Keithscatch

Russ, I have never used a drift anchor. I might have to check into that. Although some of these lakes would fill it up with matted grass if I had a drift sock hanging off my boat

If you are fishing water most of the time that is deep and has good structure then I think the best possible depth finder you can afford should be used. Here in Florida where most of the fish are in grass mats and flipping and pitching is what is used a depth finder isn't even a big deal. But deeper lakes with humps, river channels, underwater bridges, etc it is crucial. The unit I have is a Lowrance LCX15MT and I really like it. They are reasonably priced now too. My opinion skimp on some things but not your electronics. Peace.

My forte is power fishing. Cranks, spinnerbaits jerkbaits etc. I probably do fish worms too fast. When I started using my anchor which admittedly I should use more frequently, I noticed a strange phenomenon. I was fishing slower and more thouroughly and was catching more fish. So for those of you who are like me and geared for faster methods of fishing try the anchor approach. Find a strategic place to anchor not just random and sit there a while. Fish and fish and fish that one spot with a plastic worm and behold you will see the proof at the end of your line. It is the only way I can make myself slow down enough to fish a worm in deep water thouroughly. The key is deep water. If it is 5 feet or less like many of the water I fish in around here then I fish the worm a little faster as I am pitching and flipping it into thick weeds.

I think it is easier to cast with a heavier weight fly rod. I have a 5 weight rod. I would like to get a heavier weight fly rod someday.

This is an example of believing something a long long time ago as fact only to learn how stupid it is now. I bet if you asked Larry Nixon about this he would get a sheepish look on his face and say did I really say and believe that? :-[ :-[ If this where true night fishing would be a lost cause. Just chalk this up as one guy (Larry Nixon) learning as he goes. Heck some of the things I used to believe in where pretty stupid as well. I hope you don't buy into this Craw.

Mainly circumstance. Then my grandfather and then my brothers. Maybe my brothers had the biggest influence on me because I was the youngest in the family and I always wanted to do what my big brothers where doing. My dad has never one time taken me fishing. I however, have taken him fishing numerous times. He just never got into it I guess or maybe he thought he had more important things to do??? Kinda sad. I used to live in Miami when I was 2-7 years old. I remember going with my brothers to fish in the canal behind our house. Back then it was crystal clear and had life teaming in it. I was hooked on fishing just by looking into the water. I went back to that house last year and that canal was muddy and dirty and had no signs of life or even hydrilla. What a sad thing to see.

;D I see a theme here lately. Lots of folks keep posting duplicate threads.

Yeah, I have met a few people like that. They are the same ones who yell at kids who cross their lawns or whatever. Bitter folks with poor attitudes. :

Wow thank the Lord you are still alive Dane.

All depends my friend. Like you said if nothing then anything is a good fish. In a tournament anything over the legal size is a GOOD fish. For fun fishing I used to think a 5lber was a good fish but that was in Texas. Here in NE Florida I think a 2lber is a good fish. Fishing is just not that great over this part of Florida. I am actually moving further south at the end of this month so soon I hope to be back up to the 5lb thing being a GOOD fish. I could add to this and ask what weight is a Picture fish? Again in Texas where I used to live I have caught so many 5lbers and less that I never took any pictures of them. It would have to be 6lbs or better for me to bother even taking pictures. Here I would say a 3lber will get a picture.

Stratoscaster, What part of Florida do you live in? Your profile is incomplete so I couldn't see. (Shame on you ) Anyway, lightning is a very serious matter and should never be tested. If I see lightning getting close I am outta there. One time when I lived in Texas I was fishing in the rain. Not super heavy rain but hard enough to make it hard to see. Anyway, I was catching fish on a spinnerbait and it was fun as heck. While I never saw lightning and I looked all the time. My rod would litterally buzz while I held it up to cast. Now that scared the heck out of me. I would look around and not see any lightning flashes. Yet everytime I held my rod up it would buzz. So I sideways casted and it never buzzed again. I say this that in hindsight that was foolish of me. Apparently lightning was around me yet I couldn't see it but did feel it's effects on my body. Kinda weird. Next time I will be leaving. As some know and probbaly most don't here in Florida in the summer months rain is a common occurance. Almost like clock work. Every day in the early afternoon a thunderstorm heats up and forms and dumps tremendous amounts of rain in short intervals. Then it usually dissapates. What I do is go fish if the weather calls for rain 45% or less. Maybe even 50% just depends. Anything more then that and I don't go. If I waited for no chance of rain it would be winter time before I could go. But I am a sky watcher and if I see stuff rolling in I leave. Just not worth testing out the power of lightning. What that pro did in VA is inexcuseable in my opinion.

I agree with going when you can. Not everyone has the luxury of choosing when they can get out and fish. I just have witnessed better fishing over the years those few times a month during the Full and New moon phases. Another thing I have noticed is certain days are better then others. This is primarily due to fishing and pleasure boating presure on the water. Typically I can expect to do better fishing at night on Friday then I can on Saturday or Sunday night. As mentioned already because during the week there was less pressure then on weekends and fish typically react to that.

I have to disagree. I myself have seen how the Lunar cycles make a difference in fishing at night. If you all don't think the Lunar cycle doesn't affect how nature responds then I would like to know where you are getting your data from. My data is hundreds of times fishing at night over the years and seeing how full moon and new moon phases do "typically" effect the fishing for the better. Of course there are anomalys where I don't do as well but typically the bigger fish do react to Lunar phases.

Ok everyone let's say this together...The wind is your friend...The wind is your friend...The wind is your friend.. Like heck it is...if wind is my friend then I would hate to see who my enemy is ;D ;D Deep down inside I always have resented whoever says this. They always seem to say this in gale force winds too. I hate wind. (Over 12mph just to clarify I like some wind just not allot)

Pathetic & Wannabe comes to mind ;D ;D Seriously, I would say a little of this and a little of that. Sort of a observant Hodge Podge fisherman. I can do the power fishing thing and wear them out on Cranks, spinners and buzzers. I can also slow down and catch them on worms and plastics. The main thing is to enjoy the time God has given me to enjoy his outdoors, friends and family. I like to think I am the kind of guy who stops and smells the roses in life. I enjoy my surroundings at all times when I am out fishing.

Jim, I would argue that Bass do feel pain in certain areas of their body. Basically the sensitive areas. I am sure when I hook a fish in the side of it's body that it felt that pain or puncture wound. However, this discussion started mainly about the lips of a fish. As an analogy we as humans feel pain and pleasure both in our skin. Yet we do not feel anything when we cut our fingernails. Are they dead? No. Just no sensory nerve endings in them. At least not in the part past the wick. Cut that fingernail below that line and you will feel pain. I think fish have the ability to feel things with their lips. I think they can distinguish between a hard plastic bait and a soft plastic bait. They can distinguish between a real fish in it's mouth and a fake one. That is why they reject the meal. I think Bass can indeed feel certain things but I will draw the line that they feel pain or hurt in their lips. I can be persuaded that they feel pain in their bodies just not in their lips. It is different. Your analogy of shooting a laser beam into a fish might make sense if you said shooting it at their body. The extreme heat that they would "feel" would make them move. However, if the same laser beam was aimed at their lip I think it would burn a hole though it before they would notice it. Or at least they would not notice it as fast as if it were aimed at their eyes for instance or their belly. Just my 2 cents worth.

Guys, if you see Poaching going on (The correct term for keeping illegal fish) then please by all means call your Game Warden. Their number is posted on your fishing license. Get the registration number of the car they are in or boat and call the number on the license. Beyond that and a scolding to the people keeping the fish is all you can do. But doing nothing is equally bad in my opinion.

Ok you Yankees gotta start using real rods. That spinning gear is for girls ;D ;D Just teasing. Nicely done LBH. I am glad to be a part of this.

George I agree. I was going to use the same analogy about Ratle Traps. Jim, you also mentioned that we as fishermen throw our lures all day and they come across a hundred bass or so yet we only catch 1 or 2 or a few of them. Well, one thing you didn't mention is that not all Bass are hungry enough to eat at that moment. Just because a meal swims right in front of a Bass' mouth doesn't mean it will eat it. I used to have fish tanks for years and many of times had Bass in it. Numerous baitfish would swim happily along with the Bass right in front of his mouth and he wouldn't do a thing. But when he was hungry he would eat them. Sometimes we assume that a Bass eats 24/7 and that we must be doing something wrong because we are not catching them. Well, even presenting a real meal in front of them doesn't always mean they will eat it let alone a lure. The pain theory is just that a theory. Keep in mind too that no one is saying it is pleasureable to the bass to get hooked. It Just is not as painful as some of you think. That is my view anyway.

That is tremendous and props to you. Be yourself and look into the camera when they are interviewing you or the eyes of the host. But heck you are 17, they don't expect you to act like a talk show host. Just do your thing and don't worry. Have fun

Beat me to it George. Chopping off heads while on the water is a sure way of getting busted. Not a good idea. Think about it. How can a Game Warden prove or disprove the fish's legality with no head?

Mike that is a bad link. You are missing .com somewhere

I turn off my lights when fishing shallow areas as I believe that lights on my boat and on my head if shinning into the water do indeed spook bass. I really try not to shine lights into the water if I intend to fish that area. My head lamp has a red light which I try to use as it is less intrusive. When I hook a fish I just turn it on while I am fighting the fish. Main reason I do that is because here in Florida you never know what you might have on. Bass, Mudfish, Pickeral, Gar, baby gator so I try to see what it is before I lip it

The big one. Easy choice for me. Someday those 50 3lbers won't be a memory anymore. But that 15lb sure will be.

Isn't it interesting that through all of our technology we have a hard time with this yet a bass is able to tell the difference. I wonder what they see, hear, smell or feel that alerts them that this is a female or male bass? Interesting really.