osummerer23

All these soft plastics bags I had to blow the dust of off. Dragging bottom has never been my go to style. But, the past month, and for the rest of the summer, I have only been fishing soft plastics and grinding my way through my excess. Old lizards, grubs, creatures and for the first time in a few years, a SENKO. Some reassuring insight and confidence building. Color doesn't matter... until it does. Shape seem to matter more. And getting more patient, haven't used much 1/2oz or 3/8oz weights. Lots of 3/16 and 1/16, even in 15+ fow letting the bait do it's thing on the drop, lots of fish I was probably zooming right past with the heavier weights. I do notice a lot more fished hooked deeper, and maybe not more fish, but a lot more smaller fish than what I was catching (6-8" from 8-12"). Even getting creative and using 1/16oz lizards or creatures as top water through the lily pads when I don't pack any frogs with me. I am having a blast doing it, seeing the old packs and baits bring back some memories.

Because they know <20% will even keep bass. let alone fish every day, and catch 5 fish every day. Look at pan fish and live scope over the recent years. As they saw the impact of live scope on pan fish, states started reducing limits and seasons. From 25 fish a day to 10 because they know each angler that went out had more success than previously.

Start at a 8 and slowly work my way down. Id rather hit a few spots chucking and winding a spinner bait, crankbait, jerkbait or topwater. Then work my way slower to a finesse jig to tube and ned.

Watch your dates. Bass elites will be there aug 15-18. I did Champlain the week after a elite event once, shocking amount dead fish floating, and knew exactly where to go from watching them on tv. Just got back from Champlain Saturday, and was considering doing St Lawrence towards the end of summer too.

If I recall from the weekend, they are 10awg. Full speed would be rare. I run 3mph with a 17' aluminum boat. Fishing buddy has a similar power terrova on his old town yak and does 7mph (I believe, dont quote me). Only for crossing lake or in the bay. Trolling motor power consumption is not linear. It's more exponential. 1 Hour at max speed is not equal to 2 hours at half speed power usage wise.

I have the xi3 on my 17' jon boat. I just installed 6awg wire over the weekend. 8awg was getting hot. I have the normal stock wire tied into an extra 4' (8' total) and was getting the wires hot on max speed setting on constant. Dont forget wire length is based on round trip from motor to battery and back. Not just motor to battery.

Go to amazon and buy 'makeup bags'. It was $6 for a 9" bag and a 6" bag. Clear to see what's inside. And hold up way better than a gallon bag. Can I include links? Idk but $15 for 6 bags by apreuty

So you took it out of a 'container' (net) to place it in another 'container' (bag). I love the care and respect given to these creatures after a battle, but like @casts_by_fly said. Why not just weight it in the net?

Of course there is more to it, everyone who fishes understands that. Seeing them is not catching them. Finding them is the skill that is being muted. Early season, cold water 48*, bright sunny day. I would guess fish are holding tight to exposed timber. I would cover it first with a spinner bait or square bill, then slower with a jerkbait, then run a jig or t rig along the bottom. Maybe catch nothing, maybe catch some and find a pattern. Now with FFS, trolling motor on 100, blast through the timber scanning. Maybe don't see fish and move on. Maybe spot a fish plop a ball head jig on its nose. The pro's are telling you they need it to compete... They are literally telling you it's a crutch now. In the classic, day 3, Lee Livesay was paralleling a wind blown bluff wall with a crank. Hite and Zona, 'the kind of place you expect to catch one'. Cherry, dock fishing pockets with a chatter bait. People who fished with intuition from things they learned from time on the water. Experience based on water temp, color, wind, etc... Lee could just have easily idled by scanning and then moved on. But his skill and experience say this is a high value target. The FFS guys aren't doing that, they are trolling motor on 100 looking for blobs on a screen. FFS is like knowing where the next pitch will be placed in baseball. All you have to do is guess the speed. Or in bass fishing, guess the right bait/presentation.

Ok... and? Somebody has to come in last place?

The big thing davey and zona keep talking about is how great 'rookie' anglers are. 'It used to be prime tourney fishing in their mid 30's'. Then they toted, high school and collegiate BASS prowess. Trying not to talk about the white elephant and state FFS dramatically reduced the skill gap. FFS just leveled the playing field. No need to travel for 10 years learning the in's and out's of highland vs lowland, vs north or south. Just spend 4 16hour days in practice locating fish with ffs and then plop a ball head jig on their nose.

Ah lol, I hate Farrington. Spruce is one of my favorites too. For as much pressure as it gets, there are quite a few coves that I never see other fisherman in.

Hello fellow NJ angler. Would this lake happen to start with an 'F' and feature a few bistros on the waters edge? I lived in that town. While I know NJF&G does the trap net there, I and many people I know have never caught a pike out of there. Even when F&G posted 30# pike from there. I've seen more 5+# bass come out of there than pike. And it doesn't produce a whole lot of 5+# bass. That being said, if this is the same lake, I absolutely hate it. It sucks 99% of the time, then has a few spurts that keep me hoping and then regret not driving an hour to fish elsewhere.

I am frugal fisherman. I usually on buy things on sale. I too thought baits were to expensive. And then looked into companies like wLURE. I brought their blanks, and some paint, and good split rings and hooks to make knock off vision 110's. Just over the weekend, I needed red lipless cranks, sticker shocked at the price of a rattle trap now, I looked at wLure. To make 10 red lipless, with paint, split rings and quality hooks. I was at the same price as buying premade ones. I have a hard time spending over $5 a bait. Lots of gems can be found in the off season and I'm not one to miss a good deal.

As a word of caution, dont make fishing suck by trying to be better. Been there, done that. I tried to hard for a few years to get better, and I did. But at the cost of enjoyment. Im 3 years into unfu*king myself and it's been so much more enjoyable.

I don't use live bait, because I've never seen it produce more fish than lures. I have lots of real world experience striper fishing with 10-20 guys chunking bunker heads and blood worms getting out fished 10-1 by plugs. Bluefish too, and thinking about it also fluke. I've never seen crappie that wont bite a jig but will only take a live minnow, or bass so keyed in on only live bait. Unless your in Florida off shore fishing, I've never seen live bait catch better.

cabelas just released the 'staredown' and is on sale for $7. I have quite a few arriving today. Look like a perfect mirror of a 110. Pro blue, vegas lights, ayu, table rock special, and chartreuse belly purple back (cant think of name). Can buy 3 'staredown' and a pack of craws for the price of 1 megabass. I'll see how they throw this weekend. 3 7/8" and 4 3/8" versions.

Man, reading this thread makes me think I should throw a worm more. I haven't thrown a texas rig in 3 years. The closest I get is a roboworm or fin-eke on drop shot. I did buy shakey heads this year to throw... A jerkbait gets the starting nod more times than not.

Now I do, but 10 years ago, it fit the budget. And honestly, still have one on my deck when i'm out fishing. Works fine, just a bit beat up. I throw a spinnerbait or chatterbait on it.

Im up on the raritan bay. Every single buoy and marker pile has been caked in **** from these things. Stinks like hell and watch them eat tons of baby stripers and small fluke every year. Only place worse I've seen is Carnegie lake in Princeton. Awful bird, allowed to thrive from awful management.

They used to sell a combo at cabelas, $99 lews laser speed stick and speed spool LFS. The one I still have in the garage is plastic frame. Maybe the combo one's came with graphite frame or they have since updated. It was very noticeable the frame was weak.

I think these are OK for getting into bait casters, but they use a graphite frame. They flex and feel squishy. It's 1000% worth upgrading to the next line of reels that use an aluminum frame.

Sorry to hear about your dad. I agree with functional, If I invite someone, I dont expect anything. I had a buddy suggest we try musky, sure i'll drive, I was going to go fishing anyway, but you're paying the ramp fee to get us on musky water. I see it different than most, I go out on my boat A LOT. It's a normal day for me to be on the water. It's not the same for all of my friends/family. It's a special event for them. I try to cater to them to make it enjoyable. How to dress, what gear to bring (if any), bring food and drinks (for me too) and hours expected to be out. I'm much more willing to 'enjoy' a day in saltwater, it's closer and easier to fish and deal with inexperience. I would not take these people on an hour or two drive for freshwater. That would be a bad day for both of us most likely.

+1 for cabelas magna lock hooks. 25 for $4. If im going finesse, i'll jump up a quality tier for mosquito hook quality.

Skip the walmart $1 baits. Jump up to their $2.49 spinner baits. Much better quality. 3/8 and 1/2oz same price. I use them all the time and have no issues with them. They are all double willow, very rarely i'll swap the large willow for a large Colorado to get that thing thumping.