Bankbeater

When I was 17 I got hold of an 8 lb channel cat and lipped it. When it clamped down on my thumb I let loose of him but he hung on to my thumb. I think of that whenever I want to leave the fish grips at home. Better to have and not need then to need and not have.

At least the families can have some closure now. So terrible.

St. Louis is not allowing gatherings of more than 1000 people at at time. I guess the small lake down the street in the park is going to be closed this weekend. ?

I like a black jitterbug, pop-r in chrome / black back, spook jr. in bone, and a white buzz bait. If I can't catch a bass on top using one of these then the bass are deeper in the water column.

One of the requirements listed for prize panfish by the DNR is clear water. Doesn't say anything about water clarity for bass, but I've always caught better size bass in stained water.

Deep diving crankbaits. I have given up on them. If I'm fishing deep with a moving bait it will be a spinnerbait, chatterbait, or a lipless crank.

Go online and check the Minnkota website to check the model prop you need. That's what I did 2 years ago when I tore my prop up.

Does the bass already have parasites, or is the treatment to keep parasites away when it is released? I wouldn't release any fish that already had some kind of infection because it might spread through the entire pond.

Dang I was hoping to be quarantined out in the middle of a reservoir somewhere warm, but I'll take BPS.

I think my Dad had it figured out pretty good. He would fish every other day. If you saw him out in the yard two days in a row that meant either the fish weren't biting, or he was going on a long fishing trip.

I don't feel comfortable unless I have a little extra line on the spool. I fill my spools about 1/2 way with backing. Then if I'm changing baits a lot, or getting line damage, I know I'm not going to run out of line.

Those are the conditions I've been fishing. There's frost in the morning then it warms up, but the water is still ice cold.

Got this little guy out on a pond Saturday morning on a chatterbait. I was hoping to pick up some more, but it didn't happen. Sorry about the pic. I couldn't zoom in any closer.

Nice going!

Same rod I use to throw spinnerbaits and chatterbaits. 7'0" mhf BPS Tourney Special with a Daiwa Tatula CT100H. I usually have 15 lb big game spooled on it.

BPS and Daiwa for casting moving baits. St. Croix and Daiwa for bottom contact baits.

I like a red or orange lipless crankbait in murky water anytime of year, but as far as chatterbaits go this time of year I am usually throwing white.

I'll use a jig, t-rig, split shot rig, or a weightless rig. I just keep changing until the bass tell me what they want.

I wait until summer. Around here the spring nights can get pretty cold.

They'll catch him when he posts a pic of his catch.

If I have to leave them in the vehicle I'm not sure that I would like my rods up that high where everyone can see them.

I have a bluegill colored rat-l-trap that I use occasionally, but in warmer months I have better luck with a chrome / blue back rat-l-trap.

Grew up in St. Louis so fishing spots were very limited. We had either the Missouri River, Mississippi River, or the local conservation area, and Mom was scared to death I would fall in the river so the CA it was. Weekends were special because that is when Dad got off work and we went fishing. I used a sectional cane pole until I learned how to cast and then it was a UL rig after panfish.

You're starting off the season right.

I have 24 3700 boxes full of lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits, topwater, and crankbaits for various depths. I might count them sometime, but since spring is around the corner I don't think I'll have time.