KenDammit28

Just try to spread the word about his comments and then maybe his boats won't be making him 100 dollars a day this weekend and his store won't have anyone buying 50 cent cokes and 2.50 worms. Theres power in people, so use word of mouth and maybe this guy will eventually have to take his business elsewhere.

they do make ponds good, to an extent. It is crazy ridiculous how fast cattails grow and once they get extremely overgrown..they're almost thick enough to walk on. The ideal situation would be to have "clumps" of cattails or little stretches of them and be able to maintain them. The cattails in the picture above have consumed roughly 5-8 feet of water surface and they keep pushing out further. They do provide nesting sites for redwing blackbirds as Rolo said, which is why I'd never want to get rid of all of mine...but they also harbor snakes, spiders, rats, muskrats, and many other creatures I could do without seeing, lol. They just get to be a handful if you don't control them and keep them in managable sizes.

ouachita, I agree with you pretty much I think its a big misnomer that most of what a bass eats is dead or dying prey. I am a firm believer that a majority of what they eat is "stupid" fish and animals that just don't pay any respect to the bass or are oblivious to them being there until its too late. I think one of the FEW times a bass eats dying prey is when they have already struck and couldn't swallow it the first time.

www.pondboss.com theres lots of good info there about things to do for unwanted vegetation. All I can say about cattails...do something about them before they get like this <---CLICK ME! they are a handful to deal with and grow QUICK!

What you described about pattern isn't a change of pattern at all, though. However "non visible" the coloring of a largemouth, its pattern is still the same, just not "colored in", if you will. Changing its pattern would be like going from the largemouth coloration to the coloration of a bluegill....the pattern is always there, just doesn't always show up. what I was asking was..what in bass makes them change color that way? After searching with the right keywords, I found the answer, I think. "for the most part, the result of changes in certain star-shaped pigment-bearing cells in the skin, called chromatophores. Different ones contain granules of black, yellow, orange or red pigment. In a dark-colored animal, for example, the chromatophores with black pigment have the granules scattered throughout the cell. When the skin fades these granules become concentrated into a microscopic dot, leaving the remainder of the cell colorless. This exposes chromatophores with other colors. Still deeper in the skin are glistening silvery cells that reflect light like a mirror. The control of these color changes involves the retina of the eye, nervous system, the hormones in the blood, and so forth. The story becomes very complicated." so they do have little magic dust in their scales, lol.

oh yeah, they don't change color PATTERN..they just change the "vibrance" of their colors.

why do you think it is that bass change color like that? I'm not a big cold-blooded animal study..so do reptiles and amphibians and other fish do the same thing?

I don't think someone thats afraid of germs is going to go fishing at all. I mean..what would a germaphobe do if moss got on the lure? Or what about all that spray that comes off the line as you cast? Heck, its probably safer to touch the fish than it is some of the water they live in, lol.

thought this would be of interest, too. "In coloring, largemouth bass are usually dark forest green on the back with lighter green sides, pale green bellies, and a mottling of black blotches that form an irregular horizontal line running from the eye to the caudal fin. A largemouth bass's color, however, will change with age and will be affected by the clarity of its home waters. Young largemouth bass are brighter in color, with greater contrast in markings; with age, the colors become duller and the black markings less conspicuous. Old fish become very dark. In murky waters, largemouth bass are often dark brown or nearly black, while fish from clear waters are lighter and brighter. " from http://www.woodsandwild.com/fishing/bass.html

everything thats happening in a body of water effects the coloration of fish. Generally, deeper fish(less light penetration) will be a more pale color and shallow fish(more light penetration) will be more pronounced. However, you have to factor in turbidity, the clarity of the water, the general bottom color, water color, if the fish is in vegetation, swimming openly..so many things. Just remember the general rule of thumb that in any given body of water, the pale fish are either deep or hiding deep in cover and the dark fish are out in the open or pretty shallow.

Tell your friend to pull up his skirt and grow a set. You're not even fishing if you aren't taking them off the hook. Sounds like a sissy that wants to impress all his friends with cool "gear". You could post a sign at the front of your boat before you leave that says "men only" and tell him he can't get on..or if he comes near you while bank fishing..tell him that he's gotten too close, you don't allow fairies within 10 feet.

I know that Kentucky does it...I think its one day at the beginning of April where people are allowed to fish without a license. After that day, the wardens are like nazi's over fishing licenses. They will follow boats forever, just waiting to see if they're going to fish and then roll up and ask to see licenses if they see a pole. If caught without one..confiscation happens, no questions asked...thats been my experience. Luckily, I have never fished without a license but have been asked to show mine more than a few times.

hmmm, I've always thought doodlin was the same thing as "shaky head" fishing or just using a small plastic bait.

I've never heard flippin be called noodling noodling is using your hands to catch fish by sticking them in holes and having catfish grab hold, then you pull the fish out. Some old timers have also noodled for turtles. Flippin is just a casting technique for close quarters and quiet presentation, usually in heavy cover. http://www.dto.com/fwfishing/methods/method.jsp?Articleid=152&Articletypeid=107

I don't know about you guys, but I'm happy as can be catching 3lb fish. Its not a world record but heck thats still no small fish! I just picked up myself a big bag of Chatterbaits from dicks last night and am itching to try them, so I don't know what works best for me, yet. Have you tried putting a fluke on the hook like they did in the video? Maybe that would work well for you in clear water?

Oh and just to totally clarify what SPF means..here it is direct from coppertones website(they HAVE to know what they're talking about with SPF factor lol) "Sun Protection Factor (SPF) The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is a ratio between the ultraviolet dose required to produce minimal erythema reaction (redness) in protected skin (skin with sunscreen) compared to unprotected skin (skin without any sunscreen). The number indicates how many times longer a person can stay in the sun before beginning to burn while wearing sun protection than if he or she were not wearing any sunscreen at all. This amount of time varies from one individual to another. SPF numbers usually range from 2 to 50. Most dermatologists recommend that people use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. It should be applied evenly and liberally before exposure to the sun and reapplied often. Reapplication is necessary more frequently if the user swims, engages in sustained vigorous activity, perspires heavily, or towels off." Someone on the first page stated this ...but I just wanted to give a good definitive answer so there could be no disputes..now everyone tell him or her good job!

I do have to say that when I did wear sunscreen..coppertone sport SPF 30 was my choice. I just hated the taste when sweat would get near my mouth when I was working in concrete all day. Probably not the best place to be using sunscreen, anyway. Fortunately, I don't have to be out there all day, everyday now..but if I were..it'd still be what I use because it absolutely worked.

severe storms with high water fluctuations and runoff will make bass abandon beds, too. Temperature drop is only part of it. Silt covering the eggs and smothering them, waves created by wind, all these things effect bedding bass. BUT, the bass will come back to beds once things stabilize, and refan the nest to make it "clean" again and spawn over if temperatures are in range.

its my understanding that bass will abandon a bed if a cold front with a significant temperature drop moves through and then move back to the bed once the water temp and weater stabilize at the right kinda temps. So, yes..they will return, eggs or no eggs. don't know if this article really helps answer you..but its interesting to know. " some years, spring never arrives. One cold front after another blows through and the water never warms to 60° F. Spring spawning bass are equipped to handle the situation. Males build and occupy nests when the temperature rises. When the temperature falls, bass abandon the nest. If the warm spell persists long enough to produce a spawn, falling temperatures will still cause the nest to be abandoned and most of the eggs lost. The tendency to abandon the nest is nature's way of making the best of unstable spring weather. Declining temperatures in the spring are usually marked by cold winds which tend to destroy nests as the waves pile up on the shore where the eggs are covered with silt, and the fry smother. Bass don't stay with that nest full of dead eggs. As soon as the water warms again, the male tidies up the rocks by sweeping out the silt and then spawns again. Fry survive best when water is warming and weather is stable. If it stays warm, the male guards the nest until the eggs hatch and then protects the fry for the first week or so. An individual male can re-nest as many as 8 to 10 times during a single spring spawning season. Females make adjustments to achieve the same goal. The ovary contains 2,000 to 100,000 eggs depending on the size and age of the female. Not all eggs mature at the same time. During the first warm spell a portion of the eggs will ripen. If selected by a male the female could then spawn about 2,000 eggs in his nest. She would then wait a day or two and be ready to spawn another 2,000 eggs. She could continue to spawn 10 to 20 more times depending on weather conditions and availability of males. If not selected she may not spawn at all, even though she is able and willing. Healthy female bass always have many large, yellow but unripe eggs in the ovary. Catching female bas with a fully developed ovary long after spawning season is over is the rule instead of the exception. The female selection process is reminiscent of cow cutting for the rodeo fans out there. When everything is ready the male leaves the nest and journeys into deeper water where the females are stationed. He somehow finds the appropriate female (my guess is that he chooses the first female encountered). He veers around behind her and then drives her toward the nest. They zig-zag back toward the nest as she coyly tries in vain to get back into deep water. When she is parked over the nest, he employs cave-man manners and smartly rams her in the stomach with his snout. The impact breaks lose the ripe eggs and allows them to flow. She begins squirting eggs near the rock nest but gradually rises toward the surface, her body turning partially on the side, as the male gently rises to the surface beside her. She changes color in the process with the side bars and markings becoming much more prominent and the green skin color becoming much paler during egg deposition. When her complement of eggs is emitted, the male drives her away and rounds up another female. He will spawn with as many females as possible for a 6 to 12-hour period after which he drives away all intruders. There is always an abundance of females to lay the eggs. The male initiates courting and is then responsible for all caretaking until the young bass are able to survive on their own." thats from Wayne Gustaveson here: http://insideline.net/1994/gustaveson-0708-94.html

My father had to have part of his nose removed due to skin cancer. The general thought on how it happened was that the reflection from his sunglasses onto his nose had "magnified" the process. Now he has a rough(very poorly done)spot where the normal nostril would be and I'm sure it has to bother him sometimes. I don't use any sunblock because I sweat very easily, so it all runs off and gets to be a hassle after a bit...but I don't stay out in the sun very long at a time(good thing about sweating a lot...I want shade!). Fortunately for me, I tan easily, so its not a big deal when you get the best of both worlds. Anyway, if you know you're gonna be out in the middle of water for a long day, PROTECT YOURSELF. The reflection of the sun off the water surface intensifies the rays, and it can do more harm than normal sun would. Remember those pictures of women holding those little "mirrors" in front of their face while tanning? Thats what water and sunglasses and reflective surfaces will do.

thanks for the help sam...that was the info I was looking for about tails. They seemed like they'd be really too thin to get into both sides and that'd just make it difficult anyway...so I'm gonna try to get them in just one side next time.

a plaster mold....and things didn't go so well, heh. It seemed like as soon as I'd get the plaster mixed up to a good consistency..2 minutes later it was rock hard. The problem with that was that I believe I missed the step on when to sink in the lures to cast..UNTIL IT WAS A ROCK!..heh. I was thinking that the plaster needed a little time to set up..but after I quit for the first attempt..I realized that I probably should have put the lures in right after I was done mixing and it seemed pretty thick but still soft. So I did that TWO times and by the third time..as I was running really low on an 8lb bucket of DAP PoP, I realized I was using entirely too much of water AND plaster. The third time..I used TOO much water and stopped putting the powder in..and ended up with a tiny layer of hard plaster and a 1/2 inch of water. I guess all in all, it was a learning experience that gave me the knowledge to do it right the next time. Luckily all the other materials are still fresh and unused, so I just need to fork out 5 dollars for another bucket of plaster and I should get it right this time. Now for a question...any tips for casting a toad? The legs seemed like they are really tricky to place right and I was wondering if I should cast them in both halves or in just the top or the bottom since they are thin(the horny toad legs).

dink..one of my favorite times to be outside(bundled up real good, of course) is in the middle of a large field or forest during a good snowfall. The sounds that are made seem so amplified and if you stop and stand still...the world seems to be in dead silence. Its such a calming and joyful feeling. Does anyone else feel like...nature or the outdoors is more of a spiritual thing than anything else?

if you notice..most people refer to not wanting to take someone because they aren't dedicated to doing it or aren't willing to learn and give things time. You are definitely a different case. Its a lot like seeing poker on TV. Everyone see's these guys playing for huge money and always being involved in a hand...so these new people think that they can play and they sit down, play every hand, and lose all their money before they have time to light a cigarette. They don't see the underside of a professional poker player with all the folding, the dedication, the many years it took to get that good..so on and so forth. Likewise, people see bass fishing on TV and think that the way it works is you go out on a lake and wherever you are, theres big fish. They see all these pro's catching fish after fish and don't realize the many hours it took to understand where the fish would be and what'd they'd bite on. These new people think that if they don't catch a fish in 30 minutes that fishing sucks and its time to go home. I've also noticed that a lot of people aren't willing to do the constant work it takes to catch a largemouth i.e. they aren't willing to work a bait painfully slow, or make cast after cast, or any of that. THOSE are the ones who are a chore to fish with. People like you are AWESOME to fish with.

the "bugs" here in Kentucky surrounding early morning water is another good one. The steam off morning glass water. You guys are really coming up with some good ones. Makes ya think about just how much you really experience on a fishing trip, at least it does for me. Another one: The "OHHH GOD" you inevitably say when you hook into a good fish.