JRammit

Spent many years bank fishing before i got my jon boat!... Being mobile was everything, so i got a backpack from BPS that held 3 trays on bottom and water/snacks on top... And kept all my soft plastics in a clear, zip up pencil bag Only carried 2 rods and typically fished slower... T-rigged or weightless plastics and hard jerk baits mostly Always had a few spinnerbaits on board, but left the crankbaits at home Spoons are a great bait to throw from shore too!... They cast like a bullet, cover alot of water and give fish something they dont see every day

Crappie fishing with my kid... Minnows n bobbers in a laid down tree on the shoreline... Already had a nice stringer, and then WOW!!! Bobber went down, gaver a pull, and she pulled back... HARD!... Assumed it was a big catfish from the weight of it... But then i saw it, clear as day... After a big green flash, i could make out the black stripe and light belly... This fish was only about 10 ft from me, but that 4 lb line couldn't keep her there..... I loosened the drag, tried to play her, but she wasnt in the mood.... She ran left, then right, tried to slow her down and..... Snap My pb is only 6 1/2 lbs, this one had that by at least 3... Maybe not quite double digit, so my guestimate is 9 Gave that fish a name and looked for her for 3 years after... Thought i finally had her one morning on a 4" Berkley Gulp minnow, but pulled in a 12lb cat instead Next year, that lake flash flooded and left a massive kill floating along all the shore lines... But i believe the Fat Bass**rd is still swimming there today

Just like any fishing, you need a few confidence baits, that youre farmiliar with and know how to use well... Then branch out from there Take some of your favorite striper baits and scale them down for a start... I dont fish stripes, so im stabbing in the dark here... But lures like buck tails and jerk baits work well for LMB too, just smaller

I think i win this one Just this weekend there were bait balls of fry all along the shorelines... I some how managed to snag one of these little guys

Love fishing alone!... Hassle free! When i do take someone, its usually a family member that doesnt know how to fish... So theyre all "that guy"... No gear, cant tie knots, can only cast with 100 yards of open water all around the boat and still manage to snag something every other cast I only take them out of guilt, i dont enjoy myself... Lets me know i could NEVER be a guide!

Ive seen a catfish sleep.... Small shallow pond, bout 10 ft from the shoreline.... Clear as day, catfish just laying there motionless.... I casted a blob of stink bait and reeled it right infront of its nose... Sat there maybe 10 minutes, fish didnt move...... Even bumped the bait off its nose a few times, nothing Thought maybe it was dead, so i snagged it with a trebble hook.... Well... Wasnt dead! That woke it up! Conclusion: Catfish sleep... Idk bout bass though?

When i was a kid (im sure the same for many of you), i was obbsessed with catching any kinda creature i could get my hands on!.... Frogs, lizzards, grasshoppers, crawdads.. I even chased rabbits around the yard.... Nothing was safe! When i caught them, i hadnt the slightest clue what to do with them??..But they were fun to look at! Why would i rather do that than play video games like some of the other kids??.... Maybe the same reason puppies play fetch and kittens chase yarn... Its preparation for what you as a species are meant to do at the age of maturity Now i cant explain those who dont hunt or fish... Idk what went wrong, and i cant imagine what it does to their poor souls???

Good answer there! So i guess the same could be said for any dead weed?..... If the weeds i pull off bottom are dead/decaying, theyre pulling oxygen (bad)... If theyre alive and well, theyre adding oxygen (good)?

Good stuff Catt!... The tips and the story! What im dealing with (i think) is skunkweed matting on bottom and random patches of (what i think is) American pond weed (leafy) Seems i catch more from bare spots, away from these weeds, or in between patches... Wondering if there are "bad weeds" bass dont like??

Ill have to pay more attention next time im out on my spot, look for the areas y'all mentioned After doing a little research, i believe this lake is filled with that "skunkweed" (chara)... I dont see it emerging, but in certain areas it gets all wrapped around my anchor, kinda resembles milfoil but smells somthin horrible!...... Would you stay away from that stuff?

So to me, weeds have always been weeds... Some are green, some arent.. Some have leaves, some dont.... Sometimes you catch fish in em, sometimes you just reel in weeds But i always hear guys saying words like "milfoil", "hydrilla", "bullrush", ect... I read around on some pond maintenance sites.. Found pictures and basic descriptions of these and other vegitation.... I figure learning to identify these could make me a better fisherman Who out there knows their weeds?... Which types do you target and why?... And is there anything else the average fisherman should know about weeds?

Texas rig... Always works for me

Pretty sure i got it snug when i put it back together the first time, but seems like i remember it being loose when i took it apart... Not sure on that (drank since then) Ill look into that, good to know before i buy my next reel too!

I should have specified, i only oil the worm gear every trip... Manual said to Im pretty good at taking things apart, putting them back together is a different story! Just wondering if this is normal or not?.. I never had this problem with my $40 Quantum, but the $100 Abu does... Go figure??

I have an Abu Orra sx.. First bait caster ive used in over 10 years (last was a Quantum that was stolen from the back of my truck) Twice now, ive had problems with the line guide sticking on the right side... The first time i fearfully took it apart thinking i would find debri in the worm gear... But there was nothing (that i could see), however i put it back together (somehow) and it worked fine for a couple months Yesterday i fished a few hours after work, no problems until the last cast... I didn't even notice all the line wrapped around one side of the spool until i threw a big birds nest I freed the backlash and threw a couple more casts... Wasnt sticking anymore, but it makes me nervous that it could happen at any time The reel is only 5 months old, and i oil it after every use... Anyone else ever have this problem??

I fish out of a 12' jon boat and make due just fine with 3 rods, though i would like a 4th.... Im slowly replacing my old cheap gear (all ugly stiks) with new medium quality set ups ($150-$200) Could i afford to pay more?.. Yes.. But i have kids and they always need something?

Great idea! I was shore bound for most of my fishing life.. And every article i ever read or any show i ever watched catered to the boat fisherman I got a little 12' jon boat 4 years ago, and still most of what i see/read revolves around the use of expensive electronics It would be great to share ideas, tips and techniques with those on the same playing field!

Plastic on its own floats, only hooks and weight make it sink... With enough plastic and small enough hooks, you would have a floating or super slow sinking bait......... But, again, this doesnt answer your question Honestly, i dont think there is a good answer.... But if you are determined to try it, i think the linseed oil is the best solution, since it would actually soak in and penetrate the wood.... Do some research first, fumes are dangerous and it is highly flamable.... Some good videos on YouTube of sealing lures with linseed oil As for the polyurethane solution.. The poly dries into a thin brittle coating, and is not ideal to paint over (if you plan on painting).. It will not penetrate far enough into the wood to offer much protection and would probably leave the inside of the joints bare Another way to go is building your own, replacing the cloth with sst pins

Ive never used linseed oil, only read about it... I use thinned epoxy to seal my wood baits Remolding in resin is a good idea, but with all those pieces alot of work! And alot of mold material (likely RTV which isnt cheap!).... If youre just looking for the "snake like action", maybe make a soft plastic copy... I know that defeats the purpose, but i cant think of an easier way...?

Thats a tough one!... The cloth will absorb water and pull it into the wood The only sure way would be to disassemble and seal the wood pieces, then put it all back together Another option might be soaking the whole piece in linseed oil..... Problem with that would be the smell leached out from the oil in the cloth

6 lb mono is a popular choice for trout (if we're talking rainbows), if you also target smaller bass i would bump up to 8 lb... I would not go bigger than 8 for trout, and wouldnt go smaller than 8 for bass... So its a perfect compromise Just my opinion... I would spend less on the reel.... At that price, you could pick up 2 quality rods and 2 mid-grade reels... That doubles your tackle choice options

You hit on the hardest part of fishing with kids... Making it about them! You could leave your gear at home, but youll probably just end up using your kids pole when/if they get bored Instead, think of something for the kids to do when theyre not fishing... Snacks, toys, ect....... When my oldest was little, i bought a remote control boat for $20 at Walmart..... He would fish a little, play a little, fish a little more Now i have a little 12' jon boat with a trolling motor... When i take my youngest boy (10 now) he likes swimming... Ill let him fish til he gets bored, then out the boat he goes.... I have a rope tied to the back and ill pull him from spot to spot while i fish and he loves it... Then IF i catch anything while hes splashing around making all that noise, he'll climb back in and grab his pole As for equipment, kids are rough on stuff... I like Ugly Stiks cause you almost cant break em!... And ive had far fewer tangles to undo since i spooled their reels with Trilene XL Another tip, get your kid 2 poles!... First they wanna fish with a lure.. Then they get tired of casting and wanna fish with bait.. Then they get tired of waiting and wanna throw lures again...... Unless you love re-rigging over and over, 2 poles will make the day better for both of you!

Ive read shad is #1.... But that may be because others on this list are not available in many waters Curious to see where trout and salmon rank

At least you got somthin working... I like throwing a drop shot when it gets slow... But doesnt do much good if they cant see it The water has cleared up a little, ive got 1 ft visibility now... Compared to about 3 inches last time i went Idk about everyone else... But i get even more motivated when i DONT catch fish... I think about it all week, come up with a new game plan and cant wait to get back out!

No dice! Got off work early today, had a couple hours to hit the water before dark I fished the roadrunner HARD!... Deep, shallow, shoreline, structure, points, drop offs... Every spot ive ever caught a fish on this little lake..... And nothing! But that was all in only a couple hours... I need a whole day to find where theyre holding now... They moved around a lot this fall, but i always found em... No such luck lately