fishfordollars

Good luck Wesley on Saturday in the oilmans tournament. 700 boats registrared. I talked to Wesley while he was on the water around noon yesterday and they had two in the boat, but had missed a couple. hopefully they caught them after noontime.

If you are taking care of your tackle and watching your knots and knicks there is no reason to break 50# braid unless you get sawed off.

I buy the blades and put together what I like. Just can't seem to find any that suit me. I buy my blades from Barlows.

I'm not the least bit over sensitive when I look in the mirror. I always try to protect the environment, as well as our natural resources. If you feel that strongly about the damage we, as tournament fishermen do to the lakes, maybe you need to put the rod down, grab a sign, and stand a picket line at a ramp or weighin.

Matt, I wish I could say the same. I've lost a very few. It was always due to my ignorance and lack of attention. I try to do better.

X2 It's hard to beat good ole Big Game for performance and price Yep, there is a reason it is the number one seller year after year in this area. Excellent line and a great price. You can't beat $7.99 for a 900 yard spool.

Or brown. Don't make it a solid color. Break it into broken marks. Better to break up a solid color instead of just changing from one solid color to another. Jack

Paul, i missed his comment. Could you direct me to it, or enlighten me? Thanks, Jack

X2 Catt, you put it out there very well.

12 or 15# trilene "Big Game" green.

In my opinion yes. We caught fish in the backs of pockets last weekend on Rayburn that were in 3-5 ft. Water temps ranged from 48-54 degrees. If you are back there and not getting bit just back out a little and I bet you find them. they won't move far if at all. Jack

I don't run a 200 Mercury, but my 150 holds just about what you put in it. If you are filling from the bottom and have the motor trimed down level it's full when the fluid starts coming out the top hole.

Too many tournaments? I think supply and demand will eventually settle that. Participation is definitely down in a lot of them; however, Bass Champs is still drawing north of 200 boats. Many of the other higher end ones have seen a large drop in the number of participants. The weather and the economy may have caused that for this year, we'll just have to wait and see. Fish mortality is always an issue when they visit a lake. Most don't take the care with their catch that I would like to see. Cold weather months do help, but there are way too many that totally disregard the livewell system and the way they handle the fish. There needs to be more stringent penalties for dead fish. I am all in favor of a three fish limit for June-September tournament months, but I don't think you will see it happen. Tournament directors need to make a more concerted effort to care for the fish during the weigh in also. What really irritates me is the holding of weigh bags in the weigh tanks. Makes no sense to stand at a tank with a weigh bag without any holes in it being placed in an oxygenated tank. That is nothing but fluff for the spectators. Does nothing to help the fish. Can the lakes handle it? Well so far, they seem to be holding their own. Parks and Wildlife stocks large numbers each year. Big fish numbers may be down. I have not seen any information that would support this other than the sight of large numbers of large fish seen at Falcon after the Elites left there several years ago. Instead of cutting back on the number of tournaments I would like to see a program set up to educate all anglers in fish care, survival techniques, and demand that they abide by it. Maybe a requirement that the boats livewell be setup a certain way(dimensions, oxygen system, etc.), and research done to help the survival rate during weigh in. I believe that 90% of the stress that kills our fish is done from the time it is removed from the livewell until it is released after weigh in. Strictly my opinions backed by no scientific information or studies. Jack

$68.75 back in 2007. Some lucky Craft items I wanted.

i have done that to.

Don't get discouraged if you struggle. Keep at it. Make a mental note each time the lure hits something. If possible circle it so you can retrieve the lure from different angles, or let it rest and return later. When you get bit, take a moment to think why, what. Why the fish hit, what angle, water depth, weather, cloud cover or not. See, it goes on and on. Not every question will have an answer. You're searching for the few variables that got you bit. After a while it may become second nature. Run it into anything you can during the retrieve, vary the speed, and kill it after you come buy a bush, log, grass edge, etc. Most of the strikes will come at these times. Many fish a lipless lure just in the winter and spring. I fish it year round.

We all have one. What's yours? I have one that I constantly fight. It's ruined more than one day on the water for me. I wish there was an easy way to correct mine, but it's hard. Mine is: Fishing Memories Not sure if it is due to a lack of preperation, but I find myself doing it more than I want.

I would love to fish the Oilmans, but it ain't gonna happen.

Makes sense, no tournaments to release all the fish caught. So, no reloading the area.

You don't have to spy. I'll show you some of them.

Exactly Paul. As KVD stated, he had a stump out off a point that reloaded and he caught fish each time he visited it. He was not blind casting. He was covering the submerged, isloated areas he had discovered in practice. A person that had circled the pocket he was in would have missed 90% of the targets he was after. Most of the fish were sitting out in the ditch in the middle of the pocket and moving up at different times of the day. Each day he was on the water he learned a little more about the area, where to throw, and how to present it. He even stated that he was bringing the lure to the fish. This is part of what makes him so great. Without knowing what was out there it would have been a random shot at getting bit.

I'm not sure why the deeper water concerns or intimidates a lot of fishermen. Granted it takes time to locate and figure out the deeper water locations. I would much rather spend the time to locate a school of larger fish wadded up off a hump or river bend than to throw my arm off running miles of unproductive water and catch a fish every two hours or so. Going through a bunch of dinks, trying to cull up a few ounces at a time is not my idea of fun. I would rather anchor out off a point, river bend, or hump and run a half dozen of those spots knowing the next bite could up my weight by pounds instead of ounces. Stratos 375, don't get me wrong, early and when the weather is right I totally agree the shallows are the place to be. It's just not the place I prefer to spend the day. It takes courage(For the lack of a better word) to leave 1-2 pounders biting shallow and move offshore for 3-4 bites. Just what I have the most confidence in. Remember, if you see a boat 600-800 yards off shore, don't assume that they are in 20-30 ft. of water either. We have lots of 3-5 ft. of water out in the middle of our lakes. 12-15 pounds in this area won't win a dime. I put a sack weighing 18.93 across the scales years ago on toledo. The tournament paid 35 places. I did not draw a check. It just takes the deeper water, or access to it to consistently put the larger fish in the boat. I have alway heard when you are fishing the bank 90% of the fish are behind you.

I'd just like someone to tell the truth..Whatever it is.

i prefer a t-shirt with a few holes and blood spattered on it. Wrinkled and unwashed. Everyone gives me a wide berth.

If he is, I'm not. Heck yes it will. Deep water is revelant though. Ten ft can be deep water in some areas. Thirty ft in others. Give me a deeper water pattern any day.