Keithscatch

Well, it seems logical to me that if you keep catching and eating the dominant fish then you will be struggling to catch another one from that area. So I would suggest releasing your fish so that you can catch them again later when they get bigger. That is why I am so adament about C&R.

I've done better at dusk. But I like either one. When I am fishing in pitch black I look forward to dawn. I usually do well right before most anglers arrive at the lake, like when it is just turning red in the eastern sky.

Man, glad I don't fish with some of you guys I guess I am one of those talkers that some of ya'll don't like. I enjoy the company of folks and don't mind talking or being spoken to one bit when I am fishing. I guess I am not that serious anymore. I like to have fun when I fish and try to de stress. Now, there are some things that do bother me: Excessive heat, excessive snags, backlashes, losing a big fish, high winds, mosquitos, gnats, hail, lightning all bother me.

Fall is a numbers time not as many giants are caught in the Fall as in the Spring. Not to say that giants aren't caught in the fall. My personal best was caught in September. Not really Fall per say but sort of inbetween summer and fall. In Texas anyway. As far as the color thing. I created a post that had allot of great advise given about this: Here it is again: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1156176985/0

Laggyman and anyone else for that matter, I have fished a pond or two in my lifetime and have reached this conclusion as far as baits go. Smaller is better during the day and bigger is better at night. For instance a 1/4 ounce Road Runner is about as good a bait you or anyone could ever throw in a pond. They will catch huge bass as well as little ones and everything in between. Crappie, Bream etc. I prefer the ones with the curly tail because when I lose em I just break off a curly tail from one of my worms and add it to the bait and I am back in business. Or of course you can buy extra bodies White is my alltime favorite color with a white curly tail. Second would be chartreuse with a chartreuse curly tail. My next bait of choice is a Blk/blue Senko type bait. I use the standard 5" ones. I also fish ponds more at night then during the day. Personally I think the fishing is better at night in ponds then during the day. Most ponds are shallow thus the bass are up close so they spook less at night. 3rd bait would be a spinnerbait. If fishing at night I use a black single bladed Colorado spinnerbait with a black or blue trailer on it. Could be a pork chunk, swimming chunk, craw, basically anything with curly appendages that wobble adding to the vibration. If during the day I would start off with a 1/4 ounce spinnerbait in white or white/chartreuse. I would always bring a tiny torpedo to a pond if I were going to fish in the day like morning bite or evening bite. Just because it is fun to catch fish on top. I tend to stick to spinnerbaits, and Senko type baits. Honestly, I haven't fished a Road runner lure in a while. But when I was boatless and fished ponds allot that was a go to bait for me. I caught countless bass on that lure. I rely more on spinnerbaits and worms now then ever before. So stick with any or all of those type baits and I think you will tear them up. If the bite is slow during the day go back at night. Bring bigger baits with you. Like a 1/2 ounce black spinnerbait with a single big Colorado blade. Add the bulky trailer. Fish dark colored Senko's. and even black buzzbaits are effective at night. Good luck to you.

My take on the Cow thing was that Cows are sensitive to Barometric pressure and when it is high they lay down. So when I used to live in Texas and would drive to Lake Fork to fish and would go by many a cow pasture and would see Cows laying down I knew it was going to be tough. More often then not it was. On the other hand when they were standing up the bite was better. Just something I have heard over the years. Maybe someone got it from the Farmers Almanac?

BLACK & BLUE no question. If I only where allowed one color it would be that.

Nice articles Glenn. I was going to add that Skeeter invented the "bass boat" in 1948.

Very nice. Show us a picture of the bass that you first catch on those.

Good ideas. Also, for you boat fishermen try your best to not let the fish flop around on your hot, dry carpeting either. That is the worst yet. For you bank fishermen, try to keep the fish from flopping around on that hot dry grass and dirt also.

I am a Sharpie magician ;D Been using them to color lures for years. I always carry black with me. I color my lure and my line. I own a set of 12 different color Sharpies and have "painted" entire lures using nothing but sharpies. Here is one I did: You can also go buy yourself a can of spray paint and tape over the bill on the crankbait and paint it solid black.

So what if that lady had these weights in a fish bowl outside for months to grow this algae on it then plopped them down the fish's mouth? Anything can be fishy...Pun intended. I am not in favor of killing the fish either but I am in favor of a legitimate record being the one that counts. A 500 foot home run doesn't count if it sailed 1 inch to far over to the foul pole. A snagged fish shouldn't count either.

9.5lbs caught on a 4" Zoom pumpkin colored centipede t-rigged with a 1/4 ounce bullet weight 8.5lbs caught on a Johnson spinnerbait at Lake Fork 8.5lbs caught on a Spinnerbait at Callender lake Numerous other 8+lbs fish caught on Spinnerbaits, rattle traps and worms.

I almost alwasy wear sunglasses during the day. 99% of the time. My eyes are sensitive so I make it a habit. Since I love to night fish though I do wear cheap shop goggles that are clear while driving. Though only when driving. Wearing sunglasses just makes a dark night even darker. I have been doing this for a long time. At night when I set the hook and the line isn't attached to a fish I always close my eyes and if I have time will turn my head. But it only takes one time to ruin something as precious as vision. I will have to wear those goggles more often at night. I am pretty safety conscious though. I am usually ducking when I have others in the boat with me when they cast, just to be sure. I have never hooked anyone while in a boat and have yet to be hooked by anyone. But I ALWAYS carry a first aid kit in my boat just in case. I have hooked myself a time or two that it has come in real handy. Since no one else mentioned it I thought I would chime in. Carry a first aid kit with you in your boat. I know several who don't.

I think the only time a splash hurts your chances at catching a fish is if it lands right on top of them. Then they will get spooked. But if it lands a few feet away from them then the splash actually draws them closer to the lure. Bass are oportunistic feeders. Splashes are things they investigate.

I know George. I was just playing with you. I know guides don't use their clients bait. ;D

What about the guide who fishes with live bait? The client buys the bait at sometimes as much as $15 per dozen for Shiners and has to buy 12 dozen of them at a cost of $180. Plus the fee for the guide and we are talking around $500 to fish. Now, what would you all do if that same guide fished using your bait that you bought all day until the bait ran out? Would that be kosher?

This can become a touchy subject but I have to say that most guides fish along with their clients. Is that right? I personally think it is not. I think allot of guides love to fish as much or more then the clients they take out and that is why the guides typically fish all day. As far as fishing to pattern biting fish. Well, that is a toughy also. For instance if I was fishing on a lake every day for a week and I invited someone to come fish with me. I am not a guide so I woudn't charge. Anyway, I could point out "spots" that I have repeatedly caught fish on all week long. I would say to my partner cast to that spot. I have done this many many times over the years and allot of times they hooked up with a fish. I could have cast to that spot myself and caught that fish but I enjoy seeing my partner catch some too. Point I am making is if a guide is on the same water all the time then he is going to know where the fish are biting and on what. So while I agree with the fishing to establish biting fish theory often times (not always) I think that is used as an excuse for the guide to fish. What guides need to realize is the perception of people who hire them isn't always the same as the Guide think's it ought to be. But the client is paying to be guided. So if the client pays to be guided. What does guided mean? Here is what dictionary.com says about GUIDE: guide[ch8194] /ga[ch618]d/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[gahyd] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, guid[ch8231]ed, guid[ch8231]ing, noun verb (used with object) 1. to assist (a person) to travel through, or reach a destination in, an unfamiliar area, as by accompanying or giving directions to the person: He guided us through the forest. 2. to accompany (a sightseer) to show points of interest and to explain their meaning or significance. 3. to force (a person, object, or animal) to move in a certain path. 4. to supply (a person) with advice or counsel, as in practical or spiritual affairs. 5. to supervise (someone's actions or affairs) in an advisory capacity. Synonyms 1. pilot, steer, escort. Guide, conduct, direct, lead imply showing the way or pointing out or determining the course to be taken. Guide implies continuous presence or agency in showing or indicating a course: to guide a traveler. To conduct is to precede or escort to a place, sometimes with a degree of ceremony: to conduct a guest to his room. To direct is to give information for guidance, or instructions or orders for a course of procedure: to direct someone to the station. To lead is to bring onward in a course, guiding by contact or by going in advance; hence, fig., to influence or induce to some course of conduct: to lead a procession; to lead astray. 5. regulate, manage, govern, rule. 6. pilot, director, conductor. 7. sign, signal, indication, key, clue. As long as the "guide" is leading, directing, teaching, instructing, helping, pointing the way, etc. then a guide is worth every penny. If the guide is another fishermen who fishes along side you all day catching many times the biggest fish of the day. Then personally I don't think they are worth their fee. Also, a guide is an expert on his or her water. But would be like allot of other talented fishermen who fish lakes and rivers on a strange body of water. Many guides falsly view all clients to be inferior to them in skill. That is not always the case. I know some pro's hire guides to learn the water they are going to be fishing on. The guide is more knowledgeable about that particular water but is not any better of a fisherman then the pro who hired them. Their are a great deal of misconceptions about what a guide is and what they are not. That is why I started my site. I really wanted to provide a site to help people understand what a guide is and what they are not. Guiding someone else is allot like any other service oriented business. Those that know how to take care of their clients and treat them with respect and help them are the ones who flourish. Those that see this as a way to get paid to fish are usually the ones who disappear.

Yep, it sure has helped me. There are allot of knowledgeable folks on this site. I enjoy learning from so many and also sharing something in return. I am passionate about fishing and enjoy speaking with others who share the same love I do. Thanks for such a great site

I can weigh in on this subject. I have a site dedicated exactly for this purpose. However, it is not completed yet so sorry for not promoting it here....Yet Anyway, so I will mention my own personal experiences with guides. But to answer the question is YES and NO. The reason I said NO is because the Question was "Fishing guides worth it? Most are absolutely YES. However, some are NO. I agree with asking lots of questions upfront as this will help. Here is a question you should ask: Will you be fishing in the front of the boat with me? If so, how long? The reason I ask this is because this happened to me. A friend of mine and myself hired a well known guide at Lake Fork a while back. It was July and hotter then hades out. He took us to spot after spot and "We" caught a 8lb bass and one that was maybe 6lbs that was lost at the boat. Unfortunetly the guide is the one who caught the 8lber. The reason I say unfortunetly because he basically front ended us for most of the day. For instance, we came to a tree row. For those who fish lakes with timber you know how productive tree rows can be. There was only 6 or 7 big stumps and trees in a line. So knowing in advance that this is a likely spot to get bit as all good fishermen should, the guide pulls out his rod and flips a jig into the trees ahead of me. On his second cast he pulls out the 8lber. Now, some may not care about a guide competing against you all day like a buddy might do for a fun day of fishing. However, I do. So for me it is important to ask the guide if he plans on fishing with me. If he will only fish a little then I am cool with that. However, I am paying him to bring me to spots and to give me pointers not to compete with me for the available fish. So ask questions like that upfront that way you are clear as to what to expect while out there. The more you know up front the better off you will be.

Big long thread already exists about this very same topic.

I like em all. They all have things unique about them that I like.

Wow I learned something new here. I never would have thought such a thing existed. That is amazing. Thanks for the link too.

Looking good D. James. This is addicting isn't it? I can't wait to get my move finished so I can make a few more lures.

Since some of you mentioned other species, I will chime in with what I think is pound for pound the best; a REDFISH. Striper are fun too but a Redfish will flat out make your reel scream. They have awesome swimming power.