Bigbarge50

I do not think your getting out of the "toy" group for $200 bucks or less. I fish out of a 10.6 ft inflatable with a aluminum floor and i can tell you, with two people it gets a little tight. I stand in it very easily, but this was a over $1000 dollar boat (i got it for a deal around $800 bucks). I must also say inflatables get quite expensive.... way pricier than just buying a jon boat. This and the set up are things to lament about fishing out of a inflatable.

SproPro sorry for the delay..... I have been looking at 9.9 hp outboards for a long time, or something smaller but have yet to pull the trigger. I live in a city area and drive a honda civic and my apartment does not have storage, so the inflatable is the way for me. I look constantly at kayaks and other small craft..... mainly because the inflatables are so expensive but I would love to get a larger vehicle (like a CRV or outback) and get a bigger, better inflatable, and have an outboard so I could tackle the main river.... till then I hit the creeks and branches (though I am sure further up by the city I could handle it) I have noticed fishing in Pohic I do better when the trolling motor has not been on for a while. I think it can spook this fish some, and I am not a guy who thinks a trolling motor spooks fish that much (pros seem to live with em on and have fish hit right next to them) but for some reason I just seem to do better when I anchor up in a good spot and let the current and wind move me around and do my thing.

This is how I like to attack pohick bay as well..... take my inflatable deep into the pads and weeds and pull out some pass. The guys in the big bass rigs can not get in there..... the weeds are too think. Heck even I have to pull up the 55 minn kota and do some rowing cause it literally is a salad. I have also had a lot of luck throwing a thin fin or a torpedo in the channels for the creeks. When that sun starts to get low, it seems a lot of fish are willing to cruise the channels or come right up to the weed edge to ambush the very abundant forage in the creeks.....and the commotion of the torpedo (stop and go retrieve) and the rattle of the thin fin seem to draw strikes. The huge pluses of pohick are (especially at that time of year) is despite it being shallow the current from the creeks and the abundance of weeds keeps the water super oxygenated, so the fish do not sluggish like they often get in august. The minus of pohick is all the stupid jet skiers ..... oh what i would pay for torpedoes. The weeds can almost be overwhelming too.

I hope they are still popular..... seems a lot of guys still throw em, but your right in the sense it seems if you say top water everyone says sammy or rico..... but the horse is still awesome at bringing up some good fish.

Grizzin, a fellow upstate NY-er down in VA says welcome for some VA spawn fishing. Drop me a PM and we can talk shop. Putnam county guy here.

This is an interesting discussion seeing we have some very strong opinions on certain brands on here..... I think it is easy to knock KVD yet seems guys all love the square bill and red eye shad..... so if you want to ignore a lure because KVD says he likes it and it has his name on it.... well might be missing out. I am not afraid to say I saw Tim Horton speak and he talked about the switchback shad and how he had designed the narrower bill and how he did not want it to be a BPS exclusive and such..... I bought three that day, mainly based on what he said. I also am getting megabass jerkbaits because everyone on here loves em.... nothing wrong with trying something if it interests you..... figure that is a huge part of the fun of fishing.

I love my stradic.... smoothest spinning I have ever felt. If your using it for multiple applications then maybe go stradic. If you looking to stick with crappies or ultra light set ups..... I saw RW makes a great case to go with the 500.... Either way I think you can not go wrong

Did I see a mention of a jig? You saw fish, so dragging a jig with a trailer right by them might be a good idea. Just keep at it.

Think this is like the first three rules of business .......location, location, location. Most of the lakes in Northern VA are hard now (ice). Getting out on the river is really the only option but you have had to be doing it in some snow and teen temperatures lately. I am sure down in FL were I spent Christmas, it might be about spawn time..... So it really depends on where you are.

While there are many discontinued lures and colors we all love, to stay on surprise it didn't catch on more..... The Berkley half rattle trap/ half soft plastic tail. I have one with a bunch of replacement tails and I have caught Bass galore and the occasional catfish on it. I remember berkley made a whole line.... a walker, a crank, the lipless, and maybe a few others. I really thought they were onto something, especially the lip less. Here is a pick of it I would readily agree with the mudbug and spence scout (I love the scout and was way ahead of the square bill curve) but, and correct if I am wrong, were very popular back in the day and has simply fallen off and been discontinued. I really wish the scout was still around, but that would be added to a long list of old time favorites that are no longer on the shelf. BTW I love talking older lures with the "older" guys on here..... love it. There also seemed to be a time when I was younger that the sluggo came up in every fishing conversation.... seems it got a lot of love. The senko has stolen it's thunder, but still seems to have a presence.

I am old school Top Lipless- Rattle trap in chrome/ black back Top Lip- Bomber Model A in Tenn. Shad..... just flat out catches fish

I always find the seminars to be the hi light, not the gear or deals. I always bring a notebook and take notes, and for me that is what I view the price of admission for. I still read the jig notes I wrote down from shaw girsby two years ago, and I think it has really helped me become a better jig fisherman. A huge part was I was not throwing jigs because I had no confidence in them, I always went to my trusty texas worm. Watching a true pro like him demonstrate, then getting like 10 minutes to ask him 1 on 1 follow up questions..... well would pay a lot more than 8 bucks for that. As for the vendors.....well I usually buy a few smaller things but use it as a chance to talk stuff more than buy things or get good deals. Jack's who sells all the zoom stuff was always a personal favorite, and that one vendor sells a ton of random stuff, but some good deals can be found in there. I love swinging by the maps and talking fishing, and keep praying a Burke lake map would be done some day (I own all the ones for the bodies of water I fish). Other than that, I can see why a lot of guys might not find it too thrilling. I usually only walk around in between the speakers. Wish the weather and illness (and work for me) did not get in the way of us all meeting up, that would have probably been able to have great info exchange. Maybe this summer.

Hey welcome aboard. Live in arlington and work in NE DC. We have met once actually at Roaches Run this spring/summer, I was in my inflatable and you were wading. You told me all about a monster snakehead you had pulled out of there not a week or so before. We'll have to swap some more urban fishing spots....nothing beats wetting a line.

Will def be there Sunday after work in the AM. Friday after work is a definite possibility. Saturday I can not escape work. Yakker.... will def stop by. Want to check out some the yaks.

There are a ton, but my #1 would be IKE easy. Guy is passionate about fishing but does not take himself too seriously. He also spends a lot of time teaching and sharing what he has learned. I think on the water he would be a tremendous teacher while also not pushing it down your throat and having some good laughs the whole time. Want to learn and have fun.

Couldn't the shopping bag remove some of the slime no different then any other handling of a fish? Just a question. I also go just under the mouth through the first spot in the gill plate and have never felt I was close to actually touching a gill. That way I cause no extra damage and do not handle the fish anymore then the thumb and fingers lipped it.

Don't get discouraged. This time of year can be brutal. Think more in terms of presentations then lures. Even with warming, the water temp would remain pretty consistently cool... throw in the rain and fog..... and it was much more "winter" in VA then the air would have felt. Keep slowing it down and see what that does. Change up how long you pause baits and see what draws the strikes. The shakey head is a fine idea.... if you have located fish. If not, hard to search water with that technique. Also two hours is not long to be out there... so don't be upset if a quick trip like that (from shore right?) does not produce fish. If when you do locate fish your catching two in such a short period of time, well that is a great job. Think, like all seasons, now is about locating fish. Then it will be about putting something in front of them that can stay in front of them and make them react or annoy them into a strike, because there will not be that much feeding going on compared to pre spawn. Your getting out ...... that means your ahead of 99% of fishermen right now. Seems to me your doing well.

I never knew I was so much like a fish haha

Keep your chin up, have your refreshments of choice, and try again next time. Think that has been the case since the first man tied a string to a stick and tried to catch a fish.

Nice fish and nice set up

Sorry for the confusion on the carrot stix...haha It does seem unpopular on here. Thinking burke or roches run sunday

never understand the carrot stix hate on here.... and that is not a serious, fight starting statement, just bass resource seems to have many people who are down on the carrot stix which I do not understand, I love mine. Got to get out there and get jerkbaiting

So I guess we now need an icebreaker attachment to the front of our craft haha. That is a really nice job in some really tough conditions.

Not too shallow? The two in the top left are older yozuri's

Ok so as a guy who stinks with jerk baits, here is my current selection (recently lost my pointer 100). As you see I have a smaller pointer, rapala husky jerks and a x rap, two different yozuri's, and two different rogues..... all suspend. Which one should I really be tossing and mastering..... cause I think I might have been bouncing around too much trying to catch fish and not getting good with the bait.