Scott F

Don't buy waders with built in boots. Get stocking foot waders and spend the extra money on separate wading boots. Wading boots that fit properly will be much more comfortable, and give your ankles good support. Wading, especially on dirty rivers where you can't see your feet, can easily cause you to twist an ankle and the wading boots will keep you from getting hurt. For the waders, always get waders that are bigger than you think you need. When waders are tight you will stretch the seams when climbing over trees, and up steep banks. Unless you poke a hole in the waders, the first thing to leak are seams. Because ALL waders, no matter how much you spend, will eventually leak you need a good warranty. Cabela's brand waders are warranted for life. Keep the receipt and if they leak but are not worn out, you get your money back

The Illinois Smallmouth Alliance had a lot to do with the catch and release regulations in Illinois. It also used to be illegal to wade the DuPage in the county but the ISA met with the director and got that rule changed. If you’ve seen the yellow signs along the DuPage and other rivers in Illinois educating people on the benefits of C&R, the Smallmouth Alliance puts them up.

Those fish that were stocked were former brood fish that were past their prime as breeders. At 20 inches long, it is doubtful any actually weighed 6 lbs. The restoration of the river, which was brought about as the result of a Superfund cleanup site and the extra ordinary oversight by the biologists of the DuPage County Forest Preserve District. The improved habitat will insure that smallies will flourish for years to come. My club, the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance, has been working with the biologists planting water willows and other plants in the reconstructed sections of the river to further benefit the habitat. I've been fishing the DuPage for close to twenty years. 20 years ago, 18 inch bass were pretty common. Increased fishing pressure, mostly as a result of the spread of information available on local fishing forums, saw numbers of big fish decrease. Those "6 pounders" were caught and kept by those who didn't practice catch and release.

The original superline, Kevlar, was tough on guides, but that was over 20 years ago. None of the modern superlines will do any damage to your guides. Ive used nothing but braid including Kevlar since the 90s with no damage.

Isn’t tiddler snatching the way match fishing tournaments in Europe are done? Why hasn’t that gone to a biggest five competition. If the traditional big five style is so great, how did MLF come in with their non traditional style and take over? The new format has garnered the highest ratings of any show on the Outdoor Channel and all the big name pros ran from the traditional format to compete in it. If the biggest name pros didn’t like the new format, they’d have stayed where they were.

I have such success with Colorado blades is both clear and stained water, that I use Colorados all the time.

Wait just a couple more weeks and you won’t need a boat. You will need an ice drill though....

MLF might not be a boon to local merchants during the event, but months later, after the public sees the event on TV, tourists will show up. I’m going to plan a vacation to the Alpena Michigan area after seeing the great smallmouth fishing during 2 different MLF events.

If you want to throw baits that weigh an ounce and a half and more, why are you looking at rods that are only rated up to one and a quarter ounce? You should be looking at musky rods.

The biggest reason mom & pop tackle stores have such a hard time is the small profit margins to the retailers on fishing tackle. Even the big box stores couldn’t survive if all they sold was fishing gear. Clothing takes up most of the floor space at Bass Pro, Cabelas’s, Dick’s and all the rest because that’s where all the store profits come from.

There are advantages to fishing going upstream against the current to be sure, but to totally pass on fishing downstream in my opinion, is a mistake. As most guys who fish rivers in kayaks or canoes do, they put in or paddle upstream, and float back downstream.

One tactic that can work well if you are wading downstream is to intentionally shuffle your feet to stir up the critters on the bottom that can get bass feeding.

This is getting to be the best time of the year on rivers. The biggest fish will be feeding before winter sets in. They will be moving to their wintering areas and probably won’t be found where you got them when the water was warmer. With no rain in the forecast, the water levels should come down and the water will clear up. Get back out and find the deep slower pools.

You could say exactly the same thing about moon phases.

Glad to hear he came out alive. It also shows the danger of anchoring a kayak in current.

You If you want size and numbers of smallmouth, the Northern states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota must be on your list. The overall lack of bass fishing pressure in these states where walleyes get most of the attention, makes these very attractive to serious bass anglers. There are literally thousands of beautiful lakes with a variety of sportfish that you don’t get the chance to catch in Florida. You can easily rent waterfront cabins that you can use as a base to get to hundreds of other nearby lakes. The summers are usually cool and comfortable. Most cabins don’t even have air conditioning because they’re seldom needed.

It had rubber bands holding it's mouth closed so it can't have been out there for more than a few months at most

He also said he wasn’t invited. Can you turn down an invitation you were never given?

The toolbox I have that I use for fishing always has room for more stuff. I still fish in-line spinners, the same lures I caught my first smallmouth on 53 years ago. When a new tool shows up that fits the way and the places I like to fish I add it. I’m never an early adopter but I try new (to me) tactics. The Ned Rig and the Whopper Plopper have been the best newer things I’ve added, while I’ve yet to do well with paddle tail swim baits, but I’m confident I’ll do better the more I fish them.

Go to the Minn Kota web site and get the information right from the source.

The only reason to stick with Humminbird is if you MUST have iPilot LINK. iPilot (without link) works independently from depth finders so any brand will work.

What kind of snaps are you using? Cheap ones can open or break easily under a load where better quality ones like cross lock models don’t.

Through 4 games, the Bears had the most sacks in the league with zero roughing the passer penalties. They aren’t being penalized for having a good defensive line. As far as the NFL is concerned, quarterbacks making $20 million a year need to be on the field playing to keep fans watching. Injuries and CTE are the biggest threats to the future of the game. Having the stars on IR isn’t good for the fans or the game.

Two tubes with a deck in between makes that a pontoon.

Late winter, when the new models come out, is usually when you see good prices on last years models.