BassmanDan

My situation is a little different. I pay to rent a jon-boat in a city park where no bank fishing is allowed. The park has a patrol boat but very seldom chases people off the banks. But very few people bank fish there anyway...until the last couple years. North Carolina is one of the states with the highest number of Mexican immigrants...strange "coincidence" that almost all of the "new" bank fisherman have been Mexicans. Make your own judgements, and I know some are fishing for their supper but they have trashed up the banks and many of my best spots are now littered with fishing line. Not to mention the 7 and 8 pounders I used to catch off the banks are long gone. Sorry if this sounds like a rant but it really chaps me that they have no respect for the lake or the law.

Considering it will cost at least 1200 in boat fees I'm hoping to keep it south of 2 grand....this thread will self-destruct before my wife sees it right?

I'll take quality over quantity anyday...but if they're hittin buzzbaits I can forgive the little guys.

I don't fish tidal water, but here in Raleigh a jig has been the hot bait lately...your plan sounds like a good one to me. I catch them on trick worms in the winter too, even when the water temps get into the forties. Good luck on your trip.

Btech, I will throw in my two cents on catching those tough fall NC bass. They do feed up for winter but it can vary greatly from lake to lake and even day to day. What I've found is that when they are feeding you will catch them on worms, senkos, any plastics and hard lures as well...but when they are neutral (which is most of the time) you can still get bit with a reaction bait like a jig, crank, spinnerbait etc. Since you are using a spinning reel I would suggest learning to drop-shot and get some light jigs in 1/4 or 3/8oz. Jigs have caught some really nice bass for me the last month...and I didn't have to crawl them slowly to get bit. As soon as it dropped on their head or on the first one or two hops they popped it...and these are quality fish in the 3 to 8 pound range. So if you know there are some good fish in your waters give it a shot...key on shallow to mid-depth wood and rocks if you can find it. The drop-shot will probably catch the smaller fish and the jig will take care of the big girls. Good luck.

I got this eight pounder last Sunday on a Booyah jig. It was second biggest to this 8-14 in March. Big bass time for my waters is just getting started now that winter is rolling in.

I guess I'm in the minority but I'm just not a morning person...even though I get up at 4:45 for work. On Fridays I sleep in, have a cup of coffee and load up...then it's hit the lake by 9ish and fish hard all day. The NC heat is brutal this time of year but I'm fortunate to have prime deep shady banks on my lake to chase lunkers around...and the big fish do like to bite between 10 and 3 if you're persistant enough.

Loved it...it was great how Zona just kicked back with his jig and watched KVD load the boat the second show. ESPN needs to figure out how to get him to do the weigh-ins AND host in the booth with Sanders.

Mine would have to be deep cranking and swimbaits. I plan to work on both this summer. Here's one way I've developed confidence in a new technique. When I get into a mess of schoolers tearing my stuff up I pick up the jig, spinnerbait, or whatever lure I want to get confidence in and chuck it in there quick!! I try to get it right in the schoolers or hot spot as fast as possible...it's a shortcut to getting that first bite and learning what it feels like. Many times a jig or spinnerbait catches the bigger bass that my worm didn't pick up.

Down a thermos of coffee by noon, then an apple and some p/b crackers or nacho-cheese combos. And supper at home that night always tastes ten times better than any other night for some reason.

Hey Steve...I just replied to your other thread. PM me if you want more info.

Welcome! I'm in Raleigh...if you're ever in the neighborhood look me up and we'll go...there are plenty of parks around here where you can rent a jon-boat. As for advice...my best tip this time of year is to buy a couple bags of Zoom Mag Lizards (Junebug) and some strong line!

This is one time of year I would not want to be missing any fishing trips...it can be feast or famine, but those big pre-spawn females will eat sooner or later. It may be later in Maryland than here in NC, but the big bass here are already in their pre-spawn areas. You can use the bass's natural instinct to spawn as your guide. Also pay attention to where your buddies are fishing..are they getting bit on staging areas next to spawning coves and banks? If so I would suggest concentrating on the main lake points and cover closest to those areas. Lastly a jerkbait or crank, spinnerbait...something that triggers a reaction bite can really pay off...once you find the right area just fish it HARD! ...Good luck!

In the summer I have to have my "gunslinger" outfit on...Duster Sunhat, glasses, and my trusty six-shooter...which actually is a leather holster with pliers and fingernail clippers...I can't stand looking for either one with a fish in my hand. I fish from a rented jon-boat so everything has to be in it's proper place...bag on the left, tackle box in the middle, rods on the right. Never changes. Of course I buy two or more of any bait that is worth purchasing...that's not OCD, just good sense.

3. Jimmy Houston (The fist guy to get an STD from a fish) ...that made me choke on my coffee Some guys are great in person but not-so-much on TV...Shaw being one of them. Met him at our winter expo in Raleigh and he talked to me like we were old fishing buddies. I don't care if Bill is fishing from a lunker-pit FL aquarium you can always learn something from his show. My other fav's are Day on the Lake and In-Fisherman and Hank Parker when they are acutally bass fishing...cause BASS is all that matters! P.S. If you are looking for some get-through-the-winter vidoes check out Bigmouth and Bigmouth forever...true classics.

What's wrong with smelling like a garliced-up craw shad? Don't see nuthin wrong with that...until bass grow to be 200 pounds.

I tell "Junior" to get back home and tell mama dinners ready.

Thanks y'all. Sam...haven't been there, but I'm heading to the Concord BPS tomorrow. Picked up a Shimano MG50 last month and it's so sweet I'm hoping to get another one.

Hey everyone, I think my intro got lost in cyberspace yesterday so I'll say hey again. My name is Dan and I'm a bassaholic ...actually I'm a transplanted Hoosier who's been living in Raleigh NC 11 years now. Just another yankee among rednecks as my Florida fishing buddy says. Most weekends you can find me chasing 10 pound Larry around in a rented jon-boat...haven't found her yet but come close a few times (you know how that goes). Been lurking for a while and have learned a lot and got plenty of laughs from y'all so it seemed like a good time to sign up...if you're in the neighborhood give a hollar and we'll wet a line!