roadwarrior

#1 Inside Line This would be my pick if I were subscribing to just one magazine. #2 In-Fisherman Yes, it does cover other species and I fish for them, too! When my subscription runs out, I don't know whether or not I will renew Bassmaster. I find that there is usually one article every month or two that is outstanding and only two or three a year that are really special. I enjoy "A Day On the Lake", but I'm not sure that piece makes the magazine worthwhile.

Any time I have an option, I always fish for smallmouth. Smallies are all about structure, not cover. You will still catch largemouth fishing for smallmouth, but it does not necessarily work the other way around. Jerkbaits, Gitzits, grubs and Hula Grubs are what I would recommend. In low light a Zara Spook is a great lure and will attract both species. If you are comfortable fishing jigs, try a 1/8-3/8 oz hair jig with a trailer on structure. I suggest fishing it slowly, immitating a crawdad.

"I've had folks who've fished many years not realizing they typically waste a huge amount of casting time just fiddling around scratching, smoking, talking and eating." I resemble that remark!

One of my points, exactly: #4 Before you agree to the deal, have a clear understanding of what is being offered. For example, if I don't know the guide and I am fishing with other guys, I don't want the guide fishing. Decide that issue up front or you may have a miserable day. Most guides I fish with don't fish with clients in general and me in particular. On the otherhand, if you're there to "learn to fish", by all means, the guide should be fishing.

Scroll down here and in "Tackle". We have had some pretty good threads going recently regarding smallmouth fishing.

Or buy a Sammy, which is a lure that makes "walking the dog" real easy. Don't get me wrong, Zara Spooks are one of my favorite lures and I can walk the dog without even thinking about it, but it is not necessarily an easy lure to master for a new fisherman from day one.

Whenever I fish big water I usually have a guide. Actually, my partner is a guide so I guess you could say I fish with one most of the time, but that doesn't count. A good guide should be able to put you on fish and that is really all I personally care about. However, I do have a couple of suggestions for hiring a guide you don't know: #1 Get a referral if possible. This eliminates about 90% of the risk. #2 Call the guide and POLITELY interview him. I start by briefly telling him exactly what I'm looking for and how I usually fish. Then we go from there. #3 Specifically address costs and time on the water. What's included and what's not: Gas, equipment, bait, food. refreshments, etc. DON'T GET SURPRISED. #4 Before you agree to the deal, have a clear understanding of what is being offered. For example, if I don't know the guide and I am fishing with other guys, I don't want the guide fishing. Decide that issue up front or you may have a miserable day. Most guides I fish with don't fish with clients in general and me in particular. On the otherhand, if you're there to "learn to fish", by all means, the guide should be fishing. #5 Drinking and smoking are big issues and if it's important to you, find out what HIS rules are. #6 Whether the guide specifically brings it up or not, you are EXPECTED to tip 10-20%, just like going to a restaurant, whether you catch fish or not. #7 Go to George Welcome's website and print it out. He has just about everything I want to know posted, so go through his material and design your own questions.

I think a big splash attracts fish if you are casting. With flipping and pitching in close quarters that might not be the right approach, but I prefer long casts and the splash is part of the presentation. For subtle, up close or sight fishing, having two lures presented close to one another might spook a big bass, but otherwise, I don't think it makes any difference where you and your partner cast as long as you are not crossed.

Agreed. It's unfortunate, but toss it back. That's a part of the ecosystem that will be recycled. It's illegal...period.

Maybe, but if they were the same size, probably not. Salt water fish are generally in another class, but I've caught speckled trout and they're bigger wuss than crappie or sauger! Great tablefare, but if I never catch another it's still one too many.

How 'bout a HUGE smallmouth down south?

Autumn actuall starts this year on September 23 at 4:02 Universal Time or 12:02 AM EDT which means 9/22 as you move further west (11:02 PM CDT).

Welcome aboard! If you are taking bass out of a small pond, you can clean it out in short order. I don't know what "small" means to you, but I fish a number of ponds from about 5 to 17 acres. I consistantly catch big bass on these ponds and if anything, the fishing has gotten better over the years.

DELee36, Good post. Instead of telling people they can't keep ANY fish, the DNR simply set an improbale size restriction for most of the fishermen that would keep their catch.

USAF-16 You are way off on the size of those fish. Nobody caught a 12-14 lb bass, the State Record is 10 lb 14 oz caught in 1980.

For most lake fishing I still use a split shot rig to get down, but the lakes I fish are all about structure, not cover. If I were fishing weeds, pads or timber I think a free swimming minnow (unweighted) would be the ticket. On a river you will always need a weight.

Daniel My Brother, In addition to the two smallmouth in my avatar, I have caught quite a few big bass on minnows.

Watermellon with black flakes is a consistant winner even if does not match the specific colors of the native crawdads. Blue with balck flakes is actually my favorite and I have never seen a real crawdad like that. Black Neon is another.

Any time I have that option, I always fish for smallmouth. Smallies are all about structure, not cover. You will still catch largemouth fishing for smallmouth, but it does not necessarily work the other way around. Jerkbaits, Gitzit and Hula Grubs are what I would recommend. In low light a Zara Spook is a great lure and will attract both species.

On a scale of 1-10, I would rate a German brown trout over 5 lbs at 10. Smallmouth over 5 lbs an 8. Largemouth a 4. Spots (Kentucky bass) a 4 and striper a 6. Striper improve their rating in general, because they can be so much bigger. As an overall ranking, striper might be #1 just because they are so much fun when they get HUGE!

If you are fishing from the bank, you will have to use a bobber. Fish a split shot rig with the minnow about three feet down. If you are fishing from a boat with current, a split shot rig is the ticket. In a lake, a free swimming minnow is probably your best bet.

Hmm... Staying on topic, when you have the option, smallmouth might be a better choice.

1) Probably carp. 2) Sounds like trash, sometimes you hook up, other times you just come through it. I would focus on the ledge.

Do you California Hawg Hunters catch any monsters at any other time of year?

I fish about 70 days a year with my main buddy. Over the past couple of years I have probably fished with 80 new people, including a lot of kids and a few wives. We often take a friend or two and sometimes three. On special trips we usually have a group of 8-10 and they usually bring a friend. Most people are invited back, but we don't put up with whiners. Kids and novices are fine ocassionally, but not too often and they never become regulars. Our stripers have been small, so I don't mind having lots of guests and teaching them how to fish. My partner drives the boat and I usually do all the hook-ups, handing the rod off to the rookie. Catching 10-12 lb striper is thrilling to guys that have never caught a 3 lb bass. When smallmouth season begins, I'm a little more particular, but we fish when most people are hunting or it's too cold for the recreational angler. We encourage our guests to leave their stuff at home, our equipment is generally an upgrade. I'll hand off a big smallie to a kid, but I would rather let them reel in giant drum and catfish, they really don't know the difference. On an average day we boat at least a couple of hundred pounds of "fish". Some days we'll catch over 400 lbs. It's a pretty rare outing if our friends don't have their "best day ever".