paparock

Thanks for the posts because I too had been considering "lure savers" but by nature I am skeptical :-? of most claims as hype preferring fellow fisherman reports. I now have purchased a lure retrieving pole, a lure retriever that slides down my line and even a saltwater proof heavy-duty magnet. I have lost more lures to the rocky shoreline than the subsurface snag. Often on Bull Shoals the shoreline is so steep or full of rocks that could damage your boat it is not always possible to just beach your boat and retrieve your wayward lure. I'm going to use the pole to move the rocks to free my lure. They are usually not very big but just have the lure trapped when while trying to land close to shore I land inland a ways. This usually happens when I use spinning reels, as I am still not as accurate as I should be. I still get me fingers all fumbled up every so often releasing the line as I should so I get a, at the feet SPASH, then you know it overcompensate and launch the next cast into the adjacent county. See you younger fishermen us old farts foul up lots of times too. Then I have to do a land search and retrieve mission for my lure most of the having to remain in my boat. Now I won't have to make the choice of break off find a spot to land then try to remember where the lure was.

This is something with which I have decided crosses my line. I do not own a biosonix and will not own any future advancement. The makers of gadgets will try to make the lines as blurred as possible but each of us has to decide what goes to far. I said above about the use of a camera I will use one to learn about my lake and about the fish, I love to catch but I will not use it while actively fishing. Each of us make choices just like hunters in choosing to hunt with longbow, recurve, compound, bare bow, loaded with gadgets, crossbow, flintlock, muzzle loader of antique design or modern, black powder cartridge, modern rifle, or handgun. All may be legal but each person decides the limits they wish to impose upon themselves. Self-imposed limits can increase the feel of accomplishment only if they mean something to the one imposing the limits upon themselves. Not everyone would enjoy hunting with a longbow as I did many years shooting it by pure instinct. Neither would everyone enjoy shooting a deer a 1000 yards using highly specialized rifles and equipment. My point is all of us enjoy our sport differently and as long as they follow the law, I for one will not look down on their individual choices. I may not fish likewise but then that is my choice. When I first moved to the ocean and started to learn to fish saltwater and old fisherman once said to me Son as you grown more experienced the lighter the tackle you will fish. At the time, I really did not understand what he was talking about. Being young, I bought a Penn International 80 reel for offshore use that weighed 109oz. Fifteen years later I was using highly modified a Penn International 12LT to fish the same fish that weighed 28oz. As we age and gain in experience our views likes and dislike, evolve, as does our fishing tackle. Often we may find we turn full circle fish the same light lines we once as children could hardly wait to get away from but now find pleasure in the skill required for its proper use and that feeling of satisfaction in a job properly done when we release our advisory. The only unchanging element of this world is constant change.

In most things, I am "old school" but then I just bought an Aqua Vu camera. My reasoning is not to look for fish to then fish for with the camera as I feel that is a waste of time. My purpose for the camera is to learn the structure in my lake better faster and to better understand the relationship between the lake environment, the bait be it shad or crawfish and then how all this affects the bass. The water is ultra clear so I can boat around slowly looking up and down the structure of the lake from the walls of the sides of the lake, the creek channels, islands, humps, drop offs, and points while making notes on its structure and any interesting spots or concentration of bass I see. I can also then mark any such location on GPS for return latter. I am not able to learn to skin-dive due to health problems but that would allow the same things to be learned. Explore the underwater world where the fish live to try to better understand their relationships with their prey and environment through the changing seasons. The more I can understand those relationships the more I can predict where the different bass will be at different times of the year under differing conditions. After all isn't that what being a good fisherman is all about understanding the fish you seek to the point you look at the conditions and can think under those circumstances were the different bass be it largemouth, spotted, or smallie will be an what they will be feeding on; learning to think like the prey? My father used to anchor and sit in the hot sun in one spot often for 12 hour sure that sooner or latter a fish would swim by that would bite. I always approached fishing the same way I hunted. I learned all I could about the dear from where it slept, ate, watered, it's travel trails and emergency escape trails. I did all that through tracking and observation so I am trying to apply this same thing to fishing.

I am still learning the vast amount of different forms of rock in Bull Shoals and the seemingly endless ways that smallmouth, largemouth, and spotted bass can relate to the differing types and depths of all theses types of rock. How to try and retrieve your lost lures, jigs, tubes, and grubs from all theses different types and depths of rock. How to try to keep from damaging my boat on the rocks while trying to retrieve the above. Since my first name is Rocky, I am considering a name change. Last but certainly not least to add insult to injury all these huge bass hold around the Lakeview Marina docks mocking me, tired and frustrated as I trudge to my vehicle along the dock walkways because they know I am not allowed to fish the dock area. You can see the mocking words in their eyes I tell you! It's a conspiracy!!! AHHHHhhhhh! They say I will get used to it but I am having my doubts.

Welcome MADMAN MANIAC to the forum! I see you are from Colorado. I have one daughter living in Denver and the other in Colorado Springs. Colorado is beautiful country and where I married my wife. Thight lines!

I made the lowest ranking member of the crew retrieve it, the daughter-in-law. ;D No, seriously she volunteered, I swear! : I try to retrieve them but here on Bull Shoals due to all the rock you can do thousands in damage to your boat trying to retrieve a lure so sometimes as hard as it is I have to just leave them. I have not lost one of my Luck Craft lures yet so who knows what will happen then.

Welcome Alex to the forum!

ReelMech, you brought up an interesting idea. Are there forum members that use their spinning gear to fish crankbaits? If so, care to share your reasons? Thanks. ReelMech, don't feel alone on getting skunked on Bull Shoals there are many pro-anglers on the different tours that suffer the same fate every tournament fished here. It is not an easy lake to fish. I strike out more than I slay them but my knowledge and understanding of this very hard to fish lake is growing every day and on rare occasions I have one of those " ahh haa" moments when several patterns I have seen come together that form something that I can use constantly to make me a better fishermen here. The women's bass tour came through with the fish in transition and over a two day tournament the winning weight was 15lb. with most not catching a single fish.

I have been selling some of the last of my saltwater reels and rods that I purchased (but never saw use) before I moved away from the saltwater to gain funds for some better bass reels. :-? I have heard from Roadwarrior (who's opinion I highly value) about the virtues of the Calcutta 200 GT. Rather than just sending him a PM I decided to post this so others here on the learning curve as I am may gain insight from the answers posted from him and others. I have a few questions that apply specifically to the ultra clear water I fish here on Bull Shoals Lake in north central Arkansas. The water clarity dictates the use of 8lb. line for crankbaits generally. Is there an advantage to using the Japanese Conquest vs. the American import version Calcutta GT? I have read differing opinions but generally, they are from those selling one or the other versions of the reels. In addition, would there be any advantage or disadvantage to going one size down to the 100-size reel in the series as opposed to the 200-size since 8lb. line is the norm? If using the 200-size do you use any filler below your main fishing line or do you spool up all the way with the same line? The smallies are going to turn on here to a crankbait bite soon when they concentrate more and move shallower. Do any of the other smallmouth addicts here have any suggestions, secrets, for boatloads of fall crankbait smallmouthin such clear water reservoirs? So far the smallmouth have been very scattered with the lake temp. just now getting down to 60.5 and slowly decreasing with the colder weather. Spider Jigs (peanut butter and jelly) and tube baits (Kent's Classic) are working most of the time as is the Lucky Craft Pointer 78DD in American Shad.

Avid, you can always try to start a new tradition. Go "Natural" like Ike and the other pros in the Berkly Gulp commercials. They say it drives the fish "Wild"!!! Then you would be on an Avid streak! Don't Look Ethel!

Welcome to the forum !

Steez

Good luck. Elk hunting is addictive. I really miss it. Living in Wyoming for ten years it was a yearly ritual that I looked forward to all year. I hunted within sight of the Tetons up high early in the season in one of the few areas where you could legally hunt bulls during the rut in Wyoming. The aspen were all in yellow and it was beautiful.

I just have big hands.

Next you will start having hot flashes like I have Muddy_Man. :-?

The baitmonkey and I are best buddies after all the crankbaits I have purchased but I am looking forward to the fall crankbait bite coming on my lake soon!

My wife will be using one (V-20) through the fall and winter on her drop shot rod that she just got last week. Several of the striper guides on Norfork around here swear by them plus I paid $89 for the $149 reel. I fell into a sweet deal for a Daiwa Certate for myself at $202 so I'll stick with it.

Sweet Beaver Rigs below.

I'm with Rolo on the rod as that is what I use. The hit is 90% on the drop and that is why it is so critical to give the jig enough freedom so it can do it's flutter thing but then you need all the feel you can get. I am still trying to get the technique down but when the fish here go deep in this crystal clear water, jigs and vibration metal baits like silver buddies are the best way to get to where they are. When the cold starts killing the shad and they start falling towards the bottom is a hot time the locals tell me are red hot for the metals.

That is great to hear Avid, thank you for your support!!! I carry one of my old "dog tags" in my wallet and the other on my key chain. It has my name and blood type for the time it just may be needed. It means a lot to me to try to support these young soldiers so they do not go through the homecoming I experienced during Vietnam. It seems the mood in the country is turning more that way and that REALLY bothers me. Some of these brave souls gave died for us and some have given up limbs or the ability to walk while some people seem not to appreciate their sacrifice. If I could have my wish every American that sees a soldier, especially a wounded one, would greet them with true kindness and the warmth of compassion in their heart for their service. Put politics aside and realize these are America's finest and all are volunteers there for you, your children, and their children. They stand between those that mean us harm and us, not for politics nor for war, for no one hates war more than those that have experienced it do.

Some times accents can be fun. Take the time the Army sent a bunch of us southern boys to Yale University. We noticed walking around campus that everyone seemed to stare at the ground as they walked and did not seem to greet each other much. When we would greet them they would step of the sidewalks and stare at us as if we were from another planet. So we decided to have some fun. We would wait until we were almost face-to-face and then if a very loud voice in unison say " HI Y'ALL!" It may have not been much fun for them but the reactions we witnessed were quite entertaining from our perspective.

I was the reverse of Reelmech. I started learning on a right-handed baitcaster and never used a spinning reel till I was 45 years old. Learning to reel with my left hand was new but I was determined to do it and after a year, it finally felt natural. During that year, however I am sure my neighbors on the canal had some good laughs at my expense. That spinning reel sure put up one heck of a fight but I finally subdued it.

I have both Shimano and Daiwa reels and have experienced zero trouble with both makes to date. I have the older Curado Superfree and a Daiwa Alphas. Gameover, another reel you might consider is the Daiwa Alphas Type-F (Freshwater tuned version). This Type-F, freshwater version Alphas has 2 more ball bearing at handle and make the total to 8+1 to offer the smoothest cranking, and also reduced some weight from the original Alphas. Of course it depends what you want the reel for. Since I fish ultra clear water it works great and is light enough it does not wear me out casting. The small body reel Alphas-F targets finesse fishing. In the technique, anglers use 6-12lb test lines, to fish at water with many anglers. The reel also serves well for pitching and flipping with 20-30lb test lines, as the super low profile body offers the comfort in palm, as well as the light weight help your wrist. http://japantackle.com/Daiwa_reels/Daiwa_AlphasF.htm I hear good things about the Zillion and 51MG also. Now that there are so many good reels on the market it makes it hard to choose on us finically challenged bass fishermen..

Hey, Avid. I like Hopkins Shorty. http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=15452&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults As far as techniques. You need an abrupt lift but you can vary the distance. You also can make several (lift flutter- lift flutter- lift flutter) as a series of upward movements but not letting the jig fall all the way back down between each to make it look like a baitfish struggling to swim. You have to make sure to give the jig the freedom on the drop so that it will flutter but so much that you lose total contact. I have the best luck with either silver or one painted white but that just may be a local thing. I'm just a beginner with this in freshwater but at least I hope this helped some.

Lots of fishing but the catching has been slow with the fish in transition. They are between seem stuck between late summer and fall patterns but then so is the weather.