slonezp

My first boat trip will be Lake Toho Fl. at the end of the month. First Il. boat trip will be Lasalle. From what I hear March 17 will be opening day. I will probably be there that following weekend for the 3 hr wait in line. Last year at the opener I was the last boat that launched before they closed the parking lot. We ended up with about 50-60 bass with my son getting his PB at about 5lbs.

4 fingers of scotch usualy knocks me out. Seriously though the first couple of tourneys I fish every year I have trouble sleeping. As the season goes on it gets easier. I think it's because my expectations become more realistic as the season progresses.

1416+35=1451

Tracker boats are made by Tracker Marine group which is owned by John L. Morris of Bass Pro Shops. Did some reasearch and found Lowe was originaly Appleby boats in Lebanon Missouri and due to their success Tracker began building boats in the same town. Didn't mean to hijack your post.

I might be mistaken but I believe I heard from a Lowe dealer that Lowe actually makes Tracker boats.

Martymar, without a boat your best bet would be Busse in Arlington Hts or Beck in Des Plaines. It sounds like you're using live bait. Try a wacky rigged senko or a soft plastic jerkbait like a fluke or houdinishad, or a sluggo. Soft plastics are less expensive than many other lures and live bait. Once you switch to artificials you'll stop catching the fish you don't want.

The bass in my avatar just over 6# Caught on Kentucky Lake April 2008 on a crappie minnow in about 2 ft of water As far as SMB never broke the 5# mark but caught plenty of 4lb+ out of Lake Michigan

Roger, I agree with your "off" the feed theory but I'll throw this out there. I used to have 2 oscars in a 50gal tank. Once they were done eating the goldfish I'd fed them, they would then proceed to kill every other goldfish in the tank within the next day or so. I imagine it may have started as a territory issue or an agression issue. Either way I do believe because it was in a controlled enviroment the behavior was learned or a "habit" the oscars picked up. If the survival instinct tells the fish it's hungry and here is an opportunity to binge it's going to feed. They have no ability to reason. It's like an infant child. When the baby is hungry it will cry until he/she is fed. Once the hunger is satisfied the baby stops feeding, AND you CAN'T make it eat any more. I fail to see how a fish that can't think or reason has a memory, whether it be 3 seconds or 3 years.

I'm staying at my parents timeshare in Kissimmee with my son. Not sure of the name offhand.

Hang in there. I was smoking 3 packs a day when I quit 11 years ago. The first 3 months are gonna be dificult. But after that it should get easier every day. Like anything else don't tempt yourself.

Appreciate the feed back. Also, can I get the name of a bait&tackle shop to get liscenses and anything else I may need?

It appears that much, if not all of the research was done in a controlled enviroment. I think fish in a tank are going to act/react differently because there enviroment NEVER changes. Fish living in the wild are constantly changing with their enviroment and I would imagine their instinct to survive is 10x that of a fish in a tank. If they are hungry their metabolism tells them to eat. The fish in tanks know where their next meal is coming from. Why do fish gourge themselves when they have the opportunity? They don't know when the next meal will swim buy.I like everyone else have hooked or caught the same fish multiple times and IMO it's cause they are probably gourging themselves.

Yes yes yes yes

If the water is low fish secondary points for bass, If the water is high fish in the backs of the creeks. There are fish cribs in many of the creeks. If your only in a jon boat I wouldn't venture out into the river.

commercial refrigeration mechanic

I will be spending a week in Kissimmee begining Feb. 28th. I've never fished in Florida before and would like to know what kind of baits I should make sure I bring with. I've read in previous posts texas rigged worms may be the hot item. I have Senkos, Culprits, Ragetail Annancondas and Okechobe craws, various jigs w/trailers, Houdini Shad, and various creature baits. What colors produce? I have variations of bluegill/junebug, and watermelon. Should I buy other colors? Other baits? As far as catching a 10lb bass is that pretty much limited to live bait? Will crankbaits produce? From what I've read this should be the middle of the spawn. In your opinion would I be better off concentrating on bedding fish or pre/post spawners? Any recomendations on areas to fish would be greatly appreciated but not expected. Also how long of a drive from the ocean will I be. Was thinking about going on a party boat or charter for a day. Any recomendations? Any good places to eat? Sorry for so many questions. Thanks Paul

I have 8 hours from take off to weigh in. I fish a river system with 7 lakes totaling 11-12000 acres. I have approximatly 20 "spots" that I fish on a regular basis. If I'm in a spot that normally produces fish and isn't how long before I should change presentations, how long before I should leave? Also If I'm on a spot catching small fish. How long before changing or leaving? Do you guys try and catch a limit then go for the big bite or go for the big bite and if that doesn't work, try and get your limit. Time management during tourneys drives me crazy and I think if I was more focused on fishing than 2nd guessing myself I could do better. Does anyone else go thru this?

I've been going down to Benton KY in the spring the last few years. In my experience water level plays a big roll in where the fish are. A couple years ago water was 4ft over summer pool in April and the bass were stacked up in the creeks right on the buck brush. Last year at the same time water levels were low and the fish were on points and secondary points in 12-20fow. Also the crappier the weather the better the fishing. No secret baits, soft plastics and jigs were the top producers. If you get to the Benton area go to Marquitas for an awsome breakfast. The bass in my avatar was caught in KY lake 3/08

I didn't mean get a 250hp with all the bells and whistles (unless thats what you want)To be clear on motor size, if the boat is designed to operate with let's say 90-150hp if you can afford a 125hp I would get that instead of the 90hp.

What shouldn't you look for? Alot of it depends on the lakes you'll be fishing. You have different engine options, trolling motor options, bow and console electronics, enough storage, etc. Once you start adding it all up it can get expensive. Get in the boat and check out the layout. If you always fish with a partner you may want a dual console. I'd recommend getting the most powerful engine you can afford. A 24v trolling motor with alot of thrust is also a good choice. As far as electronics go I think it depends on the water you're fishing and personal preference. If you have any boat shows or fishing shows where you live check them out. You'll be able to see and compare different brands at the same time.

I'm guessing you have a fuse block or circuit breaker. If you believe it's from the livewell pump, disconnect the wires at the pump and energize the circuit. If the fuse no longer blows or the circuit doesn't trip then that was your problem. If it continues to trip it's not the pump and could be the wiring or another accessory. It's the process of elimination. Disconnect one accessory at a time and try each circuit.

I'll use a flouro leader on a texas or carolina rig in clear water because its less visible than braid. You can use a barrel swivel, but I prefer a line to line knot like an albright knot because it's strong and small enough to fit through the rod guides.

1.Justifying to myself how much money I spend on this wonderful habit. 2. Walking out of BPS or Cabelas with ONLY what I went there for.(Why did I buy more soft plastics when I already have 3 tackleboxes full of them?) 3. Dealing with cabin fever as there is 10" of ice on all the lakes here. 4. Knowing what to do when everything that always works, isn't working.(changing baits, locations, presentations)

Here's a pretty informative article to confuse you even more http://www.gunsandammomag.com/cs/Satellite/IMO_GA/Story_C/The+Home+Defense+Shotgun

There has been some earlier discussions on this - most people report that the store will honor an on-line or catalog price...but you may need to bring the catalog page or a print-out of the web page...and you may or may not need to talk with the department manager to get the price. From what has been said, BPS runs all 3 entities (stores, catalog, internet) as separate businesses so there is no guarantee of uniform prices. Was there this morning, trying to get a combo that was on sale last week online is not even featured this week. The clerk said If I was to bring in a copy of the online sale they would honor it if it was in stock. He said the online specials are changing all the time, and that's why he would need to see a copy.