Valascus

Amen brother!!! When I am out I am the exact same way. Fish hard and figure 'em out. If I don't catch anything I feel good knowing that I gave it my all and take accounts as to what occurred that day and chalk it up as a learning experience. A lot of the time I tell my story whether or not I catch anything or not. It may not be the most exciting read on the planet, but it may teach someone else something or maybe someone else will think of something I maybe didn't try that day or some clue I may have missed. After all 5000+ heads are better than one . I also like to tell all of my accounts for the same reason this thread was started, I like to show that it can happen to anyone and that you shouldn't get down about it. Like muddy man, I'll enjoy my time in the great outdoors either way.

I am a 24 yr old Saint Louisian. I have been fishing since I was a wee little one with my dad. I usually fish farm ponds, state regulated ponds that are in state parks or conservation reserves, every once in a while one of the many river systems around here(they are all pretty low right now and access is difficult without a boat on some of the closer ones to me), and normally once a year hit one of the bigger man made resevoirs in the state such as The Lake of the Ozarks or Tablerock. I absolutely love fishing, but I also am a die hard St. Louis Cardinals fan, like playing some video games every once in a while when the fish or weather ain't cooperating, and like doing most anything outdoors from playing baseball to camping, hiking, and bike riding. Most of my time is spent with my wife helping keep an eye on our 16 month old daughter. She is a handful sometimes, but she is an absolute joy (both the wife and daughter ).

Do you have anymore info on the lake? Such as water clarity, bottom composition, availablility of underwater cover, time you are going to be fishing, etc. etc. Any info you provide will help us better guide you where there be feesh.

Rick Clunn!

PM sent!!

This oughta be interesting. I don't really have an opinion on which stickbait is better. I have Senkos, Tiki Stiks, YUM Dingers, and plan on buying some *** in the near future. I am with LBH in this friendly debate though. If I can get a bait that similar to a more expensive bait and get the same or better results with it, then I am obviously going to go after the cheaper baits. Gives me more money to put towards bolstering lacking areas of my tackle bag. I cannot wait to see the results of this experiment. Kudos to you RW for being big enough to take on the challenge with an open mind . This should be both educational and entertaining which is what this site is all about. On a side note, I think the results of this experiment should be posted on a new thread and that thread should be made a sticky so anyone who has questions regarding which stick bait is "better" or "more effective" can just see the results for themselves.

That was freakin' awesome. Watchin' those bass absolutely annihilate those different lures was very entertaining and educational as well. Nice!! 8-)

I voted yes for the some of the reasons Matt stated. It's something that fellow anglers and family members will see for generations to come. I believe that if you catch a state (or world) record you should be recognized for the skill, patience, and knowledge required to locate, fight, catch, and properly catalog a record fish.

I like Rapala crankbaits. They reach their intended depth much faster than many crankbaits on the market. They also stay in the strike zone longer than most crankbaits which equates to a better chance of a fish striking the bait. The only bad thing I have heard about Rapala cranks is that the bills of their crankbaits are a little on the weak side, but I have personally never had a problem with them. they are good fish catchers for me. I have many in the DT-4, DT-6, and DT-10 series. If you plan on using a crank for deep water bassin', I suggest a Norman DD22. It's depth range is as deep as 17 ft. You can get it to go a little deeper by using lighter lb. test line. You can also achieve a little more depth by sticking your rod tip in the water. Another thing about deep water crankin' is that you NEED the right equipment for it or else you are gonna get tired...fast. A rod with a slower action tip is a good idea. Good luck.

I normally don't worry too much about snakes. They are definately quite a few of 'em in the areas I fish, but I generally keep a good eye out, step softly, and when one is sighted, give it a wide berth. Usually not a problem. Last time i was out fishing I sighted probably at least 5 different snakes. Don't know what kind they were, didn't really care to get that close to check. Just minded my own business and continued feeshin'.

I HATE cold weather. Heat is just not an issue for me. I'd much sooner fish in extreme heat than cold. in fact, I am thinking about heading out one of the next few days. Heat indexes in the triple digits...ahhhh...bring it on. Bringing the old water cooler with though and setting up under my fav shady spot. 8-)

I absolutely love coming down to the Lake Of The Ozarks. I usually go there at least once a year every summer for a week long fishing trip. I will be there again this year, just not that long. I'll be down there the night of Sept. 22 - Sept. 24. Just a little weekend trip this time, but any trip is better than no trip. I have never been there that late in the season though. How is the fishing there around that time of year? Oh and my vote for best fishing in the US. I am sure RW would agree with me here...I would love to head into Tennessee for some trouphy smallies. I'll let him elaborate on how many other species there are down there.

That looks like it will be a nice lake to fish when they fill it back up. I can see a lot more underwater cover for the fish in the after pics than the before. How deep is the lake normally when it is full pool, and how many acres is it?

I am a HUGE newb when it comes to anything boating. There is a conservation reserve that I fish on fairly regularly that has a ton of small ponds and small lakes. On some of the lakes they allow you to use jon boats that they rent out for $5 a day. Some of the lakes are decent size though, and paddling to the good spots would be a workout to say the least. I am wondering what type of trolling motor would be good for this situation. I would need it to be easy to attach to the boat and remove from the boat. any suggestions of which brand and model I should be looking for? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot everyone.

Welcome to the best bass fishing forum in all of everdom. You will definately learn a lot here and do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have. There are a lot of knowledgable and experienced anglers who will try their best to answer your questions. And remember there is no such thing as a stupid question. We all like to look at this forum as a fantastic place to learn. Nice job landing that smallie and again welcome!

I got into fishing in general from my dad. When I was knee high to a grasshopper, about 4 years old, he took me fishing on my grandparents property for catfish and bluegill. Taught me the patience I have for fishing now through tightlining for catfish...lots of hours of doing lots of nothing but waiting for the bite. When I got a little older and could do it on my own, one day while fishing the same place, I tied on the good 'ole hook and nightcrawler and put a bobber on it to where the bait was sitting a couple inches off the bottom. I disliked jus sitting there watching the line at that age...the bobber kept my attention better. It wasn't to long and the bobber went completely under and zipped back towards the bushes on the bank. I thought it was a catfish, but was amazed to see a green and white fish I had never seen before go airbourne. After a couple of runs away from me (my Mickey Mouse pole's drag system wasn't set properly) I got him in. I frantically ran to my dad and asked him what kind of fish it was. "Largemouth Bass," he says. The fish probably only weighed about a pound, but it was the most exciting fish I had ever caught a the time. I was hooked on them. I challenged dear 'ole Dad the other day to a fish off targeting bass on a lake of his choice the other day. I told him he could use his live bait (he doesn't believe in artificials of any type) and I would use my arsenal. he said as soon as I was healed it was a deal.

I agree with Cajun. Rain normally turns on the topwater bite in my experience. Cools down the water on the surface, re-oxygenates it, and knocks bugs in the water. Basically rings the dinner bell.

I am kind of like LBH. I don't really have many pet peeves at all. I have ONE. I HATE it when I am fishing public waters, and I catch a few fish and start getting on a roll, and then next thing I know there are a bunch of people on both sides of me absolutely punishing the spot with every lure imagineable. Not only does it make the fishing impossible because of all the lines in the water, but more often than not they are loud and obnoxious to boot and spook the fish. HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE that!!! >

This may be a stupid idea...but here goes ...is here any way to C-rig a crankbait? Is there a way to use a heavy enough weight to where the weight still drags the bottom, but put's enough weight on the crankbait to keep it within the strike zone? That way you could cast the rig, which would be very similar to the 3-way rig, instead of trolling. Like I said...it may be a stupid idea, but it's just a thought. :-?

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Is that why you do so well on your outings LBH? Drive 'em crazy before ya hit the boat. You'll have to teach all of us that dance in one of your up-coming videos!!

This is a quote from Glenn. " A 3-way rig is somewhat of a modified walleye rig. You tie a 3-way swivel to the end of your line and attach 2 monofilament leaders of lesser test to the remaining loops, one longer than the other (about 3 feet and 18"). On the long end, attach a 3-ounce ball weight. On the other, attach a shallow diving crankbait via a snap. To cast, you don't. Put your trolling motor on about mid-speed (for starters), and slowly lower the rig over the side of the boat. Do it fast, and the rig will tangle. Now, simply troll around productive areas. Speed up or slow down until you figure out how the bass want it. This is a good deep-water presentation that works especially well during the colder months, believe it or not. It can catch some seriously big pigs." That sounds like something that could work in the situation you have described. Especially if you can't get any deep diving crankbaits to the proper depth to nail those feeding bass. I remembered reading this reply from him on the "What Proven Techniques Don't Work For You" thread. Good luck.

What he said. Good solid advice.

I have been studying up on pond/lake management as well. The best sourcr of information that I have found was my state conservation dept. They had a whole section that I could download pertaining to different varieties of aquatic plantlife, how to get rid of nuisance plantlife, selective harvesting, and so on and so forth. Very informative. Below are some links are some articles I found helpful. I don't know where you are from or if it will make a difference when it comes to vertain tactics in these articles. It may not be a bad idea to check your state's conservation dept. website as well. Good Luck! http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/MDCLibrary/MDCLibrary2.aspx?NodeID=133 http://www.mdc.mo.gov/fish/improve.htm

I suck hard at C-riggin. All the way from properly rigging it, casting with the horribly unwieldly thing, or catching ANYTHING with it. I have never tried dropshotting either, however to me that doesn't seem all that different than tight-lining for catfish, except for the fact that the bait isn't on the bottom. Swimbaits are pretty much alien to me as well. But if I had to break it down it'd be like this: Fish Catchers for me: Crankbaits, Soft Plastics(T-Rig, Jig Heads), Jerkbaits, Sorta Fish Catchers(I either have an OK day with 'em or I get skunked): Spinnerbaits, Jigs, Topwater Could't Catch A Boot With: C-Rigg Stuff I Haven't Tried....YET: Drop-Shot, swimbaits

Welcome to the forum fellas!! To all the other guest...ya got nothing to lose and TON of angling knowledge to gain by joining!!