Bronze12

Skeeter, I would say you got a great shot at breaking that. I've seen some of the smallies that come out of there and its amazing. I talk to a warden up there too who says he's seen some 7's that have come out of there. Don't if thats right or not but it sure got me excited. Good luck.

I used to use snaps and swivels on just about everything. I'm trying to get away from that though and I'm using swivels only on baits that are going to twist my line if I were to tie direct.

Ha, this is funny cause I was going to ask everyone the same question.

I've had great luck with shad raps and husky jerks. Floating rapalas twitched across the surface can be a blast too. Last year I started using any kind of french fry type baits (senkos, YUM dingers, etc.) on some deeper structure and had a lot of luck.

Mike about nailed it. Go with something a little smaller. I normally try and use the smallest one I can get away with. I am actually trying to get away from using them as much as I can but they come in handy under a few circumstances and they just make changing lures so much easier.

This isn't neccessarily a trophy smallmouth spot most people think of but the fishing and the over all experience can't be beat.....try the boundry waters in northern Minnesota. Shoot, One day me and my brother stopped counting smallies at about 100 a piece and still had a lot of daylight left. Granted the biggest were only around 3 lbs and a majority were around the 1 lb mark but we got ourselves a work out that day. Its canoe only but wow, what an awesome place. Definately the most beautiful place I've ever been and the fishing is awesome. My trick for the big smallies up north (I fish minnesota but I'm guessing this will work in Wisconsin too or anywhere else with some nice rocky, clear water lakes) is to go night fishing. I look for any nice rock bar that meets any kind of reeds or vegetation. Not just any rocks either, I'm talking boulders. I wait atleast an hour after its totally dark but normally its closer to two hours before I go out. I just take my time and cook up something nice over the campfire and fill up after a long day of fishing, and then its back to it. I'll hit these rock bars and the outskirts of the weeds with shad raps or top water lures (play around with the lure selection) and I tell you what, You'd better hold on. Some of the most viscious hits I've had came fishing like this. You won't catch a ton of fish but when you do they are BIG.

I definately prefer smallies. Don't get me wrong, I love fishing for the others but smallies just give me a rush like the others just can't quite equal. Plus, some of my favorite lakes to fish are strictly smallie and walleye lakes with no a large mouths.

Sounds good. That's pretty awesome your dad guides up there. I'll check out your site and give you call before I head up that way. Thanks.

Oh yeah, one more thing....Do you keep an eye on sixoldgeezers.com? If not you should give it a look....its an awesome site for Texoma with a lot of great guys contributing to it.

Shoot skeeter, thats sounds like a great deal. I'm planning on going up a couple times in April so I'll let you know before I come up. I love the spring fishing up there. Its such a big lake though, I normally stick to the areas I'm more familiar with. So it would be nice to learn a little more of the lake. Thanks.

I do both quite a bit. During summer, when I'm at home from college I can use my Dad's boat pretty much whenever I want which is very nice. I'm lucky he trusts me and my brother enough to use it because we pretty much live in it during the summer. When I'm at school I just bank fish for the most part. I have a tube that I used a lot last year but haven't got it out yet this year.....I've just been too lazy I think and most the water around school here is just ponds. So I bank fish....My brother came and visited me for his spring break this week.....took him out today and he blasted me. Outfished me 7 - 0 and had a 6 pounder and a 4 pounder. It was quite humbling to say the least but he's a good fisherman too so I didn't feel too bad except for the fact that I got skunked.....Just wasn't my day I guess.

Great site indeed!!! I have been visiting regularly for a few weeks now and finally got around to signing up for the board here. Its great getting to chat fishing with everyone. Keep up the great work

hmm, I'm not sure how that smiley face thing got in my last post....thats not a good spot for a face with a frown like that.

Water color, lake structure, food and a hundred other things can make the same fish come out looking different in different waters. Bronzeback is just another word for smallies. Speaking of which, those are some nice looking smallies. Were those caught on Texoma??? Thats cool. I get to fish Texoma a few times a year....awesome lake. I've got a 5 out of there (smallie) but nothing bigger than that. Where did you get em? I have my best luck for smallies around the dam and over near Sunset. Nice work though.

The other night I was doing a little catfishing with some chicken.....got 4 or 5 bass all around 2 pounds....and not one catfish. I just thought that was pretty wierd.

I've always used left-handed retrieve reels. It can be kind of a pain in the rear end trying to find them though. Being right-handed, its just always seemed more comfortable and efficient to fight with my right arm than my left.

I fish a lot from shore now that I'm off to college without a boat. I have my best luck with a weightless worm or a weightless YUM Dinger. I don't have to worry about deep water from shore so weightless is just fine unless I'm fishing really heavy cover. I just rig the worm texas style and drag it through holes in the weeds or throw to edges or other cover I can see. Works fantastic but it will take while to get the feel for it if you've never fished this way before. I keep the line as tight as I can on a pause without affecting the worm to try and feel hits but you have to get used to watching your line. Hope this helps.

I've got some water mocasins on mepps and had some crazy looking bird dive-bomb a sluggo but didn't actually hook him. Just let him fly around with it until he finally dropped it. Pulled in some bullheads fishing plastics too.