Scott F

Videos shot with a chest cam. I’m not sure why anybody thinks that watching someone’s hands cranking a reel makes a good video but don’t they have editing software to cut that stuff out?

It’s nice to see a picture of someone holding a big fish that isn’t pushing it at the camera! Whatever it weighs, nice catch.

Sounds like you need a satellite phone although they might be a bit out of your price range. You can get them starting at $1,000 each, plus $1-$2 per minute for a call.

This really isn't a pattern for bass, but for southern bass fishermen, I doubt this is something they've ever seen. When we fish in Canada for pike, a very productive pattern is trolling in the prop wash. With the engine running, you troll and toss your lure, usually a spoon, in the prop wash, 6-10 feet behind the boat. Very productive way to catch northerns. When fishing around heavy standing reeds or thick cover, you can't horse a big pike out of the thick stuff like you can with a bass. If you do get one deep in the weeds, getting him out is almost impossible. What the guides would do is take a weedless spoon like a Moss Boss and remove the hook. They'd throw that up into the thick stuff and pull it out along the surface. When the pike move toward it, they reveal themselves with big wakes in the shallow water. Drawing them out into the open water, the guest then throws his bait out in front of the hungry pike. Worked like a charm.

What area will you be staying and fishing?

I know exactly how you feel. I’m leaving on Saturday for my 2 week long fishing trip. I’ve been taking trips similar to yours for over 30 years to locations all over North America. To me the most fun I can have is to spend a week (or two) in a cabin on a lake with my friends doing nothing but fishing, eating and sleeping. Even on the days when the weather or the fish don’t want to cooperate, there is still no place that I’d rather be. I used to shoot a lot of video of the trips and would put together a tape that combined the pictures and video for everybody. In the winter, we’d get together, plan next years trip and watch the tapes of past trips. I hope you guys have a great and safe trip!

A friend of mine is there now. Northern WI lake that he was on is in the low 50's. I'm going up there next weekend, staying 2 weeks.

Kidney stones were the worst, followed closely by a ruptured disc in my back.

Colors and the bands on smallmouth can change pretty quickly. Like a chameleon, they can change color to blend in with their surroundings. Catch one off a sand, light colored bottom and the smallie will be very light in appearance. Put him in a dark livewell and in a few minutes, he will look very different.

Lucky Craft Pointer.

Only the bass know the reason for the change, and they ain't talkin'.

Maybe he's repeating what he thought you said when you caught a "bigun"

Do you reduce the file size of the pictures before you try and post them? You are only allowed so much space for your attachments. If you exceed that, it won't let you post them.

You take your friends out, out fish them, and not show them what you’re doing to catch fish? You are right. No one else does that.

How much did the thunderstorm effect the water levels and current flow?

I wouldn't say I do much that NOBODY else does, but after reading posts here for 5 years, I'd say I DON'T do a lot that the majority of the posters here do. Unlike a lot of the guys who post here, I use nothing but braided line for every lure I throw and never use mono/fluoro leaders. Mostly, I use spinning gear. It's all 10lb braid and on my baitcasters, it's all 20lb. braid. I don't do a lot of largemouth fishing, mostly smallmouth, so I don't do any flipping, pitching or punching. I use a lot of Senko type baits but it's always weightless T rigged, never wacky. I also never weigh fish. If it's a big fish, I might put it on a measuring board for length only. I seldom pay much attention to what many feel is the "correct" color choice for the conditions. I don't own any (as far as I know) technique specific rods. I'm more likely to to use one rod for as many applications as is reasonable. As long as the lure falls within the weight rating of the rod, I'll adjust so it works for me. I "break" a lot of the rules that others live by. Because I'm pretty happy with the numbers of fish I catch, and enjoy what I'm doing, I'm unlikely to change the way I do things.

For those who are unaware of these style pants, and want to look for them, they are normally 100% nylon which makes them very lightweight. Unlike cotton, they won't hold moisture very well which makes them quick dry. Many styles are convertible so you can zip off the legs and turn them into shorts. If you haven't worn them, they are the most comfortable pants you can wear. You'll be happy you got a pair.

I wear them all summer. I’ve gotten them from Bass Pro, Cabelas, and other stores. Columbia is one of the brands I wear. I don’t have any problems finding them, but I do have issues finding them in my size. They typically aren’t sold in the same way normal pants are by waist and length so I don’t order them online. I always have to try them on.

Most of the smallmouth I catch have red eyes.

Big state Wisconsin. There are some shallow lakes ice free in Northern Wisconsin in the lake country of Vilas and Oneida counties. As of right now, the bigger lakes still have lots of ice which means those lakes, where there is open water, are still in the 30’s

With a jon boat, I’d think you’d be using oars instead of a paddle.

Musky rods are made for throwing heavy lures, it has little to do with the size of the fish. If you want to throw 16 ounce, huge musky lures, your bass rod won't hold up. Neither will your reels. If you want to use your bass gear, just size the lures you choose to match the lure weight ratings on the rod. You can land even big muskies on medium action spinning gear. Living in Minnesota, you'll probably have as good a chance catching a musky by accident while you're bass fishing as you will by targeting them. I catch up to half a dozen (usually small) muskies while bass fishing every year. Your drag shouldn't be locked down and you should play EVERY fish you catch smartly. If you just want to catch one to say you did, hire a guide. You'll spend a LOT of time trying to get one on your own. If you do manage to get a good one and you don't have the proper net and tools like a guide will, you may end up killing it or not getting it in the boat.

Thousands of reports but no verified sightings. You’d think that with the tens of thousands of trail cams out there, ONE might come up with a picture of a Bigfoot. Another thing. That TV show where they are looking for Bigfoot. Every week they are so close to seeing one, you’d think they’d stick around until they found it, but no, they leave and “almost” find one someplace else.

I use the same quick mount bracket. You would need to bring the entire motor. You have to line up where the shaft goes over the edge. The edge of the bracket does not line up with the front edge of the motor. The bottom part that mounts on the boat is 3.5-4 inches from the edge on my boats.

Smaller Mercury outboards, are made in Japan by Tohatsu.