desmobob

I was lucky enough to have the foresight to stock up on .22LR when it was available -- heck, back when it was not just available, but CHEAP! I think that's part of the problem now... everyone that had to go without is probably planning to stock way up to prevent it from happening to them again, so the demand is extra-extra high. Keep your powder dry, Bob

Welcome, fellow New Yorker! There is a fantastic group of people on this forum... I'm new to it this summer and it has been a real (reel) pleasure to be a part of. Tight lines, Bob

I just put a drift sock on my (huge) list of things I need. :-) Thanks for the tip, Bob

I've had loads of fun with the very inexpensive Scum Frogs. They cast well, are durable, and apparently look good to the bass in my area. Tight lines, Bob

I had two windy days of fishing this weekend and it can be frustrating. The wind was gusting and I was constantly adjusting the trolling motor speed to try and maintain forward motion. Not really relaxing at all. I was fishing the windward edge of a shallow weed line with a crankbait and would occasionally catch a pickerel or pike. It was a challenge trying to get two trebles out of their maw and keep the boat from being blown into the shallows/weeds at the same time. I caught a couple of nice bass though, and it beat the heck out of a day at work! Tight lines, Bob

Lake George is a very nice smallmouth lake and the scenery is top-notch! 32 miles of crystal clear water, 170 rocky islands, rocky shoals... If you stay in Ticonderoga at the north end, you can put your boat into Lake George or Lake Champlain. Tight lines, Bob

That's exactly where I'm fishing. I live in Whitehall, NY, at the very southern end of the lake. I have my eye on the pickerel records, too. The NY record is 8 lbs. 1 oz., which is a long shot. But the VT record is just 6 lbs. 4 oz., which I honestly think I may have broken yesterday. I need to start weighing big pickerel I catch! Tight lines, Bob

That has not been my experience. On the contrary in some instances, including a day last week when I pulled two big ones (6+ and 5+) and three or four more smaller bass from one area not much larger than my living room! I was amazed. I've read and heard similar reports from others fishing on the southern part of Lake Champlain, so I guess it's not uncommon. Tight lines, Bob

The wind was honking for the last two days here in upstate NY! I carry two anchors in my 17' boat: a 15 lb. mushroom anchor and a 9 lb. fluke anchor. Adding as many feet of 1/4" chain as you're willing to deal with really helps them grab quickly and hold. The common recommendation is 150' of 3/8" line for your anchor rode. Tight lines, Bob

The NY record is 11-4 from Buckhorn Lake in Otsego County. in 1987. I figure there HAS to be a largemouth in Lake Champlain that will beat that (and the VT record). It is my intention to catch her. Eventually. Maybe. Tight lines, Bob

Glad to hear it worked out well! Growing old is not for the faint of heart. It hurts to realize you can't do all the things you used to... heck, the trailer for my first boat, a 1975 16' Glastron tri-hull with 65HP Merc outboard, didn't have ANY jack. And I never thought I needed one. Times have changed! Tight lines, Bob

I've been using 30 lb. Power Pro, then 30lb. 832 on my Lew's Tournament Pro for a while with no complaints at all. I'm kind of curious about giving 20lb. 832 braid a try.... Tight lines, Bob

My 2014 Tracker Pro17 came with a pretty nice trailer... I wouldn't say they skimped. It is galvanized and painted, has a foldaway tongue, big 13" wheels w/radial tires, retractable safety cables, and a 1000lb. tongue jack. I'm no longer a young man, either, and recently hurt my back. But I have no problems cranking up the trailer tongue with the 1000lb. jack. I use an alignment aid to back up to my trailer solo, and it is a simple, non-strenuous matter to get the boat hooked up and ready to go. A new jack might make things easier for you. Tight lines, Bob

I have some old floating jointed Rapalas, a Mudbug, a Heddon River Runt Spook Sinker, an old Tiny Torpedo, and I just found and opened a package of Mann's Jelly Worms that was in an old metal tackle box that belonged to an uncle of mine. I'm pretty sure the River Runt is the oldest, but I haven't tried to figure out its vintage yet. Tight lines, Bob

Well, today was a SLOW day... very windy, with low and muddy water. I fished about five hours and caught five bass (one over 4 lbs., one over 3), four or five pickerel and four or five pike, and three white perch. I'd say about 17 fish total. Tight lines, Bob

I had a pickerel vs. bass day today. Early in the morning, I fished a long stretch of weed line and picked up two nice bass and some smaller ones. A few hours later, I fished it again from the other direction and caught several pickerel and pike, with two of the pickerel being as big as I've ever seen. But zero bass.... I guess they flipped a coin to see who would eat first this morning, and the bass won. Tight lines, Bob

Welcome Sam! (from a former Navy Journalist) This is a great forum and I think you're going to enjoy it. There are a lot of great people here sharing lots of information. Tight lines, Bob

Congratulations on your retirement and thank you for your service! You are going to really enjoy bassresource.com I was new here this summer and I've been completely impressed with the great folks who participate. This is an excellent place to hang out, learn, and have fun! Tight lines, Bob

My buddy and I stumbled onto a very decayed deer carcass in the water one day and it totally freaked us both out... we could only see the rib cage and we both immediately thought it was a dead body (human type). I can't remember if we were catching any fish in the area before we noticed it.... Tight lines, Bob

I always carry an ultra-light spinning rig in the boat. When I want to change the pace from bass fishing for a while, I get out the ultra-light and throw 1/16 oz. and 1/8 oz. Johnson Beetle Spin spinnerbaits in various colors. I always manage to catch some yellow perch, white perch, crappies and bluegills/pumpkinseeds. A decent bass will sometimes grab them, too. The Beetle Spins cost a little over a buck each at Wal-Mart. I buy them 1/2 dozen at a time because the small pike and pickerel seem to love them as much as the panfish, and I always lose a few. Tight lines, Bob

I have several of the regular Z-Man, a couple of Z-Man Pro, and a few Buddha Baits Swagger Jigs. They all seem to work well, but I prefer versions with a barb on the jig to help hold trailers in place, like on the Buddha Baits Swagger Jig. Tight lines, Bob

The Tournament Pro Speed Spool is a buttery-smooth reel with centrifugal and magnetic cast control, a super-smooth click-adjustable drag, and weighs about six and a half ounces. It casts wonderfully, even with lighter baits. I don't think you'd be disappointed.... Tight lines, Bob

I've read that several times... the jump from my Premier to the Legend will be as noticeable as my jump from budget gear to the Premier. I'm anxious to notice it for myself! It's funny... when I made my foray into largemouth fishing this summer, I started out using the spinning gear I already owned, then decided to pick up a bass casting rig. The original idea was that I'd fish with that "hardware" until I sort of figured out the whole largemouth fishing thing, then switch to my fly fishing gear (which is all I've used for fishing for many years, with the exception of some occasional use of spinning gear in salt water). I'm having so much fun with the hardware fishing, I don't know WHEN I'll decide to switch to my fly fishing stuff. :-) Tight lines, Bob

Thanks guys! The St. Croix Premier rod (7' MHF) is my first decent casting rod (I have lots of nice fly rods but hadn't taken the plunge and bought a top-end casting rod yet). I was amazed at how much more sensitive it is than the others I have, especially when working a jig. When a fish grabs at the jig, it almost feels like someone tapped on the rod blank with a stick... very "solid" and distinctive. I can't wait to try a really good rod. I hope my budget will allow me to pick up one or two over the winter. Thanks again, Bob

I caught a bunch of nice bass on L. Champlain this afternoon with the best being 6 lbs. 1 oz and 5 lbs. 7 oz. I caught several in the four-pound and three-pound range, too. I just started largemouth fishing this summer, and the big one is my personal best. I was throwing a 1/2 oz. rattling jig with a 4" Pit Boss trailer and the bigger fish were liking it a lot. Best part was, I caught most of the big fish on my brand new Lew's Tournament Pro Speed Spool reel and St.Croix Premier rod. I caught some smaller ones on a chatter bait, Sluggo and crank baits. All the great advice and information I'm finding on this forum has really helped me have a lot of fun this summer. Thanks to everyone! Tight lines, Bob