paparock

I have seen a similar thing with spotted seatrout trying to eat croaker to big for their mouths. :-?

I have spent about $1500 so far this year on tackle but plan on spending approximately $3000 in the next month but much of that will be for one-time purchases like a generator for night fishing. Like today I went to Wal-Mart with the wife and ran into a clearance sale on Matzuo lures & bought some equipment for the boat that ended up costing $60.00 without even looking for anything specific. I did practice some self-control and put back two lures for each one I ended up buying.

I don't know why but I have seen that smallmouth definitely show a preference towards chartruse a lot of the time. Maybe someone else knows exactly why?

Like Avid said just get the license and then you don't have to worry about it.

I just sold my Penn Internatioanal. Oh is that the bait monkey I here calling?

Smallmouth my favorite subject!

They tried stocking Pike and Musky here in Lakes Bull Shoals and Norfork but the water just gets to warm. Now all you have to worry about is if a fifty-pound striped bass rips your swim bait rod out of your hands that you were using for largemouth. ;D

I'm with Rolo. My wife is fine as long as she gets to go fish too. How many wives ask their husbands if they are sure they don't need anything else before leaving the tackle store? ;D

Welcome to the forum Crazyjerry. Here on Bull Shoals in north central Arkansas the lake has reached normal pool for the first time since last April. We have received over 8 inches of rain over the last week which raised the lake and with the cooler temps cooled the lake at the same time. The fishing has been very hit and miss due to the air temps going up to the 80s then down into the low 60s and all the rain. Here it has caused some of the bass to be in pre-spawn, some are in spawn, and some are in post-spawn from the couple of weeks of very early warm temps earlier around the 1st of the month. The fish have to eat but rapid and/or unstable weather patterns will cause feeding changes. May be try baits that the fish don't have to chase but that will sit in their face for a long period of time. Split Shoting has been fairly productive here lately.

Your right! Learn all the ins and outs of it before you try to fish using it. You will be a lot less stressed than trying to figure it out and fish at the same time plus you will most likely catch more fish which is the whole purpose in the first place.

My index finger has been the only causality so far.

Welcome to the Forum Chanesaw. I graduated college the year after they invented dirt if I remember correctly. We are glad to have you and I look forward to reading posts from you.

I think the only way the Bait Monkey and I will ever find a peaceful co-existence is if I win a huge lottery. At least then I could afford his tastes. ;D

Ouachitabassangler, you are obviously an experienced bank fisherman. Great suggestions!!!

At one one time or another I have tried all the below worming methods.

It has always amused me how so many people fishing from the back try to cast as far from the bank as they can while so many anglers in boats cast up to and even onto the bank and then bring their baits back out from shore. Like has already been said get a map or over time make your own but remember it is not how far from the bank you can fish that counts but finding the bait and structure that is holding the bait and the bass will follow. That some times means you may have to fish very stealthy because you just might catch fish close to your feet.

We are the honored ones here on the forum and in this country to have men such as you, willing to serve during such hard times as we find ourselves. May such spirit and understanding spread throughout the whole nation. The nation owes you a dept that can never be repaid. As a fellow veteran from times long past I salute you and Welcome Home.

Yea, that cuddly bait monkey perched on your back whispering the words sweetly in your ear "You have to have those reels, oh and those rods, and those baits. If you don't you know everyone else is going to catch your fish!!! Buy! BUY!!!" Suddenly that sweet little monkey is a 1000-pound gorilla that sleeps anywhere he wants too. ;D Welcome to the club!

Ask the sports section counter people for help and just maybe you will get a steal. The asking part is the right thing. Doing the right thing is all about you and not them:)

My lake, Bull Shoals, Arkansas is usually gin clear with the average visibility from 20 to 40 feet deep with almost all rock structure. Kana gave you some good advise on finesse and having your baits be as realistic in size, color, a action as possible. As much as I like to catch bass on artificials sometimes if you want to catch fish you have to use that dreaded thing called live bait. You might be able to catch your own out of the lake you are going to fish if that is legal there. Best of luck and let us know how you are doing!

I have tried to read every book, Internet & magazine article, and I pump every local fisherman from average to pro for information. I recently paired down my bass books to only one bookcase from three bookcases. From all the articles like here on The Ultimate Bass Resource Fishing Guide to every bass fishing site on the net I find, I compile into a giant folder that is now close to a foot thick all the best information. By doing that you can make your own book of references of techniques and tactics. Not ever technique or style of fishing will work for you but you will learn something from all sources no matter how old. Sometimes those very old tactics that have not been used for years will return to their former effectiveness just because the fish have not seen them for a long time if ever. Find a book that interests you and make it yours and go from there. Like Confucius says "The longest journey is started with but a single step." It's a great life filled with a lot of fun and the joy of living life so enjoy!

Spotted bass and Smallmouth are more numerous here at Lake Bull Shoals because they spawn better in rocky terrain where the Largemounth prefer flooded brush and softer terrain to have a really good spawn. As others have said if you look at the left spotted bass' jaw joint you will see it stops within the eye of the fish. The largemouth bass' jaw extends way past the eye. Here on Bull Shoals Lake in North Central Arkansas the main sources of food for the largemouth, spotted, and smallmouth are shad and crawfish. Anyone thinking of coming to Bull Shoals should get a Hot Spots lake map that covers most of the best areas where the different bass can be found and gives a general concept of the baits used most by local anglers for that species in that area. As for as fighting ability, give me a five-pound smallmouth or spot any day over the same size largemouth. The size of fight in the smallie and spot is much larger than in the largemouth. Not that I would mind catching a ten plus pound largemouth mind you, it's just us smallie and spot fans tend to fantasize about that ten plus pound fight if our favorites regularly grew that large. So if we some times seem to be of in our own world we just might be fighting that fish in our day dreams.

Them Ol' Brown Fish Billy Westmoreland on Smallmouth Stream Smallmouth Fishing by Tim Holschlag The Smallmouth Bookshelf - http://hometown.aol.com/BassBks/index11.html

The rod and reel may have been what is called Center Pin Tackle. Center Pin fishing tackle is very popular in Europe, Canada, and on some Salmon and Steelhead streams here in the USA. Center Pin reels look like Fly reels with one big exception. Center Pin reels have no drag other than your hand pressure on the reel. It really is extreme fishing and is used mostly as a float presentation. http://www.questoutdoors.net/skills/centerpin/

Here in Arkansas they have one weekend each year where you can fish without a license. Remember that the money from the license fees in most states go back into maintaining the fishery to pay for things like stocking the fish you might catch. The same can be said for the sale taxes on fishing tackle. If he only received a ticket he should be thankful. Some locals got caught boating down a local river spot lighting game at night. They lost their boats, trailers, all tackle and their vehicles. It only takes a minute to check the laws and buy the license but not doing so can bring years of regret if you lose hunting and fishing privileges, pay fines and lose expensive gear. Personally I don't mind paying and in fact donate money and time to aid the Arkansas Game and Fish. These guys make very little pay and deal with more armed citizens than any other law enforcement agency. Most are good guys that don't abuse their authority but when one does it sure gives them all a bad name. When comes right down to it fish or hunting without a license is stealing from all the rest of us that do always pay. I know some will say what if a man is feeding his family and can't afford the price of a license. Well I guess I would have to question if he could not afford a license how is he affording to fish? But then some of the Game Wardens I know are such good men that if they knew a man really could not afford a license and was in the straits that if he caught no fish his kids would go to bed hungry. They would buy him a license out of their own pocket. I have seen it at the resort I once owned. So there is no really good excuse to get caught without a license. There are only excuses that make us feel better or justified about getting caught without one.