BigBendFishing.Net

1. Stumps-any advice on how to avoid them? GPS?

2. Fishing line-So much to choose from, can anyone advise what's the best to use out there.

Thanks for any advice

As far as I know ther is no map or GPS that will show you the stumps in the lake. If you know where the river channel is it's fairly safe to run, If you don't just watch for the big bass boats as most of them know how to run the lake. However you still need to proceed with caution. The upper part of the lake around the mouth of the Ock. river is the worst part of the lake for stumps. Also during high/flood water levels these stumps will move with the current so until you get use to the lake I would travel at a slower speed. As far as line size to use it varies for whatever species you will be after, I do a lot of catfishing out there and I use Stren super braid 20/10 and it works great. if you're chasing bass maybe a bass fisher will chime in. Be careful out there.

Go slow until you learn it. Even then there are a lot of stumps just under the water you don't see. It's like the rocks at Aucilla, they move around.

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True, Talquin is a beast when it comes to stumps. I run it quitea bit and have to be careful. The lake has its good spots that if you saturate over an hour or two, you will pick up some good fish. You just have to pick your spots wisely and stick to a game plan. As long as I don't abandon my planI usually do just fine. Point being, you don't have to run and gun 15 miles throughout the day. Pick the right landing and your spots so running idle outside the channel wont cost you time or fish. At least until you get to learn the lake a little better. Let me know,Ill roil with yA out there.

True, Talquin is a beast when it comes to stumps. I run it quitea bit and have to be careful. The lake has its good spots that if you saturate over an hour or two, you will pick up some good fish. You just have to pick your spots wisely and stick to a game plan. As long as I don't abandon my planI usually do just fine. Point being, you don't have to run and gun 15 miles throughout the day. Pick the right landing and your spots so running idle outside the channel wont cost you time or fish. At least until you get to learn the lake a little better. Let me know,Ill roil with yA out there.

What part of the lake are you interested in, and what are you fishing for?

Some portions of the lake are "relatively" safe. If you don't see anything you "probably" won't hit anything. Other portions are unforgiving. I've been fishing that lake for 35 years. There are portions I WILL NOT run.

Back in the '70's and '80's there were a lot of dead heads and standing timber. Most if the deadheads have been washed out, or sunk. Most all of the standing timber has broken off at the water line. What's below the water line is still there.

One Keeper suggested watching the big bass boats to see where they run. Most of them know where they're running. Some don't. If you run Talquin it's not a matter of "IF" you'll hit something, it's a matter of "WHEN".

Just go out there Saturday and follow Tin can around. Be sure to stay within 10-15 yards of him all day. he loves it when you cast over his line. Look for the big white boat with the dis-proportionately (to the boat) short guy. Keep in mind, he only seems grumpy, he really enjoys the company.

Seriously, good advise here. Stay on the bottom 2/3rds of the lake and if you don't see it, you probably wont hit it. if you get into a creek of any sort then it would be a good idea to slow down.

Thank you!!

.......and if you are indeed bass fishing, then that part of the lake is where you want to be this time of year anyway. 10 to 18ft of water. Carolina rig, jig, crankbait, shaky head. All in black or black and blue....chartlblue for the crank. Look for trash on the bottom in 12ft near a drop off.
The fish are there.
Its tough going out there this time of year.....like was mentioned earlier, gotta have a plan and just believe in it. Running and gunning is a long shot. Stick to three or four spots and rotate. Keep an eye out for schoolies and have something to sling at them when they bust bait.

Good luck. I'm going out there Friday afternoon.

Back in the late 90's when I lived in Tally I would run fast all over the bottom 2/3 never had a problem, I usually idled in the creeks/close in anyway.

Then they did a drawdown and I saw what was lurking just below the surface... nearly had a heart attack I didn't know they just flooded it and left all the trees/stumps/logs/timber in there. So very good advice from the folks that posted already!

My girls who were very small back them loved to go out there and eat Publix chicken wings while they "fished". That is also when I learned to put floats on their little rods... but they still like to fish!