silvercliff_46

So it's the Forrest Lee Wood tournament sponsored by Walmart. Thanks !!! A guy could get a couple of beers knowing that.

Any one know what the "L" stands for in Forrest L. Woods middle name?????????????

I agree, very good stuff!! You can book study some of this, such as the conditions and probabilities for seasonal patterns. As WRB suggested, break down the lake into sections. Study your maps and run a lot of water following the channels, and coordinate that with your map study and your observation of the terrain that is out of the water. by understanding your seasonal patterns (bass biology and its relation to habitat) you'll begin to connect that knowledge with the underwater terrain, and pretty soon the fish arches and schools of baitfish you see on your sonar will begin showing you places or pointing you toward places or cover you get the feeling you should be fishing. Trust that feeling and start fishing those places with confidence because of your knowledge, and fish every chance you get. I used to say that there is no substitute for time on the water, but you can accelerate you learning curve by learning all you can about the biology of the fish, and learning the habitat where you fish for them. If you stay with it it will become a transferable process. You'll go to a new place and approach it confidently. Bass fishing is a thinking man's game, and simply learning all of your available choices in a day's fishing is the first step. And it's all fun. Good luck! Sounds like solid stuff to me. One thing though, watching the pros on the show "Day On The Lake" nothing succeeds like hard work. You see those guys throwing 300, 400 and more casts the first half of the day for a couple of fish sometimes. You can do that, OR! start a little later and get your 300-400 casts in by noon and join me for Gimlets in the air conditioned pub. ;D

Chris you have hit on something that I am sure is "TRUTH" relative to all wildlife. As I have said before I am a life long hunter and was in the commercial trapper/wildlife control business. I learned from older trappers that the productive areas were the "Ecotones" This is a term that old trappers wouldn't use if they knew what it meant, but they knew what it was. Ecotones are those areas where two or more different covers meet, that are not made up of either type of cover. :-? :-? :-? As an example; you have an alfalfa field meeting a corn field and a woods, that narrow area between the corn field, and alfalfa field. The area between either field and woods, you will find a narrow band that has different qualities then any major cover around it. These are ecotones. Two track roadways, fence lines, Ag ditches, tiny creeks in woods or field, et al are ecotones, and are highway areas for BOTH prey and preditor. Another bit of advise I got from an old trapper was to visualize the area you wanted to trap (or hunt) filled with water, then pull the plug. Watch how the water runs out of it, those will also be keys to the travel routes of your game. When you match the flow of the route to an ecotone, and your in fat city. Maybe I am wrong, but it seems when your hunting, your trapping, and when your trapping your fishing, and when your fishing your hunting, and so goes the circle. But that's just one old guys opinion :-/

After spending a couple of years on Mayport Naval base, and seeing the growth; I bet your cattails are just about thick enough to build on. Come to think of it, I think some guys tried to sell me a couple of acres of it. ;D

Your right those areas are rich in food sources, my question I guess, is why you don't see many guys on the shows fishing there. They fish wood, pads, grass, docks, but it just does seem like they hit the rushes and cattails much????

AND if you don't have ear phones on and you ask me how the fishing is, I get instant Alzheimer and may well steer you in the wrong direction. Your from Green Bay, did we ever meet on Cauldron Falls.., I don't REMEMBER??????????

Bullrush that is I watch all these bass fishing shows, including the tournament shows. Rarely if ever do I see anyone fishing bullrush, wild rice, or cattails (some Florida shows maybe). I don't know why. These always seem like money spots to me. They are the first place AND last place I will fish. There always seems to be something in there. So as it is said today "SUP WID DAT"

When it's hot, humid, not a breath of wind, and the sky looks like pea soup, I put the weather alarm radio on. So I said sometimes. Other then that forget it, and I REALLY don't like being entertained by some other guy in another boat slammin and jammin. If you like it loud buy some head-phones. >

I know what I do, but if I just do what I do, I don't learn anything. I start with Rapala's, and cranks, I figure what else, but minnows do they have to feed on. When I see worms and crawlers in my yard, I'll start with worms. When the frogs start to sing, I start to use frogs. When the lilacs bud and bloom that usually coincides with bedding time. I use lizards because they go after bass eggs and bass hate them. I'll use a spinner-bait anytime, sometimes like a jig and bottom bounce it, to burning it. I've never been much for color, except when water color dictates what I need to use, subdued in clear, brighter in stained. I am partial to black and darker colors, because that's what I see in nature, but that doesn't stop me from using a silver and white spinner-bait with a bubblegum trailer. I agree with your speed statement. When I am stymied; is when to use buzz-baits, why and how. Another question is: If they are going to hit a buzz-bait, wouldn't they hit a bulging spinner-bait the same way? So that's me, I would still like to hear other opinions, and how you feel about mine.

You don't have to be a pro, I'm just interested in opinions. 8-)

Maybe I'm full of beans, but I think Pre-Spawn, Spawn, happen in a much more compact period then in the south. I'm not sure, but the post spawn may take longer because of frequent cold fronts and over all cooler temps. I know it takes me longer to heal in the cold I read Summer Peak is when the water gets nice for swimming. I guarantee you will get blue lips in my lakes in August. Last year my warmest surface temp. was 77f (in the sunny shallows). So what would be your lure selection and strategies in Cold Country.

Yoy are 100% right. I can only tell that by the words of the song. I can't see a persons heart, I leave that to The Lord. I think we are leaning toward philosophy and that may make Glen nervous, maybe we should stick with the intent of the thread. To discuss gospel MUSIC. No disrespect intended.

I guess you took a wrong turn and ended up where you really didn't want to be then. Anyway regards to Heavy Metal/ screamo music. They can play it all they want just keep it down, that's all I ask. Nope just a lot of people in it for the money Okay I can understand that. I just kind of look at it as if a baker just bakes for the money. I'll still eat his donuts if his product is good. That's just me, What you choose is your business, it's great that we live in a country that still lets us choose...,for now. Truth be known the donuts don't need to be THAT good for me to eat them, ask my dietician

I guess you took a wrong turn and ended up where you really didn't want to be then. Anyway regards to Heavy Metal/ screamo music. They can play it all they want just keep it down, that's all I ask.

;D what the heck is he saying, to me thats just like rap, anyone can make that sound ;D ;D ;D ;D I heard that stuff before, don't ask me what they said. I guess it's kind of like heavy metal Christian :-?. Some of the kids at church listen to it. The kids tell me they are singing about Christ and God. I tell them I don't care if God is on bass and Christ is on drums..., TURN IT DOWN! ;D

23 WOW ! I got fishing combos that I still use that are older then you.

I looked them up, and yup! they are Christian rock. As "Gospel" = "Good News" I guess anyone singing about the "Good News" would = "Gospel". I'm just taking a shot though.

Wouldn't you know they sang one of my favorite hymns "Power In The Blood" What's your favorite?

WOW ! Texas gals carry guns, wear real pointy cowboy boots, can crack a bull whip, and one tried to get another gal whacked because her daughter got beat out for Jr. High cheerleader. HMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm! Maybe Full life insurance, no don't want any incentive there, maybe heath insurance..........., Oh I know, a Bible! Yeah that's it.

I'm a A.G.'er, if it gets my hands clappin', feet tappin', hands reachin', an the SON gets in my eye.., I like it new or old. ;D

Half the lakes still have ice, the others are open. I went to a small flowage about 10 minutes from my house. It was wide open and flooded with ducks, crane's, geese and loons. There is a bay leading to a feeder creek next to the boat landing. I backed the old 88 Jeep Wagoneer up to about 10 feet from the bay. I opened the hatch back, pulled out my folding chair and readied my rods. I have three Shakespeare Micro rods, with Shakespeare Micro reels. They are inexpensive little rod combo's, but filled with 4 pound Vanish they make a nice pan-fish package. I rigged two with ice fishing jigs, slip bobbers, wax worms, some crappie candy on one, and a half a Berkley worm on the other (the ones in the jar). The other rod had a small beetle spin, dressed with a soft plastic minnow. I cut two pieces of forked bank willow for rod holders, I cast out the two baited ones in hope of picking up a blue gill or two, and went to casting the other, just in case a stray crappie had invaded the shallows. As I settled in, I couldn't help but thank God that I made it through another LONG, COLD, Global Warming, winter. It sure seems that every year I grow older, Old Man Winter's fangs get longer. I was in the middle of my thought when I heard a song that hadn't blessed my ears in well over six months. A Loon broke out in a symphony that i bet he saved just for the occasion. Almost simultaneously I heard a splash from a tiny cove off the bay. At first I couldn't see anything , then, a pair of mallards did a mating dance. I couldn't help but watch even though one should respect their privacy. :-[ I mean after all a fellow only gets to tango once a year. (at my age I ain't doing much better, but that's another story). It was still cool out, the sun didn't know if it wanted to shine or not, the wind was also confused, there was some snow left on the opposite bank. I have to say though, I had a warmth in my chest and a smile on my face that has been a long time coming. What a great day. Oops! almost forgot, nope not even a nibble.

hookeduptackle.com Hmmm! this is getting educational.

Send me some of your old lady's hair clips. ;D

I buy a Mann's 6" flat-tail worm. I fish with it awhile, miss a couple of fish, catch a couple of fish. The head gets tore up a bit. I trim the head off, cut off the flat tail, and end up with a 4-4 1/2 inch shaky, or finesse worm. I really don't have to carry 7000 different styles. Or am I wrong, and why???