Fishing Rhino

Hmmmm, all these "inventors" got me to thinking. First it was to save the grease from cooking bacon. It will set up like vaseline, but that will turn rancid. The suggestion of Crisco was interesting. So, why not a plain old piece of salt pork. It's greasy, salty, and an animal product as opposed to either a vegetable or petroleum based substance. Rub it between the thumb and index finger until they are good and greasy, then apply. Salt and fat combined. How good is that? How 'bout a hot dog, or a sausage? Gotta run. Off to the market. Then to the lab......., I mean pond.

Seems to me, that if you have gasoline running out of the exhaust, without the motor running, there is only one way for that to happen. The needle and seat for the float level in the carb must not be seating properly, allowing gas to pass into the engine and out the exhaust. It's possible that "tipping" the motor back could cause this, especially if the tank is still hooked up and pressurized. I'm assuming this is occuring when the motor is not running. Relieving the pressure from the tank would prevent this from occuring when the engine is not running, but would not "fix" the faulty needle and seat in the carb. Could be the needle and seat need to be replaced, or best scenario, the carb just needs cleaning. Sediment in the bowl could move to the needle and seat, preventing it from closing properly. It's always a good idea to relieve the pressure from the tank when not in use. Murphy's law. Imagine a leak developing while the tank is under pressure. Been a long time, but I believe the instructions on the tank said to relieve the pressure when not in use. Inspect all hoses carefully. If in doubt as to their integrity, replace them, and the clamps. Are those double lines still available?

I use the Fish N Fool knot or the Palomar. The Fish N Fool knot is tricky because the loop in the double pass through the eye wants to "jump" to the side, around the eye. This happens with mono, fluoro, or hybrid, not braid. It also requires a lot dexterity and/or practice to tie it without a struggle. For me, that meant practice. For a while, I used the Palomar while fishing. The Fish N Fool was too much of a struggle, especially with monofilament type lines, not to mention tiny swivels. The swivels were the toughest challenge. Once I mastered them, the rest was easy. The Palomar is a great knot, and the Fish N Fool is probably overkill. I like the finished look of the Fish N Fool better.

The technique worked again today. I have to say, I'm very excited about this setup. It is as weedless as they come. In places this pond is loaded, in places, with filamentous algae. In the heat of summer, it will float to the surface, buoyed up by gases trapped beneath it. The resulting bubble will protrude from the surface like a Cypress knee. I fiddled around the shallows to get an idea of how the Space Monkey "worked" along the bottom. It came through everything with flying colors. It would pass through the thickest of the slime. The slightest twitch caused it to shed what little had been on it as it emerged from the gunk. Drops down in the pockets between rocks, and climbs out easily. The key seems to be to have the head of the bait tightly against the eye, the body straight and of course, the point of the hook buried in the bait. I've fished it the past two days in the rocks, the lily pads, and other areas I've had to avoid without a single hang, or bringing in a bunch of gunk. It always comes "home" clean, or with only a slight trace of the algae. I've never been able to fish in the stuff until now.

If it is now typical of most makes, it's probably due to environmental regs, which prohibit the use of the paints which have stood up well in the past.

The pond I regularly fish has the same problem. I either had to fish above or avoid the areas where the slimy algae grew. No more. Found by accident, not because I'm clever. Get yourself some Owner Twist Lock hooks in the sizes you use. They are also available with "keel" weights to keep lures upright. I use mostly the weighted version. They are the only coil lock hooks with the centering pin. You can also buy the coil locks separately to use on other hooks. Anyway, screw the bait onto the coil, right up to the hook's eye. Then, if necessary, back off until your bait is upright. If you twist too far, it will cut a plug from your bait. Then run the hook completely through the body of your lure so that the body is straight. You want the portion of the hook from the bend to the point exposed. Next, stretch the body away from the point toward the eye, 1/16th to 1/8th inch. You may have to hold the body where the hook passes through to keep it in place. Press the body against the point, then push the tip into the body the distance you stretched it. You should end up with only the tip of the point hidden in your bait so it cannot snag anything, but even a light bite will expose the hook. You should be able to work it through the densest growths of slime with next to nothing gathering on your bait. Routine twitching on the return will shed all but a tiny amount of the gunk. Try it in shallow water where you can observe how it works, and to get a feel for it. Trim the tag end of your knot to remove any excess, leaving only 1/16th of an inch to snag the slime. A quick twitch, easily sheds the stuff. It's amazing to see the bait pass through the densest of the green gunk, and watch a slight twitch shed the stuff. If you're uncomfortable with such a short tag end, super glue the tag end of the knot to the line, and remove the "snag" entirely. You'll find it fishes rocks, lily pads, the filamentous algae, and everything else without snagging, or hanging up. It even comes out of trees easily, provided you pull it slowly, and do not cause it to wrap around a branch. I can routinely fish the places I had to previously avoid.

These things are a pain in the tackle box. They have to be placed on their side. Even then, if the box gets jiggled, some will stand when you open the lid. They are like the punching toys that keep returning to an upright position when you knock 'em over. Regarding tipping over. I believe they are primarily for a finesse presentation, which calls for lighter, smaller and/or floating baits.

He did not use an Exacto knife, which everyone knows is hard to get certified. He used an Exatco knife, which everyone knows is the official modelling knife of the bureau of weights and measures, and is beyond question.

Perry who, or who Perry? Como for the first. Oliver Hazard for the second. Just a wild guess.

There must be plenty of fishing songs. Every radio has a bass adjustment.

I wouldn't challenge KVD if he were limited to a Popeil Pocket Fisherman, and the lures that come with it. Well, I might challenge him, but wouldn't expect to win.

I'll go with the Rage Tails too. Space Monkey, June Bug, rigged on a 4/0 Owner keel weighted twistlock hook. This has to be the most weedless, snagproof, foolproof thing I've ever fished. I can fish it through muck, and other stuff I had to either fish over, or avoid. Screw the head onto the twistlock all the way. Make sure the lure is right side up. Back the bait off until it is right side up. Do not twist beyond making contact with the hook's eye or you may cut a plug from the head of the bait. Run the hook completely through the body, making sure the body is straight. The business end of the hook from bend to tip should be exposed. Stretch the body toward the eye about a sixteenth of an inch or so, then push it against the point so it penetrates that amount you stretched. Here's how all the fish below were caught, most from under lily pads. Some from the edges. I only took photos of a few, but they are typical of the size this method produced the past two days. Cast into the pads. Allow the bait to settle on the bottom. A slow count to ten in five feet of water is adequate. Take up the slack. If you feel a weight, exert a gentle pull. If you feel considerable resistance, set the hook. Most of the bass below were caught before I started the retrieve. If nothing has taken the bait, retrieve it slowly with twitches, jerks, and slow pulls of a foot or so, keeping it on the bottom. You'll feel it slide by stems, and rocks. Anytime you feel weight, increase pressure. Like with a jig, pay attention to anything that signifies something living at the end of your line. I use 15 pound braid, and a 15 pound leader. The braid cuts through the stems easily, and haven't had one break off yet.

All the above plus, just as you vary the retrieve techniques, trolling is not always putting the pole in a holder and towing the lure behind the boat. There are times you will "jig" as you are trolling, or twitch and flick the rod to impart an irregular action to the lure being trolled, for the same reason it's done during a retrieve when casting. Trolling amounts to a long cast, regardless of the hardware involved. It is dragging a lure in front of or above a fish. There are times you do not use a steady retrieve. Having said all that. Blind trolling may catch one or several fish. When travelling from one place to another, you have zero chance of catching a fish without a bait in the water.

Not paying attention... http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1158577137 Spend some time in the BassResource Library, "Fishing Articles" and "Tacklebox" at the top of the page. Read every article and go to every link. Take notes and make a plan. 8-) I was paying attention, and I am having no trouble catching bass. It was a new technique to me, so I had to try it. It does work very well. It will not always be the most productive technique at any given time, but I can see where it may easily be the most consistent at putting bass in the boat, not to mention the most economical of all the suggestions. The "KISS" method is usually the best method for starters. Some are always determined to make things more complicated than necessary.

More lily pads are popping up. Last Friday I caught a nice bass and a nice pickerel out of two small pad beds where some of the pads had made it to the surface. Yesterday, one of the larger beds had a sparse showing of surface pads. Several others were near the surface while others were still quite deep, in five and a half feet of water. The wind was gusty at times making it hard to see the edges. So, I took my four marking floats, and set them strategically around the edges to give me a good visual reference, no matter what the wind did. I was fishing a Rage Tail Space Monkey (watermelon/red), currently one of my favorite baits. The other day the June Bug version produced. I'm fooling around with colors. I had another pole rigged with a June Bug Monkey. The *** watermelon/chartreuse 3" trick stick wacky rigged on a Jackall Wacky-Jig Head (weedless) is also producing well. Here's how I fished it. The hook is a keel weighted 4/0 Owner Twistlock. Screwed the nose onto the twistlock, then rigged the bait weedless. Make a cast, count slowly to ten. Then close the bail and slowly take up the slack. The first four casts produced four nice bass without having to retrieve the bait. They either took it on the fall, or as it was lying on the bottom. The next cast produced a sizable crappie. Then someone turned the switch off. A few more casts yielded nothing. South end of the pond again. Water temp 64 - 65. Weather looks real nice for today. Have a small job to do for a customer, but can do that in the afternoon, in a couple of hours. A pickerel from last Friday.

A boaters best friend for electrical connections. Dielectric grease for all plug in connectors including light bulbs. Used it for all my snow plow connections, and never had a problem with salt corrosion on bulbs or plugs.

First boat. I suggest aluminum. While I prefer fiberglass for all the same reasons as the previous replies, an aluminum boat will take more abuse without the consequences. Scuff the bottom on a ramp, no problem with aluminum. With fiberglass, you damage the gel coat. In addition to appearance, the gel coat protects the laminate from water penetration. Contrary to popular belief, fiberglass can, and will absorb water when the gel coat is damaged. In colder climes, moisture in the composite can freeze, causing more damage, and making the laminate more vulnerable to water penetration, and further damage. If you're going bass fishing, it means getting in and around rocky places. Until you get experience in handling a boat, you're likely to end up making contact with a few rocks. Minor dents and dings are not as noticable on an aluminum boat, and do not need the expensive gel coat repairs associated with fiberglass. First and foremost, a boat is nothing more than a fishing platform, to get you where the fish are, or in some cases, where they ain't. For a first boat, aluminum is more practical. It may be more practical period. No doubt the fiberglass boats are nicer, better to fish from on windy days, and are more impressive. There's a reason most driving schools use econoboxes for student drivers.

This may work but in my opinion, its way too much of a hassle to 'perform surgery' just to get a worm on a peg. The 3X worms are difficult to deal with but the floating qualities makes them very unique. jfriend, put it on a regular ball head or try some of the Gamakatsu Skip Gap shaky heads. I really like the Skip Gap heads. Not a lot of work at all. Can do ten worms in a couple of minutes. It's a heck of a lot more work, in fact I found it impossible to get the SK finesse worms onto any type of holder, barbed, ringed, or spiral type. I spent more time struggling to get one worm on, with no success than it took me to do four packages of the finesse worms. Now, they slide right onto the barbed or ridged holders, and grip just fine.

A boater's best friend may be electronics. Cell phone, CB, VHF radio can all be used to summon assistance. Don't know what type most folks use on bass boats. But, were I to fish larger waters where I was dependent upon something other than oars or paddles to get around, I'd be sure to have one, or all of them. Both the CB and VHF radios have "hailing" frequencies which most boaters monitor. Unless you're close to the ramp, have a helping current or tail wind, paddling something like a bass boat is an exercise in futility. Set the anchor to maintain position, and call for help. Oars are generally more cumbersome and awkward to use sans oarlocks than a paddle. Get a paddle that satisfies your laws and regs, but can also be used to fend the boat off rocks, buoys, etc.

For the ones with a spike. Clamp a needle or small finish nail in a pair of forcep, vice grips or anything else that can hold it securely. Heat the needle or nail with a match, lighter, small torch. Slide the baits over the needle, centered and straight. That will result in a small hole in the bait which will stretch to slide over the spike. The twist locks are another story, but basically the same procedure. Don't know if you could do them ahead of time. You'd need to locate the entry hole to install, which might prove nearly impossible. The Owner Twist Locks are the best. They have a center pin which keeps the bait aligned. Whichever you use, heat the corkscrew the same way as you did the pin. Then install your bait. The coil will melt its way into the head. I have some Strike King Finesse worms, and they will not go on the barbed pins, ring pins or coil holders. The heating thing did the trick for me.

To paraphrase Richard Nixon. "I am not a junkie!" I can quit anytime I want to. Haven't any of you ever heard, "He who dies with the most toys wins."?

Sounds like you are a junkie in denial. Or, like my wife at TJ Maxx.

Life experience, and Murhpy's law both teach that the thing you don't have is the thing you'll need. Ever have something hanging around for years. You look at it, decide you'll never need it, and toss it. Within a few days, guaranteed you'll need it. The exception to the above rule are the coffee cans and/or boxes full of nails, nuts, and bolts. Trying to find the right one is looking for the needle in the haystack. Spend ten dollars worth of your time, twenty dollars worth of aggravation and frustration trying to find a two or ten cent item. Been there done that. Toss 'em. Easier and cheaper to make the five or ten minute run to the hardware store and buy a new one. Back to the topic at hand. I rarely buy one of anything, except for a pack of plastics that contains several baits. When I find a particular bait works very well, I may buy two or three backups. Even in the plastics, I'll buy a couple of packages of a particular item. Murphy's law again. When I need to replenish, the local tackle stores will invariably not have that particular item in the particular size and color I want. Backups are my security blankie. I get uneasy when my stock of an item is running low.

Little pickerel go after large fish and baits. Big ones go after everything. Three inch *** Trick Worm, watermelon/chartreuse laminate, on a weedless 1/8 ounce Wacky-Jig Head

The pond I regularly fish has a shoreline of thick viney emergent vegetation in most places. Against these vines, in the slightly deeper water is a band of thick water hyacinth. This area teems with life, insect and aquatic. From this thicket comes the constant slurping and splashing of fish dining on bugs and probably small frogs. Swallows and other insect eating birds flock to these areas in the summer, feeding on the swarms of insects attracted by the blossoms of these plants. Most of the fish are small, but occasionally you will see the water hyacinth parting as a larger bass bulldozes its way through as it pursues a meal. A canoe can wedge its way into the hyacinth, but the viney vegetation is absolutely impenetrable. A natural hiding place for fry and minnows, it is a veritalble smorgasboard for small, hungry bass. The majority of bass are caught right against the edge of this thicket.