Josh Smith

I don't think I've ever caught one. What do they taste like?

Hello, Here's your schematic: http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/content/purefishing/Abu%20Garcia/Schematics/5500C3%202SPEED%2091-0.pdf I'm not doing a JPEG here as I'm not sure about the copyright as it pertains to schematics. Regards, Josh

Shimano used to make Lew's for Lew Childre. Then it was Ryobi after Shimano got into the fishing game. So, the question I have is this: Why did Lew's break with Japan? Betcha' they wanted the reels made cheaper. Josh Edited for clarification.

Hi Folks, I generally buy a lure if I see a good deal on it. These lures are not always ones I'm good with, or sometimes I just have a bunch of 'em. Generally I like to use these to put together tackleboxes for new or returning fishermen. Still, I wonder if there's any interest in trading. I'm not talking about posting a specific "WTT" thread in the Flea Market but rather a thread to swap lures (which would probably belong in the flea market.) This type of thread would be good for newer anglers as they could see what's out there, and experiences could be traded. The thread would be less formal than the traditional "WTT/WTS" format. Might be something along the lines of "I have a Kopper's frog I'm not using. Anyone wanna swap?" An answer might be "Sure, got a Fat Free Shad here..." and someone else might say "speaking of frogs, I have a Spro I've given up trying to use. I need jigs" etc etc. I'm a fan of bartering threads, and with the number of lures we all tend to have, I thought it might be a fun thing to do. Thoughts? Regards, Josh

I generally use jigs these days and manage to hook them in the beaks most times. I also sharpen every few casts because of the heavy cover I fish. The jigs I use have deep hooks, and that helps, I think. As well, I don't suppose the weed guard hurts in keeping the bass pinned. That said, I've lost two bass this year. One was on a jig and one was on a Spro Live Target Frog. Josh

I'm not paid to enforce the law, so I don't confront directly. Were it to escalate into a shooting (not so far-fetched as it sounds) it might ruin fishing for me, and I don't want that. I've talked to the game warden in the past and have his number in my phone. If I have signal, I might call. On the other hand, I just don't see folks break the rules a whole heck of a lot, at least not in a way that would effect me or anyone but them. The dumbest thing I saw recently was a family go swimming off the boat ramp at a weed-choked lake. Lots of folks fish off that ramp and lose plenty of hooks and lines. It's how tetanus and drownings happen. Haven't seen anyone keeping what they shouldn't, though. Josh

Interesting. My reason for the slower reels is that it's easier to haul fish out of thick growth if I have to winch 'em. Been thinking about taking the 5500c3 that's on the 7' Daiwa rod up to 31ipt (or so; will use a 5600c4 gearset) but that's still a debate I'm having with myself. It would be my jerkbait rod but I want something stiffer. This vegetation, by the way, is one reason I stick with heavier reels. Been using 50lb braid but have 65lb Power Pro ready to go. Decisions, decisions... Josh

I've been punching, but it's new to me. You're right in that I need to get heavier equipment for this. What speed reel do you recommend? I generally stick with 26ipt or slower in this type of stuff. Regards, Josh

They're tough conditions, but these weeds hold a lot of bass. I took my wife fishing (she started on a baitcaster I built for her -- I'm so proud!) During this trip I hooked on to a smaller bass, 12", but very chunky. It looked like a largemouth with the body of a smallmouth. Strange thing is that it looked like it was a female that had just spawned again. The growing season in Indiana is not long enough for two spawns! I tossed that frog out again, and something hit it. Hard. I couldn't reel and I could barely raise the rod. Unfortunately, I'd missed a good hookset because I was talking to April and didn't make myself pause, so the fish got off. Had it stayed on, I'm sure it would have been a personal best (for public lakes). There's something appealing to me about fishing thick vegetation. Expanding my arsenal in these conditions is probably more important to me than expanding it in any other area. Thanks! Josh

Shimano, or Swedish-built Abu Garcia. As far as I'm concerned, most of the rest are just carbon copies of each other. Josh

Hi Folks, The lake I fish most has a LOT of weed. Cabbage, mat, hydrilla, etc. Playing with these "new" frogs is very effective. So is throwing football jigs, especially when I roll them over downed timber. I was mat punching with earlier this year, but it's thicker than last year and I'm going to have to get heavier bullet sinkers and maybe a heavy rod. Now, this time of year in this lake, crankbaits are useless. So are most jerkbaits. They pick up too much vegetation in the first foot to be effective. This time of year, even Spooks and the like, Jitterbugs, and to a point, even prop baits and Hula Poppers pick up too much vegetation to be really effective for more than the first couple feet on average. Since this year's growth is heavier than normal, I'm looking for lures to use in addition to topwater weedless frogs and jigs. I'd like to hit the suspended fish harder. Thoughts? Thank you, Josh

Good to see another Hoosier! I'm in Wabash. If you ever get down this way, you're welcome to look me up. Josh

Hello, Panfish I've always kept are around 8" minimum. The ones I'm talking about here are maybe 3"-4". I still feel like I'm shooting a fawn, but I understand the ecology is vastly different. Just was raised in earlier days of fish management as understood by the average bass fisherman when we didn't keep small anything, panfish included. Thanks! Josh

Hello, I've never cleaned fish that were too small to fillet. Never kept 'em. I'm finding myself in a position now to keep a bunch of small bluegill. How does one go about cleaning these? Someone mentioned "fish chips." I assume gut, scale, cut off the fins, and fry? I've never gutted a fish to my recollection; just filleted 'em. I guess I'll watch YouTube for that. Any other ideas, comments, etc? Thank you, Josh

One reason I ask is that there in an overabundance of small bluegill in one place I fish. They need to be thinned out, and there have been folks out there with buckets. I have been thinking about doing this, but I have no idea how to clean panfish too small to fillet. I might make a separate post on that in the "Other Species" section. I also kinda' feel bad about keeping small ones but it has to be done. Signs around the lake advertise 25 daily limit, no size limit. To make it worth my while, I'd almost have to use a bucket! Josh

Hello, What is "bucket fishing"? I first ran into this term here. I gather it refers to catching fish, but how does it differ from, say, using a stringer? Thanks! Josh

A while back I posted a question asking about the Shimano Corsair. The consensus is that it is junk. Now, I can't figure out how it can be that bad. I've never found a baitcaster I couldn't cast well. I'm not all that special; just been doing this a long time now. Can you all expound on why the Corsair is bad? Does it fall apart, or is it simply uncontrollable...? Where are the issues with this reel? Just so you know where I'm coming from, I'm the type who likes to hotrod AMC engines and shoot MOA with Mosin-Nagants simply because folks have told me it can't be done. I figure the Corsair reel is the same thing. Thanks! Josh

I go there to stock up on Zoom and Yum plastics that are in the clearance bin, but that's really about it. I did buy my (surprisingly!) favorite rod there, a Cherrywood I've found to be excellent for thick brush and veggie fishing with worms and jigs, but that is an exception. Josh

1. Drain pool. 2. Fill bottom with dirt. 3. Add non-chlorinated water. 4. Stock aquatic plants. 5. Stock bass.

That's pretty cool to know. I always thought Daiwa used block-type buttons and not L-type. Learned something new! Josh

Hello, The Ted Williams looks like it's made by Abu Garcia. I'm not sure of this, but everything looks right. Does it say "made in Sweden" anywhere? The Lew's is excellent. Probably fiberglass. I still use Dad's Lew's Speed Stick from the '70s, combined with a 5500 (no C) for deep crankbaits. Most Lew's stuff from back then was made by Shimano. Regards, Josh

Tag, for when I get to the computer.

Thanks! Will see if it's on YouTube or if I can find a place to purchase it. Josh

Hi Guys, My little girl (~18mos) loves to watch fishing shows with me. Lately, she is taken with Amelia and Hilary Martin since seeing them on a Scott Martin Challenge I stumbled across. Since then, I've found two additional SMCs with Hilary and Amelia. The first two have grown a bit old for Belle, but luckily I just found this third one. She was entranced. She enjoys the Martin boys as well, but not quite as much. She's strawberry blonde, has blue eyes, and identifies well with little girls fishing with their daddy! I'm wondering if there are any others in addition to these three I found. Scott Martin is awesome, making these available on YouTube. (This is one reason I buy stuff he endorses.) Additionally, are there any shows with, say, Roland taking them fishing, or Bill Dance fishing with his grandkids, or maybe even Dave Mercer fishing with his children? Thanks folks, Josh

Hi Folks, I like to carry bait for bobber fishing in my tackle box in the event I run across a mess of bluegill or whatever while bass fishing. I keep a few hooks, sinkers, and slip bobbers in a small Plano inside the large one. Now, the stuff I was carrying was some sort of crappie bait, white pellet type stuff by Berkley. Never did catch anything on it, but I have on worms in the same spots. I bought some Berkley Earthworms, but haven't had a chance to try them yet. Bass have been biting too well, and I keep my ultralight rigged up with a whacky worm to throw in case of a miss with one of the baitcasters. I'm wondering if there's a type of jarred or canned bait you all recommend for sunfish and crappie that works well. I like experimenting with bass lures but when I still fish, I like to just throw the bait out and reel in food with not much guesswork. Thank you, Josh