GiggleWart

Extensive Research has indicated that no matter what you think, it can be proven wrong and vice-versa. :-?

Test new lures in proven areas. (not necissarily active or in-active fish). Last three times out, you used a DT6 down a certain stretch of bank and caught a few fish each pass. Next time out, try your new lure IF it resembles the DT6 you've been using. IF no fish...tie your DT6 back on and run the bank again. I guess....when trying new lures, you need to be where the fish are. Don't use new lures to try to find fish. Use old confidence lures to do that. Then, once found....see if any of the new lures work better.

I caught a 14lb bass. Let it go. Ordered a replica. Put it on the wall. I now have a plastic, toy bass on my wall that I didn't really catch. But, at least I did the right thing. I let my fish go. I'm still not certain catch and release is so much the "right" thing. BUT, it is the "politically correct" thing to do. Hmmm...those are just some of the things I ponder while sittin on the deer stand waiting to put a politically correct slug through the shoulder blades of the 1st 8pt that walks by. Funny how it's okay to take home dinks at the lake, but, out here in the woods, I just let the dinks walk on by. Sure is cold sittin here...WAIT...is that a....12pt I see? Too far for a shot, and now he's gone. NO PROBLEM though. I did SEE it. I'm going home right now and dig through the attic. Pretty sure I remember where I put the Christmas lawn ornaments. If I remember right, Donor or Blitzen's plastic antlers are 12pt's. I'll just break one of Santa's plastic reindeer in half and stick him on the wall in the den. Yep, right next to my plastic fish that I didn't catch..........

I'll spend as much next year on fishing as Mastercard will let me.

For me, the colder the better (water temp and it's still got to be in liquid form). Importance in my opinion? 1) Me not being miserable. (no 20mph winds and if it's falling from the sky, it had better be frozen). 2) Stable water temps. 45 degrees or colder and been that way for at least a week. 3) Baitfish "near". I won't be fishing in the baitfish. I usually see balls of baitfish on the graph 10'-20' deep suspended over deeper water, I'll move over to the nearest bank and fish the bottom 5'-20' deep. 4) It will be a crankbait or suspending jerkbait that I cast to 5' of water and work it back to the boat which is setting lots deeper. 5) SLOW SLOW. I just barely want to feel a crankbait wobbling. I want a suspending bait to stay stopped in one place for at least 15 seconds, then I give it a slow tug. Pulling it about 2'. Then let it set still again. I like small diameter flourocarbon. Keeps the lure down there and helps it get deeper than advertised. Braid will hold water and freeze instantly to guides and reels. Sometimes you will feel em hit it. Sometimes you'll see your line jump. But, most times you will begin a "pull" and a fish will just "be there". 9 times out of 10, if you get a good hard thump, It's a Drum. The suspended jerkbait works best for me when the fish are suspended. Might be a slight break in the shoreline under the water and you drag that bait over the break and the fish will come up and hit it. Crankbait around wood due to most minnow jerkbaits will get snagged if you get them within sight of a stump. And for some reason I've had better luck with BRIGHT colors on crankbaits. Reel it down, kill it, and a bass will just inhale it. Or, just reel it back very very slow and they will just sort of load-up on it. I don't think anything swimming around in 39 degree water is Firetiger colored, and have no idea why that works better than a natural color in winter? But, one thing is certain for me. From Nov-Feb, The colder the better for BIG Limits.