Keithscatch

Ahhh not so..Not every boat takes water over the back when it is stopped. My Skeeter won't. it has an anti backwash sponson design. My old ProCraft sure did though. Would flood the back deck sometimes. That did suck. My first reaction to this post though was that of drinking out of someone else's cup or can. You know complaining about backwash lol.

Ya'll forgot to mention Bald Eagles. They are bigger then Ospreys and can carry away bigger fish. We have both in abundance here in Florida. One time I was fishing in Dr's Lake an inlet off of the St.Johns river here in Jacksonville and I was back in a creek and saw an Osprey catch a decent sized bass and it was flying around and a Bald Eagle attacked it which caused the Osprey to drop his catch. The Bald Eagle dove right in the water to get that fish and just sat there in the water. While the Bald Eagle was sitting in the water the Osprey was steaming mad and was dive bombing the Bald Eagle. That happened until the Bald Eagle gave up and flew away. Bald Eagles often times wait for Osprey's to catch a fish (They are better at it) and will attack them to steal their catch. It is pretty amazing to see that. Ok I was going to answer the questions in a different way so here are a few: What do Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass do in the winter for food sources when the bodies of water they frequent in some states are frozen solid? They die as they would be frozen in an ice cube. ;D ;D Luckily this doesn't hapen as lakes are only frozen from a few inches deep to a couple feet. So there is plenty of water down below for them. But LMB don't do as well in water that cold as do Smallmouth bass. Do Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass have predators (wether it be birds or other problem fish) that can ruin their numbers in a given body of water? Yes, unfortunetly the biggest predator a bass has is man. If yes to the question above do you have any recommendations or solutions on getting rid of these problematic things? Get rid of man Just teasing. Properly manage the lake you are fishing. Release all the bigger fish and keep some of the smaller ones if you need to.

Yeah Catfish kinda suck. Sorry for those who like to catch them. They are definitely a pain in the you now what... I forgot to mention that when I briefly lived in Atlanta and fished Lake Lanier allot. I wondered why it is almost impossible to catch a LMB but can catch Spotted bass all day long. The locals told me that they did take over that lake and pushed the LMB back into creeks. I never caught 1 LMB as I never fished in the creeks. I caught quite a few Spotted bass though. Kinda weird that they can dominate a water body so. They are aggressive bass for sure and through sheer numbers I suppose they can take over a water body.

Actually Brent I woulkd order Junebug w/blue tail now that is a color that tears them up here in Florida. I could throw some business your way with those. But Black would be cool too. Could use those at night ;D

No, I wish we had them here in Florida. They are my favorite bass to catch. I think they fight as hard as a similar sized Smallie, & they are the prettiest of the bass also. Of course this is my opinion.

Man that would suck bad if a Mocassin got in the boat. What would you do if it hid down under the cockpit? Wow, what a fiasco that would be. Guns don't work when you are in a boat with a snake in the boat haha. Never had that experience and I hope I never do. But I have seen mocassins and they are dangerous and arrogant little snakes. To me they are better off dead then alive.

I don't know if I am all that guilty of lieing so much as tresspassing ;D because I have fished allot of golf course ponds at night before without permission :-X oops. Was I suppossed to get permission? ;D

I don't know about what you all are flipping and pitching into. But here in Florida there is no way you want to have a loose drag. When the fish bites you have to set the hook hard enough to move the fish's nose up so that you can get them out of the hole he was in. Loose drag means getting buried in thick heavy grass. So it all depends on the conditions and cover you are fishing in. Fishing in Madencaine like so many north central lakes here in Florida have means drag set tight and 50lb or bigger braid and stout heavy action 7'5" flippin sticks. Fishing in lilly pads excuse me Spatterdock will allow you to ease up on your drag setting a little and pound test line you use. I pitch all night long into holes in the grass and that works for me. Sometimes I miss fish and sometimes I can't see where my lure went and I have missed fish thinking I was on a dock when in fact a fish was pulling it. That happened last weekend to me. Oh well, I guess that is part of night fishing. By the way, in case someone is confused by what flipping and what pitching means here it is: Flipping=Taking the line just above the reel in one hand and pulling out almost an arms distance away from your other hand that is holding the rod, you point the rod with the other at the target. Lure dangles down under the rod a few feet. You gently rock the rod forward toward the object you wish the bait to go to and let go of the line in your other hand. This gives a subtle presentation and pin point accuracy. Best done in close say 15 feet or closer. Pitching=Hold the lure in one hand and the rod in the other and you let the lure fall out of your hand at the same time you move the rod tip toward the destination desired. The reel is left in free spool until the bait hits the water. Then you engage the reel as soon as the lure hits the water and allow the bait to fall down right where it landed. This is best for "pitching" at objects further away then say 15 feet. Forgive me for pointing that out as some may not know what these terms mean.

Man cranks better be tied on one of your rods in the summer time. If not, then you are missing catchable fish. Summer time and fall time are prime crank bait fishing times. Rattle traps are good to have on if you happen upon a school of fish busting the surface. Get that trap into that area guaranteed hookup. They cast further then most cranks and that is why they should always be tied on one of your rods this time of year. Of course worms are also great in the summer. Someone mentioned using dd22's and how they are tiresome to use. Well, maybe so if you are reeling them all the way in with only the reel. First make a long cast. Then reel down as fast as you can to get the bait started downward then sweep the rod like you would when C-rigging. When you are finished with that sweep reel in the slack while keeping pressure on your crank then move the rod out again for another sweep. Sweep the rod again. By pulling the crank you are making it dive down and bounce off the bottom hopefully and are not tiring yourself out in the process. That has worked for me.

I vote yes becasuse it benefits the state not just me. I still get the accolades but the state also gets notiriety. Hey I used to fish Lake Fork allot and never caught anything close to the state record there. So why do you think just because people know that a lake has (or had depending on if the fish is released or not) a state record that they will catch it? I hope someday that it matters. Until then we can only be so lucky.

Hey RW, I respect your willingness to think outside of GYCB's box . Not all will do that. Regardless of your outcome I am glad to see that you are willing to give them a fair shake.

Wish I had been in on this thread sooner. Some of the points I would have made are already made. BTW, I am not a one trick pony. It always amazes me how people can say that the Senko catches more fish then other baits that are the same thing. I think that insults my intelligence. It is all called marketing folks. But good for Gary he seems to have people in a spell of sorts thinking his expensive baits are the only ones capable of catching quality fish. NOT!!!! BTW, I am an equal expensive bait basher. I feel this way about all overpriced lures. Don't get me started on the Lucky Craft baits... Isn't it funny that the folks who defend Senkos are the ones who always bash the other knockoffs. The guys who defend the knockoffs never say anything negative about the Senko except the price. We would all use the GYCB if they were cheaper. They are fine baits and no one says they are not. We just know that bass will hit other lesser expensive baits just as well. So why not use a bait that costs half the price? Seems like a Homer Simpson cartoon here makes sense. Doh!! And yes sir RW Senko's do fly off the hook that are brand new never have caught a fish new. I have done it numerous times. But then I am a big boy and make long casts. I don't use whimpy spinning gear either ;D How I see it when I hear folks defending Senko's only is that if in say the BPS tank with all of those huge bass in it. You drop 5 senko type baits into the water 4 knockoffs and 1 Senko all hanging off of the same stick and all at the same depth and all right next to each other. I think some people would actually believe that the Bass would swim right to the senko and eat that bait while ignoring all the others that look just like it. Do people really believe that? You know Bass are not as smart as some people make them out to be. They don't sit there and rationalize baits saying you know that bait only wiggled 30 times on the fall so I am not going to bite it. Or hey that bait wiggled 35 times on the way down so I will bite that one...C'mon folks. But that is ok if someone prefers to buy a bait that is twice as expensive. I am not going to get worked up anymore if someone wants to spend more money then they should. That is fine by me. Just don't insult me for saving money and still catching more fish then you on my cheaper baits

I have to echo what George said. Take a break and get reaquainted with nature that God has blessed you with in your area. Take time out to notice things around you and be thankful for what you have. That is the key in my opinion. Complaining about the size of fish only compounds the problem. Giving thanks for what you have means your enjoyment comes from within and not from what is outside of you which you cannot control. Personally I think tournament fishing is to blame for allot of the problems you are exhibiting. I used to suffer from that too and one day in particular I was fishing in the summer when it is hot in Texas. I was upset because I was snagging timber and having trouble with my reels backlashing and seemingly everything that could go wrong was. Wind was forcing my lure onto stumps and of course they were hopelessly snagged etc. While I was complaining and sweating and getting worked up here came 2 guys in a small plastic bass buster boat. They were making all sorts of racket and where laughing and having a ball. They were also catching fish on top water and as I starred at them the Lord spoke to me and said that is how fishing is suppossed to be. I used to tournament fish back then and so I decided to stop "competing" in tournaments and to just enjoy myself and take the pressure off. Fishing became fun again for me. I have been so blessed and I thank God all the time for what he has allowed me to do and where he has allowed me to fish. I have seen wondorous things while fishing and that part never gets old. I always have a good time when I fish regardless if I catch fish or not. I just like the solitude if I am alone and the company if I am with someone and of course always the nature and time with God. Good luck to you and hopefully you will get the fun back in fishing.

I had that game. Might still do somewhere.

I have caught my biggest bass ever in the cold months. Numbers are down but size is way up. Summer fishing is more for dinks and smaller fish with an occasional bigger fish thrown in. My favorite 2 months to fish by far.......DECEMBER & FEBRUARY. Give me December & FEBRUARY fishing anyday over even the spring. I have had 30+ fish days in December on Red Rattle traps. Who said they are deep in the winter? huh. Some might be but a whole heck of a bunch of Bass are shallow in grassy areas as grass holds warmth. Of course that was in texas when the water temp was in the 40's. Not exactly as cold as some of you guys. But I have also caught fish when the air temp was in the 30's too. One time I launched my boat and I have a 20'2" Skeeter with a 200HP motor on it. The twin axle trailer was frozen to the hull of my boat and actually floated in the water and I had to pull the boat up and crash it back down into the ramp 3 or 4 times quickly before it would unstrick and come off. hahah. Now that is cold. I still caught them shallow. I look for the sunny side of the lake and will toss those red rattle traps till my arms fall off. The fish I usually catch are good ones. The pic in my avatar was my biggest here in Florida so far (Still only 8lbs) but I caught her in DECEMBER on ....a Red Rattle Trap. You northern boys try throwing a red rattle trap in that cold water when it hits 40 degrees and tell me what happens. Fish it around boat docks and any grasy areas you have. Hang on though. In the picture below I just took a picture of this 35mm picture which is why it says July 18th 2006. Now that would be a cold July anywhere haha. I am clothed very heavily and even put my rain suit on to help block the cold wind. It was windy that day and cold. Temp in the upper 30's low 40's. Still caught . a few not many but they are usually 3lbs or better.

They are called the Bienville Plantation here in Florida. They are some of the best fishing lakes in the world. They cost over $3,000 a year to fish in them as a member. They are reclaimed Phosphate pits. You can hire a guide for them for $300 per day and a suggested tip of $100. To high for me though. http://www.bienville.com/ I met him once before in a ProCraft tournament and got his autograph on a hat. He is shorter then I thought he would be. But he seemed like a good guy.

I've had bass in fish tanls for several years when I was younger. Pretty fun fish to have actually. Mine even ate turkey scraps I would toss in the tank.

THat sure is impressive Chris by anyones standards. I wonder if California is the only state that can produce like that? Some might argue that from Texas or Florida. LIved in Texas and now live in Florida. I just haven't seen production like that. Also, even though some lakes in California don't have Trout in them and you still catch fish on large swimbaits I and many others have tried swimbaits in Texas without much luck. I am wondering if this is just a California phenom? Have you ever heard of people catching big dd fish on swimbaits in other states besides California? I haven't heard of folks catching them in Florida. I hear of them catching them on big Shiners. Do you throw the sinking type or do you ever throw the floating type? If so, do you always throwq them in shallow water say 10' or less or do you use the floating SB in deep water as well? Thanks.

What do we got 14 as a high water mark? I would have thought someone on here would have caught bass in 20 or more states. But states and international has to go to Kana.

Watch this video it shows a young Shaw Grigsby rigging and using a Tube with an internal weight skipping under docks. Pretty awesome:

Yep, fishing in Florida got to love it. That was from the movie Bigmouth and bigmouth Forever filmed by Glen Lau. Check them out at your local Blockbuster. They are awesome films. First one was Homer Circle fishing and he admitted that he never felt the fish on allot of those underwater strikes. Hard to believe a Bass can inhale a crankbait and then seconds later exhale it out of their mouth unhooked like that. Pretty amazing. Homer said later he learned to set the hook at anything that felt different and he said it improved his catch rate. Those sure were some big bass eating his lures. I think it was filmed in the Rainbow river? It will say at the end of the movie.

I disagre with not leaving a hook in a fish. Not that anyone is suggesting making a habit out of this. I agree that it is worse to leave a hook in a fish then if the fish never had a hook but it is far worse to rip a hook out of a fish's stomach then to cut it off and leave it in there. Of course this is only a concern for those of us who release bass. I personally have caught numerous fish that had fish hooks with fishing line sticking out of their mouth. When I tugged on the line it was still embedded in there with a hook. The fish looked healthy and was fiesty and apparently was able to eat as it wasn't starving to death. So I cut the line off as close as I could and returned the fish. It is sort of like some people who have been shot and doctors left the bullet in the person rather then try to remove it figuring it would be worse to remove it. Some times it is best to leave the hook other times not. If it can be removed by all means remove it. If it is in too deep and can't be safely removed leave it in there. The fish will recover more often then not.

LBH, Nice list there. In all due respect though from where you are it is easy to drive into a bunch of states up there and fish ;D Could probably fish in 3 states all in one day. lol But you got us all beat so far.

Another one is real simple but makes a killer scale pattern. It is a dip net for minnows. Buy it at Wal mart for a couple bucks and cut to size and use it. I tried it and liked how it performed.

I will defere to RW and Fatboy since I have not held them in my hand or seen up close. They do look similar to the Hula Grub though although slightly smaller. That alone probably makes the action dissimilar. I am sure they are fine baits. GY makes good baits. He just is so proud of those darn things though. :-/