jusjl

longtime trout /steelhead/salmon fishing. and i love bottom fisshing. fished inshore and deep sea. spin fishing mostly. new to bass/panfish. Do I really need 100.00 reel? Local sporting goods store has 1 entire wall of soft baits.. which pattern/color/style? Willamette valley, Or. Not exactly BASS CENTRAL.

I have found an easy way to pick up the wads of line, empty lure or bait containers, cups, etc. when fishing from the bank. I keep several of those plastic grocery bags in my truck, and have one tied to my beltloop when fishing. They don't weigh anything and lay flat. When I see a piece of trash I pick it up, smash it if necessary and put it in. If the bag gets cumbersome and no trash can is available it gets tossed behind the seat and I get a new one. Yes, the small space behind the seat looks pretty crappy right now, and I can't believe how much junk others leave behind. But as a sportsman I know keeping things clean is just as important as catch-and release, fair chase, and clean kills.

I am also wondering about portables. Most of my shallow water fishing is done in a 6-man inflatable with an electic motor, or rowing in lakes where motors aren't allowed. The only fish-finder I can find that's suitable is the "Fishin' Buddy". Has anyone used it? Are the more expensive models worth the extra cost? I hate wasting fishing time over empty water, but I hate wasting money even more.

Hello to Backlash... You're the closest to me geographically I have seen in my short time on this site. Salem Or here. WA and OR are similar in geography... ( cool and wet on the coast, warmer and dryer on the east side. ). Salem is in the "valley ", 60 miles from the ocean with the coast range in between, 75-100 miles over " the hill" depending on the hiway you take to get to the east side where the bass tend to be bigger becuase the lakes are shallow and it doesn't rain from October until June. You are also listed as a "newbie", and so am I. Maybe we can share semi-local tips, questions, and experiences.

I'm from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Not a lot of local bass fishing, but plenty within 100 miles or so east and west.