rondef

I just bought one Friday night and will be using it one night this week.

AnglerNFuego (Andy) and I just got back from the canoe's maiden voyage. I must say I am really impressed with the performance. It goes really nice on flat water and it has comfortable padded seats with adjustable seat backs. This is by far one of the best investments for bass fishing that I have made. Oh yeah I caught 4 lmbs while we were out, unfortunately nothing of size, most likely because we fished late morning and early afternoon with the high heat.

I would try using a swim senko with a screw-in bullet weight on it. The tail end of the swim senko gives off some vibration in the water.

I always worry about that happening to me when I lip a bass when using a lure with treble hooks. After seeing all of the recent posts I guess I need to make sure I am more careful.

Here is a copy of the fishing report I receive each week. >>> <Nationalbass@aol.com> 6/20/2008 2:32 PM >>> It's just around the corner; the 12th annual St Jude Potomac Teams Tournament is JULY 11thFridayLeesylvania! I really would like more boats this year! Email me for REGISTRATION forms. Water temperatures have cooled down to the low 80's! That combined with the ending of post spawn have fish very activefeeding on crawfish and baitfish. I have seen bluegill tails in some bass! My best bait this week was the new chatterbait style bait, the Rock N Runnera Road Runner on steroids complete with small silver willow blade on the underside which gives it a unique action and more flash! This thumper combined with the Mann's HardNose Craw is killer! I am suing green pumpkin and watermelon skirts with contrasting or matching craws! Various retrieves in the grass are working. I look for clear water close to deeper water and to stained water for the best bites. If you are getting catfish, move closer to the clearer water! Don't overlook topwater bites in the morning, and when the water is low ANYTIME! Mann's HardNose Frogs with a 5/0 Mustad Ultra Point tube hook works well! I like white, when the sun is out, black on very cloudy days or in off color water. In between, green pumpkin! Poppers over clear water or at lower tides are producing on main river grass and in creeks. Find the right speed. I have found a pop, pop, pop, at a very slow pace will get bites. Also walking the dog with baits like the Lucky Craft Gunfish 115 really draws the bigger fish. After thatStick worms and weightless plasticssplit shot, drop shot, and slow down! Cooler mornings best for other moving baits too! Here you can use cranks or spinnerbaits appropriate for the water clarity. Remember, chop, low light and some color to the water make for the best spinnerbait conditions. The incoming tides produce cooler water. This activates the fish a bit. Otherwise it's a slow patient presentation. After that, Mann's Baby 1-Minus in Slatterback Holographic is my favorite. In spinnerbaits, the _ ounce Mann's Classicgold blades, white skirt over shallow grass and wood when the skies are cloudy or the water is a bit stained. Vary the speed of the retrieve and rip from grass. Also, waking baits like the Mann's Waker or even the Mann's Mid-Minus in citrus colors or shad patterns are working over grass and around docks and wood! I am fishing a lot of Mizmo tubes now! Pitching to marsh clumps in creeks and to grass clumps. I am pitching them Texas rigged and with the Gerkin insert heads. I have been using the Gerkin head for 6 years! Made with a Mustad Ultra Point hook...it has a wire weed guard and an elongated lead headthis makes the bait glide. The Gerkin tube head, now owned by R&R Custom Baits can be found at Dance's Sporting Goods in Colonial Heights, VA or by calling804-541-4162. Also, hair jigs like the Punisher work too. Jack's Juice really soaks into the plastics or into the hair on a Punisher jig! For drop shots, Mann's Hardnose green pumpkin finesse worm is the best. I also like the HardNose Freefall 5 worm. These baits have a tough head to stay on the hook and the soft-bodied pencil point tail does a whole lot of shaking! I also like this worm for the shakey head application. I use the plain lead Gerkin jig heads for shaky head fishingheat the head and coat with BROWN vinyl powdered coat available from lurecraft.com. It's also a good choice for the split shot rig. For the drop shot and the split shot rigs, I am using a 2/0 Mustad Ultra Lite Mega Bite hook. I like to use an 8-inch leader on my drop shot. The Carolina rig is pretty good now to target the last of the post spawners! In Spoils and Smoots and in areas close to deep water! BTW I have found the PERFECT drop shot tool!

Nice posts. That's what fathers day is all about. It looks like everyone had a good time.

Here are my guesses: 6.8 5.7 5.2 8.6

NIce hawgs

I haven't been out on the river in a couple of weeks so I don't have any new info on it. I still say go to Mattawoman creek and fish the grass and pads. You will pull in some nice fish over there.

I just throw it out and use a steady retreive and let the frog works its magic. This bass can't resist those legs and the vibration Andy, your welcome on the chatterfrog. Now we need to go out in the new canoe and catch some hawgs with them.

That guy makes it look way to easy to fillet the pike.

Stasher1, the Explorer 16 is a much wider canoe than the Adventure 14 so I can understand what you are saying. I would not expect to have the same problem that you have in flat water. I am hoping to go out later today so I will let you know how it handles on flat water.

Thanks Marty, I just brought the canoe home a little while ago, it's sweet. I now have all of the waters covered around here. I have my bass boat for the big lakes and rivers and I have the canoe for the small lakes and ponds. Now I can thoroughly fish some smaller lakes and ponds that I know have hawgs in them. This should open up a whole new aspect of fishing for me.

Good post and that is one nice looking smallie.

That looks like it had to hurt.

I just started really fishing them, I use the chatterfrogs. In the short time I have been using them (a little over a week) I have caught 20 lmbs.

Here is the canoe I am buying tonight, I am getting a tan one for $399.

Good job Paul, it sounds like one fun trip.

Nice job Maddi, that is a sweet fish.

Nice bass

Does anyone own one of these? What do you think of it? I will be using it for fishing ponds and small lakes (places I can't put my bass boat in)? I am thinking about buying one (Adventure 14 foot) tonight that has built in fishing rod holders and padded seats with adjustable seat backs.

Nice fish and nice pond

I have good luck using these weightless and with the screw in bullet weight.

Thats one nice looking hawg

Cool pics