BigEbass

The "other goose" finds its way out on my boat from time to time though :

"There he is" - I think I say this to - also FYI there is a book regarding this with that title by Bill Dance - just thought that was a funny coinkydink: http://www.amazon.com/There-Bill-Dances-plastic-fishing/dp/B0006X65BY

Yeah, I make it a point when I fish to just do something that "makes no sense" via "conventional wisdom" - it has many times not paid off particularly well, but there has been a few magic times that it really did - as gobig said, they do what they do cause they are just a fish and act on their instincts - if there is an offering there in front of them, they will nab it. I have heard all sorts of stories of big topwater bites during winter in reading magazines and the like - its worth trying just as you had the intuition to do - way to go!!!!!

I am new to the swimbait scene, but I have read alot about it at this point. The lure is simply a tool to achieve your goal - and I am sure there are ones that are cheaper that will do the job. Now, I am a very frugal person generally and do alot of research to make sure every penny I spend is to my best value. There have been good arguments made by the people that thrown these really regularly to buy particular brands at times of these big baits - as I understand, each company is different - for example, some will repare or replace the lure if you break it, damage it, or if it is defective in some way. On the other hand, there will certainly be "cheaper" lures that will do just fine I would imagine, some that may even hold up to abuse, but I tend to trust the other forums a bit more in talking to the people that throw these quite regularly. Some of the lures as I understand, people can keep for well over a year or more. The question I would have about a particular bait since I am getting into the big bait craze is? How much does it cost? Does it have good hooks, how does it run in the water? How does it hold up to repeated usage? Has it worked for people well? Purely considering cost: If an 8 dollar lure is good for 15 fishing trips before something falls off, then that costs 8/15 = 0.53.....if I spend 50 bucks on a big bait and it lasts me 50 trips - 50/50 = 1.0 - if it lasts 200 trips 50/200 = 0.25. I have completely made up these numbers and have no real idea about how these baits hold up? But I keep an open mind either way and will look more into this myself. I am sure there are no 100% truths about this matter - I am certain that there are baits out there that are worth the investment which will over time save the money and possibly provide better results, while there may be "cheaper" alternatives perhaps that will get the same end result? Again, I am not sure, and am researching it more myself. Then there is the issue of experience with big baits. I found a site called swimbaitnation.com - not sure of any bias from this site, but it has open reviews of lures and people weigh in with their experience. For new people throwing these "true big baits" - the 8 and 10 inchers and alike - I read it can be intimidating at first and people may lose confidence....if I am throwing one of these big momas, I personally would like re-assurance from the swimbait community at large that they have routinely produced - that way if I am not catching as a NewB out there, it likely is due to my location and presentation that needs to be changed and not pigeonholing it on the lure...... I will at this point not rule anything out from cheaper lures to more expensive ones - I am sure sometimes it very well may be worth the investment and other times perhaps not as much?? I am still unsure myself - but I avoid any generalizations - But definately keep us informed on your lure you are using - you are already letting us know that it catches fish - see if it holds up now and get back to us!

I only get to go once every two weeks or so, sometimes more, sometimes less, and I will go from dawn to dusk - except for winter when its colder - I dont get out really before 9 am when its cold. In the deepest of summer when it may be the very hottest, I may occasionally fish 1/2 of a day - but most of the time I go all day to saver that time that I get on the water.

Yeah, I second that thought - if you find the best structure and fish it, you cant go wrong eventually! Finding individual bass or schooling bass is really hit and miss I think - however, baitfish is a fair indicator if bass are in the area....structure, cover, and baitfish is my primary focus so far in using my sonar so far...at least that is my understanding so far.... What sensitivity are you running at?

My neihbor is from sout AL - when he gets a big hit he says "he knocked the stew out of it" - not sure why "the stew" but it is catchy anyway

Blee - dont lose sleep man But I know what you mean, my brother in law joking me about "blow up" got me to thinking about it too - we have our own niche of terminology and its fickle and times Oh I will add one - seeing a "boil" - ya know when a bass swirls or hits on the water - "man did you see that big boil"

A small world indeed - it is so rare to actually meet people who know where Tazewell is

I am originally from a small town in southwestern VA - Tazewell, VA - went to school in Philadelphia, PA - now live in Birmingham, AL (and I am not going anywhere!!). Since I have started on this site, I am realizing that bass fishing has such apparent strong roots in souther or country culture I suppose. Everyone on here uses talk like - "cath em" - "git em" - or "thats a big un'"....... By no means am I joking on this - I am from one of the most backwoods areas of this country - when I moved to Philadelphia, people thought I was from a foriegn planet or something - in which I joked those folks in return with their "different" vernacular like saying coffee as "quafie" or in Philly water as "wuder". It seems that bass junkies seem to have a simlar vernacular to a degree.....thought it would be fun to see how many funny types of quotes you all could come up with for kicks. I went and saw my family who live just south of DC and I was talking to my brother in law and I said something about the fish "blowing up" on my bait...he found that so fickle. I also just finished watching a DVD by Bill Siemantel - he says "smoked it" all the time - "that bass just smoked it" - hadnt heard that term yet. There must be alot of varience in fishing speak out there - lets see what you all got including any personal ones or unknown terminology! It will keep us busy at least for a day or so till we can get out on the water this weekend

Timothy, man thats a bummer - well, all the sweeter when you get out there and catch em - good luck!

Clark - your communication with this "guru" will be MUCH appreciated. I feel pretty good about this weekend - I have fished there one time before and caught 4 small spots - it really is a beautiful lake. Indeed - I have already been obsessing over the topo maps on my gps unit and marked waypoints on many tapering points EXACTLY as you said, that is tapering down to 30-50 feet - most of these types of points seem to be further back away from the main lake as you stated in the creek arms - the main points on the river drop off really fast and really deep - but I havened ruled those out - will try 4-5 of em too for good measure. I got about 100 nice looking points and have found a good number of them with intersection with submerged creek bed and other good looking spots on spots - cant wait to get out there and hit it. The houses there are freakin ridiculous - its very beautiful!! Hope to hear from you soon - thanks so much - any other advice greatly appreciated.

YES - I am hoping for that topwater bite on this trip!! I thought my neighbor may have been mistaken - thanks for the info and the website - very useful! I have heard it is very clear for sure - cant wait to try it out - will use LONG casts. I hope I see some big ones following my baits, or even that take my baits ;D

So, I am going to Lewis Smith lake this weekend for my first time. I have marked a number of points both main and secodary in creek arms off the main lake, marked especially ones with creek beds nearby or docks on or nearby and plan to work points from top to bottom and find the magic depth. Also plan on keeping an eye out for baitfish...seems like the LM, spot, and/or striper cannot be far from the bait in this lake. Plan on trying a couple huddleston 6 inch swimbaits, heavy spinner baits, and possibly shaky head or drop shot. Oh and top water - may get my first top water of the year perhaps - oh yeah Will probably find a few nice shallow flats (although upon my review of the topo map - there didnt seem to be many at all) and fish those. Any generally useful tips for me - I am also breakin in my HB998 for the first time that day - I plan on not messing with it too much to distract me from fishing, will take it out sunday and just tinker with it without much fishing. My neighbor said the water level is pretty low there right now, which confused me cause we have had plenty of rain, but anyway, not sure how that will factor into my search - I figure if I work those points and docks from top to bottom I will find the fish - any suggestions from those who have experience there would be great - thanks.

Secure loose rods/reels while not using them to avoid kickent them over, catching one in a backcast, and them bumping up and blowing out while motoring (this happened to 4 of my rods - bounced up at 45mph in a fairly secure spot - hit a bit wake and they just bounced up enough and caught the wind - now somewhere in ~ 30 feet in the middle of lay lake). So SECURE YOUR RODS!!!!

Glad there are other "addicts" out there - in all seriousness, my recent fishing anxiousness is seriously a problem - I am so unproductive at work - I had the boat monkey for like a month then I bought my new sonar unit, then I had to wait 2 weeks - it is killing me - not sure if the boat monkey was worse than this or not - actually this is worse - that boat is just sittin there waiting calling my name - shut up stupid boat let me sleep and work like a normal person

Awesome fish man - that must have been an awesome fight - never caught a smallie yet - none down in my neck of the woods :'(

I have seen these posts on here before from other folks talking about many skunked days. I live in Alabama, and we had a hard winter (relatively speaking anyway) - and the bite was tough, but I managed to only get skunked entirely 2 times - with some outings only catching 2-6 fish (which felt successful in that really cold weather). I am relatively new to bass fishing and I will share with you my thoughts about when I feel in a rut so far. Many on this site when talking about tough fishing conditions as such, they talk about baits - finding a bait that works, and of course a slow presentation. But many times people fail to mention fishing location - when fishing gets tough for me personally - I tune out all the clutter of bait choice really - focus on location and proper presentation and fish good structure (points, humps, flats, creekbeds, etc) from top to bottom till I find a bite. It has worked for me so far pretty well, but I dont live in VA and never have experienced the same conditions so that just may be tough conditions? Before I would pigeonhole that as a good excuse, I would certainly ask around - I have to believe that if I position my boat right, make the right cast and presentation, that the bass will have no choice but to take it. Got to maintain the confidence I would think - when I lose my confidence the aspects and details of proper fishing for me goes down the tube with haphazard choice of location, lack of attention to detail about presentation, boat position, staying alert for the smallest bite, etc...lack of confidence for me breeds worse performance. Perhaps watch some fishing shows or read something and cook up an attack plan and go out there hopefully with more confidence. Anyway, those are my humble thoughts, I am by NO means an expert so take that with a big fat grain of salt ;D Good luck!

I once went to six flags during a less busy time of year...there were hardly any lines. We went strait to the big coasters and rode them....somehow not having the long lines took away the luster and perhaps the anticipation. This got me to thinking about fishing and you guys that are retired. In retirement, does anticipation and the same joy of fishing still exist - or since there are "no lines" does it start to lack the luster - the contrast from the office to the open water??

I like the dog in the car anticipating analogy!! That pretty much sums it up.....I am always anticipating fishing, but this time around I feel like a crack addict - a couple days on the water is going to be therapeutic for sure ;D Dude, the ice in the northeast - I am sorry for you guys for sure - there is no way that I will move to wherever water freezes in winter - no way in hell - once you taste the forbidden fruit of year round fishing, I dont think it would be healthy to take this privaleage away Take care guys - heres to getting all our fixes soon

The perfect storm of events in life have happened and alls that I want to do is go fishing and waiting these past couple weeks has been excruciating!!! 2 weeks ago the weather here started really warming up - I would leave work on the weekdays and say, "god I wish I was fishing". Also the weekend before last I bought an HB 998 - its has been ready to try out and I have been unable to even put the boat in the water yet - was out of town this past weekend to see family - bahhh And on top of that, I have been doing alot of studying and preparation to try out a new tactic and approach - big swimbait fishin. All of this has led to the most stir crazy mind I have ever had - I cannot concentrate at work hardly, cannot wait to get out of work, cannot wait till tomorrow is over - cannot wait till early saturday morning for me to launch that boat and get to the getting!!! Have you ever been this distracted or am I the only "10 year old child" in this forum? I mean I always look forwad to my fishing weekend (every other weekend mostly) - but this is insane - its just unhealthy really - I am sure after I fish Sat. and Sun. I will get my "fix" and get back to my normal routine - this is crazy unproductive for me!

Dude - sweet!!!! Nice fish man - I am sure you have some serious confidence now! What a great start for you and the wife and that baby growing!! My wife is 16 weeks preggos with our first (will not know the sex for 2 more weeks) - you have inspired me to put my wife on a big one man - that would be awesome - she is starting to nibble at the proposition anyway of fishing with me - so far she goes out with me, lays out and reads, but she has expressed some interest. Take it easy - she is a good photographer though for sure - my wife takes shots of me too which is convenient - she had the timing very good!!

You need to have the confidence necessary to catch fish. More importantly and more specifically I believe the confidence that if I fish the best structure thoroughly from top to bottom with and my presentation is done well - then I will catch fish. When I get despirate and nothing is working out - I just find points, drop offs, a creekbed perhaps, some typical bass structure - possibly with some cover on it too - BELIEVE there are bass there cause well, if it is good structure, then there will be and they will be catchable at some particular depth with a given presentation of a given bait. You only got out 8 times - man you are probably gettin psyched out and despirate and losing confidence - get back to basics I would say. This is just me and I am still learning - but I would tie on 3 basic lures (choice of lure not really important IMO) - 3 lures that can get through the entire water column - a heavy spinnerbait perhaps to slow roll from shallow to deep, a lipless crank to fish the top and middle, and a worm or senko or something to nice structure at various depths...simplify and get your bait down to where you KNOW the fish are at - you will get it man. At least we all hope so. 8 days skunked throughout the year - tell us a bit more about how you fish? Do you target certain structure? You must have done some self evaluation - what do you think so far you are doing wrong after the fact?

Whatever gets me to the multiple spots in a give day to catch the multiple huge fish in my hopeful future What did Doug Hannon fish out of again? But, hey, dont I too want to buy the biggest fanciest boat I can afford with all the trimmings - I want a piece of the status pie too - I am not familiar with all the brands - my neighbor has a nice triton and it is really sweet so Ill say triton - with a big motor, 3 huge sonar units, power pole, one of those auto trolling motor deals, and a rotating lazy boy on the bow.....of course, when everything is said in done, my status mobile probably wont catch any more fish than that dude in the skiff

Yes, as Siemantel says - the bait we choose is simply a tool - any tool can be used - the concept of probing the entire water column makes since to me. I have only read BBZ and have never met Bill Siemantel, but after reading his book - I would not call him a "deep structure guy" - In his book he said he catches some large majority of his fish (I think he said 90%) in 10 feet of water or less - from what I have read and watched his DVD he really does cover the entire water column from deep the shallow and catches on simply whatever works. I think at least at this point I am drawn to BBZ's philosophy so far - which seems to not necessarily forget all the small details (clutter?) that many anglers find themselves trying to figure out (in vein?) - weather, water temp, seasonal movements of bass, etc...Not to say these are not important I am sure...... I absolutely agree - if you all thought I was wanting to tie on a swimbait and just find fish, I am really not that dumb (not that dumb anyway ) - there is no magic bullet indeed I believe - but after reading BBZ and watching the video - talking to folks on both BR and BBZ's forum - I found there are a great number of folks that use the BBZ principals (at least in part of their overall philosophy and personal experience and techniques) to great success. If one man can do it, so can I - If 100 can do it, than so can I. I definately will use at some point big ol worms - I already use 10 inchers and have caught 3-5 lbers on em from time to time - I have been using the BBZ principles in the past 8 months or so with my "standard" lures I typically use with good success - I am just gonna start hunting the big uns more exclusively now It will take hard work, time on the water, evaluation and re-evaluation of what I am doing - learning my waters intimately and fishing them thoroughly - thats fishing I guess - and by the way, I will have fun doing it. Thanks for the advice - Ill keep you posted.