clipper

I started fishing in the early 50's with my dad in the St. Johns River in Florida. We would go down there 2 or three times a year. We used 8" shiners with a Hyacinth bulb cork and fished next to the hyacinth banks, around the jettys in Lake George, and on the grass flats in Lake George and Dexter. This was before depth finders, trolling motors, and bass boats. I caught my first 8lb bass back then at the Astor Bridge at about the age of 8. My dad later started fishing lake Seminole with Bill Stembridge and Colonel Lester, who manufactured Fliptail Lures. Of course we used mainly Big Daddy Fliptails, about 10" long, (split shot rig with a wire guard weedless hook) and caught some really nice fish. This was in the mid to late sixties. My dad was retired by then and would spend February fishing the St. Johns, March camped out on Rattlesnake Point at Seminole, and then move to our cabin on Lake Lanier in April. My Mom referred to herself as a fishing widow. I would spend spring break from college with him at Seminole and we had a ball. I would like to have some Fliptails just for old times sake but you have to buy them now in large bulk quantities from an outfit out west. They were a great lure and we caught a lot of fish on them. My dad has passed away and I fish with my son now as well as my son-in-law and two grandsons that are barely old enough to fish, so the good times keep coming around. If we get to fish in heaven I know my dad has a rig ready and waiting for me when I get there. I now realize I acquired my value system listening to and watching my dad from the seat of a fishing boat.

I fished Lake Lanier in the sixties with my dad and it was a very good largemouth lake. We caught bass over 5 lbs regularly and got mad if we caught anything less than 1.5 lbs. My best largemouth was an 11+ pound lady that came out of the mouth of the Chestatee Bay. When I get my new computer and scanner hooked up I will post some very old pictures of Lanier largemouths. I've heard fisheries biologists say that largemouths declined in Lanier and Allatoona because the wave action washed all the stumps away in shallow water. I don't buy that because we would anchor on points in 5' of water and catch largemouths out of 15 - 20 feet of water. The waterdog trollers used to catch them in deep water too, 6, 7 & 8 pounders. I would like to see what would happen to a fishery if the spots were taken home and the largemouths released. It would need to be a fairly small lake so the spot population could be taken down fairly easily. Maybe institute a slot limit on spots of under 16" to be removed. As far as Lanier is concerned, the blueback herring have probably doomed any chance of ever bringing the largemouths back. I love catching Allatoona's scrappy spots on light tackle, but it's nice to catch a 7 lb largemouth once a year too.

That's a great article Nick! Most bass fisherman fish a lifetime without being the subject of a newspaper or magazine article. It also sounds like you are a good bass fisherman. Congratulations. Maybe the article will make other youth ask their parents to take them fishing, which would be a great thing for the youth and the parents. You are a great example for your peers.

If you didn't see bass chasing baitfish shallow, it could mean the bass were deep due to water temperature or sunlight or they just were not in the mood to feed. It could also mean that there are very few bass there. An abundance of small bluegill can indicate that a lake is overpopulated with bream, but it would probably take a fisheries biologist to determine that. I'd keep trying different times of the day and different depths and bait presentations before I gave up on a piece of water a beautiful as what you described.

I have to go fishing when I can get the chance, but I keep a barometer in my boat and a journal as well. In about 10 years I should be able to answer your question . The general consensus that I have heard is that fish will feed heavy right before a storm when the barometer is falling and I have had that experience several times myself. My dad used to have a homemade barometer on the shelf in our boat house that consisted of a coke bottle half full of water turned upside down in a fruit jar half full of water. The water in the bottle would go up and down as the barometer rose and fell. He swore by it and he fished several times a week. I just can't remember if the fish bit best when the water was high or low in the bottle. It must not have been too important to me back then as I had girls, water skiing, and cars on the brain and fishing was somewhere lower down my priority list. I do pay attention to the barometer and won't usually go fishing if it has just gone through the ceiling. After it stabilizes for a couple of days I think the fishing gets better. I'm sure there are folks on this site who can catch fish in those conditions, but not me.

When I fish open water I wacky rig them by wrapping a rubber band around the middle just tight enough not to come off. I then run the hook under the rubber band. It seems I catch as many fish this way as hooked through the body and the Senko lasts a lot longer. I guess you could use an old fashioned weedless hook with a wire guard like we used to rig a fliptail with and fish wacky in brush with the rubber band but I've never tried it.

I don't know much about guiding but I did learn from 16 years in business that a good reputation earned by honesty, doing a good job, and treating people right will get you a lot more business than a cheap price. It is important to know what your operating costs are before you set your price. Don't forget wear and tear on your boat which will have to be replaced far sooner if you use it every day to guide. Your clients are also going to break rod tips and lose a lot of lures. It sounds like a great way to earn a living if you like people.

Ain't it wonderful! My "little guy" got married last month so I will probably stop buying lures in quantities of two now. Only at Christmas and his birthday.

I'm one of the ultra light fans. The 12" - 14" spots in my home lake (Allatoona) are a lot more fun on 4 lb test line and my Ray Scott Light Tackle rig. I have also found I get more bites on light line, and I don't lose any more fish than I used to as long as I remember to retie after every fish or hang up. My goal is to catch a 5 lb bass on 4 lb test line. My best so far was a 4 lb female this spring at Charlie Elliot on the 4 lb line. I do use heavier tackle when fishing heavy cover.

I am not an advertising expert and you may be correct. I have heard it said that "any publicity is good publicity, even if it's bad." I would also expect them to judge the success of the ad by sales. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

It is comforting to know that I am not the only member on this board that thinks the Gulp ad is inappropriate for a fishing magazine. I hope enough of you will use the email addresses I listed to let the publisher and manufacturer know how you feel. It doesn't take many letters from consumers to make a manufacturer take note because they know that for every fisherman who took the time to write them there are 500 more who felt the same way and didn't write. I also take no offense when someone else expresses a view point different from mine, I am thankful we have the freedom in this country to do so. This is a great forum and the people who run it and the members who post on it make it that way.

As far as I am concerned, the principle is the same regardless of gender. Bait and tackle manufactureres are dependent on us, the consumers for their sales and if we express our dislike of their advertising practices they will change them.

If you are getting line twist on a crankbait fished on a spinning outfit the reel is doing it, not the bait unless you are fishing it so fast it is spinning. Flukes, senkos, and trickworms will also cause line twist unless you use a light weight swivel. Flip the bail closed by hand before you start your retrieve, using the reel handle will twist the line each time you do it. Your line will also twist when a fish strips line off your reel. Let your line out behind the boat as you idle out of the marina without anything on it and the water will work out the twists. I also do this when I respool as well. You will love the baitcasters once you learn to cast them.

Let us know how you did and what worked. The river could be a quiet place to fish now that the jet skis are on the lakes.

If you were starting to play golf you wouldn't buy top of the line clubs before you knew you liked it or not. The same holds true of bass fishing. By the same token, don't buy the cheapest rig WalMart sells either. Start off with a medium quality open face spinning reel and a 6'6" medium action graphite spinning rod of the same quality. You can post a specific question here about a good starter rig and get lots of advice from people who know more than me or do a search for an older post that is already here. If you plan to fish around trees and brush buy 12 lb mono, if you will be fishing more open water go with 10lb. The larger the line the better fish can see it in clear water, so keep that in mind. The copolymer lines are better but a little harder for a beginner to manage. Do not start out with flourocarbon, it is stiff and will give you problems until you get really good managing your spinning reel. Next, find a post that talks about how to spool a spinning reel and read it before you start. Also read about line twist and how to deal with it. Next find a post on knots and learn how to tie on your baits. Then read up on senkos, flukes, trickworms, and what kind and size of hooks to use with them. Your next step would be to read up on texas rig worms and lizards. Remember, you will usually catch more fish on smaller baits so start off with 4" finess worms on the texas rig unless you are fishing in big bass waters. Generally, you will use lighter colors for bright days in clear water, darker colors for cloudy days and stained water. Look at the racks of plastics at the bait shop and notice which ones are full and which ones are nearly empty, that will tell you what colors catch fish in your area. Once you are familiar with these techniques and can cast your rig with fair accuracy, you are ready to go fishing, after you buy a license of course. The above baits will usually catch fish if they are biting. Go at daybreak and late afternoon first, that's when fish feed best. A white 1/8 or 1/6 oz rooster tail will also usually catch fish for you. Try to find a pond or public fishing lake that has a good population of fish, vs a large reservoir that gets fished heavily. Once you start catching fish with the plastics, you will want to move on to jigs, topwater, spinner baits, crank baits and jerk baits. You will also want to buy a casting reel and rod as well to cast these baits with. You may also want to invest in a light action spinning outfit for crappie as well. They can be a lot of fun in the spring time when they go on the bed. Enjoy being on the water, take in the sunrises and sunsets, be thankful for the beauty of nature, and have fun fishing. Finding a good fishing partner also adds tremendously to the experience.

The last couple of issues of Bassmaster Magazine have contained a full page ad for Berkely Gulp that features Skeet Reese and Mike Iaconelli posing nude holding a bass in front of them. If they were to show up at a tournament weigh-in in that state of undress they would be arrested for indecent exposure. Why should they appear in a prestigious bass fishing magazine like that? It also sets a terrible example for the thousands of boys and girls who eagerly read fishing magazines each month as well. If you object to the ad, please let Bassmaster Magazine and Berkely know of your objection by writing them at advertising@bassmaster.com and berkely@purefishing.com. Bass fishing is still in it's infancy as a professional sport and we, the purchasers of fishing products and subscribers to fishing magazines have a responsibility to hold everyone involved to the high standards we would like our sport to embody. They will listen to the people who purchase their products and read their magazines. I realize Bassmasters is sponsored by Berkely and may not have much say in what ads they run, but it won't hurt to express your opinion on this matter to them.

My son gained a love of fishing watching Bill Dance and Orlando Wilson on TV. When he was 6 or 7 we started bank fishing and soon thereafter I bought an old boat that left us stranded on the lake more than once. He already knew a lot about fishing from the TV shows he watched. We started bass fishing when he was about 8 and he would stay as long as we got an occasional bump on a plastic worm. When he was 10 he quit little league because it cut into his fishing time. I decided then I would spend as much time fishing, hunting, and scouting with him as I would have spent watching him play ball and came close to doing it. He's now 24, on his honeymoon to Bermuda and guess what, he's taking his bride fishing! I see so many guys bass fishing by themselves or with another adult and wonder if they have a son or daughter at home playing video games. Fishing is a great way to spend time with a kid and that's what they need, time with their parents. It has to be fun, like the above posts have pointed out.

I will usually start out power fishing, especially if there is some ripple on the water. If I don't get bit fairly soon I will break out my slider rod and start finesse fishing because I can usually catch a fish on a slider worm. I probably don't stay with the power fishing long enough, and I am making an effort to discipline myself to do more of it. I will switch back and forth during the day to make sure I'm not missing an active bite.