CRFisher

I haven't had much luck, 3 weeks ago I got a few on spinnerbaits. All I've gotten is pickerel lately. Threw everything but the kitchen sink last weekend and came up with nothing, hooked a OK sized one on a red and white daredevil (resorting to try to catch pickerel) but it through the hook about a foot from shore. I'm betting on the luck changing tomorrow with the heat.

Anyone use the Manns Hardnose one's or the Reaction Strike fatheads? New to trying these this year so I got a pack of the Shadalicious then a pack each fo the Manns and Fatheads at Dicks because they were on sale. The Fatheads seem less durable. I thought the Hardnose swam well, maybe better than the Shadalicious, but only fished it for about 15 minutes.

I woud argue that there are no consequences from catch and release. Barring some injuries from hooks, etc., it is as if nothing was done. Now you there can be consequences of keeping the fish, good or bad, but there aren't really any consequences of letting them go.

I didn't notice a smell. I thought the action was similar to a hard non-jointed minnow, just the action came from the back as opposed to front - tail wagged enough to give it some wobble. Money minnow have more action? Or is there a better hollow bellied option?

I just bought some a few weeks back. I've had a few pickerel hit them but that's it so far. Best is their virtually weedless, even when you add a treble stinger. Can cast them a mile as well. Only a matter of time until they start producing, they've got some good action.

I hear Jamica Pond in Boston has good access, never fished there though. It's been recently stocked with trout too and salmon in the winter. Have heard good things. Horn pond in Woburn has plenty of access, has decent bass. This was stocked as well, someone got a 6lb salmon a few weeks ago, I believe on a spoon. There will be a lot of trout fishemen there. I hit lower Mystic Lake last weekend for the first time, supposed to be OK fishing. They're close to each other so you could hit both places if you wanted to fish all day. Plenty of places along the Charles River from Boston up through Waltham. Lakes region of the Charles on the west end of Waltham holds some nice bass. Google search on Mass Wildwife Pond Maps, they have some good generic info although some of the data is dated.

Done

Mepps Black Fury. #3 or #4

Braided line can reduce the number of lost lures substantially. I fish topwaters (spooks, frogs, jitterbug), inline spinners (Mepps), rapala's, shallow cranks, occassional deep cranks, spinnerbaits, soft plastic swimbaits, worms, flukes, jigs and pigs, spoons and tubes.

The question is - will this lure work with my Roland Martin endorsed Rocket Fishing Rod?

Fishing from shore, I like them because I can toss them to places I normally can't reach. I had a lot of luck last year with a bucktailed blue and chrome Kastmaster (1oz) as well as another Kastmaster and a red and white Daredevle each tipped with the back half of a white tube. The Kastmasters have both a nice wobble and plenty of flash. Best fish I caught last year was on a Kastmaster, bit a second or two into the retrieve, so I had to fight it for about 80 yards.

I think the best fishing is mid April to end of May, but you can pretty much fish from boat or shore from when the ice melts until it freezes over again. Ice fishing is another story. They should be spawning at some point within the next month. (hoping they're shallow this weekend)

I only bring one. I guess it depends on how much ground you're planning on covering. One rod and a tackle bag is too much for me sometimes. I downsize to a bag of plastics from a full tackle bag for shorter outings.

In limited experience I found they're slightly more durable then Senkos and have pretty good action. I was jigging some wacky rigged off a small bridge last year to some success and could see the action quite well. I would say the difference would be neglible. I doubt there will ever be a time that you'll put a Tiki stick in front of a bass and it doesn't bite where the same color Senko would've worked. I'm sure it could happen, but I say the odds are pretty slim and for $2 less a back how much would you have to spend in your lifetime to get one or two more bass. Our course if you're fishing with money on the line it may be worth the extra two bucks for an extra .0001% chance of a bite. On a side note - they smell awesome.

Jitterbug. Spook a close second. Although I probably catch more fish on buzz frogs (Ribbits, Manns Toad). Have to give the Rage Toads a try this year.

2 today, bringing grand total to 3 this year. Everything on inline spinners today, 1 on a spinnerbait last week. All pretty shallow. No luck with any other baits, threw mostly lipless cranks and rapalas (X rap, floaters). 1 at Horn Pond in Woburn, packed with trout fishermen. Another at Twin Coves in Waltham (Charles River)

Assuming the baits being essentially equal I would go with the small company unless price was significantly different.

I've resorted to using only braid. 30lb braid can handle most of what you might get snagged on, except for rocks (or in my neck of the woods - shopping carriages and tires). A lot depends on whether it's a fast or slow moving river. Slow moving rivers or in coves can pretty much be fished like a lake, faster water is a bit different. Structure is still important, they'll hide behind something to protect them from the current waiting for their food to be swept to them.

Fishing from shore in many places I find there usually isn't enough decent spots to keep multiple people happy so in these spots I prefer to fish alone. I could go with someone, but they'd be 50 feet away obscured by trees so it's really like two people going fishing alone but sharing a ride. Boat or fishing open shore I have no problem with company though.

I tend to alternate but in general I prefer a slower retrieve, with an occassional pause.

Can't really jig a spoon from shore, unless you're fishing off a bridge or dock potentially. The silver minnow mentioned above can be fished like a buzzfrog with a double tailed grub, or more like a spoon on a slower retrieve. Since it's weedless it may be the one spoon you could also fish like a jig, but have never tried it. I've had some luck with casting spoons in order to reach area's I couldn't reach otherwise. Typically these stay up in the water column on a medium or fast retrieve, but you can pause and let it fall for a jigging spoon type of presentation where you think you'll be snag free. I had luck with using the back end of a tube as a trailer on the treble hooks as well. They seemed to work best late summer and fall for me.

I was up at Twin Coves near Brandeis in Waltham. I had good luck in the stretch between Watertown Square and Brighton last year, near the boat club. Hoping to get out heavily during the herring run this year to see if I can catch some stripers.

I believe it's patience and intelligence that makes the difference between an average fisherman and a good fisherman. Another issue is money - boats, electronics, gas and equipment cost money, along with the time to fish. There is some natural talent involved as well, but I think the top 3 needs are patience, intelligence and cash. Natural talent fits there in as well, but I think it's there with desire as 4th or 5th in the equation.

Depending on how long you're going to be out I think just deciding to carry less is the key. I have a shoulder type tackle bag, filled to the max. Last year I seemed to switch bait less and cover more ground by throwing a few mixed plastics and some hooks/jigs in a thicker bag along with a crank or two, sticking my pliers in my back pocket and heading out that way. Keep the bag in my car to make a quick trip back if I really feel like I'm going to switch up. 3 or 4 bullets weights, 2 jig heads, 4 hooks along with 2 each of a tube, senko, worm and fluke don't weigh much.

I don't believe we ever talked to be honest. Fish was fine, had to put it down on the bank for a second to grab some pliers to get my trailer hook out of it's gills. Typically, I don't set them down on the bank, but only It was out of the water all of 2 minutes and swam away fine.