MGF

We used to get rubber worms that looked about like a real night crawler. My dad used to use a needle to run a line through it and tie in 3 hooks. We used a swivel which keep the line twist under control and added a little weight to the nose. That's what caught most of my quarry bass back then. But...I remember inventing the float-n-fly. That's a joke, of course, but I caught bass using the basic technique long before I knew it had a name. We got the idea from the little pinkie jigs under a float that we used to catch crappie on. Last year my dad (81) started fishing again so I bought an Ill license and fished some of those same quarries again...those lakes sure look different.

I'm about to turn 61 so I don't know if Tom is quit old enough to be my grandfather. My first baitcaster was one of those "knuckle busters" an old Pflueger that my grandfather gave me. I caught a lot of northern pike with that reel fishing in northern Wisconsin. Now I have the urge to go digging through old boxes to see how many of the old lures I still have that I got from my dad...jitterbug, lazy-Ike and river-runt are a few names that come to mind...oh and a fly box of real small stuff..."super duper and some ancient flies. Some mentioned riding bikes to fishing spots. Me too. I used to ride to several quarries. The one I fished the most wass only about 3 miles. I'd ride on overcast mornings. Catch a couple of bass for my mother. She always said they were the only fish she wanted to eat. We didn't release them all back then. After Mom's were secured I used to dig up a worm or use that little super-duper to catch a few bluegills. I'd make a quick meal of them and ride back.

If I were to go after a PB I'd do some research to find the best place and plan a trip. I live in NW Indiana and mostly fish close to home. I get some nice bass but rarely break 5 pounds. At the same time, I know folks who catch far larger bass in private farm ponds that most of us will never have access too. Location, location, location.

Inspired by the thread "Learning to fish on the internet" where/how did you start? Living in the far west suburbs of Chicago...My earliest fishing memories are of following my father around through the brush/woods on the bank of a local lake trying to get my tackle untangled while my father filled a stringer with bass he caught on his home tied unweighted rubber worm. I eventually learned to use my gear and caught a few fish too. We used to go to northern Wisconsin every year to musky fish. My dad had a 14 ft aluminum car top boat (I still have it) and a 6 hp Johnson motor (I have that too). No trolling motor or electronics. My dad would drive back and forth while I lay over the bow calling out the weeds I saw. In some cases we bumped the anchor around to see what was down there. I still do most of my fishing in a 14 ft flat bottom boat in the local river. I sometimes use a "NED rig" instead of a lead head and grub...I have my spinning reel spooled with braid and a fluorocarbon leader but it's really not that much different. I was watching a video the other day. I don't remember who but I remember it because I had to replay it for my wife. The guy made a special point out of the fact that his power poles saved the day...they would have been in trouble without them. I was thinking that I would have dropped an anchor...two of them if needed. I'm sure that power poles are great but there's still a few of us that probably won't ever have them...or the bass boat to put them on or the truck to pull it all with. LOL

I started fishing with my father way back before the internet. That gave me a pretty solid foundation. I obviously make use of the net and pick up some useful stuff. It's been a good tool for me but I don't about learning to fish from the internet. Most of the new stuff is new twists on old stuff and the old stuff still works. LOL

My wife is my primary fishing partner. She doesn't put as much work (study, casting practice, etc) as I do but she's almost always in the boat or wading the river with me. She also loves to camp. She doesn't hunt but she's always in camp when I'm hunting. The only problem (I guess it's a good problem) is that when my son comes into town the logistics gets difficult because I just have a little boat. I work with a couple of young guys that have expressed interest in me taking them out fishing and it's hard to find time to do that too. She'll yield her seat for one of the kids or grandchildren but she gets first dibs over everybody else. LOL

I had a little pond where the bass fishing was real good. Lots of small bass. I could easily catch 20 in an evening and I'd get a handful of larger 20"+. There were lots of bluegills and I used to take the grand-kids there. I turned all the bass back. All of a sudden last year there was almost nothing. I think somebody went in there and cleaned up...even though there is a posted minimum size limit on bass. Poaching is rampant around here.

My river isn't very large or deep. Current and cover seem to rule but I have to admit to being confused about the whole thing. LOL. I had one day where I spent an hour and a half catching a bass almost every cast in 2 feet of water, mid river, when the sun was high and 90 deg F. There were some rocks (small current breaks) and scattered patches of weeds with a moderate river level/current. Last year I had a day where I made it out earlier than usual. I started with a whopper plopper figuring that I'd change when things slowed down. Again, hot sunny day and they just kept hitting that surface bait. Other times they seem to associate more with obvious current breaks or eddies. Regarding the small boat/no sonar thing. I fish from a canoe or a 14 ft flat bottom boat. In my river I rarely bring my Lowrance. I can see the bottom or stick a rod tip down and feel it. On most days it's a one way trip because there isn't enough water to motor back to where I started.

I fish the Tippecanoe in Indiana. I fish tubes a couple of different ways. During warmer months when I'm not afraid to "stroke" the jig, I often use a traditional tube jig head in 1/8 oz or 1/4 oz and 2 1/2" to 3.75" tubes. I also do the "stupid tube" thing a lot. This lets me drag the bottom a bit more without hanging up but still gives me that classic tube action when I bounce it. I'll also Texas rig a flipping tube once in a while. I guess I like the stupid tube the best but it requires a 3.75" tube or longer to make room for the hook...at least on the jigs I have. If smaller baits/more fineness is required I go to something different.