BassChaser57

No doubt everyone will have a different opinion but I like a fast reel for pitching so when I exit the strike zone I can reel in and get the bait back in the strike zone as fast as possible. This is especially helpful when I am bed fishing. Another time I like a fast reel is running a bank near deep water. When I get a strike the bass will speed toward deep water -- which seems to normally be right at me and the boat. With a fast reel I can keep up with a charging bass better. It is hard for me to Texas rig a fast reel as it is hard to keep it slow enough.

I have seen several nice, educational You Tube video links on here. if you have a good one that you think we would enjoy, share with us to help with the cabin fever.

This is exactly how I caught a 9 pounder. I was using a Sweet Beaver right after dark, T rigged with a 1/0oz weight to give me enough weight to cast, cast up against a stump and my bait got heavy -- 9 pounds heavy. Never felt a bite, she just sucked it in and would not let go. In stained water I will dip the "claws" in chartreuse dye.

I have had great success with a watermelon red flake zoom brush hog. I cut in two it right behind the front legs and thread it on. Works great with lots of action.

Bought one yesterday. One of the best Magazines available.

Sure sorry to hear that Deb. I can not even imagine the family hurt involved. Condolences

Just a few of thoughts; 1. What is the point about threatening a lockout just days after the Superbowl and everybody has gone home. Locked out from what? Nobody is even supposed to show up anyway. 2. Law Enforcement and Firefighters to my knowledge have full medical and disability coverage in case of injury on the job. They know and accept the risks and benefits. I NEVER want anyone to get hurt protecting us. 3.The guys I stay concerned about are the guys working for companies that do not have benefits of any kind. That can make for some tough times. 4. IMHO in the U.S. we can choose to get the education/skills to prosper. Yes we can loose our job in this economy but as my mother says "we live by the decisions we made in our yesterdays." If we choose to not improve our job skills, life can be tough. 5. There is so much money floating around the NFL it is hard to comprehend for me. P.S. I FULLY admire Firefighters, Paramedics, and Soldiers for the service they provide and am grateful for them.

Great thread guys -- lets hear more. I can't wait to try some. A good dip is; 1 Block of Velveeta cheese 1 (or 2) cans of Rotel tomatoes with peppers and onions 1 pound browned ground beef Mix it all up and warm in slow cooker for dip.

You can never control the weather but other than that it sounds like you had a great trip. I am too much of a chicken to go to the border -- I would love to though.

If I want big fish I pitch a jig, if I want numbers I throw a Fluke or a Senko Wacky style. I have caught some really nice fish on a variety of baits but a Jig with a Brush Hog trailer is my all time confidence bait. I pitch it in thick cover or next to standing timber in deeper water. I have had the most success in 8' to 20' of water in staging areas. If I want to fish shallow I will use something different but if you are not using a jig and trailer you are missing out on some nice green fat girls.

I have to Lowrance 502c which is a great sonar with GPS and both have full color. I love it and you should be able to pick one up CHEAP as lots of guys are going to the side scan units and selling good units.

I hope to be getting a new boat and will be selling my current pride and joy but do not know what price to ask for it. I have a 1996 Stratos 285XL with a 150 Johnson. It is 18 1/2 feet long. Dash Mounted Flasher, Eagle 500c (depth and GPS) mounted at the dash and an Eagle 480 at the front. I have kept her inside and NEVER had a bit of trouble with her. I have onboard chargers, 2 new bilge pumps, 45lb MinnKota Trolling Motor. Livewells both work properly, and Stainless Steel Prop which was just reworked. With just me, very little gas and no tackle I have had her at 68MPH. Loaded she runs in the 50's. EVERYTHING on her works and the motor has ALWAYS started and ran great. On a scale of 1-10 the paint is about a 9 and the interior/carpet about an 8. She is pretty enough my wife named her Sparkles. Trailer is single axle with new tires and bearings. I was wondering what might be a fair price for my boat. Thanks

Sounds good. 8-)

Hmmmmm, I guess I need a new temperature sensor on my Lowrance. I can find a 5 degree difference in surface water temperature on a sunny spring day between daylight and mid afternoon. The only water temperature sensor that will measure any water temperature other than the surface temperature is a thermometer on a string. If I am wrong please give me the details so I can get one. Darn it --- my temp sensor is broken -- maybe that is the excuse I need to buy a new unit.

I am talking about Large Mouth Bass. Smallies are different. I go to Canada every year and catch Smallies in cold weather with cold air, and even a cold rain. LM Bass is a different critter for me. A warming sunny spring day is what I hope for.

In the spring with cooler water temps I do not even get up to fish early. I sleep in and go out when the warmer afternoon air and sun warms the water which in my experience gets the baitfish moving. The warmer water temps also get the bass moving. It is simple, the bass will be more active in the afternoons when the water temps are as much as 5 degrees warmer than the cooler morning temps. I also look for fishing areas on the north side of the lake which will warm faster than the south in spring. The cutoff for me is when the water temps stay a solid 60+ degrees all night then I will fish early. With cooler air than water temps the water will cool all night and the bass will cool also. It seems that the bass are more active with 65 degree water than 60 degree water in spring. It is a cold blooded thing. What do you think?

You will enjoy Lake Fork Marina. It is one of the nicer places with the best restaurant and tackle shop on the lake. Their pies are AWESOME!!! You will be very close to lots of prime areas of the lake at the prime time. Sight fishing for the big mommas should be the best of the year that week. I will be on the lake then so let me know if I can help in any way. BC57

We have a place on Lake Fork and should be there for the full moon in April and will do what I can to help. Email me and we can exchange info to try to make your trip as good as possible. I am not a guide just a guy who LOVES Fork. BC57

I always use Fireline Crystal so I can see the bites and have great strength. I also use 24" of Andre Florocarbon LEADER line. It is a bit hard to find but I get mine at BPS. Be sure to use "LEADER" material and I tie mine with a Surgeons Knot. I have never had a line or knot failure. I am a believer.

I was fishing back in a cove last spring catching 2 to 3 pounders about every 10 minutes. I was excited catching nice bass and was not paying attention to the wind picking up. When I got ready to run back to Williams Cove I was the ONLY boat on the lake and it was so rough that my fishing buddy crawled under my legs, under the console and shook. I promised her I would not do that to her again. My Golden Retriever fishing buddy has forgiven me I think. : One reason Dale is good is that it is hard to get into and takes some idling and time. Lots of guys won't put in the effort to get back in there. There are lots of great areas back in there though. Also the island at the mouth of Mustang will generally hold 3 guide boats in the morning. It is a great place to try.

They look great and IMO they each have their own personality. The larger chunk will have a slower fall rate which will help when the fish have smaller strike zones and are less active. The other one should have plenty of action, a faster fall rate, and I would use it for more active fish. They both look awesome to me and should work fine.

X2

The simple application is -- when the air is warmer than the water in spring, fish are apt to be active with a large strike zone, when air is cooler than water fish are apt to have lock jaw

I have been using Fireline Crystal for a few years now and should be a company spokesman. I have NEVER had a knot failure of a break off using the Fireline Crystal. I can not say that about ANY other line. It is the only line other than mono for topwater that will be on my reels.

The main consideration for me on rip rap is to fish from the bank to deep water, when I get any action at all I note the depth/ distance from shore, after a couple of times I am starting to see what depth the bass are working. At that point I will work parallel to the bank at the depth/distance from shore where I got the action and hopefully I can establish a pattern. My bait speed whether fast spinnerbait or slow plastic depends on how active the bass are and if they are willing to chase.