Scott F

in Chicago, there is a major tourist area downtown called Navy Pier on the shore of Lake Michigan. Today, it is fully developed with lots of shops, a big Ferris Wheel and stuff to do. 30 years ago, there was little happening there but there was good perch fishing from the pier. The pier is concrete and there were drains about 8 inches in diameter every so often in the concrete to let rain water back into the lake. People used to take the covers off the drains and fish through them. Lots of structure underneath like the columns that held up the pier that held perch. It was weird sitting fishing through the holes, kind of like ice fishing, but it really was productive.

According to tests done back in 1989 by a walleye fisherman named Mike McClelland and published in a book called "Crankbaits A Guide to Casting & Trolling Depths of 200 Popular Lures" The increase in depth with smaller diameter lines was not 1 foot for every 1 pound difference. It changed slightly with each lure tested but when trolling, for example, a Rapala Rattlin Rap #7 with 8lb line it ran 12 feet deep. The same lure on 17lb (mono) went 8 feet deep. That's a 9lb difference in line strength but only a 4 foot difference in depth. Using a floating Rapala #7, it ran 3 feet deep with 8lb and 2 feet deep with both 14 and 17 pound line. When casting the lures, his tests were only performed with 12lb line. the maximum depths achieved never came close to the trolling depth of even the heavier lines. So there is no exact formula to determine how much deeper, or shallower a lure will run when changing line diameter. Another note. All of the tests run in the book were done with mono as there were no superlines or braids at that time! I sure wish he or someone else would up date the book to show how deep lures run on braid.

What are you going to be fishing for? I'm not familiar with the particular body area you are asking about but I assume because you are on a bass fishing web site, bass will be your primary target. Few locals fish for bass, so there will be little to no pressure on smallmouth. The end of May can be very tricky for bass depending on when ice out is. In my experience in that part of the world, you need water temps of at least 50 degrees for the smallmouth to become active. Largemouth will start biting consistently at 55 degrees. Last year, the lakes were still frozen around May 20 and it was near June 1 when the water hit 50. The colder water is great for pike and walleye but it's a long drive to chance having bad weather ruin your trip. You could hit it perfectly for pre-spawn bass action or, you could struggle. Moving your trip a week or 2 later should increase your chances of better fishing.

What kind of spoons are you using? Jigging spoons? Or spoons like Dardevils?

I'm very active in my smallmouth club and we are very busy during the winter. We have a big banquet for 200 of our members and guests the first weekend in March and there is a lot of work organizing everything. We have a booth at some of the outdoor shows to recruit new members. We also have our social get togethers during the winter. Sit around, eat some pizza, have an adult beverage or two and talk smallmouth. During the summer, everyone is fishing so no one comes then. I'm glad I don't fish in the winter. I'm too busy to make time to get out.

That, and one more week, and it's half over.

Durability and price are the only real problem with Senkos. Lots of other baits will work just about as well. As has been said, the sink rates of the copies are not always as good. To me, the main attraction of these baits is the slow sink. Adding a weight takes away the main trigger that makes these baits special. The "wiggle" action to me is an overrated feature. The wiggle is so slight, it can barely be seen. Maybe it helps, but I don't think it matters much. The other trigger these baits have when you texas rig them, is the jerk bait action when you twitch them. They don't move like that when you wacky rig them. Another choice of a senko copy is the Case Magic Stik. They aren't always poured to look perfect but they are durable and catch fish.

Visit flea markets and swap meets. You can pick up some good used gear for cheap prices.

Kids Fiskars scissors from WalMart, $2

My club, the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance is having our annual fundraiser, The Bronzeback Blowout on Saturday, March 1 at the American Legion Hall in Elmhurst, IL. The purpose of the event is to raise money for our conservation activities such as habitat improvement. This year, our guest speaker is Dan Basore who in addition to being one of the premier antique lure experts, he was also one of the original B.A.S.S. members and was recruited by Ray Scott to fish some of the first professional tournaments. He is going to tell stories about those early days on the tournament trail and fishing with the legends of the sport. In addition to the guest speakers, we'll have lots of raffle prizes that can be won for just a $1 ticket, dozens of silent auction prizes like guided trips, week long vacations, and smallmouth artwork. Dinner is included along with a couple of other surprises. Everybody needs a cure for cabin fever and this is it. Spend an evening with a couple of hundred other smallmouth fanatics all for the bargain price of $30. Tickets MUST be purchased in advance. To purchase tickets, click on this link. http://illinoissmall...tml/blowout.php This post has been approved by Glenn.

The shields keep the grease in and the dirt out. I can't see how removing the other shield is going to be a benefit. Can you tell me why you'd remove it?

Snow, 20mph winds with wind chills to -18. If you can stand the cold, your biggest problem will be line freezing in the guides. Yeah, I think you might need some psychiatric counseling.

Depends on how picky you are. Sharp hooks are ALWAYS important. If you will be using the lure a lot and you know you will be getting a lot of hits on the lure, AND you know the stock hooks are bad, go ahead and change them. Most lures I buy come with decent hooks and I won't change them out until I break one.

No wonder the Packers are having a hard time selling all the tickets for their playoff game.

Just got through using mine.

Actually, I was asking you and any of those who are replying on this thread.

I'm curious as to how many hours you might fish in a day. I seldom go out for an hour or two unless the weather is iffy. I may only fish 30 to 35 days in a year, but of those days, I average 9 or 10 hours per day.

It's still my #1 bait for northern pike. For me, pork kills the action of the spoon. A 3 or 4 inch plastic twister tail on the back of a silver or gold Silver Minnow has got me thousands of pike over the years.

I got my first boat in 1988. A Ranger Fisherman. It was my first boat and my last boat. I still have it. It's a little scratched up and the gel coat is not as shiny as it used to be, but it still performs and I still catch a lot of fish in it.

If the unit turns, then your fuses/circuit breaker are fine. Minn Kota foot pedals have a long history of problems. Just about everyone I know, including myself, carries a spare foot pedal because of how often they break. Maybe you should just buy one. If you don't need it now, you will soon.

"What You Don't Like About Fishing?" Guys who commit to a week long fishing trip then back out at the last minute. Monofilament. Walleye fishing. I'd rather stay home and paint my house. Cold fronts.

You'll be surprised at how many small fish will hit that bait. Believe me, 10 inch bass will hit that with no problem. Plus, your chances of getting larger fish will go up too.

I've been looking into buying an ice cream maker and was wondering if they are worth the hassle. I'd really like to make my own frozen custard which I can only find in specialty shops and is pretty expensive. Will I save much money making it myself and will it come out as smooth as the store bought? Is frozen custard easy to screw up?

The iPad games won't play on the iMac.

What is a semi-amateur?