Smokinal

This is a good question OP. I remember, in my old club, one of the members saying we don't know how good we have it up here in Maine with the numbers we get. His brother lives down south and, like most of the responses here, if he gets 5-8 fish in a day, he's happy; I'd go home scratching my head wondering what I did wrong. I guess I'm a little spoiled but on my home lake, I usually just fish the morning to be home in time to get the lawn mowed, but I usually fish about 5 hrs and can't remember a day that I caught less than 20. In the spring, I have a spot that, in the last 4 yrs, fishing 4 hrs, caught between 40 and 45 every morning. Granted that bite only lasts for 2 weeks but it's the best bite of the year. On most days, in my 5 hrs I typically catch 25-30.

Are there Pike in the waters?

Yup. I almost always fish a crank thats rated deeper than the water I'm fishing. I use a sweeping motion, not cranking mind you, bang off the bottom, let it rise while reeling the slack, then sweep again. Obviously there are many patterns and methods to cranking and different conditions may require a different method but the above is kinda my ol standby method.

^^ "no page found"....woulda sank too....

First off, you gotta have this website bookmarked: http://www.animatedknots.com/knotlist.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com Second, I have used the blood knot for braid to fluoro for years without an issue. I'm sure the Alberto and uni to uni are fine knots as well though.

Yup, but things happen for a reason. Probably woulda sank on your maiden voyage anyway....

It doesn't have to but I think it will provoke a reaction bite.

If it's shallow enough where my rod will touch down, my favorite technique is to reel down to the jig then poke and shove my rod tip into the rocks and crevices until my jig is free. I may ruin a $140 rod but I got my $2.99 jig back!

came in to say this

you and me both...

My buddy and I hired a big name down on Falcon for our first guided trip of our lives. We did not think to ask about him fishing so that's our bad. But, we were both very dissapointed in the way he treated us. He would cast first, with us, on new spots we would come into and he back boated us on most occasions. We definitely felt like we paid him $400 per day (for 5 days mind you) to have him let us go fishing with him. I learned a lot from that trip though. If I was a guide, it would be clear that the only times I would fish would be if the fishing was extremely tough that day, so I could possibly help find a pattern. Or, if the fishing was just phenomenal, I might like to catch a few. But if it's mediokre, I'd let them catch anything that would bite. In any occasion though, I would want my client taking the first 1/2 hr on a spot before I fished at all. I'm a believer that the largest and most active fish on a given spot bite first so the guide should not cast until the clients have hammered it first.

I'm with ya there tho.

Thems feudin words!

The Pats game is the only one you need to watch brother!

Another Famous American converts to Islam ... It was announced today that Buckwheat, Of Our Gang fame, Has converted To The Muslim faith and changed his name to: Kareem of Wheat. I just hope he doesn't become a cereal killer!

I was thinking the same thing. He'll bump someone for a $200 day? How much would it have been in the first place? When I went on my Falcon trip, our guide was $400 per day and I wasn't even impressed with his service...and he's a huge name down there.

Yes it does; and so does every one after that too! Nice job!

Ya Buddy! When that water gets down into the low 60's and high 50's, the red craw trap will be one of my starters every time.

I'm not scared...that's complete BS imo. I'd like to ask the guide one question, "Would you want your reservation, that you paid for and took vacation time from work for, bumped?" I've run a very reputable auto center for 24 years. When I take an appointment, no matter how big or small the job, I do my absolute best to get that customer in and out on time. I can't tell you how many people come in, throwing their weight around and want to get in NOW because their situation is more important than everyone else's....sorry, you will get the same great treatment as I gave the guy before you...when it is your turn.

^^^This as well. Even though fluoro may be a slight bit more sensitive on slack line, it still has some memory which you need to feel through. Whereas braid has no memory, the line lays out so nicely that you see every single tick you get.

I like any jig combo and color as long as it's black and blue.

I like a real contrasting bait color in off-colored water. For instance, in green water, a black shad culprit worm just kills em and so does a citrus squarebill...or any citrus crankbait for that matter.

RIP Joan

No...Jimmy doesn't use his tongue