Fat Boy

Thanks Sean. I know I'm late, but I had some catching up to do. Nice 6 pounder! Also, Black Hills is about 10 minutes from my home...next time you guys hit the shorelines after work hours let me know. I haven't fished BH yet this year mainly because my ankle wasn't quite ready for uneven surfaces. I think that it's a lot better know and I'm willing to take a risk

continued...Lower Potomac May 11:

continued... June 5: May 15:

Hey guys, been a while since I posted. Thanks for the welcome. My ankle is recovering OK and have been fishing (part of my PT LOL). Sorry I haven't posted much...plan to be more active. DCFD, sorry to hear about your boat and your brother's house...that stinks. Good luck on the recovery but glad you're OK. Here are some pics from the past few trips: June 12: Susquehanna in PA Here's the view of the storm right before the sky opened up: A couple decent super fluke fish, post thunderstorm: June 11: June 6:

I must have clicked something wrong on the website because I actually got the 765 MH rod. Oh well, I guess I'll primarily pitch anyway with it. Maybe I will get the 766 for Xmas The 765 though feels awesome in my hand. I also found a gift card that I got last Xmas that I forgot to use, so I used it to buy and try out the Ardent F-700 flipping reel. I'll be teaming it with Sufix 832 50 lb. braid. I should get that reel in the next 3 or 4 days. I can't wait! Soon, I'll be yokin' 'em in the boat with that set up! I can't wait! I'll post a review on all of the products once I've had some time to fish them.

I just purchased a replacement for my old Diawa flipping rod. I got the Powell Max 766 flipping rod on sale 15% off. My wife says it's my father's day present . I think that I'll match it up with my old Castaic since it's still an awesome reel for me rather than buy a new flipping/pitching reel. Instead, I'll probably buy a general use baitcasting reel, something like the Curado perhaps...maybe that will be my birthday present.

I can't vote, because it depends... I have general rules, but break them all the time! To me, there is no set number of cast because it depends. Often, when starting out, I'll toss a few casts of several rigs until I get action, and then narrow down my direction based on feedback. Huh? Feedback from fish - let them tell me what to do next. Here are some rules of my own that I like, but break and why I break them: Don't leave fish to find fish: If you're catching good fish on what you're using, stick with that pattern. When you discover something good, stick to it. But, if you're catching dinks and have confidence in the spot, then change lures to figure out the big ones. Breaking this rule - if you think that they're all gonna be dinks, move. My ice fishing experience has proved that to me. One fish doesn't make a pattern: Sometimes you get a good fish on something, or some structure or cover, and you think that's the ticket for the day. But, if you keep on working it and get nothing, then a change is necessary. The exact number of casts before deciding depends on your sense of what's going on around you. How I break this? When you're later into your day, and you've tried a lot of stuff, and that's the only good fish you've got...maybe that's all there is of a pattern? Some times you just have bad fishing days, but sometimes you wind up doing better than most. That's fishin'. Big bait theory: I love this one, and it's a good starting point sometimes. Early I might be using that idea and if it works you could have that steller day. But, when conditions seem right for that approach you have two choices. 1) if you get a good fish, remember it and go to it later if you have to. Or, 2) if you haven't had a hit after a number of hits, or had a strike and missed, try downsizing (breaking the rule). You gotta put fish in the boat first, then work on improving. So, having the multiple rods/set ups comes in handy. Suppose you get a hit and miss on a buzzer, for example, and then following with something more subtle can catch that fish. Another option would be to improve on the big bait, like adding a trailer hook. And, earlier, someone posted about confidence, gut feelings, etc. and that all comes into play. If you're fishing familiar waters and have been for years, and you log your fishing trips, you'll notice general seasonal patterns, and those are good starting points. Like, what time of year, weather conditions, water clarity, temperature, etc. figure out ahead of time how deep you think the fish would be, or where you'd expect them to be...up a creek, in a cove, off a point, deep in cover? It depends. What to do? Develop a plan based on what you know, observe results and adapt as needed. Be aware of everything, and adapt based on what you've learned on the water and off the water. Study your quarry. If your fishing new water, find out from local fishing reports or people what they're getting fish on and use that as your starting point. Adapt as needed. I don't know, but there are rules, and there are rules to be broken. No set number of casts for me, it all depends. Confidence is the big thing. Knowing the fish are there keeps confidence up. Fishing from shore, well, you can use the same approaches. When I do this, I carry usually 2 rods and have a way to keep my hands free all the time, having a clip on my backpack or fishing vest helps me do this. Each rod is rigged with a different lure, usually one finesse and one search bait. I start with the search bait and then move to finess if need be. But, again, that rule can be broken, like, what if you're seeing fish cruising, or hitting the surface, or holding on shoreline cover? Often you can toss that plastic worm and those fish can crush it. Well, that's my approach. I'm sure others have their own way. It works for me.

A lot of good ones posted but these get to me...cracks me up looking back that little things like this get to me though. Also, the dog jumping in one and clipping the main line instead of the tag end also are good ones. Here are a few of mine to add to this great list: Short casts after catching a bass using super lines (line digging in the spool). Line twists Backlashes Snags...and losing lures Putting all your might into casting a lure for distance, and the knot breaks on your cast and it goes flying...for distance Setting the hook on a bass and you break off on the hook set Hooking clothing or shoestrings with treble hooks Tying a blood knot properly and when you pull it tight it doesn't hold and slips apart Snot grass/algae clogging spinnerbait snap swivels Fishing partners who throw their snot grass/algae at you after getting it off their spinnerbaits Missing your Fishing partners while trying to throw snot grass/algae at them after getting it off my spinnerbaits Muskies swallowing my jerk baits whole and then cutting me off while on a good jerk bait bass bite Gobies Panfish biting the tails off plastic worms

OK, sorry to revive an old thread, but it's an ongoing issue. I had something happen to me in reverse situation this time yesterday. We motored (at no wake speed) into a creek off the main stem of a river with the intent of hitting one piece of structure, a boat dock, and maybe sit and eat some lunch. The only reason that we went in there was to show my friend some details of how to fish this particular boat dock since he hadn't fished there before. There was another bass boater fishing a piece of shoreline to our right as we entered the creek. It was there for some time, at least 20 minutes while fishing a large blow down, not moving in any direction as he was fishing that cover thoroughly. As we passed him I asked my friend to steer wide to make sure we gave him room, so we passed by behind him (not between him and the shore) a good 75 yards away and then motored ahead to the boat dock and stopped, which was at least 400+ yards away. We weren't really in a hurry to fish and were going to eat some lunch while I pointed out the features of this spot when all of a sudden, the other bass boat comes flying at us and turns at the last second to send his wake all over us. We weren't even fishing, the trolling motor was down, and, he was parked on that other spot, when we went by. Plus, we were on another piece of shoreline as there was a cove separating the section he was fishing. Anyway, that was uncalled for. Had he come up and simply said something we would have yielded the spot, ate lunch, and watch him fish. I wouldn't even care if he was speaking rudely to us or politely. I usually go overboard when trying to be courteous so it was kind of surprising that this happened. If this spot was so special, he had plenty of opportunity to get there ahead of me. Basically, it was as if the entire creek was his. Plus, if he had even made a slight move in that direction then we would have opted to not fish there, or if he would have been a bit closer and obviously headed that way. I have no problem fishing behind someone's used water. It's gratifying to me to catch fish behind people and I do it all the time (but never following people too close, always waiting for them to leave a good distance away). And I'm sure this is true for most people, because different anglers use different patterns and approach cover differently. Prior to that, we were fishing one side of a bank to the entrance to the creek working toward the mouth with the intent of fishing around the mouth and into the creek. He arrived after us and motored into the creek and fished the other side of the point inside the mouth, less than 50 yards from us. We were obviously moving that way. Did he offer any courtesy to us? No. Did we do anything to him? No, we just fished a different section. I agree that when fishing a shoreline not to cut people off when they are working that direction, but this wasn't even the same section of shoreline, there not only was the distance but a cove separating us. Furthermore, I would never do anything adverse to another angler, it's just fishing. If I do something wrong, even in this case where I don't think that I was wrong, at least talk it over with me and I will yield. I'm not out to ruin someones day, and if it's that important to them then fine, go for it. It's not worth the hassle to me for a couple bass. If someone needs virgin water to catch the stupid bass, they can have it. Anglers with talent can catch fish regardless of any kind of pressure. Was I wrong???? I appreciate your opinions.

Hey folks. I'm a newbie to this site, just "found" it today searching the net for boat info. Looks good and will contribute from now on. I live in Boyds and fish anywhere within a days drive for anything that is willing to bite. My heart is in bass fishing though. I haven't been out yet this year. The last time I fished was through the ice in PA before Christmas. I was in an auto accident in January that cut my ice season short and am still recovering from that, so when I heal up and get back into the swing, I'll post reports here.