cato

I seem to catch more numbers on a Tiny Torpedo but rarly anything over a couple of pounds on it. I've never tried using stick baits though but after reading this I may have to give them a shot!

Yeah I know what you mean.....people tend to flock to a spot if they see you catch a few fish. I'll give the structure a shot this weekend and see what happens.

It bounces off the surface area of the fish. Although it will also show air bubbles, so if you start your big motor and engage the prop then turn around and drive back through you will pick up all the air bubbles (or lack of data as mentioned above) that you prop caused.

Thanks, would you suggest casting parallel to these drop-offs or working from shallow to deep or deep to shallow or is that more of a test it and see what is working deal?

The Lake I fish the most is a relatively small lake that is just over 3,000 acres and is heavily fished and also has weekly tournaments. Most days at any time during the day you will be hard pressed to find an area to fish that isn't already getting pounded by other boats of anglers. The thing is that most every boat including myself is fishing visible cover of blown down trees. Since these banks get so much pressure would it be worth my effort to locate good bottom structure off the banks to fish? The water depth will usually fall soome where between 10 and 20ft once you get off of these banks and is 40 to 100ft in the main lake area depending on how close you get to the dam. Is it too early to fish these deeper spots?

Thanks to this thread I just placed an order on BPS!!! 8-) I'll let you know how it works out for me.

[Why play a four dollar ball when I can score as well, or as badly, with a two dollar ball?] This is true! The same holds true for beginner fisherman, no need to buy expensive equipment without know how. I play expensive balls for performance reasons but I'm a scratch golfer and the ball I play wouldn't be ideal for a 15 handicapper.

If you really want to know then catch one of those small bluegill, lip him on a hook and toss him out in the middle. There have been many small ponds that have produced this way!!!

I play golf about as much as I fish and I play with $4 golf balls. I figure I'm going to loose one every now and then but that doesn't stop me from playing the game!

I did, I actually spent a lot of time fishing cover. There are a ton of tree's in this lake from a past hurricane and I usually do pretty good flipping a trick worm or a jig in there but I just couldnt get anything going. This is a very clear lake anyway but yesterday I could see the bottom at 7ft so I think the clear skies probably hurt me more than anything else. I positions my boat as far away as I could and still be accurate just in case the fish could see me but still nothing.

To follow up to let you know how my afternoon went, It was a poor day of fishing!!! I tried a large variety of tactictics, depths, colors, etc. I only caught one smallmouth yesterday and that was just being in the right place at the right time. I saw the baitfish scatter and jump as I was fast trolling from one point to another in open water about 50 yds off the bank and tossed a spinner bait in there and he hit it pretty much as soon as it landed in the water. I continued to fish that area and the area in the direction the baitfish were moving for a few minutes and had no luck. Maybe next time!

I've struggled with this at times myself. If I hit my favorite spots that I know hold bass and come up empty handed I will change almost everything. Presentation, speed, depth, color, etc. Mostly because I'm lost and searching for something to work and usually if I dig hard enough I will find something that the bass will hit.

My transducer cable got messed up and I thought I wouldn't survive until I got another!!!! So I totally agree with what you are saying. Back home before I moved here to Western NC I didnt really need one because the lakes and farm ponds I fished, I already knew most of the structure on bottom because of the lake being drained for work on the dam and every summer the farm ponds would get irrigated to very low levels. When I moved to Western NC I was lost on the Lakes and now that I use my sonar life is so much better!!!

I've been at the beach catching some flounder and I havn't had a chance to hit the lake but plan to today. My question is this, how this cold front that came in on Sunday effect the bass fishing? When I left the air temps were in the low 80's mid day and low 60's at night. When I got back mid day is in the low 70's and low 40's at night. The water temps pre-cold front was 69-71 degrees respectively. I'm not certain how much the water temps have changed with the cold night air since I havnt hit the lake this week. What should I expect this afternoon?

This was my first smallie on a jig this week. cell phone pic. 1lb 13oz

Great post! Thanks for the link!

Well, after reading posts on this site and others about the success of jigs I went out and purchased a few, actually last fall. I have never been a jig fisherman before, not because I didnt beleive they would catch fish but because I didn't own any and I thought how could they be any better than the soft plastics, crankbaits, spinners, top water, etc that I usually use. Well to make a long story shorter I finally took those jigs that I've been carrying around in the glove compartment of my boat (never made it to the tackle box) out of the package and tied one on a few weeks ago and I am hooked! My success rate jumped! I've consistently caught more fish per day than before I started using them! Lesson learned! Try new things! So.......On a side note...THANKS for the topics and posts about jig fishing. Now I have to go out and buy a new rod to dedicate to my new found love, jig fishing!!!

I'm looking for someone to come with me on the lake (Lake Rhodhiss, Lake Hickory or Lake James) that loves to teach! I would prefer someone that would consider themselves an expert in bass fishing and any other fishing that they would care to talk about while on the lake. I am relatively new to lake fishing but have been pond fishing my whole life and find the lake harder to fish. I will supply the boat, gatorade, water, and snacks if you will supply the knowledge. We will be fishing off of a 2003 Stratos 185 and Lowrance X51 sonars. I'm 32 years old and just looking to increase my knowledge of lake fishing and understanding lake structure.

Thanks

2003 185 Stratos with 150hp Johnson and loving every minute!

I noticed on my last fishing trip that my oil pressure gauge no longer goes back to zero when I shut off the motor as it once did. It holds at about 15 and seems to work fine and read normal when at speed going from location to location on the lake. Any idea what is going on here and can I adjust it back to zero?

I had a guy recommend I use a high visibility yellow 4lb line for fishing on my light tackle outfit in very clear water. I use this light tackle set-up when fishing 1/8 oz rooster tail spinners for White Bass on a very clear lake. I have never felt the need to buy a line that is high visibilty. Can anyone tell me what the benifit of this would be?

I fish for mostly largmouth but at certain times of the year when the White Bass are really running we will have a blast catching them in light tackle. I also enjoy the saltwater! Catfish occasionally as well.

Great! It seems to ba a bit cheaper so I may give the pod style a shot! Thanks

I've been in about a 1 1/2ft of water in my 185 stratos with a 150hp Johnson on the back (tilted up) and never hit bottom with the boat. The trolling motor hits though.