Nice_Bass

I have paid less than 20 for each. ;-)

I only use an electric knife now. Cut behind the gill threw fin down to back, and then over to tail, flip the filet over and while tail skin still attached cut down skin to remove. Once down with both sides I use a small hand knife for removing ribs. 100% boneless and about 20 seconds per fish. I am with you, I would dread fileting if I had to use a hand knife for it all. I use it on all sizes of fish, especially panfish... I like the mister twister brand- also have a rapala but do not like it as much.

Not sure how you were not fired on the spot. Lucky to not have charges pressed as well. I am sure that is not the first punk you have ran into, nor the last. May want to rethink how to react for the next time...

http://www.navionics.com/en/webapp zoom in to yhe lake and screen print the area you are wanting to fish and I'm sure you could get some specifics. No reason to limit any depth out though until you verify whats there.

Wont be too busy- Thursday and Friday nights are usually when I head there and I almost have the lake to myself- especially now that schools have started.

No roller skates on the boat. (I have never had to enforce this rule)

What lake?

I have done nola from where I am a couple times on Amtrak...different than what yoy are doing, but an adventure nonetheless.

There are things in life that you can be mad at. there are other things in life you just have to laugh at...

remember that as you reel in lipless baits they have resistance on them that cause lift, so your speed of retrieve will determine what depth you will fish at.

I am sure you have resolved this already but them most important thing you should consider is line size and capacity and what you will need it for. Both will throw jigs of those weights just fine. One will work better with heavy line and long casts vs the other, etc. etc.

Never...I don't have room in the boat to keep any of the logs I hook into- usually just break off and retie so as not to make a mess... also, seems like "fishes in trees" should know a thing or two about "fishing logs".

It really is that good. I try and go a couple times a year, but always make sure I go in april/may every year. Almost ruins the fishing for the rest of the year though being that spoiled with numbers and size for a couple days in a row! Hope your luck runs better, the bite has been short around here lately but at the right time and place it has been pretty good for the most part.

Same distance for me- but unless I want to go a couple hours in any direction it is by far the best fishery we have. Decatur lake has its fair share of issues- siltation, no good depth range, poor spawning, and fish kills. Always give yourself the best chance for success if you can help it. As far as dock fishing goes, and if you have not been, get to lake of the Ozarks in the spring sometime...

I fish most lakes around here although typically not Decatur, Mostly Clinton. Let me know if you ever want/need some specifics for around here.

I will start throwing them in with pics. Add a 21 for me and I may end up posting the rest tonight.

Dusted the skunk off. This one went 5 -6. Good healthy fish for Clinton. Fish were a bit deeper than they had been last couple weeks but stacked up on points ledges next to really deep water.

Powerbait soft plastics require no additional scent. I'm not sayin but I'm sayin...

Striper bite is still on- just shorter than what it had been for a couple weeks- numbers went down, size went up, so I cannot complain too much. Topwater bite seems to have come on though for bass for me, so I have been chasing the proverbial dragon doing that the last couple of trips- possibly to a fault...

Dont feel too bad- I thought I had them all figured out and was catching some good ones at Clinton; only to get my second skunk of the season. Only had three hours to fish after work, but missed too on top water and broke one off on a hookset with plastic worm. not my finest day.

I am about 60% big worm/jig and 40% big swimbaits so I like to think I know a little about a lot. That being said big baits are as much about output vs. input as well as a dinner bell ringing. They can in some cases send out the good vibrations and sound further than a jig or worm if the fish are just off the structure being fished and that is where I think one may shine over the other. As far as big baits representing maximum input vs. effort that is not always the case. Take for example tiger tubes- those don't necessary represent a large shad or other bait fish, it may represent a ball of threadfin- big bass still bite anyhow.

post of the small one- hoping to get this guy culled if I can make it on the water Thursday and will post the rest. 16.875 may not be on the water though until the weekend.

Nice fish all- I am actually holding mine out...but will do an update soon enough... One thing though, and even though this is all in good fun, is to have some specific standards with measurements. i.e. mouth closed, etc. For the future it may be best- post it at the first post.

got mine today and very simple and works good. Recommended.

Berkeley 10" power worm should be at the top of any list.