Fishing Rhino

I wish I could contribute to this topic, but this past year was my first experience at fishing deeper water. The ponds in this area are quite shallow, my favorite only 6 to 7 feet deep with three small 9 foot holes which may be springs. Most of the bass in this pond are found within a hundred feet or less of the shore. In the center there are usually huge, dense, schools of sizable (many over a pound) white perch, some crappie and yellow perch. Very few ponds in this area exceed twenty feet in depth. In Plymouth, MA and the Cape Cod area there are ponds of substantial depths, a few exceeding a hundred feet. This coming season I hope to learn some things about fishing deep. It better not be too long a learning curve. Who knows how many years I have left to perfect the deep water thing. I've enjoyed this thread. One thing I've noticed about this and the other old timers thread is that as people grow older they get irritable and cranky. Seems the youngsters have the squabbling monopoly on this forum. ;D ;D

I'll make one observation. This is not to knock other pros. They all have their styles. But from what I've seen of KVD, he is all business when fishing in a tourney. He catches a nice fish and may shout "YEAH!", and pump his fist in the air, while others spend precious minutes either celebrating a catch, or bemoaning the one that got away. Granted, I have not watched a lot of tournament fishing shows. But that is my observation formed from those I have seen. He wastes very few seconds in non-productive actions.

Thanks. I'll file that Monster Energy Drink away for future use. I need all the excuses I can get.

I don't consume alcoholic beverages while on the water. But, then again, I don't consume them when I'm off the water either. Dang, I shouldn't have admitted that. Now I have no excuse for some of my posts.

he is using a small shakey head with 8 pound test, thats why he has a spinning rod, I talked to another pro today and asked him a similar question and the answer was basically that there is too big a risk or breaking a fish off using that rig on a bait caster and you cant make as long of cast. I don't disagree. My comments were propted by another thread where there was a "passionate discourse" involving baitcasting vs. spinning, and that if one looked around, they'd see that "serious fishermen" predominantly used baitcasting outfits. Which, while perhaps not intended, gave the impression that only the casual or "substandard" fisherman would use a spinning combo. I have both, and use both. But, I find myself with a spinning combo in my hands for most of the time for a simple, quirky reason. My combos are all right hand crankers, and I cast with my right hand. It is a minor aggravation, but casting, then switching hands to retrieve is like a grain of sand in my shoe. Yeah, I can endure it, but after a while it feels like a rock. So it is with my baitcasters. The aggravation is more with myself for not doing due diligence when buying them. It's all so simple and clear in hindsight. Maybe it isn't the having to switch hands that bothers me. It's more likely that it's one of those things where I slap myself aside the head and say how could I have missed such a simple thing. My observation was not a criticism of anyone's fishing skills. It had more to do with their time management of every precious moment to be productive.

It gets him noticed and makes him money. That might for a fishing show, but it surely doesn't help him win a tournament. I've seen countless posts about Dave Mercer and his theatrics. Funny thing is, I don't mind them on a show. It's his shtick. Same for Iaconelli and his City Limits. And poor Charlie Moore seems to make almost everyone's list of not worth watching based on his silliness. These guys fishing tournaments are pros, and when ounces count, if I was in their shoes, I'd be all business. They score these guys simply by the weight they bring in. They get nothing for style points like in ski jumping or figure skating. I'll admit, it's just me. You can ask anyone who has fished with me. When I land a nice fish, it brings a smile to my face. When I lose a nice fish, I take it in stride, and go back to fishing.

I'm watching the Classic on ESPN right now. It occurs to me that some of the fishermen, such as Iocanelli would spend less time celebrating and jumping around they might get in a few more casts. Especially when they hook themselves in the crotch with a bass still hanging from the lure. On another note, he was fishing with spinning gear. How can that be when some on here post that "serious fishermen" use baitcasters exclusively? I don't understand all the dramatics when they catch a fish or lose a fish. Some fall on the boat kicking and screaming like a spoiled brat. All that melodrama does not put a bait in the water where it has a chance of catching a fish.

I like to fish what I call transition bottom. That takes into account just about everything, including structure, cover, bottom composition (mud, sand, cobble, etc.), and vegetation which is a form of cover. I have no way of knowing if the areas with obvious color changes indicate shallows, mossy rock clusters, vegetation, algae or whatever. But, fishing cold turkey with only the satellite image I'd work some of the highlighted areas, particularly those around the island at the SW corner of the image, and then those where the dock beside Park road juts into the pond at the south end. Inlets and outlets can also be likely spots, but impossible to judge from the satellite image. There are a couple of other areas close to the shore with different color clusters, similar to those previously mentioned. They may be barren, but they are a starting point, or would be for me.

At the very least, this thread should be moved to "Everything else", since it not about fishing rods, reels, line, leaders, or knots. I'll second the "so what" motion.

Sincere sympathy to you for your loss. Been there, done that, and it's one of life's toughest experiences. Oddly enough, the things you miss most seem to be the annoying things they did.

It's hard to say without knowing the particulars. These are some of my thoughts. Before redoing any of the seats, you need to determine if they are part of the hull's structural integrity. If possible, take the boat to water deep enough to float it. Stand on the seats, and move around a bit. That will give you an idea of its stability. Or put a piece of plywood on the seats and move around. If the boat feels stable to you, it might work for you. Keep in mind, that as you make the modifications you are speaking of, weight will be added to the boat, at a fairly low level which will slow down the rolling of the boat as you move from side to side. The boat may roll as much, but more slowly. The reason is that the boat has more mass, therefore more resisting inertia to movement.

The answer is, it depends. It depends on a number of factors. Weather conditions, boat load, boat handling skills, judgement, experience, etc., all factor into the answer. The boat is adequate, and safe for that size lake. It also has enough power to get to safety when foul weather is approaching. You are the primary factor when it comes to safety, knowing your limitations and those of your boat. Since this is your first boat, you have a lot to learn. Take a safe boat handling course. Do a lot of reading about how to handle different weather conditions. Danger is always present, in a boat, or in your home. Knowing how to eliminate or minimize the risks is the human factor. Most boating accidents and tragedies are the result of, human error. A good place to get started. http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/boating_safety_courses_.aspx

Trailer. It will get you to more places. Another 700 dollars worth of gear won't. I have 14 combos. When I fish alone, I may bring as many as eight. When I fish with a buddy, it's three to five. Usually five, but I seldom use one or two of them. I don't like to waste fishing time having to retie when I want to change my bait.

I use all three. Braid for jigging. It doesn't stretch, and gives me a good feel of the bottom. However, I use it with a 20 pound fluoro leader. It is extremely vulnerable to ragged rocks, and I've lost a couple of nice fish because of that. To get an idea of how fragile it is, try it on a dental floss cutter. It parts easier than the floss. It is great in vegetation such as lily pads. It saws through them like a scythe. Mono and fluoro I use for finesse fishing. They stretch therefore reducing the input of action by the rod. Less is more when finesse fishing. Six pound test is what I spool with for mono and fluoro. I use a swivel, and twenty pound test fluoro for a leader. Toothy critters, such as pickerel, and light mono and fluro lines do not play nice together. Then there is the issue of whether you want the line to sink or float.

I use them, and they do the job very well. The best thing I can suggest to compare them with other jig heads is to take them and a few other style jig heads to clear shallow water. A couple of feet or less will do. Then twitch them around with the baits you plan to use. Move them with the rod tip high in a vertical action, then lower the tip and use horizontal twitches. You can see how different actions affect them. In the end, fish with all of them. On a day when the fish are biting, alternate the various baits. Let the fish tell you which is best. For that day anyway.

Regarding rinsing, I seem to recall reading years ago that you should not use a garden hose to rinse off reels, since the pressure could force salt deposits and other contaminants into the reel's innards. Don't remember if they recommended dunking the reels in a bucket of clean fresh water, or pouring water over them.

If you're ever in Orlando, go to the BPS on International Drive, not far from Universal Studios. Maybe because it was laid out differently, but it seemed like it had less freshwater tackle and gear than the Foxborough store. Roland Martin was there on Friday night, holding court, telling fishing stories. He was surrounded by three or four people. My wife tried to get me to go over and speak to him, but I'm just not into the celebrity thing. There were fewer customers than I've ever seen at the Foxborough store. The Orlando store did have a larger golf department. What I found interesting was their fish tank held largemouth bass and tarpon, along with other species.

Being able to do it my way.

After nearly 45 years of marriage, I'll offer this bit from experience. Things which might seem ideal on the surface can become the source of stress in a relationship. If you can get your wife interested in fishing, great. But if not, don't force the issue. Be thankful she doesn't mind you going fishing. My wife is not interested in fishing because she does not like the thought of hurting the fish. Maybe that stems from her nursing background. She doesn't remember the time she went striper fishing with me in '73 and caught a 17 pounder. She thought it was great at the time, but it apparently had no life altering affect on her. It's good to do things together, but it's also good to have personal time as well. "Familiarity breeds contempt" and all that stuff. I'll play golf with my wife, and go fishing by myself or with a buddy. My wife can go to T J Maxx without me. In fact, I prefer it that way.

I haven't seen any in years, but I recall saltwater baitcasting reels having a leather flap on one of the crossbars on a reel to protect the thumb from what you describe. I'm guessing you're using braided line. Try using some of the line treatments. They may serve to provide lubrication between the line and your thumb. Maybe a golf glove with the four fingers removed would work well.

Here's my take. While a heavier spool has more static inertia, once spinning it has more rotational inertia. A light spool will accelerate more quickly, and will also achieve higher rpms. However, it is also easier for the braking system to slow down. Nothing beats an educated thumb. Problem is, not all thumbs are created equal. Every time a lure, or bait is changed, the reel should be adjusted. Even baits of the same weight cast differently due to aerodynamic considerations. What I have noticed is that I can cast without problems, not using my thumb, until, I try to put more oomph into the cast to get the bait further out. To do that, without backlash/over run, I need to use my thumb, or set the reel with a bit more braking.

For greatly unequal diameter lines. I use it to attach twenty pound fluoro leader to ten pound braid. http://www.netknots.com/html/albright_special.html

A good lawyer (or perhaps bad) can indite a ham sandwich.

Does anybody remember the "Fish" carburetor. Appropriate for this forum, don't you think? There were claims that the gasoline companies bought up the rights to a super secret carburetor that would deliver up to a hundred miles per gallon, or even up to two hundred mpg. Conspiracy theories abound in every size and shape.

Regarding "cures". Name a single cure for any virus, or condition. The only thing medical science has come up with are preventive vaccines. Can you say smallpox, polio, tuberculosis, malaria, diptheria, etc. The only true "cure" for any condition is our own immune system. If the R & D was done exclusively by the drug companies that conspiracy might exist. But, many drugs which "treat" various diseases and conditions are discovered at colleges and universities. The pharmaceutical companies then buy the rights to these drugs from those who developed them. There are drugs which are used to treat various diseases and infections, but in the end, it is the immune system which produces the cure. Somebody has been watching Kevin Trudeau, and believing his spiel.