farmpond1

Thank you. I caught about 10 bass on that outing but that one crappie was the most memorable fish.

Red Stripe Corona (with lime wedge)

I suppose the answer varies from state to state. I caught a white crappie yesterday that was 13 inches. For me, that's a really nice crappie (thought it was a bass at first). But apparently, it's nothing to write home about. When does a crappie become big enough to brag about?

I'm all for having fun but pleaaaaaase, be careful. I'd hate to (later) read a cautionary tale typed with stubby little nubs instead of fingers.

The last time I deliberately fished for catfish, I cut off a slab of meat from a creek chub a friend caught a few minutes earlier. It served two functions: first, to rid the canal of at least one bait thief and two, it made good oily smelly bait.

Ah, the old debate continues! My thoughts: if you allow her to control you now, it sets a bad precedence for the future. If fishing is indeed very important to you, than you need to make that clear and stand your ground. Either she'll learn to accept it or it's time to move on. Don't wait until you get married to try to sort this out-unless you want true headaches.

That is a beautiful fish! Well done! Glad to hear you let 'er go.

Ditto.

minnow bait-either floating/diving or suspending.

The answer to this varies with situation/location/person. If I'm on a new lake, or the wind is strong, for safety reasons I definately prefer to be with somebody. If the only person I can dredge up is a weenie, than I'll go it alone. But it's fun to have a buddy along when/if it's possible. As luck would have it, my best buddy's work schedule picks up as the weather get's nicer-often at the expense of some prime fishing time.

I haven't seen, or perhaps I missed, any mention of what kind of line you are using. Particularly with distant fish, monofilament line stretches a lot. Perhaps you could use heavier mono or switch to braided line. Plastic worms require a good solid hook set and line stretch will diminish that. Although a 2/0 hook will sometimes work, I'd increase to a 4/0.

Ditto. Those foam ants are killers. Black has been my best color.

Agreed! It's a whole new dimension!

If I had fished as long and as hard as Bill Dance has, and I had a loyal following of fans/viewers, I think I'd fish phosphate lakes too. Traveling can wear out even a young person and...how old is Bill anyway?

I found that a Johnson Silver Minnow is a great bait for working over and through moss. You get fewer solid hookups but that's better than fouling all the time and not getting any bites at all. "'Tis better to have hooked and lossed than to never have hooked at all."

Okay, you've got me there. That is pretty dang irritating. That and jet/water skiers. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned them.

A friend of mine is a crime scene investigator for the state police. Whether his job has made him a good observer of things or whether his ability to notice things led to his job (or both) is subject to debate. but whenever he and I go fishing, he observes/notices things that I totally overlook. Whereas I might be lucky to notice the crawdads in the river, he'll be waaaay beyond that and be counting the eggs on them. He pulls out hellgramites out from under rocks where I never even knew they existed. He is a better fisherman than I am and it's one (of many) reasons why. I have to say that observing and attributing meaning to things is probably the most important trait a good fisherman can possess. Maybe some of his skills will eventually rub off on me.

Smallmouth require different, more specific, conditions to thrive than largemouth (probably the main reason why largemouth are more widespread. I'm not saying it can't be done but even if they live, they might not successfully reproduce.

That is cool!!! Don't alter it in anyway. Should you ever decide to part with it, it will likely be more valuable in it's original condition. Save the envelope if you have it.

Don't listen to your friends when they want you to race the guy in the hopped up Civic. Practice situational awareness. Pay attention to what's going on all around you. Anticipate necessary lane changes, don't shuffle through your CD collection in heavy traffic, stay off your cell phone, etc etc.

This perhaps belongs on a different thread and I don't know the Ohio River but with that long of a run, is it possible to put in at a different (closer) ramp? But I'm sure you would've thought of that.

I'm not a mechanic. Far from it., actually. But it sounds to me like she isn't getting gas (i.e., the fuel is draining from the lines when you leave her sitting for extended periods). Just a guess.

The three most irrittating fishing conditions (from a boat) are wind, wind, and wind. Sometimes I wish I had a heavier fiberglass boat to help counter the wind but with gas prices being what they are... I thought I'd be clever this year and get an anchor mate so I could drop and raise anchor on a whim (without getting rope burns or constantly untangling kinks. It works as advertised and I'm fairly pleased with the product (though there could be a few improvements). Many (read "most") of the lakes I fish, however, have hard clay bottoms and if the wind is stronger than about 10 mph, the anchor just skitters along the bottom until I drift into deeper water. Then it just suspends under the boat. Did I happen to mention that I hate the wind?

What everyone has already said. If the fish are just cruising along back and forth in plain site, it's next to impossible to get them to bite. (Very) occassionally, I might intice one to suck in a small reallistic minnow bait but that's definately the exception rather than the rule.

Find the gypsy who's put a hex on you and slap the #$%* out of her. Short of that, just be patient and things will turn around.