FatBoy

I've heard that these slider worms and slider heads (basically a jig head with a flattened weight) are a good choice when the bite is tough. How do you fish these? Basically like any other t-rigged worm?

A new combo AND your going to have a replica made for him? Wow! Um, now that I think about it, I caught that very same fish myself. I think I even have a pic. Yeah, here it is. See, that's definitely the same fish. No doubt about it. Do I get a combo too? Fish, you are one amazing angler!!!

Thanks for the positive feedback. I hope they catch some fish. If I have any luck, I'll post pics.

Whatever you do, DON'T throw a chatterbait in the rain. If that blade gets wet it'll rust every time!!!

Here's an oldie but goodie...The Magic Lure http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1141053342/0

I made my first attempt at making some crankbaits this winter and just wanted to show them off. They're carved from basswood blocks and painted with a cheap airbrush. I think they came out looking pretty good for a first attempt. They don't all run very well. But I just want to catch a fish on at least one of them so I can say I got one on my own lure. Anyway, let me know what you think.

BPS sells the Kinami Palm Tree which is EXACTLY the same thing (but the color selection may be a little different). You'll find them under soft baits>grubs or just search for palm tree.

There's a lot of talk on this board about the fat ikas, but you don't hear much about it other places. I'm afraid our little secret is getting out. They're mentioned in the newest Bassmaster. And my local Dick's is now stocking them. Ugh!!!!

Very funny, RW I spent two days last week on Crescent Lake and Santa Fe Lake in north central Florida. The big ones weren't there either. In fact, there weren't any fish there that I could find. So they must be in Georgia, Texas and California.

Hey all! Man, am I glad the weather's finally warming up around here. Yesterday I caught my first bass since last October. Been too long!!! I fished a 4 acre pond over lunch for about an hour and a half. I caught 7 bass...BUT the biggest one was all of 7". All of them hit a Strike King rocket shad (small spinnerbait), with a pretty slow hurky-jerky retrieve, within 10 ft of the bank. And all were caught along a 100 yd stretch of bank on the east side of the pond. I tried bigger spinnerbaits and made a lot of casts to deeper water but didn't get any hits. I tried fast and slow retrieves and bouncing off the bottom. So here's my question.... Where are the bigger fish? Do you think they are still out deeper and not actively feeding yet? Or maybe they're on beds? Would you have looked for them along the same stretch of bank? What would you have tried in my situation? Should I have gone to something other than the spinnerbaits?

Very cool. These guys definitely have the best names out there....pit bull, vortex, lithium... But has anybody fished them yet. Let's here a review if you have, or as soon as you get them in.

black buzzbait!!!

Don't you know when you kiss a fish without protection it's just like kissing every fisherman that has ever caught that fish before?

You can just drag it like you say. Or try giving it little hops with a quick jerk of your rod tip (maybe 3-5 inches movement of the rod). Vary the pause between hops. At least that's worked for me on shallow flats.

Hey Roger, do you have a feel for what's a minor mortality rate and an appreciable rate? Are we talking 1% and 10%? Or is it more like 10% and 50%?

Marty-- You raised a good point. In my original question I'm assuming that it's C&R only. I have no doubt that two guys could do real damage to a pond that size in short order if they're keeping fish.

My question is about how much fishing does it take to "pressure" a pond? Take for example a 4 acre farm pond. Let's say there are only two guys that fish this pond. Is it possible for these two guys by themselves to put "pressure" on that pond? How many times a week would they have to fish the pond for it to be "pressured"? I suppose I should also define what I mean by "pressure". I'm talking about making the bass lure shy or just less likely to hit a particular type of lure. Or maybe driving them away from their favorite cover.

OMG! I just saw a tv commercial for the Rocket Fishing Rod. Has anyone seen these things? Instead of casting, it shoots out a special bobber with the lure/hook inside. Rolland Martin was actually on the commercial plugging it. Only $39.90 or two easy payments of $19.95!!! It's geared towards kids, but still...

Avid: ouch... ;D About sending them back to Rapala... I don't have the original boxes anymore. Do you think they would take them if I just pack them up and send them in with a letter explaining my problem/dissatisfaction?

I have two XR-8s and two XR-10s. NONE of them suspend well out of the box. Two sink butt first. One sinks head first. And one just plain floats. Doesn't seem to matter what the water temp is or what line I'm using. Now, I'm willing to accept that the problem is me, not the baits. So what am I doing wrong? Suggestions?

This summer I caught a frog on a jig-n-pig. I was on the bank and the jig was in some shallow weeds near shore. I felt a fish hit it and set the hook but I missed. The jig came flying out of the water and smacked the back about 10 feet to my left. Well, it must have landed right next to this big frog cause as I reeled back in I felt some weight and it was the frog. Hooked him right through the tounge. As I reeled him in he was trying to get away and his tounge was pulled out about a foot long. He looked just like a frog in a cartoon!

Wow! The guesses are all over the place. I'm going with... 4 lb 2 oz

Wow! The guesses are all over the place. I'm going with... 4 lb 2 oz

Looks like Washington is about 1.5 h from C-U. I fish mostly small ponds around town. But I also fish Homer Lake (not great), River Bend and occassionally get over to Clinton. I've never been over to Evergreen. How's the fishing there? There report on ifishillinois.org looks pretty good. 6% of LMB over 20" is not too shabby.

fish-fighting-illini, I'm with you. I haven't had a bite in probably two weeks. But so many people on this forum keep saying that you CAN catch fish in the cold water that I just keep trying. I'm pretty sure my lack of success is more about my lack of skill than the fish. I'm trying to slow down, but finesse is definitely my weakness. BTW, where are you in central Illinois? I'm in C-U.