Ratherbfishing

Which is why I seldom share TOO much information on public lakes-especially regarding locations. If it bothers you that much (can't really blame you), don't give more information than you are willing to accept if/when they use it later. You can't control people but you can limit what information you give them. It's too bad you feel your generosity was misplaced/misused.

I go with what I know (or believe I know) first and if that doesn't pay off, I then begin a process of elimination. When that doesn't work, I have lunch.

I like big bass and I can not lie... If the lake is pressured and holds mostly small fish, a big bass is like manna from heaven

I just buy strike king or Berkley. The best way to keep them in good shape is avoid smearing them with sunscreen or bug dope. Easier said than done, I realize -which is why I go the cheapo route. That and if I sit on them or lose them, I won't suffer a heart attack.

For anyone wishing to drive to Newton Lake (in Illinois), be forwarned: It is still closed-despite other state parks/lakes being (now) open. My buddy and I made a 2 hour trek there only to be turned away (went to Sam Parr instead). I was, to put it mildly and in g-rated terms, just a little "put-off."

I HOPE and am pretty sure I can say that we're all preaching to the choir and the "people" who do these things aren't in our midst. I don't really understand why people litter. Isn't it just about as easy (or easier still) to pack out the same things you brought in? Or is it an expression of contempt and utter disrespect? Or a lack of intellectual capacity to comprehend the impact of what they are doing? Anyway, I especially haven't any room for litterers.

I suppose it depends on how it was phrased. Expressed one way, you could come off as a great guy. Put another way, it could sound like you're the gestapo. With regards to trying to keep a place a secret, who wouldn't want to do that?

"I'm gonna miss her....." lol I think my most memorable HOUR (or several hours) was when my buddy and I came across the intersection of two flooded ditches in about 12 feet of water and started casting with crankbaits. We caught over 100 bass. The fishing was so hot, if a bass would shake the bait and it was still in "the zone", another bass would often jump on. None of the bass were wall hangers but for numbers, it was phenomenal.

My girlfriend packs me hand sanitizer (as if I'm actually going to use it). Naw, man! Fish slime is meant to be embraced!

First and foremost is location. You can't catch fish if they aren't there. But you have to take into consideration such factors as time of year, weather, structure, etc. to understand location. Second and third of almost equal importance are bait selection and presentation-which takes into consideration things like water temperature, clarity, barometric pressure, etc. All of this requires that you have at least a passing understanding of the prey. It all interrelates, really.

It wasn't hell, exactly, but it was approximating purgatory. A buddy and I decided to take a float trip down the local Sangamon river in his 12 foot jon boat. We're dropped off by his parents with arrangements for them to pick us up at another bridge a few miles downriver. So, we begin our trek only to realize that with a minor drought, there wasn't a lot of water in the river so, naturally, we wind up spending more time carrying the boat than floating in it. Eventually, the water deepens some but there isn't a lot of current. Later, we find out why: Downriver there is a HUGE logjam- effectively damming up the whole shootin' match. If there was any water down from that, it wasn't more than a trickle. So, we're forced to portage the boat through tall weeds and dead trees, etc. I'm wearing cutoffs and there's enough stinging nettle around to set my legs on fire. And, of course, it was a day in the 90's with no breeze so by the time we make it to the road, we're super hot, exhausted, and I, at least, am in major pain. On top of it all, I don't think we caught any fish. We didn't attempt that again.

I've been out only once since last October. Went to a powerplant lake early in March BUT the plant hadn't generated electricity for 7 weeks so the water temp was waaay cooler than I'd anticipated. Had I known that, I wouldn't have gone. But no, I haven't caught anything yet either. : (

My one (and only) suggestion if your going to use braid for crankbaits: use a "softer" rod so that when the bass hits, you aren't as likely to pull it away from him or tear it from its mouth. That is all.

To me, 6.4:1 is a pretty good overall gear ratio for most applications. Where gear ratio matters most is when you are fishing soft plastics (especially) or jigs and after you set the hook, you might need to quickly take up any slack on bass that swim toward you. This calls for a higher gear ratio. OR you are fishing big bladed spinnerbaits (or inline spinners) or big deep diving crankbaits which will work you cranking hand to death if you aren't using a slower gear ratio reel. Although it has the advantage listed above, one of the problems with using a high gear ratio reel with soft plastics or jigs is people (me, at least) tend to fish it too fast if I'm not conscious of what I'm doing. If you are a "generalist" I'd just keep what you have and if you find, later, that you need a higher or lower gear ratio for a certain application, then get another reel. You know you'll want one anyway. : )

Enjoyed that immensely-especially the "Nothin' cain make it through a Bounty paper towel roll..."

Not saying anything that hasn't already been said (really) but missing teeth (especially many in a row) can cause the blade to then bite too heavily and unevenly into the the stock and do unpleasant things. Definitely DON'T continue using it.

If the striper is also wearing plaid, it's probably a male.

Oh, yeah. Math is not my strong suit. I just know it's "way too much." Second paragraph: Oh, the irony!

Well, trying to avoid politics but I didn't vote for our current governor. Certainly won't vote for him next time around.

Forgot about that but yes, there's that too. Unrelated but not entirely: At my local Secretary of States office, there are signs posted warning patrons about swearing. At no other place will you see such warnings. Perhaps the plethora of swearing should tell them something.

Pshtt! I wish! No, this an annual fee.

Just found out that the Illinois lawmakers increased the cost of trailers (under 3000 lbs) from $18.00 to $118.00. Doing the math, that's a 555 percent increase!!!! I appreciate that we need to pay for our roads and bridges and we've been woefully negligent in doing so BUT this is ridiculous!!! I have two trailers (one for my 17 foot jon boat and another flat bed for my little bass raider) and just for trailer registration alone, this is going to set me back $236 dollars!!!! Words fail me (or words I can use here, anyway).

Can we possibly wait until, say, the middle or end of April?

It might be different in New Jersey but a lot of ponds around here fill up slowly with sediment and deep wading is not a very pleasant experience. Even trying to access a pond using a belly boat is an adventure in sinking in the mud (before you ever manage to float) and smelling like sewage before it is through.

What are you talking about? Pics seem fine to me. Wish I coulda been there. Sounds like a terrific trip.