an) 8.2-lber about 15 to 20 minutes before (Joey) caught his 11.8-lber,” Darren Sexton said.

> Just 11 days later, Darren Sexton was back….The angler saw the fish waking the black/red Ribbit, but there was no huge explosion. “It came up and sucked it down so lightly.” …weighed 11.6 lbs.