Nitrofreak

21

Charlie Parker was a sax player from way back, what OkobojEagle was refering to was that he loves his music, his music lives on but the artist is gone, just like you referred too not letting the old stuff be forgotten.

2nd BOX ?????? He likes wine like I like beer then lol.

The post in question you are referring to was a good post, I don't think it was so much a question of him being scared of them, it was more along the lines of the poster being worried that they may step out of bounds and loose face in the community. The mods in other places are somewhat power people who like to push their weight around and if the poster has visited other sites this may be the reason for the created timmidness for posting what he/she did. There are some really great mods here and ones that are interactive, and even some that will debate in a heated discussion at least until it goes a little too far, I love the freedom they give us to express ourselves, either in the heat of battle in words, or a failed attempt at humor. Either way the post was good and the mods here are AWESOME !!!

For me it was the new style of rods that Skeet has out, I can't wait to get my hands on the new jigging rod.

To me the old way's are still the best ways, sure my equiptment is updated, but my tackle is still t-rigged worms for the most part, I don't think many of us give up on what we know works from days or even years or in some cases even decades past, but that does not mean we don't give the new stuff a chance to perform when the old stuff isn't working. When the fish are pressured and the fishing is tuff, the old ways still get the job done, but you must be open minded and be able to change when the circumstances call for it, and some of that requires new technology and new ways of thought, it is you the fishermen that has to put that together, it's the way it was then and it's the way it is now. When Tom mann came out with the jelly worm way back when, it was new ways of thinking and new technology that put the jelly worm on the map, same goes for today. By the way nice job on the post Logan !!!

I agree with you all, fall fishing is a lot of fun, there is nothing like getting on the water and fishing while the others are in the woods hunting, this time of year is my favorite time to fish stumps in the backs of coves or rocky areas around stumps, my go to bait is a zara spook, as long as the bait fish are in the shallows the bass will be too, this can go all the way into mid November and late November before they head out for deeper water, if thats not working then I will switch up to a jig or a creature bait. The best part about fall fishing is there is no need to be on the water early, the water needs to warm a little so I will usually wait until the sun is up over trees before I head out. But we still have time to fish those summer patterns for now, don't be afraid to up size your baits and fish deep, be open minded while your out there, this time of year can be just like fishing the dead of winter, think slow and be slow if you need to, and give the larger worms and creature baits a good try on some structure, you might be suprised at what you will find. Confidence is a key just like knowing structure, build confidence by getting out there and giving it all you got, soon you will be rewarded for your efforts. Good luck and be safe !!!

There seems to be a lot of questions about where all the fish went...well let's see if we can help to give you an idea of what happens as we progress through the winter to spring to summer to fall and back again so that you can be better prepaired for the next time out. Let's start with Winter since the year changes and begins a new fishing season for most all of us. Some of us get to enjoy ice fishing, and some of us get to watch re-runs of fishing shows, itching for the weather to break and prepairing for the up coming season by getting our rods and reels cleaned and spooled, our trailers and boats serviced, while you southern folk get to enjoy fishing practically all year long...yes i'm jealous. The one thing on our minds is always, how good will the fishing be this year? what can I do to increase my success rate and catch not only more, but bigger fish? Well, one thing hardly anyone ever prepares for is failure, lets face it no one wants to fail, myself included, so what my suggestion would be to do in the winter is start prepairing by doing homework, the first thing on my mind is how cold the winter is, what does that have to do with anything? it has a lot to do with what goes on in your body of water as the fish prepair for spawn and you yourself prepair to fish the spawn, pre, during and post. The longer and colder the temps stay at or below freezing, the deeper the water freezes... the deeper the cold water layers... the less shallow swimming bait fish there will be surviving the cold water, (these are most commonly threadfin shad) and start dieing off as the water reaches around the 45 degree mark...the less shallow swimming bait fish there are, the more aggressive the fish will be to gear up for the up coming spawn once they reach the shallows...excited yet? The majority of the fish will come from deeper water haunts they use during the winter, they feed on deeper bait fish that stay deep all winter long (usually Gizzard shad). Once the weather starts to change, so does the lake and the fish, a clock, if you will, starts ticking down too...let's get it on !!! time, as this happens the fish will follow structure to shallow waters and find males to make nests and settle down and have a bunch of little ones to run around, it's during this time the big females are eating everything in site because they know how much energy they will need to use for the spawn. Let's start with the Gizzard shad for homework, Gizzard shad are common throughout the eastern shore and west to eastern South Dakota and south to the gulf of Mexico, they thrive in fresh water lakes, reservoirs, rivers and swamps, and can be found in waters such as the upper parts of the Chesapeak Bay. Adult Gizzard shad measure anywhere from 8 to 14 inches, hhhmmmm, ever wonder why we use big baits in deeper structured waters like spoons and such? a Gizzard shad feeds on zooplankton until it grows larger than about an inch in length, then it's body will transform so that it may consume phytoplankton and algae, it will grind this mix in it's gizzard like stomach, Gizzard shad frequent the bottom to pick up sand and mud to grind their food, in the spring when the water temps reach into the 60's the Gizzard shad visit shallow cover to broadcast their eggs, wow that last part sounded just like another well known fish. Gizzard shad grow rather quickly and soon become too large for the average size bass, they can reach upwards to around 7 inches in their first year, but they are stll no match for a 5 lb bass as they can easily take even the adult size Gizzard shad. In the spring as these fish are moving toward the shallows to spawn, it is so important to understand structure and how it relates to these two types of fish in order to be successful especially for the up coming summer months, this is why time on the water is so very important for your homework as well, take some time and visit, read and relate to these differences in structure, the articals in here are very helpful, the advice is priceless. During post spawn the big girls will still be shallow and can usually be found on flats resting and bulking up after a long hard workout, knowing they are going back to the deep water haunts, at least until fall arives, this is where the threadfin shad has come into the picture. Threadfin shad need warmer climates, they range from all over the eastern shore West of the Appalachian Mountains down to Florida and West to Eastern Texas and have been introduced into many other places. Threadfin shad are usually no more than about 4 inches in length, which makes them an easy target, or meal if you will, for bass, they feed on phytoplankton and zooplankton, they leave cover in the shallows and head for open waters in the early am then return to their shallow cover each night, they like waters with current, they are more surface oriented and begin their spawn around May and will scatter their eggs around aquatic vegetation, docks and other shallow cover until around the mid to late part of June. Then it seems like all the fish just dissappear huh, where did they go? well the answer to that question is in your own body of water, homework is key, understanding structure is key, understanding how important o2 levels are to the activity of bass all relate to when, where, why and how we fish a particular body of water, this is one big reason why when a question is posted you get an overwhelming amount of different opinions from people who have spent their time on the water, not all of the suggestions will make sence but if you look close enough, there will usually be one common denominator that will point you in the right direction, and for you bank beaters it's even tougher I know, But hang in there they will be back in your favorite locations soon enough, so until then keep looking for those productive points in the am and late evening hours and they will lead you to the right location. During the summer months shortly after the Threadfin shad have spawned, activity slows to a snails pace, it's all in part to water temps on the rise and depleting the useable o2 layers that the fish will frequent to feed, so less dissolved o2 equals less activity, almost like what cold water does in the winter, which in turn should make you slow down as well...way down sometimes, this is also my favorite time for bottom baits, especially jigs, waters 15 feet or deeper will prove to be your better fishing. Small plastic baits will still catch some shallow for the up coming months, but the bigger fish will be deeper, big bass living in deeper water don't have to come shallow to feed, they have gone back to where the Gizzard shad are abundant to keep them fat and happy, the larger size of these bait fish are the reason why the larger size crank baits, spoons and big worms work so well in deeper structure when fishing for the big bite, this technique will be most likely used for the rest of the summer by a lot of us. And now we get back to the Fall and into winter after struggling through another tough summer, the bite here is a lot of fun, the boaters are putting away their big pleasure boats for another long winters nap, the jet ski's are still around but nothing like the summer months, the bass tournaments are back into full gear on lakes that have had a lot of boat traffic, and it's like fishing the spring all over again, except without the spawn, Gizzard shad and the threadfin shad are migrating to the backs of the creeks and channels sucking off the goop on boulders and docks and such getting ready for the upcoming winter and the fish are in hot persuit, staging under docks and around various cover to get their fill before their metabolism slows down for the long winter ahead, plastics and cranks and spinners are working hard to find fish for us and give us the fix we need to carry us through the long winter ahead. Late August through mid to late October will once again give us those bites we have been looking for all summer long, until once again we have to slow way down to catch those lathargic and lazy fish that just won't seem to eat what we present to them, then it's back to the couch dreaming of what the spring will be like once again. Hope this helps at least a little. Good luck and be safe !!!

X3 The jig would be my first choice though or the creature baits fished slow and deep, if you guys get a couple we want to see pics !!!! Good luck and be safe !!!

There is nothing like a dutch oven cooked bass. Skin on, scaled of course, slices of lemon cover the bottom, with a light coating of extra virgin olive oil. Pepper, old bay seasoning, are mixed in the butter and spread over the fillet, as the butter melts the seasonings slowly cook into the meat, about half way into the process, 1/4 of a scallion is added to the top of the fillet's and then I add crab meat in small round portions, 4 total, made the same way as a crab cake.

Well This should be a lot of fun LOL !! While Traveler is looking so will I, between the two of us we should be able to give you something that can help...I hope.

Beat me to it, nice post !!! the other bait I like to use is a french fry in some of the conditions you described.

ALLLLLLLRIGHT !!!! Congrats, hope you enjoy fishing the drop shot rig, keep working at it and you will find it to be just as effective around docks and other areas as well.

X2 It does not matter if it's a small pond or a large lake, if the o2 levels drop so do the fish, find the deepest, coolest part of the pond and fish really slow, even the bite is going to be soft so you have to pay attention, they will use the least amount of energy possible.

X2 Nice post and great advice, one other thing to keep in mind, it takes time for the fish to adjust to major depth changes, so they could be in the same depth range just somewhere other than that location, a larger fish with bigger teeth could have roamed around that area and scattered the school, or any number of things for that matter.

In my opinion, Ranger boats are the ones who have done the most for the sport, they have pioneered the bass boat industry along the way and in many ways have brought other boat manufactures up to meet or exceed their standards. Out of all of the manufactures other than Ranger, Nitro has come the farthest in my opinion, the newer Z series boats perform very well in waters rough or otherwise, I have several friends that have had other boats, high dollar boats, and all but one own Nitros now, I have heard the Z-8 is not what they expected as far as the way it gets on plane and rides but the Z-7 and Z-9 seem to be much nicer, I do not know the reason for the difference they feel but I thought it should be thrown in for some info you might be able to use or investigate. I have looked at all of them and drove just about all of them as well, and in my opinion dollar for dollar Nitro is a good investment, I still have my 1990, although she is starting to show her age, she still gets me everywhere I want to go. Good luck with your decision and be safe !!!

I like jigs and spinners and creature baits too but the first thing I would suggest is looking for some long points that lead out to deeper waters, hopefully some have some type of cover they can use out toward the end of the points. Glenn posted a video on how to fish the double Fluke rig recently, that rig is deadly if the fish are active, if even just a little, you may want to consider that rig if you do have some of those long points. For the jigs and creature baits, they will be most productive if there is some good structure your fishing, especially if your fishing deep, slow movement and bottom contact are key when fishing these baits, if I ever pick one of these up off of the bottom, it's never more than a couple of inches. The forage in your water should be able to help you dictate what you should be fishing, if it is primarily craw fish, then the jigs and creatures are, or should be, very productive, but from where I see you are fishing then I would have to guess the yellow perch is one of your primary bait fish and should base your crank baits in those color patterns, the yellow perch is mostly found hanging around areas that have deep humps and submerged grassy areas, those would be your most productive, if I were to venture a guess. Good starting points are simply that... points...points lead to where you need to be looking for deeper structure that fish love to hang out, summer bass are just like fishing in the winter for them, you have to know where they like to hang around, and spending some time just figuring that out will equate to a much more productive day on the water. Hope that helps. Good luck and be safe !!!

Braid on a baitcaster is like having a heavy duty wench on the front of your truck, it's there to serve a purpose, heavy duty fishing requires heavy duty equiptment. On the other hand, it has multiple applications, it's great for top water, and for vertical fishing as well.

A drop shot rig is still productive around rocks etc... I am not sure what presentation you used however, try a more vertical presentation and when fishing cover, start at the outside of cover and work your way in, if it starts to get hung, don't pull at it, try to make it wiggle, a bass will pick it free from the cover for you.

my mistake then, that fish was a pretty good looking ol' girl to say the least anyway, I can agree with you about being more photogenic.

Was that the one in a photo you posted some time back in a thread about video cameras and still photos? That was a good looking fish Wayne !!! Largest LMB is out of Lake Anna, 8.89 lbs , caught on a Green pumkin/Chart Strike King jig with a Rage Tail craw in bama color, pitched it to a point that has an old creek bed just out from it and just let it fall off the bank onto a shelf. Largest SMB, well, thats a zero, I have never caught one.

Lake Anna can be a lot of fun or she can be heartbreaking. Right now it's tough to fish with all of the boat traffic in the middle and upper regions of Anna, the recent rains that have come has cooled the upper part of the old Anna river they will be in the 10 to 15 foot range, the water is stained and the fish spook easily. If you are planning a trip anytime soon, the mornings and evenings are going to be your best bet, the lower part of the lake will hold some pretty good fishing but you have to find them, the dissolved o2 layers are going to be pretty thick so they have a lot of room to get around and feel comfortable. Dukes creek, Sturgeons Creek, Blount Cove, Valentine Cove, Levy Creek are some of the better fishing areas this time of year for the Mid to lower part of the lake to fish. Dukes creek will most likely provide the better action, shad travel that area all the way out to the flat before they disperse, the rocky points will be some of the better fishing in the late morning hours. If you do go fishing there, I would suggest going to the state park and launch from there, it might be a long run to the bottom of the lake from there but if you stop by the office they usually have topo maps that they give away from time to time, nice ones too. Hope that helps . Good luck and be safe !!!

Cool we look forward to it !!!

Nice !!!! Look forward to seeing the new web and the rest of your updates, so far I like what I see !!! Good job !!!

Whats the name of the lake and where is it located? As much info as you can give would be helpfull. I will see what I can do to get you what you need to know