John J.

Hey all, I was wondering, what would be some good combinations for some skirt colors for a jig? I am getting a kit with, grey, purple, lime green, orange, red, brown, white, black, chartruse, blue, and a yellow-green... I thought of some combinations such as: -Peanut Butter/Jelly (Brown, Purple) -Chartruse/White -Black/Chartruse -Blue/Black -Grey/Black or White/Black -Chartruse/Lime Green -Fire Tiger (Chartruse, Lime Green and Red) -Crawdad (Brown, Red and Orange) -Halloween (Orange/Black) -Blue/Red anymore that I can try? thanks for any suggestions 8-)

Congrats!!! My first deer was a 6 pointer and I shot it at 20 yards with my Parker Challenger bow and arrow when I was 13. I shot it in the femoral artery but it bled down and died...(if anyone doesn't know anatomy, the femoral artery is located behind the rear leg, near the gluteus maximus (big butt muscle). In other words....BUTT SHOT (KID, was nicknamed that afterwards... :'( :-/ :-[ ;D) Nothing get's your heart and adrenaline pumpin' like a big buck!!! 8-) Season's Greetings!

No offense, but you are not a fisheries biologist...so I dont suspect that you would see what harm it would do. Transplanting fish is typically a bad idea, but you are gonna do what you want, right? Just know that you have been warned if it doesnt turn out right. If it does, great job to you. I would let your own pond develop and create its own "year class" of fish. Stick to fishing the lake for you larger fish for now... To be honest, no... I am not going to do what I want to do, that's the reason I posted it, to get yalls opinion on this matter. After reading what all of you have said I will just have to get some patience and spend time fishing the lake. BassMaster_1, the pond is only a year old, it was built during the summer last year and we stocked it over the fall. BassBrat, you probably are right, but we've heard plenty of opinions, some say it is not deep enough, and some people say it is...we did a deer drive today, and it was in the 30s, the pond has a thin layer of ice on top. Even if the pond is not deep enough the only possible way to make it deeper is to spread more dirt on the dam... But I just talked to dad and in the state of Virginia, 7 feet max is way deep enough. My parents have friends, and their pond is 5 foot max, and every year I can catch a bass at least 3 pounds. The biggest I caught out of their pond was 3 pounds, 10 ounces. I believe 7 foot is deep enough. It would be nicer to get it deeper...but 7 foot is plenty.... and lastly Murray, the thing of it is, I know bluegill and crappie are natural bass food, but the thing is, the bass we stocked were fingerlings (4-6" inches long) and the crappie and bluegill were 8-12 inches long. There is no way a 4-6" bass could eat a 8-12" bluegill/crappie. And crappie are known to take over a pond.... Then again we did stock the pond with 20 pound of minnows that are 1" inch. That'll feed the bass, crappie and bluegill. But what I am afraid of is that the crappie/bluegill will eat the baby bass and they will not be big enough to grow. Anyway, thanks for all the opinions guys! I will check the pond in the spring and see how things are going (not by fishing). And I might fish a little in the summer to see what all I catch (mainly bluegill and crappie possibly...) Season's greetings 8-)

We placed the order for my first thing last night...a bass jigging kit...bought it at lurecomponents.com it should arrive tomorrow!!! some other things.... - A new rod, reel combo (Shimano Rod with baitcasting reel) - A gift certificate to Gander Mountain (get at least on of those every year!) - And possibly (not related to fishing) a 5X barlows lense for my Meade Telescope that way I can see the planets with clarity and ease... and I think that is about it... Season's Greetings! 8-)

Well through a little searching i found this site... www.lurecomponents.com I bought a bit of jig heads with the wire guards, a skirt kit (with tools, etc.). On the site you can buy the kits and separate parts to make buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, spinners, etc. Thanks for the help though! 8-) Seasons Greetings! 8-)

When you catch a nice bass and then have a pike take it? http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5614347245920734972&q=bass+fishing&hl=en ;D ;D ;D

Good points... The reason why I wanted to catch bass from the Lake and put them in my pond is because when we stocked the pond with bass my dad stocked it with like 300 small fingerlings (4-6") bass and for some reason they stocked it also with like 300 8" crappie and bluegill. I am afraid that the bass will not have enough time to grow before being eaten by the bream and/or crappie. And besides, I don't want to wait 3-4 years before being able to catch a nice size bass! I want to be able to just walk down to the pond and catch nice bass other than driving over to the lake and fishing. I don't know if it is illegal or legal...I don't see what harm it could do... The bass or fish will be in shock for a little while, as far as temperature differences, but like all the other fish we've stocked, they will eventually get use to it...The temperature difference really isn't all that much. We limed the pond to reduce the ph level (it was like 6.5) and we threw in 1 ton of lime, I will throw in some structure for the fish (we have a couple of wooden crates and stuff) and the pond was dug with a back hoe, so the bottom is really irratic. It is a hospitable pond. Summer would be a good choice anyway, nice warm days, the fish will be up against the banks in the morning and nail topwaters. I am looking forward to it!! Seasons Greetings! 8-)

It may sound funny but I practice with an old shoe. I stand away from the shoe at various lengths. Start at 5 feet, and then work my way back to 60 feet. I got really good at pitchin' I also practice my backhanding and side casting. I even got my neices and nephews into flippin' and pitchin' and here in Virginia we have the Casting Kids contest and my niece Bridget won her age bracket so she got the closed face casting rod with the jig and a Casting Kids target. So now I practice a little on that too! ;D Mostly I practice with shoes...I just need to wash my baits before fishing, otherwise I get no hits... ;D ;D ;D Have a jolly christmas everyone!!! 8-)

Does anyone know where to find jig making kits? I searched Cabela's and GanderMountain but they don't have any...at least the kind I am looking for. I want the kit with the assorted heads (ranging from 1/16 ounce to 1/2 ounce) with the wire guards and various colors of skirts that way I can make my own combinations. I would like one for Christmas, I would like a link or source that way I can show my folks where to get one for me for christmas. Thanks all! 8-) Have a happy Holiday!

Hey everyone! I know this is a little early to be talking about, but in the spring I am planning on fishing my local lake here in Orange County. My plan is to catch bass and stock my pond w/ them. By the time I plan on doing this is in the spring, mainly when the days get back up in the 60s or 70s and water is probably 60s. I read the articles and fish shallow for spawning bass. But the thing is I've never fished Lake Orange in the spring, only summer. The lake is pretty tough but I need help for some things to look for and where to find bass and what to use. Ok first off, Lake Orange is a public lake and it gets down to 20 feet of water. It has a dam on the North side and it has plenty of logs, brush and other structure. At what depth could I find spawning bass? 0-5 feet? 5-10 feet? and what should I use. I heard that lizards are the thing to use during the spawn, texas-rigged. But what do yall think? I have a pond that is an acre and a half and 7 foot at the dam. It has plenty of spawning places for bass, including a up to bank depth of 2 feet. The pond is fed by a creek that is replenished from an underground spring (so the water is constantly cold!) During the summer the surface layer of the pond (maybe the top 5 inches from the surface) can get up to 80 degrees but the rest stays 70s. In the winter like now it is easily in the 40s! My next question...is this pond deep enought to house bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill (what we got stocked right now) without them dying from the coldness? Just curious! Thanks for any help! God bless 8-)

It seems that the spinnerbait has been productive...I used one for my Potomac River Jr. Bass Tourney (see my post). Colors are now taking a toll around this time. Depending on the clarity of the water, natural colors such as shad, bluegill, herring, perch, minnow, fire tiger, crawdad or even basic colors such as chartruse, white and/or black. My spinner bait I used for my tourny (also posted in the post) was a 1/4 ounce willow leaf spinner bait with the Shad skirt. Right around this time bass would be moving into the mid depth - shallow waters, such as 10-. Some may be feeding around mid water structure, i.e. stumps, logs, trees, humps, brush, weeds, grass, etc. If the weeds are extending above the water level, that should be an attention grabber, if it is underwater weeds/grass I would run a spinner bait just above the grass/weed level in a pretty fast speed. Bass now in the fall are really aggressive, and they need to stock up for winter like bear (which I am sure you read in the articles). So fish or crawdad imitations around this time are really productive...the baits I would try are: -Spinnerbaits with fish colored skirts -Crankbaits -Jerkbaits -Broken Back -plastic crawdads, worms, shad, etc. (especially in weeds/grass) -Buzzbaits (especially on a windy, choppy day or early in the morning) -or any other fish imitating baits (rattle traps, etc.) I will go back and mention the plastics. They are very productive around this time if you work them right. If you ever get in the situation where the weeds/grass extend above the water line, I would run a weightless plastic bait across the weeds. Cast back as far as you can or deep as you can in the weeds and keep the bait running on top. Or you can texas rig it or weedless rig it and run it through the weeds, etc. Also, don't be afraid to use live baits, such as minnows, frogs, etc. Especially in weeds, plastic frogs or real frogs will work, or better in lily pads. I wish you good luck! God bless 8-)

Fishing with anyone would be a rewarding and learning experience for me. Not that I am a rookie or anything, but you would learn something new everytime you go out. And fishing with experts would be a great experience for me. 8-)

hmmm...are they still in spawn there? usually during the spawning season, they don't feed, they just protect their nests. Check underneath them (with polarized sun glasses) and see if there are any beds around or near them, if there is matted brush or mud or gravel underneath them, they are still in spawning. To catch them in the spawning, you basically need to put the bait right in their face. Use a lizard (as lizards tend to eat the eggs) and make it approach the nest. The bass will think your lizard will try to eat the eggs (if they are spawning), and attack it, they won't come with full force in an aggressive attack, but they will pick it up and move it. Once you see the bass suck it up in an attempt to move it, set the hook! However, if they are not in spawning and you see them toward the edge, try putting a bait in their face anyway. You say it's 80's...the water temp should be around 60 to 70 probably, so they should be in their best feeding habits. More than likely the bass see you and they know that you're trying to get to them, so they are ignoring your bait. Try moving a bit deeper and around cover, you will certainly find bass there! Good luck and god bless 8-)

I was just wondering if anyone here makes their own boats, wether it be plastic, wooden, etc.? I've seen a few boats online from images and different websites and they all seem nice, but the wooden boats you see, they easily rot, swell and get holes. I went to Lake Anna this weekend (got sunburnt by the way) and I noticed boats that were for rent, which were powered by a bike rig. It had two plastic flotational tubes on the side, and it was powered by a bike which you can pedal and it was hooked up some way to pedal paddles or something. It was almost like a bike-pedal-boat, and that got me thinking, "You know if designs like that are pretty simple and not too complex such as that, I am sure I could come up with something myself". Well here I am being a computer nerd, so to speak, and checking out different designs on the internet, and comming up with my own plans. I am just curious if anyone else seen or knows any unique designs that would be good for boating or fishing. I figured if you take the design with the bike powered boat and add some modifications to it such as a platform with livewell, etc. that would be nifty, ride or pedal your way to your favorite fishing spot, catch fish and put them in your livewell and pedal back, it would be a way to get somewhere and for those who are energetic and who want to get excersise, it would certainly be an idea! Sitting here I would like to come up with my own unique designs, I am posting this to get suggestions or feedbacks if neccessary. Thanks all! 8-) God bless

Thanks guys! Yeah I was exaggerating on the whole minute thing, we had a depth finder on the troller motor and it read 11 feet some places and 15 other. I'd cast it out and let it sink for really 5-10 seconds and start reeling again. I never tried a worm or plastic bait during the entire tournament, my father (who bass fishes) suggested that I use my spinner bait, a rattle-trap and a crankbait, and that's what I used. Which is why I asked these questions so I know what would have been the best thing to use for those situations. I've got tons of soft baits (worms, grubs, etc.) from comming in 4th to the tournament, so I got one worm already rigged up (Texas rig) and ready to go for next tournament which I believe is June 24th at Lake Gaston, I will need to check with my teacher (the holder of these tournaments) and see what the closest one is. Thanks for all the suggestions and help fellas!

ok, this past tournament I went to at our local Lake of the Woods this past Sunday turned out pretty good. The only thing that occurred to me was two things, 1.) we had anchored off a point that was 11-15 foot of water, and 2.) we cruised into subdivision coves were there was plenty of docks with cover and no more than 5 foot of water. Scenario one: Deep flats/points Now me, when it come to the deep flats and points in the 11-15 foot of water at 3:00 in the evening (tourny times) I flipped my spinner bait which is chertruse and red streaks immitating an injured baitfish, and a deep diving blue crankbait. I didn't even get a bite, what I am asking is what could I have used to produce a bite? we spent at least 30 minutes out on that flat before trying out the shallow docks in the coves. I let the spinner sink for about 1 minute and let it come close to hitting bottom and I tried the stop and go retrieve, as well as the standard retrieve, at a slow pace, same with the crankbait. So for the deep flats at 11-15 foot of water at 3:00 in the afternoon what would have been the WISEST choice to catch a nice bass? Scenario two: the shallow docks When it came to going into those shallow docked areas where local residents of LOW had their own properties with their own boat ports, I felt it to be best to flip a small sized spinner-bait up next to those docks and reel them back, keeping them pretty close to the surface (wake retrieve). Well my first three or four casts left me blank until the fifth one I landed a dinky 10" bass 10 feet from the boat, he ran up and nailed it out of the 4' clear water. Since then I fished with the spinner-bait but it never got me anything. So I switched over to my small spinner-salmon bait, which has a small front spinner and a salmon colored little fish behind it, no luck. Then I switched over to a beetle-spin and finally landed a 5" rock bass up close to a dock. Other than that no luck in the docks... What would be the BEST choice to catch bass (perferred) in the shallow docks? and ARE there nice bass (1-4 pounders) possibly hiding underneath docks in the middle of the day? and what baits are GOOD to catch them? My tournament results where pretty good, I stood 4th out of 15 anglers; many anglers didn't come in successful. I am asking these questions for future reference, it is always good to learn something new about the areas you covered, as you might encounter the same scenario over on a different lake in another tournament! Thanks for any help and answers! God bless 8-)

Thanks bassnut! My dad used to be a real good bass fisherman (now that he got tendonitis, he can't work the reel) and he told me what to use too. I changed my set up, I switched the popper/chugger to a rattle-trap and changed my jerkbait to a crankbait. The tourny starts at 2:00 this evening and ends around 6:00. It is now 10:31 am, we are going to meet everyone at the lake at 1:00pm and then blast off and fish at 2:00... Thanks! God bless 8-)

Hey all, tomorrow I am heading to a tournament, it will be my first. I joined the jr. bass anglers club and they are holding a tournament where I will be trying to outfish my fellow class members and club members. The tournament starts at like 2:00pm and lasts until 6:00pm. I've got my poles all rigged up and I am ready to go. But I would like to ask something, I've read some of the articles and became a better angler, but one question sits in my mind, what would be the best bait to use at midday to outfish my club members? So far I've rigged 3 poles, one with my favorite spinner bait, (certruse with red stripes, which mimics a injured bait fish), I've got my favorite jerkbait (which looks like a bait fish) and I've got my favorite popper/chugger. I am also taking my tackle box filled with all my baits. And if anyone could lend me some tips or suggestions I would be more than happy to read them! Thanks guys! God bless 8-)

It has a cover, it's just not visible in the pictures, matter of fact on the second one where it shows the side view, I am standing in front of the cover (it is behind me in other words). Yep he has a grey cover, the boat has been under the cover for two years without it being taken off. Heck if the cover was never there, I wouldn't even clean it lol, it'd be full of leaves, possibly squirrels nests, and everything lol! That's what I was hoping too, that he'd take me out fishing as a result of my good work, but we have some nasty weather comming our way, today and tomorrow. I checked with weather.com and we are going to have some rain, wind and possibly some thunder and lightning. So there goes our great fishing adventure, at least for before I go back to school.... Well the boat is cleaned up for WHEN we DO go fishing lol. I dunno when that will be, but it is ready for whenever that is. God bless ;D

;D ;D ;D ain't that the truth!

I got my father's fishing boat all cleaned up today from 2 years of dirt, debris and mold! A little bleached water, a shop vac. and some old rags and fantastic cleaner spray got the job done. It took me about 3 hours, but I got the boat almost brand new again! We normally use the boat for catfishing and don't really do much bass fishing (even though it is a bass boat). So it is cleaned and ready to go for when we do go fishing, then there is no fighting to get it cleaned, the day prior to fishing; It's already done! My dad has a nice Nitro bass boat, I think it is a 2002 model. I got pictures to share to show you all the boat (yes! after I cleaned it lol!) So hopefully soon we can go fishing, I would love to go before we go back to school (This comming monday). We have all the poles ready and the tackleboxes set, so when we are ready to hit the water, we can do so! Here's our boat, give me some feedback on how well you think I cleaned it (Just joking! but if you would like to add comments, feel free to do so!) ;D Here she is! (it took a lot of bleach to get all that mold off the seats by the way!):

I haven't done the EXACT same thing, but i've done CLOSE! I didn't catch two bass one on each hook... but i did fish with a swimming shad hardbait, which had 3 trebble hooks, i was fishing in Maryland (my uncle and aunt brought us on a canoeing trip down the Rappahannock River) and we stopped for a lunch break on a sand dune near shore. And i walked a few hundred feet to find a tributary running off from the main river and it was like a shallow creek. I cast the shad hardbait close to the shore and reeled it back towards me wading in the water (which was only like 1-3 feet deep) and on the way back to me on the 3rd cast i felt a hard hit! I set the hook and fought him back, when i got to him i hoisted the bass up and looked in his mouth to get the hook out, and there was a smaller bass inside his mouth!! :o it was awesome! Too bad we didn't get any pictures. I swear that bass weighed in a good 3 pounds with the other little bass inside. It was a decent 14" fish with a like 5" bass inside of it's mouth... 2 in 1 baby! Since then i haven't been able to do it...(it was like 2 years ago) Them hardbait swimming shads/minnows became my favorite bait after that. I just use the stop and go presentation... God bless 8-)

I am sure there are...i had a fishing game for my Nintendo DS but i mis-placed it somewhere...it was a pretty neat little game but i need to find it... god bless 8-)

Hey everyone! (move this post if it is in the wrong place, thanks! 8-)) Well i've been searching the internet on a good fishing game for my x-box, i know they came out with some new games and some good looking games but i don't know what to choose! For those who do play games can you please give me a link or a name of a great simulation fishing game? Any information would be very appreciated! Thanks! God bless 8-)

I am a teen getting into bass fishing! Maybe you can teach me!!! If not in person but over the internet?? I could use ANY information you can give! I am going to start fishing in the spring, probably by the middle of March or so, if you want to you can email me some information that you wanna send me, such as tips, hints or techniques and i would be more than happy to read them! Just a suggestion.... God bless 8-)