Ratherbfishing

Me thinks there's a mole in our midst. : )

The older I get, the more I think about the hereafter. I'll walk into a room and I'll think to myself, "What am I here after?"

I WISH the local lake here produced 2 fish per hour. 2 fish per day is considered a red-letter day for me.

I almost bumped into another boat at idle speed because I couldn't/didn't see him. I can't imagine flying along at 40 mph at night. That's plenty fast in the daytime-as far as I'm concerned.

Awww!!! Did poor widdle boater not get his way?!!! Unless there are established rules that divide the starboard and port side of the boat (as well as the front and the back), I think Mr. boater is demonstrating what I consider "bad form."

Sometimes those "ah hah!" moments (aka "epiphany's") work and sometimes they don't. But yes, there are PLENTY of times where later I'll think "I should have tried X, Y, or Z" It's all part of trying to unravel the puzzle.

gill

Chances are good that it was a carp-although it might also have been big foot.

It's very big.

For a cheaper alternative (at least until you can find some Mepps), try Beetle spins.

They are UGLY with those eyes squarely centered in their heads thataway.

Was fishing a lake directly adjacent to the Illinois River yesterday. Was just sitting in a spot for several minutes until I decided to fire up the (front) trolling motor to move. All of a sudden, I hear a racket (clattering) in the back of the boat. My first thought was that my buddy had started the back trolling motor (too) and it was hitting something. Comes to find out, my trolling motor must have startled an Asian Carp as it LEAPED into the boat (barely missing my friend). It flopped around in the back until I dispatched the nasty thing with a pair of needle nose pliers. It would be funnier if it wasn't an invasive species. I hope they don't ruin this lake. : (

I'm not a biologist but my thoughts are this: Plant growth (fed by nutrients (sewage) will produce oxygen HOWEVER, later, those same plants, when dying, take away oxygen. Too many dying plants (decay) can harm/choke a system. It may take several years for your lake to come back to its previous "glory."

There are times when it's super hot or buggy or no fish that I ask MYSELF why I like to fish. So I can understand why others might not care to do it. I suspect if some of them had a good day on a lake they might change their tune but we have enough competition for a limited resource already so let's not upset the apple cart too much.

Imagine my great disdain when my two year old nephew fell out of the boat and made a HUGE splash. I was relieved to see he didn't scare the bass at all.

Lately I've taken to acquiring a sample of lake water and gargling it. This tells me everything I need to know (about parasites, dysentery, diarrhea, vomiting, etc).

Some people like to go by various tables (lunar, etc) but personally, it's much more about conditions (water, barometric, time of year, cover and structure, etc) than what can be predicted by any table. For instance, this past April we had fluctuating temps and snow three weekend in a row. If you went strictly by (most) tables, you'd be largely disappointed. HOWEVER, the emphasis should be on location and conditions more than on lure choice. Certain lures MAY be more appropriate/useful for certain times than others but within a given set of conditions, a fairly wide range of lures might work. Learn to know WHERE the fish are likely to be and THEN narrow it down to the lure you might want to use given those conditions and location. DON'T get caught up in the hype a person (usually a newbie) might push regarding a SPECIFIC bait ("ya gotta have....") Baits are TOOLS. There are differences in quality, and action, etc. but a Craftsman will generally work as well as a Snap-on, etc, etc). Time on the water and research are the best teachers for understanding where, when, and what to use.

Looks like a "standard" LMB to me.

Oh, if there are a lot of spots, she'll use one. But if it seems there are only one or two, she usually won't. Me personally-I park in the "back 40" because I want to avoid door dings (another pet peeve of mine). Ironically, sometimes I will see restaurants/shops with SO many handicap spots lined up on both sides of the lot and half way down the block that I gotta wonder...isn't this a little excessive?

My girlfriend has a (somewhat legit) handicap hang tag but I persuade her not to use it IF there are limited handicap spots. Few things peeve me more, too (either?)

It's like mooing at cows, I think. Some people just can't help it.

Do your florida bowfin like to spin at the boatside?

Truthfully, I use(d) XL MOSTLY on my spinning reels (until I discovered Yo Zuri) but XL will work fine on baitcasters too. I think I have braid on one baitcaster and Yozuri on my other (for when I don't feel like tying on a leader OR when I want a little bit of stretch).

If you put it on a baitcaster and fish really heavy cover a lot, XT might be the way to go. However, it is far too stiff and "coily" for my taste. If you wish to stick with Trilene, XL is generally more "user friendly." My first choice is Yo-Zuri hybrid but it can be difficult to find. Amazon still carries it, i think.

Terrific catch! Don't forget to throw some of the big ones back (to keep the gene pool healthy). If you can cast a fly rod (or use a casting bubble), poppers and spiders for bluegill is an absolute riot.