bigbill

I'd be interested in moving to New Zealand the trout fishing capital of the world. I'm not rich but I squirreled enough money away to live within my means in any country in the world. Due to my poor health I'm stuck here at home. Alaska the last frontier looks like an awesome place to homestead, farm, fish and live off the land.

Wasn't the record LMB caught in Georgia? Not Florida? My theory holds true. Start fishing heavy. The best bass fishing is in your backyard.

My brother from ct sit back relax. We're also high paid salary wise too. There is still some of the best bass fishing here if we look for it. My PB is 10# and I seen bigger and lost two bigger bass. I fish mainly small places from shore. If I'm seeing bigger bass in the few small places I fish at then every body of water has big bass. Think about it there was a big bass that was caught as far north as Maine. My thoughts are if we have big bass as far as Maine and here in ct then it runs all the way south too it has too. The big bass are in every state on the east coast. What's been caught proves it. The bigger bass are smart so there not being caught so easy. When I was fishing in the evenings I caught smaller bass in size up to 3# to 4# with lots of 1 1/2# to 2# too. But the spot is hot and crowded. When I switched to early mornings fishing from dark to 9am. The bass got a lot bigger. This tells me the early mornings is the time to fish when no one is there. Just be quiet and stealthy. Don't move yet start fishing heavy.

But he's fishing from shore so his bite is more limited to evenings when the bass move shallow to chase the baitfish. This bite continues after the evening bite ends around 10pm it starts up again. Early mornings from the dark till first light is another good time to buzz too. Anytime there is topwater action throw a buzz but cast it easy don't cast it like your throwing a rock In fishing from shore walk up to your spot slowly, lightly, stealthy. Do not step on any rocks or tree roots this sends a signal into the water sounding an alarm. Put your tackle box down very softly. Make sure your tackle box is in order the night before you go fishing. If your fishing in the dusk or low light you need to find everything easily. Don't make any noise that's the key to the success of fishing from shore. Be very stealthy. I can't stress that enough. Once you master this stealthy as a ninja shore fishing your success will begin and more success will follow. In the low light at dusk in the evenings the fish move close to shore. When the sun is up they move to deeper cover to hide. At noon they ambush the baitfish when they get active to eat. Then the bite picks up again. (On sunny days) on overcast days, rainy dark days the fish continue to feed 24/7. I recommend chartruese colored lures. Fished slowly. For me the light rainy overcast days can be the most productive from shore. The first sign of a good fishing day at this time the deer are active and moving. If the animals are active on overcast days the fish are too it's all relative. Maybe it's the moon or the weather front that turns them on. Now as the sky starts to light up as its still dark. I think of the Louie Armstrong song what a wonderful world. Nobody says it better than Sachmoe. Fish but enjoy the world around us too.

Years ago when I was taught by my dad I was washing car wheel bearings when I was 6 years old he taught me to be aware what solvents I used to wash bearings with. A solvent residue can keep the lube from living the bearing. We would wash the bearings in kerosene instead of gasoline. My point is watch what cleaner you use. Maybe kroil or pb blaster to flush them. I would rather flush the bearings with oil.

My salami out of my grinder. If they like Garlic scent they loved my salami. The panfish loved it.

The Hank Parker Special for smallies. I seen Hank Parker on TV in New Hampshire on lake winne. I can't spell it. But he was killing smallies on a Mann's baby 1 or baby 1 minus crankbait in Browncraw. It's the standard browncraw with the red/Orangey bottom. After the tv show was over we were in a snow storm here and I was so impressed with the Hank Parker Special crankbait I drove down to the walmart and bought the whole rack of them. That spring the Hank Parker Special made me look like a pro. It taught me how to use a crankbait in any situation and presentation. I purchased extra and gave them to my son's. They have had nothing but success to this day with the Hank Parker Special.(Mann's crankbait) Another hot one is the Rapala Orginal Floater F7 in blue. This one we call the blue max. It's another smallie killer just reel it slow. My last one is the Joe's Fly in his 1/4ounce bass size. The smallies love the firetiger apache color. With any of these lures please do a retie often. These smallies will try to rip it off your line every time. A shot of YUM SHAD SCENT helps too.

Can you use a bigger hook, yes Can you get by with a smaller hook? No I lost a new state record because my hook was too small. I watched her eye ball to eye ball up close and personal praying she wouldn't spit my 7 1/4" BPS stik o worm out of her mouth. I only seen my line in her mouth. Then on the hook set my hopes and dream was shattered for that moment when I got my worm back. It is not ment to be yet. The PB of 10# made it look to easy. I will never go with a small hook again.

As I got better with bass fishing from shore being my time is limited I think I do good in some heavy pressured areas. I was up to between 7 to 9 bass per outing for 1 to 3 hours on average. I don't stay past 9am by that time there in there deeper haunts. I do follow them out with a carolina rig with senkos and brushogs. This year I'll use mikes jigs more. I think I spend too much time with cranks and topwater lures. It's time to get down and dirty with the bottom lures more. I regret my time is limited because of my health but I think I do good for what time I'm there. Right now I'll just enjoy throwing lures and being alive and out there. Everyday is a gift. On slow days I hone my skills practicing mainly my presentations and varying my speeds. Since I'm fishing from an elevated man made dam I get to see all the action first hand. I'm very pleased to have these places to fish at. But remember what we learned at our favorite haunts applied to every body of water and situation. Don't limit yourself to one place. Use the polarized glasses and watch behind your lures for short strikes. Adjust your speed, go slower or add a pause. Or change colors. Your the baseball picher calling the shots. Make gentleg casts don't cast like your throwing rocks. Get in the zone. Forget about everything and just focus on fishing. Stay motivated. That's my words of wisdom for today, God bless, bill Btw, I'm going to put off any back operations so I can go bass fishing.

Go to www.overstockedbait&tackle.com I use the mepps Anglia inline spinner #5 steel leader. I also have the super sized pike lures from over stocked bait. At one swamp I fish at its Fed from Batam that's known for great northern pike. I was throwing a #3 mepps Anglian then the bite slowed down. I put on a number #4 mepps Anglian and caught a 32" pickerel. If the bite slows down with bass or pickerel, pike upside your lure the big ones come in to see what the little guys are doing but won't hit the smaller baits.

I parted with most of my stuff. I registered the rest. I used the money to buy handguns.

For this year I'm winging it with the quantum code red and the US REEL Super Caster baitcasters on a few setups. Next season I'll upgrade again.

I'm doing it with no boat fishing the small ponds or man made dams that we're used for water power at one time. This year I'm going to spread out to lake lillionah, lake zoar, the housatonic river near Kent, and some special unfished swamps. There's great northern pike in the upper housatonic. The trick is to fish them at 3:30am when it's very, very quiet. Just beaware of the bears and mountainlions. We do have double digit bass in ct. So let's get to it.

So what's your goals? What's your number one plan for success? I'm hoping my back doesn't hinder me this year. But soon as the bass are up out of the mud from there winters sleep I'll be out there as much as possible. After missing most of last year even a school of drinks would make me happy, happy. My goal is to break the state record. My PB is at 10# and I had bigger ones on my line twice and lost then. I seen bigger fish swimming by me at the drop offs. So they say the third time is the charm. I just upgraded my rods and reels to better quality stuff with heavier action. I need a better stronger hook set. I should hone my hooks too. This is my year. It's time. I never planned this as my quest till I landed a 10 pounder. I'm fishing for fun. If the big gal bites and she weighs in as the new state record my life isn't over. Then my goal would be to set the bar higher and do it again. From what I'm seeing in the water I know it's possible. I'm older and feel like the grumpy old men going after catfish hunter. I feel like a gambler with the big prize on my mind. But my odds are good I been there before. Remember it's not luck, it's skill.

You cost me money today I ordered two shirts. And a few jigs. I have enough short sleeve shirts till it gets hotter. But I ordered the long sleeves for those 3:30am mornings. I'm just feeling the cold more lately.

I use weedless hooks in all my wacky rigs and plastiss were I can.

Favorite scent the one that works at that time. I also switch the flavors of scent too when it's slow. Favorites, Baitmate Bass, Baitmate Worm/Crawler, Baitmate Garlic, Baitmate live, Baitmate crawfish. YUM Shad, YUM Crawfish, YUM Garlic. I've tried and used most of them. I was using a natural plain bass scent and it was very slow. When I switched to the garlic flavor the action picked up. Don't get hung up on one flavor scent that's successful. We change our lures so why not scents too?

I was size xxxxl before losing 70#. Now I'm a xxx l and holding for now. I made it through the holidas and winter with no weight gain. That means no cookies, no snacks or junk food. I ate mostly real food anyway. Fish hard eat harder? I'm shootin for the xl size. But for now I'll take the xxx l.

My biggest problem sometimes I'm too slow on the hookset. I find myself kind of strike struck for a few seconds I got a strike. But, I have found my rod to me not stiff enough for a good solid quick hookset too. I'm older and slower now so probably most of my fish hook themselves. I'm really slow on the reaction time I need to workout.

I've always thought if a lure isn't working???? First We're using too fast of a presentation. Second The wrong color Three The wrong size Four No scent? Fishing can be tough while trying to figure out a new lure. My best bet is let my youngest son try it. The kid has a knack for success with any lure I give him. He is so talented because he didn't really try hard. I keep on telling him he has a natural gift for fishing and he should fish the local tornies to get started but does he listen, nada.

Rapala DT, BERKLEY CRANKS, I just never, ever caught anything on them. Everyone else had success here but not me. I don't know why. With the other cranks that work for me I did find out I was moving them to fast.

I'm going to be married 40 years soon. I met my lovely wife when her brother my best friend asked me if I wanted to go out with his sister. At the time I figured a few dates. I just got a steady job, a new truck and fishing gear. My life was just starting to get in order. Then I met the one. We started out with the clothes on our back. We didn't have much but we had love what ever that is. We did hit it off. After 40 years, three kids six cats and a dog I think we did ok. It's been fun. We really never argued. We just get talking and understanding each others needs. Bill

Ditto on the yo zuri hybrid . I use 4#, 6#, 8#, 10#, 12#, 14# & 17# on my spinning outfits. Each line test goes with a certain lure size and weight. I match the lure action to the rod action Im using too. With cranks, minnowbaits, I like the 6# to 8#, while the inline spinner and spinnerbaits run in the middle weight 10# lines, while the carolina rigs, jigs and topwater are my heavier test lines. They use the 12#, 14# & 17#.

I would suggest some bomber craw cranks, an orginal rapala floater minnowh f7 in blue or black. Some mepps #3 inline spinner. Some Joe's fly in black gnat. John how old are you?

Listen to these guys giving awesome crankbait advice. I like using floating cranks. To my advantage I use the deeper floating cranks by adjusting my line speed to make them run at any shallower depth. I even get jiggy with it using the rod tip as it floats over the weed pockets. If your using one color crank and your getting no action change colors till you do get action. Water conditions do change as the water gets deeper from shore. Trust me be flexible. Don't rush and apply everything you learn here. Use the skills you learn here. Make your presentations Oscar winning perfect. Watch the videos here over and over, read the articles here over and over. Listen to every post these guys make.