king fisher

I fish way to fast. I know I could catch more and bigger bass if I slowed down, but I fish to have fun. Nothing is more fun for me than making a long cast with a fast moving bait to untouched water. My biggest bass since I was a kid have all been on the first cast to new spot, only because most spots only get a first cast.

Over all I believe carp are a negative for bass fishing. They stir up the bottom making the water dirty, and eat lots of small organisms that the juvenile bass eat. This can make a difference in early growth rates for bass, and is a huge problem with growth rates for trout. It may help the fishery as for trophy size bass, but hurt overall numbers and the average size of younger age classes. In the West they will poison some lakes to remove the carp, and the results are impressive. Game fish especially trout growth rate sky rockets, and the water clears up a significant amount. Problem is some carp survive overpopulate and have to be killed off again every few years. If the lake is on a river system it is impossible to kill them off so once populated fisherman simply get used to what ever balance that particular fishery has. Most places carp have simply been there so long people view them as a native species. As far as bass coexisting and feeding around carp, there are times when they are right next to each other, and times when they avoid each other. Only way to tell for sure is cast a lure and see.

My wife was frustrated with me when I couldn't figure out how to do something she called simple with my phone (it wasn't simple, simple is using the phone to talk to someone). I told her to be patient, that new age electronics were difficult for me. She then asked how come I didn't seem to have any problem learning how to work my new Garmin fish finder, or how to look up screenshots and other advice on my computer and even phone to get the most out of my fish finder. I hate it when she tries to apply her idea of logic to my fishing.

There was a time, when I lived in a cabin without running water or electricity. My car was worth south of $500. I wore clothes bought at the second hand store. I flew a plane, made in 1947 held together with duct tape, and a prayer. But my fly rods cost over $400, and a couple reels even more. I bought more fishing gear than I could ever use, and it was all top end. Now I live near the beach in a condo (married now wife requires indoor plumbing and electricity), drive an average used car, even own some brand new clothes bought at Walmart, and only fly in my dreams. My Kayak cost as much as my cabin did and my fishing gear collection while still large is far more economical, with rods and reels costing around $100 each. The important thing is I still feel like a kid, every time I'm on the water with a rod in my hand. The cost of my gear may go down, but my returns will never diminish.

I think computers and other new tech. makes people lazy. Just look at your TV remote. Can you imagine someone so lazy they wont bother to tell their wife or kids to turn the TV channel?

A $100 rod will catch bass. A $200 rod will greatly diminish my marital returns.

Where I fish now the weather can be exactly and I mean exactly the same for months. The fish bite like crazy the first day the weather changes. I do what ever I can to be on the water the first day it rains after the winter dry season. When I lived in Eastern WA the fishing was better when the weather was stable. The problem there, especially in the spring was, if I didn't like the weather, all I had to do was wait 5 minutes and it would change.

The article I was referring to was written in 1977, long before he made any videos, and he definitely said that his studies indicated, bass were repelled by the color yellow, and attracted to the color green. He recommended against using yellow lures. At the time my favorite lure was a black and yellow spinnerbait that I had caught my PB on. He might have changed his opinion by the time he made the video. I was young, impressionable, and believed everything I read. My friend didn't like to read, and was gifted with the ability to observe nature in a way that made him a natural outdoorsman. He would notice things while fishing and hunting that just passed by me. I thought I could learn everything by reading about bass fishing by experts such as the Bass Professor, and he thought he could learn how to bass simply by fishing and paying attention to what the water, and bass were telling him. He still uses the same old lures, including his yellow spinnerbait, and yellow Heddon Sonic, and he still makes fun of all my expensive gear, and what he calls fancy book learning. I cherish the days I out fish him, because they are very rare. It took many years, but I no longer take as gospel everything that is written in a magazine article about fishing. After all, now I have the internet, and if it is on the internet, it has to be true.

7 inch Senko June bug Skinny Dipper purple smoke, single and on A rig.

Dough Hannon also wrote an article in the late 70's stating that bass were repelled by the color yellow, and attracted to the color green. Of course I believed him. After all he was the bass professor. It didn't matter that my PB was caught on a yellow lure. I quit using yellow after reading the article. I told my friend I fished with he shouldn't throw his favorite yellow spinnerbait because the bass professor had done extensive studies proving bass didn't like yellow. My friend just kept catching fish with his yellow lure, while I remained skunked. Every time he caught another bass he would tell the bass to read more about fish and quite biting lures he wasn't supposed to bite. He said Hannon could fish with him any time. Even to this day when picking out chartreuse lures I try to get ones with more green than yellow in them. I simply can't get that article completely out of my mind. I'm not saying that Dough Hannon wasn't one of the most knowledgeable bass fisherman ever, or that I know even a fraction of what he learned. I am saying, I wouldn't believe everything he said. My biggest bass have come at all times of day, and all moon cycles, and my friend still catches bass on yellow lures.

I can't. I don't have a scale big enough.

Chapala Jalisco Mexico. Largest natural lake in Mexico. Large community of retired US and Canadian citizens. Mild year around climate. Bass recently introduced rapidly increasing in size and numbers. Last time I fished there, best 5 were 31 pounds and as far as I know I was the only one sport fishing the lake that day. Another plus is 5 other smaller basically unknown lakes with DD bass within driving distance from Chapala.

Not as many as I would like, but once in awhile a few more than I deserve.

Is this legal?

This is it for me.

That logic wont fly at my house. The next question my wife would ask. Can she throw all of her make up in to the lake then go buy all new because she lost it? She would also point out that she doesn't have a huge box of make up that she doesn't use but keeps for sentimental purposes. Might also mention. People compliment her on the way she looks made up. They only laugh at me and my fishing gear. I don't even keep the fish to eat, what difference can a new rod an reel make. I once told her at least I don't have a gambling problem. She informed me talking like that was a big gamble.

I am the worlds worst at taking something that is working, then trying to do some preventive maintenance on it, and making it not work. Only then do I remember my Uncles advice, if it aint broke don't fix it.

Yesterday, I was disappointed in every color.

June bug for plastics. Black and Blue for jigs and spinnerbaits. Please don't ask me why, because I have no clue.

DuPont spinner will work, but check your fish and game regulations to make sure it is legal, before using this lure of desperation.

You might give a #3 inline spinner a try. Inline spinners often go well together and only takes a few cats to determine if they are going to work.

I try to put what is practical for a small human power boat and pack my kayak accordingly. Problem is the Bait Monkey has the opinion I'm fishing out of a Yacht.

Don't forget Old Man and the Sea. Unbelievable footage of a marlin fight, considering the technology when it was filmed.

It has been many years since I last hunted predators, but I used to carry a predator call, and mouse squeaker in my pocket at all times while hunting and trapping. I have successfully called in and harvested. Coyotes Wolves, lynx, fox, bear I hope to be able to trap and call predator's again someday when I retire, maybe spend one more winter in the Alaskan Bush. Problem is I don't think I will be able to talk my wife in to an Alaska winter. My home state of WA might be an easier sell, but trapping is illegal there. Plenty of coyotes to call in, so that might be my best bet.

One of the few lures I had the in summer of 1977. It was my first crankbait. They were a popular company at the time. Living in the Northwest there wasn't many bass lures in tack shops, only trout and salmon lures. One shop in Spokane carried the Aquasonic brand, so I bought the only crankbait they had. They had a whole line of lures, with holes running through them to produce fish attracting sounds. I don't think the sound helped, but this particular one had a wide wobble the bass liked. I landed my first bass over 5 lbs on one. I found this one on a lot on Ebay one day and bought it even though the other lures in the lot were rusted and worthless. Proving the Bait Monkey is also a collector of old junk.