Tatsu Dave

I used to catch smelt all winter on the ice and it cured me from ever wanting to ice fish again.

Should be holding mine on Friday and fishing with it that evening. I'll be fishing moving lures as well as dragging bottom. We'll see but some experienced fisherman suggested the sierra and I took their advice and don't think I will be disappointed. I use all junk rods now and can feel structure and bottom so things will only get better.

Wow wouldn't consider it myself, I leave things as I found them whenever possible.

Apple trees are dropping early this year already and it sits next to a birdfeeder so plenty of seed already. Maybe try some chicken scraps tonight, it's smart about cage traps no doubt.

I'm going to get stubborn now and just keep trying, it was here last night but ignored fresh cat food and the trap. I'll probably catch every neighbors cat and a few coons before its over but I won't stop till I get the skunk!

Yeah technology is great but there are times you realize how much you depend on it when it goes. Fish alot? every chance I get, several days a week but our summers are quick and fall can get cold fast. I had it back up and ready the next day, floor comes out quick and all is well.

Get the same satisfaction I get from any legally caught fish. Big smallmouth is a big smallmouth, its not like these are hatchery fish the truck comes out and dumps in (dumb as a rock and used to being human fed with fishfood.) These are wild native fish that will always come over the dam at various times and take up residence in the river. No problems here.......

Good Fish! Don't you love them loan stick-ups just begging for a cast ?

Thinking they are a low cost spinning reel but it fits my needs for spool size - gear ratio - and weight. Saw them talking about them on ICast. Won't be released till Oct some time. Maybe just some general feedback on quantum reels in general. Thanks Dave

Given a choice I've always considered bluegills to be low on the bass menu. Shad and crayfish along w/crappie seem primary prey species. Where we fish crawfish seem to be tops, this is going by what they throw up when in the boat. With fish ladders now the spring shad runs are going where they haven't went in years.

Guess my post will fit good here with the title, I do use technology..... YES its there so why not? Well the other day I got a rude lesson in fishing technology 101, we headed to the headwaters of a lake we fish and meandered up the small river. Sonar started to turn itself off and on, this isn't looking good. Son hooked a nice SM and reached for the scale, scale wouldn't come on. I'm starting to feel bad vibes here and fast loosing my drive to fish and want to figure out whats happening. We were in a couple feet of water fishing an underwater raised hump that looked good, bang I get a nice one on and tell my son to man the net. After a power run I get it closer to the boat and it sees us, off again on another run but this time it does its first tail walking jump and flings the lure and rig at us and hits the side of the boat. We both didn't say a word........I knew when I saw it that it was three-three and a half lbs. Wow my mood is now plummeting and I'm ready to head in, so when the sonar won't come on at all now I just turn us around and start picking my way back to deeper water. What else can happen? I was moving real slow but the water was so fouled from runoff and tannin that you could only see your lure down about a foot, the next bang was the lower unit and a large rock ?We was running at an idle and that was a very good thing! No troller or sonar but as we got to familiar water that I knew we powered up and rolled. I put this entire boat together and knew it would all make sense somehow when we got home. Put some dings in the prop and beat the skeag (spelling) up as well, easy to fix though could have been a lot worse. Battery turned out to have a dead cell in it and chose to give out this trip, new battery and that problem went away. Sonar broke the wire at the fuse from corrosion and a rewire put it back online again. Scale just had dead batteries so an R&R on batteries fixed my world again. We did find a new smallie spot while the water is high however and I WILL be back there again. I have a date with one in particular. But so many things all on the same day? Dave

Never heard of that trick so I will and see what happens.

Thats what my wife is hoping! Gunfire in the middle of the night is not going to have a good impression on the neighbors. Guess I'll hang in there and keep trying......notice I catch a lot of cats but usually only once on each cat. Thanks for response

We still are worrying about chronic wasting showing up, deer meat is a staple at our house and will continue to be, tender loin-jerky-burger-and sweet deer bologna sticks. Chewing on jerky while I type.

I have them trapping skunks in town with the hav a heart style pictured and bringing them out the road to our area and turning them loose. Skunks tear the yard up digging for grubs and under the bird feeder every year. Usually trap 6-8 per year and it never stops, however I've come up against a trap shy one that won't enter even with yummy cat food. How do you deal with trap shy skunks? Dave

They are doing fine although lures can also be effective and less hassle maintaining. Would suggest the instruction videos Glenn does on bass resource as a good hands on learning tool. Have fun fishing and learning with them........a great way to bond and have quality time together. I speak from experience and my best fishing partner is my Son ?

Yes I'm glad I did it, too much good advice to ignore. I'm just hoping it gets to me in one piece, last rod I bought looked like a handtruck was pushed over the end and box was collapsed. I realize I need two more to round out what I currently throw and fishing techniques. Dave

Well for all the responder's Thanks! Made my decision based on performance not dollars, moved up to the dobyns sierra micro and will see it shortly (hate waiting) I see so many 'what would you choose' posts but the OP never says what they did if anything. Well when I post I do intend to make a purchase and will post soon on how I like it once it arrives and gets a reel put on it. That brings me to this, I also posted a spinning reel thread on what were favorites in the mid price range, I ended up springing for the Pfleuger president xt and its coming also. This is a good site to gain info that would normally take a long time to achieve. Dave

The only time I allow slack is with a deadstick drop and then I watch the line as it drops to bottom. I like to always have feel for the stickbait and keeping the line free of slack works the best for me.

They did test it and said had a bad cell. It was four years old and I replaced it. Will take out tomorrow and test to see if I'm back in business with new one.

I tried Tom and they had nothing right now, I do have a question when I buy the dobyns sierra, micro guides appear to give trouble when you tie a leader on your line. I use straight FC .010 dia. and want them. Any problems with line and no knots? I'd rather know now before I put the order in motion. If I can swing this I still want the diesel Powell rod as well although that was real low what was done to the Powell family. The decision to not warranty the cheaper rods sounds just like an investment banker.

This was the problem, the battery had a bad cell and wasn't taking a full charge. Bought a new one and removed and replaced, will find out tomorrow if things are back to normal or If I need to get another and hook them together. Even two will not be that bad $ wise, it's a small alum. boat and another can replace the back battery, than hook the two together. I want the run time and will do whatever it takes to accomplish this. Thanks to all who took the time to answer....I should have had it tested right off but never considered that possibility. Dave

Its the worst thing I've dealt with fishing the last few years now, in our case its runoff from the upstream farms. Ponds don't stand a chance and there is a lot of big bass in ponds.

This ^^^^ 3/0 EWG for most long worms or sticks, also for most every creature bait I fish. Large swimbaits are an exception 5/0-7/0 EWG

I know most bass fisherman up here know its a better chance of getting a near record SB than LM. 8lb even is the record and the next one could come pretty much anywhere in the state. I'd rather have a crazed jumping, strong SB on my rod than any other fish. They are what keep me out there casting.......you never know when ?