WVU-SCPA

Spinning reel with braid and leader- Haven't had the need to ever change the braid unless I didn't like the feel. Spinning reel with all fluoro- 2/3 times a year the 80 yds of Invizx on top will be replaced. Casting rod with braid- Every year....only because I'll do something stupid and have to cut a section out. Casting rod mono- a few times a year by need. Casting rod with fluoro- Every tournament the top 100 yds gets replaced, so 15+ times this year. The line always doesn't go to waste if its decent shape, it often comes off one reel and onto another or put on an empty spool. Every reel has some type of cheap or unwanted backing with the desired line on top at maximum casting distance + 20%ish.

I've been trying to decided if I want to go to a sure fire impoundment where the ned rig will produce smaller bass or head to lake where a jerkbait hcould produce a muskie, pike, hybrid, or big momma bass this afternoon. Now that those thoughts are into words....I don't think I can pass up the 2nd option.

Ice out here in south central pa was December 15th with 50 degree rain moving through the area! Really only small ponds/lakes had a thin covering. It was 24 this morning and calling for it to hit 60 of Friday. Thursday night prep will include the rendition of the all time classic, "I'm dreaming of a open water Christmas." The lakes a mainly fish are a coin flip each year if they will lock up for any period of time. Wind direction and what has frozen/thawed since the last trip out add another element to spot selection.

Not a tank, but a hatchery I volunteered at during college would allow me to toss barbless flies in the channel cat raceway. Amazing how tuned in those fish were to only eating when the feeder turned on.

Being able to walk into a dealer and saying give me "X,Y, and Z" isn't in the cards for everyone, and that's OK as there are plenty of other options. Start spending an hour a week on craigslist, fbook market place, ect.. Eventually you will see something to fit your wants and possibly budget. As for financing debate, that comes down to a decision for you and your family. 30 year old me currently hates 20 year old me for using disposable income on financing items 20 year old me thought he needed. A $550 dollar car payment could have been a double payment on student loans. Sure I could go finance a new boat today, but I know better to not disappoint 40 year old me as life can change a lot in a few years. I now see having the assets to purchase something rather then finance is very valuable. Toxic has a good point with see a financial adviser, they can help you manage money and goals so you can get where you want to be. You can always have a 5 year plan on winning the lottery, or save that money each week (lottery, beer, eating out, new hot lure) for 5 years. It all adds up.

For some reason the search function wasn't bringing any results up and it was on my mind so I figured a new thread wouldn't hurt. For the last 2 years I have debated about signing up as a co angler. A thread on the main forum about being able to fish wherever at whenever made me think of using this series as the working fisherman's version. Sure I could drag the boat to those locations, but registering in advance would give me a good reason to lock these weekends up and provide the ambition to travel. I want to believe fishing them as a co angler would be a great experience to see different bodies of water and the ways people fish them. I'm local tournament literate, but never have fished any of the lakes/rivers in the Piedmont Division. Does anyone have any recommendations or advice?

The cast may have been luck, but the method of a bait hanging over a branch is tried and true technique....just be sure to call the shot with any co anglers so they don't say it was luck.

Patiently waiting for the draw down of a lake 5 minutes from work, but the non stop rain has kept it bank full. Once that occurs I'll hunt toothy critters a few days a week over lunch. Calling for the first snowfall of the year today. As long as it stays as snow and not freezing rain, a jerkbait is going for a swim in the winter wonderland.

Some beautiful dime bright fish. The past 6 years i told myself to skip the PA tribs and venture to NY, still hasn't happened.

Spent the last 3 days chasing steelhead with the fly rod. Nothing of great size but great numbers, the shoulder and forearm are going to need a day or 2 to recover. A lake run brown was the icing on the cake.

November/December is my favorite time to fish in PA. Muskie, pike, and big bass all will fall for a jerkbait, steelhead are running from the great lakes, and big brown trout have left their summer haunts to spawn. Don't fish them on redds, but once they are finished spawning its fair game. Lakes are drawn down, meaning you don't need to launch the boat to hit spots. The first decent snow fall, hit a tail water or a lake that has open water. There is a calming feeling fishing in the peace of falling snow.

Start practicing skipping when there isn't a need to skip. Same as casting to a specific spot, now you are just skipping the bait there. Often I am skipping the majority of cast while bank beating if there isn't a specific target to hit. The feel of the cast is already there when a "skipping" target arises. ^^^^Spinning reel to start will help give you the feel without the mess.

I'll 2nd that. The past 2 weeks have been humbling.

I'll be chucking a spinnerbait around weeds as soon as I leave work. If that doesn't connect on a fish it will be move to a jerk bait to the edge of flats or any points. If I still haven't connected it will be time to throw the Ned so I don't go home skunked. It's also 63 and raining in PA, water temp will be in the low 60's.

Regret not taking a picture, but hooked into what appeared to be the top section of an aged 3 piece rod. Had a ripstop snagged in the top eye and 10 ft of line attached that was removed before being released to a trashcan. Was holding in about 10ft of water and took a maxscent creature hawg. Someone had a bad day.

Awesome that you found that niche pattern. On Saturday, the fish had the majority of us in a small tournament bamboozled. The conditions read moving baits (cloudy, steady breeze, water temperature recently dropping into 60's, and schools of tasty shad everywhere). After 3 hours of hunting the wrong pattern in various locations, we ended up finding a fish on almost every isolated rock we came upon in 0.5-3 ft of water on a craw bite. Had it been a casual morning fishing a hour or 2, there is a good chance I missed that pattern. What makes the area you are catching fish at different then the other areas you are not catching fish?

The big named brands listed are all great, but a cheap pair of Strike Kings will often accomplish the same goal. Myself, patiently waiting for the colorblind lens technology to become polarized.

Bow hunting is a good analogy. Lot's of opportunities to open up. Fun fact: The primary holding spot for bass was right around the island green, they also loved to eat white streamers on the fall. Always wondered how many golf balls would get inhaled.

Do it. The majority of my fishing life has been with a fly rod, only in the last few years have I transitioned into traditional bass fishing. It really has given me a different view on approaching bass. Few things to prepare for.....or prepare your wallet for if you catch the "bug". You will own more than one rod very quickly and they aren't always cheap. Just like like bass fishing, different rods excel in different situations/targets. Reels and line weight, yep you will want a good one to match with the rod you just got. Flies, tying your own is very enjoyable but also not cheap. Just like a soft plastic supply, there are so many options that you will just have to fill the fly box. You live in NY....Salmon gear will get expensive. Just like this website has everything you could ever want to know for bass fishing, there are several great fly fishing communities. If you do some googling you should even be able to find one specific to your NY area. If you have a free rod offer, do it. You can practice casting even in a small back yard, catch sunfish with little to no experience, and hopefully it will lead to a new hobby you enjoy. Worst case scenario, you have a fly rod to give to a kid one day.

I have found it interesting reading all the different bodies of water people on the forum fish. Within 15 miles, there is a wide range of lake conditions. While they are small lakes compared to lakes discussed on here, they each have their now unique fish patterns. It hurts the wallet as the bass in each lake tend to enjoy different baits. Anyone else have this fun? Lake # 1 Max depth: 110' Normal water clarity: 15'-20' Fishing pressure: Heavy Main structure: Shelfs, grass, timber Primary forage: Shad, bluegill, crayfish Predatory fish: Largemouth, smallmouth, muskie, pike, channel catfish. Lake #2 Max Depth: 26' Normal water clarity: 8"-12" Fishing pressure: Heavy for its size (3 tournaments a week) Main structure: Boulders, rock piles, grass Primary forage: Shad, bluegill, crayfish Predatory fish: Largemouth, smallmouth, channel cat, striper, pickerel. Lake #3 Max Depth: 36' Normal water clarity: 1'-2' Fishing pressure: Moderate Main structure: Shelfs, grass Primary forage: Shad Predatory fish: Largemouth, smallmouth, channel cat, striper. Lake #4 Max Depth: 30+? No boating Normal water clarity: 5'-6' Fishing pressure: Light Main structure: Grass Primary forage: Trout and bluegill Predatory fish: Largemouth, trout. #5 Susquehanna river All over the place

There are too many variables to discuss all things that go into catching bass on a given day. From conditions, weather, and some times it comes down to inches on your cast. While you can't control all the variables, you can alter many of them. Attitude and thought process is key to doing this. My lunch break lake is the perfect example. A heavy pressured clear lake that during the spring and fall I fish at least 3 days a week over lunch. The odds of me putting the right set of variables together in a hour during the summer are slim as the good fish are deeper and finicky. I don't put my self through that disappointment because of the little bit of time I have. Bit of a lie....I still do it but curb my expectations. If your expectation is to catch a few bass, start there with the info shared in this thread (location, lures, time). If you want to do it consistently, take that information and start putting it together as a playbook (assuming you do coach). Outside of the uncontrolled variables it comes down to probabilities.

A whole summer of watching the USGS gages on the Susky waiting for the right conditions. A few weeks ago I thought they were saying there was a chance, turned into whole bunch of one in a million talk. So much water in PA this summer. Maybe it will be an outstanding fall.

The smell doesn't over power like other baits. I have managed to get an unintentional taste after fishing them all day, not for human consumption is a true statement.

Found a nice flurry of fish after work on a small wind blown point. Chatterbait with a rage craw ripped out of the grass was the ticket. Heres the best of the evening.

Or do what your title states.....go to the golf course. Usually some of the least pressured water you can find. I covered 2 Sunday shifts a month at the course near my house. In return I got free golf and access to fish the ponds when the course wasn't busy. Tried to talk the owner into a chip and rip tournament where on water holes you got 5 cast, each lb you caught was a deduction of your total score. Every course will have a different policy, but if you don't ask the answer is always no.