Daniel My Brother

I remember the first time I watched big-time tourney fishing on TV. Those guys would hook a bass and reel it in so fast it looked like it was skiing across the surface. Then they'd flip it into the boat and back in the lake, or livewell, before you could blink. I started doing this with my buddy and it was effective, but it sure wasn't much fun. Like most here, I love it when a fish goes airborn, or makes a deep run next to the boat. Or when you're wading with light tackle and the fish literally swims circles around you. I remember catching a 10 inch smallie in 3 inches of water that lept 2 feet in the air. I don't remember any of the 10 inch fish that I water skied back to the boat.

Same thing happened to me one night. Same bait, too. My cousin started reeling the thing into the boat and I was screaming "What are you doing?!" I really didn't want an angry, injured owl in my boat. Luckily the owl was able to just let go.

When I look at gear on BPS, or any other website, I always sort the reviews from lowest to highest rated and try to find a common thread among the low ratings. If 5 out of 50 reviewers have trouble with the anti-reverse, that's a problem I don't want...even if the other 45 people give it 5 stars.

Oh I think it makes some difference. As a general rule, a larger sample gives you a more accurate idea of what to expect. A lot of new gear is released to glowing reviews, only to be panned later.

Yep...that's pretty much how they smell. Still worth digging out of the trash.

^^^I'm pretty sure most of the folks here are just having a little fun at their partner's expense. I know I am. I can say a lot of bad things about the guy I fish with, and he can say even more about me. We've been best friends for 30 years and never stop finding new ways to annoy each other. That's half the fun. I plan on bringing roman candles the next time we go fishing...and no, I'm not kidding.

Good stories. My fishing buddy talks way too much, makes everything a contest, but only when he's winning, can't tie a knot and keep the boat in position, casts over my line on purpose, and has been known to try to dump me in the lake. I can't wait 'til we go fishing again.

Welcome from a Quincy native.

I don't know how you guys do it. I'm more likely to just carry one rod and an over the shoulder bag when I'm bank fishing. I like to move around a bunch and often cast as I'm walking. It's just less hassle, and less to keep track of, especially if I'm navigating tree limbs and brush.

Another vote for the Pfluger President, then use the extra $20 to take your wife out for pizza. It's a win, win.

1. Senko 2. Brush Hog / Baby Brush Hog 3. Roboworm Shakin Zipper I think I could fish an entire summer with just those 3. ...Oh crap, I forgot about topwater frogs! Can I add 1 more to my list?

If I'm using Crappie jigs I'm fishing vertical, either under a sliding bobber with a stop, or on the end of a 12' crappie pole. Crappie, by design, are more likely to move up for a bait than move down, so start shallower and work deeper until you find where they're at.

I'm with this guy. Fill a baggie with chicken, eat it with one hand, feed the bones to the catfish. When I have the time, this is my routine.

You did a great job. It looks like a completely different boat. Well done.

I have this buddy, Craig, he has a whole list of boat's for sale. You should check him out.

The only smallmouth fishing I've done is wading rivers. Not that many years agos a buddy from work took me to a little creek nearby that I didn't even know existed and we had a blast. Since then my daughters and I have been exploring rivers and streams all over Southeast Missouri, especially in the heat of summer.

I'm glad I read this. Thanks for posting.

I used to videotape a fishing show with a local pro years back. He fished a variety of species on public and private water, usually with other local tourney anglers. It was fun and frustrating at the same time. Being on the lake with two guys who are just killing 'em on topwater, and not being able to make a single cast was as close to torture as I care to get. It didn't help that the guy was a bit of a gas bag to begin with. It takes a lot of people to make good TV shows, or just a couple of idiots, like me, to make bad ones. Still it's a job, and I did learn along the way.

"If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting" -Jack Handy

In the history of fishing, has anybody ever reached into a bucket of minnows and tried to grab the smallest one? Go big.

Helluva, I'm studying that picture and I don't see the snake. I feel like I'm playing Where's Waldo. Help me locate it. DMB

How cold is cold? When the water is in the mid 40s it's tough to beat a jerk bait, if you have the courage to throw treble hook lures from the bank. Any colder and I'm fishing small jigs and plastics SLOOWWWLLYYY crawling on the bottom. As the temp drops the bass move slower too, so the bite can be hard to detect. If something feels different, set the hook. When the sun comes out, the bass on my lake will move shallow but tend to stick pretty close to cover. That's when I'll switch to a spinnerbait.

When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was go fishing. In fact I can remember my Mom telling me I could only go 3 times a week one summer. She was worried that I was never around, or maybe I just wasn’t doing my chores, or maybe she resented how much my grandfather fished. I don’t really remember the reason. But the 3 times rule only made me want it more. When I got my first car I was able to fish new lakes, rivers, and backwaters. My goal was to fill the freezer. Catfish were my favorite target. When I bought my first boat, I got into fishing the Mississippi for catfish, then skiing, then drinking beer, and partying with friends on the sandbar. Sometimes I would forget the fishing rods. When my best buddy married a girl with a family cabin on a lake we discovered bass fishing. As a young father myself with a couple of screaming babies at home, bassin’ was a nice, albeit rare, escape. When my daughters were old enough to start fishing I would take them to the park to catch bluegill. We used cane poles and nightcrawlers and had a blast. Then I would sneak off in my little tin boat and get my serious bass fishing fix. When the kids got older, I started taking them in the boat with me. Sometimes they’d fish for bluegill, sometimes bass. Now my oldest is 21, and my youngest is 9 and they all love to fish. In fact my 14 year old loves it a little too much. I’m thinking this summer I may have to limit her fishing. 3 times a week sounds fair.

I've had a 1436 g3 jon boat for the past 5 years. I bought it for the 10hp lakes in my area (anywhere from 20 to 2,000 acres). It has a low front deck. I stand and fish when I'm alone, or when it's just a kid and me. When there are 2 adults in the boat it's better to stay seated. I'm 5'10" and 170#

I've got a 1436 jon with a 9.8hp, and I wouldn't want any less. Get the biggest motor you can legally run on those 10hp lakes and you'll have no regrets.