airborne_angler

Ive watched the video that Glenn put together about spinnerbaits. I recall him distincly mentioning that a spiining rod/reel is not ideal for using spinnerbaits. What about Chatterbaits,can they be used with spinning rod/reel setups. I ask because chatterbaits are so much more than just a plain ol spinnerbait. Or are Chatterbaits best to be thrown with baitcasting equipment?

Just picked up a Brand New(in the box) Shimano Sonora 1500 FA Spinning reel,with an extra spool. I picked it up for $17.00. Manager told me it was marked down from $40.00. Is this really a $40.00 reel,or was this something he was just telling me to seal the deal. Whats the actual price this reel regularly goes for? With what I paid for the reel,did I get a decent deal,or did I get "took"?

Well I put in an application for a loan for a Bass Boat. Even if I dont get approved,can someone school me on the ins and outs of a Bass Boat? I currently run a 10' Jon boat with a trolling motor.I launch it out of the bed of my 4wd truck. I know a Bass Boat will be way different from the launch to the operation(trim) and such. For future reference what all is absolutely mandatory info needed to operate a larger boat with an outboard? Whats the best way to launch one from a trailer when out by myself?

I was at the lake yesterday and found a crankbait floating in the water. It is a black and chrome Rebel Blackstar. Anyone ever heard of it?

Here in AZ a trout stamp is Optional.

i just dont know...He mentioned something about Trout being very delicate and they dont do well when caught and released.That they normally die if they arent kept after catching them. I agree Trout are very delicate,not Hardy like a Bass or Catfish. But the flip side to that is that alot of the fish die naturally due to just the warmer temps of the water. "Some" do survive though. I cant be held responsible for the fish that die naturally on their own and which ones survive,that I may catch while throwing a small crankbait or Dropshot.

My additional gripe is if I was fishing with mealworms for Bluegill or Green Sunfish. We all Know Trout LOVE mealworms...Would I have gotten busted? What about Fly Fisherman? I know some fly fisherman that only target Bluegills with their gear. Of course because the Fish are normally pretty small,the fly/hook has to be small as well. I suppose the Warden would look down upon that as well?? I really think its a possession issue. If you have Trout on your person,and no Trout stamp...BUSTED. I dont see why I should have to spend the extra $$$ "just in case" I accidentally/coincidentally catch a trout. If I was a diehard and kept them,I totally agree with buying a stamp.

A general Resident License (Class A) is $23.50 and a Trout Stamp is an additional $15.75

He told me that because I was using a Lure that had "action" on the retrieve,he would let it slide,but had I of been anchored with Powerbait on the end of my line,them I would have gotten a ticket....WELL DUH!!! He asked to see the package on the Kastmaster so he could see if it specified Trout. I told him I didnt have it,I threw it away. Last night I checked the package on an unopened Kastmaster,and this is what it reads: KASTMASTER Kastmaster's balance produces wild action without line twist!Because of its aerodynamic design.it's the master distance caster,and catches fish from pan-size trout to bragging-sized gamefish--in fresh and saltwater.The Kastmaster is machined from sold brass.It wont break,bend,or corrode and it retains its luster even after repeated exposure to salt water. Available in eleven sizes: 1/12 oz.-4 oz. So to me this says the lure can catch just about anything...Nowhere does it say the lure I was using was for Trout. So say Im fishing(anchored) with a some live worms on a small hook for Trophy Bluegill...Can this be misconstrued as "Trout Fishing? Oh and the Warden also said because the water were still a little cool,it was still "Trout Season" Nowhere in the regs does it have a specific date on when Trout Season is.It only tells of when the stockings are going to be. Ive caught Trout with a Dropshot with a 6 inch worm in mid July when the air temps are over 100 degrees. If the whole Trout stamp thing were that much of an issue,the REGS should say "If a person fishes in ANY water that has trout stocked in it,a Trout stamp MUST be purchased". However,when a License is purchased,you have the OPTION of purchasing a Trout stamp.Now If I specifically wanting to take Trout,I would would purchase one. But I guess in this case its "Better to have it and not need it,than to need it and not have it." Im not about breaking the law but I believe the officer was "picking nits"

Which is exactly why many other states require a trout stamp to even fish trout waters at all. I cant help if a Trout smacks my lure...

As the title states,I had a run in with a warden from the Department of Fish and Game. Started out ok,but when all was done,I was really a little torked.Heres how the visit went. I was on the water and he came cruising up in his boat. Asked his assistant to steady and hold my boat while we talked. At first things were casual,he asked how the fishing was,if I had caught any fish.I told him I hooked into a Trout but it got off and that I also hooked into a Very Large Bass(had to of been at least 5#) but it broke me off and took my lure with it. He asked to see what I was using and then asked for my license. He turned over the back of my License and sternly showed it to me and said "Is there something missing?" The only thing I could think was missing was a Trout Stamp,which is required for the taking of Trout. I was a little confused. He explained to me that because of the lure I was using(a Kastmaster)was for "Trout",That he could give me a ticket for not having a Trout Stamp. I told him I wasnt intentionally fishing for trout,and have been catching Bass on this lure. He told me that if the package the bait comes in says it can catch Trout,then it is a Trout Lure... I tried to flip the script on him. I asked him if I was using a Dropshot (which I often do) and was throwing a small dropshot bait and caught a Trout on it(which I do and release unharmed frequently)...What then? He said if I could show him the packaging that says the DS worms were for Bass then all would be forgiven. Ok Mr. Game Warden,I put all my baits in Ziploc Bags...am I not allowed to do that anymore either,so I can show proof of what the bait is specifically for? So Am I not allowed to finesse fish for Bass for fear that my bait maybe looked at as a Trout lure cause its "small" What about small Crankbaits,If I hook a Trout on one..What then? Isnt that what fishing is about...You try and catch "something" but at times you never know what youll end up with. Just like throwing the Kastmaster,I was letting it flutter to the bottom when it got bumped,Never expected that Large Bass to hit it. Man that was a HUGE fish,Almost had it to the boat,when it gave a head shake and broke me off. So If I am fishing for Trout and catch a Bass...What then. I would like to hear everyone comments about this topic!!

At this point the brand isnt important to me. Im pretty serious about my fishing but am in no way a Tounament angler. I fish out of a 10' jon boat. To me right now the size of the reel and comfort when using the reel is more important. I obviously dont want a Ultralight(have one) Nor do I want a Trout Reel(Have one of those too) I want a reel in a size just a step up from a trout reel. Maybe a reel with a 6,8,and 10 lb capacity.

OK OK I stand corrected,I tried to edit my post last night but the forum was locked down due to maintenance. The reel I currently have is a Shimano FX 300(Not 3000)Must have some age to it. Still,the reel to me feels VERY large.

I almost ALWAYS use a baitcasting outfit,except when I throw dropshots,which I do on Ultra light gear. I am wanting to try throwing Senko style baits and also want to try #3 Mepps inline spinners for Bass this year. That being said,what size reel would be ideal for these situations? I have a Shimano 3000 series,but that reel just feels HUGE. I may just keep that for a Catfishing outfit. I want something that will be light enough not to cause fatigue while im fishing,and also rugged enough to be able to handle the fish should I latch onto something of size. I dont have a specific brand in mind,just need to know what a good size(series) reel would be for the application ive mentioned..

One of the reasons I asked about the Copper Colored Blades is, im currently on an inline spinner(MEPPS) kick. I purchased a "Basser" Kit and it came with a good assortment of both gold and silver bladed baits #3 baits ,but one of the baits (and Dressed Aglia #2) had a copper blade and had me puzzled, wondering what application I needed to try it on.Now I know,Thanks for the responses.

I know back in the day many people threw Spinnerbaits with copper colored Blades. Why dont you see them any more? I know that the Silver(Chrome) blades on a Spinnerbait are for bright sunny days The Brass(gold) blades on a Spinnerbaits are for overcast/low light conditions What about the seldomly seen Copper Colored Blades. What condition are those used in?

Ive been hearing that rattle baits rule the waters during the pre spawn. What about the rest of the year?

Anyone ever heard of them,or caught one? Whats so different about this strain of LMB?

Here in Az we suffered alot of warm/hot days and had a very dry summer last year. We hardly got any monsoon type weather. Thus, a local pond I like to go to almost dried up all the way. I figured with the little water that was left,that all the fish in the pond would be bunched up and struggling for oxygen. That and the fact that that the little bit of water in the pond got so hot,I figured the pond was doomed.It had a thick blanket of algae covering it as well. So far,we have a good runoff into the pond from the melting snow from the mountains and its refilled again to capacity. I went to walk the bank today to look for any activity.I saw plenty of Green Sunfish,Hybrid Sunfish and Bluegill. This made me happy,but what I wanted to see were Bass. I counted probably 6 small Bass sitting on beds and 1 fish that may have been 13-14 inches,also sitting on a bed. This was only on one side of the pond. So things look promising that this fishery may continue to thrive.Im not sure how many larger fish there may still be in this body of water,but im hoping these smaller ones get a chance to grow up.This pond is not managed,not stocked,so its a self sustained body of water. Not of any specific importance,I just wanted to share my findings.

How does the color red qualuify as a color for a bait thats "supposed" to be best at night. I can go along with Dark Blue and Black for a primary color of the skirts on these baits,but where does Red come in?

I have read the article about inline spinners for Bass in the latest In-Fisherman Magazine. I have now started stocking up on different #3 Mepps Spinners. I ordered 3 spinners and on 2 of the baits its very obvious on which conditions apply to them. 1.)Copper Colored Blade with a Chartreuse Body I know is good for low light conditions,Dingy,murky water or when its overcast. 2.)Silver blade with a silver body is good for bright sunny days. The color I am having trouble with is on the last of the 3 baits I received. 3.)The Blade is Black and the body is yellow. Now I know this is REALLY gonna throw off a contrast of colors as the blade spins around the body. So, on this color combo,whats an ideal condition to throw it in? Is this a happy medium,all around good color combo which will work in any situation? Ive never seen any spinner,whether it be an inline or a spinnerbait that has a solid black blade. Please enlighten me... Thank You

Like I originally posted,I have been practicing it,and practice it you must. I was having a great amount of success tying it at random when practicing tying it,but when it came to tying a lure on with it,it kept breaking,I tried it several times and finally got it to where it wouldnt break.

I just started seeing the Bass this week,caught 2 small ones and wouldnt ya know it,the vehicle I use to haul my boat to the lake with took a crap,and cant be repaired,so im putting together a backup vehicle as we speak.Im hoping to be able to get back to the lake really soon so I can get back to catchin them bucketmouths

I have been trying new knots,and practicing the Rapala Knot. Anyone else use this knot regularly? What kind of strength and reliability does it have?

Watched one of his shows and he mentioned hes been fishing for 60 yrs. And hes only 69 years old(born in 1940) Im just amazed at how long hes been doing what he loves. Some people are lucky to live to be age 60,much less do what they love for that many years