bigbill

I have my watercraft licence. But I'm not sure if my jeep wrangler 4.0L could pull a boat. It's all super duty I special ordered it when I specd it out. Maybe a bass boat.

Picture this my very first encounter,,,, I never seen freshwater otters locally before. I seen the movie predator when it goes under the water. I'm fishing from a low bridge three feet above the water. The channel under it connects both small lakes on both sides of the road. I look and see three small torpedoes just under the waters surface coming at me from 50 yards away. They stop before the bridge and pop there heads up. All I thought was the movie predator. There wise guys. Bad enough I'm in the rural area in the wilds and hear strange noises all the time. You hear weird stuff in the dark.

My south bend and Shakespeare rods with Wal-Mart quantum reels in the beginning of my serious bass fishing caught many, many bass. Never had a problem. I started to upgrade with OKUMA exiptor and Fin-nor spinning reels. Again no problems. Then thinking about the rods. I found new LEWS spinning rods for around 50% off. Replaced all my spinning rods. I wanted to get more into casting setups. I have decent reels but older rods. I upgraded to all the brand's that are $99. Now I don't like some of them the way the action runs from the handle to the tip. They feel like there a different action on the way up the rod. By the time I get to the tip it's a light action on a med action rod. Different brands. So I purchased a No8 tackle blackout spinning rod med action graphite rod. The action is perfect and the taper is perfect. The tip isn't wimpy. What a nice rod for just $79. Ill put it up against any $100+ rod. The LEWS are good rods. My favorite c-rig plastic rod is a Berkley cherrywood med rod. ($37?) Does it matter what we use or how much it costs as long as we're fishing that's what matters. Buy what you can afford just buy good quality line.

Yup rode on the frozen trails with ice screws in the tires on the dirt bikes. The snowmobile guys thought we were nuts. Doing 100mph down the straights in the woods all I seen was the green blur on the sides of the trails. The old Husqvarnas were quick. Doing 150mph on my 1200 Suzuki tricked out bandit was fun. But at a certain speed the cars in front of you are coming at you. Your coming up on them so fast. Was addicted to speed had to give it up. The Japanese bikes are so fast and smooth.

I'm not fond of the higher speeds. The size of the spool when the line is wrapped plus the ratio determines how fast the lure moves. The biggest factor is how fast we turn the handle to achieve the correct lure speed To me our eye sight and experience on the water we learn to adjust lure speed automatically. Ok I like 5:1, 6.3:1 or I can adjust to a 7:1 if I have too. The higher speeds with spinnerbaits kills my arm.

I have some Mann's twin blade spinnerbaits there parallel blades. Helicopter lures, plastic Roland Martin endorsed stuff yup have them too.

I can afford it but I'm too frugal. I remember a time in my life when having meat in my sandwich was special. But $99 I made the duck lure I need to find the perfect rubber rat.

$99 for a 12" rat, $200/$500 for a rat? Ill make them

I'm 65yo "IF" I could do it over I'd look seriously for a life's partner who could;;;;; Fish, bait her own hook, clean fish Hunt everything. Ride dirt bikes, motorcycles, quads. Loves sunrises while fishing or hunting. Loves summer and winter Run chainsaws, power equipment. Drive a bunk truck, loader Cook with me. That's a woman any sportsman should look for. You young single guys take note. My buddy thinks camping is staying at holiday inn with no room service. Lol

Bacteria?

My optimum mud puppies arrived nice. But I ordered some AA plastic 5" baby pus. There larger than the mister twister 4" split double tail grubs I use for trailers. I been looking for trailers for my pike/muskie spinnerbaits and my mister twister super top props. Plus I want to cut them a tad to fit my bigger bass spinnerbaits. These split double tail plastics look so real behind a spinnerbait the fish can't refuse them. These split double tail grubs give a wider profile to the spinnerbait. Without them I catch nothing the spinnerbait doesn't work. Regular spinnerbaits it's the mister twister 4" split double tail grub with a trailer hook.

There's a area on top of a mountain in vt north of my place that has at least 20 trees rubbed like that. It's off a 150 year old logging trail. They used 4' diameter trees for bridges over water. No one walks up there. Plenty of deer.

I was taking one 3lb bass per year to feed my abandoned adopted kittens/cats fresh cooked fish. They need a special treat. I buy them the fancy food in a can instead now. I feed five cats now. I had as many as nine. They dump kittens right were I fish. That makes me so mad.

Bring plenty of hot chocolate and warm clothes. Have a great trip.

When the snapping turtles show up the fishing dies off. I have had my share of tail slaps from beavers for sure. At daybreak the first sign of light at twilight I see fresh water otters at every place I fish. They are there in the very low light then disappear as it gets lighter. They swim right at me and go under the low bridge I fish from. I witnessed otters splashing two fawn at the shoreline trying to get a drink while the doe watched on. They were 40 yards from me. Being there everyday in the dark till light there not afraid of me I see the same deer all the time. Nature puts a show on everyday while your sleeping early in the morning. Funny......a 48" long beaver measured with his tail works all night long clogging the drainage pipe that keeps the pond from over flowing. The guy from the town comes out with a backhoe to clear it often. This coins the phrase busy as a beaver.

Glenn thank you awesome video. He's unbelievable. Now I understand why my smaller places hold big bass. The water quality, food supply, the complete eco system has to be just right. In ct they just put slot limits which is good I understand it better now. Not everyone fishes for bass correctly. Maybe were lucky they don't. I find the smaller bodies of water have so many bass they seem to be unfished. The spawn can happen multiple full moons. I guess this can cause the multiple feeding frenzy I see during the season. It's probably happening every post spawn when they come off the nests. When you fish everyday for three months plus non stop you see changes in feeding habits.

The optimum water dogs showed up today there awesome. Thanks Tom.

Looks like another war has started. Not good. I wish we could focus on peace the way we go to war. The crusades never ended.

How many times do the bass spawn per year?

What are your plans for the 2016 bass season. I'm early but there's never a better time to think ahead than now. Learn a new bait and presentation, learn the different rigs, topwater, cranks, etc? My goals, I feel next year is going to be a amazing bass season. Use the casting setups more. Topwater, cranks, spinnerbaits, jigs. I'm going to advance more into the rigs and plastics. I need to use them more. Use swimbaits more(hardbody) I need to master this bait. Fish the bigger lakes. The smaller bodies of water gave me the education I needed. I have the skills to apply to the bigger bodies of water. I get into a rut of success with a few baits and stick with them. I need to try different baits again. Time to give the hard baits a rest and hammer the plastics. I think we get hung up on one bait because of its success. To fish more and fish harder. What are your goals?

This was life before spinning reels? That had to be tough using those reels. When I handle those reels I think about the fisherman who came before us actually using these first bait casting reels when they were the latest and greatest hi tech stuff offered in there era. I wonder what they would say if they seen what we have today. My steel rods and antique casting reels go back three generations of the man's family I got them from. I do this for fun to be able to touch the past history of fishing equipment and really be thankful for what we use today. Lots of engineering goes into our reels. Many hours and lots of coffee.

I'm not sure if the lures are demanding but I think the faster reel ratio is taxing me more energy wise. I'm beat at the end of the trip with a 6.3:1 spinning reel. Lure that's demanding tossing the 9" castiac trout lure on a inshore setup.

Big Bait Big Bass they want a meal not a snack. What brand is that big rat? Would I rather sit down to a half tuna sandwich with lettuce or a medium rare t bone steak with baked potato? The bass are no different. $57,000 prize that's going to sell go pros for sure. She's a great catch for some guy.

Taking the wife out for breakfast, lunch, or dinner or a trip to the mall shopping helps in having more time to fish. The wife also walks our dog while I fish. My point is don't let life pass you by get fishing more. Marriage is a partnership work it out. Treat the wife good and let her know she is special and fishing is your passion. I told mine I could be in the bar every night, chasing women, getting in trouble. I'd rather be fishing. Stop wishing and start fishing I got old overnight. I'm 65yo and don't remember how I got old. Time I wish I had more time to fish. I couldn't find a better partner to raise my children. She's my angel.

Leave the boat home and fish from shore sometime. It's only fishing backwards than the boat anyway. I fished 5/6 days a week when I worked from shore. When I retired at 52yo I had more time to fish. My older brother would fish in the dark for stripers(saltwater), blues, mackerel early in the mornings then go to work. Sleep,eat,kiss momma goodbye, fish. It's worse than a job. It's an addiction. No boat allows me to gun and run between my spots that are close together. I also have productive areas on bigger lakes that no one realises is there. They just don't know where the hot spots are with no hummingbird cast out fish finder I use it to see how it's structured that tells me how to fish it with what bait. I don't use it to find fish.