king fisher

It has definitely changed the way I fish. I used to be able to relax and have fun while fishing. Now I have the Bait Monkey screaming in my ear all day while I'm on the water. He constantly tells me I should have Live Imaging, you would be landing your PB right now if you had the Live Imaging. The pros all have Live Imaging. You have ruined your fishing trip, because you are to cheap to buy live imaging. That last cast was completely blind, you would be casting right in front of a DD if you had bought Live Scope. Only a cave man goes fishing without the latest technology. Do you want to play with your rods, or catch fish with them? You might as well go home, all the other anglers caught all the fish because they have Live Imaging. Who cares what your wife thinks. She isn't the one getting skunked because you didn't mortgage the house and buy Live Imaging sonar. He never lets up. That is how live forward scanning sonar has changed my fishing. I'm going to go wade some creeks, just to get the Monkey to shut up. What's he going to say, they have a new transducer that attaches to wading boots?

If your goal is to try it all, I wish you luck. Monkey is on your back and not going to let go. You should not have strayed from your Zebco 33 hooks and bobbers. Once you start down the bass tackle road, you are in for an expensive never ending journey.

When I was young there were almost zero bow hunters in WA State. The season, and bag limits for bow hunters were ridiculously long and generous, because nobody bow hunted therefore bow hunting did not put any strain on the resource. As bow hunting grew in popularity, fish and game had to restrict the seasons and reduce bag limits to manage the resource properly. When the popularity of bow hunting sky rocketed, they had to limit the seasons almost as much as they did with fire arms. I new then the good old days were gone for good. The surprising thing was when I talked to other bow hunters all they would talk about was getting more people in to the sport so we would have more influence with fish and game, and the general public. I did understand the need for a bigger voice, but also had to wonder if the need for a bigger voice grew at the same rate as the bigger voice. Then there was always the big worry that the Anti Hunters were going to make the sport illegal, if we didn't get enough people to fight for the cause. The funny thing is there were not Anti bow hunters when it wasn't popular. I have to wonder if making a sport more popular eventually ruins the sport. I eventually moved to Alaska to live where the fish and game was plentiful, negating the need for extreme fish and game management. I soon learned that Alaska is huge, and the wilderness is rich in fish and game, but I also learned that the best fishing spots are crowded and the politics behind who gets to fish, and when they get to fish is as much of a mud pit as any state. Now I live in Mexico where the management is terrible. Many lakes bass are considered trash fish that prey on the preferred commercial fish ( tilapia) and people are encouraged to keep every bass they catch. Commercial gill nets are everywhere, and catch everything. Even if there were regulations made by competent biologists, no one would care, because either there wouldn't be any enforcement, or the people enforcing the rules would be easily bribed to look the other way. Because there are very few sport fisherman, sport fishing for bass is awesome. I'm not saying we don't need management, and that I don't like to see kids learn to fish and being a guide I have taught many people to fish. I don't have an answer for over crowded fisheries and would not want to see the sport die, from lack of political clout. That said, I do have to wonder if the OP has a legitimate reason to question the popular theory that the more fisherman there are means more access, better regulation, better management, and overall better fishing because of increased dollars, and political clout. Maybe a louder voice only necessitates and even louder voice, when keeping quite is the best option.

I played little league, and caught the largest trout in an indoor pond, at a sportsman's show. Does that count? If not, my dog still thinks I'm the greatest at everything.

Because I can.

A good argument can be made for both philosophies. Of course nothing is better than years of local knowledge, if that knowledge doesn't put binders on a fisherman. Without local knowledge, or memories a person is basically fishing a new lake every day. Where memories become a problem, is when they help limit a persons ability to find or recognize a pattern. I fish a lake where I have caught many nice bass in the back of a bay. I always fish that spot, even if the fish I am catching are on windy points. I just have to try a few casts there because I have had luck there in the past. I need to be more observant and figure out what conditions are when the fish are in that bay, and leave it alone if those conditions are not present. I fish the spot so much, I'm sure to catch some just because I put so much time in to the spot. If I didn't have those memories, I would be spending more time looking for more windy points on that day which I should have recognized as a pattern. Combining local knowledge with an observant open mind, and recognizing similarities in locations that are producing makes for more memories to be used as knowledge on another day.

When I make a perfect cast, with a brand new, expensive lure I bought for that exact location, temp, wind, time of year, and moon cycle, and a bass doesn't show enough decent courtesy to even follow. Then my friend makes the same cast with his same old Chinese knock off lure he has had since high school, tied to 40 year old mono, on an old zebco 33 combo, and hooks the biggest bass in the lake. Even worse is when he asks if I want to borrow his rod, asks me if my expensive gear is just for show, or volunteers to give me fishing lessons. I tell him I already learned a lesson, and it is the same one I should have learned years ago, and that is not to take him fishing. Besides that my only other gripe, is an old one too. Santa bringing me clothes instead of fishing tackle every year. He could at least meet me half way and make the clothes camouflage

It means somebody wanted to appear to be helpful by telling you a good fishing location. In reality they really didn't want to be helpful. Who ever it was should get involved in politics, if they are not already a politician.

I admit buying tackle is an addiction with me. Am I going to quit? No, I'm not a quitter.

It's tough this time of year. The surface temp. dips down to 63 degrees early in the morning, and I can't get them to hit the buzz bait until the sun comes up and warms the water a few degrees. I guess I could try another lure, but it is easier to just sleep in and make my first casts with the buzz bait around 9:00 AM.

Inline spinner floating Rapala Shad Rap..

A fish does not have to be smart, or able to reason, to learn what it can eat, how to hunt it, and if it can hurt. Even the most stupid animal, learns quickly to avoid something that hurts. It definitely doesn't have to be a genius to figure out that trying to eat something that almost killed it is a bad idea. Like people, some bass are slow learners, and some never learn. Brain size doesn't have much to do with it. Even though bass cannot reason, I can still relate their actions to how I act. There are times, when I am cautious and don't make mistakes. There are other times, when I react quickly without thinking, resulting in me doing some very stupid things. Like bass many of my biggest mistakes were made from poor decisions attempting to spawn.

reel faster

Inline spinners, and floating Rapala. Everybody sings their praises, but how many people use them on a regular basis. # 3 inline spinner saved me from a skunk last year with a 7 pounder.

I read all these stories and wonder if some people have forgotten how to talk, or maybe they don't speak the same language. By the time I graduated kindergarten, I had a basic knowledge of how to communicate with people politely. Whenever I am fishing, weather it be from a boat, shore, or kayak, and encounter another angler, the first thing I do is stop fishing, and say is Hi how are you? The nest thing I do is ask, if I am intruding and if they mind if I fish in their proximity. If they say they would prefer if I leave, than that is what I do. If they tell me to go xxxx myself, then I ask them if they graduated kindergarten, then leave. Before I fish a lake or stream, I do try and find out what the local customs are. Some streams people fish shoulder to shoulder, Other places it would be considered rude to be within a mile of some one else. Once I determine what is considered normal, I try and stick to the local customs. If I don't know how to act, I simply politely ask. Once while guiding Salmon anglers on a stream where the only salmon were right where the shore angers got dropped off by the local air taxi would fish. All the guides would fish the whole hard form boats before the planes came, and would leave once the shore anglers showed up. One of the guides decided to stay and fish. His line crossed a shore anglers, and the guy pulled a gun and told him to leave. Not a good way for a guest at a lodge to enjoy a day. I couple days later I drove by the spot and saw a shore angler with a big king on, he was waded out as far as he could, and only had a couple feet of line left on his reel. I helped him get in my boat ran down river and landed the king for him. When I pulled in to shore to drop him off I asked the other anglers if I could make one run through the hole while they took a break. They all sat down and ate something while I back trolled through and hooked a big king. The next day I had one of the shore anglers in my boat as a client. The remainder of the season I would make it a point to stop and talk to the shore anglers. Give them advice on the fishing, and ask if they minded if I fished in front of them. Rarely did anyone say no. As the season wore on that hole became the only place to catch fish. Other guides routinely had shouting matches, and even more than one fight. I just kept being polite and catching fish. It never hurts to be nice. There are times to fight, but they are rarely over a fishing spot. I try to pick my battles wisely.

Never

I have had great service with Loomis, Orvis, and Sage. Walk in to any shop that sells them, hand them what is left of the rod, and pick another one off the rack. No questions asked. Other brands have been anywhere, from you bought it, you broke, good by, to send us you old rod, we will send you a new on, but you pay shipping. Most rods I have broke have been so blatantly my fault, that I would feel guilty trying to recover my loss with a warranty, so I don't bother even though I know I could get a replacement. It would not be honest to slam a rod in a car door, then tell the manufacturer they should replace it for warranty. Not the way I was raised. Orvis has a lifetime warranty that Is included in the price of the rod, so even if I run it over with a truck I will get a new rod.

Rebel Jumping Minnow. Easy to walk, great one knocker sound, cast a mile and best of all are inexpensive. I am surprised I never here them mentioned here. They were discontinued for a short time, but like the Pop R were brought back due to popular demand.

I can accurately dead center the only tree limb, or other snag along a one hundred yard bank, without even seeing it. How's that for accuracy?

I caught bass on almost everything I tried in 2021. The baits pictured all caught bass 6 lbs. or over. Some of the crankbaits in the picture are new, the old beat up ones that caught the fish have new homes at the bottom of the lake. The spinnerbait on the far left was lost on a 9 lbs. bass when it wrapped me in a tree. The next day a commercial fisherman caught the bass in his net, and gave me the spinnerbait back. I'm still hoping to catch a few big bass before 2021 ends. Spinnerbaits-- I made from parts purchased from different company's. Wire bodies were pre made, I just added the blades and skirts. Crankbaits-- Are Academy H20, 6th. Sense, Bomber, Rapala Buzz Baits are Cavitron. Rebel Jumping Minnow Old Monster worm 7 inch Senko Skinny Dipper. Used on A Rig and as a single bait.

The short answer to that question is. If I new I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.

If all you could do is open a small store, than you are not even close to having a problem. I could stock a large store. At the rate I'm going I will be able to stock a Bass Pro, Cabelas, and a Walmart maybe two and I don't have a tackle problem.

Drive south until you get to where nobody has ever heard of hand warmers. Problem solved.

Most lakes in Mexico are are good fisheries for two reasons. 1. The climate is great, and 2. The bass are stupid because of very little sport fishing preasure. Fisheries management has nothing to do with it. The lodges will tell American Anglers all kinds of BS about how the lake was intende to produce bass, and that catch and release of all bass is required by law. They will also tell the anglers, the bass are to smart to get caught in the gill nets intendended to catch Talapia. The Angler has a great time, and catches way more big bass than he does at home so naturaly believes what he is told. The truth is the nets catch a huge number of bass, and the locals don't even know how to spell catch and release. Just go to the nearest village an look at the fish market. There will be hundreds of bass as well as Tilaia for sale. Go to a resturant and bass will be on the menue. If one of these lakes had anywhere near the sport fish pressure that lakes in the states have the fishing would be a complete zero. The fact that what bass survive the nets, have an abundance of warm weather and prey to get big, and most have never even seen a lure makes for great fishing. I know everyone can complain about the management of their local lake, or State, but all in all most States do as well as they can considering the pressure put on the fisheries by sport fisherman. Instead of complaining about bad fisheries management, it would be more productive to participate in creel surveys, help promote catch and release when recommended by professional biologists, keep a limit when recommended by professionals, obey size limits and other laws implemented to provide a healthy fishery, improve tournament practices, by participating in a local club, and do what ever you can to keep the water as pollution free as possible. I used to complain about management of fisheries all the time when I lived in the States. I now realize how lucky I was to have competent professionals doing their very best to help sustain a resource for the public. Next time you want to complain about a State trying something new in management, just think how well you would like to loose a dozen crankbaits to an old gill net full of dead rotten bass. Then consider how lucky you may be.

I just had two surgeries on the same shoulder for torn tendons. I wish I had got a second opinion before getting the first one. After having the surgeries, I have done the research I should have done before, and found out I might have been able to avoid surgery all together. The original problem may have been what is called a frozen shoulder. A frozen shoulder starts out as inflammation causing extreme pain. The next stage most of the pain goes away, but the shoulder is stiff or frozen. The third stage is the recovery stage, with therapy the shoulder gets back to normal. The problem is during the inflammation stage everyone is in great pain, and the doctors try a shot, but it doesn't work. Then you get an MRI and it shows torn tendons. The tendons are torn, but probably were torn for years. If you were very active in your youth, you probably have partial tears in your tendons, and have probably had some shoulder pain for years. It may be time to fix the tendons, but it may also be the wrong time. Getting a surgery during the inflammation stage of a frozen shoulder can be like throwing gas on a fire, causing more inflammation, and pain. The shoulder gets more frozen, and therapy is more difficult. I had to get a second surgery not only to fix the botched job on the tendons, but to unfreeze the shoulder. While under anesthesia they were able to move my shoulder, unfreezing it, then orthoscopicly remove the scare tissue created by the first surgery. If you recently injured your shoulder and know when and how, than you probably tore the tendons at that time. If you can't really think of any one time you hurt it, than a frozen shoulder is a possibility I am not by any means a doctor, and your condition may be completely different than mine. You also have the advantage of being able to get on average better medical advice in the US than I could get in Mexico. I am simply telling you my story in hopes that it encourages you to get a second or third opinion, and do some research, before getting a surgery. Make sure you ask your physician about Frozen Shoulder. They may say it isn't even a consideration in your case, but it doesn't hurt to ask. As far as recovery from surgery goes, I was out of my sling after a week, and able to some physical work after 4 weeks from my second operation. I am working now 8 weeks post OP. but still haven't got full range of motion, and my strength is only 50% of what it was. 6 week full recovery time is a very optimistic prediction. Again, please don't take my experience as any kind of diagnosis, or recommendation for treatment. I am not a medical professional. I only want to help you realize that there are many different opinions and procedures that different medical professionals may recommend. I simply want to encourage you to get more than one opinion, and research as many options as you can.