WhiteMike1018

There will definately be some in the box ASAP! Cant wait! The X-RAP is a fish catching machine.

DITTO

Welcome Aboard!!

I think running and gunning comes into play a lot better when you have established a good pattern and have spots that are very closely related to the spot your fishing. Also running and gunning is a lot better when you know the lake very well, and are confident fish will be in another spot when the one you are at just is not cutting it. Sometimes running and gunning pays off. If you stay in one spot for too long you limiting yourself, if you want big results take big risks. -WM

If you would all take the time to read this post, I would like to share with you an interesting story about what has happened to me today, that might save you some time, frustration, and aggervation, and pain. I would like to take you all back a few weeks ago, to when me and my friend Eddie were fishing a lake I sighted on Google Earth. Its actually a private lake, but we went numerous times anyway, just because this place is loaded to the gills with bass and all different types of species, including the ever present eastern chain pickerel. Crystal clear water due to the lake being about 1/2 covered with coontail. When we were there the last time, the fish were on a feeding frenzy, in full pre-spawn mode, some were actually even on beds. To make a long story short we caught about 30 bass altogether including numerous other specied fish. But there was one fish I was determined to catch. Ive seen her all day sitting on her bed, she was about five pounds, maybe more. About 2 feet away from the bank protected by a little cove and an overhanging bush, I could see her perfectly through the crystal clear water, and with my polarized glasses. I tried for over an hour and a half. I threw every soft plastic I had at her and she wouldnt take it. In fact, not only wouldnt she take it, she didnt even look at it most of the time, not even a flare of the gills, or turn of the head. Its like this bass was almost a zombie. Finally, I had enough. Something came over me, as if the New Jersey devil was walking nearby and I was under the effects of its Unholy Aura. I decided I was going to tie on a crankbait with a bullet weight, and snag hook this bass that ive been fishing for for almost 2 hours right in the lip. After about five tries I set the hook right into the bottom lip of the bass. :-? trust me I felt bad, and it made a nice picture. The fish was only off bed for about 40 seconds if that, and was released in the same spot. She swam away,. But a half hour later she did return to bed. Ok so, I made an unethical decesion..no biggie right? Believe me, I did feel bad, but I honestly didnt think I was hurting anything at all. In fact, that was the most cruel thing Ive ever done to any animal or things of that sort. Shows how much I love nature that even when I do somthing thats minorly unethical, I still feel down and in the blues. So today, almost 2 weeks later. I decide to hit the spot of magic again. Before I left the house, i had everyhting checked off. My worm bag, phone, rod, wallet, tackle box, etc. OK. The only thing I didnt have were my pliers. I remembered Id lost them last time out, and couldnt find them. So iI left the house without them, without a pair. The funny thing is I actually tried going to the hardware store before I went to the lake, but it was way to early. CLOSED. While I was driving I thought to myself what it would be like removing a LC SAMMY 100 from the mouth of a 27 inch pickerel which are not uncommon there. So finally I pull up in my car. Walk through the woods like I always do. Creep up the hill to the dam. The first thing I noticed was that the coontail had grown almost out of control. Most of the surface was covered with it. But there was a large portion of open water, and I knew that the fish would be out from under that mat at 5:30 in the morning feeding heavily on anything they could round up. So I set my gear down, tied on my sammy and made my first cast of the morning. I started wlaking the dog with my Sammy, back and forth and a fish blew up on it and missed. Excited as all get out, I waited a few seconds and started the retrieve again and this time it got nailed pretty hard. I held on tight and swung back. First fish of the day. When I got it closer I immediately knew it would be trouble, becuase it was about a 4 pound pickerel. So here I am. Out in the middle of no mans land with a pickerel on my line, all 6 trebles in its mouth and no pliers. This should be fun.....or shall it? :-X So after about 2 minutes of shaking around the fish was finally still. I knew it was time to go to work , if I were going to get this badboy out. So here we go, I get one treble free, (the back treble) and the front one still in the mouth. She started shaking her head again. I knew I had to be extra careful here, because one wrong shake and that hook was going straight into my hand. So I waited a little longer, fish still in the water shaking, until it came to a stop. I figured this was my chance, and right when I went to put my hand back near the mouth. Smack!!!!! She shook her head right into my hands direction and logged the one treble straight into the meaty spot of my ring finger. So now it really starts to get bad. I have a fish on the front trble of the sammy. And the rear treble is logged into the bottom of my finger, where it meets the palm. I sat there in pain and confusion as the fish shook its head back and forth with the sammy still in my finger. Could things get any worse? The fish continued to try and shake free while the back treble of the sammy ripped through my skin and drove the hook deeper. Finally after aobut 2 minutes of excruciating pain, the fish somehow manged to shake free and swim away. Sammy still in my finger. I knew there was no way I was getting this thing out alone. And the hospital was only 4 minutes away, and it was too deep, so i figured screw it. If its going to come out, it might as well come out and get treated the right way. PLus what if it got infected? I would have my finger or entire hand amputated and never beable to fish again simply because I did not have pliers handy. Now I know this was sort of a freak accident. But could this somehow be a bad karma because i snagged hooked that bass on the bed almost 2 weeks ago? Its almost like nature wanted revenge on me for fishing unethicly and possibly hurting the hatch. It is somthing I totally regret and I will never do it again. Ill throw plastics on that bed for 9 hours if i have to. So to everyone out there fishing anytime soon my advice is this. Never forget your pliers, especially if toothy fish like pike are present. They seem to never want to give up and have way too much agility and teeth for anyone to try and pry trebles of a spook or sammy out of its mouth, as well as any other crank or topwater. Always keep an open mind to mother nature, and fish the right way. There are things out there that go on we have no clue about, especially karma, follow your gut instincts, and you will be a lot safer and more successful. There were two gut instincts that could have prevented this accident. 1) I knew that snagging that fish in the mouth was not right, and I have learned from it, somthing was telling me at the time not to do it, to leave the fish alone 2) The pliers on the way to the lake. I tried stopping to get them but the store wasnt open. I shouldve kept looking for one that was, I would still be fishing right now, but instead im home and waiting to pickup an antibiotic prescription to control infection. Another lesson learned in life, a never-ending journey. 8-) Peace -White Mike

Great advice. LBH nails this one again.

St.Croix Premier -WM

Gammy Skip Gaps or Gammy EWG's -WM

Sometimes iil kiss my bass. Depending on how happy I am and how nice she is!

Awesome report, looks like you had a good time! -WM 8-)

Way to go, nice fish. Much luck on upcoming outings.

Megastrike -WM

The Smile says it all. Good day! -Mike

So True!

Congrats Catt...What a bigugn!

Nice Fish!

There are a lot of factors to take on when attempting yo throw a topwater bait. No, it may not be to early for morning/night bass. Im in New jersey and I just got back from a smal pond and caught me two nice bass on a jitterbug. Small bodies of water heat up a lot faster and the weather has been really warm around here lately. Just start practicing with your lures, and you will find out what ones you like, and what ones to throw at the right time. Time on the water is key. -WM

Thanks for the vid! I have some sabertail bugs, they work great. I like using them for smallies.

Just filled my tank up today! Should last me a good 2-3 weeks. My car is a 4 cylincder, saves gas like crazy.

Is this about dating? LOLOLOL ;D Wow Avid, your funny ;D

Good day = Any day! Great Day= 5 fish or more.

hahahaha Nice Muddy I like that. 8-)

Murky water has always been a major weakness of mine. I try to look for clearer water whenever I can.. But if I were you a spinnerbait or a rattletrap cannot be beat. -Wm P.S. Chatterbaits are nice too

Nice baits. Pretty impressive!

Thanks alot! Much respect! -wM