D4u2s0t

Lots of great fish here!!! If you don't have a scale, please don't estimate weight, I see some solid 2 pounders magically becoming 4-5+ in this thread lol. My best was a humbling hair below 5lbs... which really burned me up because my goal was to break 5 lbs in 09. In my neck of the woods, i'm screaming like ike at anything over 3.5 lol

just keep trying, it's not always easy to catch fish! This time of year is particularly rough, but don't give up! p.s. a 16" fish should be nowhere near 4 lbs... maybe 1-2 lbs. buying a scale can be a very humbling experience, I know it was for me. those 5 pounders somehow become 2 pounders!!

how about... Don't wear sunscreen, and catch more fish 8-)

never knew this, and it makes a TON of fish!! I always do real good on my lake, but anytime my brother in law or father comes fishing we don't do too well... makes sense, since they always use sunscreen! I never do. I always feel like they think i'm lying about how well I do on the lakes.

I instantly get an order confirmation email from tw. Did you look online to track the package?

What's the difference? (I'm not being sarcastic, I would just like to know why you prefer it. ) rage tail baits have some pretty amazing action.

I haven't tried these particular baits yet, but so far EVERYTHING i've tried from rage tail has been nothing short of spectacular. With the recently lowered prices, it's a no brainer. Not sure if they're still on sale, but I just picked up a bunch of rage stuff from tw for 3.xx a pack, which is just a rediculous price for what you're getting. Give them a shot, i'm sure you'll love them.

didn't catch any walleye. They are my favorite fish to eat though, so believe me they would not be going back in the water lol

dang, that's rough lol

I saw the angler who didn't cull, as soon as his line hit the water you could see the look on his face... My stupid move of the year was hooking a huge musky, and thinking that I was hooked on a stump. Felt exactly like a stump. Until I started walking down shore to unhook it, and it took off like a bat out of hell. I wouldn't feel so bad about it, except I realized afterwards that I was fishing in the swim lanes at the beach, and there's ZERO snags in there because they keep it clean for the kids lol. Nothing but a smooth, sandy bottom.

if my lake was 55, i'd be going swimming!! lol

I haven't been through this with fishing, but went through it with my car, so know the feeling. When I had my apartment, I was known as the "guy who fixes cars" lol. They thought I was OCD because every time someone came out, I was out there with the hood popped, or working on friends cars. These days? I'm lucky to wash the car twice in the past year or so. So I can definitely relate. For no reason, working on the car just kind lost the "fun factor" and just became work... My fiance needs an oil change, and I keep putting it off, just like I keep putting off the stuff on my car. I don't enjoy it anymore, but still can't bring myself to pay a shop. But glad to see you started back up!! Now post up those toads!!

2 small ones is better than 0 small ones!! that's my philosophy.

now let's hope it stays like this all season!!

yea the trebbles are tough sometimes

Nice fish! you kept it? did you eat it?

when the water's "cold" lol just use the same things you normally use, and slow it down a little bit. Fish don't magically prefer certain baits depending on the year (some people will tell you otherwise) but they do tend to get more sluggish the colder the water gets. Doesn't mean you will never catch them on a fast moving bait, because you can. But if the fast doesn't work, slow down, and keep slowing down. Sometimes "cold" fishing is about having tons of patience.

that's my first catfish!! was flopping around and barking like crazy lol

wow, what a fish!!! great job!!!

d**n, that sucks bro... hope your gear is still there. Luckily we're in a hobby where the vast majority of thieves are not going to take your fishing gear. Hopefully they just grabbed the electronics. (still sucks) But I don't think most thieves would get excited by crankbaits and soft plastics, ya know? Let's hope for the best. nevermind, just read your post... sorry to hear man.

Ok, so here's some pics. Again, none of these are held out.

Had a great day on one of the local lakes. We got about 25 fish in a few hours, pb pickerel, my first catfish, and a ton of fun. I've never been ice fishing on these lakes until this year, but I have a feeling i'll be out there every chance I get. If I could only get my legs to realize how much fun it is, I'll be set!! lol ' Here's a few of the better ones of the day. The catfish was tiny, but took pics since it was my first. I don't like the "hold the fish out to make it look bigger" trick, so these are all held right next to me for a better size reference. (pics will be posted in the morning, I posted my whole photobucket instead of just the fishing ones lol)

To be honest, I don't think i've ever used a spinerbait that doesn't catch fish. My advice, is don't cheap out, because the cheap ones will bend, snap in half, etc. For the extra dollar or 2 get a known brand, it will last a heckuva lot longer, so it 's worth it. In terms of techniques, it's a VERY versatile bait, so just experiment. Any time you try something new, don't keep doing the same thing over and over (unless it's working!) If you're not catching fish, try varying the technique. Reel the spinnerbait fast, medium, slow, give a twitch here and there, sometimes you can stop reeling for a second and give it a quick pop. Don't be afraid to try something different. Keep mental notes about exactly what you were doing when a fish bites... then try to replicate it. What I'll do many times is throw a spinnerbait all over the water trying to find the fish. Once I find the fish, and they stop biting the spinnerbait, I'll follow up with a senko type bait to more thoroughly and slowly work the area. If you get a hit, but don't hook the fish, it's also a good idea to again follow up with the senko. Majority of times you'll be pulling in that fish you missed 8-)

I could see it now, on the way to an emergency. "can you slow down a little, my crankbait is spinning" lol

topwater works anytime the fish are active.