Nibbles

If you walked by there this 4th of July, gosh.. you'd know what I meant. Literally could not walk along the shoreline without stepping in poo. And the algae... all over the lake and along the shoreline. So - about that pond behind your house... How do I get there? Where do I park? Is it private? If so, are there any rules? Lastly, are you up for showing a newbie a few tricks on that pond?

I'm getting some spinning reels for my younger siblings, and was thinking about what kind of rods I should get them. Mind you, they're still beginners so I'm not looking for finesse rods that let you feel everything or anything fancy like that. I'm looking for a cheap but solid spinning rod that won't snap in half the minute you attempt to pull in a 8-10# fish. What suggestions do you guys have?

Is it possible? I prefer to fish below spillways because I tend to fish with the family and spillways always seem to have something for everybody (my mom likes to fish for carp, sisters like to fish for panfish and catfish, etc.). There are a few spillways I know of that definitely have stripers and white bass, as I've caught a few dinky ones of each. My question is - do you guys have any special techniques or tips for fishing the tailwater of a dam for bass? For instance, are there specific rigs to use, specific baits, or specific spots to look out for? Some spillways I fish are relatively calm, but there are ones with pretty fast currents (1/2 oz. sinker tossed out will still be carried by the current along the bottom). What should I do differently for the slow/fast currents?

Make sure the kid eats lots of carrots! Children are incredibly resilient and have the uncanny ability to heal beyond expectation.

It's right off of Devonshire. You can find it on google maps. Just type in "Mattis Lake Champaign".

If it's liphooked, you just remove the hook like with a fish, turning the hook somewhat to get the barb out. Just make sure to approach it from behind, step on its shell, and use gloves + needle nose pliers. If it swallows the hook, you're better off cutting the line. If it's a treble hook on a lure, you're better off just using needlenose pliers to remove the hook from the lure.

What I hate more than snapping turtles though are painted turtles and red eared sliders. They ruin or steal your tackle, and the little jerks aren't even edible. >

The difference is actually quite big between your old and new pictures. Gone are the round cheeks, and the bulge around your waistline. Your shoulders and chest are noticeably wider than your waist now. Congrats! I'm also cutting weight with the goal of adding some more muscle as well. Currently at 245 with a BP of around 110 over 80, so I guess I will have an easier time getting healthy due to me not having to watch my BP as much Still, my body fat % is likely around 21-24%, so that's gotta go down for sure. For protein, I would invest in whey protein isolate powder as it's much lower in fat and cholesterol for the same amount of protein when compared to premade shakes and whey protein concentrate powder. If you want to build muscle and lose fat, remember to drink a protein shake after each cardio workout so your body doesn't start to burn your hard earned muscle for fuel. Wish you luck.

Here's a short list of very good cigars that I haven't seen you guys mention... 1. Camacho Corojo 2. Camacho Triple Maduro (holy @#$! this thing is great) 3. Acid Kuba Kuba (on occasion) 4. Carlos Torano 1959 Exodus (both reg. and silver) 5. Partagas Lusitania

Fish hate the smell of DEET. If you get any on your line, hooks, jigs or tackle, your productivity will likely drop somewhat. I personally wear my battle scars (mosquito bites) proudly. ;D

You don't know what you're missing.

They're good eatin'. Take em home and keep em in a large bucket or tub for a few days, and change the water frequently. This will get rid of that muddy smell as well as make their flesh more palatable (not taste like pond scum). To dress a snapping turtle, take a popsicle stick or any long wooden or plastic object and prod its head till it bites and latches onto it. Then pull the head out and lop it off with a sharp knife. Be careful as the decapitated head can still bite. You can then drain it of its blood (which actually makes GREAT catfish bait when mixed with blood baits). Then just use that sharp knife of yours and insert it into the gap between the bottom shell and its flesh, and slowly cut away the ligaments that hold the shells together. From there on it's just a matter of getting rid of the guts and harvesting the meat. Turtles make good soup - the bones make a great soup base. You can also just bread the meat and fry it like chicken.

Really? That would be wonderful. Here I was thinking all the water in C-U were either fished out or just plain bad. I've tried Kaufman Lake repeatedly with no luck. Ended up catching creek chubs in the little stream next to the lake just so I could tell myself that at least I caught something. Mattis Lake atm is experiencing a full-blown algal bloom - more than half of it is covered, and there's goose crap all over the shoreline. Good to know that there are still places locally that have bass.

Should've gotten an Archos 9...

Have you tried using bigger hooks and baits? I hear good things about the Fat Ika.

Sounds good - I actually have a buddy from Peoria, which is nearby. I assume we will be hitting up Pekin Lake or Peoria Lake? Just let me know when you have an open seat and I will try to make it there.

If it weren't for all these pesky student loans, I probably would have a boat by now. : Know any places with decent shore fishing?

Hello everyone, I'm just a kid going to college at the U of Illinois in Champaign, IL, which means I'm stuck in a small town without any good lakes nearby. I just recently took up fishing as a hobby, but I'm not very familiar with the local waters in Central IL. Is anyone willing to show a newbie the ropes to bass fishing around here?

Definitely bigger than any smallmouth I've caught.

That reminds me of a local creek that is somehow filled with 2" and 3" stripers. It's mind boggling when you consider how the heck they got in there in the first place.

I've had some pretty good luck fishing with poppers at various dam spillways. Have you tried that yet?

Looks like I"ll have to start saving up for a trip over there.

Not sure if it works for every lake, but if you take a cup of chicken livers and just let them sit out in the sun till they start to smell a little, the catfish seem to hit them harder and more often.

I've only ever bought reels and rods when they needed replacing or if it's a type of reel I don't have (Started with a spincaster, then bought a baitcaster, etc.). I've currently got one spincaster, one spinner,two baitcasters, and five rods, and don't plan on getting anything else till something breaks.

Back when I caught my first flathead catfish, I didn't know they could sting. I still have a nice fat scar on the back of my hand from that incident.