WBFishing

Not to bring up bad experiences or anything My first event in CA, after my move in October '07 si the one true time I can say that I was really "front ended/back boated" . I fished an event and we were fishing a rock pile in 30+ All I saw was the back of the guy's head the whole time. He caught 20+ keepers off this pile and was culling. I was in the back all day, caught one out of no where. Even if he was retying, instead letting me hit the pile, he would just let the boat drift out of casting distance and then troll back up when he was done. He even called to me net his fish and actually help me with his culling beam. BEING A GOOD GUY, I DID. We left it and later in the day came back and his buddy (who is entered in the event, and showed him the spot) was about to get on it and he motors around him to get to it, cuts him off at about 10 ft. So at weigh in ( he ends u winning the event), the custom (since the division started, we were told) was to tell your baits and just tell the technique you used. Well, he lies and breaks the custom and tells some crap he never threw. I didn't rat him out, but like I told the wife, if I have to draw him again--I won't fish unless I can change partners. Sit on your buddies holeand he is in the event, back boat a guy, and lie to the members... what you think?

I am along the same lines of thinking as a lot of you. I don't think it should be a matter of it being written in the rules or not. I try to just practice the "treat others as you want to be treated". I have fished tournaments from the back of the boat, and have simply stopped fishing when I felt the boater moved in to close to someone, bank or boat. Yea it cost me a couple casts, but at least they can't say I was the a-hole.

Fished it about two years ago from a pontoon, but couldn't hit the spots i wanted to cause my "step father in law's" girlfriend wanted to drive the boat. It is deep and clear, like lots of the lakes. There was a trout plant this week. Wednesday is half off boat rental days, if you are renting from them. I also think you have to make reservations about 24-48 hours in advance of your trip, due to parking and lake limits. Drops shots and swimbaits is what I have been hearing,probably not what I would do considering the time of year and how the weather has been. Last Chance Bait and Tackle has some maps on Florida Ave in San Jacinto/Hemet. Good Luck, Will J

I live in San Jacinto. Yea, I have not been to DVL since last year when I was out here. We can get up and split one. I will be in touch. Willie

Anyone looking for a team partner for any of the trails around So Cal? Have been here 6 months and have not really got around to meeting many people. Still have not got a new boat and looking to get some backseat before my next events. Currently fishing Federation 6 & 7 and ABA. Give me a pm. Willie

Backyard fishing is the best. Don't you love pitching and flipping in the wife's flowers. The back yard is where I tried out the twitch bar, i have taken to fish a couple events. Unless I have freakishly big hands, I never had a problem with using the thing. I am only 5'9" and a normal sized guy, if I can't palm a reel and use all the features, then I don't want it. Besides the instruction clearly read do not use the twich bar as main source of your retrieve.

I ordered it from bass pro shops back in November. I like. I spooled it with 10lb mono and use it through topwaters, poppers and spooks. I like it as a topwater, because with it being a 7:1. I have used it for jigs and some finesse fishing because of the twitch bar. The twitch bar makes a handy little gadget for topwater to, just to give a subtle move.

I like the website. I say keep the bubbles. No one else I have seen has bubbles, that's the way you live right.

I skip with both. I am not great with either, but I figure I can get it done when I need to. The way I skip with a baitcaster is to adjust the brake tighter than I would normally have it. I pay close attention and when the lure it about to hit water, I do a quick thumb tap tp slow down almost stopping the spool. If your trajectory it right, the momentum of the lure when it touches down should strip more line off the reel while the lure is skipping. It works easiest with Zoom Horny Toads for me, cause I like to get them under docks and over hangs. I have done it with spinnerbaits and jigs. Like it was said earlier, just practice it. All of us can stand to add more tricks to the arsenal. I am getting good at picking those "nests" out anyways. A little work makes it worth it. That's why we call it fishing and not catching.

Some folks I know attach a barrel swivel to the mainline and then use a leader from the swivel to tie the drop shot, they claim it stops line twisting. To keep mine from tangling I took off my reel and slide a doubled-up rubberband up the handle and onto the rod shaft. When I am done drop shotting, I just put the weight inside the rubberband and secure the hook.

Diamond Valley is also catch and release smallmouth.

I am moving to San Jacinto in Riverside County from Alabama in 2 weeks. I have to buy a new boat when I get out, but I am willing to take someone along with me during free time. I am going to be fishing the Stren, FLW Federation, and possibly a team trail, but I would love to have company on my fun fishing/practice days. I don't have any friends in Cali or fishing buddies (except my 7 yr old nephew, wife, sister-in-law, and father-in-law). I have fished DVL (20 mins) from the house, Lake Hemet, and Lake Skinner. I am really going to need to hang with people other than my family for the time I am living out in Cali, so any fishing buddies are welcome. Willie

yea, you have got to find another club. cause as time goes on, it will only get worse. good luck.

Go out and win the Classic and not give him any prize money. A 2nd and 4th has to equal a 1st at some point. Clear your mind and win the tourney.

I like to use that mono in the clearance bins as backing. I have a spool of big game that I am still trying to go through. I like it alot. I am just a big Berkley fan I guess. Besides cheap mono for backing and Power Pro, I only use Berkley. As soon as I go through this Power Pro, I am going to give Fireline a try, I have not tried any yet.

Have you checked into Strike King skirts? I think they make pretty good spinnerbait skirts. I have actually trimmed down extra skirts I had and used them for jigs, too. I have not seen an actual bluegill skirt that they make, but I would just try to find a skirt that matched bluegil pattern. Bluegill are a main forage fish where I live (Alabama), I have bluegill cranks and have customized some skirts that resemble them. I just keep my sharpies and a set of spike-it markers for tweeking.

I love to fish, but am allergic. The only fish I can eat is tuna. I can catch and clean a freshwater fish, but if I get the scales all over me I will have an allergic reaction. Especially to catfish. Kind of wierd for someone who enjoys fishing.

Honestly, I like it. I am sure that your revisions caught the couple of spelling errors I saw. I like how it is to the point. Good luck, you have to tell me your secret to co-angling. Hope you can land a few of those companies you are hoping for.

You are not alone. During my off time before the 08 seasons start, I am going to give myself a clinic on just jigs, jerkbaits, and improve my cranking. 0-3 ft -- mann's minus 1 or dt 6 3-6 ft -- rapala dt 6 6 to 12ft-- rapala dt 10 12 to 18-- rapala dt 16 I know that dt 6 seems like over kill in that shallow water, but i want mine bumping something where it is bottom or whatever. I try to keep all my colors in bluegill or some type shad-I live in South Central Alabama. I have caught some big spots on a dt 16 in bluegill. Good Luck.

Well for me, I am movign from AL to Calfornia. I have been fishing the BASS Weekend Series, the nearest one is in Texas or Oklahoma. ISo te only way to really be involved with fishing BASS is through a federation affliated club. I have also been fishing the BFL but again no BFL in Cali. I wanted to fish this year as a boater, but I am not about to jump into the Western Stren as a boater just yet. So I am looking for Federation Affiliated clubs to continue fishing with BASS and FLW on a level I would feel confortable, an of course to make friends and contribute.

I fish D110 in Alabama, but am moving to Southern California in October. I plan to fish the California Division and will probably make a few rides over to New Mexico and fish there. Hope to meet you. TSince this was my first year of boat ownership and tournament fishing, I decided to fish as a co-angler. I am really glad I did and that I fished the ABA also. I think that ABA is a good organization and everyone I have meet was more than willing to offer any advice and suggestions that would help a beginning tourney fisherman. Like I said it was my first year owning a boat and tourney fishing and was so afraid of drawing a partner if I went boater and messing up his day. A couple of guys even left me run their trolling motors to help me get the feel of it, steering a 21 ft comanche is easier than I would have ever thought. See you in New Mexico.

Yea, I love a spinnerbait. I have luck with it, even without the "ideal conditions. I hope the weather stays as forcast for the weekend, cause if I can keep them in my hands all day for this 2 day tournament there will be some people in trouble, and I might get a check.

I am all about a deal. The last thing that happened to me like that was a diawa spinning combo I got, it was marked as $8. I asked an associate about it and he sid it was right. I took it to the counter and got it. Looked it up when I got home on the net and it was reg about $30. I saved money and didn't feel to bad, because it went to diapers for the kids later in the week. Love that combo to death too.

I like slow rolling spinnerbaits and start out every tournament and fun fish spinnerbaiting. I normally have success and basically only use a 5 or 6 silver willow. I just feel more confidence in that combination, and feel I can keep better bottom contact with it. Espeically in that depth range and if there is grass around-I think that combo is deadly. I have tried a single colorado in a 5, literally, 1 time before but didn't feel that confidence. I don't really experiment with my colored blades that much, but I will be able to let you know after this weekend. I am fishing a big 2 day tournament and need to make the cut the first day, so I am prepping a bunch of different spinnerbait combos, and customizing some with painted blades. So I'm hoping for some aggressive fish, the right conditions--cause I want to go down with the blades in my hand. Will Hope I am reposting to you Sunday night and not Saturday

DT 16, DT 10, or DT 6 in Bluegill.