TommLew10

I personally prefer to fish off the shore as opposed to in a boat, but I'm almost strictly a pond fisher unless I'm on the coast. I've caught my biggest fish with soft plastics and live bait, usually Catalpa Worms, NightCrawlers, and Minnows. I usually fish straight off the bottom unless using Minnows of course. Then I go with a float and usually leave the area in which I have spotted a big bass, I never set my hook if I'm going to leave my pole, I lost several that way, until I learned that I didn't need to set the hook. After a while I see my bobber being pulled out to deeper water and I tighten my line slowly and reel him in. I most times fish with three rods, unless I'm having a day in which it's not possible, I have definitely had those days, where I can only fish with one rod. I usually go with a Catalpa or Crawler on the bottom, with one pole, this gives me the option of catching the bigger bream that usually bite better on the bottom as well as Cats and Bass. My 2nd pole I usually go with a bobber and minnow and it gives me the option of catching basically every species possible. The majority of those end up being black crappies or 5lb to 7lb cats, although some days during the pre-spawn period Bass will continuously hit all of my poles. My 3rd pole I usually use an artificial lure, starting with soft plastics initially as that's what I seem to have the most luck with out of the ponds I fish. If I'm not having much luck I will change to numerous lures. This is my method because I like to leave no stone unturned and I love to reel them in regardless of what species it may be, I enjoy the fight and basically all Crappies hit the stringer or the bucket. When fishing off the shoreline I feel as though it gives me more flexibility to try various setups without the hastle of pulling the boat out. Some ponds I go to it's not many places available on the shoreline, then I take the boat, and when I do make it out to the Lake usually once a summer I take the boat out. The key is always going to be learning the water and the forage for the particular lake, river, or pond in which you're fishing. For example one pond I fish the bass love frogs like I've never seen before, I usually catch frogs from around the pond and replace the Catalpas or Crawlers with a frog. All of these fish are usually pretty decent in size with this bait, never caught one under 3lbs so since I like to fish with multiple poles I usually do it alot like the minnow on the bobber, although sometimes I choose no bobber at all and I don't set the hook, but you have to pay attention or else the frog will be back on the shore and out of the water in no time. These are just some tips from my experiences, I'm almost strictly a shoreline fishermen, I hope some of these tips and strategies help you have some luck.

I always thought there was two different strains of Largemouth Bass and one strains pattern was just more definitive than the other strain's.

New Member here, hope all is doing well. My personal opinion on the situation is as follows . . . I believe that in Lakes it usually works itself out pretty well because of the size and the mixed practices of some C&R and other C&E. I grew up in a lower middle class family and was always taught to keep the fish if it was edible, especially if you bought the lures or baits. I am no longer in that situation, so I personally don't care much for keeping fish, however if family goes they will keep fish and if I go by myself and I'm asked by usually my grandmother to bring some fish home to her I usually keep any of the male Bass that I catch and throw back any of the females. I'm pretty much strictly a pond fishermen, with that being the case I usually follow the practice of keeping all the males I would catch. There are actually a few ponds that I fish at now, that isn't very fun to fish at because of it being overpopulated with small bigmouth bass and/or the bream no longer grow to large sizes, because of overpopulation. At those places I've been told that if I know anybody or if I myself would keep all the smaller bass that I can catch and the tiny bream that would be too boney to attempt to eat throw them on the bank, don't put them back into the water. The smaller bass and the bream are the better tasting fish to me personally and all I ever really consider keeping. Although I will admit to getting a Largemouth Bass that I caught mounted, but only after approval from the owner of the private pond I was fishing from. That particular pond is extremely well taken care of and he encouraged me to get it mounted and assured me it would have no effect on his pond. In general I don't think it matters much unless a lake advisory has been handed down, or if the owner of the private pond tells you how to handle his pond.