billmac

Obviously there are thousands of species I've never caught, but I'm talking about species you could have caught in or near where you regularly fish, or want to catch. I've never caught a catfish, (if you don't count bullhead). They aren't widespread around here, but there are a few places I could catch them. I've never caught a salmon. Again, they aren't real plentiful in my immediate area, but there are some lakes fairly close by with Kokanee in them. I've never caught a lake trout. My style of fishing doesn't really coincide with lake trout habitat. I've never caught a carp.

I've caught tons of pike in shallow water. In fact, I can only remember 1 pike I've ever caught deeper than 4 feet of water.

This question always kind of bugged me. I grew up on a stretch of river, teeming with smallmouth, plenty of walleye, redhorse, shiners, eels, rock bass, and was known for producing big musky. When I was a kid I fished that river constantly, spending practically every day in the summer on the water. Bank fishing, boats, canoes, and wading. Rapids, slow parts, rocks, weeds, wood. Live bait and lures. I regularly covered at least 5-6 miles of the river. I never caught a pike. Not one. Never hooked one, never saw one, never heard of anyone else catching one. Up river ( about 20 miles) the river is practically infested with pike. I always thought that was strange. Any ideas?

I live in NY, so the waterways freeze over in winter. When I was a kid, after ice out, and when the water levels went down toward normal, the first fish we always caught was silver redhorse (although we always called them redfin mullet). We would fish for them just after sunset, with nightcrawlers. We would occasionally get an eel. (about the only fish I would never intentionally catch) About the same time, people would start night fishing for bullheads, and the local fire departments would start having bullhead feeds. April 1 was the beginning of trout season but I was never much of a trout fisherman, with no trout waters within biking distance. Once we got into May, we would start trying to catch walleyes. Pike were also in season at that time but not in the waters I fished. We would catch lots of shiners, but not much in the way of panfish except the occasional rock bass. And of course we would catch smallmouth, lots of smallmouth. There were musky in my river and I hooked several big ones, but I was always fishing with light tackle and never landed one. I caught several smaller ones.

I'm afraid I'm not a fly fisherman although I have a fly rod, somewhere. I have wondered if in the long history of bass tournament fishing, any competitor has used a fly rod.

You guys are fortunate to have some options. I have Walmart and (about 30 miles away) a Runnings.

Once while wading for smallies (or anything), I waded through some mucky bottom and up to the surface pops a weird looking eel. Now I don't really like eels, so I don't know what possessed me to grab it (it was 7 or 8 inches long if I recall). It turned out to be a small lamprey. First and only one I ever saw in that river, that I've fished my whole life.

I should have taken my boat to a mechanic, rather than futzing around with it myself. I should have used a jig more, and thrown it in tighter cover. Next year I hope to get the boat running better, sooner. I want to spend more time on the St. Lawrence, drop shotting. I want to learn my electronics better. I want to spend more time fishing with my grandkids.

Yeah, imagine that one slipping past me, it's right in my own backyard and I was still following BASS at that time. Evidently my man Roland came in fourth in that one.

Nice. Jimmy would be a riot to fish with.

I don't think Jimmy Houston ever won a tournament.

I would choose someone I think I would get along with, at least as important as their standing in the angling world. I'd have to roll the dice between Palaniuk, Wheeler, Roland Martin and Al Lindner. Palaniuk seems like a good guy and he's had great success in my neck of the woods. Wheeler seems like a good guy and he's at the top of the game right now. Roland Martin has always been my tournament hero since the late 70s. But I suspect he would do most of the talking. If I was forced to choose only one, it would be Lindner. I think he's a great guy and I consider him to be the greatest all around fisherman in the world.

I listed the fish I prefer to eat, but oddly, I don't love eating fish. I never buy it, I don't order it in restaurants. I'll eat fish, but usually if there's nothing else to eat. I keep thinking I should eat more fish, but I never quite get around to it. I live in NY, and if you read the Fish Health Advisories put out by the state, you'd never want to eat fish again. Strangely, I do like sushi occasionally. I always disdained it, believing it to be pretentious food for pretentious people. But once I tried it, I found I really liked it. But I do love seafood, except for fish.

Pike, walleye, panfish.

One of the hardest things for me to make myself do is getting away from cast and crank. I know pausing and twitching and jerking various baits are proven techniques, but it is really hard for me to force myself to do it. I vary retrieve speeds OK, but that's about it. Two of my best bass the last couple seasons hit when I wasn't paying attention and accidentally reeled backwards (basically pausing the retrieve) and I still find it hard to do intentionally. Maybe that's why I'm not much of a topwater fisherman (other than whopper plopper type baits). Anyone else?

My list was stuff I've tried to catch bass with and failed (even if I didn't try very hard). But some aren't even on my radar. I don't think I have a spoon of any kind in my tackle. I used to throw spoons for pike all the time when I was a kid. I've caught a ton of pike on buzzbaits, but I doubt I'd throw one for bass.

Squarebills. Bladed jigs. Frog. I don't think I've got bass on a skirted jig. It's interesting so many people are saying they've never caught bass on a beetle spin. One of the reasons I haven't got fish on the lures mentioned above is because I have to force myself not to use a beetle spin (actually with a curly tail instead of split tail).

And the world record. The state record smallie in Michigan is 9.3 lbs, so now 12poundbass is either going to have to change his name or move to Tennessee.

This takes all the mystery out of it. I thought J Francho was the grandson of a Spanish dictator. Mine is just my first name and part of my last name.

I think this is the video: I don't know if he's right about his ability to get in.

OCdockskipper: I'm just going by a video that Roland and Scott put out together.

If Scott Martin is joining the Elites, then Roland may join him on the trail in 2021. I think he has a Legend exemption or something like that.

Is a soft stickbait what we used to call a plastic worm, or is there some distinction?

I didn't know as much about Ron until recent years, since Al was usually in the forefront. But the Lindner name will live on in fishing history. I devoured In-Fisherman as a boy, being a fishing fanatic and kind of science-ey at the same time. They have lived a life in fishing that most of us can only dream of. I got those two, and Fur, Fish, & Game.

Another one comes to mind. While fishing a river in a touristy area, I reeled in a old, child's sneaker. It had a small fish inside. I once picked out a backlash while my lure was sitting on the bottom, and reeled in a fish, twice. I reeled in over the backlash the first time with a smallie, casted it back out so I could pick out the lash, and after I finished, reeled in a pike. I don't recall the details of what I was using, but I caught a 4-5 foot eel in the rapids on a Popeil Pocket Fisherman. Stripped the gears completely. A friend and I were camping on an island in the river and planned to eat the eel, but we couldn't get the skin off.