BD

I am glad to hear you're back out there too. I can't not fish for more than 2 weeks. lol

Good link(s), thanks

No they don't stay away from them, they are suppose to look like crawfish. I think you catch "less" because the majority of little bass won't mess with them, but yes, I have caught dinks on jigs too.

Alot of times I have noticed the line will feel 'heavy' and anytime the line is very LIGHT, that fish is more than likely swimming right towards you. other than the 'sure' fire feel way, of you feel weight and the fish turns to either side, those jig bites are very easy to determine. I have started practicing too, with throwing it out, VERY VERY easily lifting the rod tip up and down for the jigging action. I have found this subtle lifting lets you feel a tree, vs. a rock, vs a bass, because usually the bass holding on to it will feel heavier than the things your jig has been bumping.....I hope this makes sense.

I JUST got back from Broken Bow lake last saturday. We used a white salamander, and MADE her take it. One female took like 35 minutes, and was circling the bed very widely. We would let the bait hit her, and eventually she stayed tight on the bed, but still wouldn't take it. If you work it over and over, I can ASSURE you, she will eventually hit the lure.

Good job. Elbow grease never hurts a young man

Age is not like cars. A 94 "mint" boat is a great find

Looking great!! Keep the pictures coming.

I use black and blue, and watermelon (or close to the good ole red/green hue)

Easily 10 lb's....

I just started fishing a local lake by my house. It's probably 7-8 acres, very clear, and appears to be deep. LOTS of structure (rock piles, lay-downs etc) It's kind of set down in a big hill, so wind stays down for the most part. There are several places of flats with deep access around them, and the majority of these flats, have structure close or ON them. It's strictly bank fishing, as it's the local towns water supply. Forage is crawfish, shad, and bluegills out the ying yang. Any other actual lake questions, please ask me, if you think it will help. So today has been the best day weather wise in I can't remember when. Winds 6-7mph S, sunny all day, high 80. Water temp was probably (in the NW side) 63-64. I go fishing today and one other guy is out there. For almost 4 hours collectively we catch ONE fish. Now I have caught a chunk in winter on a jig and she was eating good. (only caught one so far, just started fishing this lake a month ago or so) I think the bass are shallow because their bodies are triggering them to get ready for spawn. I fished one whole side of the bank, and saw probably 15 : 1-3lb bass, 10-15 feet off the bank. Water depth where they were was maybe 3ft. The other guy walked that whole side and said he saw probably 50 5lb'ers, and 2-3 over 10lbs. On his side it's very structure related, and snaky too lol. To my actual question(s)....since we both saw these fish sort of staying close to each other, and swimming in big big circles, have most noticed (who ACTUALLY fish spawn ALOT) when you're fishing before spawn, them to do this? I know once they ARE spawning food is not on the bass' minds, but I was thinking this is RIGHT before spawn time. I have seen fish spawn several times, but we've also caught fish when the fish (at other lakes) were acting like they were at this new lake. I am confused as to why bluegill, shad, crawfish all could be swimming by these bass, and nothing happen........nothing! So I thought they were like days from spawning and this is a) why I was seeing such weird behavior, and why we couldn't buy a bite. Heck even the bluegills were calm today-tonight. My second question I guess is, if they are indeed about to spawn, I can check the progress of the bass this weekend more in depth (more time basically lol), and see if anything changes...but should I wait to fish this place like a month later? Are some fish in some bodies of water, not "eaters?" This really to me wouldn't make sense that they are 'different' in feeding way, because that one I got was FULL from something....I am also thinking more and more, they ARE about to spawn, and that one I caught was feeding for this purpose. Any scientific articles/thoughts are also very much welcomed! I am probably overthinking this ;D , and they are about to spawn, but I've not seen spawn a 100 times (for example.) Thanks.

Yes all please post more!!! ALSO PLEASE REMEMBER TO GRAB MIKES P.P.....link is posted above.

Power Point presentation can be grabbed here: http://mighty-hero.panicnow.net/tritonmike.ppt I am going to host this for about a month, then remove it, best to grab it regardless Dial up need not apply. Thanks again Mike and everyone who responded.

They look great to me....

Noisy baits.

Nice clean looking girl indeed. 8-)

Sorry to steal the thread away from the original author's question, but I still have some questions. So the 1648 is safe to use, how are people in jon boats sinking? Is it from the chop coming over the sides on a bigger lake? I want to get my own jon (we fish from my buddies skeeter currently) but don't want to worry I might drown! I am wanting to do something like what you have Mike, but are you saying I can't use this setup unless it's a 20 acre lake with no wind? More over, what is the difference I guess is what I want to know from a skeeter and a jon? Is it being higher off the water that's causing the stability, or the keel, or what? A 16 ft bass and a 16 jon boat are different I understand this, but WHAT is the main differences? Should I try and find an older bass boat, or will I truly be fine in a big jon???? :-/

Can you say why you would rather have your boat over a jon? Also when you all ask about stability, are you asking for standing up reasons, or flipping over reasons?

You mean some people quit fishing for bass?

So you tie them on and reel them back? that's it? I like that lol

We have not forgot the plug yet, because I repeat it the whole day down lol But we have LEFT the prop stick at the ramp, luckily the boat didn't bounce all over the place. We had to buy another one. :

True, but the NE side heats up sooner right? The NW gets more sun throughout the day, plus the sun setting.

Oh and our lakes that are electric only, no wading no swimming are included too.

I live in NE Ok, and we have so much water it's insane. I have heard somewhere that if you took all the water out of OK and 'lined' it up, it would reach from FL to NY! Retention ponds everywhere in the city and off HWY's, huge bodies of water, and a jillion and a 1/2 smaller lakes. I have (since last year) been travelling to all these different lakes, of which some are gem clear, and some are mud in a bowl, I've probably hit 20 of them so far. I have a long way to go too lol Also we have double digit fish in almost every body of these waters. I love it also when I can drive 20-45 minutes and be on lake "x", with lake "y", and lake "z" being 10 minutes away.

I am more calm on the water than any other time. For me, it is also spiritual in a way.