Big Jon

Sweet, good job. Saturday was my son's fourth birthday and we went out in the morning for about 5 minutes. He cast a few different baits a couple times and then gave up and wanted to go open presents. I didn't expect him to last that long honestly.

I'm with ya.

Backpack, as I bank fish at the moment. I want more lures at the ready than I can care, so a backpack is a must.

No matter what animals I see, I don't ever see enough fish.

Thanks for letting me know, I'll take a look for the regulations.

I just moved to Mineola, TX. I'm real close to Lake Fork, which I'm pretty excited about. How is the fishing in this area right now? Are there other good places in the area that would be good on foot? I'm still waiting on my house to sell in Colorado so I can buy a boat. I still need to get my driver's and fishing licenses. Is there anything in specific I should watch out for in regards to hunting/fishing regulations, other than normal practice across the board? Thanks.

I'm not big into yelling, but then again, I haven't caught any 10 pounders yet. I usually just try to hold back a huge smile. I'm more often by myself anyway, no one to hear me yell I suppose.

I don't know if it has to do with scent or not, but I'm not expert. I thought it had to do with them seeing another fish hitting something and it causing a commotion in the water that gets them "stirred up" so to speak. Then they want in on that action. Again though, no expert.

That's pretty cool, thanks.

I haven't had too many bad days, but my worst was soon after I picked up bass fishing. I got a new pfleuger rod/reel combo for my birthday and went out the next day only to snap the rod on the first hook set, which happened to be a tree anyway. I felt stupid and my only good rod was broken.

Haha, this was so funny. I just wasted so much time reading through this instead of working. I don't say anything as i'm usually fishing alone, but I couldn't post what I say in my head most of the time. When I'm fishing with someone: "Isn't it weird how you can catch them all day long when you're by yourself." Of course, the're always "Dad Gummit!"

I like the number idea. I think I'll shoot for 100 as I think I only caught about 50 all summer.

I bank fish, but I have a buddy that will come stomping up hollering from a distance as I'm sight fishing the spawn, and watch all my fish disappear. Oh well, they weren't that big I guess.

I hope to start fishing tournaments this summer after I move. This is good advice. Thanks everyone, and thanks for the posted question Bass Stalker. I wouldn't have thought of this, until it happened to me most likely.

I was boogie boarding in Hawaii when I was 12. I came in on a certain wave and my mom was running at me screaming. Apparently a barracuda (or some other large fish, I don't think she knew what it was) came swimming through the next wave right behind me. She wouldn't let me go back out. I was upset as we had only been there for an hour.

Keep a dry bag of clothes with you on the boat as well. That run back to the ramp could freeze you too. I used to teach boating at a boy scout camp for a few summers and that was one thing the staff kept with us when we went out for fun. It can be a long way back to the dock, and I would rather stand on a boat in the middle of the lake changing into dry clothes than run back to a dock 15 minutes or more away getting hypothermia. The first thing to go is orientation, and you might not be able to find the dock again. That being said, I don't have a boat at the moment, but it will be in a key compartment when I do, along with a couple towels. Good advice on a change of clothes.

I'm so glad you're safe. I had a buddy that lost his brother and two friends. The three went out sailing and never came back. They found the boat capsized and the PFD's in their compartments.

Haha, I can understand that. I'm planning what I'm going to buy right now. Our house is under contract and we're moving near Lake Fork in Texas, so that capital gain is getting me some gear. I wish it was big enough to get a boat, but I'll take what I can get.

True, but they aren't actually catching fish in this video, just showing how it looks and works. At least, that's what it seems like to me, but we're getting off topic on this thread. I just thought it was an interesting rig that I hadn't seen before.

I had not heard of this rig so I looked it up on YouTube and found: I really like the action. Does it work in clear water?

My new goal is to move somewhere that I can bass fish more consistently, and for long periods of time in the year. My house is going under contract today hopefully, my company is letting me work remotely from wherever I want. I live in northern Colorado right now, but most of my family is in Texas, so I think I'm going to live near my grandparents in Mineola, TX. I'll be really close to Lake Fork. I'm excited.

Good point. I don't have a boat, but point 2 is spot on.

I'm with you.

Yeah, I didn't laugh at first for the shark. I laughed afterwards though. I feel like doing that most of the time I go fishing. It's mostly when I think I'm getting better and then can't catch anything for a long time.

That's great. My older boy is almost 4. I took him out fishing about July of this last year. The whole way there he couldn't stop talking about fishing. We got there, tossed a t-rig over a stump and drug it over the top until it fell down the other side. It was immediately picked up. Reeled in about a half pounder and my son's face was just worth every second of that. As soon as we put him back in the water, he was done. He had conquered the fishing trip on the first cast and was done. I had to laugh because in most cases, I am the same way. Once I learn/conquer something, I'm on to the next thing.