SuskyDude

If I was in your shoes that day, I would have kept running the crank through the area you caught the first one. If they're hittin' it, throw it. I don't slow it down until the fish tell me too. I throw a crank/spinner/whatever bait through an area, catch the fish willing to chase down something fast, then once they stop chasing I'll throw plastics/jigs, etc. Sometimes the fast bait bite never materializes, and its plasics all day.

This time of year, on my days off, I skip the whole sleep part and go fishing! I'll be on the water around 3-4 AM and fish till noon. On days that I work, I'll sleep, get up around 5AM, and fish till 10-12. In the winter time I get sleep in. Sun doesn't come up till 7AM or so.

I use 4 inchers all year long. Have been thinkin about bumping it up to 5 inchers come the fall. Four inch tubes are well within range for smallmouth

Ain't that the truth. I still say its a SOLID 4. Wouldn't be suprised if it weighed a little over five. Either way its a very nice chunk of Bronze. Anyway, buy a scale! That way you won't be trusting us "experts" to guess. Based on us, that fish is anywhere from 3 to 6 pounds!

Thats a beautiful stream right there, VERY clear. Looks like you had a ball. Smallies are the best, ain't they?

Hard to say with pictures. I'd guess between 4.5-5.5. Beauty! Without a doubt over 4.

Yeah, you can't tell us there is a pic and then not post it! We wanna see big bruising bronze!

Your hook size is probably fine, but I would use an EWG (Extra wide gap), offset hook. Other than that, equipmentwise, use a fast to extra fast rod, if you are not already. Line can come in to play too. Some stretch more than others. Most mono's are very stretchy, maybe try a flouro, copolymer, or braid. (I've been using a copolymer lately with great results). Also, keep your casts within your area code! Too long of a cast means alot of line you have to move. With less line out, you'll experience less stretch on your hookset, and transfer more power from rod tip to hook point. Make your hookset count! No, you don't have to give it the "samuri chop, tear the boatseat off" style hookset you can see on TV (unless your fishing heavy cover for LM, but we're talkin brown fish, so I'm guessing heavy cover does not apply to this situation). When you feel the thump (or whatever), drop your rod tip quickly, reel down until the nanosecond that you feel the tension of the fish, and quickly snap the rod tip upward. Moving the rod tip with speed is more important than the amount of "power" you exert once you make connection. Good Luck!

Sorry to hear that dude. Thats a tragedy. If we can get anything positive out of this, it's that this is a reminder to be careful out there. It's easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when you've been fishing for years, or even a few days. Warm water is nothing to be taken lightly, and cold water is down right deadly.

Small public/high pressure ponds can be tough. A few things that might help: 1. Fish when others don't. If its okay, fish at night. I find public pond bass can be really spooky during "high traffic hours." People doing their thing around the water, dogs swimming, other fisherman, etc, can make them fussy. 2. Do things different than other fisherman on the pond. Throw different lures, fish different shorelines, etc. Fish really early in the spring and late in the winter (ice and regulations permitting) when alot of fisherman stay home. 3. Stalk the shoreline slowly and quietly and always keep your eyes on the water. 4. Give it time. I've been chosing one pond per season to really focus on when I'm not fishing the river or driving to the lake. I pond hop too, but I try to put most of my "pond time" in on one. 5. Ask around and try to dig up some tips on what ponds are good. Don't be discouraged if the recomended pond doesn't pan out on the first trip, or even the second or third. Sometimes these little ponds need practice. 6. Have fun with it being a challenge. Makes it alot more rewarding when you finally start putting it together.

Well now its dead. Learn the "Through the gill Technique" and you will be able to release them with a very good chance of survival. Someone with more computer savy will be able to give you a link to the technique. If you still cant get it out, cut the line and release her. There is still chance that the fish will survive. If you eat it, then there is no chance.

? :-?

I say you weigh em and take pictures. If you're all buddies the honor system should work just fine. Stringers and fish baskets are gonna equal stressed out, and ultimately dead fish.

Exactly, fish tastes like fish! I just don't get it when folks say they don't like the taste of fishy tasting fish. What do you expect it to taste like? Chicken? ;D And if you take the "fishy" flavor out of fish, what does it taste like then? Nothing? Might as well eat tofu!

All fish most certainly do not taste alike. Some have a much more mild flavor than others. I think anyone would be able to tell the difference in taste between catfish, tuna and salmon. Not arguing that, by they all taste like fish! Chicken taste like chicken, beef tastes like beef, and fish tastes like fish! By the way, those are probably my three favorite fish to eat. And your right, they all have different flavors, but in the end, they all taste like: you guessed it, fish!

I hear ya! It's just something I don't understand. "I like fish, but not the ones that taste fishy" Huh? What exactly is "fishy" taste? Don't all fish taste like fish? I've never heard anyone say, "Hey you need to try this pollock, it tastes just like beef!" or "MMM, this redfish tastes just like Dorritos!" ;D Its always confused me! I like fish too, and Iv'e only met one I didn't like: bluefish. Too oily.

Kimbo Slice will get waxed by a good striker too! You think he's a good puncher? He looked like an amatuer! (oh wait, he is!) Thompson is a glass-jawed punching bag who gets KO'd all the time, and Kimbo couldn't do it! His punches were SLOW, even for a heavy weight. Im not impressed by this guy, at least not yet. If he can get a convincing win against anyone half-way decent, then I'll consider watching him again. But that wont happen soon, because EliteXC will keep feeding him bums and washed up has-beens so they can make money.

Yep! Usually healthier and cheaper too! Also, why would you eat fish if you dont like the "fishy" taste? Doesn't make sense to me. Why not just have a hamburger?

Binghamton NY! Right on the mighty Susquehanna.

If your talking about the EliteXC, then you made the right choice. There was nothing "Elite" about it. Talk about putting the wrong foot forward for MMA. It's okay, MMA isn't going anywhere, thankfully!

I say you keep it simple: Weed beds and drop offs near the spawning flats. Fish the breaks by swimming a grub or an inline spinner (highly recommend a size 4-5 silver Mepps) along the breaks. If that doesn't do it, slow down with a T-rigged worm. When things get tough, K.I.S.S= keep it simple silly! Try that a few days, and if that doesn't do it (and I would be truly suprised if it doesn't), get out with someone who has experience. Probably the best way to learn anything is to have someone who is good at it show you how. Good Luck!

Faber by decision! Great fight! I was pulling for Pulver, but what can you do. Man Pulver's got a chin, he ate alot of right hands! Faber's a bad man though. Too much for Pulver, at least on this night.

[quote author=606F7063646775756A6F6B6F72060 link=1212370548/0#7 date=1212373165I believe Fedor and Sylvia will be fighting under a different organization but I can still see Fedor being in the UFC eventually. Fedor is going to KILL big Tim. I bet Tim isn't sleeping too well these days with Fedor on the horizon. Faber vs Pulver is about to go down here in a few minutes on Versus.....this should be a decent fight if Pulver can keep it on the feet. Faber is no joke though.....thats one 145 pound dude that I wouldn't mess with. ;D As for the Kimbo fight being rigged......I can see that. Elite XC's maiden voyage in prime time TV and their headliner gets beat by a chump? Not. Elite XC knows that Kimbo is their meal ticket at the moment, they're not going to let him lose against someone he's supposed to pound into the ground. I sure wish they hadn't stopped it.....Thompson took some big shots and kept coming.

Agreed. The announcers were just plain awful. EliteXC is garbadge. Kimbo is garbage. Course, I wouldn't mess with him.

KImbo got served another stiff, and had trouble with him. Thompson is the very defenition of a bum. He's lost 6 of his last 8, and has a glass jaw allows him to get knocked out quickly by skilled fighters (not kimbo). Aleksander E. knocked him out in less then in a minute and it took kimbo two rounds (or 3, I cant remember) to get a sketchy ref stop. Kimbo's a bum. Mediocre hands, no ground game or kicks, and he gasses in less than a round. It's bad for the sport that he gets as much publicity as he does. Hopefully someday he'll face a real heavyweight and the fraud will be exposed. Unfortunately EliteXC will keep feeding him stiffs to beat so that they can sell tickets with his name on them. In other MMA new: I keep hearing rumors of Fedor vs. Sylvia. Hearing that Fedor is slowly but surely working the kinks out w/ UFC. I would much rather see Fedor vs Couture, at least that would be a fight. Say your prayers Timmy boy, your about to be humiliated.