Shad_Master

There is a lake near my home that has an overabundance of blue gill and lots of good sized bass. I spent almost every evening this last season fishing from the bank. I would arrive at about an hour before sundown and start casting out -- Zoom Worms and Senko's mostly. At first I would get nothing. After about 15 mins, the blue gill would start pecking at my lures. Then about 15 min later the bg bite would stop suddenly and from then until the 'skeeters got too thick I could pound the bass. This pattern held up all season. My though was that the blue gills were pulling into the shallows to feed and the bass were following them in to feed on them. The lures were an easy mark and produced the strikes.

I got some of this stuff when it first came out -- fish love the action, but my experience has been that they will spit it out in a hurry. I tried it on a C-rig one night and had up to 12 bites without ever getting a hookset (now I can't be a 100 percent sure that they weren't blue gill bites, but when I switched to a Ring Fry I started catching bass). IMO, this stuff feels funny to us and to bass as well.

I tried using a hook similar to the one's Lightening Rod is talking about -- they weren't gammy's but the same sort of thing. I ended up calling them "fishless" hooks instead of weedless :'(

Oops! I almost made the same mistake, you are talking about spin-casting equipment (like Zebco's and such). I haven't done this but I think it would be a problem. The line is so limp, I think there would be a problem with the pick-ups getting the line back. I have used Power Pro on spinning gear and it does work, but you have to consider that the line diameter is much smaller than the test weight. Also, you will want to put a backing on the reel to avoid slipping.

I have an 18' Tracker that was bought used and has seen better days. It came with two Bottom Line depth finders that don't work, or at least don't work right. I have accumulated $200 in gift cards and would like to pick up something to help me locate structure. The fact that depth finders show fish is only an aggravation as far as I'm concerned and I am much more interested in locating channel ledges and brush piles. Question for the $ I have to spend, would it be better to get two depth finders (one for the bow and one for the console) or spend it all on one for the bow? Also, any suggestions as to what to get for the money?

This is just my experience and not an expert opinion by any means. Two years ago, I was fishing a club tournament with the guy who won the "Mr. Bass Award" for the year. He had been fishing on this particular lake for several days prior to the event and had found lots of keeper sized bass on a road bed in a large cove. As we pulled in he began C-rig fishing and started pulling in one after the other. I pulled out my C-rig set up with a lindy sinker and was using the same lure as him. He limited out in a about 15 minutes and culled about 6 times in a half-hour. I couldn't buy a bite in the same area, with the same lure. The only difference in our set ups was that he was using an egg sinker and I was using the Lindy.

There is another thread going on about BPS rewards points and I agree this is an awsome program. Last year I managed to lose a rod/reel combo over the side of the boat just before a big tournament was comming up. My wife was p/o'd because I wanted to get another one, but I had enough rewards points to pay for all but $5 of the cost -- managed to stay out of the doghouse on that one. But does Cabela's have the same kind of program. I went to the store in KC over the Thanksgiving day weekend and tried to sign up for a "rewards card" but it turned out to be a credit card application and I didn't need another one of those so I canceled the app. They gave me some kind of paper card and said that my rewards card would come in the mail, but it never did. Just curious about this 'cause they just opened a store here that is on my way home from work and I could probably rack up lots of points if they do.

If you go back and read my post carefully you will see that offering the non-boater the chance to run the trolling motor is a decision that "some boaters" make -- it is not a requirement. As to having to put up with us non-boaters, if you really feel that way maybe you should consider not joining a club where you get paired up for tournaments. After all we are a pesky bunch and more interested in trashing your boat than in catching the fish : There are some etiquitte rules that all non-boaters should follow and I believe there are some articles on this site that talk about that. Maybe somebody can link to them.

Even though I own a boat, because of big motor problems and other issues, I have fished with my club for 4 years as a non-boater and will probably stick with it this year. Boaters are like bass, each one is different. Our club has a rule that says the non-boater can have control of the water for 1/2 of the fishing day -- in other words if I am fishing with a boater who is keying on brush piles in the middle of the lake, I can request that we move to the dam or fish the shore line for at least 1/2 of the tournament day. Some boaters even insist that the non-boater run the trolling motor for at least part of the day. After 4 years, I have only felt that I was "back boated" once and this was in my first year with the club when my boater was sight fishing -- that was a frustrating day. Last year, I came in runner up for big bass of the year and had a third place finish with big bass for that tournament and ended the year in 10th place as a non-boater. Out of the top 10 for the club, 4 were non-boaters. So don't shy away from fishing from the back deck, but talk things over with your partner ahead of time so you know what to expect and adapt and learn from what is going on.

I was given a Christmas Tree ornament this year that says "What most increases the size of a fish is almost being caught" Last year, during a tournament, I hooked into one that was probably 5-6 lbs. and had him to the boat. My partner grabbed the net and just as he started to lift, the fish jumped and landed back in the water. He made a run and pulled off -- he wasn't a monster, but he certainly hurt the most.

Several years ago, I had to fly to Dallas for a convention and I discovered that the cost to fly from KC was quite a bit less than flying from Omaha, so I decided to drive down to KCI and catch my flight there. While waiting in the gate, I sat down next to a guy that was reading the sports section but didn't really pay much attention. After a while some other guy walked up to him and asked, "are you Lamar Hunt?" and he said he was. When the plane started boarding, Mr. Hunt was able to board early because he was Gold Member or something, but when it was my turn to board I was surprised to find that he was seated next to me in Coach Class. We talked some on the flight, but I tried not to act like a school kid. He was very friendly and talked about how much he enjoyed being "a part of the Chief's organization". I came away very impressed with him as a person. Very down to earth.

As I understand it, salt is one of the ingredients used to manufacture soft plastic baits. Having salt in the formula causes the bait to sink slower and also gives it a more appetizing taste to the fish. "Better than salt" is probably some other chemical or compound that would take the place of the salt but have the same effect.

I also recently talked with a guy who is using a jig as sort of a C-rig presetation with a lizard or brush hog as a follower lure and has been having good luck. He said most of his bites come on the jig.

Yep, they do work. I had my best luck with them last year fishing through some heavy grass and along rocky banks. They are not a magic bait, but they do give you an additional weapon in your arsenal. As to color, I had my best luck with black/blue and black/red, but also caught some in crystal clear water on the white and chartruse. I still have more to learn about this lure, but it is definitely one of my "go to's". While in BPS this week end, I noticed that they are selling a ChB "kit", but be careful here as it looked like the blades were kinda funky. Other than the original ChB I really like the Booyah Boogies with the Leverage hook, but lots of guys in this area are buying the components and/or making their own.

I belong to a local club that is full of terrific guys and great fishermen -- we are not a "money" club, but more of a "learning" club. However, it seems like every winter we start bickering about something. (it must just be the winter weater). This year, one of the issues being "discussed" is the level and types of information shared in the club. Our usual format is for the winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd and Big Bass) to say what they caught 'em on and where. But is seems that there should be some way to explain more so that if somebody is on to something that I have not figured out, I can be prompted to ask more questions or somthing. would appreciate you input on this. Thanks.

Q: What's the difference between a Northern fairy tale and a Southern fairy tale? A: A Northern fairy tale begins: "Once upon a time..." and a Southern fairy tale begins: "Ya'll ain't gonna believe this."

Super job Cart7, I may just have to watch that several times over the winter. Thanks a bunch.

I am certainly not a jig expert by any means, but I have been having more success with jigs this year and offer these "tips" for your consideration. I think both 3/8 and 1/2 are the best sizes unless you are going to be fishing really deep. Then you may want to go to a 3/4 or 1 oz. For swimming a jig, you will want to have fairly clear water and your trailer should impart some action. Zoom makes a smaller chunk type trailer with long tails that works good. I have a big debate going with the guy I am learning about jig swimming from regarding rattles. His take is that he cannot say for certain that rattles or lack of rattles ever really makes a differnce. Black/Blue is the mainstay for jigs, but don't be afraid to experiment. As for traditional jiggin, the best advice anyone can give you is take your jigs out fishing and leave everything else at home. Keep hopping 'em until you learn what the bite feels like and how to set the hook. It is a little different from anyother style of fishing, but can have some great results.

Well, since I started this thread, hopefully I will end it as well. I did not intend to be critical of anything about the way the forum is set up or administered. I was simply offering, what I thought, would be a good suggestion. I specifically addressed it to the Administrator and the Moderators so you could give me some feedback as to if there was a good reason not to do this. I am not a computer person, so there is much that I don't understand about what can and can't happen here. But I was a little disappointed when it appeared that the Admin and Mod's were not even taking the time to respond. Maybe I should have handled this through a PM, but I thought that if it was interesting to some of the others in the group they might chime in with their suggestions as well. I truly enjoy being a part of this forum and appreciate how much I have learned. Maybe one of the things I need to learn is to stay out of discussions that I don't know enough about to contribute. BTW, thanks for your response Flecthero, but I was not ever trying to "attack" anyone and certainly hope no one thinks that I ever would.

Okay, so I asked what I thought was a legitamate question and the only actual responses are "time and money" and "it would be a cool idea". No serious response from either Glen or the moderators so I assume that there is no interest in this.

Would it be possible to set of a data base patterned after the fishing log offered at this site where members of the forum could record their catches? Our local club used to have something like this and it was cool to have a history to refer to when fishing a lake for the first time (to see what worked at that time of the year, etc.) and also to keep a record of what was happening when. I know we have an area for "braggin" and this is cool, but this would be an alternative to that. Just a thought.

Last year I was fishing a local tournament with a guy and we stumbled into a whole heard of bass. We were getting bit on almost every cast after having a real slow start to the day. We both had good limits and the check-in time was fast approaching. He said, "let's make one more cast, but don't catch a big one 'cause we don't have time to land it". I made my cast and hauled water, he was on his retrieve when he stuck a 19.5" er. I was firing up the boat while he was still landing the bass. We laughed about that for the rest of the year.

If you watched any of the BassMaster tournaments on TV this year, you probably noticed the thing they were doing with tagged bass. I was amazed at how far those suckers roamed. Not enough info from this to indicated why they were traveling around, but sure raised some questions for me about things I had thought I had learned.

I think there is no doubt that "color matters" -- I have seen too many examples of fish biting lures right next to other lures fished exactly the same way. Now, is there a way to "know" what color will work? NO, you have to experiment and try variations. But there are some general "truths" about color that do hold up. In clear water, you want more natural colors that mimic the bait that is in that body of water. In muddy or stained water, you need somthing that will show up against the background and this is when either very bright (chartruese or fire-tiger for example) work best or dark (black, black/blue, etc.). On a fishing trip a couple of years ago, I was stuggling to get bit while my partner was slaying them. After he caught a really nice one I asked to look at it and saw crawdad pinchers in it's throat -- they were "robins egg blue". I switched to a sweet beaver in this color and immediately started getting bites. It's hard to "match the hatch" when fishing for bass because they will feed on a variety of food in the water, but anything you can do to mimic what you know to be there (especially in color) will help (IMO).

A technique that works well in this area is swimming a jig, this is similar to slow rolling a spinner bait and works well in fairly clear water from Spring through early fall. Once the water temp starts dropping the fish get sluggish and this won't hold up. I was surprised at how effective this can be and have been using this more in the last year. Still prefer the traditional pitch and hop action in the hot part of the summer, though.