Rich K

Hey Swilly - As I sent you in my PM, I have fished there, but not for largies. I thought bass lake was the place to go for them. Have you fished there?

I have been around for about a month and have not formally introduced myself. Rich Kramer South Elgin, IL I have been fishing since I was a kid (which means 30+ years), but have not really taken it seriously until this past year or so. I went from having a bunch of cheapie spinning combos and using some really bizarre, not so popular baits, to using more traditional baits. I also bought my first bait caster this spring and absolutely love it! I have spent the most time fishing this year thanks to a sweet pond close by that holds a couple of 6lb bass and a 10 lb catfish that broke me off last year (I saw it, but could not get it through the weeds at the shoreline). I have caught at least 10 fish over 4 lbs this year and my PM LM and SM this year. I also have a river close by and my in-laws own a summer cottage off a 380+ acre lake in Michigan where I fish as much as I can. I am still in learning mode and love to learn about this sport. I really appreciate all of the knowledge that this site has to offer! Whoever thought of this site, thank you! I have an awesome wife! To paint the picture for you, I have 5 kids ranging from 3 - 18. She lets me fish at least once a day - I have been averaging twice a day for the past year. If you ask my youngest son (3 yr old) what he wants to be when he grows up - his immediate answer is "a fisherman"! I have done my share of research about what it takes to go pro and hope to be able to encourage him (not push) him in that direction. If time and budget allow, I plan to join a local club next year and fish a couple of tournaments as a non-boater (another thing that is hard to come by with a big family - a boat). I am excited about learning as much as I can about this sport! Thanks again for creating such a great place for those who love this sport to share our stories!

This Fish Weight Calculator offered on this site also does a fantastic job. You can key in length only to match the numbers the OP referred to.

June Bug Watermelon/black flake Green Pumpkin Sometimes black/blue flake

I have a pond close by and fish that sometimes 3 times a day. If I count those small trips and trips to the river close to me, I would say that I average 18 - 20 times a week.

With my black strike king midnight special; I cast it out there - wait until it hits the water - keep stripping line until the lure hits the bottom - start reeling almost as slowly as I can trying to keep contact with the bottom. A Colorado blade gives the bait tons of lift - so I reel VERY slowly - just enough to feel the blade kicking/thumping. I try to stay consistent with that retrieval, but there are times I have needed to mix it up. We have also used the yo-yo retrieve, but again really slowly. One variable I have notice with the midnight special is that it has a built on rattle. If you retrieve it too quickly, I think the rattle tone changes and renders the bait ineffective. I have noticed a bit of a pattern with the wind - When there is wind, the bait with the rattle works - no wind; I use one without a rattle and let the vibration of the big blade do all the work. Rich

Very nice fish! Are you going to share with us what the weight was?

Man, you guys are brutal! I can't explain enough how big this fish was. Friends who know me and my size say it looks so big it looks fake. My uncle-in-law caught another smallie one out of the same waters that weighed at 3.5 lbs and it was a lot smaller than this fish. Anyway, thanks for the feedback! I am definitely encouraged that I have a scale now and will be sure to use it! The cigar I was smoking is a Gurkha Legend. Great smoke with a lot of coffee overtones that I love! As you can see I was thoroughly enjoying it - right down to the nub!

- Caught my LM and SM PB's this year! - Right after ice out I caught 5 bass that probably pushed a total weight of about 20 lbs. That is a lot for the waters around here. - Caught more quality and less quantity fish. - Caught my first walleye this year (3 to date). - Caught my first gar (not targeting them, but muskie) - Still waiting to catch my first Muskie (will be targeting them again soon). Hooked in to 3 of them, but was not prepared and had bite/break-offs each time... - Fished my first reservoir (Lake Shelbyville) - totally different than the 400 acre lake I usually fish. - My youngest son (3 YO) caught his first fish (bluegill) and his first bass this year (LM). He wants to be a fisherman when he grows up. (studying what it takes to turn pro for him) - Taught another angler how to fish a senko - previously he only knew how to fish a shallow crank. - Caught my first river smallie. - Had my first close encounter with a big pike as he surfaced as I was pulling my crank out of the water in waders. Kinda scary knowing a fish with teeth was that close and I had no control over it... - Gained bass fishing respect of both my father-in-law and uncle-in-law how are pretty accomplished bass anglers. That in itself is a huge feat!

** New Information ** I should have thought of this sooner, but I had my wife measure the front of my shoulders - that came out to be 21". While not huge and I am holding the fish closer to the camera than I am - this should give some perspective when I say that this fish was 20". According to the weight calculator on this site, It came out to 4.8 lbs. Any new guesses at the weight?

LOL!

Anyone?

I like Al Lindner. Very down to earth and does his best to share everything he has learned from his experience. I would also vote for Mark Zona - he is hilarious!

Right on! Smallie can be caught at night too! See my avatar for an example.

x2

Please, please google "nitrification cycle". You NEED to cycle your tank BEFORE you add fish. Here is an article that is a must read!

LM - Ribbit Bull Frog - Black with red flake. SM - Strike King Midnight Special - # 6 brass hammered Colorado blade - Uncle Josh #1 Pork frog trailer.

I was just out fishing in Western Michigan while it was low 60's and raining. I caught a decent 18" bass slow rolling a spinner bait on a deep weed edge. Terminator spinner bait with tandem blades (gold and silver) - swapped the white skirt out for one that has a bit of silver/gray in it. Cast it out and let it contact the bottom - made sure I stayed in contact with the bottom all the way back to the boat.

Thanks for the feedback. I did buy a scale - just waiting for it to ship now... Thanks again!

I am pleasantly surprised at the detail of the edge of the fins. Looking at their examples on the BPS site looked like the fins were an after thought. Hey El Grande - do you mind posting the photos you mentioned of the live fish? That might help give us all an idea of how close they color matched. Thanks!

I can live with that - better than what I have now... nothing... ;D

On the lake I fish there are too many jet-skis and pleasure boaters to catch anything with size during the day. As my avatar shows, I wait until the sun goes down to catch the bigger ones. I usually find them holding on deep weed edges. They are much more inclined to bite at night - think it also hides a lot of the mistakes we make in presentation.

I just did not like the coating on power-pro. I love Suffix and will gladly pay the extra money for the lack of headaches. I still get overruns from time to time, but can get them out without any damage to the line. I have had to learn the "snap set" when using braid. Learned the hard way - too many break-offs. I am also psyched to try the "J-knot" that was posted elsewhere on this site for leader knots.

Thanks guys! I am going to try this one out later today.

Strike King, but I modify 'em and even make some of my own using Stamina Lure products. The fish in my avatar was caught using a modified Strike King we like to call a "thumper".