ToadTorcher

Oh man... it's gonna be hard saving for hunting cloths with Labor Day sale among us!

Frogs, frogs, frogs, and frogs! Their are several areas that I'll pitch a creature bait or cast a senko where the vegetation thins out a little but though. Find the weeds and find the fish! The O2 levels in the water get low when it warms up, so find the weeds and you'll find the fish.

Depending one the size of the lake, I'd just start tossing a frog around the pads! They're bound to hold some fish for sure. Make sure you pay attention to where the fish hit the frog... what kinda of area was it? Point, cove, or pocket in the pads and so on. Make sure you fish anything different that's in those pad fields too. If the pads themselves don't produce head out a little and toss a worm around the edges.

Thanks guys! Appreciate the tips TJ... safety harness is definitely high on the list of things to get after cloths! I think I really scored good for my first bow, good quality bow and the price was as good as it comes!

Zoom and powerbait is what most people throw around here. The Zoom Mag II worm (7 or 7.5" dont remember) is one my favorite worms. Culprit and Yum make a fine worms also! If you really want to beef up your worms, trying a rage tail Anaconda. They're 10: but have allot more beef and a bigger profile than your average 10" worm like say a Zoon Ol' Monster.

Tooth paste! Colgate baking soda and peroxide works quite nicely. Add a quarter size amount to your palms and rub it around then wash/rinse it off. Usually takes the smell of every time!

Bout a week ago I went to set stands with my fishin buddy and that was enough spark to start a fire! I've been wanting to hunt since I was a little kid and am finally gonna do it this year! With the help of some good friends I'm well onto my way of being set up. I went down to a friends house the other night to check out a bow I was gonna buy from him if I liked it and when I got there he said it's your now before I even gave him any money! Just plum gave it to me. He said he was just happy to help someone get started into hunting and get me going! Hope one day I can pay it forward just like did! Gotta wait till my first real pay check from milking cows to get out fitted with clothing and stuff. Right now I just got the bow, a mid layer upper, and a couple arrows I bought today. Broad heads, boots, cloths, and sent protection is gonna run my wallet dry in no time, but it'll be well worth it! I was hoping some more experienced hunters could offer some tips and advice too!

Find the weeds and find the fish! Dosnt sound like the lakes are very clear so deep wouldn't be a very good bet -- the lack of vegetation down there wouldn't provide much oxygen for the fish. Check back coves and shallower flats. Once you find the weeds I'd try picking them apart with a plastic creature bait or throwing a frog over top.

I use allota pecca craws and chunks. They're cheap and got some action! Pork is my go to in the colder months as well!

Indeed I have! I stuck a rattle in the tail end so they went back even further. The little "legs" on the sides really wiggle when they fall, but other than that they have no action that I tell. Nothing like a senko or something like that. Very light bait with a 2/0 light wire hook, so it's a little tricky to toss (used 10lb PP) Threw it for about 15 minutes and caught one. It's definitely a bait that'll work better in clear water looking forward to throwing it more this year!

In one way yes, in another no. It's fun catching them and I don't like not catching them. But I still enjoy it because It helps me improve my fishing for next time. If I get skunked I'm always asking myself "why" and "what?" Why didn't they bite, and what do I have to next time to get them to bite. Through research and experience I'm usually able to come up with a good answer to both questions. This helps me figure it out what I have to do next time I'm faced with a similar scenario. Their's no such thing as an unsuccessful day on the water!

lmao I noticed that too! He really don't care at all, it sorta bugs me because I get ticked if my reel gets a little wet and he's just flyin fine with it underwater.

Love the looks of this reel! Definitely let us know how you like her... And don't tell me you didn't get a rod to go with it either!!

Seems to work well in my lakes. Depending on where you go the water can go for crystal clear to dirty almost muddy color and everywhere in between. PBJ seems to catch em in either condition.

Fluoro if you like it! Mono is generally to stretchy and not sensitive enough for my tastes. Because it's less dense than Fluoro (which sinks) it floats it also doesn't transmit bites as well as Fluoro. I personally have yet to use a Fluorocarbon that I've really liked. All of them I've used seem to have to low of sock strength for me. Plus whenever and little kink in the line developed it would also snap on me. I've learned to love Copolymer on the other hand. Copolymer is essentially a mix of different lines. I really like Yo-Zuri and P-line because they're fluorocarbon coated. This makes them more dense, sensitive, and abrasion resistant than straight mono.

Work em just as you would any other beaver or creature bait. Texas rig em and hop them along the bottom... should produce for ya!

Been seasick once before off shore fishing. Wasn't real bad weather, but rain and wind never help. I stuck it out and was out on the deck still fishing while half the other people were inside keeping dry. I didn't puke, but I didn't feel great either.

I can agree with that! I do feel bad about not being able to release the fish don't get me wrong.

Yup! A buddy and I were fishing the river onetime and close to the put in spot he snaps off to what we thought was a Norther. We go down stream and come back up the same hole he lost the fish and hooks up to a monster! We're getting the hook out and I notice a red shad colored worm sticking out it through along with some line running down the side. We're able to get both hooks out and release the fish! You can see the line coming of the fishes mouth in the pic below.

Any day I catch 5 decent bass in less than 4 hours is a good day. If I'm fishing all day, 10+ is good for me! If I'm fishing the river for smallmouth, anytime I catch 20 is pretty good for me... but I've been spoiled this summer on two trips where we caught 60, than 86 the next day.

No, Upper Red Lake in Gresham. Thanks guys!

Yesterday took the boat out just to get it off the trailer so my dad could work on the trailer lights. Lets just say it proved fruitful! biggrin.gif Started out throwing a beaver around the dam which is usually good for a fish or two but came up with nothing. Headed over to an swampy island with lots of good laydowns around with weedy cover to boot. Switched out my 3/16 oz weight for a 3/8 oz weight and got the sucker to plummet to the bottom when I got it right outside the weed clumps. Got one hit right off the bat buck couldn't get it stuck! Moved down the shoreline and pitched the beaver through pockets in the weeds for a while but didn't hook up. Put the trolling motor on 5 and headed to some open water so I could take a look in my tackle box and decide where I wanted to go next. I tied on a weightless t-rigged 5-3/8" BPS Stick-O and motored up the lake to a shore line that's really good in the spring before the weeds get to thick. Another good shore line is right across the river channel so I would'nt have to go far to go to another spot if it didn't produce. With all the rain we've had it made the area little more navigable as well. After fishing the 30 yards of shore line and coming up empty handed, I crossed the river channel by the train track bridge where where we catch bull heads to the next shore line. I get past a dock where I usually always catch one and nothing. I head down a little ways and notice a small, 3" stick sticking up out of the water in about 8 feet of water. I take a cast over by it next to shore line. Without even feeling a tap, my line drifts over to the right about 4 feet. I reel up the slack a jar the hook set hopping for my first bass of the day. Immediately I see a huge flash and can see it's no bass I've hooked into. I can a muskie down there thrashing it whole body trying to shake the hook. Right off the bat I start shaking realizing what I've just hooked into. The fish surges for deeper water off the back of the boat... I jump from the small casting platform and fallow the fish to the back of the boat trying to keep my line out of my outboard prop. The fish circles around the boat, all the while thrashing around and running while stripping sticky drag from my Daiwa Advantage with 15lb P-line Fluoroclear. The fish comes and swims on the the surface with half it's back sticking out of the water. Here's when I realize how big this thing is! It loops back around the boat and with one hand I tilt the motor out of the water hold my rod with one hand hoping I can keep the line tight enough. What seemed like ten minutes pass and I finally get the fish close enough to start thinking about landing it. I get her boat side and reach down trying to get a hold of the the gill plate... as soon as I touch it it make a huge run bellow the boat slashing water in my face. I engage the reel so I can more easily control how much line the fish takes out. Despite that my rods in the water up the lock nut and the fish is still just a-takin line like no ones business. After a while I regain some ground and see what my net can go with time. I get the fishes head in there and same ol same ol... turns around and surges under the boat. Do that once or twice more with the net... didn't take long to see that wasn't going to work. I decide to just play the fish out and tire it out. Every time it would get close and touch it and it would go for another run. Eventually I tire the fish out and am able to get a hold of it's tail. Going out on limb, I set my rod down and with my other arm wrap my hand around the middle of the fish and horse up into the boat. crap... no camera! I call my dad who's working on the trailer lights and get no answer cause he's in the garage. I leave a message telling him I just caught a 50 inch muskie and he needs tom come now! I fantastically see if I can remember some numbers but get the wrong person each time. Their's a girl in my class who lives right on the lake so I decide to motor up to her house and to see if I can get a pic. On the way there I remember the 5th grad teacher, who fishes allot, is closer and also on the lake. I tie my boat up to his dock and run the back door and knock. Nothing. I try to open the door and it's lock.... so much for that! I run back to the boat, crank her up and head to Ally's house. Eventually she comes to door and we run out snap a pic, and thank her and I take off. Wasn't a good one since she was up on her dock and I was down the boat, but it was something. I stop and stick the fish in the water for 5 minutes to get it going again and lift it back up and head to main landing hoping someone comes by with an actual camera. I get there put the fish in the water and jump in next to it and try to revive it some. My phone rings and caller ID says it's dad. Eventually he makes his way to the landing with the camera and we snap some pics trying to keep the fish in the water as much as possible. After the pics in let the fish to go see if it'll swim off... a few twitches and shakes it floats belly up. Again the grab hold and further try to revive it to no avail. "Might as well mount it!" I hear my dad say who's standing on the shore. I throw the fish in the truck and motor up to the other landing while dad gets the trailer at home. I get there and we load the boat up and head home where I take the measurements.

Here in Wisconsin the fishing last week and the weekend was pretty darn good! Frog bite was hot, and pitching a creature bait was a pretty sure bet to get a few inactive fish. Had a front come through during the weekend though and while fishing was good when it was coming though, the bite's been stagnate. Monday was really cruddy and today, albeit a little better, was still pretty bad. Buddy of mine caught a solid 6 pound largemouth though but not much for numbers. I'd expect the fishing to get better than this week once the fish are done being freaked out by the front though... might even be better since it should be a little cooler.

My best advice is try to find deeper holes where the water is cooler. They should hang back there during mid day and use them a "resting area's." Tossing them a tube as planned should prove successful! Durring the evening they'll likely head to the heads of riffle's and feed, since it's shallower try tossing top water, they should be willing to bust em! If not, stick with a tube and mix in a 4" dinger.

Anyone ever hear of Trulinoya reels? I was talking to my dad today and apparently he bought one on a whim last night from e-bay. I personally haven't researched them much, but he said they make allot of other companies reels i.e. they come from their factory. I'm interested to see how this reel preforms for him, just wondering if anyone here has used -- or even heard of -- Trulinoya reels. Thanks for any info!