fowlskies

I had a simular thing happen in the same day. I pretty sure it was the same bass but cann't prove it. I was fishing a large pond from shore and hooked into a nice 5lber but I had set my drag loose while pulling out a "professional overrun" and didn't tighten it up afterward so I didn't get a good hook set when she bit. Almost got her on shore before she came loose, followed it up tossing a fluke but couldn't get her to bite. I kept fishing different spots on the shoreline for next hour or so and threw at that spot again and WHAM she nailed it, although this time I was prepared and had tightened the drag. The fish calculator had her at 5.5 lbs. Maybe you were fishing her bed so she was holding on that spot. I think thats what happened with me, the fish was on her bed and I threw my jig on her twice, although I couldn't see her bed from the shore.

Packman I like that idea. is it big enough to hold a gallon bags worth? I might have to look for one that will hold that much but still fit in the bottom of my tackle box.

Its all good in New York as long as you are using artificial bait and you catch and release. I always try to get them back in the water asap and as close to thier bed as possible.

Ha...Blubasser you make a very good point. I probablly like to think my prey is smarter than they really are so I can view myself better than I really am.

I've always wondered the same thing since they swim nothing like an actual crayfish. That being said I've had good success with the Rebel crayfish shaped cranks.

I'm just wondering if anyone else uses little crappie swimbait on a 1/4 roundball jig head to catch bass on their beds? I found it comes in handy when they are picking your bait off the bed and droping it off to the side, since they are so small when they pick it up they usally get the hook in their mouth then the game is on. The only problem is these hooks don't have the best stength. I used this technique last week and landed a nice 5.5 lber but it half straightened out my hook. I forget the brand of bait that works best but it is sold at kmart, they are a light/bright green with silver flecks that come in a clear plastic box packaging with a yellow and black label. These little guys put out quite the wiggle, really making the whole jig shake when swam. Most of the time they blow up on this little bait and you don't have to play the game of having them clean their bed. I have caught quite a few 3.5 - 5lbers using this bait and technique, and the 4 - 5 lbers usally start to straighten out the hook but I have never had one actually straighten all the way out or break. This problem could be because I use cheap Arkie and Apex roundball jigheads though. So how about it, does anyone else use small crappie sized baits to pull big bass off their beds?

I haven't had too much of a problem with the plastics I've used. Some of my white grubs took on a little chartruse from one of my other baits but thats about it. I kind of like how a couple of my grubs are now white with hints of chartruse blotches, it gives them a different look. But i've mixed quite a few different baits, brands and colors as I mentioned in my above post without hardly any effect on them.

I put my bags of plastics in gallon ziplocs. But when I change plastics and it is still useable I put them in a big tray in my tackle box to be used the next time I want that type of plastic. So basically I have a gallon bag full of bags of plastics and a tray with one or two of each bait in a large tray for quick access when I want to change the style of plastic. It works for me. I haven't ever used Gulp but I've heard these have dried up on boat decks during the day, so if you use these I definatley would keep them in their bag or jar. Also, the Zman elastick baits have to be stored in their own packages because they react to other plastics. Other than that you should be fine.

I didn't enjoy this video, its pretty cheesey if you ask me but I do enjoy some of those speargun shows on the Outdoor Network. Although, that guy is out in the ocean and tackles some serious fish, but I do find myself going "WOW that was pretty cool". I think this guy is trying to replicate what he has seen on TV and adapt it to freshwater, its blatantly obvious he's an amatuer.

BTW outdoorsman I like the Washington Irving quote in your handle, very true words right there. I try and get all philosophical and the best I ever come up with is, "there is nothing quite like the happiness fishing brings when watching my little girls pull pumpkinseeds out of the weeds while I pull bass from the grass." And you now see why literature is not my day job, I think I'll stick with numbers.

Question, do you target them with your pole when they're on thier beds? Although since with a spear you end up killing the fish, I don't agree with the season being open when they are spawning. You either have an over population on the waters you are referencing or your EnCon department have thier heads up thier

Would devils advocate been better?

Hahaha...I can hear the conversation now, "Yes sir we are aware of the situation but we are busy with a sexual battery case involving a fish and a Mr. Bill Dance and a Mr Outdoorsman11....oohh umm well we have to go now have a nice day."

You have a good point but over here in the Adirondacks a nice B&C buck is one in a million but you never see anyone chastise someone for shooting one. Instead they are put on a pedistal, make every local hunting forum and receive praise from everyone in the hunting community. Another example is a piebald deer (I can't even fathom the percentage of their occurance), a couple of them were taken this past season down in the Albany area (one by a tennage girl that everyone was excited for) and no-one looked down on them for pulling the trigger. I'm not arguing I just don't see the disconnect and to stay on point as long as the guy is within his legal limit and following local game laws I have no problem in what manner he takes his quarry. I wouldn't take home a limit of 5 lbers but one or two a season isn't going to hurt the fishery. I grew up and live in the Lake George area, if you go into any of the local guide shops their walls are filled with pictures of people with their trophy fish and the lake isn't hurting in either category of size or amount of fish that call that body of water home. The same applies for other local bodies in my area such as the Hudson, Lake Champlain or the Sacandaga Res. I mention my local area b/c A: its a tourist trap where tons of "out-of-towners" come and keep their prized catch and B: I see you're from Rochester so I assume you know the bodies of water I'm referencing. I realize I'm the ugly duckling in this debate, but again I'm not trying to argue its more out of being surprised that in 20+ posts I'm the only one that feels this way.

I guess I'm the lone wolf on this one...If he was in his legal limits who cares. It definately looks as though he was in Mexico, did you notice the help in some of the clips and the general landscape gives the feeling of Mexico. I don't see the difference of the avg fisherman catching his limit of 5 with a line and pole or diving in and getting your limit with a speargun. As long as their not depleting the fishery its not that big of a deal to me. Don't get me wrong I haven't ever done this myself since its illegal where i live but if it weren't and I had the means I'd probally try it, it seems like a pretty thrilling way to catch some fish. Again I'll put the disclaimer out there as long as this type of fishing wasn't depleting the fishery. I throw most of what I catch back, but if I feel like a fresh fish dinner that night I have no problem keeping my limit and bringing them home. There's a reason for a limit, it affords you the ability to eat what you catch but not deplete the fishery at the same time. I guess I've never got the disconnect of the fisherman who catches a nice fish takes a picture and throws it back but in the fall shoots a nice buck butchers it up to eat and mounts the rack on his wall. Why doesn't he shoot it with a tranquillizer take some pictures and let it live to breed some more shooter bucks? Why? Because at that point he has probally already bred quite a few does that have passed his genetics to their fawn that one day will be a good buck. I see it quite the same with fishing, that 4-5 lber has passed on his genes quite a few times, so if I have the hankering for a nice filet that night for dinner I don't second guess putting him on my stringer. If this wasn't the case you would see a lot more fisheries with slot limits instead of minimum limits. I know my view is in the minority but to each their own.

Ha...That sounds like the best thing to ever happen to you while fishing. You need to start a new thread, man. Actually I guess that depends if she was good looking or not so it could go either way!

I'm surprised flukmaster hasn't weighed in yet. I would brag but it would come with a cavet of being caught in a private pond. I mean it's kind of like putting a pot of grain in a farmer's field and shooting the cow when it comes to feed for your steak dinner that night. The real question comes down to where you draw the line between considering it fishing/hunting or farming.

Lund, that was the first thing that came to my mind. It's kind of like going on a canned deer hunt or duck hunting a managed marsh with levies, fun to do but bragging rights are left at the pond.

I've used the mad paca and actually caught a 4 lber last week on it. It does have a lot more action than the others since instead of having the two side flaps like the Rage Hawg or Brush hog it uses the paca claws that give it more of a flaping action than gliding. All three are great baits but if you are looking for more action go with the Mad Paca. I've actually cut down the two tails on the Mad Paca to look like antenni to get a miniture sized paca craw.

Walmart girl has to take the cake, thats hilarious!!! I usually don't get a name out its more along the lines of WWWHHHHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mike Iaconelli style.

I've always like the action of the chatterbaits that I have but I have never caught a fish on them. Its not the baits fault though, I have never given the bait its due; for some reason unbenounced to me I never leave it tied on long enough to get a strike even though I love the action. It must be a confidence thing. I am going to have to give it some serious water time this year and build that confidence up. Thanks guys for the good info on it, I have been lurking since the OP posted this topic since I have the same ?s.

I just got one for free from Amazon and I'm wondering if any of you guys have used these and how they work? Do you fish them like any other lipless crank such as Rat L Traps or Super spots? Its also a fairly large for a lipless crank it is the 3" 3/4 oz version.

haha...you sound like my wife. I didn't say it would work but at that price i'll put it on a canoe,so its all good. I value all the posters opinion and I've gained a wealth of knowledge from this site but when the guy agreed to my low ball offer I said what the hell i'll use it one way or another. Also temptation is a bit. Zoff, we've used my buddies 28 on his 12 foot jon that pushes it fine all day with three guys in it, we even used it on Lake George which gets pretty rough and windy so there might have been something wrong with yours if it can't get you across a river. Then again using a TM as the main porpulsion your not going to get anywhere fast. scrutch, I hear ya. When the girls are in the boat I play it pretty safe usually fishing open backwater areas and other slower moving parts of the water. Definately wouldn't depend on it to save my butt.

Its only one fish I wouldn't worry about it too much. The only thing that would bother me is I would rather put it out of its misery and onto the kitchen table instead of letting it die slowly getting it guts torn apart.

Well I bought it today. Offered the guy $30 and he agreed. I'll let you know how it works out in a couple weeks after tax season is over. For $30 I couldn't pass it up and if its too little I'll just put it on my brothers canoe. Its a Minn Kota #35 17lb thrust. Runs well with 4 speeds forward and 4 speeds in reverse. I read a couple articles that said to figure your max weight and divide it by 70 for the minimum lbs of thrust for your boat. I figured my max weight with three guys, the weight of my small 3.5 hp motor and the weight of my light tin and came up with 740 lbs and then rounded up to 800 and it only came up to 11 lbs of thrust. I'm pretty confident this should work for my intended use and might have to go back to tossing an anchor on fast current or really windy days. But then again I fish for a break from the real world, relaxation and to spend time with my girls and won't let an under-powered trolling motor bother me when the condition aren't right. Although, the more serious I've been getting into fishing the less relaxation I have been getting.