fish-fighting-illini

I use Storm's a lot. I don't use their crankbaits though. For $3.99 I might have to check them out. I use the softbodied swimbaits with the built in jig/weight. They come out to about .50 ea and you can't beat them at that price. It is my #1 bait. Another co makes the same exact swimbaits but in many other colors. somehow they are related co's but not sure how. slightly higher price plus the shipping issue but they make a ton of those and spinners to go on the swim baits. The same co also make a ton of custom Muskie inline spinner baits etc.

Yes it did help thanks Doc. What is the insurance about? Insuring the liability because of a club? Better boat insurance prices? Liability of a member running into a boat during a tny? What is it they need to insure?

Dead center just outside of Peoria

Does anyone ever just have a fishing club for the heck of it? One where forget the prize stuff and maybe a bunch of guys just fish together on and off occasionly? One that doesn't get hung up with weigh ins? Just get people together that enjoy the sport? Why all the FLW / Bass affiliation stuff? is it so the club recognized for people using it as a minor league thing to move up? No offense to those fine organizations. But I might want to belong to a club just to find a way to learn more about fishing. I don't want to get invloved in a "have to be there" or a bunch of money stuff. The bait monkey gets anough as it is. Just a couriosity thing no big deal.

Man dink rub it in! LOL I suspect my fishing skills just are not where I want them to be yet. Oh well it gives me a reason to keep practicing. I'll probably scale back the colder it gets but I'll keep at it. Daniel my B I knew the night thing was pushing it but it is a lake just as few minutes away and I had the itch so... I scratched it. I need to learn more about Crappie fishing I'm not picky this time of year I'll take about anything. The closest power plant lake (Powerton) closes for the winter. I might get ambitious and run down to Clinton lake on a nice day. Then again I'm not sure about how safe it is to check out new lakes in the cold weather.

I gave it another shot tonight. Air temps in lower 30's. Had been a decent day earlier maybe upper 40's. I tried 2 sizes of swimbaits, a small Crappie spinner and a suspending Rogue worked slow. No go no bites. I fished from about 7:30pm until 9pm. Verry hard to see they had shut off the lights around the lake too. I was trying for bass but the lake also has a few Walleye that also have bitten the swimbaits. Not sure what the water temps were as I was fishing from the bank. Oh well I will keep experimenting.

InPa1nl Someone else will have to answer this because I've got the same problem as you. One problem I've had is I didn't have a boat or a fishfinder/temp until this year so I caould only use air temp as a rough guide. All I know is the more below 50deg it is the more I'm screwed for catching fish. I orig started the post wondering if people just became frustrated in the cold like I do and at below some magic temp for their area they call it quits for the year. If we want to combo that with what do people switch to or change in colder temps I'm courious too.

FB sorry for the delay. As far as 6% of LG Bass in lake Evergreen being over 20" is news to me. I haven't had a lot of success at lake Evergreen. I've caught more fish from the bank at smaller lakes than from this lake. It could be that this lake is still new to me and it might take a while to become familiar with it. The biggest fish we've caught from it is 2.5lb (maybe 14") LGM's and as far as Bass only a few per outing. It does have a decent population of Crappie and I've caught a few nice ones but not a large qty. The lake also has some decent Muskie, Walleye, Suger & some White Bass. The lake has a $40 annual boating fee so the jury is still out as to whether it is worth it but it is the closest lake that I can use a gas motor on (40hp limit?). The $40 might be worth it just for the scenery as between the timber in the water and all the wildlife it is a neat place.

PS Forgot my own plug, the spinnerbait is a single Colorado 1/4 or 3/8 oz that I make from components. I've sold some to people who have also had good luck espec this color. Found out the work isn't worth all the effort to be very profitable to sell so prob just have a lifetime supply.

Dan, I added a pic to my original post

This kind of got off track I'm just mainly courious on someones opinion why one lake seems to produce in late eve and the other lake is mainly daytime.

Same with me FB on ths slow skills. I guess I'm more of a power fisherman than finesse. I use spinnerbaits and swimbaits the most. Guess I have to keep busy that slow stuff bores me. I bet I can count on one hand the times that I fished with a pl worm or jig this year. Could off all my fingers and still count the number of fish I caught on them! LOL I'm in Washington IL between Peoria and Bloomington. I fish a small lake in Morton that I pay to belong. I fish in Eureka a fair amount and I joined Lake Evergreen near Bloomington. What lakes do you fish?

Washington Il just outside of Peoria you? No pics we seldom take cameras and my pic cell phone fell in the lake with me attached about a month ago. We fish in late eve and dark alot so pics are a little tough. It was the same exact size as I've caught 5 or 6 of before. I've got a pic from this summer of one I might post later.

Actualy I want to fish in all temps I just can't seem to get fish no matter how hard I try. I've been bitten by the fishing bug bad bud not bad enough for the ice fishing though lol. I'd love the peace andd tranquility but not the slab of cold under my but! Plus the falling in potential is not my thing yet. Breaking ice off of the ramp? My little 7.5 acre lake does have a big pump and so a small amount of water is always open. I fish it from the bank standing in snow and ice but never catch anything not even a bite. I will win the battle somehow! I am determined to beat the fish!

I guess I just need to keep working at my winter skills as I flat out stink below 45. I'll give it a shot with all the slow stuff again and see what happens.

Is their a consistent air temp that you stop bass fishing for the year? At 45-50 or less deg's air temp my area becomes dead for about anything except som Crappie At least with my limited fishing skills it does. Maybe tell what state you fish most and if their is a temp or time of year when you call it quits

I fish 2 smallish lakes mainly. Lake A is only 7.5 acres of water. The fish are not huge, 1 -2 LGM's lb for the most part. The water is max 15 feet deep (most 8 or less) and on the clearer side. I tend to fish a lot at late evening to avoid crowds and I catch more fish at this time and predominantly catch them in the same 100yd stretch night after night ( catch and release). Lake has virtualy no cover. Lake B has around 25 acres and is somewhat stained. I catch bigger fish 2 lb maybe and a handfull of 4lber's ( heard it also has 6-9lbrs). I very seldom catch much in the late eve or dark either by boat or bank at this lake. I've caught many more in broad daylight even high skies. Lake has light to moderate cover. Why do I catch fish in the eve at lake A but not Lake B? Is it just because Lake A is smaller and I know its sweet spot better? Or is something to do with the stained vs clearer? I fish lake A more often and have fished it longer so I do know it better. Forget about time of year I'm talking about mainly during the "normal" bass fishing months Just courious of someone's take on this.

I'm in the middle of Ilinois and as soon as the air temps start getting around 50deg and lower my fishing just goes south. The other night we fished after work and we only had one bite between us but it got me a 4lb LG. For this time of year and these temps I was pretty pumped. Not a monstor I know but for this area and these temps not bad. Maybe it will get me through the winter. nah scratch that I'll keep trying. Here is a pic of an identical sized fish from the same lake

Update, I can't comment on the health of BASS overall but I did read in a fairly recent issue of Bassmaster magazine that one of the BASS fishing shows is the highest rated show on ESPN2. I can't picture ESPN letting BASS fail completely. If nothing else maybe it bodes well for a fishing show staying on ESPN2 ????

This has been brought up on and off in several other threads. It really seems like it comes down to " to each his own" case closed end of story. Then again it is kind of fun to see just how diverse and sometimes very opinionated the answers can be on this subject. ps for the record right handed and reel both bc and spin with right hand

Thanks for all of your time and effort pl I was thinking Daiwa, Shimano and Pflueger would maybe be some of the top choices.

I'm thinking of getting another baitcaster next spring. I'd like some recommendations but with some constraints. I'm thinking of 1 of 2 ranges $75-$130 range and $150 to $200 range for reel only. So recommend something for 1 or both ranges. I want something easy to adjust the brake I really don't want to flip up plates and remove weights ( if possible). Recommend anyway just let me know what kind of brake system it has. Also only recommend something that you or a friend has used for at least a year. Please no "the new xyz looks sweet". Let someone else take the lumps on the new stuff I want something that I know works and lasts. I only own 1 baitcaster and want to take them a little more serious. I own a Quantum Mantra and it seems to work well. It was my first ( and only ) bc. It casts well and has held up very well. I can cast it pretty good but I backlash here and there. I think I paid $60 or $80 for it (?). I want to try something a little nicer to see if it cuts down on backlashing. It will have to pretty much be an all purpose BC. I use spinnerbaits and 3-4-5" swimbaits the most. I use some cranks but not much sft plastics. I need to start working on Texas rigs and such.

New might be unrealistic. I bought a 14' ex wide flat bottom with 2 pedestal seats, casting deck, 9,9 hp gas motor with a trailer for $800. The guy though in a troling motor that I fixed in 5 minutes. My buddy bought the same thing but newer looking, motor looks like off the show room floor plus a tilt trailer in a semi v and he only paid $600 Need to decide first can you tow or does is need to fit into the back of a truck? Where are you going to be using it? how many people need to fit in it? what type of lakes and how big? how much storage space do you have ( make sure you include trailer tounge length) etc. New boat owner myself so been there done that recently.

Depends on the species you want but I do like my Bassmaster magazine. Yes it has ads but I think the physical quality as well as the articles is good. I like Crappie and am thinking about getting In-fisherman. Bassin magazine seems to me to be more interested in promoting certain lures than teaching about catching bass. JMO

The University thing might just be a profit issue but if it had that much demand you'd think they'd jsut raise the price. As far as what we want out of BASS and ESPN everyone needs to take the time and give ESPN, BASS, OLD whoever feedback. Tell em what you / us want. The industry is about ratings and ratings are about viewers. Maybe send them a link to this thread if the thread gets big enough. Just my 2