FatBoy

Tell me more bout dem cheeks. What portion do you cut off the fish? I know, the cheek ;D. But where exactly do you make the cuts. Only time I've ever had that was when eating at a Chinese restaurant with some Asian people. They just pick it off the fish served whole. Apparently, the guest of honor typically gets the cheeks. It's considered the best part of the fish.

I've been fishing this smallish 4 acre pond all summer and caught mostly dinks. All the fish I've caught have come around cover near the bank in less than 4 ft of water. I know there are some bigger fish in there b/c a buddy caught a 5 lber back in early June. I feel like the bigger fish are probably out away from shore, presumably on some type of structure. BUT there are no boats allowed in there so I'm fishing from the bank only. My question is, how do I find structure in this pond from the bank? There must be some humps or drops or whatever, but maybe very subtle. I've drug around a c-rig and a jig a bit to try to find cover out away from the bank but no luck. And I can't seem to feel any subtle changes in depth with these techniques. There are no clues on the bank either. The bank smoothly curves all the way around and slopes to the water at the same angle everywhere. Any suggestions? BTW, this is post number 250 for me! Wheeeeee!

IMO, this IS a tough time of the year to fish. I think the most difficult part is finding them. In some of the ponds/lakes I fish regularly, the bass have just disappeared. I think they must be out in the middle of the pond in deeper water that I can't reach from the bank. I don't know where you're fishing, but try to stick to smaller water. For a newbie, there are (at least) two major categories of things to worry about: 1. how to work various types of baits and 2. how to find the bass. If you're on a big lake and not catching fish, you have no idea whether you're throwing the wrong bait, working it wrong, or there just aren't any bass around. If you can fish small ponds, you can reduce the importance of #2 and focus on #1. Stick with it. The fishing should pick up as the water cools.

Somebody pointed out these to me a while back. I haven't ordered them yet but plan on it next time I get something from BPS. $10 for 3 DVDs is hard to beat. http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=80198&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=WISHLIST&hvarAID=wishlist

Yep, Roger, that's the stuff. Like you said, when you snag some it's usually a BIG piece. It's nice to know that bass like this stuff. I'll have to try getting a jig down in there. Thanks!

This time of year here in central Illinois all the ponds are FILLED with coontail. This stuff is bad! It's very thick, winding, vine-like weed. It comes up to within a foot of the surface or even closer. Any tips for fishing in this stuff? I can't tell if there's open space below the part that I can see. If there is, I guess I can punch through a jig or heavy t-rig. Does anybody know if that's possible with coontail?

Very cool info, LBH. I'm going to take a stroll on the dark side again this weekend or early next week. I'll report back if I have better luck.

Thanks, MinnesotaAngler and all. That's what I was hoping to hear. Of course, it didn't work out that way for me last night. I went out at 3:30am but didn't catch anything til after the sun came up (and even then it was only 3 dinks).

I know a lot of people on this board fish at night. What makes fishing at night special? Do bass feed more actively at night? Are they in the same place? Or do bass that are laying low in deep water during the day come up more shallow? Also, is there a time of night that is generally better? Just after sundown? Just before sunrise? Dead middle of the night?

Thanks, guys!!! Looks like the effort is appreciated by at least a few people. As promised I will continue to add to the list when I find more goodies.

Jim, I understand that the answer is pretty much "it depends." And it's a complex question with lots of factors determining the answer. But can you give us ballpark answers? What is typical? What is considered high? What is low?

I've been on this forum for about two months. Recently I've been reading through the old threads in the 'Fishing Tackle' forum (I'm about 25 pages back) and bookmarking some of the ones that I really liked or found particularly helpful. With all the growth on this site, I thought it might be useful to post links to these threads for the new people. Some of the older members may also like to revisit some of the oldies but goodies . If you think this is useful let me know and I will add to it as I get deeper into the past. Or add your own old threads if you like... Removing gut hooks: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1128002349/22#22 Intermediate chatterbaiting: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1149565473 Fishing a Jerkbait: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1130945008/0 The Magic Lure (Fat Ikas): http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1141053342 Spinner bait color selection: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1148577476

I fish mostly on smaller lakes and ponds since I don't have a boat. The smallest I fish is about 1 acre. My "home" pond is 4 acres. I also have a couple of 100 acre lakes close by. I don't think bigger water = bigger fish necessarily. The "problem" with bigger water is that the bass are tougher to find. You'll get a lot of people on this board, though, that will say they like the challenge and therefore don't fish ponds. I'm a newbie so I just want to catch fish. For me, the smaller water is a lot more fun.

Seems like the consensus is that if the fish are there and are hungry, they're not likely to get "spooked." Still, I like Jim's idea of starting with the more subtle bait and then going more noisy. I guess that's not always practical, since a lot of times I start out in the morning with a buzzbait and then switch over to the senko when the sun gets up.

I was wondering if a lure can turn off the bite. What I mean is, let's say you start off with a noisy lure like a chatterbait in a particular spot. The bass don't want that on a particular day. So you follow up with a senko. If you've dragged the chatterbait in front of some bass a couple times, can they get spooked or turned off? Maybe the sensed some sort of danger from the noisy lure? To ask the same question in another way...If you decide that the bass aren't interested in a particular lure and it's time to change, do you throw the new lure in the same spot or is it better to move somewhere different for a while?

If I'm gonna t-rig a worm (w/ weight) for dragging across the bottom, I'll always grab a powerbait ribbon tail. I feel like the stink in them (I think that's the technical term ) helps the bass hold on for a second or two longer. Maybe it's just a confidence thing.

According to the acknowledgments section of the Sneddon paper, the work was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council. You can check them out here: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/ . I can't find any evidence that the BBSRC is linked to PETA or has any particular agenda. However, that does not mean that Sneddon does NOT have an agenda. As KD pointed out, the fact that they found nociceptors in fish is not surprising. The only provocative findings were the following: "Fish demonstrated a 'rocking' motion, strikingly similar to the kind of motion seen in stressed higher vertebrates like mammals. "The trout injected with the acid were also observed to rub their lips onto the gravel in their tank and on the tank walls. These do not appear to be reflex responses." The statement "Fish demonstrated a 'rocking' motion" is data; the rest of the sentence is opinion. Similarly, "The trout injected with the acid were also observed to rub their lips onto the gravel in their tank and on the tank walls." is data. "These do not appear to be reflex responses." is opinion. A respectable scientist would not make such speculations, even (or especially) to a reporter. I think this suggests that either (1) Sneddon has an agenda, (2) The notoriously liberal BBC selectively quoted Sneddon because of THEIR agenda, or (3) both. The data are: (1) fish have pain receptors in their mouths; (2) after injection of acid or venom fish 'rocked'; (3) after injection of acid or venom fish rubbed their lips on hard surfaces. One explanation is that the fish are distressed because they feel pain. Another explanation is that the rocking is a physiological response to venom/acid and the rubbing is an instinctive behavioral response (for example, if a bass gets poked by a spiny fish or other creature, it may be beneficial to rub the wounded area on something hard in order to get rid of any pieces that may be stuck in the fish). There are no DATA to choose one of these explanations over the other. However, if you choose to accept the first explanation - that the fish feel pain - you now have to explain how that is possible given their lack of a neocortex. Therefore, in the absence of further evidence, an explanation like the second is preferable to the first. THAT is how an objective scientist would interpret the data from this study.

Senkos (wacky and t-rigged weightless) and Fat Ikas, both either watermelon w/ red/black flake or black w/ blue flake. Mostly close to shore.

I've been ignoring this thread all along, but got bored today and decided to read it. Lots of interesting opinions from both sides. I think a lot of keyboard strokes could have been saved, though, if we had first agreed on a definition of "pain." (BTW, agreeing on definitions is ALWAYS the place to start in any argument/discussion.) So what is "pain?" 1. It could mean a signal in response to a "negative stimulus" sent to the brain from nerve endings. 2. It could mean a feeling of distress or suffering resulting from a negative stimulus. Regarding #1: There's no doubt fish have nerve endings in their mouth and therefore can detect negative stimuli. Their typical response is flight. Get away from the negative stimulus. This response is instinctive and exists to get them away from predators (birds, other fish, etc.). This is exactly the same as what happens to a human who sticks a hand on a hot stove. You jerk your hand away without even thinking about it. I think most of us will agree that fish feel pain in this sense. Regarding #2: This is what happens AFTER you get your hand off the stove. This aspect of pain is psychological or emotional. This is where the debate is centered. But the scientific evidence suggests that fish cannot experience pain in this sense. Their brains are too primitive. They cannot get sad or angry or happy or lonely. They cannot suffer or be emotionally distressed. As with everyone else in this thread, these are just my opinions. Of course, I have the advantage since my opinions are right! ;D ;D ;D ;D (Don't get offended now. That was a joke.)

Welcome...and keep a tight grip on your wallet. The bait monkey is a meaner SOB than your dad ;D And remember, there is no stupid question. People here will helpfully answer what seems like even the most basic question (believe me, I've asked more than my fair share).

This morning I was fishing a deep quarry with stained but clear water (visibility to about 8') and steep drop offs that go to 10-15' (at least) starting 3-10' from shore. I caught a couple of keepers that were cruising along the drop offs by tossing senkos just over the edge of the drop and letting them fall slowly down the slope. There were lots of baitfish along the ledge and just over the drop. Everything from small bluegill to minnows/shad/bluegill fry (whatever they were, they were small). The baitfish were in groups of 3 or 4 bluegill and usually a bunch of the smaller ones. A couple times I would see small bass (10-12") just cruising through these fish making no attempt to eat. And one time I saw a 2-3 pounder just mosey along through the baitfish. And the baitfish didn't scatter or anything. They just went about their business. I was pretty surprised by this. I tried tossing my senko in front of the bass, but they weren't interested. So two questions: 1. Is it normal for bass and baitfish to hang around together like that? 2. What could I have done to entice the bass to bite if anything?

I think what happened is summer. Seems like the fishing has slowed down here too since the water temps have gone way up. I don't have much advice. One thing I've heard others say is to slow way down. But I've only had moderate success with that. Keep plugging...

I agree with the suggestions so far. If you can't find fat ikas at the store (which you probably won't) get some GYCB Senkos or a knock-off (Tiki Sticks, Yum Dingers, etc.). The best color will depend on water conditions at your pond, but a good one that works in a lot of places for me is something like watermelon w/red flake. Rig the senkos on the same 4/0 EWG hooks, toss it into or just outside the weeds, and let it sink. And be patient. Let it sit for several seconds before you move it. Good luck!

You're right that you probably need to set the hook harder. But you also might want to try a bigger hook with those 4" senkos. I've only fished the 5" variety and as I said I also use 4/0 hooks. If I were you I would at least give some 3/0 EWG hooks a try.

On Monday I was fishing a small pond that I knew held a lot of fish (though I haven't hooked into any big uns there). Anyway, at probably 6:30pm I tossed a black/blue senko in front of a small patch of weeds right near shore and caught one about 14" or so. The hook got him in the soft part of the lower jaw on the left side and ripped a 1/4" long hole. OK, so I fished all the way around this pond, trying out my fat ikas, plastic frogs, etc. Just having some fun. As the sun was going down, I tried a black spinner, buzzbait and pop-r. THEN, about 9:00 I had tied on a zara puppy and threw it just past that same patch of weeds. I twitched it up to the weeds and killed it. BAM! Fish on. He was about 14" or so. (You see where this is going?) As I was getting him off the hook I saw...you guessed it...a 1/4" long hole in the soft part of the lower jaw on the left side. SAME FISH!! So my question is, how common is it to catch the same fish from the same spot? And more importantly, do you think this was just that fish's favorite hang out on that day, or do they tend to make long term commitments to favorite spots? In other words, if I miss a big fish or see someone else catch a big one at a particular spot, should I look for that fish in the same spot the next day? Next week? Next month?