Fish Chris

Great looking fish there CWB ! Congrats. Stay on em' :-) Peace, Fish

Their is certainly an element of luck involved. And I will definately take all the luck I can get :-) I've often said, "I'd rather be the luckiest guy on the water, holding the lake record, that the most skilled angler, who got skunked" ;-) Seriously though, I've definately caught a few big ones at times and places where I didn't think my odds were so great.... But then most of the time, I don't even bother to go fishing at all, if I don't think I have a good chance at sticking a big one. I'd say the recipe is: Go fishing at the best places, with the most big fish, as much as you possibly can. Try to use lures and baits known to catch big fish. Pay close attention to all the fine details. Find and follow the lead, of other successful big bass guys. {in other words, stack all of the odds as high as you possibly can, in your own favor} Throw in a big, fat scoop of luck, and Bam ! You really can't miss ;-) Peace, Fish

The most interesting thing to me though, is that of the 500 or so bass I've seen with this, every single one was attacked in the "exact" same part of the gill plate ? Whatever the culprit is, it sure is freaking selective about what part of the fish is attacked. One more thing to add..... It also looks to me that once this critter attacks, it may take a very long time to heal... or it never heals, based on the fact that many of these fish actually have green algae growing on the bony portion of the gill flap, in the center of the attack site. Hmmmm, Fish

Thank you Avid, but I promise, I catch little ones too I usually just flyline (no weight whatsoever) if its calm enough, but if I have to, I'll use a split shot. I love bobber fishing, but I rarely do it, as I feel I catch more fish without one. Peace, Fish

Steve, I'm really surprised that you haven't seen this more often, in different places. I don't know if their is a lake I fish often, in which I "haven't caught" at least a few fish like this. Lots in Clear Lk. So anyway, here's another 'expert opinion' ;-) I think it is a fungus too, and I believe it attacks this specific area of the gill plate, because there is very little blood flow right there, therefor it's harder for germ and disease fighting agents of the fishes body to protect against it. I doubt that it would ever be fatal, unless the fish had other health problems, like a weakened immunity system. Peace, Fish

Hey Speedbead, yea' I know :-) But yesterday was primarily a trophy Red Ear sunfish trip, with Bass and Catfish close seconds :-) So, that's why I pretty much just stuck to crawlers most of the day. I did get a couple blowups on the wake Jr, even though I didn't throw it that much.... Peace, Fish

Crystal clear, glass calm water...... and Catfish (some to probably 20'ish lbs) Largemouths to 9 lbs, Smallies to 6 lbs, Sunfish to 2 lbs.... Oh.... Sorry, that's not what I caught.... just what I was seeing everywhere I looked ! I swear my pond was looking like a big aquarium :-) Anyway, I caught 6 bass, but the biggest was a 4lb + Smallie :-) 2 cats, to about 6 lbs. And 10 more BIG Sunfish, including another 13 3/4". This one was a little lighter though, at 1.75 lbs. For as many fish as I saw, the fishing was actually pretty tough. I think they probably got pretty hammered on over the weekend. Oh...... and the "big one got away" :-( Almost certainly not 10 lbs, but an easy 8lb +. Must have ripped 30 feet of drag, on a wide open run... Then came unbuttoned :-( Oh well. Oh, all fish were caught on crawlers, and the micro-light. Had fun :-) Can't wait to go again.... Peace, Fish

Thank you guys. Sometimes with a post like this one, on a site like this, I kind of feel like I'm preaching to the quire, because I assume you guys would be more careing about the environment, than most of the people out there anyway.... But I'm glad to pass on the tip about > not only disposing of yours (and littering idiots) line, but also, in cutting it up into short, way less dangerous pieces. Recyling is a good idea too. Of course I'm a 100% braid guy, and I don't know if Spectra can be reycled..... but I do know that improperly disposed braided line is even 10 X's worse than mono ! So anyway, thanks again to all of you guys, for your time and attention to this issue. Peace, Fish

when disposing of your old line, after you have wrapped it all around your hand, or whatever you wrap it around, take a sharp pair of scissors and cut through all of it once or twice. The shorter all the pieces end up, the better. The reason for this is so that wildlife (even if it's just land-fill Seagulls) do not become tangled, choked, maimed, and killed. I think probably most of the guys here probably have some respect for life in general.... But lest somebody think, "Who cares... it's just a worthless Seagull....." Just remember, when other people... especially non-fishermen, see a bird, or other animal tangled in fishing line, and either injured, or dead, that is just a really bad message to send out, about the side effects of fishing. Think responsibly, and help to keep fishermen in a good light. Peace, Fish Oh.... and not just your own discarded line... But how often have you found big wads of discarded line on the shore of your favorite lake ? {idiots huh ? >} Please, pick that up, cut it up, and discard it. Heck, even if you just cut it up, and threw it back down, you would be doing wildlife a favor.

The cost of lures is totally subjective. The 3:16 lures are certainly expensive for my poor "fish too much, don't work enough azz" :-) But on the other hand, if "I had money" I'd gladly buy 3 or 4 more. I'd say the 3:16's are pieces of artwork, and as a bonus, they catch fish.... often BIG fish too :-) Wish I could afford some of the "actual sized" 3:16's. The Jr. is great..... but pretty darn small. Peace, Fish

Yep, yep. I think we are pretty much on the same page. I got over the 50 fish days a long time ago. Give me a handful of bigger fish (or 1 huge one ;-) that I have to work for, and I will consider that a great trip. Fish

Bigfruits, but you see now > the best fight < opens up a whole new can of worms. If that's what your after, most every lake with big, hard fighting bass, has some "bigger, harder fighting" Carp or Catfish :-) Of course I like those too. Fish

A heavier fish, always trumps a healthy, pretty fish..... although a healthy, pretty fish is great too, especially for photos. Thing thing is though, around here, the heaviest ones are often the healthiest, prettiest ones as well. Peace, Fish

I'm not buying into the who "technique specific" marketing thing.... I use 3 basic rod weights; 1) my G-Loomis SR 720's micro-lights 2) my medium-light Fenwicks 3) my heavy action Okumas. These are all spinning rods, and they cover 95% of all of my fishing, freshwater and salt. "Never" have I thought.... well this micro-light is pretty nice, but for X technique, it needs to be 6" longer...... Or, well this heavy action rod is nice, but for Y technique, it needs to be 6" shorter, with a slightly slower bend..... (fart sound here I think if a guy is thinking like that, he's over concerning himself, with things that will make little, to no difference whatsoever. I'd suggest these guys put that same brainstorming power towards, where they are going to go, when they are going to go their, and what they are going to throw at the fish :-) Pinpointing the specifics of a rod, is just not as critical as rod making companies would have you believe. {neither is sensitivity.... if your already using braid anyway.... but that a whole other story ;-)} Peace, Fish

I always use a fluorocarbon or regular mono leader..... but then I always use braided line. If I were using mono for my mainline (thank God i'm not) I wouldn't bother with a leader most of the time. Peace, Fish

I'll tell you why I fish with spinning gear 95+% of the time...... Because I absolutely SUCK with a baitcaster !:-) No really ! True story > I was born left handed, and forced to be right handed by old school parents who believed life would be easier for a right hander..... not understanding that a person is born, with their brain wired to their body in a particular way, and that their are major consequences for forcing somebody to do otherwise..... Like I could never throw a ball worth a crap.... hit a ball with a bat.... or (pertaining to fishing) cast with a baitcaster. I guess I could be bitter that my Mom caused me to end up with completely whacked out hand / eye coordination...... But then, had she let me be left handed, I'd have probably ended up being a hard core ball player..... and probably a pretty hard core artist, who had no time for fishing. And besides all that, I rather enjoy being an oddball whacko, who does everything differently :-) And I still love Mom :-) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So anyway, that's why I use spinning gear. But I always tell other guys, the best reels to use, are the ones that you feel most comfortable with, and which work best for you. Peace, Fish

I've used nothing but braid for the last 15 years (after using mono for the first 25). I use it for everything from from Bluegill to Bat Rays, and from Smallmouth's to Sturgeon. I use braid for freshwater, saltwater, and in-between. I use braid for top water, on the bottom, and in between. I use braid for artificial lures, and live bait. Oh, BTW, did I mention that I REALLY like using braided line ? ;-) My braid of choice is TUF-Line XP, and TUF-Plus. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I do almost always use a fluorocarbon, or regular mono leader though, because 1) it gives you a bit of a shock absorber when used in conjunction with virtually zero stretch braid 2) it is more abrasion resistent over rocks, and the teeth of big bass, than braid is, and 3) (probably more important in a fishermans own mind, than it is to the fish) fluorocarbon or clear mono is less visible to the fish, than braid is. Peace, Fish

I think Bilgerat was just ribbing me for fun... And even SirSnook didn't say > he wouldn't use crawlers.... But as to the "No challenge part".... How would you explain the million bass (and a good handful of fish of other species too) that have swam right up to investigate a live crawler, or crawdad, on the end of my line, only to turn their nose up to it, and swim away ??? Sure, I've seen times when it "seemed" like the fish just couldn't say no ! {of course I've seen this with artificials on rare occasions too} But it seems like every time I get to thinking > That was just too easy ! Man, I just can't wait to go do that again..... and then Bam ! The very next time out, everything has changed All of the sudden the bait I thought made it too easy, will barely work, or not at all ! In any case > more than any particular live bait < what I often find to be too easy, is small, unconditioned fish. I've never found anything that makes big, old, highly conditioned fish, too easy (or else I'd do nothing else ;-) Like I've always said, if 10's ever become too easy, I'll have to shoot for nothing but 15's. If those become too easy, I'll shoot for 20's ;-) Peace, Fish

Yea, I know I'm whacked, but what I think is even weirder, is to pull up on a spot throwing big swimbaits and wakebaits..... and then, to turn around and grab the micro-light and crawlers :-) Talk about one extreme to the other :-) LOL Works for me though. And it's all fun. Peace, Fish

On average, less than once a year. In fact, I think I've been carded the last couple times by Sheriffs, rather than Wardens. Peace, Fish

Not usually, but I always talk to them ;-) And then, while I'm talking to them, and admiring them, I will often shift them to the left and right a little, watching their eyes rotate back and forth to stay focused on me. Ever do this ? It's pretty weird. This proves they are looking straight at you, and not just out into space somewhere :-) Peace, Fish

Hey LBH, I know I've caught at least 3 DD bass on the micro-light... but I'm thinking it was 4... But yes, this was my 13.0 lb'er. I was fishing kind of an offshore hump... or end of a saddle. About 12ft of water. I caught an 11.1 lb'er on the same spot. Peace, Fish

Of course I have a whole bunch of REALLY strong opinions on this subject ;-) I LOVE fishing with my G-Loomis SR 720's (rated for 1 to 4 lb mono) and an ultra light Okuma Inspira. But the thing is, regardless of what gear I'm using, or what species I'm fishing for, I absolutely HATE kinky, coily, sttrreeeeeettcchy monofilament (as a main line). I know their are guys who will say, but if your using 10 lb test braid, that's not micro-light..... and in their own minds, thier trying to compare 10 lb braid, to 10 lb mono. However, that's like comparing apples to oranges. If one were to put 2 lb diameter / 10 lb braid, on a medium weight rod rated for 10 lb mono, and then treated it like 10 lb mono (medium to heavy drag settings, hard hook sets, etc) he would be breaking off a lot of fish, and / or ripping hooks out. IMPO, 2lb dia/ 10lb test braid, is WAY better suited for use on a micro-light rod. Also, if a guy feels like he needs to "limit himself / his tackle strength" so that he can feel he has made a bigger acomplishment, then he can just run a 4lb or even 2lb test mono leader, in conjuction with 2/10 braid. Of course this will match up beautifully. Here's a bunch more info if your interested; http://www.trophybassonly.com/id139.htm Peace, Fish PS, The size or species of fish I'm after, has little to do with the gear I choose for it. For me, it's mostly the bait / lures, which determine the size of the gear. In other words, I will use a heavy action rod, with 50 lb braid, for big heavy swimbaits, and I might only catch 3 to 8 lb bass on it. But then I almost always use the micro-light for crawler fishing, where I might be fishing for bass from 10 to 13 lbs, or more.

Typically, I tell people, "I'm letting it go so you > and I, have a chance of catching that fish again. If I kept it, neither you, or I, would have any chance whatsoever, of catching that fish again. I then go on to explain, "I'm not releasing it, because it has zero value to me. I'm releasing it because it's value, alive, and still swimming in a lake I like to fish, is far greater than it's value as my dinner tonight". Oh, but about people laughing at me for fishing a particular lure.... Most people (even trout fishermen) especially nowadays, know what a big 8" to 12" swimbait is used for, even if they will never throw one. However, 7 years ago, I rounded a curve in the shoreline, only to have a whole family totally freak out on my 9" trout swimbait. I guess they might have laughed a little, but it was more mumblings of shock, and disbelief, that anything in that lake could / would eat a lure like that. Five minutes later I was coming back around that bend, holding a 16.5 lb Largemouth, with that lure still completely inhaled in it's huge mouth :-) I didn't say it..... but that was definately one of those, "How ya' like me now" moments ;D Peace, Fish

Thanks again guys. Hey Blake, I've only caught a few trout on crawlers. I know guy fish specifically for trout using crawlers. But I think trout need to be given plenty of time to really suck in a crawler. Whereas, if your fishing "correctly" for bass with crawlers, you wouldn't give them near that much tiime, as bass tend to suck it right in, and swallow it, and you would be deep hooking too many fish. Earlier this year I actually saw a trout swimming around about 3 ft below the surface, so I flipped a crawler out too it. It grabbed it, but I could see it didn't have the hook, so I didn't set. Then it spit it. Then it turned around and granbbed it by the tail again. So again, I didn't set it. It dropped it once more. Then turned around and grabbed it once more, and must have swam 20 feet with it before it finally sucked it all the way in. Swing ! Fish on ;-) Would have never happened if I wasn't actually watching it though. Bass just almost never screw around like that. Peace, Fish