roadwarrior

Welcome aboard!

This pond has been very good to me over the years. It produced my PB in September 2005 on a Norman Fat Boy, bluegill pattern.

Nice fish and pics. Congratulations!

The water is +/- 50 degrees, but it felt like ice water. The air temperature was 39 degrees and the wind was blowing 15-20 mph. The bass measured 25 7/8". 10 lbs is too special to claim without strong conviction or a scale, but she was a very nice fish.

Okay boys, toss another log on the fire and have a seat. I think you're going to like this story. Dateline: January 1, 2007 Germantown, TN 6:45 AM Cold, windy and overcast...just about a perfect morning to start fishing in the New Year! Recent heavy rain, cold stained water and volatile temperatures have turned the bass off in recent weeks. Last weekend I hooked up with a nice fish, but she came unbuttoned. Otherwise, the last month or so has been a bust. My local ponds produce nice fish most of the year. The main pond I fish is in a neighbor park, about nine acres, fed by a small stream. The pond was dug out to provide the foundation for a Wal-Mart store. Surrounding land, including the pond, was donated to the City of Germantown and became a park. The constuction created a numer of shelves near the bank, an extended shallow flat and a relatively deep channel (23' maximum depth). There is no cover on this pond, but the structural components allow for very successful recruitment and nutrients from residential run-off help maintain a healthy population of both baitfish and predators. I generally start out at a point where the creek begins to back up to form the pond. This area is fortified with rip-rap which transitions into a mud bank. At about the point of transition the water drops from 2-3' to about 8-10' and is filled with branches, stumps and rocks that have washed into the water over the years. The distance from one bank to the other at this point is no greater than a short cast. Although I occasionally catch fish in this area, I really start out checking equipment, making sure the bait is running correctly and the line is working properly. This morning I was anxious to get out early, but as it turned out the cloud cover delayed daylight for a little longer than I had anticipated. I sat in the truck, finished my coffee and smoked a couple of cigaretts, but still it was dark. I made it down to the water at the bottom of a steep hill. In the semi-darkness, my first cast placed the 6" Senko in the rip-rap. No big deal, I pulled it back into the water a few feet and let it sit while I lit another smoke. After a minute or so, I moved the Senko a foot and again, let it settle. The next time I moved the bait I had no feel of the shallow bottom, well actually no feel at all. The wind was blowing strongly from the north, my left. I could hardly see my line as I reeled in the slack, but then it seemed to be moving INTO the wind. That's just about the time I "woke up." My soft plastics rig is a St. Croix Legend Elite (ES70MF) matched with a Stella 2500FB and #6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft. That reel can retrieve line very quickly (29" IPC) when you want to get it moving. As I watched my line moving off to my left, I began reeling like a madman. On previous threads and in other posts I have always recommended a "quick set" or "snap set" when fishing soft plastics, and I am still suggesting that to everyone. However, in this instance there was nothing "quick" about the strike. When I finally retrieved enough line to feel the fish for the first time, I put a Bill Dance hookset on her...but she didn't move. My rod fully loaded, I mean FULLY! The fish turned toward the far bank, screaming drag and on a mission. When she came up in the darkness all I saw was a flash as her body reflected a glimmer of light, but the splash sounded like a bomb had been dropped in the water. With no light and no place to move, I stood there and let her rip. The fat girl turned down the shoreline, now headed to deep water and I couldn't turn her. As she made her move for what I thought would be another jump, she rolled on the surface and I was able to bring her towards me. Minutes seemed like hours, but I was having a ball. I finally got her to my side of the pond where I saw her, really for the first time. Mother Goose! She was WAY to big to lift, I went down for her...and fell into the pond. The Gamakatsu 4/0 EWG was burried in the roof of the mouth, but way back near the throat. The Senko was partially down and encumbered my view. If this fish were smaller, it would have been harvested, I wasn't sure I could get the hook removed. I couldn't see well enough to get her unhooked and released. Fortuantely, this baby had a mouth that I could probably put both hands in. I fumbled around getting my needle-nose pliers out, took a deep breath and worked some magic. I placed her gently on the grass and quickly measured her length with my line, cut the line and and stuffed it in my pocket. As I lifted this beauty, I was a proud daddy. Upon successful release, she was gone. Then a few moments later she came flying out of the water near the opposite bank. I don't know whether she was saying "thank you," "good-bye," or "screw you!" But that was a fitting ending of a wonderful battle. One cast, one pig, one helluvaday!

Is the Chris Special available for purchase?

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard! Take a look at this thread: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1167329834

Minnows? Imagine that. :

Oooh Grasshopper, Confucious say, "World wa' may round so dat people not fall off."

I bought a lot of different colored 6" Shakin' Zipper Roboworms a couple of years ago. They seem to catch bass when nothing else is working, but they have only produced little fish for me. If I bought ten packs, I have ten (almost full) left. One thing I have noticed about soft plastics that don't work very well...they seem to last a long time! These things are durable, but that's not an attribute to me.

Garnet, I don't know much about Green Bay, I wonder if there are other places like thay or if we are talking about the exact spot. Wow! That's pretty cool to think about. I, however, willl never go back unless I'm in a big boat with plenty of freeboard. I'm sure some of our members from the Great Lakes region fish from bass boats, but not me. Certainly not away from shore like that anyhow.

fivebasslimit, Man, you are going to have to join the Posse. We buy a couple of reels and they last FOREVER! I don't actually fish all of the Shimanos I have EVER owned, but some of my friends still do. Why not spend a couple of extra bucks and get a reel that is perfect on day one, and ten years later is better? I don't get it.

Actually, I see the point...25% of the time, North is this best area... :

Hmm... I wonder if he knows anything about reel oil? :

Hmm... How did I miss this yesterday? Man, those are some nice brown fish. Me like! (I also like your "cocky" pic. You should make that your avatar).

pcmc19057, Welcome aboard! I happen to have that EXACT set up. So, as you might expect, I think you have the PERFECT all around rig. For technique specific applications, I agree with ReelMech that greater IPC might be desirable. I also agree with Alpster that for cranking (and for all treble hooks for that matter) a softer tip, moderate or even slow action would be an attribute. However, there is NOTHING you can't do with your rod and reel combination. (Okay, maybe buzzbaits and light lures). I have used the MBR844C/ CTE200GT for a number of years as my go-to rod, you will, too. If I could only have one rod and reel, this is the one.

That is a nice fish. That scar just demonstrates how tough bass really are. Gives her some character!

This is what The Bait Monkey recommends. For $110 you can get the Daiwa Procaster 6+1 reel/ BPS Bionic Blade rod, both are good. I would listen to him.

I wish we still had public hangings, every Saturday. Once a week, every week. There's enough garbage sitting in the jails around this town to keep six hangmen busy for the next twenty years. What galls me the most is that nearly every convicted murderer has felony CONVICTIONS on their rap sheet. Why do these people ever leave jail? How can you have two murder CONVICTIONS and still be out on the street? Back on topic...I am glad Saddam was executed and hope he spends eternity in hell.

Fish Chris, Yea, I'm light years away from you and Al Lindner, but I am a multi-species fisherman, too. I guess if our measure were pure pounds, I would have to be classified as a striper fisherman. My passion is smallmouth, but BIG brown trout really jazz me and I like fishing jerkbaits for walley, too. What makes the Lindners stand out in my book is their in-depth knowledge of so many fish species. Sure, now that they're rich and famous they can fish the right water, with the right guide, at exactly the right time of year, but they put in their dues to get where they are. Some people think the show is too commercial, but I think the fishing rocks! It was just a couple of weeks ago that I caught the show on sturgen. Man, when those fish came up and out of the water, my heart was pumpin'. Anyhow, I like them, their show, their old magazine and the books they helped write and publish. Yep! I'm a fan.

Welcome aboard! I hope you get a response from one of our members. It might help if you list your location. Good luck.

Welcome aboard! But please read FAQ. This post was moved to "Tackle" where it belongs. However, in this case we also have a current thread running on the first page of "Tackle" which you will see if you scan down a couple of lines or access this: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1167226389

I'm giving up liver & onions for the new year. :

Al Lindner