Muddpuppy

Here, I'm told the fish are starting to bed, we have finally have gotten enough rain to help fill back up the lakes, upper 70's and 80's the last couple of days and I have a broken ankle and have to stay off of it.

On my Minn Kota there is a breaker reset button built into the back of the foot pedal that sometimes throws, that you just push back in. I also have a replaceable breaker box on the side of the console that my motor is wired into and some breakers in the battery compartment in the boat. Usually resetting the motor works. You maybe able to find something on Motor Guides web site for trouble shooting or manuals.

I usually just use windex then go back over it with a marine cleaner /protector spray or paste. I think it cleans as well or better then most products I've tried and alot cheaper then some out there for boats or autos but it doesn't give any lasting weather or sun protection. It works pretty well, although I have still have had a few old stains that it didn't take off. I haven't noticed any problems like discoloring on any surfaces that I've tried it on, that I am aware of. I did buy a marine vinal cleaner that worked better then anything else I've tried so far, but I can't remember the name of it or where I got it, right now. I 'm thinking about trying WD-40 on any small spots and see how it works.

There used to be a big one at Tyler's Caldwell Zoo in the East Texas fish and snake exhibit that I think was about 6" in diameter if memory serves me right- it was a rather large one anyway and was always neat to watch. I used to go out there a lot after I had surgery and that made a great place to walk. It was before they started chargeing, so it's been a while since I've been there. I'm assumeing that it's still there. They had some bass and catfish in the same tank that could lead to a heart condition, too.

You sure you didn't encounter that thing in one of the pools out at Dominoe? I have seen a couple of larger eels that were supposed to have been caught around here, but I haven't landed one yet, but that little guy sure is one ugly critter.

Looks kinda like a baby salamander to me, also

If your boat dealer doesn't carry an hour meter you might get one that you could make work through a farm/construction tractor dealer, tool distributer like Northern Hydrolics or possibly a farm supply like Tractor Supply. I know some of these used to carry such items, but I can't give you a specific place right now. You also might try useing a stop watch that will stop and start.

I have a 15hr. Evinrude that I fried the lower unit on a few years ago due to a bad seal. We hardly ever used the motor and have had it since it was new in 81. When I carried it to the shop to be repaired they said the motor only had 80 hr.'s on it, which was about right. Thinking back thru the times we used it I just assumed there was a hour meter on it somewhere, but didn't ask how they knew that or if it was an educated guess.

You may find some information in the article secection at the top of the page. One thing you might try is to sink some cover into the ponds to create an artifical fish reef, out of tires, ceader trees, ect. We have a lake around here that I was told was dug out when it was first built. Looking at the bottom on sonar it resembles a bowl when you go across it. Even though it was suppossidly well stocked in the beginning it wasn't long before the fish populations began to dwindle. They finally decided that it was do to lack of cover and the smaller sport fish and baitfish had no protection. They installed some large artifical reefs and attractors though out the lake. Eventurally the level was raised for increase in water demands. This time they left some of the natural structure and cover. It's a pretty decent lake for fish anymore.

In Texas you can access the Texas Parks and Wildlife website and look under fishing/find a biologist and it will give you a phone no. Some lake info is also given online under lakes. I have sometimes found good information on lakes in other states, just by doing a search of the lake online. Some states use anouther service other than the Park Service for their lake info.

I'm not sure if the they truely hibernate, but the kinds around here do burrow durring droughts and may not surface until water returns. I think these holes can go down pretty far, and I have heard some kinds may tunnel down about 6' deep. They will make mounds out of mud that resemble an mud ant hill or an inverted cone with about a 1" or so hole running through it, they also often burrow into clay banks anound here. In some places there maybe 100's of these holes. I have seen holes quite a ways from water in moist ground. We have found mounds in pastures that were at least 100 yrds from a creek or water. It seems like we have found crayfish in the winter months, but it also doesn't normally stay that cold here for long periods of time. Gathering crawfish in cold water isn't something I do a lot of anymore. There are also a lot of different varieties though out the country. So some may in other areas. There are some good sites online about them. You can do a search for crawfish or crayfish.

If Bassnut's barometer is anything like the one I developed when I got back problems - you seriously don't want one. I would gladly pay (more) to have it removed, and even that hasn't worked so far. It does make a difference, I think it is when I have my worst days or when the pressure is high and in the 30.'s and dropping or riseing. The faster the change the worse effect it has on me, compareing it to trips that my fishing buddy makes. My worst days ( I don't go, on those days) aren't productive, but the day before is terrific, the day after is fair or maybe my worst is his best. It is something like that. There is defent pattern. It has been fairly constant here until lately and I don't remember exactly what days are best. It seems like I used to kid him, though that he couldn't catch anything due to a guilty conscience.

In Texas they are not considered a gamefish and can be used as bait at least on all the lakes that I frequent. Here a lake or in a few circumstances a part of the lake may have certain different rules and regulations and many lakes do have exceptions on limits, size and types of bait and fish that can be used or kept, methods, ect. So I would check specificly to make sure before doing it. They can be taken on rod and reel, (legal trap, net, seine) or other legal means and there is no limit unless it is otherwise stated. The way I understand it, they can be transported if used as bait, however releaseing them into other public waters is not permitted.

If you are mainly interested in personal protection Mossberg makes several models of tactical shotguns and one that they call the Mariner. It comes in all calibers includeing .410 and has a synthetic stock and what they call "Marinecoat" that is designed to protect against hummid envionments.

The Texas Defender also by Bond Arms in 45LC/410 is on a little smaller frame and shorter barrel then the Snake Slayer. I've never have had to use one on a snake, but I wouldn't want to shoot one in the boat with it. I imagine it would mess snake, boat and possibly a foot, up pretty bad at close range. You might also look into a Snake Charmer II which is a compact, plastic stocked, stainless, single shot .410 if you want one to more or less keep it in there. We also carried a .22 quite abit at times. Rat shot would probably do the least amount of damage and used to come in several calibers, but I'm not sure it would always stop a large snake. I would try a hooked pole or paddle first, if that doesn't work use a fire extingisher. One thing to consider also is that you can't legally have a firearm or a rifle on "some" lakes, (at least here) in the boat. It has been my experience that unless you injure or corner a water moccasin that they usually will try to get away from you if they can. Shooting one and not killing it is anouther story. They can get pretty nasty when hurt or you make them mad. We used to do alot of frog gigging at night from boats and often had snakes fall out of the trees along creeks banks. The only ones that really were a problem were the ones that were hurt or angered. We always tried to look pretty close before going under any lower limbs.

I think the main reason that you can get by with soft plastics is that they are so easily to rig in life like positions. They are flexable and often imitate things that stick to the bottom and weeds or dyeing. The places I fish some of them, the fish probably never get a full view of the bait most of the time. On baits like swimbaits I do think that a detailed paint job help. The faster the bait travels I feel it less important.

I would think that if a bass had been caught once before useing a specific scent then it would be more reluctant about takeing a bait that smelled that way again. As many fish that are caught and released and as many lures are sold of the same types and locations the odds are high that a good percentage of these fish have been caught off the same thing before in some places, but then I have also had fish turn right around and hit the same bait. I fish with a friend that is completely adement that he catches fewer fish when they use garlic, and tries his best not to buy any that do. He catches alot of fish normally on unscented or mildly scented baits. I on the other hand I love to experiment and trying different scents being one of things I have played around with. Although I have yet to find something to completely show him up with and prove him wrong, I also have never had fish to just stop biteing because I applied one (at least as long as he was still catching fish)

I don't know if I've included anything in here that will help you or not, even though it's long winded. I had intended on trying to pay close attention to anything different when fishing these lakes, but it has been so hot and dry here that we haven't been fishing them much, since the original post. We will probably start later this winter. There are several lakes around here that are used for power generating, but I am basicly useing 2 as reference that are about the size you are talking about I think one is about 16,600 and the other around 18,000. The problem they are as different as night and day. Compared to some of the other lakes the best fishing times to fish should be comeing up durring the colder months. Sometimes fishing at night will improve your catch when the temperatures are warm. If the weather is extreamly cold try fishing the discharge side near the discharge. I think I fish shallower in winter and deeper in the the summer then I do on a cold water or larger gernerating lake. When the weather is cold and nasty shallow works pretty good for me. On avarage I probably catch most at 8 - 14 ft next to standing timber. I have wanted to get a retractable thermometer and check out how the temp is at different depths but haven't found one yet. We haven't paid that much attention to water temperature except under unusual conditions like 58 deg. on one lake in Dec. or 89 deg in Feb. ( quit fishing that one for the rest of the year) Try unusual things. I know the fish might hit something one day and not at all the next. Some of the people that regularly fish some of the smaller lakes here often throw the same thing and if that dosn't work they won't try anthing else. When they quit catching fish they change lakes, until the catch improves. Since there is limited access to these lakes any tounements would be small. I have talked to some guys that that will say they have been killing them on a so and so until "today" and they might have brought in only a couple off of for instance a blue/black worm just like they threw all the other times. We came along with flukes and they hit the spot. I have the best luck off of soft plastics like brush hogs, flukes, worms unweighted if at all possible, but that's also what I prefer anyway, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't try a white crankbait next without good results. If you change color or bait type fishing the same spot they may start up again. We have had good luck one day and then say we or a friend go back the next day or so later and catches them at a totally different depth. Look for points, standing timber along cannels and we often do pretty good in coves that have channels in them. I think that these fish are easily effected by weather. I have seen them turn on and of when it starts to rain. You wouldn't get a bite until it starts to sprinkle then "bam" when quits they do to. I also wouldn't think it would take much sun to warm the water enough to move the fish. I never thought about it before but some of the change in depth could be caused by the generator being off line like Matt was saying. There used to be some on here that fish some of these lakes alot more then I do, but I haven't seen them on here for a while.

I always carry a tow rope, and a good flashlight. Since some of places I go sometimes are shallow I occassionally toss in a machete' or a pole.

Some tackle shops carry replacement nets also. You will need to know what size your old net is in inches.

You can check these out http://www.vexilar.com/help/tips/tip011.html http://www.lowrance.com/Tutorials/Sonar/sonar_tutorial_02.asp

Supposedly the range of sound waves used in sonar is far out of the fish's range of hearing. Something in your transducer might be makeing a noise that they could pick up on. We have had this discussion before and someone said that they could hear a clicking comeing from one of theirs when they were in the water. Since the signals are sent and received if I remeber right ,something like 1,500 times a minute, I wouldn't see how it would be an audiable click. In 3 ft. of water the area that the cone that you would be viewing would be so small that the sonar really doesn't help much anyway. My personal feelings are that most anglers that will take the pains to turn off their sonar are also more aware of other things that they maybe doing to spook the fish.

Are ya'll going to "fish for brown trout with fly rods" one week and for Redfish the next week or like Infisherman and have a weekly mix? Numbers 1 thru 3 could be shows in themselves. You could include Maps, GPS and Sonars both reading and buying. Radios might be good topic to mention since you are discussing saltwater. Reel and equipment maintanece. We do have a show on here that is done by the local TV station and it is pretty good. It is shot on area lakes and normally about a week behind, unless it is a rerun. That makes a lot of difference since the conditions are about the same.

As long as they don't forget about me and my party, I wouldn't care. I go quite a bit by myself, so I like the idea of "fishing with a guide." I do think they should ask or have it clear from the beginning. I would probably prefer they did fish at least some. It would give me the chance to see how they are working the baits, and possibly pick up a few tips and tricks without really haveing to ask and one could try other things, ect. My trip would be for fun in the first place and even though they are getting payed it just doesn't seem right (downright creepy) haveing somebody just sit there and watch you fish. If they have their trip planned and the equipment in order there shouldn't be alot for them to have to do, for anyone that I would take (excludeing my wife who can keep at least 2 busy changing lures). Hopefully they aren't going to be overhaulling the motor or glueing plastic worms back together. Besides if they are a really skilled angler it might be worth the some of the price just to watch them in action.

I fish several different power plant lakes and for me each one seems to have a little of it's own personality. One lake gets too warm to fish anytime other then in the winter, yet has some monsterous bass in it. But they just seem to get lathargic and you just watch them swim around after about Aril. One they pump cold water into from a deeper colder lake and durring those times the fishing is fantastic. Anouther which is I guess is my favorite lake to fish is a anouther smaller lake, it has some nice fish and usually you can put at least a few in the boat. Some days they can be tuff to say the least and so on. One thing most of these lakes have are submerged weed beds, you might not always be able to see them from the surface depending on depth, but fishing the tops, edges and pockets are usually productive. These often grow within a couple of feet of the surface. I didn't know if you hadn't seen weeds at the lake you are refering to or if there just weren't many. When it gets hot we usually go deep, sometimes real deep. We look for timber and weed beds along the channels of the intake side although fish can sometimes be caught in large numbers on the discharge side in deeper water too. This year the weather was warm enough that we didn't hardly even fish the discharge side that I can think of. The lakes winter surface temperature stayed about 55 or so and the we pretty much fished in the same places that we do in in fall and spring. Brush hogs and Flukes are probably our best bets, Senkos, spinnerbaits and a few cranks work pretty good too. Cotton Candy, Watermellon candy and Smoke w/ red pepper have been good colors most of the time in stained water. If you happen to take fish for the table I would check to make sure there isn't a consumption advisory especially if you haven't had alot of rainfall to keep the lake flushed out.