BassChaser57

I am not saying you have to get a guide, but at least talk to some guys at the lodge and get the latest trends and locations. Good luck

You can't go wrong with a Curado/Loomis combo. Finish that out with Fireline Crystal and you will be ready for anything that swims in fresh water.

No doubt I will get hammered for this one but----- I throw Shimano Calais and love them, I also have a BPS Johnny Morris reel for about $119 and it feels about the same as the Calais. I love it and would recommend it and would buy another one. It casts a country mile and is smoooooth. You could call the BPS catalog return store in Springfield, MO where they go through and repair their returned reels if needed and sell them at a big discount. Might give them a try.

If you are just junk fishing then any line will work but if you are chasing lunkers use the best and give yourself the best chance possible. Losing a bass of a lifetime because you saved $2 is just not worth it in my book. That would make a grown man cry. :'(

As for flukes, fish them weightless. I fished them using spinning tackle for years. I love spinning because you can skip the fluke under just about anything. Most the time a little twitch, twitch, pause is all it takes to get the attention of a bass but play around with the retrieve and remember you can put a fluke on any rig including a Texas Rig and it will catch fish.

Being able to turn out cranks like that is still on my "Bucket List." Those are beautiful!!!

In Texas from October through April when you catch a Bass 13 pounds plus you have the option to call Texas Parks and Wildlife where they will photograph and take possession of your bass. They will take her about an hour south to the hatchery where they will use her for (I think) 2 years then they will tag her and put her back in her home lake. They then take the baby bass at about 8 inches and stock lakes all over the state. They have really been successful in getting the genetics and size up on the bass. For your trouble you get several prizes and a FREE replica mount of your bass. It is a great program. Look for my photo in the Share-A-Lunker program this spring --I wish Lake Fork sure can leave you scratching your head wondering if there is a fish in the lake. Please get with SOMEBODY that knows the lake and get some pointers.

Wisdom from my Grandmother---- "Do not be the first to try something new--do not be the last to throw out the old" That still seems to work in most parts of life--including fishing. I use what works for me and will try something different on occasion. It is interesting that most articles will say somewhere in them -- use your confidence bait when you need to catch a fish. I always wondered why wait, I always want to catch a bass?

I will be there next month for most of the spring but will have to be at work the first part of March. I should be back on the 14th and will help in any way. There will be at least 1 (probably 3) Share-A-Lunkers caught that week. There seems to be great fishing on the full moon in March and April if the weather will cooperate at all. The Texas fish hatchery is about 1 hour south at Athens, TX and is where they take the Share-A-Lunkers. It is really worth seeing if you have time. I believe Quail Hollow is no longer in business

Steelers by 3

I will be adding a Lowrance HDS 8 with sidescan this spring. Any deals out there?

FYI, you can now purchase alcohol in Emory which is about 15 minutes away. Please be mindful of the rough water in March as Fork can really get rolling. If you are limited by your boat you will want to stay at Fishermans Cove as it is on Williams Cove which connects to Little Mustang. Those coves get hammered by fishermen but you can get out of the wind and catch some very nice bass. I have caught 4 over 9 pounds and several 5's, 6's, 7's, and 8,s out of Williams in the spring. We have a place there and if I can help just PM me and I will assist any way I can. I should be there over the full moon so maybe I can show you a few productive spots.

NO NO NO -- That is not why geese fly in a V. The reason is that is up north kids put kernels of corn together on a string. A goose eats one, the next one eats one, this goes on until they are all strung together. Thought everybody knew this. ;)

I ALWAYS get a bill of sale on everything even if I have to write it on a napkin. I am amazed how many times that has saved me from some kind of aggravation. If you want to go wow -- just start listing all the militias the Government has to chase us down and question us. 1. Natl Guard 2. U.S. Marshals 3. Customs 4. Border Patrol 5. DEA 6. ATF 7. FBI 8. CIA 9. Just Keep Going -- it is almost scary. Question of the day --Why did the State Highway Patrol become Troopers? That has a COMPLETELY different meaning.

You guys are tough!!! He is doing more than most of us by heading out on the water this time of year. Most of us are just on BassResource.com wishing. If he is excited, lets be excited for him. waddayasay?

You guys are tough!!! He is doing more than most of us by heading out on the water this time of year. Most of us are just on BassResource.com wishing. If he is excited, lets be excited for him. waddayasay?

You guys are tough!!! He is doing more than most of us by heading out on the water this time of year. Most of us are just on BassResource.com wishing. If he is excited, lets be excited for him. waddayasay?

I just say Lucky Craft and will take what I get. I can use it or return it for a different one if I have the one I get. It is about the right amount for the kids to spend and I smile a-lot. They then get to see the photos of the green fat girls I caught on the Christmas present they got me, it has worked great so far. P.S. OK I will confess -- I tear out the Lucky Craft page from the catalog, circle the ones I want, and leave it by the toilet for the wife to see while she is -- ummmmm---reading. It works -- try it.

I just say Lucky Craft and will take what I get. I can use it or return it for a different one if I have the one I get. It is about the right amount for the kids to spend and I smile a-lot. They then get to see the photos of the green fat girls I caught on the Christmas present they got me, it has worked great so far. P.S. OK I will confess -- I tear out the Lucky Craft page from the catalog, circle the ones I want, and leave it by the toilet for the wife to see while she is -- ummmmm---reading. It works -- try it.

I just say Lucky Craft and will take what I get. I can use it or return it for a different one if I have the one I get. It is about the right amount for the kids to spend and I smile a-lot. They then get to see the photos of the green fat girls I caught on the Christmas present they got me, it has worked great so far. P.S. OK I will confess -- I tear out the Lucky Craft page from the catalog, circle the ones I want, and leave it by the toilet for the wife to see while she is -- ummmmm---reading. It works -- try it.

I have been running a Lowrance color sonar with gps and a navionics chip. I have had great support from Lowrance and I understand how to operate the unit so Lowrance has the edge just because it is the old dog new trick thing. Will my navionics chips I have in my Lowrance work in a Hummingbird also or will I need new chips for the Hbird? Thanks for all the input. It is lots of $$$ so I just want to be careful.

I am wanting a sidescan for my boat but am unsure which would be the best product. Does anyone have any input to help make my purchase?

This is a great list but I have had great success also on: 1. Zara Spook (clear with a blue back) on a walk the dog method. This is also my favorite to catch smallies up north. 2. 3/4 oz Daredevele in Red/White, 2A. 5 of Diamonds (red diamonds on yellow), 3. Red and white #5 Mepps inline Spinner, 4. Chartreuse Rouge with Blue back, 5. Ghost Rapala X-Rap, 6. I build inline bucktail spinners with my most successful being back with a few strands of green Flashabou. 7. You have to have a 3/4 oz firetiger willow leaf double spinner bait. That is great on cloudy windy days. With these lures you will have a great trip for Northerns.

I was wondering if anyone was fishing Mexico or the Border waters of Falcon or Amistad? If so can you give us a report?

I was fishing Lake Fork a few years back and having a really tough time trying to figure out the bass. At a cafe there was a guy bragging to the waitress that he had been loading the boat. After a bit of conversation I asked if he would take me out and show me how it is done and he agreed. While on the boat he started bragging about the 10+ pounder he had caught a couple days prior. He hooked it, she dove hard, wrapped around a log, he jumped in the water and grabbed her. Yeah -- uh huh -- ok -- whatever--good story. About 10 minutes later a young man was fishing close to us and asked if this was the yellow Nitro Bass Boat fishing over by that big log a couple days ago? He saw the scene with jumping out of the boat and "hogging" the big hog out of the water into the boat. Hmmm, I stand corrected! We went ahead and caught several nice Bass and had a great, and memorable morning. Somewhere along in the conversation it came up that he was Steve Young'sbrother (of San Francisco 49ers fame) at this point I did not know what to believe. Back at the Motel I asked the gal at the desk and she said -- yep Steve was here all week fishing with his brother. We never know when fishing what adventures await us.