SammyLee

I am planning on renting a boat at Quachita Lake in Arkansas next weekend. They have two options, a 16 foot boat with a 9.9 hp motor or a 16 foot boat with a 15 hp motor. Will your average 16 foot boat get up on plane with two people and gear with a 15 hp motor? What about just one person? The 9.9 motor and boat is 60 dollars per day and the 15 hp motor and boat is 70 dollars. Is the additional 5 hp worth the extra 10 bucks?

Thanks Big Mike, I will try it your way tomorrow. By the time I had tried the crankbait and the creature there was not much light left in the day. Plus I was trying to get used to managing the boat, trolling motor, wind and fish at the same time, all by myself. I was casting parallel to the bank, just outside the snotgrass. Maybe 6 to 8 feet of mostly clear, green tinted water. I tried working from the outside, casting in, landing on or near the lilypads but had to drag back into the snotgrass which ruined the rest of the retrieve. I did observe the bait's swim action and I was pretty impressed. It has a nice swim-tail look, almost like a small snake. Not exactly like that but maybe like a combination worm and swim shad. It looks kinda like a tail pushing a rope! It was a 5 inch, watermelon/black flk. I was using a medium light St. Croix 6 foot rod with the Shimano Saros 2500F spinning reel, loaded with Cajan red line in 6# test, which I am beginning to love. Proably the best outfit I've ever had in my life. I doubt my dad ever had such a nice one. Two hours fishing, one small bass and I feel happy. What a heck of a sport!

I was trying to buy some Senko 194's but unwittingly bought 194 swimsenkos. Today I borrowed a buds 10 ft. jon boat and hit the water about 6pm. First I cast a small crankbait, nothing. Then I tried a creature, nothing. Finally, I T-rigged one of the swimsenko cast and did a fairly slow retrieve with a bit of jerk, wait, small jerk. I felt the bass hit it, a little resistance then set the hook hard. I landed an average bass for this lake, which is just now post spawn. I am not a good worm fisherman, usually drop shotting when I do worm fish. What is the best way to fish one of the swimsenko's? I got one but I think it was almost an accident.

When I needed to work on the trailer for my 16 foot Larson a friend who had worked in marina came over and we set the boat on soft grass. We kicked the outboard up/back as far as it would go to avoid prop damage. As I recall, there was some type of hinge about midway on the trailer or we just picked up the front of the trailer and slowly un-winched it until the stern was on the grass, then pulled the trailer out from under it. We did our trailer work, pushed the trailer up to the bow with the trailer tongue up high, then winched it back onto the trailer. That's as I recall because it was in 1981.

Nice picture. Heck, I'd think I was in high cotton if that was mine. Give me a little boat, a little motor, a clear sky at sunup, a sack of sandwiches and all day to fish and fool around and I'll be smiling inside and out. I'll come close in about two hours. I'm gonna go over to my neighbor's house, borrow his jon boat, put my trolling motor on it and put some lip-less crank-baits up near the docks. If that's doesn't work, I'll drop shot some soft baits on the ledge.

Boomers or Quick boats? I was stationed onboard the USS Simon Lake in Charleston in the outside machine shop, mostly doing QA inspections. All boomers for us. I was all set to go on sea trials with one we fixed but they decided to go straight to patrol after sea trials, so that killed that little trip for me. I guess my luck must be pretty good. Skydiving, rock climbing, wreck diving (in your backyard offshore Boynton among other places) hanggliding, motorcycles and solo hikes into the wilderness. The luck is not SO perfect as my wife almost got used to the calls from the emergency room! Tetnus shots so often when asked, "When was your last tetnus shot?" I'd be saying, "Well this is May, I guess November of last year?" 22 stiches in my right hand from a big green Moray eel in the keys. Anyway, thanks Chief for your service to our nation. Heck, you and I both know, CPO's make the Navy run. Well, I will give a little credit to some of the Warrant Officers I knew.

Wow, that rubbing compound really did the trick! Like so many others here, I really like the boat. Different enough to give it some personality but set up to be a good fisher. I had a 16 foot Larson modified tri-hull with a 100 hp Evenrude and topped out around 40mph with two onboard. That Larson hull was pretty heavy and I had a heavy duty truck battery with a stainless steel 20 gal tank. We could go a ways for sure. I'm thinking you got a good deal on this boat and that's what I'm looking for myself. I am sorta leaning to a nearly antique boat. Something like a 14 footer with a 25 hp Evenrude or Johnson. I want one that runs reliably and not too many fix it up issues. I want to use the darn thing and be fiddling with the darn thing all the time.

Nice fish! Oh, by the way, EXACTLY where is lunker lake and EXACTLY what lure were you using. I was thinking to travel to central Florida and you know, maybe bring a rod. (just kiding!) The fish of my dreams is still swimming around and we've not been introduced yet but the day is coming! That's why I tie good knots even when pan fishing. Ya never know.

YNCBassman, Is that Yeoman Chief Petty Officer? I spent 10 in from 72 to 82 as MM1. Anyway, I have no boat, (yet) and lot's of the ponds I fish have brush all around the bank so I flip and pitch, my style, using a spinning outfit! Gotta get the darn thing out there somehow. And hey, I lived in West Palm for 19 years and fished with the gators many, many times. I had a big one in my backyard that used to HATE bobbers. I'd throw out, he's swim out, crush my bobber with one bite and swim back to shore. I'd re-rig, he'd swim out, etc. I had to take a dozen bobbers with me for an hour of fishing. I even went scuba diving in that lake. He wasn't exactly friendly but he was not aggessive either. One time we went to the east coast of Lake Okeechobee to watch the sunset. There was this guy wade fishing with a ring of gators around him. He moved, they moved. Never did they get closer than about 150 feet from him. He was cool, they were cool. I used to water ski on the Ashley river in Charleston. Often, way up the river as the boat came around a bend I'd see gators on the bank splash into the water. I'll have to say, I was bit more careful not to fall at that point! Really, don't sweat the gators. We're not on their prey list. It's mostly a mistake when a person gets eaten. Sharks, the same way.

I was just thinking that I need some type of apprenticeship program to really learn to bass fish. Back in Florida I was invited to be an observer for bill-fish tournaments because I could keep my mouth shut and NEVER got seasick. It gave me an opportunity to learn about some fishing I'd never get to do, really. I was on million dollar boats and fuel and bait represented a months pay for me. Anyway, how does this work for bass tournaments? Do you guys already have the other fellows picked out? I can promise you pros a few things. I won't chit-chat you to death and I will NEVER talk about places, technique or lures. I may use what I learn but yapping about it will not happen. Really, I am kinda surprised there is as much sharing here as there is. So, what's the deal on "the other fellow?"

So how'd it go? Catch any? If so, what with? I walked down to the lake near my house and got a really nice brim, a small bass and a little hybrid I guess. I didn't even know there were in that lake. It looked like a striper to me. Supposedly, they skocked the lake and there are too many big ones in it! Yeah, right.

I try to keep them alive until I am ready to clean them. This is in part because I don't like cleaning fish that have been on ice. They are stiff and that makes it (for me) hard to "flex" the fish during a filet, especially on the skin side. All that being said, I have had to ice fish prior to cleaning and I wouldn't wait more than about 6-8 hours and make sure you have enough ice to do the job. 4 hours would be better imho and that's inside a closed cooler not just sitting in a bucket of ice in the bottom of the boat.

My best day of bass fishing was two weeks ago in a constant light to medium rain.

I used to take my 21 footer offshore of the Breakers in Palm Beach, put on my mask, drop into the water and have someone hand me the anchor. I'd hold onto the side of the boat and drift until I saw a nice school of fish. Then I'd drop anchor and go fishing! Had pretty good luck!

In 1980 I took my Larson 16 foot, modified tri-hull with a 100hp Evenrude, out into the Santee-Cooper Lakes near Charleston SC. After launch I discovered the "chop" was at least 3 feet and often more. I thought I'd try to find a leeward spot to wait it out some. On the way a huge wave came over the bow, at least two feet over. I mean a hundred plus gallons of green water. Reacting, not thinking, I gunned the engine. That water jumped through the boat, taking the back seats and Lord knows what else out of the boat, over the stern and motor. I was still ankle deep but a least not knee deep like I was when the water passed. I saw a bit of clear water between that wave and the next and whipped a u-turn and did my best to keep from being pitch-poled into disaster. I managed to get back to the ramp and some kind stranger helped me get her back on the trailer. I really think that wave was four feet.

Man, is that blue boat for sale? I love the older simpler boats. I love wood boats as well. The first time I ever got out of sight of land in the gulf was on a handmade wooden boat with my dad and a guide who was nearly snow blind. Dad bought this 14 foot or so little wood runnabout that had a covered bow and nice lines and an evenrude 25 in the back. Back in the mid 60's he decided to "Glass" it and bought glass fabric, resin and hardner. Amazing how well it came out after many weekends of work. He had a near genius IQ and was handy as anybody. My family used to camp in Wind Creek park on Lake Martin ande took that little boat with an extra gas tank way the heck up the creek. Up to the point it got very narrow with rock bluffs coming down to the shore line. What a day, what good times with my dad. SammyLee

Not sure about the numbers right now. It's at home and I'm not. I'll look tonight. It's the red one as I know there is a blue and a gold. I noticed that there is a small rust through spot on the right red plate about the size of a large pin head. I may want to send it or take it to a reel repair place and see what they can do. At least clean and lubricate it better than I did last night. Any idea about it's current usefullness in today's fising? Is it a really hard one to cast? Never had much luck with it in the past. SammyLee

I went digging through the old stuff last night and came across an Ambassador 4500 reel in pretty good shape. I cleaned it, reel oiled it and loaded some 12 pound mono on it. I put it on an old cheapy medium action baitcaster rod I had, also back in the "old stuff" storage. My question is this. Is this reel worth using today? It seems to function well enough but my baitcasting skills are something like taking a third grade girl's. Can I learn on this thing? Can I use it for real fishing? I have read some if not most of the "baitcaster How to's" but three out of four cast is a backlash and the lure lands 20 to 60 feet from my aim point. It's really frustrating and has kept me on spincasters for the last few years. How much of an advantage is baitcast outfits? Especially as most of my fishing is smaller ones. That being said, my dream is an 8+ pounder and my hope is a 6+er. What do y'all think? SammyLee ps, GOOD GRIEF! I just looked on ebay. Some guy wants $450 for one in mint condition with box and oil. Mine aint' that good but wow.

Welcome Big Country! Ah, the memories of Warner Robins back in the late 60's, playing rock and roll in dive assed bars full of crazy folks. I learned not to get too friendly with local girls cause that caused problems with my health. Got a sudden onset of bloody nose and black eyes! SammyLee

Can'tCatchFish posts, 'sweet do you know where the road is located at on westpoint?" Sort of. It's more of a visual thing as Iused to drive on that road. It's on the west side of the lake, running close (a couple hundred yards) from the old main river channel. It's closer to the West bank a mile or so north of the dam. In low lake levels you can see it (or at least you used to could) close to the shore. It was called "Old Stateline Road" because it ran closest to the river which is the state line between Alabama and Georgia.

With four bites and one for sure a LMB I suspect the problem is on the handle end of the tackle. I've always had problems with soft bites which is why I've drop shotted so much. I'll keep trying and maybe get it down. That green pumpkin is so dark I suspect it's nearly as good as black, especially 6 to 10 feet down. By the way, I did see a bunch of bass on the bed today. Not as many as last week but still a good number. They ignored everything I threw at them but from the bank, it's hard to sneak up on em. I was messing around with the lure in about one foot of water, trying to see what kind of action it had and this little red ear brim swam out and bit one of the flukes! The Kreature was nearly as big as it was! When I say it "bit" it, that's what I mean. He was not trying to eat it, just run it off. Scrappy little fish. I was a kid swimming near the dock and a d**n (em, Darn?) brim swam up and bit my nipple! I swear that's true and it hurt! SammyLee

I'm not gonna be much help here but I have a long history of Lake West Point. West Point Ga is one of the few, I'm sure, cities that has a law against water skiing in the city limits. Back in about 1965, the Chattahoochee flooded the town and some folks decided to water ski down main street. The wake broke the store front windows, hence the law and the need for the dam. I remember that flood well as I grew up in Lanett AL, which borders West Point. I ran one of the concession stands during the ground breaking ceremony for the dam. A couple of years ago, I went back for a school reunion and rented a nice little bass boat. Fished all day and got squat. I finally gave up and just took a boat ride. There was a tournament there that weekend so I guess some folks were catching. As a boy, we fished the lake South of West Point on Halawahkee creek. My dad was a real crappie king there. I'll be interested to see the responses to this as I will go back to the old home place at some point and would like to fish there. I have scuba dived in the lake on "Old State Road". Kinda weird underwater with a road on the bottom.

Thanks Roadwarrior. I got a pack of green pumpkin/black flk Kreatures. Texas rigged with no weight on the 6 pound test. Casting into and just out of the snot grass and got three bites with no hookups. Not sure if was brim grabbing it but I had one small bass that I got nearly to the bank. I swear, I don't think he was hooked but just holding on with his mouth. I know that I need to learn how to set the hook with these baits and I think I am somewhat limited by the light rod and six pound mono. Seems strechy when I haul back. Oh well. Another day another water. SammyLee

Hey Y'all, I've got the afternoon off and want to try a Creature in the lake near my house and have a few questions. I'll be fishing that new outfit with the six pound test, from the bank or maybe a jon boat near sundown. The water is pretty clear but the bottom is COVERED in this nasty, soupy, stringy green algae. Water depth seems to be about 25 feet in the middle with a drop off about ten feet out. What color creature do you think will work? I am considering a Texas rig with no weight to reduce the algae/weed accumulations or drop shot. This issue with drop shot is that the weight will ALWAYS drag a mass of crap every time I move it. The bass have been on bed the last two weeks but it looks to me like they may be moving to post spawn. I'm not seeing as many up in the shallows. Must be a ton of work for those males keeping that algae away from the bed! Any hints on dealing with this algae? Unfortunately, my casting skills suck, so dropping right into the beds is hit or miss, mostly miss. Still haven't quite figured out the new rod/reel combination. Of course I was aiming for that tree! When it drops into the water, it'll be a sure strike! Thanks in advance. ps I meant to ask also, if a Creature is not the best for algae, what should I try? SammyLee

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. This looks like a great forum with few flame wars etc. And yes, we went to Graceland when we moved up here seven years ago from South Florida. I was never much of an Elvis fan but I really enjoyed Graceland. Heck, by the time we got to his grave I was getting all misty eyed! I really knew I was a Southerner, raised in the sixties when I turned to my wife and said, "Hey, I thought they said this place was tacky!" The jungle room looked darn good to me. And what's the problem with lead crystal sitting on top of the TV? Heck, we had that in our mobile home. (Not trailer, we took the wheels off) That Sears and Roebuck color TV was the best piece of furniture we ever had. I'm going fishing this afternoon so I am gonna jump over to the tackle section and ask a few questions about rigging and fishing a creature, either drop shot or Texas rig in algae soup. Y'all stay cool and have fun.