CyBasser

Yes. It works. Texas rigged, weighted or weightless (if you are patient enough... ).

Totally agree. I do use a lot of power pro, as well as some other braids (mainly due to the fact that powerpro is not available at stores here). Never had any knot failures with it, nor accidental breakage. And, once you use it a couple of times, the line becomes very manageable. By far best braid I have used.

Hmmm, I have two of the 12" version but I never tried them. After seeing this post, maybe, just maybe, I will give them a shot...

Hi Garnet, Yes, I am well aware of them. English - style matches are frequently held here for roach, bream, and carp. Those net - "keep nets" - though are not very useful because they are quite big and a bit unwieldy to hold or carry as you walk around shores filled with rocks, stumps, and brush. We need something that can readily fit in a backpack. The BPS version of them seems far better. Regarding the weigh-in, the plan is that if we catch a keeper we put in the net (or stringer), and the patrolling referee comes along, weights the bass, and releases it in situ without the anglers necessarily being present. The net or stringer will be marked by the (two-person) team's name, and one of the team members will collect it as he walks back along the shore. Obviously, in this way, it is likely that most teams will present more than the required three fish, but at the end, independently of how many bass the team caught, only the three largest will be eligible. Again, thanks for the great input!

No offense! I understand it was a bit unclear as I put it! :

Those swiss bass are beauties 8-)! Nice job Daniel!

Hi again, Thank you all for your answers. Indeed, the stringer is one of the means we consider for our shorefishing tournaments. Boats (of any kind) are not allowed in our reservoirs by law. So it has to be shore. Until last year we had a weigh-in at the end which meant lots of trouble for keeping the bass alive, and we did have some casualties (of bass I mean!). For our spring competition we are changing the format to fishing along predetermined lengths of each bank (2-3 miles total), with judges being present who will "patrol" the in-limits areas and check the sizes (weight and length) in the field. Each participant will have three (or more) nets or stringers which will be left (marked of course) on the shore for the judge to check them. We are doing this with the sole purpose of the welfare of the bass. Both the stringer and nets have advantages and drawbacks. The stringers are cheaper, slightly easier to carry, but the fish have to be hooked on them, and there is the additional risk of a bass tying itself around some obstruction. Nets are more expensive, take a bit more space, but they allow the bass to move freely in them. There is though indeed the potential of damage being done during the collection of the fish (ie removing slime and scales), though since they will be wet this risk is minimized. A third alternative we look into is the use of "keep sacks": Large dark, micromesh nets designed for use in specimen carp fishing in Europe. These are intermediate in cost, take similar space to the BPS nets, cause less damage to fish, but we have yet to find a good retailer for them. At least we are doing everything possible for the welfare of our green finned friends! And, of course, any additional input will be welcome!

Hi everybody, Are you guys ever using stringers for keeping fish alive for catch&release? Are they suitable for such a purpose? I have heard that tournament pros in their livewells use stringers to attach fish for easier handling, culling etc. Is that true? The use of stringers has been suggested to me as a good alternative means to keeping nets for keeping bass alive at bank fishing, but I have serious doubts. Any input will be greatly appreciated.... Thanks!

Yeah, but that little bass that Vyron is holding in his avatar was caught on a T.S.! Personal opinion: Best bass rod around in the $29 range! I have used mine heavily throughout 2005 and 2006 and have been very satisfied, especially for working soft plastics...

I totally agree with Avid. I have been using braid in green moss, hi-vis yellow, hi-vis pink, and smoke without any trouble. The occasion I switched to using a fluoro leader was in a tournament, with a visibility of more than 15ft, post cold front conditions, and most contestants fishing the same general area. The only bites and fish I got that day were after tying a fluoro leader. I have used braid without leader in other clear water situations with no significant fishingh pressure and did not have any problems. Largemouth bass (at least) are definitely not line shy under normal conditions....

Hi there, I *** you all guys with direct access (ie "walk-in") to stores full of bass equipment For me is practically total internet shopping (save for some Berkley and Yamamoto lures that are available here)... I would vote Tackle Warehouse as my first choice, being so easy to navigate, full of tackle not found at other major shops, and very efficient service. BPS remains a classic favorite as well. Lots of stuff, excellent service, very reasonable shipping rates. Cabelas does have a nice collection as well (though I personally think it is not up to the TW or BPS standard), but their international shipping pricing is outrageous so I rarely buy anything there - it has to be something that is not available at the other megastores.

Do you guys know the dates for the 2008 ISE show? I plan to be in So.Cal sometime around this time of the year in 2008 8-). Fourbizzle, by the way, a package with certain lures is on its way to me, I expect to receive it in a week or so. I will send you a P.M. as soon as I get it for some discussion. Thanks for your input, it is highly appreciated ...

Lucky you Fourbizzle 8-)! I wish I could be there .....

Although my preference is for a particular buzzbait with a single three-bladed propeller, there were occasions on which side-by-side two propeller buzzbaits made all the difference (the fish would rise to my usual buzzbait without attacking, but would go crazy on the double propeller). Most of the time though the single-propeller, three-bladed buzzbait works better....

I agree with the "other" guy... But: On occasion it might be worthwhile to experiment by trying them without the split-ring. The above mentioned altered action might just make the difference. But generally, they work better most of the time with the line attached to the split ring...

Powerbait worms 7 and 10 inch work great. BungeePowerbait Hawgs and Power Hawgs work well too. Frenzy lipless crankbaits have worked well for me in the past, especially the previous models of bluegill and baby bass. Their newer models, despite their more realistic hues have not been as succesful for me...

Until last November, I would have also said what KU said. I prefer powerpro myself. But, after experiencing visibility problems in November (one of the reservoirs I usually fish suddenly turned clear) I have to agree with this: Exception: If for any reason I need my lure to go down really fast, then I switch to fluoro throughout...

Hi there, Rapala DT are my go-to crankbaits. I have been fishing them extensively for years, never had any problems with them (like lip breaking). All of my fishing is done from the shore, usually from rather steep shores, and both the DT10 and DT16 have performed well in a variety of colors. They are no more prone to snag than other crankbaits, they have strong vibrations, and can give you excitement even if bass refuse to bite with their water resistance! Another excellent variant that has worked exceedingly well for me is the DT7 flat with a large, square bill. Use them and these crankbaits are bound to reward you!

Well, Yermasogeia was a lost case for the well-known reasons since last year. Something positive though is that in front of the dam wall there is a very deep hole which was dug up before the reservoir was filled, still providing about 20 meters of water depth, in addition to the 2-meter shallow edges. This is the only reason the fish survived, otherwise they would all be dead before fall! With their work being completed, I expect that they will allow now any water inflow to accumulate. Even in a bad year like 2007, there should be about 1-2mcm of water flowing in, which will be sufficient for another year. By the way, there are unconfirmed rumors of somebody called "Spyros" from Limassol having caught a 5Kg+ (11lb) largemouth on a live roach about two weeks ago there. Island bassin, have you heard anything? The simple answer is "nobody". The fact is though that it is necessary to maintain some water, especially in Kourris, because of needs having to do nothing with fishing (drinking water for Limassol, water for the Aphrodite Hills "world-class" golf club). It is expected that snow meltdown from the mountains should add about 0.5mcm in the next few days to Kourris, and there should also be some water tranfer from Arminou. But still things are very grey...

Hi Cybassman, I have always being a supporter of closing certain reservoirs for fishing in cases of severe draught. Not only for the spawning period, but for as long as is needed for the reasons I described in my previous post. Xyliatos is not a good example, as the Fisheries Department doesn't really care about that reservoir. But if they closed any of the major reservoirs - such as Kourris - then control of illegal fishing would be a bit easier in the sense that ANYONE fishing there would be illegal, no need to check the license! And places like Kourris are far easier for the police to check as the illegal anglers usually prefer to fish at the readily accessible points. I agree it is hard to change the Catch and Keep mentality. But I will have to point out that quite a few persons, after seeing me releasing large bass (including fish above 2Kg) have started to re-consider and at least a few of them now practice considerable catch and release. In many cases it is just a matter of giving the good example. There is no doubt that some people will not practice catch and release - but if some people start doing it, then within a few years, the mentality of an increasing percentage of bass anglers will gradually change. A start has to me made somewhere! But yes, I agree that time is running out and immediate measures have to be taken. Now!

ABSOLUTELY! I have more than 10 bass books now (and three more on their way), but nothing compares to Advanced Bass Fishing by John Weiss. A real Bass Bible (in spite of it being 20 years old!).

Hi you guys, Well, island bassin, you did post some tough questions.... I have to agree in this respect with Cybassman. Around 2000 our reservoirs were in a much greater distress regarding the amount of water than they are now. Kourris had reached a low point of less than 2mcm, Kalavasos was down to 300,000cm, and Dhipotamos had become a paddle of less than 200,000cm. They all recovered pretty quickly with the significant rainfall between 2001 and 2004, the only real loss being the possible demise of tench in Dhipotamos. I do believe that the people at the Water Development Department will not be crazy enough to allow water discharge at the rates observed over the last two years, if they do it is quite possible to have tragic results. But as you must have heard over the local media, water conservation measures will be enforced again soon. It is certainly true that fishing pressure on bass has increased substantially over the last few years, that's why I'm doing all this "catch and release" campaign over the last few months. Things are not yet tragic. But they could become. Like Cybassman, I am concerned with the increased vulnerability of bass in the following months if the rest of the "rainy" season remains as rainless as it has been up to now. Catch and release of bass during spawning will not significantly affect bass breeding, but "catch and keep" certainly will. My main worry though is what will happen after the spawning season. Bass are not that easy to catch during spawning. A tournament scheduled during April has already been designated as strictly catch and release, so Cybassman needs not to worry about it, rather it is the recreational "catch and keep" throughout the year that should worry him - and myself, and island bassin and all serious bass anglers of this country. The new regulation of a 10-bass bag is too generous in my opinion, and of course the main threat is the still uncontrolled illegal fishing. During the summer period, lots of people will likely concentrate on trying to harvest as many bass as possible as with much reduced water volumes and with the bass high activity levels it will be much easier to locate and catch our green friends. I am especially concerned about Kourris. During the low water period of 1999-2001, the shores of Kourris were much more accessible than they are now. As Cybassman correctly pointed out, then few people were really after bass. Things are different now. This could be a real blow to bass fishing at Kourris. My personal belief is that if after the end of February the water quantities remain low (below 20%), Kourris, and possibly Kalavasos and Dhipotamos should be closed for fishing until water levels get high again. I would rather miss a season of bass fishing at these dams rather than risk loosing a lot more until populations recover. Keep in mind that as the situation is right now, the biggest threat to bass spawning is not fishing, but the possibility of sudden water level increase (especially in case of heavy snow on the mountains late in the winter) resulting in the loss of spawn. Bass fishing, especially recreational with harvest, is the main threat though to the populations right now. If we lose a year's class of bass it will not become a real problem, but if we lose a significant proportion of the adult bass then things could become grim. In the case of no rains this year, with a harvest of a significant proportion of the adult bass (including possibly the majority of the largest females), then, when the water levels go up again very few bass will be breeding to re-establish the old populations. This worst-case scenario is unfortunately quite likely, and it will take several years for the populations to reach the levels we have seen during the last 4-5 years. In any case, please keep praying to the rain gods - we really need rain and snow!

Hi there, I mostly use PowerPro, but I had to write a review for the Fireline Crystal for a local publication recently, so I was given the chance to use the actual stuff. I have used Fireline in the past and I was not too happy. The Crystal (20lb dia) surprised me pleasantly. It is still more stiff than powerpro but less so than other Firelines. Did not have any of the problems Daniel is referring to above (maybe you got a spool from a bad bunch?). Abrasion resistance was better than on the pink fireline I used for hi-vis. Certainly improved casting performance on spinning equipment. I can't confirm the "invisibility" claim, certainly it is not visible below the surface as seen from above. It has quite a hi visibility though above water despite its milky appearance, I could actually see it better in low light compared to the pink one. I still have the line I tested on a spool and use it often for actual fishing with no problems whatsoever that I would blame on the line. As I said, I'm a powerpro fun. I still prefer it over Crystal, maybe because I'm used to it. But I would certainly consider crystal if I was worried about line visibility.

First and foremost, a tour of San Diego County lakes, especially Lake Dixon. Perhaps a quick trip down to Mexico. And a few other places in the US (FL, Northeast). We should start figuring out dates etc buddy ! Then, maybe Egypt for the Nile Perch or South Africa for Bass and TigerFish... Or even Carribean for dorado / tarpon / permit...

I have them. I caught bass on them. But haven't yet figured yet a real pattern on when they are best. At times they catch you fish when nothing else gets them, then when you expect they would work bass just ignore them. They are supposed to work best on slightly rippled surface under low light and especially overcast conditions. Yet all the bass I got on them were under a bright sun...