"hamma"

look for cover on the closest drop, there should be staging fish hanging around that cover, usually fat mommas waiting for the males to complete making beds, most likely they are right under you, back off a bit, toss some bottom bouncing lures and feel for the cover on the structure, or run a deep diver crankbait to search them out

in my state there is actually a fishermans anti-harassment law, i keep a couple copies on the boat and in my bank fishing tackle boxes (both fresh and saltwater) just for these "lovely individuals" once they realize they have no grounds to harass me and are actually breaking the law, they leave me alone. unfortunately i've had to use this a few times flipping docks

My time spent fishing tourneys was a hectic time, i fished club t's, fed team t's, fed opens, aba opens, etc. all within the same year. and i did so for a few years. It really tired me out and made it feel more like work. When i ceased fishing tourneys everything slowed down, but i never lost that determination or drive to fish to the best of my abilities. And deep inside that still exsists, but nowadays i take more of the whole fishing experience in. The sunrises with the picturesque point extending out into the lake, the mornings steam rising of the water just after sunrise with the islands in the distance seeming to rise through clouds. the incredible wildlife that startles you as your line watching. The beautiful colors of your quarry that really shine due to the extremely healthy waters we fish. etc. Considering the great outdoors ,.... I must add this. I dont get much time with my 3 daughters, so its really important for me to spend "quality" time with them. And they would rather spend time with friends. Two years ago i got to spend a week with two of them camping at androscoggin lake in maine.,.. Now, they live in a busy city just north of boston and they live a hectic life. So camping to them is going to their grandparents trailer not far from home in a trailer park. Far from Maine's beauty by any means. It took a couple of days for them to settle down, and for me to scope the lakes areas out. One early morning I finally got to take them out on the boat for the quality smallies this lake holds, they've never caught a smallmouth and have only known bluegills and crappies,... I had 2 spinning rods ready for them with a jerkbait that i had been slaying fish with. I took them to a productive shoreline and let them fish, with me acting as guide. Once they each finally caught their first smallie they were hooked,(nice 4 pounders) I could see it in their eyes, it was evident in their actions, demeanor, and attitude. They both now want to spend time with me, especially if a lake with smallies is involved. lol,...and I genuinely enjoyed watching them, teaching them, and sitting back controlling the boat and putting them on fish. to see them not fighting but helping each other brought a tear to my eye, and warmed my heart This aspect of "fishing for the hell of it" is and always will be my favorite

I bet it would kill on schools of baitfish trapped on the surface that are getting pounded by bass. Seeing that the mold is a herring mold did you consider trying a silver colored one?

I use a cheapo fly tying vise and tie a new one on is the best way i found

I will use and mix whatever materials i have to produce the color im looking for. I will literally make up a skirt one strand at a timeand then I handtie my skirts on spinnerbaits and jigs,.. and review what i have and what i want before each outing. If a certain mixture starts to break down i just remove it and retie. its more about color for me

remember! Massachusetts is a LEAD FREE STATE! I have been searching out ecofriendly jigheads for a while now and have come up short, other than googling lead free jigs. It came up with a guy in minnesota i believe that sells ecofriendy jigheads but not much in the way of ones you can powder coat. The tin/bismuth material he uses melts under the powder coats 350 degree curing temp. So i counted him out as i plan on powder coating for some custom ties. As for head types I like darters, footballs, teardrop, and round with a quality heavy hook for jigheads that i add plastics too, As for rubber skirted jigheads i like arkey, football, and standup. all with a nylon brushguard, and again quality heavy hook

Nice work !, you must put alot of time and effort in each lure made. Some of the bluegill and perch patterns you have produced are simply incredible, The spoons look interesting too, do you fish them ? And if so what do you target with them and how have they performed?

nice work, how was quabbin? I love it out there and miss having my 20 hp motor. I heard they changed the rules and no bunk trailers anymore, another let down,. I tie some as well, heres just a couple from when i first started, I need to download some more pics ,

there's also bears den in taunton just off 495

to answer the original question,..I believe that it comes down to the love of the sport,.The top anglers that consistently are on top have that love of the sport that brings them to a different level, they excel due to the desire to give the day on the water their all, combined with the skills, abilities, and experience such a desire harbors. Does luck play a part? Only to a point, there maybe some luck involved within every cast, but without the desire?, and the skills needed to follow through correctly within that cast, consistent success just wont be there. And what gives these pro's that exccelerated "love" for the sport. I think its the challenge, the ability, and opportunity to "fool" our quarry in that quarries world. To enter their world and overcome the challenges put forth to either, conquer or fail, raises the adrenaline level in any angler whether they realize it or not,..If you were ask any tourney pro angler why he fishes,, its not foronly the money, its not for only the competition, its for the hunt of it all. Competition and elevated success may play some part.,... Some may have trouble finding the correct terminology, but im sure it will come down to the same thing. Love of the sport

pro qualifier and tourney special come to mind, id imagine you could use a flippin stick for frogging, and maybe alabama rigs as long as its heavy enough

I've been using the same pair of H3O's since the mid nineties, they have three different color lenses, still work great, and whether there are better shades out there or not I see no reason to change. I think i got my monies worth out of them,...lol, I do have a couple of strike kings for the kids or fishin buddies on the boat as well

A smaller rv i would think is what id get, you know the ones that are just a bit bigger than a fully extended van. That way you could crash at a rest area if you had too in route from say,..... lake of the woods to lake of the ozarks. Of course it would have to have the toy carrier section in the back for the harley.,... Not that i ever dreamed of it,...lol

I agree, I'm not disagreeing with you by any means,... maybe i should have been clearer on opportunity to begin with,.... The bass's opportunities, (ie) lakes cycle, ph, aquatic biodiversity, and general layout, how its situated, how it meets the sunlight, is it a rocky lake,...muddy,.. weed infested? i forget the scientific terms, is it fed by a river? spring? just runoff? is it a natural lake, or manmade, and if so what was the land before they flooded it? Have the lakefront owners fertilized their fresh green lawns producing toxic runoff? was the lake stocked, and if so was it done correctly? what are the other predatory species present? Does the state stock it now? and if so with what.? Was there a good breeding season for wading birds? is there snapping turtles present? did the winter produce a fish kill last year? the year before? or ever? are there perch present? and thats a biggie! believe it or not. Is it freely connected to salt water, or fish ladder? these and any other surrounding aspect of the lakes makeup, or environmental impact, I consider ,..opportunity. The chance that one of the fry I saw two decades ago has to become huge. depends on many actual factors, to list them all would be pointless when one word sums it up so well.

you have just hit upon one of the greatest fishing "hooks" there is. Im sure so many anglers have become hooked on bass fishing based on that statement alone, that their numbers could fill sebago if it was emptied. Get yourself a fishfinder! All you need for a kayak's fishfinder to start is one that shows depth. A cheapo hummingbird or lowrance would fit the bill. My first was a $89.00 hummingbird that i installed on my tiny 8 ft long basshunter pontoon style boat, still on it. works great and helped my fishing 10 fold from install date on. It has no bells or whistles, no side imaging, 360, etc. it does however have a temp gauge which is an important accessory,,now that i think about it, that rig is 30 yrs old. Dang,.. im gettin old!,...lol 20 years ago or so i spent some time on another sites forums and did a series of posts called "the informative series" they were well received and designed for the beginners in bass fishing. It touched upon the six basic lures, and general tools of the trade, then progressed into patterns, seasonal movements, and tips and tricks. I would post a topic (say spinnerbaits) listing the sizes, colors, blade configurations and techniques, tips, tricks etc;, and others would then chime in with things they did with the same lure, tactics etc. Some of the threads got really long. And many of the beginners and pros alike used this and were quite grateful to have such a tool available to them,... id imagine they are now today able to "chime" in. I wonder how that would be received here? maybe in the lures listings. I think you would benefit from such a thing

Raul, no disrespect to you but, I consider environmental conditions part of the "opportunity"

One thing no one has touched upon yet is the fact that double digit bass usually dont follow the "rules" of bass fishing, It appears to me that they dont hold true to the antics of say a bass's reaction to the weather conditions, seasonal patterns (other than spawn), and general active fishing days. They seem to write their own rules in this aspect, at least most of mine were caught on "tough" days, when other bass were lockjawed and I was seeking a pattern on tourney prefish outings, Is this just a northeast thing? I dont think so, these are different beasts than their younger siblings. They even morph into something that looks different, Their backs hump up, their faces get uglier, and some seem stunted for such a heavy fish. As for chances to catch one? does it vary state to state? of course. As stated before in this thread. If they arent there, you're chances are nil. I think that comes down to forage base, opportunity to grow, and genes.. Up here its the lakes that have a andromoneous (sp?) forage base in the right ponds and lakes that produce huge bass. And I thank god daily that i live where i do. I may dislike the states politics,....BUT,...I know ponds that are just over 100 acres that hold huge bass and giant bodies of water that your lucky if you catch a 7 lber in. To catch such a big fish you not only have to fish lakes that hold them,... but you need everything to go just right. And thats the hook, everything to go "just right". like Catt wrote; first you got to stick em, then figure how to fight them,... A truer statement i know not.,... Ive caught some dd's that i got lucky with because they headed for the safety of deeper waters.,, and others i had a normandy type battle because they headed deeper into cover. Some of those battles i won, others i failed, with the latter happening more then not. I can see how some states are going to be less advantageous to the plight of anglers catching dd's. Not all states offer the protein rich multiple forage bases required with the gene line, and opportunity to offer huge fish. i think whats so key is more the forage base than anything else,..it kinda forces the opportunity thing, and offers the gene line to continue as well.. With out it all fails.,..or at least makes it harder for the chance to be there to begin with. interesting subject

I agree with you both 100%, I refuse to leave trash or my cigarette butts, anywhere. I have in the past made sure i have a small trashbag in the truck for when i see trash left behind by someone, just so I can remove it before the gates for the ramp are locked. As I stated above, I've lost access to some of the best bass ponds in NH due to "issues",..and that sux. Bassb8caster, your new passion for bass fishing is awesome, this sport is such a very diverse sport, that it has the ability to keep you intrigued, interested, and entertained for the rest of your days. It has for me for over 40 years, and I hope and pray that my health allows me to continue till the day I expire. Some anglers "like" bass fishing, then theres some that are competative, so they get into it for the tourneys, Then there are the anglers that "love" it, live it, and continually seek out new lakes and endeavors just to continue to do it. Thats me to the t, and Im sure I will always be that way. My concern for the waters I fish is what it is, My passion Respect the lands we use so we can continue to do so.

Its been an amazing progression to watch from the old mister twister sassy shad to todays swimbaits. As most tackle and gear has changed, i think this transition has progressed more than any other. And thats saying alot, Consider the advancement in rods, reels, and tackle in general. These "new" swimbaits and their lifelike action and look, its no wonder that they produce the way they do. Will some outshine others? of course,.. what will be the "best"? its hard to say. The myriad of regions in this country, and their subtle differences will obviously have their own "best" and It appears that Mainebass and Mikeognr have their fingers on the pulse up here in the Northeast,. And congrats to you both,.. I wish you both continued success with your swimbait endevors,... I for one appreciate your willingness to share with us here. And promise not to "spotsuck" your prowess in Maine's big bass lakes by any means possible. Keep in mind though, that I have been fishing up there for over 40 years now, and have most likely been fishing some of the same waters already. With the documented success you have shown via pictures that there truly is the huge bass in New Englands most northern state that I have been touting for years now. Im sure there will be some "newer" New England anglers searching for those pigs. All I ask of you "newer" anglers is that you dont trash Maine's productive waters,. and their ramp area's. You know what I mean, think of how many lakes in New Hampshire that have changed from public access to private, due to just what I stated. Anglers transporting invasive weeds on their trailers and leaving the days trash on shore isn't cool, and im sure,,... neah,.. "positive" it would be dealt with in Maine. The natural resources up there are treasured greatly, and definatly protected... Please, enjoy the states beauty and keep it that way. Wouldnt you like to fish the waters that harbor those pigs, and continue to do so? Bring your kids, and their kids to lakes like that? It would be a horrible loss if those lakes are restricted to lakefront owners only Please don't get me wrong,.Im not stating that all the readers of this thread are litterbugs, or disrespectful,.And are in a huge hurry to go trash the state..Im just trying to protect the resources I have been enjoying respectfully available to not just me but all. I have fished lakes in NH that were awesome bass lakes to only see them closed by lake associations due a few bad apples, and will fight to the end to keep Maines waters open. Sorry, for the rant guys, Congrats again on your impressive success,. Just so you know,. whenever another angler ask's me about the awesome fishing I've had up there. and what lakes it occurred at?,..I answer MAINE,...lol., Do I offer the best lakes iI fish? Never!.,...good ones??? maybe.. And seeing those pigs you caught,? ,I will be shopping the swimbiats a bit more now I'll get off my soapbox now

I believe that it isnt just the weather that is present at the moment, frontal condition is the consideration of the past week or so of fronts and what their effect on the fishing has done, PLUS,.. what is going on now. OR As the barometer rises and falls changes occur, consider those changes for the past week and a half or so and how strong they may have been considering the rate of change within the barometric range At least thats what i think it is

Thanks guys,... thats what i figured,.. but wanted to be sure before i just went and hooked it up

I have a 2000 tracker super guide v 16 tiller, bought it new, Its a deep v, back then they were stripped down, boat motor trailer and running lights with a livewell and thats about it,.. so, set it up nicely with good electronics and trolling motor and have loved it completely. It handles the bigger lakes and chop just fine, and probably drafts the same as a john boat style rig does. as far as quality? i have no issues with it., and everyone that takes a look at it says the same thing,.."nice rig!! ",... its getting a newer motor and ulterra trolling motor this year as my health dictates,.. and new carpet as its starting to wear, (for 16 years old,.. aint bad) and this boat has been fished hard ,..very hard, i have spent alot of time out of work due to my health.,, so i fished weekdays, as much as i could actually. and she still is big water durable. ,...so in a nutshell ,..i have no complaints

im swapping my trolling motor over from 12v to 24v. i know how to wire the batteries for the trolling motor (in series). My question is about the charger, i have a 3 bank 15 amp per bank charger, one battery in back for the primary motor and electronics (im all set with), and 2 up front for the tm,..do i just hook it up one lead (or bank) per battery up front? or do i have to arrange them in a different manner now that the 2 batteries up front are going to be in series? I bought this charger 15 years ago and cant find the manual,..i looked on line for the manual, found it, downloaded it on my computer,.., but now i cant find the proper way to open the file,...lol (im no computer guy by any means) I figured that there has to be plenty of you here that have this system on your rig Thanks for any help provided

The Charles River has awesome bass in it,..you can catch bass over by the Hatch Shell on the esplenaude.(sp?). I never fished it but i've been told that jamaica pond has bass in it as well.