nso123

I love fishing for bass, but have always had a passion for bluegill and panfish. What do you feel is the best rod available? I have several, but am looking for the best, nicest rod for them.

You might try something like a Hog Farmer Spunk Shad for your trailer. I have seen them work well in several different spots.

I never realized how important maps were until I started using them. I had been within yards of structure that I had no idea was there, but with the maps I was able to find the structure.

My little boy is my fishing partner. I wear an inflatable all the time when we are out. I can’t imagine something happening to me and suddenly I’m in the water and him having to deal with it. I owe it to him to be as safe as I can.

I have been using the bands from fishing skirts.com with good luck. If I were going to tie with thread I would give Semperfli nanosilk a look. I tie all of my predator flies with it.

Tried mine out. I got the Orange Illusion color. I did the initial test at the same temps as I use for Pro Tech. It looked ok, but nothing special. Raised the temp and boom, the color really popped and turned out very slick. I’m also going to give the Columbia Coatings a look, as they are not too terribly far from me.

I just ordered some of this to try out. They have some cool colors. How does it compare to Pro-Tec?

You will find that the boats can get most anywhere you’ll go with your kayak. They are raising the water to summer pool, so this also gives the boats the chance to get in some of the shallow spots. Soddy creek is a good area. There are also spots out of Chester Frost Park that can produce.

There is a spot on the east side of Hwy 27 just south of Thrasher Pike. I am not sure if you are still able to access it, but I am pretty sure it is a TWRA area. Plenty of bass and panfish in it and no big boat access.

Where would you go in Florida during early June for a good chance at some big bass? My 11 year old is hounding us to do a bass vacation this year instead of our usual beach trip. We would want to be in an area where we could rent a house with a pool instead of a condo since we will bring my boat. I assume we will be best served by planning early morning trips before it would get hot. I have looked in the Rodman area and it looks like a good fishery, but wanted to get some input from you guys in Florida before committing to a trip that time of year. We normally fish Chickamauga here in TN.

In the world of fly fishing for trout, where protecting the fish from harm can start a fight, rubber basket nets are preferred. As for your hands, it’s generally considered to be less harmful to trout if you wet your hands before you handle them. I would think the same would apply to most fish, but could be wrong.

They are starting to raise to summer pool right now. They will usually be all the way up later in the month.

I have had several kayaks and can say you will never regret going with one that is longer. I am 6’3” and have a Hobie PA 12. The extra length helps the kayak in tracking and steering, as well as stability if you fish any bigger water. I have comfortably fished everything from small creeks to Mosquito Lagoon to the ocean in mine. By the time you get electronics, rod holders, a cooler, and all of your other gear, you will appreciate the extra space.

For those of you looking for high quality marabou, take a look at Fish Hunter marabou from Nature’s Spirit. It is very nice material. Whiting marabou is great too, but can be a little tougher to find. I am a fly fisher, and have tried almost all of the brands.

While this was not something that happened bass fishing, I was kayak fishing in Little Lagoon in Gulf Shores and ran into an uncomfortable situation. It was during the late spring time of year, so mating season was getting rolling. I had fished into an area that was about 20 feet wide with grass banks on each side. I started noticing the slide marks where gators would enter the water from the bank, so I kept my eyes open. The further I got in, the higher the banks got until I noticed a gator perched on the bank looking at me from about 20 feet away. I have no idea if it would have come after me or not, but with the height of the bank it would have come right in the kayak with me if it wanted to. I decided it was time to head out of there after this.