Swamp Johnny

Years ago, (early 90's) I was deciding which Club I was going to enter in Florida. (There are numerous clubs in Fla.) Typical to most clubs (at the time), you had to fish with a member in a tourney as a non-boater before being able to join. The guy I was fishing with snagged a Rattle Trap on a dock along a shoreline- with no way to retreive it without getting out of the boat. Sure enough, without any fanfair, he jumped out of his boat and walked the length of the dock to retreive that Rattle Trap. He got back into the boat aked me if I was "Cool" with what he did- I said "Sure". He did that twice during the tourney. Needless to say, I didn't join that club. SO, I ended up joining a different club. During the first year of joining my (2nd choice) club, the guy that was the leader (in points and club wins) got caught getting out of his boat and walking to a nearby oxbow pond to catch his fish. It was amazing......there was a fight.....the guy was in tears swearing he didn't know that was illegal....what a fiasco! That put a bad taste in my mouth for tournament fishing for close to 10 years. Thank god most tourneys are better managed in this day and age.

There has been many studies on the adverse affect Snakeheads have on native (AND Non-native) fish populations. Why??? Snakehead are (generally) more aggressive than Bluegill, Bass, Catfish, Etc. They take care of their young better than any other (native) fish species, which will allow them to proliferate quickly. And like BP10 mentions, they will eat everything and anything- which will indirectly affect your native fish populations in your canal. Might take a couple years- but, eventually, you'll want to catch something besides a Snakehead in your canal and you won't be able to. I thought Snakehead infestation was well documented and thoroughly well-known as bad ju ju???

If the Snakehead population goes through the roof, there won't be anything left in the canal but Snakehead. Think about contacting the Game & Freshwater Fish commission. They'd probably be VERY interested in eliminating that brood of Snakehead. (Personally, if I saw a ball of baby Snakehead, I'd catch as many in a cast net I could and then put them in a bucket with some clorox. Snakehead are bad Ju Ju for most native (and even non-native) fish.)

I notice that a majority of posts in regards to this subject are from Northern or Western States. Hydrilla in Florida/GA is exceptionally thick, (a raccoon can easily walk across them without swimming). Is your "hydrilla" that thick? When I think "hydrilla", I think that thick. Something a full-sized 'coon can walk across without getting wet. In many lakes down South, guys carry a long pole with them to open holes in the weeds as best they can, leave for 30 minutes, and then come back and fish them. That is where a 1 1/2 OZ Jig/Worm comes in mighty handy. The exposed hook is kinda important sometimes.... I live in MN now, (13 years) and I've never come across anything that thick in MN, WI, ILL, MI, Etc. Even the thickest cabbage can't compare. Still, I love the head design on the AT Tackle Grassmaster.....it works. Maybe this topic is subjective as well as regional.....??? Well, whatever rig or jig your using- I wish everyone tight lines and fat sacks!

I stand by my statement. BUT, yes, anything you throw in Hydrilla will come back occasionally with weeds. However, check Tackle Warehouse's reviews on the jigs I've suggested- I'm not the only one that's had good results with AT Tackle and the Hack Attack Jig. Texas Rigged presentations can work, but for speed and ease, a good Jig beats them all. (When flipping, I can continually cast a jig without interruption, while a guy with a Texas-rigged worm/creature has to adjust and possibly put another plastic on- which is a time waster. Jigs are also more compact and have a bulky yet shorter profile- which equals a better hook-up percentage. Even in thick weeds you must hesitate 1-2 seconds when using Soft Plastic's- with a Jig/Pig you can swing for the fences immed.) All Jigs are not created equal. For the ultimate Jigs- there are a variety of guys making handmade Jigs on Ebay and on this website. Those jigs will be (for lack of a better word) perfect. I use those religiously too........

I am also a Jig fan. I've tried (probably) 15 different head designs and finally found the brands I use regularly- AT Tackle Grass Jig- http://www.***.com/All_Terrain_Tackle_Grassmaster_Jig/descpage-ATTGJ.html Hack Attack Jig- http://www.***.com/Strike_King_Greg_Hackney_Hack_Attack_Jig/descpage-GHHAJ.html#product-feedback Those are the only Jigs I buy. Some advice? If you really want to be an outstanding jig fisherman, buy the correct rod/reel, line, and Jig to do the job. For thick Hydrilla, (at least) 10/40 Power Pro, (at least) a 7' 6" Flippin stick, (at least) a 6:4:1 ratioed reel, and the Jigs I mentioned above. Hope this helps?

Tom is right. If you are carelessly working shoreline structure only- and thats the extent of your fishing method all year, for all seasons- you are missing everything. If you are going to hunt for Bass (or any quarry) you need to learn their habitat and seasonal patterns. There are so many variables to finding GOOD fish (in the 3-4LB PLUS size)- wind direction, how many days that wind has been blowing and in what direction, temperature of water, forage base and where it typically lives/holds, fishing pressure, ETC, ETC, ETC- that answering this question with any amount of authority would fill up this forum.......and those variables can change (dramatically) in 10 minutes! Please go read some of the articles posted on this website- they are very informative!

I agree. Tubes are probably the most productive Smally lure ever made. HOW-ever, I'd say a Flicker Jig with a 4-5" Senko to be a close second.

MN has some silly-@ss rules and regs too, (ever pick up a MN Fishing Regs booklet? IT's like reading "War & Peace"- lol)- BUT, I'd consider the MN/WI/MI/SD fisheries to be nothing short of astounding for LMB and SMB! And this is coming from someone who spent most of their life in Florida, fishing nearby States like AL, GA, LA, Etc. (I love the South!) But, I know of NO other place in the US where you can consistently catch and put together 25 LB (plus) bags so easily. (Go look what it takes to win a basic Club tourney!) SO, putting up with culling rules and bizarre restrictions don't bother me as much. What bothers me about MN/WI is the 6 months of "hard water" that keeps me from fishing at all! (lol)

Tips for BW lakes??? Topwaters- (Spook Jr's and Spooks)- Rarely do fish ever SEE a Topwater lure on the BW- esp "Walk the dog" type. I have stayed ON Gunflint Lake and Topwater lures have saved the day for us many times. Use the Topwaters to "find" concetrations of fish. Then slow down and thoroughly work the area with other lures. The Topwaters work esp well the last 3 hours of the day. Suspending Stick baits- (Rapala Husky Jerk HJ10, Etc)- For Pike and Sm Bass a suspending lure can be absolutely devastating. Again, most fish rarely see that presentation. Berkely Gulp Grubs on a 1/4 - 1/2 OZ Jighead ( Black)- Instead of live leeches, you can't beat a 4" (black) Berkely Grub- they catch everything. Bring 20 bags PLUS- you'll need them. (If the conventional way of rigging them doesn't work, try fishing them in conjunction with a Slip-Bobber rig. The Slip-Bobber/Jig method can be deadly- esp in deeper water.) BRING Fluorocarbon leader material (15 LB and 10LB). The water clarity can be extremely clear on some lakes. Having Fluro available will help in those conditions.

I'm a dedicated tournament bass angler. Pokegama, Leech, Vermillion, Whitefish Chain, Island (near Duluth), Pokegama/Cross (near Pine City), Mille Lacs, ETC, ETC, ETC. Mn has some great Bass fishing. (And thats coming from a guy who spent most of his life in Florida!) Why is MN so good? Nobody really targets Bass here. In Florida (and all around the South/North East) Bass are the #1 fish species targeted. In MN, Bass are considered "by-catch" for most- most guys are targeting Crappie, Walleye, and Pike before concentrating on Bass. That leaves many of our "10,000 Lakes" with unmolested bass who've never seen many real bass fishing techniques and lures. My company sponsors a team- they won the MN Pro-Team Tourney last Sunday with (a one day weight) of 30.07 LBS on Lake Vermillion. Check out my blog on my website for further info. As much as I love Florida and the surrounding waters in the South East, because Bass are "ignored" here, I find the fishing in MN to be some of the best in the country.

TODAY in THE NEWS: At a local Bass fishing tournament, a babys head and 3 license plates were found inside the body of a giant Smallmouth Bass. Apparently, the angler who caught the fish got a hernia on the hook-set.......(LOL)

Yeah, I agree. That is a pig. Just......well......yeah.....

Go to the store and speak to the manager. Tell him you'll buy all of them for $60-$100, (depending on how many is there). Make sure your getting them for around $1.00 - $1.50 a piece, (which is usually the cost on those) WHY? Why would you want them all? You can easily tie some 10LB diameter Power Pro around the skirts, (which will permanently secure the skirt) and then have a BUNCH of excellent Spinnerbait's. OR you can buy replacement Skirts. I was a manager at a Sports Authority years ago and you'd be surprised how badly they want to get rid of "defective" tackle. (Esp tackle that became defective because of the STORES fault not the distributor or manaufacter) One mans trash is another mans treasure.....a little elbow grease and ingenuity and VIOLA! You got something booyah for cheap! (If they were Titanium-wired or Super Stainless I might drive there myself and pick them up!!!! lol) Hope this helps ya?