Tatsu Dave

I actually fish a little north of there although we trailer down couple times a summer. Great Moose and Sabasticook lakes are two I fish as well as a variety of rivers. Harlow and Branns Mill ponds. Lake Wassookeag and Indian Pond.

The problem with living in the willy wacs is there is no variety at all with not many Mom and Pops around that handle tackle from this decade : ) Only one is a Dicks 32 miles away that is always out of stock on anything new or buyable. This makes a TW order of importance to keep soft plastics/hooks and cps locks/line/reels/rods/as well as line conditioner and dippin dyes. Least shipping don't cost (minimum) and it used to be real cut and dried on delivery times. Now anything seems able to delay your order..........need to start buying large orders in winter when snow is deep and plenty of time to get here. Lost reel showed up while I was reading posts so time to spool line and throw it on the rod thats been waiting.

I know that if I push non-stop reeling for several days it will stiffen up my wrist where it got shattered in a fall 50 years ago. I begin to unconsciously go to the side and change hookset direction and power, best to take a break now and then and let the wrist rest.

Well spoken! My opinion as well, no time for superstition or other such things.....too many colors and shapes to sort.

Spent another day on the water and son did really well with his new braid only spinning rig, we found some nice LM on weedlines and in wood structure. SM are still hunting in pac's herding the local shad relentlessly, we are using ocho's and senko's with rage tail craw's and the BBB swimming craw tubes. Did catch two crappies on stickbaits that were bigger than any I caught in Md over many years, they get 18-19" up here and look so healthy. Get out and fish it don't get much better than now............we never saw another boat all day.

All scents seem to fade in water and air, keep them in the resealable packs they come in and use them as intended. They are wicked flat and dull colored and don't last thru too many mauling's. I bought some and don't think they justified the price, didn't seem much better than other stickbaits. The coffee scented Strike King seem to cause bass to give you plenty of time to set hook, too long and the lure is gonna be swallowed....not good. JJ's gives them a heavy garlic scent that lasts a spell as well.

I don't push or crowd a spot and don't put up with it either, was in Md. fishing the Dundee when they had a national tournament coming up. Fishing a weedline and noticed a bass boat coming up behind us slowly, son said what do ya think? I said don't own the water but if they act special or try to push us out it will be an event (thanks A-Jay love that term) they came up to us and it was Larry Nixon and Gary Klein. Larry was polite and started cutting a wide swath around us, he looked over and said hows the fishing? I replied it never was too good right there but told him a spot to hit as they left the area that usually holds some good fish. Last words were none of you guys will win if you fish here, go up to the flats or run down the bay to eastern shore. It was won on the eastern shore up a river and Zel Rowland hope that is correct almost won it at the flats. Local guys just know.......

TW sells spray oil called Bang fish attractor, comes in anise-garlic-shad or crawfish. Says right on bottle it oils and lubricates plastic lures. Pick a smell that you like and give them all a spritz when you feel they are drying out. Little goes a long way............

Well I fish a couple craw mimicking plastics and can offer some advice, if the bass are smaller creek size use a smaller lure. 3" rage tail craw or zoom ultra vibe speed craw, these are smaller and easier to tackle. Now this isn't everyone's take on plastics but its mine big time, have a couple colors to try, something grn pump-watermelon-junebug- something brownish like a crawfish. Let the fish show you what they want on a given day's conditions, fish em' slow and fish em' fast. You should hit a combo that works and gives confidence at some point to help you come up with a plan. If they aren't hitting a 3" grub in white try some other colors, they should hit a small grub if they are hitting at all. Creeks get warm fast in sun so use shade or structure and even springholes to your advantage. Good Fishing.

OK tackle showed up and reel is supposed to come Monday. Nothing is easy or as it should be these days ☹️

That was almost more than I could handle with a mouth full of coffee : ) Well said A-Jay an event it is..........

I don't think its fishing pressure per say.........but I've found that all bass are really quick at recognizing and avoiding lures that are used a lot (especially ones they're caught on). Tournament fisherman have bigger lure arsenals and keep trying till they find what works. This will show them any and all over time, the fish are there but sometimes it takes a while to find a new look for them. I went a different course when we got back into fishing hard again, very small lightweight boat that could be launched anywhere without ramps and could maneuver in super shallow water. The bass boat we used to have was more limited in access, we fish a lot of close to unfishable water and its a game changer at times. We see kayaks and canoes sometimes but have things to ourselves most of the time. Fish aren't gone from bigger water but bass are much better educated and enlightened. Lake closest to me sees multiple local level tournaments each summer and has heavy fishing pressure, Fella using live baits catches some huge bass. More than one way to catch a bass.

TW is shipping fast out the door like they used to now but weather and covid is putting bumps in my road. Got a reel stuck somewhere and my local UPS terminal is shut from virus. Has to reroute now, never showed like supposed to, box of tackle as well. Oh well not like I don't have lures and rigs already. I'm just spoiled w/online buying as the selection and prices beat the only local game in the area, rural buying is a challenge compared to when I lived in the mid atlantic region where tackle shops were everywhere. OK rant over.......... it will come when it comes although I do like to see those packages arrive.

Thought I'd throw in a report on central Maine waters - water is finally dropping down some from non stop rain. Now this hurricane deal is on the doorstep. Going out today to fish ahead of this multi day deluge, been catching brown and green bass steady on T-Rigged plastics w/ top water ploppers early morning. Shallow water bass feeding on and herding shad everywhere, caught some big ones for up here with some very large pickerel thrown in the mix. We watch for fish activity pushing bait schools up and park on them for a while till we see what size fish are doing the feeding. We are relearning any river spots that have changed from the high water and rain, some places humps and shallow sandbars are gone and other places have shallowed up. Even channels are changed in some places for depth and position, wow another 10 days and we're thru August, where did the month go? Throw plastics that mimic the shad colors-grn pump/pearl-tilapia-rainbow trout-and watermelon laminates. Weeds getting crazy thick as happens late summer, but the algae keeps washing downstream and hasn't built-up like most years. Give it a try and catch some fish.....watch that line on the fall. Dave

I tried I really did but can't narrow it down to one, a strike king rage tail craw can be #1, or a 5" stickbait in the right color can be magic, but now these tube craws have seduced me and the fish both. All T-Rig with 3/0 or 4/0 EWG hook weighted or unweighted depends where they are at in the water column.

Thats cuz you use tubes! Problem is I'm really liking them swimming craw tubes so much I can't seem to put them down for anything else. Guess its just an excitment rush whatever they chose to blast when your holding the rod. Smallies from 3lbs up are a whole different world on the thrill meter.

I don't think one fisherman overpressures a given water as much as they introduce the bass to their technique's and favorite lures. Change up the routine and most important try different lures...

I see, so falling in is not an unusual thing with members, I thought about telling my tale but decided it was way more fun reading about everyone else. Launching a boat and bringing it in solo can be harrowing and entertaining sometimes ? Good Thread....

Was gonna go out today and really see what the casting distance increase is, its more than I can quickly adjust to. Only thing left to test is how it reacts to a big one running for cover, feels like it has good backbone for M/F however. I want to get one next without micro guides in MH/F and add it. I don't own good rods so its quite a difference in feel for pick ups and bottom contact.

Yes it truly is, casts a long ways, and really lets me feel the bottom like never before. There will be more I guess, maybe another when sales happen this winter. You describe it in one word and I agree. Dave

Make it three, wire keepers are my favorite.

As you advance with lures and the confidence builds with certain lures and colors you will really get into it! Nice fish and you are now covering more water for bites. I catch both LM and SM but really enjoy the brown bass, they are my favorite and this far north I have a better shot at a real heavyweight. They hit a lot of plastics well and I happen to like plastics the most.

They probably take you to the biggest carp they can find HeHe.......

Thanks, will fish that line diligently every trip there now. I told my son once that I'm real big on deep water next to pad lines or veggies close by. This drops from 3-4' to 20-22' in about the length of my boat. We'll see..........she didn't know I would have quickly and carefully weighed her and right back in.

Was that you I heard making those noises? Thought you might be calling the fish........... There is something to be said for always using the same type reel (spinning) the same test and make line, and very similar weight plastic lures 90% of the time. Good.....nah but good enough to catch fish I suppose. I do practice however a couple times a week........ Alone in a 14' boat fishing from casting deck in bow all type casts are open to you to use, from the back with someone in front and rods in holders to contend with it limits you a lot. Did use my new dobyns sierra micro guide yesterday and wow that gave me something to recalibrate to by 10-12', came home and told the wife I might have to get some more of them rods.