Fishes in trees

I saw a boat slide off a trailer onto the ramp once. Of course, it happened at the worse time - about 8:45 pm on a Friday night in June. There were maybe 20 guys hanging around the launch - half of them wanting to take out and go home - the other half wanting to put in and start fishing before it got totally dark. I remember thinking, "I'm glad I'm not that guy." Many guys were standing around and all of them had lots of helpful suggestions. Alcohol got involved. It was pretty funny actually. It took several guys to slide the boat the 10 feet or so back down the ramp into the water. Scraped up the bottom of his boat - but what else were you going to do? Anyway, from that moment forward, the last thing I do before entering the boat to back off the trailer is unhook it. When I'm taking out, the first thing I do once it is on the trailer is hook up. That's my system. Another point is that sooner or later all of us are going to be that guy, who does something stupid with their boat with lots of people watching. I just hope I'll be able to keep my sense of humor about it and that the watchers will help. At that point, I'll probably buy the beer.

Vertical rod holders work great until you start fishing around trees or other low hanging things - then they don't. I have two rod storage plans. One - when I fish by myself I lay the rods out on the deck and I try to stay organized and not step on any of them. Rods that fall into the back up category or probably won't get used today get strapped onto the back deck. Two - when I take some one fishing in my boat, I try to not bring so many rods. Definitely no more than 20 total. Of course, when I'm towing, all the fishing stuff locks up in the fishing truck.

Go back to your basics. According to Buck Perry: "The fish are deep, or they are shallow or they are somewhere in-between." Here are a few patterns that have worked for me this time of year. (March through April) Keep in mind I fish in Missouri, mostly smaller 100-300 acre Dept. of Conservation lakes. Early in the year I've caught a few (2 or 3 per year) really big fish casting a rattle bait in really shallow (1-4 ft) flats. Afternoon is better than morning for this pattern, wind blowing into the bank or at least paralleling the bank is better than wind blowing away from the bank. Water Temps 41 to 48 or so degrees. I've had more luck with with numbers of keepers, not necessarily monster keepers throwing jerkbaits off points. Things to look for include 45 degree or so banks. Creek rock or chunk rock as opposed to boulders. I've also had some luck throwing jerkbaits in mid-cove channel swings, where the channel in the cove took a swing and it is a hundred yards or more from the bank on either side. Fish hanging 3 to 5 feet down in 10 to 18 feet of water. Thowing a shakey head in similar spots is a slower option that sometimes works better. Basically just start looking and keep looking. I seldom stick with one technique for more than 10 minutes unless it is working. I will stick around and try multiple tactics on a spot, should it, for some reason, appeal to me. For instance, I'll throw a jerkbait for a short while, and then try a shakey head in the same spot. Should you have standing timber (many of the lakes I fish have an abundance of standing timber) you can always consider dropping a wacky rigged senko next to a tree. I've gotten bit doing this every season of the year, it isn't always the best option, but it is always an option. There's a few patterns to get you stated, but basically, you just keep looking. If you've been out all day, fished multiple areas and patterns and have few fish to show for it, basically you just haven't looked hard enough. The fish are in the water and if you find them, some of them will hit something.

If you've got to ask this question, then you obviously aren't ready for the mysteries of bait casters in general and Shimano reels in particular. Know yourself, and your abilities. Go to the trusty Zebco 202. They come with line already on them, and when you use up all that line, you just buy another Zebco 202. Remember the classic words of Homer Simpson, i.e. "If something is hard, you should probably quit and try something easier." I'd volunteer to take that Curado off your hands. I'd pay for the shipping and even spot you enough extra to cover a few Zebco 202's to get you started. Seriously.

I use 17 or 20 lb mono. I have one more spool of 20 lb Iron Silk, and then I'll have to find a new brand. Overall, I think the Iron Silk line was the best crankbait line Berkley ever came out with and I was sad when it was discontinued. Yes, I know that it is kinky and kind of stiff, but once you spray some line magic on it and get it wet, try not to cast real far the first few casts, I get great distance out of it and amazing abrasion resistance.

I think the fluorocarbon leaders are more abrasion resistant than the fluorocarbon line, so that is what I generally use. I only have a few rigs that I use a braid/fluorocarbon leader combination, so a spool of 20 lb fluorocarbon had lasted a couple of years.

I like Terminators because I like how you never have to tune them. If you have color issues, well, replacement skirts are cheap.

In season - March to November, I try to go once a week, al day, dawn to dusk. There will be weeks when I miss, but I will get in 3 or 5 multi day trips in, so it works out. I don't think I could go every day. For me, one of the charms of going fishing is the notion that I'm playing hookey, that there is any number of things that I could or probably should be doing, but instead I've going fishing. I've had extended periods of unemployment in past years, and aside from the limited income part of it, I was just too bummed to have much fun at fishing. So, for me, there has got to be a balance between going to work and going fishing and staying on top of other chores around the house. That's just me.

Try throwing a Brewer slider worm on 6 or 8 lb test, or a Chompers centipede split shot style on 6 or 8. Maybe just throw a senko

I like Lucky Craft jerk baits. My favorite/best producing color has been Table Rock Shad.

I learned how to use a bait caster a couple of decades ago and I had similar issues learning how to throw baits. A couple of suggestions - If you're learning how to use it out on the water, throw a top water, something that floats. You don't need something getting stuck on the bottom while you are picking out back lashes. Secondly, if I had the opportunity to learn casting all over again, I'd learn how to pitch first. The underhand motion is very natural, your thumb is always close to the spool and you aren't putting so much muscle into the cast. Once I could pitch a 3/8 ounce jig 30 to 40 feet with reasonable accuracy and no backlashes, I think that would shorten the learning curve on side arm and overhead casts. The only issue I can think of is that you've got to stand up to pitch. If you're learning how to pitch on ground, stand on a milk crate or something, to get you off the ground a foot or so. You can learn how to pitch sitting down, but it is tricky and not the think you'd want to try to learn first. The only other advice I have is to buy a bulk spool of line, 14 or 17 or 20. That way your learning curve won't cost quite as much as buying filler spools. Keep at it and by the end of this season, you'll be a decent caster. Just be aware it takes a long time to get really good, like Denny Brauer good or Stan Fagerstrom good.

I think Flicker Shads are more of a trolling crank than a casting crank.

Fishing out of a float tube is fun, but for me it is strictly a warm weather deal. Foot paddles or fins are absolutely necessary.

2 thoughts. 1 - Get yourself a fairly accurate postage scale, one that weighs down to the gram, not just for nail weights, but for any fishing tackle that you want to know how much it weighs. Mine cost around $40 at a business supply store and as I recall the ones at WalMart were similar. Take the battery out when not in use and it will last longer, 2 - Lumber Yard - you can get all kinds of nails at the lumber yard. One time, I found some thin brass screws with a larger round head on them. The screw threads make them less likely to fall out and when you're fishing around rock, the brass makes a little click from time to time. Just a thought. I don't use nail weights very often, but you can carry many of them in a zip lock bag and that's where most of mine came from.

I prefer spinning gear for a couple of reasons. First, I get more distance with spinning gear and I think that's important with jerkbaits. Second, I've had enough issues trying to throw jerkbaits with bait casting gear that I prefer not to do it anymore. I don't have to worry about wind as much when I'm using jerkbaits and spinning gear. I like using a 7 or 6 1/2 ft med. lt. spinning rod and 14 lb fireline. Using a half ounce Lucky Craft pointer, I can cast right aroound a hundred feet with little effort. When I wind up and think about it, I can throw farther. So that's why I like spinning gear for jerkbaits.

The only rule I follow is "don't bring more thanyou can deal with." When I fish by myself, I bring lots of rods = 20 , plus or minus a few. If I step on one or lose one or break one, I only have myself to blame and I can live with that. When I bring someone with me, I try to keep it to 10 or 12, just to try to reduce clutter in the boat. If it is an experiment day, I'm likely to have half a dozen or so rods rigged very similar. The last time I went, last fall, I was experimenting with drop shot rigs and I had 8 different rods rigged up with various drop shot baits, weights, line tests, etc. So I guess it all depends. The ultimate decider is your wallet and your level of fanaticism.

Every year, early in the spring, mid-March or so, I catch 1 or 2 or 3 big fish, fish in the 6 to 8 lb range. Here is the general pattern. It is generally in the mid-afternoon, been on the water since 7:30 or so and fishing is average at best. I will have talked myself into seeing if there is an afternoon shallow bite. It will either be a rattle bait, or a big spinner bait, like a 3/4 oz War Eagle. Just checking out the 1 to 4 ft depth range, I'll move these baits pretty fast. Banks/areas with intermittent stumps/objects seem to be better than areas with a whole bunch of stumps and objects. I'm moving into the wind if possible. Should the wind be pounding into the area I want to fish, I'm using the trolling motor to stay a long cast away and casting with the wind. Sometimes the big fish hit 10 minutes into the process, sometimes 40 or 50 minutes, but I know it is going to happen, primarily because it has happened the last 5 years in a row, on 3 different lakes. So that's what I'll be doing, the first few trips, after 2 pm or so. Earlier in the day, I'll throw the shakey head or a jerk bait if the water is clear enough. So anyway, in your situation, fishing from the bank, I would cover the edges of the pond, from the bank to 5 feet or so off the bank with a fast moving, reaction bait, either a rattle bait or a big spinner bait. Good Luck

I spend money in Rogers from time to time. I like going into stores where the staff is always nice to you and will try to answer your questions, even if they are dumb questions. From time to time I patronize BPS and Cabelas, but I know better than to try to ask questions there because most all the help is part time and they are there for a job. Very few people in the fishing tackle sections are informed about fishing. I always get the feeling that they are repeating stuff to me that they've heard other customers say.

I've always figured the drop on rattle baits at roughly a foot per second. Now that I think about it, I don't know where that number comes from or if it is anywhere close to being right. Surely someone on this board knows for certain.

I don't know. On the clearer lake.I think there would be a better opportunity for a jerk bait or senko bite. I like fishing jerk baits when the jerk bait bite is on. On the other hand a good bite can happen on a stained water lake, maybe on a jig or a spinnerbait or a crank, you never know until you fish it. I'd probably make my decision on other stuff. Which lake is prettier and which one are you less likely to run into a crowd? Which lake is closer? Mileage is a consideration more and more these days. Which one has the better restaurant on the way home. I'll be tired and hungry and I don't want to cook when I get home. Several times over the past few years I've made my lake of the day choice because there was a great BBQ spot on the way home.

I've got a couple of thos pelican cases. I've got a medium sized one I keep binoculars in and a much smaller one for my cell phone. I've lost a couple of cell phones when they fell out of my pocket when I was in my boat. I think that pelican case is pretty cheap insurance. (there is a float attatched to the smaller pelican case, should I drop the whole thing and yes, I've checked to be certain that the float is big enough.)

Early this year, I went to the KC Sportshow and listened to Rick Clunn explain why softer action glass or graphite/glass composite rods were the way to go for crankbaits. Well, maybe, if you are Rick Clunn and you get to fish a couple of hundred days per year. Me, I get to fish maybe 50 days per year, on a good year, probably less. I appreciate and need the extra sensitivity that a graphite rod gives me. Rick Clunn made a point several times about how the faster reaction of the graphite would pull the crank out of the fishes mouth. OK, if you say so, I guess I'll just have to take my chances with that.

whoever started this thread, and right now I forget who started this thread, bust out a few c-notes and get yourself some sonar and find out for yourself if it takes the fun out of the hunt or not. If you're trying to justify not buying a fish finder by insisting that it takes some of the fun out of the hunt, well - that's just short sighted. Either buy a sonar - or don't - either way you don't need to justify it. Boys and toys - my 2 cents worth.

Zoom makes baits in a zillion different colors. I'm at work now so I don't have my BPS catalog handy as reference, but I'd bet one of those colors is black with shiny flakes. Just a guess. I'll check tomorrow sometime when I get home.

Berkley had a rattle trap type bait called a Frenzy. That is my current favorite of these style baits.