Loop_Dad

Ok folks, another game. If you have one free round trip airplane ticket to anywhere in US and the destination had to be out of your home state and it has to be for bass fishing trip, where would you go? I actually have mileages that I want to use.

I use keel weighted hook for relatively shallower waters. For deeper waters, I switch to jig head type as it gets to the bottom quicker with nose dive.

Interesting. How long do you reel in and how long you kill them? What is the benefit of using shaky head over regular siwmbait jig head when you are reeling in alot and using as exposed hook style? (Or maybe you are reeling in less than I am imagining...)

Like a couple of folks mentioned already, fishing outside. Yesterday morning a boat pulled in hurry not too far from where I was fishing. I could see they came in for a visible cover. They are casting against the bank. They started moving towards me from there. Eventually they put their boat between me and the bank. I thought they were rude because I was casting in different directions from my boat, but I refuse to let something like that ruin my day. Anyhow, the guy asked me if I had any luck. I told him I had a couple. He looked puzzled. He asked if I was fishing for Stripers. From how he asked, I bet he had no clue where I was finding the LMB. Since they weren't nice I didn't offer any tip on how I was catching them.

Thanks for the replies folks. What is the reason shallow weeds die off before deeper weeds? Maybe more rapid temperature changes in shallower waters?

I don't do this much, but the fish on my avatar was caught on a jig with short ringworm on one winter afternoon. The worm could have been a cut one, I don't remember.

When weeds are turning brown, at what point do you stop fishing around weeds and change your focus to something else? Today the weeds I saw were maybe 70/30, brown/green. I only found baby fish there. Other question I have, do the weeds in shallower area die off before the ones in deeper water?

x2. It looks expensive.

Here at my local lakes, the winter mornings can be at freezing or tad colder. Not sure how cold in Kansas, but I'm sure colder than here. A ski / boarder jacket and with layers with ski thermo underwear do that job for me. Actually after sun comes out, usually I am already too warm. The local sports stores all have sale on those items and I never pay retail. I also wear ski pants with side zipper on top of the pants when I predict the temp remain near freezing.

1. Replica mount. (Used to be my answer was not to keep it.) 2. If absolutely no chance of survival, I'll keep it to eat it. That's absolute no chance meaning it is practically dead already. I will not keep it if it is not legal to do so. Hope some turtle will benefit from it.

Right on about that point, whitwolf. I too have the tendency of over-analyzing. I recently started relaxing a bit and focusing more on really enjoying the good experiences while out. Made a huge difference.

This page also says it is Mod-v. I'm honestly confused with the comment martintheduck made, saying it is same as jon boat. Somebody shed some light please.

Just curios...Isn't tracker 160 with Mod V? (not sure if there's pro 160 and plain160) Isn't the definition of the jon boat a boat with completely flat bottom?

Ok thanks. I didn't get the manual that you are referring to, as on mine it is page 20. Only thing it says is that fish ID indicates fish and warning it is not accurate. I was not using it. I just turned this on yesterday cause I was just curios. After trying, I wasn't planning on using it because it messed up the regular sonar image. For example I wasn't able to see weeds well with it.

Wayne, what are the numbers next to fish icons?

I feel your pain, Bruce24. Figure out if there's something needs to be done on your end, and just don't think about them over and over. Take time to enjoy positive things when you go out fishing, like weather for instance. The first 3 are not that bad thou.

I don't think it was the depth, because the icon's vertical position reflects the depth. I didn't see anything bigger than 8 or 9. My guess is either the size of the fish, or the unit's confidence level that is actually fish.

I used FishID feature of Lawrance Elite-4 today for the first time. When I turn this on, the sonar display changed a lot and lost the good view I used to have. Anyhow, when fish icon showed up, it comes up with number next to it. It looks like from 1 to 10. Anyone knows what this is? The manual doesn't say anything. Horrible manual.

You are definitely not crazy. How old are those reels that you are restoring? I have a couple of old Shimano's, one from late 70's and one from late 80's and wanted to work on them this winter. However, I am bit scared. I don't have schematics on the one from 70's.

Creekcrappie, one possibility might be for you to combine the search bait and bottom bait. What I mean is to use lures such as small puddle tail swimbaits or speed worm and work them with steady retrieves + slow bottom hopping action both ways combined. This technique works for me. When you get bit, take a mental note of what you were doing, so that you can shift to whatever the fish want that day.

So with Lowrance Elite-4, you suggest to keep the fish ID off, correct?

One combo is hard. Two combos are much easier. But if I must pick one out of what I have, it would be MH Fast Casting 7'2" with 7:1 reel with braid 50lbs with leader depending on what I am doing. This rod can cast pretty small stuff due to it's length and tip.

I'm still learning about FF myself, but one thing I wanted to mention was that I've read those fish ID thingy (with fish icon) often times not accurate and give you false alarm. People suggest to turn that off and read the sonar straight to get a better idea, which I did.

I run Sharpie for the first few feet of my yellow braid.

I want to really learn how to use my FF to the fullest. (Actually this is not only for winter months)