Matt Fly

43 days till the LONGHORNS take the field. Anyone have pre-ranking polls? Matt

Thanks, I appreciate that, but its alot of input from alot of the guys around here. I learn bits and pieces also. Your best source for info for Idaho is the state wildlife biologist or some experienced anglers who are willing to share. Matt

Curently, I have the Lowrance X85. X 27c is coming in any day. I think all graphs used properly give enough detail. Learning to decipher what you see is very key. Thats why I recommend learning to graph known objects first. On graphs, I'd save enough money to have gps if you fish multiple lakes and deeper structures. GPS eliminates those searches and lost time looking for one spot out in the middle. Graphs have come along ways. I choose the X27c over the 28c which comes with built in hard drive. Why? With the 27, it comes with latest Navonics /lake maps already down loaded, thus, why should I create or have a need to upload anything. Next, the pixel count means clarity, the more pixels, the better the picture. If GPS, Color, Navonics isn't a concern, then Pixel count is the most important feature in my book on getting the best graph for your dollar. The more pixels, the beter the picture. A good graph should show you the whole picture, and it doesn't have to cost alot, bait, structure, temps, and fish. Matt

Shad do migrate to the shallows about the same time as a bass, but will spawn every 30-45 days throughout the summer. If water warms up in the back of a creek before the main lake temps start to rise, shad will find the warmest water column on the lake. The one of the most common baits used to mimic shad is the fluke or similar type bait. Mature thread fin are on average 3-5 inches. The first shad to die will be the late spawn, the youngest in the school "if" the water gets down to that 45 degree mark. Shad school up in tight bunches when preditory's are near. A quality graph will show you tight balls of shad with fish near by that feeding. Sometimes the best fishing you can do is just use your graph, no rods. The more you graph things you know, the more you learn to decipher. Such as: take your boat to the launch ramp, what does cement ramps look like on your graph. Look at the thickness of the bottom line on the graph, is it real thin or wide, What do rock dams look like on the graph. What does hydrilla or other vegitation look like on your screen. When you parallel a bridge in passing, How long does it take the bridge piling to show up on screen as you pass them, and what do they look like extending up on screen. Trees, brush? Learn what the graph is showing you by going to areas you know whats down there. What does muddy bottoms graph like. Learning these simple things can make you an excellant tracker by using the graph to take guess work out of potentially good areas. Vertical presentations can be utilized all year. The biggest advice on tracking shad at this time of the year. What areas have been good in the morning and evening in the shallows. Theres something that draws the bass into the shallows, where its a brim spawn, shad, or crawl dad hatch, or something. Wind is one of my biggest keys in the summer. Steady southern winds stacks the planktons up on wind blown points and humps and other areas of similar. This is key because its what shad eat to survive. We chase bass, bass chase shad, shad chase plankton, fairly simple food chain. Planktons are controlled by wind currents. Steady winds stack their food source up, and where theres bait, bass aren't far. Matt

Becareful of what you ask for!!!!!! Before retiring and leaving the San Diego County area in 94, they had already addressed this issue by making lakes "SKI ONLY" on certain weekends, Yep, they alternated days and weekends with skiers and fishermen, also when both are allowed on the water at the same time, you could only go in one direction on the lake. If you went out, you took the tour of the whole lake, because you would get ticket for coming in wrong. I have lakes that PWC won't even attempt, and I consider those lakes as my prime spots during the summer when PWC are the thickest. I also know that no matter what lake it is, the dam and ohter areas are prime PWC areas, so I avoid them or go very early or night fish. I try to plan on being on the water early to avoid ramp congestion, you know, we bass fishermen can launch 200 boats in an hour and it takes a PWC 15 minutes just to get in and out. We both have a right to be on the water, so just make an effort to avoid the open areas and give them their few months of the year. We pretty much have the water to ourselves the rest of the year. Lobbying may only muddy up the water with guidelines for both to follow, and I have seen what lobbying did for the fishermen in San Diego, we lost half our fishing time during the summer months. They (the county) was just waiting for the war to start so they could impose new fees to generate more revenue. Hookem Matt

Welcome to the forum LMB. Hookem Matt

Suspended bass are catchable, but normally the last ones that I'll target. One of the most under utilized baits for suspended fish are spoons, little georges, and other forms of tail kickers. Suspending type cranks that hang in the water column are excellant choices. Swimming a jig, chatter bait, spinnerbait, or a large Panther Martin in-line spinner also works. A swimbait is another option. Slow falling plastics that stays in the strike zone longer, such as a split shot worm can take a few. Matt

As the summer rolls on and the heat index climbs, some of the oxygen levels get depleted. Don't know your depths, vegitation types or how much soft bottom you have where you are fishing. I grew up around tanks, and have found that during summer months, the fishing always suffered. Best times to fish where at night. We found that the red clayed tanks were tougher fishing in summer months because we had less vegitation in them. Matt

The mouse for me is shad, shad is the dominate bait/forage in 90% of all Texas lakes. Theres so much you can say about shad and seasonal habits, gizzard or threadfin. Gizzard shad often out grow bass that feed upon them. Stripers were stocked in Texas lakes to control them since they grow 16-18 inches. Appeareance is silver to white with very distinct forked tails. Threadfins tails have a yellowish tint of color to them, thus the reason we dip our baits with a little chartruesse dye of some type. A threadfins jaw extends past the snout where a gizzard shad is more blunt nose. Both have the dot on the shoulder behind the gill. Threadfin shad live primarily on microscopic plant and animal life, phytoplankton and zooplankton, which is why they are often found around rock riprap, bridge and dock pilings, and areas with gentle current where algae grows or is washed into the system. They are more surface-oriented than gizzard shad, and frequently move in huge schools just under the surface, sometimes migrating for miles each day. It is now well-established that massive concentrations of threadfin shad seek shoreline cover each night. This cover can take the form of grass and moss beds, logjams, or even standing timber and brushpiles if that's all that's available. This cover provides them with some semblance of protection from predators like largemouth bass. Early in the morning, generally shortly after dawn, the threadfin leave this shallow water cover for deeper haunts where they may disperse slightly for the balance of the midday period and early afternoon hours. The threadfin then re-group and return to the shallow water cover late in the afternoon, frequently by reversing the same exit route they used that morning. Why is bass fishing good in shallow water early and late each day? The answer is because the shad have already moved in for the night, or have not left for the day. Why does the morning action frequently end just after the sun peeks over the trees? Because the shad have left and the bass are following, but not necessarily feeding on them. Even more exciting, perhaps, is the knowledge or fact that if these "ambush points" can be identified, there's a good chance bass will attack them there again that evening when the threadfin migrate back through on their way back to the shallows. What do you look for in a shad migration route? It's difficult to pinpoint anything precisely because much depends on the characteristics of the lake. Perhaps the best thing to do is immediately check any areas where you see and experience surface activity between bass and shad with a depthfinder to determine what's on the bottom. The shad may be following a ditch, small creek channel, or some other specific terrain feature you may then be able to backtrack to their nightly hideout. When do shad migrations take place? Again, the answer depends on the lake as well as on their temperature driven spawning cycle. Threadfin shad spawn in shallow water coves from late April into July, depending on the surface water temperature. The optimum spawning water temperature is 68 degrees. Threadfin shad grow rapidly - life expectancy is two to three years - and the migrations from shallow cover to open water tend to occur from late spring throughout the summer and well into autumn. Again, much depends on the lake; the amount and location of phytoplankton and zooplankton, and water temperature. Threadfin shad cannot tolerate cold temperatures and actually begin dying (winter kill) when the water reaches approximately 45 degrees. Hookem Matt

Only 46 more days till the Horns take the field. Can't wait for the NCAAF season to get started. LSU kicks of Aug. 30 on ESPN against MISS. St. matt

We have been blessed in June with all our rains, but now the sun has been peaking out from time to time and its hot and humid, then when the evening rolls around, so has the thunerstorms. Well, at least one of the Dog Day Summer months wasn't so hot, and July is gonna make us pay for the nicer mild temps in June. I need one of those fan misters for the boat. Matt

Catt, Were do I sign up for the free guided service, I think the fine print said two bags of worms also comes with the deal. I just got 100 power worms in plum for 35.00, I'm set for Fork the rest of the summer and part of the fall. So bring your jigs and I'll supply some worms. Boats charged and ready. Are you? Matt

13 1/2 hrs and one bite, add me, I knew if I bit, there would be one big bass at the end of the story. And now the rest of the story please. Swimbait? Live bait? Very nice fish. Matt

Violation of the rules ought to make individuals not draft eligible for few years also. I don't understand punishing the whole team by taking something from the innocent that happened alomost 3 years ago. Why so long to make decision. I mean coach found out and kicked them off the team for the whole season and the NCAA just now hands down their decision after a good majority of team is gone!!!!! What happens to the Alumni that is paying the players? Do they get into any trouble? Seems that tampering with sports should be crime to offer money to amatuer atheletes. Matt

Look up on their web site and contact them. Ask him where the nearest retailer is nearest your location that has what your looking for. Matt

Catt, T Bend to busy to get on line anymore? Don't see alot of his posts. Ya'll getting any of this rain? We certainly don't mind sharing. Matt

Since Tom left, Nebraska has lost its idenity. No more 9 plays offensively, you guys lined up and ran over teams!!! One of college footballs best power run offenses for decades. Now the run and shoot, and the Big XII isn't as scared of the BIG RED MACHINE as it once was. When I was younger in the late 60's and early 70's, the OU vs NU game on Thanksgiving day was one of the highlights of the day. Osborne going against Switzer was always a classic. bassin_man, welcome to Longhorn turf!!!! LOL and Hookem Matt

This ia a very good site for plant identification for future use. For me to post a Texas A&M website, its gotta be worth it. LOL http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/database/submerged_plants/hydrilla.htm Hope this helps for future questions. Hookem Matt

Tommy, I hope you give me the opportunity to fish with you some on Fork. It was an honor as well for me. New seat on order!!!!!!LOL I did fish your #1 spot you showed me, and as you can see, i believed in the area and stuck with it until i got paid. Black Bass, Give Tommy a chance to show you around if unfamilar. He certainly helped me win some money. Tommy, I checked the Media results on T-Bend the following weekend after my tourney, the big girls where still biting, 25 plus pound stringer to win, and some 10 lb kickers were weighed in. buddy said 10-15ft c-rig in grass was the ticket, but not where. matt.

Have you tried the Lake Fork tackle web site that makes them? BPS stopped carring the LFT last year. Matt

I bought some of the walking worms long, long, long time ago and never did catch anything until.............I tried them as a drop shot bait. The natural curling action on the drop shot looks appealing and works. I rembered what they did do and look like in the water, one day I was fixing to throw them out when I figured I'd give them a shot on the drop shot rig. The classic baits that I still own have caught fish during their era. Matt

First off, Randall, I see why God Blesses you with such great action on the water. You give back freely. Good on you man. Matt

Jason, Its was still tough this weekend, but some better fish are starting to show up. Still got rain in the forecast for 7 days. Matt

I haven't found a good source of quality worms in the size you are looking for. There always seems to be a flaw or something that I don't like about them. What I have learned to do which is rather simple after you have done a few is: I use Gene Larew, Zoom Mag 11, Ole Monster, Berkley Powere Worms, and some Bassassians. I cut the ribbon tail off and butt the body of the worm to another and use a soldiering iron to melt the two together. This works well for me and produces on a consistant basis. Radio shack and other electronic places sell cheap soldiering irons. I use a soldiering iron in my daily work and don't use the same one for work. Matt

The article sounds like he his giving a secret away while applying sarcasim to spice it up. Tom Redington just did an article for the July issue "Lake Fork Area News Paper" that covered the same. Matt