Matt Fly

Congrats on all your efforts. It takes some one special to dedicate free time to others. Specially for the kids. Matt.

Okay, I'll bite, What are double wides? A double wide mobile home is all I'm familar with and I don't have a rod with strong enough line to heave one of those lol. Info please. Matt

Bingo, we have a winner. Matt.

Another shot in the dark. Is your water clear? Maybe they can see you. Do you cast shadows out onto the water? Are you wearing neutral colors to blend in with shore cover? Have you downsized your line if water is clear? If legal, sink some brush out that gives you some targets to hold fish on. What kind of cover is available to hold the bass? If not much, don't expect much. Matt.

With jigs and all plastics, I rip some lips. I hold nothing back with jigs. Also, if not fishing heavy vegitation, I tex-pose my hook into the plastic. What kind of plastics are you rigging? Matt.

Bass, Not familar with Pa waters, but heres are some tips. Lakes that I like and will fish often, I drive the roads around the lake and look at the countryside. By visualizing what is above water, you can get an ideal of what the lake consists of underwater. Creeks that lead to the water will have ditches or channels. In Tex., we have a variety of trees all over the state. By identifing trees, trees that grow on knolls (sp, is that right?) or high ground, humps, or trees that grows in the bottom next to creek channels, you can get an ideal where creeks and humps are located with trees above water. Some trees grow better in sandy soils. Learning to identify trees can eliminate lots of searching. The next best tool if vegitation isn't present to show some shallows or depth is the carolina rig to probe bottom contours with. A string and weight can be used to get accurate depths. Paint the line at different depths. Do you have shad present in this lake? Alot of times when bass school on shad, they push shad next to humps, tree lines, points to herd the shad up. If you see them schooled on top, see what contours are under them. Bass will use anything they can to pin and push shad up towards the surface. Sometimes its an old tank dam, some may call them stock ponds built with a dozer for cattle. they might have a dam that would be considered a ledge, hump. Is this lake natural or man made? An old farmer or local whos lived there most his life may be able to tell you what is donw there. Hope some of this helps. hookem Matt

I was always taught, that drop tines usually occurs later in their life. I have also witnessed droughts and poor forage that results in some freaky horns. I would say at a minimum 4.5, but looks older, only real way would be to check the teeth when you kill him this year. Good luck, he's a unique deer and I'd be very proud to have that one in my sights. Matt.

Hg2, Can you give me your run down on your set up? The cameras and cost if you don't mind. Very nice buck!!!!!!! My neck would be swelling waiting for opening day. Our bow season opens first weekend of Oct. and first rifle starts first weekend in Nov. What is your season? Matt.

C rig is used to search contours and structure on bottom. The weight is always in contact with the bottom which allows you to search/investigate whats on bottom. The mood of the fish, the time of year, water temps, fish suspended or on bottom dictate leader length and types of baits to be used. Example, some of my lake in the upper arms of the creeks which maintains deep water are trying to to turn over, the fish in those parts are not relating to the bottom, cranks, dropshots, spoons, and a floating 3X strikeKing fluke on a c-rig would be good choice to try. If bass are holding 3 ft. off bottom, a 4-6 leader would keep the bait in that zone best depending on the type of movement you impart to the bait. My advice is to go to a pool or clear water that you can see 8 feet easy. Watch your bait, see what dragging, lifting your rod tip up does, fast drag, slow drag, yo-yoing, and learn what your bait does when you aren't seeing it. This will give you an idea of what the floating style does versus the non-floating types. How long after moving the bait does it take to float into the zone again, or how fast a regular bait falls after certain retrieves are done. matt.

Hats off to those that give back. Thats you and your posse Rus. Good luck, may the weather be smiling with you. Hookem matt

Ditto, I have same sentiment towards the forum members and staff. Best forum I've been on. Hands down. Hookem Matt.

I have caught lots of bass in the 7-8 lb range on 1/2 oz buzz baits and the larger version of the Zara Spook. I have always thought the poppers and smaller profile topwaters are good for numbers and some nice kickers. I view the larger topwaters as to throwing swims and large jigs, you may not catch as many as a guy throwing the pop R's and smaller plastics, but the fish that do hit are usually quality. My largest ever came on a shad rap, so go figure, barely 2" in length. Hookem Matt

Paint your own bullets instead of buying pre-painted. Buy your glass beads and plastic beads from hobby shop, more colors, more beads in the bag and a whole lot cheaper. Instead of spraying one individual worm with garlic or other scents, I put one on, and place it back in its bag then spraying, it coats all the others and I use less spray. Try pawn shops out for tackle, some good deals are to be had. Got a 20 dollar tackle box that had 100.00 of cranks in it. DD22's and spooks to name a few. The kicker was the Balsa baits, had some nice new ones still in their boxes. The Plano two drawer tackle box makes a nice starter box for a future young angler. Hookem Matt.

Using a split shot and light line was the first thing I learned in dealing with the crystal clear waters of So. cal. in the 80's. That split shot can be used in so many ways. Matt.

And!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome to the forum. Matt.

As far as I can remember, there has never been a death or mutilation from sticking your thumb into a bass' mouth. LOL The don't have anything sharp as the way of teeth to seriously hurt anyone. That rule doesn't apply to every fish, but does on bass. Hookem Matt

They have soft schedule. You better hope all the other teams have loses when the BCS starts. I don't think soft schedules should be looked at for championship status. TCU and Utah all went undefeated in the past years and didn't get noticed because of soft schedules. Matt.

No joke, I think he's playing the role of BASS Federation angler Brian Kerchieval. Just remember what Tom Cruise and "Days of Thunder" did for Nascar. You never know what sponsors might come into the sport with a good box office hit. Matt.

Winnsboro BassBusters is looking for members. Matt.

I think 10ft is deep, 10ft is good depth to find better than average fish. In the summer, I let the thermocline dictate deep or as to what depths I fish. Matt.

For myself, its simple, not having my rods and tackle and everything else associated with the events of the day prepared. Can't stand someone fishing a tourney to not be prepared, First cast is topwater and partner didn't even have a topwater tied on and its still dark. I figure if its team and both have invested time and money, you owe it to your partner to show up on time with a fairly clear head and rested and ready to go. Hookem Matt.

It is very common to have ruler in the boat and measure the fish as to be a "legal keeper". Most who have fished for years can eyeball a fish with very good accuracy up untill you reach sizes that arent' the norm. I'd say its 50/50 on people who weigh them or just let them go and then estimate the weight. Looks like 5 so its a easy 6 LOL. During a tourney, I never weigh anything, I use a culling beam which takes me less than a minute to do. Might be a polling question as to how many guys weigh fish, or what size do you consider breaking out the scale for. Hookem Matt.

Love Junebug and Black/blue fleck power worms for night. Love Gene Larews salty 12"snakes in Fire and Ice before sunrise. Favorite late summer colors is plum, Favorite winter worm is red shad in Culprit. Spawn, colors don't seem to matter., Post spawn and early summer, watermelon greens. Hookem Matt.

I like skipping tubes under tight docks. Work edges from distance with cranks, spinners, and work jigs on the rest. Matt.

Its not uncommon to have a few bass spawning this time of the year. I caught one last year on the bed in Sept. Does that mean she spawned also in the spring? Don't know that. Matt