ValkyrieRider

I'm a relatively new baitcaster student, in that I've been using a BP Extreme reel for crankbaits with 12 lb Bass Pro Mono for a little while. I was previously using a Browning Aggresor and couldn't get rid of the overruns no matter how much I practiced. I read several of the "tutorials" posted on how to setup the reel and have got the BP reel casting well with heavier crankbaits. My problem is I can't seem to cast lighter (1/4 oz) baits with it without regular overruns. I keep the brake relatively tight and the magnet on max. Should I be loosening the magnet for the lighter baits, or do I just need to practice more? I'd really like to get to where I can cast finesse baits with a baitcaster, but I am tentative seeing as how I've having so much trouble with lighter crankbaits.

At a Lake about 45 min from my house, on a random dock.... Lost a quantum pole with a shimano spinner while catfishing one time. I was on a dock in about 20 ft of water and threw out a buncha chicken livers and turned around to bait my other 2 rods and I heard *ziiiiiing* Turned around to see my pole shoot out off the dock. I tried to find it and wrote it off. A week later my Dad calls me and says "You'll never guess what I caught at this dock on LOZ today?!" I said "A Shimano Spinning reel on a Quantum pole" he says "How the hell did you know that!" True story.

I was gonna fish the BBS but I think I'm just gonna follow around some of the contenders and see where they are fishin. Just use it as a learning experience.

I've been catching quite a few spotted bass on Lake of the Ozarks. Some days, I catch more spotted than Largemouth for some reason. Some reason, we always refered to "spotted" bass as Kentucky bass.

Just like to add we caught like 20 fish the week prior on the Grand Glaize Arm doing the same thing. Seems like we just weren't presenting anything the way they wanted to see it!

What aren't we doing? We tried about everything we could think of. I'd throw crankbaits (dt-10) diving off the shore, and he'd throw plastic baits(Power Worm, 5" Beaver among others). Then we tried docks, he's draggin' power worms, trying to target windy docks, near current and/or deep water, while I'd throw crankbaits and spinners. Topwater wasn't working at all, and the few fish we did catch where all in about 15 minutes on one point with Zoom Power Worms. After that, they turned back off and it was nothing again. I gave up and caught some white bass. I think I need some more practice on this kinda water, any suggestions would be appreciated!

went out again today. Another terrible day. Me and my partner spent 12 hours on the water fishing and I caught 2 bass, 4 white bass and a buncha bream. He caught a drum and a bream. I think we will be moving away from Niangua for a while.

Got out to Little Niangua Arm this morning. Fishing was pretty spotty, started fishing around marker 5 and finished around marker 3, I ended up with 5 or 6 bass 2 being Keeper sized, but not huge. Caught all the bass on a Rapala DT-10 Bluegill in 6-8 ft of water. My partner didn't have as much luck, but he fished plastics and RattleTraps all day. It started to rain around noon and got so bad we had to hang it up. I had heard that the Little Niangua Arm had really good fishing in it, but it just wasn't there today. Maybe another time!

Drum hit a crankbait last weekend (5 lber) Walleye hit anything Bream where hitting big crankbaits for some reason too Ive caught catfish on spinnerbaits before

I fish alot of slimy ponds. I never use crankbaits because they are a pain in the butt to fish. I find sinking plastics to be the ticket around here for pond fishin

Naw, it's pretty sparce at times. I went out Saturday mornin (early) to Lake of the Ozarks and we caught between 20-30 bass but only 3 where keeper size, around 2 1/2 lbs. Lots of small fish, but consistent action. All the fish where hanging out around points near deep water, and many where caught right of rock ledges with diving crankbaits (dt-6). Dark colors seemed to be right for plastics.. I also hooked into a DRUM on a DT-10 that fought like crazy...

Well, it's hit and miss alot of times around here. Right now, it's pretty warm, but you can still get good fish if you are patient. On base, Penn's Pond, Bloodland Lake, and Bloodland Pond all have good fish in them. I am partial to Bloodland Pond myself. If you get yourself a base map, you can identify all the bodies of water (there's a bunch) and I find it useful to go talk to the Conservation Agents as they know the stocking numbers and they also do the surveys out in the fisheries so they have a real good idea of the numbers and sizes of fish out there. There are ALOT of little ponds and such on FLW and many of them are stocked. Some only have numbers and you gotta know where to go to get there, but it'd be worth your time to go talk to the folks at Outdoor Rec, and the Conservation Agents to get a good idea. I've been told numerous times by the guys that know that Penn's Pond is the place to be for the big bass. You can also rent a jon boat down at Outdoor Rec and float around out there (20 bucks a day). Good Luck!

I'm also stationed at Ft. Wood. Where are you fishing right now?

I can see both sides of the story. I think it showed real class for Brett to decline to take away the starting job from Rogers. Brett said he was going to retire, the team had to move on, and they decided to go with Rogers. Brett can't honestly expect the team to drop everything weeks before training camp and tell Rogers to take a seat again. If he want's to play he should be able to play, and the Packers should have the right to stick with their quarterback. I like Brett and I like the Packers. I can't wait to see Tampa Bay vs Green Bay in the 4th game of the season

Have to agree with the theory. I fished a small pond with no cover today that I know for a fact hasn't been fished more than once or twice a year for the last 5 or 6 years and I couldn't keep fish off the hook. All this during the middle of the day with temps of 95 degrees. Huge bluegill (12 " +) and small bass (8-12") all day...

Actually, there are. Qatar is a pretty Americanized place. Fast food, alcohol, western music, all those things other muslim countries shun. Hell, there were guys in pickup trucks and people driving Camaro's when I was there.

Check this one out guys. I happened upon this while looking for some pre- Lake of the Ozarks maps. *under the water* and this was posted by one of the local historians. Presumably a true story written by him. http://www.lakehistory.info/stillfishin.html

Hahaha, I dunno why but I get a kick out of that. I guess if you have a billion dollars, 40,000 for an oil change is nothing.

That SUCKS!

I love my soft bag, I can stuff about 6 medium boxes in it, a net, a buncha bait and it's got a bunch of plastic bait storage sacks built in. It's a PLANO.

For those of you in the know, how plentiful are the 8-10lb bass at Lake of the Ozarks? I seem to catch lots of smaller bass but haven't seen any REAL big bass yet this year. I'd really really like to hook into a 10lb fish one of these days, and I'd rather not drive to texas to do it.

Usually when I'm fishin a T-rig, I'll let the bass hit it and give them some room to run... let out line or whatever, sometimes it takes like 30 full seconds before they do ANYTHING... I find the bigger bass will take that bait more tentatively and usually the first tap is just the end of the worm. Once they grab hold of it and run I nail em. I've also had bass pick it up and swim towards me when I give up. Then all the sudden about 5-10 ft from the boat/bank they try to run. Course, I ain't the best bass fisherman out there so my words are cheap. VR

Excellent question. I've heard from some folks that you can fish out the dinks from a certain area till you start to get the bigger bass and others have told me that if your catchin a buncha dinks, you need to switch spots because bass tend to school with like size bass.... I'm interested to hear the pro advice on this as well... VR

That reminds me of a running joke between my buddy and I.... Me: d**n! DID YOU SEE THAT? HUUUGE FISH SPIT IT BACK AT ME! HIM: REALLY? HOW BIG WAS IT!!!???? ME: BOUT HALF A POUND BIGGER THAN THE LARGEST FISH YOU CATCH TONIGHT

Thanks!