Scott F

The DNR did not give the state record to this fish.

If you are looking for the easiest way, that is to buy a used boat someone else has already done all the work on.

I usually swim a swim jig and catch most of my fish that way. I did catch this one fishing it like a regular jig.

I caught several largemouth in the same school that I was catching smallmouth during the spring pre-spawn.

John, Paul, George and Ringo.

One reason the fish doesn't look as big is because he isn't pushing it at the camera to make it look big. Does not look Photoshopped to me.

Fish rivers

Kayaks can be a little dangerous. If you flip over and get caught inside, you could drown. That's probably why they might not be too happy about you getting one. Don't go behind their back. It's not the way to build their trust in you. Be patient. It won't be long before you get a killer job that pays you millions and then you can buy a big Ranger bass boat!

I have a friend I occasionally fish with who only like to power fish. When we are in his boat, I just gave up trying to fish plastics and switched to power presentations like his. The good news is that I now have more options and have become a better speed fisherman. The days I rode around not being happy because he could not slow down are over. Adjusting to the way he runs the trolling motor made for better, more fun trips. Don't fight it. Adjust to his style.

It normally isn't a problem when a reel goes under. Dunking reels is pretty common among river fishermen. Would the reel be a Shimano? It seems like for a while, Shimano spinning reels were prone to binding up after they got dunked. On river fishing boards, they were known as Shimbindos it was so common. I've dunked reels many times and I've never had a problem. But, I don't own any Shimanos. I don't do any cleaning or anything else if they just take a quick plunge.

I'd think there are not many molds of an 8 pound 9 ounce smallmouth to make a replica mount from.

About 25 years ago, not long after I had bought my first boat, I was fishing on Kentucky Lake with a friend of mine. Were were about 1/2 mile from the dock when we decided to break for lunch. As I got the boat up on plane, one of my rods started moving and I thought it might fall out of the boat. As I reached over to grab it, I loosened my grip on the steering wheel. I had just gotten up on plane and had not yet trimmed the motor up so there was a lot of steering torque. The steering wheel spun out of my hand and the boat turned VERY hard to the right. The next thing I knew, I was falling, back first into the water. The kill switch was not connected and I was not wearing a life jacket. When I came to the surface, I saw the boat turning in a hard circle, motor running at high RPMs with no one in it. My fishing partner had also been thrown out. I can barely swim. I wasn't the least bit concerned about myself, but I was very worried my new boat was going to hit something. The good news was that we were both outside the circle the boat was turning in so we were not going to be hit. It wasn't long before good Samaritans came and fished us out of the water. Boat police were soon there all the while the boat was still spinning in circles. They tried throwing a rope in front of the boat to catch in the prop and stall the motor but it didn't work. Eventually the boat ran out of gas before it hit anything. The only real damage was that my friend had a large gash in his chin so I got him to the ER for some stitches. While the episode was happening I was OK, but afterward, I was pretty shaken up having just nearly killed myself and a friend who was a new father. To this day, I seldom run my boat at wide open throttle. Several lessons learned. As stable as my boat is, life jackets while under power are a must as is the kill switch. I was very lucky.

We just had this same discussion a month ago. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/138635-storing-soft-plastics/

I first started fishing around 50 years ago when I was around 9. I didn't really start learning much until I got a boat just over 25 years ago. I'm still learning every time I fish and every time I visit Bass Resource. The biggest thing I've learned is that I will never know everything and that bass seldom stick to any rules.

Rivers in Maine are no different than rivers anywhere else. You need to be fishing near areas where the current is moving the fastest. You won't find many active fish in still or slow moving water. The bass will hold with their noses pointed upstream just behind a rock or a tree right next to a place where the water is moving quickly. They will jump out into the fast water when the food passes by. These spots are often small and will only hold one or two fish. You may have to cover miles of water to get the numbers you are looking for depending on the river. When you find good holding spots, you can return to them time after time and fish will nearly always be there. If you have an area where the water gets shallow, fast and rocky, a riffle, that section may hold numbers of fish. Look for quiet pockets behind the boulders. Cast upstream and let the current drift your fly or bait past or through the pocket. In rivers I fish, I don't spend much time in slow moving water. I head right for the fast stuff and I'll stay there until I'm convinced there is nothing else to be caught and move down to the next fast area. I float in a personal pontoon which is a great fishing platform but not very fast. On my way between spots, I'll fish the backsides of fallen trees.

If you guys want big glide baits or swim baits but don't want to pay $60, you should be checking out musky lures from places like The Musky Shop.

Have you taken the prop off to look for line wrapped around the shaft?

Worms are not naturally found in lakes and ponds anywhere yet worm baits have been catching more bass than nearly any other bait that's ever been used. If your bait, any bait, looks alive, a bass will try to eat it.

I fished with a guide up in Canada who used to use one with no hook on it. He'd throw it up in to the reeds and use it to draw the pike from the heaviest cover out to the edge where his guests could catch them. It was neat to see the wakes of the big pike as they'd follow it out.

You'd need to provide a lot more details about this craft before anyone can give an opinion about the price or value.

The "floating" braid has no effect on the spoons or spinners. Braid is not buoyant enough to keep lures from diving or reaching the depth they were designed to run. Because of how thin braid is, it lets diving lures run deeper due to less resistance in the water. Unfortunately, pike don't get as large in most lakes in the states as they are capable of so anything you use for bass will work just fine.

Check with a custom rod builder. He might be able to take a one piece rod and turn it into a 3 piece for you you for at a reasonable cost.

The "Best" way to film fishing is to have a dedicated camera man to get more than one angle on the action, and a camera that does not have a fixed wide angle only lens. You need a variety of shots not just the shakey, chest mounted view. The wide angle lens of the GoPro is fine for a few minutes from the point of view angle but it's hard to watch over time.

Are you wading, floating or bank fishing?

Being ignorant or unaware, has little to do with age. You can find them in every age group. Like the guys who think it's OK to throw a case of empty beer cans on my front lawn.