clipper

I'm the king of dinks and "them ain't dinks"! I catch dinks on Lake Allatoona. ;DAnd come to think of it, so did you before you moved over to Clark Hill.(lol)

I think $800 was what I paid for my first boat and it was so waterlogged it wouldn't get up on plane. My son and I also paddled it back to the dock more than once. If you're going to own a boat, you need to know the real definition of the word boat: "a hole in the lake you pour money down". But owning a boat is worth it, there's nothing like being on the lake at sunup or sundown or right before or after a storm, or anytime. There's also nothing like feeling the wind in your face as you get up plane and skim across the top of the water. Catching fish is fun too. You will still have some bad days on the water (like the time I wouldn't leave and my wife and I got hit by a downpour and her pocketbook filled up with water >) but the good ones make up for it by far.

Man I worked outside today and froze. I'll bet it was brutal on the water. Did you catch them all in one area or have to move around? It's good you went today because the ramp will probably be iced tomorrow. Great day of fishing. Sounds like I need to jerk the 25 Merc off my Clipper and buy a big trolling motor and a bunch of batteries.

I'm still trying to figure out how to make mine quit interfering with my front depthfinder.

Why not limit line size to 6 or even 4# test. I hate to see a bass surfboarded accross the top of the water. That's not playing a fish, it's snatching them out of the water. Ray Scott recently held a tournament with these rules, just to get people interested in light tackle fishing. It's a lot more fun, if that is why you are fishing.

See signature below. Not as often as I used to though. I'd still rather go and get skunked than not get to go at all. That's whats really bad.

oops :-[... should have read "Let's make sure our sons and daughters can say the same of us" Sorry for the oversight, ladies.

I too, have many cherished memories of fishing with my dad. Let's make sure our sons can say the same of us.

I'm a combination of 3,4, and 5 with 5 being my strongest tendency and 3 my least.

I have a set of the original Frogg Toggs that I have used for about 4 years now. I also deer hunt in them and they now leak below the knee as a result of me walking through briars. I bought them because I felt they would be cooler in the summertime. I've never owned gore-tex, but the stuff I have seen in the stores looks heavy and hot to me. The Toggs are cool in the summer time and they kept me dry in the worst downpours until I wore them through a briar patch. I now have a new set. My preference would be gore-tex for winter wear, frogg toggs for summer wear, but who can afford both?

I was looking at that site Fluke posted today as well. You break the largemouth record and I will try for the spotted bass record, on 4 lb line. It shouldn't be hard since there is not a line class entry in Georgia for spotted bass (lol). I bet we will have some competition after these posts are read ;D. I suspect most states are like Georgia, several open slots for different species of game fish with no entries.

Beautiful Oconee bass. That is Lake Oconee real estate in the background I assume? Merry Christmas, and make sure that handsome young man goes fishing with you when he gets big enough .

The original Slider Head was designed for catching suspended bass using the "do-nothing" or swimming technique. I have yet to fully master this technique as it involves finding the right depth and speed to fish the lure. However, that is not the only version of the Slider Head that is made. The Snagless Slider Head has the hook eye on the front of the head and comes through grass, brush, rocks, etc. with very few hang ups. I think it is far less likely to hang up than a Texas Rig from my experience. I have caught many fish off the bottom or other structure with this head and a 4" Slider Worm. It can be crawled across the bottom (Charlie Brewer called this 'polishing the rocks"), hopped, jiggled, or fished with the "pull and drop" technique. Slider Heads have a light guage, very sharp hook which enables an angler to hook the fish using a sweeping hookset which will not break light line. These baits are made for light line and light tackle fishing in clear water. They will also work in stained water with proper color selection. The Bait Monkey just reminded me that I need to order a new supply.

Guys, everyone should wear a life jacket when running on plane. I used to water ski barefoot in my younger days and have hit the water at speeds in excess of 40 mph on many occasions. At that speed you skip either skip like a rock or tumble head over heels. I'm not sure what it would be like at 60 mph. We always wore a jump jacket to protect our back when skiing barefoot and it did, many times. A life jacket is not as rigid as our jump jackets, but if fastened snugly around your torso it would at least help protect you from a back injury as well as keep you afloat if unable to swim. Take my word, if it isnt buckled it will likely come off some time before you settle in the water.

I think I read a reply to this question by Homer Circle once, his answer was the plastic worm also. I think his point was that it had caught more fish than any other lure. Then again, I don't trust my memory much any more! I have certainly caught more fish on plastic worms than any other bait. My favorite worm is a 4" Slider worm on a 1/16 oz snagless head. My favorite worm used to be a Big Daddy Fliptail in purple on a wireguard weedless hook with 3 splitshot 18" up the line. We had not found out about the Texas Rig back then. Caught some nice fish on those purple Fliptails.

Right now you should be concentrating on building your basic math, english, reading and writing skills. When you get to High School or Jr. High you should be in a college prep course (you should have a goal of obtaining at least a masters degree or better yet a doctors degree). Read every thing you can that's not trash, good books, magazines, newspapers, and the articles on this site about fishing and fish biology. Reading will expand your mind and increase your ability to learn and absorb information, both of which will help you in college and later life. Contact your state wildlife agency and see if there are any opportunities for youth to get hands on experience as a conservatation volunteer. I'm not a wildlife biologist so my advice is layman quality. Any professionals out there that can give this young man some advice?

Ask them to design a spinnerbait that you can change the top blade without having to straighten out the loop at the bottom of the wire to remove the clevis. I'll be happy to beta test it for them .

I was amazed at how well the fisherman above water showed up from underwater. Also, I only saw a couple of pictures where the fishing line was not visible. It would be interesting to see how flourocarbon line photographs under water. These amazing photographs also make me glad I'm a fisherman and not a shad or crawfish.

Outdoor World Rod and Reel Repair, 417-873-5274. Good luck.

I have a couple of the SE models and they cast well and have given me good service. But, I only fish about 20 times a year if I'm lucky. I have read posts from guys who fish several times a week and used these reels, and they said they didn't hold up very long for them. My son broke the bail on a Bass Pro spinning reel I bought him for Christmas last year and they sent me a new bail at no charge, so that speaks well for their service. Just my 2 cents worth. I do think you will love the way they cast.

You made the right decision not to go in the water. I used to water ski the last of March every year in 45 - 50 degree water and you don't funtion very long in that temperature water. I've also almost done the same thing and it's easy to do, Murphy fishes too. Did you try snagging the rod with a weighted treble hook? If you can get back, that might work if the bottom is clean and fairly shallow.

When I started fishing Lake Allatoona, I was using 12 and 14 lb line like I used to. I caught nothing in the deep clear waters of the the Dead Sea. Then I took some advice and switched to 8 lb line and smaller baits and started catching fish. I now fish 4 lb line on Allatoona using one of Ray Scott's light tackle outfits and get a lot more fun out of catching the 12-14" spots that predominate that lake. I also do fine on the occassional larger bass as well. My current goal is to land a bass larger than five pounds on 4 lb line. I caught one that would go 4+ lbs at Charlie Elliot last spring out of a small tree top using 4 lb test line. I managed to get the bass to open water and keep it there. I enjoyed the article as it reinforced what I have been doing. I failed to see one important practice mentioned in the article that is vital to success with light line, that is retying after every fish or hangup. Also, check your line often for nicks and frayed places. I will use 8 lb line when the situation calls for it or if I'm using a bait that might get taken by a large hybrid or striper. I dont throw my Lucky Craft lures on 4lb line! If you want to add enjoyment to your fishing, pick up a good light tackle rig. A 3 lb bass on 4lb test line is a real thrill.

I check weather underground and then go fishing anyway.

Beautiful Florida largemouth. The dark fish shows up real good against the light background of your tan shirt. I need to remember that the next time I try to take a fish picture. I had some great times fishing for and catching Florida bass with my dad in the 50's on the St. Johns.

It's nice to see I'm not the only Slider fan out there. Charlie's book makes a lot of sense.