Daniel My Brother

I used Bill Babler last summer and we were real happy with him. Many good guides on that lake.

This idea of a 7' 6"+ rod being balanced at the reel seat is a fantasy. The longer the rod the more tip heavy it will be. The only way to "balance" these long rods is to place the reel seat 2 feet or more from the butt or add weights to the butt end, which seems crazy to me. Why would you put additional weight on an already large, heavy rod. Long heavy flipping sticks have a specific purpose and they might feel "out of balance" until you hook a nice sized bass and have to reel him along with 5lbs of grass or a a 4' foot long tree limb. This when you will appreciate a big, heavy, out of balance pool cue and 65lb braid. JMHO Ronnie I suppose it's all personal preference but the only rod I use butt weights on is a 7'6" HVY. I prefer balanced over light weight. I just find it more comfortable to fish.

If I were retired and could pick and choose the days I get to fish I would pay attention to things like barometric pressure. Since I work most days, I fish when I can, regardless of the barometer. That said, I've always heard that unusually low pressure is poor fishing and that a rising barometer is best. But honestly, I just never check.

This question is obviously directed to those who reside/fish in a different universe than me. Since my largest bass is just over 6 lbs (and I've been fishing for 35 years), I'll just be happy if I remain healthy enough to keep fishing. Same here. I've never caught a single 8, much less a 9...but as long as we're playing make-believe...

How about this...One day of fishing you can have 3 nine pounders or 1 ten pounder, which do you choose?

If you come accross a blue Abu C3 baitcast reel it's mine. I misplaced that sucker about 4 years ago and keep expecting it to turn up.

Good move hiring a guide. I hope you have him on the first day. I've hired guides on a few occasions and have always caught fish. The one problem with guides is that they can make the fishing seem too easy. They put you on top of 'em, you chuck and wind, and soon enough you're catching fish. In real life it's never that easy, especially on new water. Make sure and ask plenty of questions of your guide, especially in regards to locating fish. Once you figure that out, selecting the right bait is just icing on the cake.

i think thats because the wind blows the plankton, which some filter feeding baitfish follow for food, which the bass follow...for food i think wind is a good thing, can be frustrating, but its also kind of hard to cast accurately in the dang wind...ive been throwing at least 1/4 ounce larger spinnerbaits than normal and now i can get it where i think a wittle fishy might be I probably didn't phrase that correctly. I understand WHY fishing should be better on wind blown points and shores, but in practice, it just doesn't always work that way for me.

I'm a worm dragger most of the time, but on windy days I'll do a lot more with crankbaits and spinnerbaits. I do most of my fishing from a jon boat, so fighting the wind is a losing battle. I try to let the wind blow me down the bank and drop anchor if I'm lucky enough to find 'em stacked up. I'm certain a drift sock would help, but I've never tried one. I always hear that fish will be on wind blown points and wind blown shores...but that doesn't always translate for me. Why? I have no idea. My slowest days seem to be clear skies and a cool south wind...If those are the conditions, I usually look for a protected cove and try to finesse 'em.

Grass doesn't grow on a busy street.

Oh sure, you caught some big fish...but did you have any fun?

You need to get a frame for that one! Well done.

As was said, White bass are not picky, and when the bite is on, I prefer something simple like a blakemore roadrunner with a single hook. The single hook lets you unhook fish and get your bait back in the water faster. If I hook a small white bass I know I can drop the rod tip with the roadrunner and let the fish shake off...and when the bite is on not wasting time with the little ones is a good thing.

These are my go to baits for river smallies. STRONG garlic scent so don't open in the car. I like 'em on a 1/4 oz stand up jig head so those tails can dance in the current.

Several years ago I must have run over a rock and got a small hole in the bottom of my Jon Boat. When I got the boat home I went under the boat and applied a small squirt of silicone. When it dried I put a piece of duct tape over the silicone patch just to hold it in place temporarily. My intention was to have the boat welded at the end of the season. I still haven't touched it, and it still doesn't leak. From bubble gum to welding, there are a lot of ways to patch a small hole.

I'm glad my parents didn't feel this way.

Outstanding pictures and post. Nicely done.

You know this how?

1972 16' Mark Twain Tri-Hull with a 65hp Evinrude. It had a push button "Selectric" shifter (I think that's what it was called). Bought it for $1600 and rode it hard for several years. Great little boat. The floor eventually rotted and I sold it for $600 to a friend with a body shop. He removed the cap, replaced the stringers and floor, and got another 10 years out of it. I need to find a picture of that boat. Great memories.

Bill Engvall used to give people signs...but I suppose this bracelet serves the same purpose.

I'm told there's a youth forum on Bass Resource that I cannot access. That's fine by me, I get more than my daily recommended allowance of BASSclary in the regular forums. How about making the women's forum exclusive to women? If you're a dude, you're simply denied access. More women might use it if no one was looking over thier shoulder. I'm surprised by the men who post in the women's forum, even when the OP specifically asks for responses from women.

Depends, do you consider fishing a sport? An athlete is someone who trains to compete in a sport, so...

This about sums it up for me. My daughters enjoy fishing, and if they came to this forum for advice I would be surprised if they gravitated to the women's forum. That said, I can sympathize with women who love fishing and are looking for that feeling of camaraderie.

Ha! I've never understood your avatar until you said this. I like everything DeNiro has been in. Taxi Driver, Godfather II, and Goodfellas are my favorites. I really liked Pacino in Scarface and the first 2 Godfather movies...but could do without Scent of a Woman and Any Given Sunday.

Welcome from Cape Girardeau.