senile1

The first artificial lure I used to catch a bass was a Rapala Original Floating Minnow. I caught quite a few early ones on the Rapala Countdown Sinking Minnow as well, but the floating minnow was the first. Before that, my first bass of all was on a cane pole with a night crawler.

Same in my neck of the woods. A little over a week ago I caught the end of the spawn at a smaller lake I frequent an hour north of me (Blind Photographer thread). I went back this week to the same lake on Wednesday and caught 12 and what I caught were definitely post spawn fish.

Awesome fish! A big one can even turn a skunk into a monumental day.

I should have placed this here rather than starting a new thread.

Friday, May 21st, I discovered that the camera I used for fishing had bitten the dust just before I was going to leave for the lake. Without a second thought, I took my Nikon 3200 DSLR in its place. I will revisit this subject momentarily. When I arrived at the lake it was cloudy and windy, and the water was a bit dirty so I grabbed my rod with a black and blue jig and started pitching and casting. Within less than two hours I had a feeling this wasn't going to be a normal day. A significant number of the fish I was catching were over 3 lbs and I already had one over 4 lb and one over 5. I would like to say that I spent some time figuring the fish out and that my skills in finding them and figuring them out made all the difference, but that wasn't the case. The fish were very cooperative allowing me to determine rather quickly that they were in 3 to 8 feet of water around wood and on humps with grass. Other than trying a spinnerbait and crankbait to test their productivity in the wind, throwing a 6 inch Senko after a couple of lost fish, and trying a different colored jig and trailer, I only used the black/blue or Okeechobee Rage Craw colors all day with a black/blue Siebert Outdoors Grid Iron Brush jig. If I couldn't get bit with a hopped or dragged jig, I would swim it slowly over the tops of the grass. All of these presentations resulted in good fish. The results were 22 bass, over half of which were over 3 lbs. The best 5 weighed 23 lbs 1 oz (5 lb 3oz, 4 lb 4 oz, 4 lb 2 oz, 3 lb 14 oz, and 5 lb 10 oz). Not to mention I lost a few on a jig that had a dull hook from previous use. While this isn't a record bag, nor did I catch anything near a PB, it was a very fun day. And then there was the camera. Within 15 minutes of putting the boat in the lake I had my first 5 lb fish. I placed it in the livewell and started to setup my camera when I discovered I had brought my old, small, crappy tripod that was less than perfect at holding the weight of my DSLR. Number two, it was cloudy and with my polarized glasses I couldn't see the LCD screen very well which I use when setting up photos with the timer. The glasses are prescription, and without them, I cannot see the LCD very well either. So, please excuse the poor photography. 5 lb 3 oz 4 lb 4 oz 4 lb 2 oz 3 lb 14 oz 5 lb 10 oz Pic 1 5 lb 10 oz Pic 2

What would have helped me the most to have more fun on the water when I first started bass fishing? For me having fun meant enjoying nature, but also I needed to catch some fish. I think DitchPanda's advice along with a couple of other tidbits would have been the best for me. The prerequisite to the above is obviously learning fundamental bass location theory per season and bass behavior. Once you have that though, one can really get caught up in the excitement of all the different baits, techniques, rods, reels, etc. that are available to the angler. Then you go out on a big lake in a boat for the first time and you catch nada . . . . squat. And you wonder what the heck happened as you threw everything but the kitchen sink at them. That is the problem. You didn't need all that stuff as it just confuses things. This is a five step summary of what would have helped me as a new bass angler. Some of these steps overlap and occur at the same time, such as steps 2, 3, and 4. Learn fundamental bass behavior in the seasons and as it relates to weather. Learn a few baits that cover the water column when bass are active - deep, mid-depths and close to the surface. (Learning a bait means learning how it feels in cover, how to set the hook, and how to land fish with it.) Also, learn a few baits covering the water column when bass are not active (i.e. smaller finesse baits). On steps 2 and 3, make sure you learn how to use them so that they become second nature to you. Now you will have a small arsenal that covers most conditions. Start on smaller lakes and ponds of no more than a few hundred acres so that it will be easier for you to find the fish, build confidence, and actually make note of the structures and areas they are using during the different seasons. There is nothing like seeing it on the water to confirm what you learned in step one, but also to show you that there are often exceptions to what you learned. Now, take what you have learned on smaller waters and apply it on larger lakes of a few thousand acres. Be ready for some effort if you go it alone without the benefit of an angler who knows the lake. Big lakes takes more time to learn and find the fish. Keep your mind in the game, always relating where you are fishing and what is happening to the knowledge from step 1. Be patient. What you learned on smaller waters will eventually yield results on bigger waters. Watching YouTube videos, participating in bass forums, or reading magazines are not substitutes for these steps. They may help you acquire some knowledge quicker but you will find the time on the water is still something that requires necessary, thoughtful patience.

It must be the entire northern half of Missouri. We are having 35 to 50 mph gusts more often than not. I don't recall a late winter/early spring period with this much wind. I have been able to fish some but when winds exceed 35 mph I typically wait for another day. The tools for fishing in the wind have already been mentioned: Talons or Power poles, spotlock trolling motors, anchors, and drift socks. However all of these can leave something to be desired in terms of safety when trying to fish in high winds with large waves. And just getting to a spot can be a harrowing ride.

Excellent write up! That is a beautiful bass.

An additional point to keep in mind about polarized glasses is that they work better with a hat brim shielding them so that light rays do not enter over the top between your face and your glasses. You don't have to purchase the most expensive brands to get a good pair either. Over the years I have used Maui Jim and Oakley polarized sunglasses, which can be pretty expensive when purchased with prescription lenses. After I retired in 2018, I no longer had eyecare insurance so I purchased a lower priced prescription pair of Denali polarized glasses after my last trip to the eye doctor. The polarization seems to be just as good as the higher priced glasses, though they do not handle low light situations as well. I think the trade-off was worth the money.

As you state maps can be somewhat inaccurate, especially those that are hard copies. I don't see my Garmin updates for my software maps being perfect either. It is difficult to incorporate every change to a lake bottom into maps due to the ongoing occurrence of siltation, and the movement and breakdown of items on the bottom of the lake. However, maps are great to obtain the general lay of the land and they are the starting point for finding potential bass locations, along with understanding bass behavior in the seasons. Once we get on the water we can then hone in on spots using our sonar.

The Powell Max line are solid rods in their price range. At one time I had six of them in my arsenal. I now have only three and I still have the original first generation Powell Max 683c medium-heavy which was my first Powell casting rod. Other than having to replace a rod eye insert now and then, I have enjoyed my Powells. A few years ago they produced the Powell Timax which did not sell very well and was dropped from production after a couple of years. However, I bought one and still use it as one of my jig/worm rods. It is a great rod. I don't know if the big jump in price from the other series of Powells was the reason for its demise or not, but it surely wasn't the quality of the rod itself.

Yep, and I would add that typically those first three are warmer weather type baits used when fish are active. After becoming proficient with those, do the same three depths with finesse type baits and techniques that work when the bite is tough and/or the temperatures are cold. Then expand on the active and inactive categories of baits at the next step. Some people become pretty darned accomplished with just a small number of baits in each category.

Same here. It isn't that difficult to find reels under 200 dollars that match up well with high dollar rods. Like RW, I am a big fan of the GLX 844C; however, I would lean toward purchasing multiple combos as recommended by @jbsoonerfan. There are a lot of good rods in the 140 to 200 dollar range for sensitive applications, and even less expensive rods can be purchased for your moving baits. That is, if being frugal is your goal. Otherwise, research the rods that meet your needs and buy whatever pleases you.

I am sorry to hear of his passing. My condolences to his family and friends. Gary seemed to follow the rule, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.". He will be missed.

To rule out my laptop, I checked my PC and my phone as well. I see the same thing on all three . . . . jpg file names but no pics.

I think they are worth it, though I would much rather have some solid mid-range fish to tide me over until that next lunker. I have some lakes like that as well. By the way, @Paul Roberts, I see your jpg files but I am unable to open them.

I don't know if you ever received an answer to your question, elsewhere. If you are looking at the Motorguide Xi5 or any of the motor series that have existed for a while you may be ok. As for their latest and best offering, the Tour Pro, I do not have good news. (See below.) The Minn Kota Ultrex, Ulterra, and Terrova have all been around a while and are available also.

Thanks! That is a nice offer. If I decide to go with the Ultrex I will PM you, but right now I am still debating. Regarding the long Garmin transducer, I assume you are using the GT40 that came with the original units like me. That transducer can take a beating, but it is quite large.

If you are waiting for the Motorguide Tour Pro it will be a long wait. After much research, I ordered one on April 11th to use with my first generation Garmin EchoMap 93sv's. I knew it would be backordered but expected it in 90 days. I ordered it to pick up at Bass Pro so I could avoid the shipping cost. Last Friday Bass Pro cancelled my order. I called them because I wanted my order to remain active so I wouldn't go to the bottom of the backorder list. They said this wasn't possible because they cancelled all orders for this motor and had no clue when they would get any in stock. They are out of stock at TackleWarehouse also. I called Motorguide on Monday and spoke to a gentleman who stated that it would be months before they catch up. He said he typically gave out a number for sales to people like me, but that he was now prohibited from doing so. I suggested that Motorguide needs to communicate their status with these motors on their Facebook page, or somewhere, because there is no information as to when one can expect to get a motor. I am now looking at getting an Ultrex. My Garmin transducer is 8.3 inches long and won't fit between the skeg and the universal sonar housing as that space is 7.75 inches. I am debating either finding online, or fashioning something to fill in the space so that the Garmin transducer will lie flat against that and the bottom of the universal sonar. Or I could just get the Garmin Force, though I didn't want to pay over 3000 for a trolling motor. Decisions, decisions.

There is a compatibility chart on the Garmin website for their transducers. I am thinking/guessing the Garmin GT22HW-TM may work for you as it is shorter. It provides chirp traditional and ClearVu, but not SideVu. It is shown to be compatible with the Striker Plus CV and Striker Plus SV. The compatibility indication is in the second image. R is recommended and C is compatible.

Yes, indeed, time flies. I think I remember the Gloomisman screen name too, but I had forgotten about it until you mentioned it.

Same here. I was buying them when Mike was mainly making the old arkie style. They were cheap and did the job. I think Mike's screen name on BR at that time was G-man if I am not mistaken. Those were the olden days - maybe circa 2006 through 2007. And then when he came out with the new style, the grid irons, and then the dredges, I was in jig heaven. @Siebert Outdoors- Am I correct on that screen name you had long ago?

Confidence is important, but having confidence in enough lures to cover all conditions is key. If I only have confidence in a couple of baits that only cover one or two situations on the water, I am going to have some tough days. Learning the situations and what baits are best for them is so important. Then one can spend enough time with those baits that cover the different conditions to be proficient with them. It doesn't have to be a great number of baits, but just enough that an angler is ready for most situations.

Below are some photos from three of my recent fishing trips. This first group of photos are fish caught on a Zara Spook on a very muddy water day after a storm a couple of weeks ago. There is nothing of size here in these post spawn fish but it was nice to get some topwater bites. After the fourth one, I decided not to take another pic unless I caught something bigger. I didn't. ? The pic below was from a little over a week ago at the same lake. I only caught four total fish on this day, but this one was quite photogenic and also looked bigger than it really was as it only weighed in at approximately 3 and a quarter lbs on the trusty BogaGrip. So I thought it was worth a pic. Since Sunday, the wife and I have been at Stockton Lake in Missouri. Numbers were great with a lot of 2 to 3 lb fish, but again no lunkers. This was the biggest fish of our trip weighing 3 lb 11 oz and measuring 19 inches.

I've broken a few over the years though I am pretty OCD about it now. My wife, for the most part a crappie angler, has been getting into bass fishing with me over the last few years so I bought her three Fenwick HMG rods for that purpose. They have decent sensitivity but aren't so high-priced that they are a waste if she decides to stop bass fishing. In the last month she has broken two of those HMGs by catching the tip under a gunnel cleat, so add boat cleats to the list of methods to break a rod.