Lund Explorer

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In a lake that size you should be able to try just about everything in a day's fishing. What the fish are doing depends on how far north you are, and how long this current cold front hangs on. Look on the member map. See where I'm located at? Last Sunday morning, my 120 acre lake had a 62.7* water temp and the bass were just moving up onto the beds. Grandson and I stuck 63 bass in 3 1/2 hours pitching small worms and tubes onto those "shiny spots". Easiest and most boring kind of fishing in my book, but it will change. The cold front has come through and the current temp of 48* is the best it is going to be for the next two days. High temp for Thursday might get up to 60*, Friday maybe another 5 degrees warmer. I fully expect that those males to have backed off into deeper water and developed a stubborn case of lockjaw for the next several days. As the temps moderate they should move shallow again to resume getting ready to spawn. If I decide to fight the opening day crowds on Saturday, the very first thing I'll do is to check surface temps. 60* or above has always been the key to shallow active fishing this time of year. Colder than that means deep and slow until it warms, and when it gets above 65*, Big Momma is going into post-spawn and the smaller males will be protecting balls of fry. No need to be confused, just learn to look forward to the onset of June when they all head into the more consistent summer pattern. Yeah, that's it. And grab the fly rod because the bluegills are moving up and it's time to catch a dinner, or two, or eight!

Concentrate along the eastside shoreline, then try the mouth of the Sturgeon River, lastly head for Maple & Poverty Bays. Not sure how long you are going to be up there or what kind of boat you have, but if time allows there's always Mullett Lake, or if and when windy conditions may require it, don't pass up the chance to fish the upper part of the Cheboygan River (above M-33) or the Black River (upstream from Myers Creek) There are Gobies in both lakes and the rivers. Don't pass up the chance to fish soft plastic imitations of the forage.

I don't have that long to wait. If you want to see less abuse during tournaments, increase the use of quality nets and a decrease the number of hot weather tournaments.

Accept for those checked shorts and sunglasses after dark, I'd say no bucket in sight. You're Good!

Holy Cow! ! ! I guess I should have started thinking about this 30 years ago, because it's way too late for me to dig out all those old tournament records to figure out an exact number. So many big bass pots, but two do stand out and would have to be included. July 1994 - 6.47lbs and 6.05lbs in the same bag. Both largemouth flipping slop/pads with a paddle tailed worm. Crooked Lake near Delton, Michigan. Oct. 1998 - 5.75lbs and 5.73lbs in the same bag. Both smallmouth, first two casts of the day on a Pop-R. I didn't even have the trolling motor down until the first one was in the box! Green Lake near Interlochen, Michigan. I know it would be over 29lbs but less than 30lbs as I can't remember another big bass pot won with a fish over 6lbs. More important to me was the run of big bass pots I had in 1998. Besides ending the tournament year with the two smallies stated above, I started the year out winning 9 of the first 11 pots across three different clubs. I won 13 big bass pots that year out of 24 tournament days.

I don't know. In over 25 years of fishing tournaments it never came up. Perhaps because in a state where the many fisherman troll for either salmon or walleye (often with as many as 15+ rods at a time), the act of dragging a single lure behind the boat a short distance doesn't look like what trolling means to us. I guess if someone made one cast and then began to drag the lure along until they got a bite, then there would have been a problem. I just never saw it.

So how long have you had that "Go Patriots" bumper sticker?

Only if you have a Patriots patch on your jersey!

Quite honestly, you gave up the chance to learn what that organization considers trolling, by not asking when you had the chance. It doesn't matter what any of us think about it as we aren't in charge of making or interpreting that rule.

One of the things I've learned on Bass Resource is that all bucket fishermen keep everything they catch, never have a fishing license, and are usually illegal immigrants. We need to update that profile by including the fact that they are all fans of the NE Patriots! Seriously, you have limited options. Call the fish cops, whine about it, or if you are really worried about it, join PETA. Bucket fishermen have been around way longer than the current crop of C&R fishermen. Somehow, there are still fish to catch which leads me to believe that these people haven't had that big of an impact on the resource. If your lake or pond is the exception, call the fish cops and then find another lake or pond to fish. One last thing. When you catch your new personal best, consider releasing it alive and unharmed rather than tossing it on the ground while you dig out your measuring tape, scales, and camera. Nothing says abuse that a trophy with a good battering of dirt/grass.

I agree, but with the provision that some of the delusional can't seem to bring themselves to brag about their home team's great records of playing within the rules.

You will find the answer to your problem when you drop the word cheating in favor of the phrase "Fair Chase". Like Fin Stalker said, catch whatever you can and if it ends up being the biggest fish you've ever got, put that " * " next to it. The real problem won't exist unless you convince yourself that your skill was the determining factor.

Let's edit this with some real advice. 1st - I'm not sure where you bought this new bow, but regardless, spend some quality time and a little cash to visit a good "bowtech" to make sure that the bow you are going to use is setup properly for you. Same as your arrows. Get the accessories you need such as a quality release, peep sight, etc., etc.. 2nd - Spend the time to get some hands on lessons from a pro to make sure you are lining everything up correctly, are consistently hitting your anchor point, and the myriad of other things that make you as accurate as possible. It is far easier to start shooting correctly than it is to break bad habits at the start of the process. 3rd - Start home practice at short ranges until you can consistently score bulls eyes and only then move out to the next farthest range. Shooting at 15 yards may seem too close, but even Chris Kyle didn't start out shooting at a 1,000 yards! 4th - If you are going to be hunting from a tree stand, practice from the height before hunting season begins. 5th - When hunting season arrives, known your own limitations and live within it. If you can't make a 45 yard kill shot, DO NOT attempt it just because the buck of a lifetime is standing that far away.

Waterboarding would get to the bottom of this earth shattering scandal!

Aim one section lower!

Does anyone else think it would lead to a person's credibility that they include along with their Patriot's whine a statement of what team they support? Inflate your own balls for once and go out on a limb by telling us how your team has never cheated. At this point, these threads are sounding like a nonpolitical version of Faux News! FYI - I think they all cheat, including all of your favorites.

When it comes down to it, there are a number of other considerations to think about. The most important, and the least thought about, is how tournament fishermen are looked at by others. If you have spent any amount of time on the outside looking in you will realize that many non-tournament fishermen, others using the ramp or lake during a tournament, and lakeshore property owners look at tournaments as a scourge put upon them. So by all means, tournament fishermen can do nothing but create more of those kind of feelings by thumbing their collective noses when blasting through a "No-Wake" zone. Another thing to think about. Here in Michigan, we have a number of lakes where all high speed boating restrictions at certain parts of the day. These usually means that the entire lake is restricted to anything other than a "No Wake" speed from 7pm until 11am. I've never been able to understand why the same people who gnash their teeth because they can't Run & Gun all day are the same exact people who curse the water fleas when they hit the lake during the last half of their tournament. For God Sakes - They should be happy to enjoy a quiet morning without the constant buzz of hoards of jet skis! Food for thought.

Sorry to hear about your loss Snook. I hope and pray that she didn't suffer and that all of your family can find peace.

Every tournament I have ever been in has had in their rules a specific one stating that all competitors shall abide by all local, state, or federal laws. In almost every tournament held on a body of water with what we call "No Wake" zones, the quickest way to earn a DQ is to pass another boat while motoring through one of these zones. The second easiest way to throw away your entry fee is to collect a ticket from the marine patrol, and many of these water cops are fully aware of when tournaments are being held on these restricted waters. I've actually seen them show up to the weighin to give the TD a list of offenders they ticketed that day. The most unfortunate part is that those who bend/break the rules can't understand that everyone is fishing under the exact same conditions. At least those who follow the rules!

For every 1,000 people on Ebay, the vast majority get their merchandise at a reasonable price, a few a completely dissatisfied, and only one gets their merchandise at below wholesale cost. If you are tired being one of the few, I can show you not only how to join the majority, but can also let you in on the secret to becoming the one. Simply choose the "Buy It Now" option by sending me a check!

Reminds me of the 20 year old gal that was showing her mother the beautiful rose tattoo she had gotten on her left breast. All Mom told her was that when she got to be her age, she'd have a long stem rose!

Most ignored post on Bass Resource - EVER! Hard to believe that the NFL is made up of one team called the Patriots and 31 more that are the Saints!

I could care less what the water temp is, what baits you're using, or what time of the day you are fishing. If you aren't where the fish are, nothing else makes any difference at all. There isn't any shortcut to time spent on the water learning where fish actively feed, and where they reside when they aren't feeding. The next time you find yourselves in a tournament where you can't figure them out, spend the last half of the day going for a boat ride. Look to see where the others are fishing. Are they pounding docks, fishing deep breaklines, working large flats? I'm not suggesting that you crowd into someone else's water, but it should give you an idea of what you should be looking for the next time. At this point, you would be better off thinking of the money you are paying as Tuition rather an Entry Fees. Make your time on the water a learning experience!

I'm in a complete state of SHOCK! Imagine the horror of a professional sports team caught not playing by the rules. I don't think this has ever happened in recorded history, and there should be punishment meted out equal to the crime. The Patriots should be banished from the NFL and forced to compete against other teams that are guilty of such activities. Welcome to the SEC ! ! ! !