Nick.Culver

As you get better you'll learn when to trust your intellect and when to trust your intuition. Alls I can say is time on the water is everything. I'm trying to put in 200 days this year. So almost everyday this summer I'll be out. I know that since I went out a lot more last year. I learned when my gut tells me something to do it. But what if your gut isn't telling you anything. You begin to get flustered. So this is when you need your intellect. Knowledge of what stage the fish are in. What conditions your faced with. What technique is best. All those sort of questions. With more intellect comes more intuition. This comes from the words of the Zen master Rick Clunn. Maybe the greatest angler ever. I believe these words too. they work for me and I hope they work for you.

I agree with Earthworm77. Text book dropshot water. In washington a lot of lake are clear. More that 6-7 foot visibility. A lake I fish quite a bit has probably 15 foot visibility. Any deep water structure such as a ledge or drop off is ideal for a dropshot. Don't throw big loud baits except for in the mourning. If your going to throw a spinnerbait or crankbait twitch it and move it fast so the bast don't get a really good look at it. The less time they get to see it. The better your odds. Thats just my .02 cents worth.

I'm 17 and I'm trying to catch them on the water and off. Girls off of course. LOL

Don't forget Washington! Every where you turn theirs some kind of good smallie fishing. Lots of great numbers lakes. Good amount of big fish lakes. THe columbia river has put out some big bags in tournaments.

Strike King Pro model.

I prefer slowing swimming them along the bottom. That's the way I've had my best luck.

I personally throw spinnerbaits along the edges of the pads on cloudy and pitch jigs and texas riged craws and lizards into the middle of the pads on sunny days. That's where I usually start at. I use a couple other tactics. But that should help you get started. The other tactics are kind of keyed towards the Northwest's weather patterns.

Good sonar is a must. I wish I had enough money to afford some good electronics. The thing is that you really have to dive in like Glenn said. Lowrance is a demanding product. It makes you have to learn. Nick_Barr it's just a matter of learning how read a graph properly. If you get the right setup you can tell when bass or other fish are darting into balls of bait. It's a whole new world down their when you have high quality electronics. I mean tounament anglers wouldn't have them if they didn't help you tremendously on your fishing. Take a look at Gary Kleins boat. Looks like he has a t.v. screen at his console.

Did you ever try a senko weightless?

Don't worry my mom says the same thing about me. Plus I always take my fishing rods when I go to my aunt and uncles. To see how my cranks and other lures work in their pool. Just tell your girlfriend about Takahiro and his pool. He built one just to practice working his lures. Now that be you. Atleast you haven't gone so far as to buy a pool to practice in yet. LOL

It took me about a year to get skipping down with a baitcaster. I think I'm going to start puting tape on my spool to stop as many backlashes as I can. I started by skipping my jigs under-hand. Then started going for the hole motion. You do good skipping the bait under hand with a baitcaster. I use mann's stone jig for skipping. Works great!

The key to thick weeds is irregularities. If theirs a stump or a log out in the middle of the weeds then fish the log or stump. Thats where your chance of finding a fish greatest. Find the weedline and fish parrallel to the weedline.Also remember to research the aquatic growth you are fishing. Different weeds grow in different bottoms. Weeds can tell you whether the bottoms hard or soft. Like lily pads. Lily pads grow in soft to medium soft bottoms. This tells you what baits to use as well. Look for a weed point or a hump off the weedline. Any thing thats different from normal is a irregularity.

A tube with an inserted weight works very well. Has no hook or weight outside the tube to hang up.

Good to here a pro agrees with me about the lizards. You made my day JT.

Lizards, tubes, and craws are my favorite. Use a craw with a 1/16oz bullet weight and pitch or cast on to their nest. Big female largies can be testy. So stick with them a while. I've crawled a bait over their back and they didn't take it. Also for prespawn fish, I like to throw jigs and tubes at isolated cover. So stumps away from everything else. Any cover thats different typically holds larger fish.

I have a little platform I've built in my back yard. I cast under the trees and around them. I've also set up targets like you have JT. I use old tupaware bowls and anything old for my targets. I live in Washington where it only snows if the moons align right.

I like working drop shots horizontally. I cast it in on docks or shallow rocky ledges. You work it the same way as you do vertically. Give it a little twitch here and then drag it about 5or6ft then twitch it again. I've even started to pitch with a drop shot.

I have two favorite anglers Luke Clausen because he's my home state boy. And Bink Desaro because he fishing my dream. Trying to beat Denny Brauer. Those are my favorite pros though. My favorite angler is Jeff Boyer. Since he's been to the classic 3 times and I've met him. Good job at the classic BOYER!

You have plenty of money to go after a good fiberglass boat. If you choose aluminum like I did since I'm 17yrs old you'll need to get yourself a kidney belt. If you can afford a skeeter or a champion or even a ranger. THose would be my three personal top chooses. Sionce I've been looking around to upgrade.