BASS fisherman

You just have to do it. Face your fear. It won't hurt you. the only part of a bass you should watch, other than what LBH said, are the spines on the fin on the bass's back. They can ***** you, and it will sting for a while. I once had a smallmouth clamp down on my thumb, but only for a second, and it felt like a pressure. It didn't hurt. And like GMan said, the bassers thumb is the best. Kind of like a reminder of the ones you got. After you bring the bass in, let it wear it's self out, if it's not already. Becareful if it is flipping around, of the hook. If you can't do it, just hold the line, and over the water, use your pliers to shake the bass off, if the bass is hooked in the lip. If inside the mouth, or gut hooked, you'll either have to lip it, or wet your hands, and hold it behind the gills. You have to build up your confidence, and then you'll think back, "I actually used to be afraid to lip em, wow"

After reading your subject line, the memory of the guy who got me into bass fishing popped into my head. I was living in Gettysburg Pa at the time, and was previously stricktly a trout fisherman. He moved into the building I lived in, and after we sat and talked a bit, I noticed all of his fishing gear, and asked him about what he fished for. He took me bass fishing he next day, which forged a good friendship. He taught me alot of the basics or lure tactics, line and rod use, as well as how confidence plays a huge role in bass fishing. Today I am no longer in touch with him, due to a few cell phone changes, and moves. I would love to fish with him now, and show him how much I have learned in the past 18 months. I think he'd be impressed. If anyone lives in the South Central Pa section of the state, please PM me, maybe you can help.

Bugs like skeeters, and at one of the ponds I fish,loud mouth people screaming "I caught a fish, I caught a fish". And I don't mean little kids, I mean 16 year olds acting like goobers, or big brats.

I recently have been getting into making my own lures, mostly because they are alot less pricey. I would like to know if anyone has ever used other blades for saftey pin style spinnerbaits, such as dakota blades, tomahawk blades, presto blades, shelton blades, or french blades? Most of those blades are for other species like walleye, and salmon. But would they work for bass, or has that option long been dismissed?

I'd say between 4lb8oz, and 5lbs.

Solid black, watermelon w/gold flakes, green pumpkin, and purple. Not necassarily in that order.

I would suggest In fisherman. If you decide to subscribe, goto the In fisherman website, and you can get a 1 year sub. for $12.00. And they will send you adds were you can order some of their books. I have 1 called Largemouth Bass, The In-Fisherman book of Stratagies. It is a very good, and detailed book. Even a top pro could learn stuff from reading their books.

Ouch, sorry to hear that. The heaviest thing I have ever caught, or snagged, was a wheel base to some sort of cart. The thing probably weighed 30lbs, and I only had on 6lb test. I pulled it out, and threw it away. I also caught a hugh piece of a log once, that weighed around 100 lbs. I don't like to loose lures, so I pull like crazy untill I am positive that I am out of luck.

My first one-- I will be outside with my Dad, whom I fish with the majority of the time, and say-" Wow today sure is a great day to go fishing" My belief is that everyday no matter what the conditions are, is a great day to fish. #2 I just came up with this on the last fishing trip. Not always true, but in the lakes I predominatly fish it is. "If your not pulling weeds off your lure on every cast, your not bass fishing".

Our club does and it is non-profit.

They say that animals can sense things that we humans can't, maybe this is some sort of a sign. I haven't caught any bass with bloody tails lately, but bassnleo isn't to far away from me, and he has. Wierd!

Nice pics! I don't technically wear eye protection so to speak. I wear perscription lenses. EEWWWW....freaky

I've never heard of bass spawning twice, but Im up in Pa. Spawn around here is around late May, early June

I am thinking about building a small pond in my back yard, the problem is that there's no creeks, or spings running through, so I'd have to fill it up with rain water, or some other unknown way. I fish a small pond that has what is basically a large filter, like in a fish tank, or an aireator. Does anyone know where I could buy one, and the approximate price for one, that would be for a small pond app. 100ft x 100ft x 20ft deep? Any other info concerning builing a pond would be greatly appreciated. I live in SW Pa.

WOW! what a post!

I just finished my very first spook type lure, except painting it. I want some color suggestions that you have had good success with. Keep it simple too, I am no Picasso. I'll post pics if I can figure out how to. Everyone can answer this question too, so go at it!

I have wondered this myself. I do know that either right before, or during spawn is you catch a bass and gently squeez on the sides of it's vent, a male will produce a milk, and a female will pop out a few eggs. Other than that I don't know.

When I fish a spook, I get the best/most results with 2-3 twitches, and then a short pause. But you have to do what the fish tell you to do. If your using a fast retrieve, and the bass swirl at, or slash at the spook, or any topwater, vary your cadence, going slower, or using a different twitch pause pattern. Most of the time, strikes will occur on the pause, although I have caught large and smallmouth using a steady retrieve.

I don't make my own plastics yet, but I have a few of the cataloges with all the products you would need. It sounds like you may need to get plastic hardener. JMO not sure though.

I have gotten other peoples lures. My Dad and I were fishing a patch of weeds with pop-rs last summer, and he snagged his and his line broke. So I cast to the other side of the weed patch, and pulled it right in, no problem. Another time, at night my Dad was fishing off to himself, and 10 minutes before we were to leave for the evening, I went over and fished near him for a little. He had stated that he had lost his favorite pop-r, the same one from the other incident, told me the approximate location, and I went to have a look. No more than a couple minutes went bye, and I found it within 1 foot of shore. Dad was happy that night that I got it back yet again.

Your getting too excited, plain and simple. You can't let the bass jump. If you feel the bass is about to jump, put your rodtip down towards or in the water. That action will force the bass back down into the water. Sometimes you will loose fish though. Have you ever watched the Elite series or Ultimate match fishing? Even the pros loose fish buddy, it's just part of the package. Just like tangles, snags, and lost lures. Also, keep your line tight, any slack and the bass can shake free. Next time you go fishing, make up your mind before you hit the water that today is to learn. When you hook a fish, let him run. You'll get a feel for the bass, and what it feels like when they are about to jump. Don't over do it though, or you will stress them more than necessary.

This probably wont help much, but every place is different. One company may pay more for the same job description as a competetor. Work hard, and qualify yourself in everyway possible to land your dream job.

mercury optimax all the way....Ditto

Great work as always, keep up the good work!

As the others have said, just do the best you can. I have hooked 2 different bass in the eye, and it is sad, but bass are very resiliant, and will survive with only one eye. The would most likely survive with no eyesight at all, since they use other senses to feed, in addition to sight, they use their lateral lines, taste, and sense of smell when feeding. Don't sweat it, the bass will be ok, but I like what CJBasswacker says to do, great idea.