boondocks

I'd buy one! Probably be the most informative book known to bass fishing.

The LC's still seem a little expensive for my taste. I mean can anyone honestly say they are that much better than a Rapala? If I am ever convinced that they are that much better than I'll try some out. I can't imagine one being that much better than the next to cost that much extra, but I have been known to be wrong. As far as them being tuned right out of the box, that just isn't a good enough reason for me to pay that kind of extra money. Any crank can be tuned in a minute or less.

Love the concept.

I agree Hawghauler. Neither is luckier than the other. Both have a certain degree of skill. Who's to say which angler has more talent or who is luckier. Its all a matter of opinion.

MEPPS firetiger with the bucktail.

I haven't read through all these posts(but probably should have) and don't know if this has been brought up yet. First let me add that I have no problems with tournament fishing and would like to do a little myself some day soon. The thing I hate seeing every Sunday morning on ESPN is some of the pro's, not all, but some that pull the fish out of the water and slam them into the counsel or the side of the boat. I just seen it again this weekend. Its kind off disturbing and it really bothers me. Fishing has always been a kid and family friendly sport. I think that gives tournament fishing a negative veiw. As for the guy in the article complaining about tournament boats whizzing by his cabin at six in the morning. I think he should get over it and realize the world doesn't revolve around him. He obviously didn't own the lake. It would be like going to a public basketball court where a tournament is being held and complaining to the editor cause you couldn't shoot some hoops. Big deal.

Gman hit the nail on the head. Whittler, did you paint that yourself? Never seen a color like that. Very, very nice.

That makes a lot of sense. I thank everyone for all their imput.

A few years ago I fished a couple lakes that were lined with Cattails. At the edge of the cattails it was about 3 to 4 ft I believe. I would flip the jig right up against the wall of weeds and let it fall and they almost always would hit it on that first fall to the bottom. It got to the point where if I didn't get a hit off that first fall I'd reel in fast and flip it to another spot along the weeds. The bite didn't start till right before dark and lasted about an hour, but in that time you could catch up to 25 bass a night. It was crazy. The jig was a football head jig and a silicone skirt tipped with a crawler. A hit on a jig feels like a thump or a tic or your line will jump or move to the side. From my experience most hits feel like a thump. Now the water on these lakes is so low that most of the weeds arn't even in the water. Droughts suck!

I don't believe in them.

Way to many. About five big tackle boxes full and I'd be willing to bet I don't use 90% of the lures I have.

This might be a post more for the northern folk that are used to iced over lakes in the winter but if anyone has some experience or good ideas I would appreciate any opinions. I always have a real problem catching fish right after ice out when the water temps are in the 40's and low to mid 50's. What are some of the techniques used for ice out bass?

I have caught bunches on the Missouri River useing jigs tipped with minnows. 1/4oz rattle traps can be deadly.

Every lake has its own "attitude" so to speek. Someone on an earlier post said a bass is a bass where ever you fish. That is true to a point but there are a lot of exceptoins to that comment. For instance down south silver and shiny rattle traps or cranks are a proven fish catcher due to the shad populations in most lakes. Here in ND there isn't any shad, so shiny,silver lures usually ain't the best option. Yea, if you fish that color lure long enough eventually you will catch fish but you probably would have a lot better luck using a different color in fact I know you would. I don't think what the author of this post is saying is to far fetched. There is a lake that I fish quite often that has a less than desireable topwater bite. I have caught a couple fish on topwaters in the lake I'm refering to but there are WAY better techniques that will catch fish on this lake. For some reason the topwater bite is terrible and always has been. My folks have a cabin on a lake that I grew up fishing. Its a walleye lake but the example I'm gonna give you pertains to this subject. For some reason the walleyes and pike in this lake love the color orange from ice out till about the end of June and it happens every year. If you use orange rapalas you will catch fish, any other color you might catch a fish here and there. Its a difference between catching a couple or a whole bunch. There are a lot of different lakes in the same area and none that I know of have that same preference for the color orange. Now if a walleye is a walleye why doesn't orange work like that on the other lakes. Its the same reason the fish on Lake Conroe don't like topwaters. THEY JUST DON'T AND WON'T. Simple as that. Thats why I love fishing so much. It keeeps you on your toes. Blank your just gonna have to find a different technique.

I think we got a lot of people telling fibs in here.

I'm really big into the whole "fish what you have confidence in" thing. The longer you fish the more you have confidence in certain colors under certain conditions. One guy may have confidence in bright colors fishing dark water, the other dark colors in dark water and they will both catch fish. Then to put a twist in it, have them swap lures under the same conditions and neither will probably catch anything cause neither have confidence in what they are throwing. Confidence is a weird thing when it comes to fishing. I throw bright and dark colors in stained water. Almost always throw natural looking lures is clear water except on cloudy days. I have always had good luck useing firetiger on cloudy days. I try and let the fish dictate things the best I can but I always seem to end up fishing my confidence colors. I am mainly refering to crankbaits. With plastics I always fish dark.

This may be true in the winter but in the spring, summer and fall if you focused mainly on drop-offs you would be missing out on a lot of good fishing. Gradual tapering rock and weed flats can be deadlyl. Sunken islands especially ones with rock are seriously deadly. If you would focus on drop-offs I would definately make sure they have some rocks or weeds.

I not sure if you have a boat or not, but if you do and this lake is as clear as you say it is, you should be able to see them cruising the flats on a calm sunny day. In the clear water lakes that I fish in they are very easy to locate this way. Although I have never tried it in the winter like now but in the spring, summer and fall you can see them. Throw out a bouy then back off and cast around the area you seen them. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to leave them alone for awhile cause they spook pretty easy but they always return.

Who are their opponents ,Rampage and Crow-Cop that is? Would love to see a rematch between Rampage and Liddell. Rampage made it look way to easy the first time. I think Crow-cop could mop up in the heavy-weight division but you never know in this sport.

I cast a lot of cranks in flooded timber and the one thing I don't leave home without is a lure retreiver. Since I have bought it I have had 100% success rate using it . I have always used it from a boat. I guess I have never treid it from shore, but imagine it would still work. I know it has saved me hundreds of dollars in cranks over the last 5 yrs. Before I bought one I remember thinking myself "Who would buy something so rediculous?" thinking it was so simple it would never work. Till after an outing where I lost a butt load of cranks and went a bought one. How something so simple can work so good.

I think I read about this somewhere, maybe in In-Fishermen, I'm not sure. Has anyone ever treid this with any success? It seems like it would work pretty good. The bobber on a windy day or just a little chop would add its own action to the wacky rig drifting along at a slow pace. How could you go wrong? Just curious to know if anyone uses this technique? or any comments? pros or cons?

Man, thats a tough one. I'd have to say jigs in general. I use to many different kinds to name just one. And crankbaits.Same with the cranks as well. I use to many to name just one. So there it is; Jigs for #1 Cranks for #2

Aaahhhhhhh. I'm speechless.

Oh well, what the heck. Thanks Muddy-man. lol I had no idea.

Looks purdy bodacious! 8-) Nope never used it. But would like to.