Bass Hammer

Remember fishing is what helps us all deal with the tougher things that come along. Hang in there. Hammer

I use a BPS binder for all soft plastics. In there I keep hooks, weights, and split rings. I keep everything c-rig in a 3600. My cranks are divided by depth into seperate 3700 boxes. I also have seperate 3700s for spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, rattletraps, topwater, jerkbaits, etc. Hammer

$ on the turtle Hammer

If you're on a budget you probably need to look for something that will do what you want it to do. Try not to pay for features that you will not use. I would make a list of what's important than go from there. My number one priority is wattage. Than screen size and resolution. You don't need dual freq. All that being said lowrance has worked well for me. You might look at their X-52. Try www.brokenlegdave.com He has great prices and superfast shipping. Hopes this helps Hammer

Often times you can find them pushed up near wind blown banks. Hammer

Thanks for all the replys guys. It was fun hearing how much everyone is out fishing. Hammer

It really depends on what the fish are doing and what conditions I'm fishing in. Not too long ago I might have been fishing a c-rig or cranking deeper by 11. Especially if I didn't get much of a morning bite. However, if the sun is up I might be hitting the shade pockets with something t-rigged or a senko. The other day we used buzzbaits all day long. I just try to tune into the conditions and see what the fish are doing. Hammer

Depending on the water color I always start using my jerkbaits in the fall. Also I will use buzzbaits more than I usually do. Hammer

Welcome As everybody mentioned this is the absolute best site. Enjoy Hammer

I'm not much of a river rat but here's a few thoughts. Overcast and stained = darker baits with lots of vibration. Fish should be tighter to the cover. I don't know if 1 foot down is a big change on your river. If it is I would look for them at the next set of cover further out. Especially on the down current side. Hope this helps Hammer

Hey all I thought it would be interesting to do a little survey and see how much time per week everybody is out fishing. I'm sure we all fish as much as we can. Might be interesting to see how everybody fits it into their schedual. For me I usually fish 3 to 4 times during the week. Luckily I have a 35 acre lake that was built in the late 40's at one of my projects. We either hit from the bank or if I have a little more time we have a jon boat. I almost always get my boat out 1 day every weekend or jump in a buddies. I do slow down a bit in the winter. Thanks Hammer

30 feet is all I try for. If it's much further than that I'm throwing a little roll cast. A little harder to keep quiet though. 20 lb. florocarbon for me. Hammer

I forgot to mention G-locks. I think they're often over looked. In addition to rigging a tube I love them for anything short and fat, such as a beaver. Hammer

At my little secret lake the fish are already thinking about fall and are starting to move up. I've been throwing super small buzzbaits. They have been working great. Hammer

Clear white, clear of shad Stained Baby bass or something brown Muddy Fire tiger, black Hammer

Careful with maptech. They use a lot of USGS maps and topos that can be very old. I had a membership with them but cancelled after numerous lakes I wanted to fish were not even on their maps since their maps were older than when the lakes were built. Now I use hotspots or make maps on my lowrance software. Hammer

Welcome What a great place this is to exchange info. I learn something everytime I'm here. Hope you do to. Hammer

I'm a gammy dealer. Having all the hooks around me lets me try out different combos. Here's my version. For the little 4" guys I use gamakatsu offset shank worm 2/0. 6" I use the same hook in 3/0 or a 4/0 depending on whose plastic I'm throwing. Bigger = bigger hook. I'm not a big fan of the EWG stuff for lizzards. Just my opinion. Also, if I'm using any kind of smaller worm such as a trick worm or a culprit etc. I'll use the standard rubber worm hook. (no offset) I just like the way they set. Hope this helps. Hammer

Wow! Very nice. You said they get big. How do your fish compare? Are these average or bigger? Thanks Hammer

Nice job. If I had 6 years of those pictures in my office I would probably daydream most of the day. Thanks Hammer

Went to our bass pro shop yesterday and was looking at the fish in the giant tank. It has a gravel bottom and no plant life. Every bass was very pale. Hammer

Welcome to the forum. Just curious. Are these fished primarily for sport or for food. Thanks Hammer

I forget who said "fishermen are all collectors" I fit that description a little bit. Honestly I never really pay attention to ads. My problem is from strolling around every tackle shop I can find. Fishing with a lot of different people and seeing what they throw doesn't help either. Hammer

Look at the concentration in his eyes. I think bait monkey is a tournament angler. Great photo Hammer

I agree. I do a lot of 3 day saltwater trips. Other sunglasses I've used used gave me terrible headaches after being in the sun that long. Problem solved with costa del mar. Hammer