Zel

Robby are those finicky Pennsylvania bass driving you nutz? No consistency among different lakes? What works today doesn't work tomorrow, although nothing has changed? They just don't seem to follow the normal fishing patterns? You have been given many good tips here by others. But what I have found to be key here in Pennsylvania is knowing the particular lake. I fish Beltzville differently than Mauch Chunk, differently than Harveys, differently than Nockamixon, differently than Wallenpaupack, differently than Fairview, differently than Tobyhanna, differently than Raystown each one differently because I've gotten to know each lake. It almost seems like the bass in those lakes don't communicate with each other, or know the rules of what they are supposed to be doing. I know it sounds funny, and probably a little crazy, but I can almost smell when an area will produce fish in those lakes. Sometimes things just don't seem right in the spot you are in, and other times you know every cast you have a good chance of getting one. Personally, I don't care about any other factors other than structure, vegetation and wind. The one thing I do consistently is work top to bottom. The more aggressive fish will be on top and more finicky the deeper you go. If they won't hit on top or mid region then it leads me to think they aren't interested in baitfish, and I go with dark natural colored plastics on the bottom. And when seemingly nothing works, I go to deep water (20+) and look for fish near structure hanging just off the bottom with a jigging spoon, blade bait, jig, or carolina rig. Deep water fish seem to be less affected by factors that put off fish in more shallower waters. I don't know if any of this answers your question. It's just my experience fishing some of the same lakes you fish.

Jigging Spoons are one of my staples, and Kastmasters my favorite (silver=sunny, gold=cloudy). I often add a rattle to the treble hook at times. There are two other articles, other than the ones Glenn noted, that I would recommend reading: http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/cold_clear_water.html http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/suspend_bass.html

These are pretty good sources to find new waters. http://www.fish.state.pa.us/county.htm http://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/topsero.htm http://www.fish.state.pa.us/lakes.htm http://www.fish.state.pa.us/spbtregs.htm

Although I haven't put rattles into wood baits, I do add rattles sometimes to jigging spoons by tying a rattle to a treble hook using fly tying thread and finger nail polish to keep the thread locked tight to the rattle (I also tie some Flashabaou, Krystal flash, or mylar strands to give it a little flashy look and some strand movement). You might be able to use the treble/rattle idea with your wood cranks (and the trebles can be changed easily). A pic below is a graphic of roughly how they come out.

Welcome. I fished as a co-angler for 10 years. Personally, my favorite way of fishing is slow moving plastics. I know what you are talking about though. It frustrated me at first. Being in a club for years, you get to know how each boater fishes. Knowing an angler's fishing style in advance helps you to plan your strategy. When I would draw a particular boater that I new would most likely be flipping docks and moving fast, I would opt for a fluke and faster falling baits. A fluke for the upper range, and jig, a senko, and a blade bait were my weapons of choice for the lower water levels. With the boater constantly moving you had little time to present your lures, so the faster I could get the lure to the target depth the better, and especially because you don't get much time at all to work the bait. Two or three bounces and that's about it. Drawing a boater right before a tourney is problematic, because you have to be prepared for anything. If you can, I would suggest contacting your boater before the tournament, and find out how he plans on fishing and what type of water he was planning on fishing. That way you can get a jump on your gameplan. Even if you don't have a boat, you can practice the different boater styles while beating the bank. Find some docks that parallel the bank. Fish the docks walking back and forth without stopping. It will help to hone your skills before tourney time. You can mimic a number of boater styles from the bank, just be a little creative. Yeah you probably won't catch as many, but if tourneys are your thing, it sure will help. That's what I did early in my tourney days. Good luck.

Oh well, I'll have to continue watching the reality fishing show (per the NY Post) on Lunkerville's website. My cable company doesn't carry WFN or The Water Channel. I guess I need more memory on the PC though. Either that or Mike D pauses and sputters a lot.

Click Here: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9920.html go to the bottom of the page and choose the county you are interested in (I think Long Island comprises 2 counties). Then go the the bottom of the pages and pick the lakes you are interested in. The state provide free contour maps.

Muddy cancelled out of our fishing trip because he had to pull a triple shift at work. I went out Saturday 5/10/08 anyway and took the wife's camera. Didn't bother to take the boat and hit the bank for 3 hours. The Dead Sea (Beltzville Lake, PA) finally decided to offer up a few fish. Caught LMB and SMB in the same locations on same baits. No fish on beds yet, all were stagers (no bloody fins on any of them). All came on a LC live pointer, 4 Slider worms, and Fat Ikas. Largest SMB was only 2.6 lbs on a Berkley scale (largest LMB was 3.4 lbs but I didn't enter the LMB category). Committed newbie error several times not making sure area was unobstructed from bushes and tree limbs to make a good hookset (of course those missed fish were all monsters! ). I will edit post and add pic of 2.6 lb SMB when I find the cable to my wife's camera. PA state SMB record 8.5 lbs (8lbs 8ozs) SMB = 2.6 lbs (2lbs 10ozs) 2.6 / 8.5 x 100 = 30.50 pic added (it really did come out Avid style)

Tough one! All I can say is: Women marry men in hopes they will change. Men marry women in hopes they won't change. Neither gets what they hope for.

Coming from both ends of the boat during tournaments (boater and non-boater), I have a different viewpoint. Yes, the boater controls the area to fish, but unless you are an Elite, realize the co-angler is there to also fish and enjoy themselves. If tournament anglers don't care about the co-angler, then they should not be fishing draw tournaments! Personally, I would never work a fish that long if the co-angler doesn't have a chance to catch fish from the back of the boat in the area I'm in. Also, if I can't entice the bedding bass to bite my lure, I will never move on without allowing my co-angler to get a couple of casts at the bed. The rule I go by when a boater is, what would I reasonably expect if I were the co-angler right now?

Ever feel like doing something like this to someone?

I have been fishing tubes for more years than I care to remember, back to the days when they were only known as gitzits. I have probably used 20 different kinds of hooks and jigs to rig them over the years. When I came across the Eagle Claw's Shaw Grigsby HP Hook, I stopped looking for something better. I've found it works best with a bullet sinker and goes through just about anything, and doesn't get snagged. I should probably try some of the new ones mentioned in other posters recommendations, but sometimes I get stuck on the old adage if it ain't broke, don't fix it. There are situations when I want the hook exposed and I use different jigs/hooks, but most often I rely on the good old E.C. S.G. HP Kahle variation hook. http://www.upnorthoutdoors.com/stamina/hooks/eagleclaw/ecshawgrigsby.html

Just curious, did a search and found almost nothing about the Food Source line of bass baits here. I understand the baits are 100% protein and nutrient rich fish food, durable, biodegradable, and have attractants in them. I was wondering, anybody here have any experience with them, and what do you think of them?

And you might have lost a client, as he will probably want to avoid any potential future awkward situations.

Still my favorite low light topwater lure for bid smallmouth is the South Bend Bass Oreno. I haven't tried the new reincarnated version of the Bass Oreno made by Luhr Jensen, so I can't comment on them. Did a night trip with a friend of mine last year. He was killin' them with an Arbogast Jitterstick. They're discontinued now, and usually go for $15-$25 a pop on ebay. Lucked out and got a few for $4.99 each (the guy spelled them wrong on ebay). Another favorite of mine is the 4 Slider Worm (rigged on their different slider jigs) for when fishing is tough. Still made and works great, just don't hear much about them any more. Over winter they unload leftovers for $1.00 a bag. That's when I stock up.

Here is Pennsylvania, we have been dealing with the statewide effects of Round Gobies and Zebra Mussels from Lake Erie for a number of years. Round Gobies and Zebra Mussels were introduced into the Great Lakes from other parts of the world through ballast water. It is estimated that every minute 40,000 gallons of foreign ballast water are dumped into US waters. Also, on any one day, as many as 3,000 aquatic species, from bacteria to fish, are moving around the earth in ballast-water tanks. Unfortunately, Zebra Mussels are easily transported in livewells, and also cling to trailers and outboards. Laws and regulations set by Pennsylvania have had little effect, as they most often only reduce or prolong the spread. There seems to be a recent shift from laws and regulations - to notices and education here in PA. It has been recognized that with the global economy and ease of travel, people are moving ANS (aquatic nuisance species) around the world and inadvertently around the state. Although what California is doing might seem noble, I fear as here it will only prolong the spread of ANS. But what I fear most in CA, and maybe other states to follow, is that when it is realized that it really is a lost battle, they won't reduce restrictions. And anglers will remain over regulated and unable to utilize the various water resources, if they remain complacent and not fight to put pressure on the politicians and environmental extremists in order to continue and enjoy our waters.

Probably the fastest and easiest way is to go here. I think they have several clubs in south africa. http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/federation/news/story?page=b_fed_nation_start_a_club

Welcome!

Welcome FIREHAWK5. Fish On! And another welcome to nacsa. It's interesting to see posts from other countries. I've always considered bass an American fish. Didn't even know they existed in some of the countries noted here.

I know key chain bass guy. But I really like that line in the movie. - - - - Years ago, my brother was working as an artist in NYC. A lot of weekends he would head back to our neck of the woods to cleanse his soul. One day he stopped at a McDonalds drive though, outside of the city. This guy in another car thought my brother cut him off. Ric Ocasek (lead singer of The Cars) steps out of the car and comes over to my brother yelling and screaming. My brother gets out of his car and it got loud and nasty. Ric's wife, supermodel Paulina Porizkova, then gets out of his car, holds Ric back, and calmed very body down. My brother also created the graphics you saw on Abu Garcia Spinning Reels in the early 1990's. The guy in the office next to him desinged the look of the reels. Neither were any good of fishermen... go figure. - - - - - - I went to a George Harrison concert at the Farm Show Arena in Harrisburg PA in the mid 70's. After the concert I was near the "tunnel." George was coming off stage had heading to the tunnel. Luckily I had a camera with me. When he got up real close I said "Hey George" and snapped a pic. He gave me the middle finger. I'd have expected that from John maybe, but not George.

Can't hurt my feelings it's just a fishin' forum. Once you beat a bout with cancer, you realize that life really is short, so enjoy everything, and most importantly Don't sweat the small stuff! And yeah... Sometimes I think the line in the movie Stupid is as stupid does was written just for me. ;D

I fished out of a Coleman canoe for about 10 years. I've used numerous trolling motors on it. Currently have a 35, but liked the 40 or bigger much better. I used a single deep cycle battery which was fine, but always took along a small garden tractor battery for emergency backup. And always have a paddle with you. Wind will be you enemy no matter what with a canoe. They make several type of mounts to hook up a trolling motor to a canoe. Here is one from Cabelas. Mine is different, and cost less. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0001670014526a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=trolling+motor+canoe+mount&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=trolling+motor+canoe+mount&noImage=0 I would also recommend a canoe stabilizer, so you can fish standing up. Here is a link to one at Cabelas. (I built my own using a 1x3 board, 2 c-clamps, and 2 2-litre soda bottles. I attached the lids to both ends of the board with screws. When its time to launch, you fill each bottle 1/4 with water, and just screw the bottles into the lids. Wasn't pretty but worked) http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0001464011360a&type=product&cm_mmc=CRR-_-RLP-_-011360-_-productname_link&cmCat=CRR&cmCat=netcon&cm_ven=netcon&cm_cat=Yahoo&cm_pla=how%20to%20make%20a%20canoe%20stabilizer&cm_ite=netcon Don't know about NY, but here is PA if you put a motor (TM included) on it, the canoe must be registered. If you don't put a motor on it, a Launch Permit is all that is needed if you go out of any state controlled launch or lake.

Thought about this post on the way home tonight. Found two of my tickets from famous concerts I went to, and scanned them. (Notice I said went. I still get flack from my 78 year old mother, about how I disobeyed my parents wishes, and snuck off to see Woodstock when I was 12 years old. My friends parents went away, and his older brother was to watch him. He and his friend had 4 tickets to Woodstock and we went, but traffic was too bad in NY, so he turned around and dropped us off at my parents and they went back, drove as far as they could and hitched the rest of their way to the concert. Boy did I get in trouble different times. The Live Aid concert was great but really hot, and the fiberglass in the seats was starting to disintegrate at the old JFK Stadium, and I was picking shards of fiberglass out of my arse for weeks) - - - - - One other thing. When my oldest daughter was going to college, one afternoon she was walking to her dorm and was passing outside the back of the hall where there was a concert later that night. She passed this older dingy guy smoking a cigarette at the back door. He struck up a conservation with her, and asked her if she knew who he was. Well she did. He lured her into his trailer under false pretences, and decided after a while to get a little frisky. She got scared and ran out. When she got to the dorm, she called me. Luckily he didn't get aggressive with her, because I was ready to drive across state and show this legendary singer some Knockin'.

One other. My uncle who played MLB from 1940 to 1961, was on the very first cover of Baseball Digest (August 1942) when he played with the old Philadelphia Athletics. I've got that issue stored somewhere. And my mother appeared with John Wayne and Maureen O'hara in the Quiet Man as an extra in two scenes, when it was filmed in her home town in Ireland. I've got the DVD... does that count?

No, I was 3rd last on the list of grandchildren to pick something of my grandfathers'. I believe my cousin who lives in Chicago got the letter. I got an old mantle clock which always held cherished memories for me.