papajoe222

Welcome. About the only way to be sure is to fish it. You could ask around, but even if it does another angler may not want to divulge that fact. Have you fished that lake from a boat? If you’re limited to fishing from shore, the ponds could offer a better chance of catching.

A word to the wise for you younger anglers. Among eyesight, reflexes, balance and a number of other issues you’ll be facing as you get older, stamina is one that doesn’t need to be affected. I’ve seen a marked decrease in the amount of time I spend on the water on any given day. The reason isn’t my age, it’s lack of daily exercise. Even at 65, I was very active, between walking, playing ball with the grandson, bike rides with the Mrs. etc. I had no problem being on the water for eight hours or more. Sadly those activities are no longer a part of my lifestyle and it’s become a chore to spend more than four hours of serious fishing time on the water. So, stay active. You’ll not only enjoy more time on the water, but likely more time on this side of the grass.

That’s a big pond crappie. There was a time when I’d get a dozen that size from the strip pits here. Sadly over harvesting has really reduced the average size of them. Hopefully, that won’t happen at your pond

I'm not a big fan of landing fish by flipping or swinging them aboard and this is one of the reasons why. If the fish is lip hooked, it's likely worked an opening during the fight and most guys drop their rod tip just prior to swinging in a fish. That throws slack into the line the same as when a fish jumps. End result is the occasional lost fish.

I'm partial to Culprit worms. They have a ribbon tail that gives off plenty of vibration, which bodes well for murky water or night fishing. They also come in more than one size. Although they're not a floating worm, they work extremely well on a C-Rig or split-shot rig. They even make a thicker version for when you want to bulk up without going to a longer worm.

You’re missing out by not using them. Great, versitile soft plastic. Bring ‘em with next time you’re up this way. I’ll take ‘em off your hands and buy you and the Mrs. lunch.

Now I gotta go count jigs and spinnerbaits too???? NOT! Whose idea was this anyway?............................................Uh

It's the reel, not the line. When braid first became popular, companies started producing reels with a cross or X pattern of laying the line on the spool. Many still are, they just aren't advertised as such. Not much you can do about it, but next time you're in the market for a reel, check the worm gear. The farther the groves are from each other, the better for fishing with braid.

My grandson's baseball back-pack doubles as a tackle pack. Two 2pc. combos fit nicely in the bat pouch, a few Plano boxes full of tackle and he's good to go.

Just having some fun with you. Welcome to the board. When you figure out how to post a pic here, do two things. Post a pic of the fish and then PM me how you did it, 'cause I haven't been able to post one since they did an upgrade on the site a while back.

I thought a fun topic might be: What specific lure (brand and model) do you own the most of? To take it a step further, name a hard bait and a soft plastic. I'll start with what surprised me: Bill Norman Deep Little N crankbaits. I have eighteen in my box and another seven on my pegboard of spares. (I thought Spooks would win out, but when I broke it down by specific models, they came up short) For soft plastics, overwhelmingly, the 7.5in. Culprit worm takes the honors. I own way more tubes than worms, but they're divided up so no one company can take honors here. I know we've done threads on favorite lures before, but this may be an eye opener for some as it was for me. I know........Papa has too much time on his hands.

memories of Those kind of days not only keep you plugging away when it's tough going, but get you through those extended periods when you can't go fishing. Congrats

Welcome to the forum Conditions can give you an idea of what type of bait to use, but personal experience and confidence play a big role in that decision process. Learn one presentation well, be it T-rigging soft plastics, crankbaits, or whatever. You'll not only learn how to use it, but under which conditions it works best and when it doesn't work for you. When you feel you've a good understanding of that bait style, do the same with another one with maybe a completely different triggering action. A spinnerbait and a Texas rig, for example.

Then there are those, like myself, that are just so right hand dominate that they can't do anything left handed. I even tried LH reels........................NOT

Let us know how you did. I target a similar lake about 50mi. east of Stone that I plan on hitting next week.

For starters, I'd conentrate on that underwater point (around 2:00 on the map). Another spot I'd give serious consideration to would be either of the cuts at the southern side (5:00 & 7:00), especially if there is any shoreline cover. I can't tell from looking at the map what graduation the contour lines are set (5ft.?) but regardless, the one at 5:00 gives quicker access to deeper water. The east and west bank where the lines are close together would be where I'd target late fall and any ice fishing. There and where that underwater point peters out. After checking out the lake on Google Earth, those docks on the southeast end of the lake and the south shore by those two cuts I mentioned, have good access to deep water. I'd be giving those a shot during mid-day.

The Trokar and Eagle Claw tube hooks are perfect for T-rigging as most EWG hooks have too long of a shank for use on tubes. As for jig heads, I prefer ones with thin wire hooks so I can use 6lb. mono and get good penetration. Most of those have the 90 degree line tie. There are dozens of companies that make tube jigs and many purists pour their own because they have the option of using their preferred hook with whatever weight they want. A true tube jig has the line tie off the top not the tip. The angle that it comes out is what determines how much,or little action the tube will have on the fall.

First question: What size tube will you be using? Second question: Will you be rigging it with the jig's hook exposed, or 'stupid' style? Some tube jigs have hooks with shanks that are too long, especially for a 2.75in. tube. A jig with a 90 degree line tie will spiral more on the drop than one with a 60 degree and even in light vegetation, that can make a difference. Too long a hook shank will interfere will the tail action. Internal weights are a great way to go for a weedless presentation, or when skipping the tube, but you loose that spiraling action that makes a tube unique. I don't have the link, but Glen did a video on rigging tubes and how to work them. It'll point you in the right direction.

I've done it with spinnerbaits. It never fails, I'll be moving the rod tip from one side to the other and that's when they'll hit. That second set is just a confidence booster for me. It's actually a carry over from fishing for muskie and pike. I'll hit those bad boys with two or three hook sets and still have one come unbuttoned.

It seems like a little over three years is the average life expectancy of a trolling motor battery for me. I just replaced one with a dead cell that I purchased at the beginning of the 2016 season! I have a 24Volt system that I rarely run over 50% thrust, though I do use it a lot. I'm anal about adding water when needed, always plug in the onboard charger at the end of the day and check the tie-downs regularly. Two questions; What kind of battery life are you guys getting and am I dreaming to believe that I should get more than three seasons out of one?

Sorry to hear of your unfortunate experience, but that doesn't mean all lower priced units are not reliable. I have an older Lawrance black and white display with GPS and mapping (which I rarely use) and a a HumminBird DI depth finder that have served me well for years. They get bounced around while trailering, the front unit's transducer gets dragged across the bottom in shallow water....to say I don't baby them is an understatement.

Been there, sort of. My 'problem' was always when I first start out. It'd take me an hour or more to start thinking straight and being more consistent with my presentations. Usually it would take getting that first one on and then asking myself what I was doing. When I couldn't answer that, I knew I was in trouble and I had to slow down.

A-Jay is right on with his explanation. What you might consider is a marine radio. You won't be able to communicate with the wife, but using the emergency frequency you'll be able to contact someone. You'll also have access to severe weather warnings that are broadcast and that could keep you from getting into a situation where you'd need help. A bit more that you planned on spending and it requires an antenna mounted to your boat.

I wouldn't say it 'has' to be your line, but it likely is. I had a bulk spool of Original Stren that I'd used for respooling every season. One season, I started having a problem with the line breaking at the oddest spots. Got a new spool, switched out all the older stuff and never had another problem.

I fished with spinning gear, exclusively, for over thirty years before falling in love with baitcasters. I'll be the first to admit that to this day, when I cast, I only use my thumb to soften the lure's entry and rely almost solely on my 'calibrated' arm to hit my target. Yes, I'm not the most accurate caster and yes, I likely get more than my share of professional overruns. The plus factor from all those years of using spinning gear is the fact that I use my thumb to lock down the spool when setting the hook and when I want to turn a fish heading for cover that's pulling line. My drag is set lighter than where most guys do, but I've seen times when even a tighter drag 'gives' on a hook set and results in the fish coming unbuttoned. So, who else uses their thumb (index finger for you spinning guys) when they want to add a little more resistance, or you you rely solely on your drag setting? Before you ask, no, I rarely adjust the drag setting while fighting a fish. Do You?