OCdockskipper

We have lived in the same home since 1989 and noticed natural cycles that last about 8 years or so. First will be a couple of years with a booming rabbit population. Then suddenly we will have an influx of coyote who are obviously after the rabbits as well as small neighborhood pets. After a few years of that, the rabbits are gone & the coyotes focus on pets & trashcans. The give up after a couple of years and we then have neither around until the next rabbit boom.

I don't fish tournaments, but if I understand the rules correctly, anglers can only get information that is publicly available. So does that mean you can't PM Everythingthatswims with advice, but you could start a thread on this website about your experiences on that lake?

Hope he does well. I was impressed that he didn't long arm the trophy...?

I thought the same thing. I know from experience on Lake Mead that houseboats do much better traveling with storm waves than trying to barrel through them. Those duckboats look as maneuverable as a bulky houseboat.

Great fish!! Your first picture shows how much more impressive a truly big fish is when photographed next to the fisherman instead of being pushed towards the camera. Everything is in perspective and one can appreciate how big that hawgs head really is. Way to go!!

I believe one of the most misused phrases in the fishing industry is "A bass is a bass wherever you go". I get the simplicity of that saying and how it implies the basics are the same no matter where you fish. However, I believe it overlooks the differences & nuances of each body of water, differences that have a huge impact on the numbers and size of the fish you catch. I would suggest that every body of water has its own "Rules of the Lake" and it takes some time to discover those rules. Here are those rules for my home lake: LAKE FOREST II Topwater presentations work about 10 days a year. Not 10 days in a row, but sporadically throughout the spring, summer or fall, there will be about 10 days where there will be a consistent bite on top. What 10 days those are will be dependent on weather and other conditions, sometimes seemingly random. For the other 354 days of the year, you might get a bite or two on top, but more likely the fish will just ignore your offering; Jigs rule the bottom during winter (or what passes for a winter here), soft plastics are king the other 3 seasons; Slow presentations will out fish reaction moving baits 95% of the time. When the bite is on reaction baits, quiet lures (no rattles or flash) will out fish loud lures; You could catch a limit of keepers every day for an entire year doing nothing but skipping a 4" Senko in Green Pumpkin under docks. It won't always produce the most fish and it won't always produce the biggest fish, but day after day, there will always be enough fish there to fill out a limit; At least once every outing, someone in a pontoon boat will innocently do something stupid near you. What are some rules you have discovered on the water you fish?

I'd say it is the lake more than me, although you do need to know some tricks in order to get a bait in front of them consistently. When I first started fishing here, 10 fish was a real good day for me because I didn't know how many fish I was passing by.

In Saturday Night Lives old Jeopardy skits where Will Ferrell played an exasperated Alex Trebek to various nitwit celebrity players, Norm McDonald used to do an impression of Burt Reynolds. In one episode, Burt began demanding that Alex call him Turd Ferguson because it " was a funny name". A few years ago, in the real Jeopardy, a contestant who had no chance of winning & didn't know the final answer, wrote "who is Turd Ferguson" in response to the last question. Just silliness...

My daughters cat being tormented by one of the neighborhood bunnies...

Save that old TM & modify it to be a rudder, it makes a big difference when you have the working TM in the front. I believe there are a few posts about how different folks converted old TM's into rudders. I cut off the old motor housing & used a Bullnose Rudder (https://www.fishntech.com/bullnose_rudder.html) in its place, it works like a charm.

I believe it depends on what the carp are doing. If they are spawning, where they are splashing around like drunken frat boys & mucking up the bottom drastically, then I tend to find most bass vacate the area. If they are looking for food & disturbing the bottom in smaller groups, not really changing the water quality, then I will find bass amongst them or nearby.

Very ingenious and exactly what you need, a mobile casting deck. However, you do realize you have now confirmed every Yankee stereotype about Arkansas anglers... ?

I am going to answer this from a different, non-technical direction. I would suggest the easiest way to detect bites is spend a lot of time on the water fishing bottom bumping baits in lakes with healthy fish populations. After enough hours on the water, you too will instinctively set the hook on bass that others would have never felt.

I believe that truck belongs to Turd Ferguson...

I started with Senkos, bought some Dingers when I noticed the price difference and eventually went back to Senko's. I'm not sure why, I just catch more & larger fish with Senko's.

Everyone on this forum either currently has the bass boat of their dreams or knows what they would like to own one day. However, I bet that we have all used many different types of vessels as a bass fishing platform, whether it be when we started, when we were on vacation or just in a pinch. I thought about this today and here is what I have used to catch bass over the years: 6 ft dingy (with electric motor); 12 ft canoe (same electric); 14 ft Sears Gamefisher (7.5 hp & foot controlled electric); Float tube; 25 ft party boat (put transom mount electric on front); 26 ft deck boat (put transom mount electric on front); 17 ft Champion Fish & Ski; 10 ft Kayak; Pedal boat; 10 ft Pond Prowler (with electric). What are the different boats you have used to catch bass?

I believe bass fishing is like many things in that the learning curve is non linear. I believe it isn't even consistent, that instead there are moments or days when pieces come together and you make great leaps compared to weeks or months when you advance very little. Often those long periods of no apparent growth are building the foundation for an explosion when the environment is right for it. I remember reading this years ago - "Like any plant, growth of the Chinese Bamboo Tree requires nurturing – water, fertile soil, sunshine. In its first year, we see no visible signs of activity. In the second year, again, no growth above the soil. The third, the fourth, still nothing. Our patience is tested and we begin to wonder if our efforts (caring, water, etc.) will ever be rewarded. And finally in the fifth year – behold, a miracle! We experience growth. And what growth it is! The Chinese Bamboo Tree grows 80 feet in just six weeks!"

Ned for me, probably because of the results.

I was guessing that the 2020 Classic (the 50th) was going to be back at Lake Mead and that B.A.S.S. would tie in a few stops out west since they were going to be there. With the Delta being a 2019 stop, I am now doubting that they will do that, they only come out here every 4 or 5 years. I was initially considering signing up as a marshal for the Delta until I saw they were going out of Discovery Park in Sacramento. That would mean a 90 minute plus trip boat trip down to the Delta, 4-5 hours of fishing & then 90 minutes plus back to Sacramento, each day. No thanks.

I keep a detailed log on all the fish I catch on my home lake, I fish it 50 plus times a year. I figure since I fish it so often, keeping detailed records will be helpful. I also enjoy looking back and comparing years. However, when I am on vacation or fishing a different body of water, I'll pay attention to how many I catch, but I don't document it. That said, my best year was 2016, when I caught 1552 bass (averaged 26 per trip) on my home lake. However, as of July 7th, I have caught 920 bass this year (36 per trip), so unless something weird happens over the next 6 months, 2018 may be the banner year. Ironically, 2017 was one of my slowest years with 875 fish (19 per trip).

Without Googling it, my guesses are: 2018 - Brent Ehrler 2017 - Steve Kennedy 2016 - Jason Christie 2015 - Bobby Lane 2014 - Edwin Evers I use Fish Sticks, both the Shad & Crawdad. I am in the camp that I believe it helps, I can't prove it does and I know that it doesn't hurt. However, I can tell you that when I was in their boats, neither Ish Monroe, Dennis Tietje, Alton Jones, David Fritts nor Gerald Swindle used any scent at any part of the day. None of them caught anything over 3 lbs either, but maybe I was just bad luck... ?

I have a dog that does that...

Saturday (the 6th) was the 3rd show of 7 that CBS is broadcasting.

Forget the bluegill & fish for bass instead. The big bluegill will feel slighted and will strike your bass lures in order to get attention. This is especially effective for females.

A person who chooses to do that is either ignorant or unreasonable. In either case, they have no interest in hearing a dissenting opinion. Save your breath & call Fish & Game.