bassmajor

If I am at the lake when this happens I always say I've only been catching small ones. I don't want this guy honing in on my honey holes out there. I usually lie about the fish I catch....I just say the fishing was slow and all I got were dinks. There are too many lazys out there that will follow me around if I say the opposite. I know many of you don't ice fish but its really bad during the winter up here too with this sort of thing.

I am new to this great sport but have been reading ALOT over the winter. In most articles about the spawn I have read that the female typically stays within a close proximity (sp) to the bed. A few months ago I watched In Fisherman TV and Doug Stange was fishing beds in Texas (maybe some of you have seen that episode). The local guide he was with said something I hadn't heard before. He said, "Only the males are here in this spawning area right now but the females move in every once in a while", implying that the females spent most of the time away from the spawning area. So which is typical behavior? Are the females nearby most of the time or do I have to "hit it on the right day" to have a shot a female? Does increased fishing pressure push the females out of the area leaving the males alone on the spawning grounds? Do the females leave after so many days after they spawn out? Sorry for so many questions but I haven't been able to find the answers to them anywhere.

I am new to bass fishing but have been doing a lot of reading on this site and in books/magazines. Fished a lake last year and only caught a few bass that were over 2lbs with the biggest about 3.5. I read everywhere that jigs are great big bass baits but I never knew how to fish them. Well the other day I switched to a jig/pork bait.... and bam! I caught 2 5+ lbers on back to back casts. What a rush! Question: My pork rinds keep sliding down the shank of the hook and (with a barbless hook) sometimes they come off the hook when I miss a bite or are in some thick trees. Are there any tips on how to keep them up by the head of the jig?

2 days after ice out I caught some nice ones T-rigging a plastic craw real slow around some structure.

New guy here...but I do know that today is the first offical day of fall. But....is it "fall" up here in the upper midwest (SoDak.)? Like I said, I am new to bass fishing and was wondering if I should try some fall patterns/baits or summer baits? Its still pretty warm up here (70s to 80s). I have been out trying all kinds of things with little luck. What are you other midwesterners using this time of year, I call it "Fummer" (summer + fall). haha

Thanks for the ideas. I might have to sell my big screen tv and just read all winter.

I new to the forum and new to bass fishing. I am looking for opinions on a good bass techniques resource (book). Has anyone found a good one out there?

I think some of the boooos for Jackson were directed at the poor play calling. Heads need to roll....starting with you Childress!