IdahoLunkerHunter

Bass, Crappie, Rainbows, Mackinaw, Pike, Steelhead, Brook & Cuttthroat

I would say no. The talent is out there, if they couldn't catch fish on the lure they are promoting why would they use it... Look at City Limits or a Day on the Lake. Real time fishing shows show that even Pro's get skunked sometimes.

Russ, I sent the video footage last week. I will try and resend this morning in one email per video. It might have been to big for your email. patrick

Zack, this is a great question. During Road Trip I had the opportunity to talk to Bob Lusk, an incredible biologist who specializes in helping people raise trophy bass. He explained to me northern bass as yours and mine take much longer to get 5+ lbs than our southern states, and a fish to be 6-7lbs up here would be equivelant to a 10+ lber. No matter what, a 5-6lber anywhere is a good fish and it should be soaked in whenever you get the chance.

Those are some beauties! Good work

I would have to disagree on this a little. I believe one of the biggest downfalls of people being discouraged while fishing is not catching anything. If you are not comfortable in some sort of presentation you should integrate it slowly into your arsenal of tactics. We are not pros and we do not have the time to spend everyday out on the water improving our techniques. I would start slow with throwing new baits and new presentations. I used to be a "Bank Beater" because that is what I was comfortable fishing. I would have the occasional 3-4lber but nothing with consistency. You have to figure out a bass' environment and then work to where they live. I have transitioned enormously in my fishing tactics by studying more than fishing. Learn how bass live and where they live first. Not knowing anything about your lake and what part of the spawn it is this is how I would fish it: Pre-Spawn: Fish the Creek Channel ledges and humps. I would throw Suspending Jerks, Carolina rigged tube or lizard, shakey head or jig w/trailer. Spawn: I would first hit the two main points on the bottom and move into where the cover is. I would then hit the rip wrap banging a crank and pitching a tube or jig. After there I would hit the third point on the left hand side of map I would then transition out to the creek channel and look for humps and spawning flats. When you find a stump or tree or any kind of cover, don't be afraid to spend 15 minutes on that one piece. Your first throws should always be on the shady side and work your way around it. 90% of catching fish is eliminating the areas where the fish aren't. Confidence is built from catching fish and until you find the fish you can't get a start on the confidence of a new bait.

Good to hear. I'm gonna go and buy out the rest tomorrow. They are only open on the weekend. Wish it was warmer but i'm good with this right now. It is supposed to be 70-75 for a week. yay! After meeting Big-O at Kentucky lake and conversations about the baits i wouldn't leave home without them. The action is awesome and you won't be dissapointed!

So I decided to hit a local pond today. Water temp is still 49 degrees so I was going to work some cover really slow. There is a ledge around the whole pond that drops from 8-10 foot to 30 foot in about 10 feet or so. Wasn't marking any fish in the deeper areas so I started to pitch some downed trees and stumps. Was using a Blue Rage Craw dipped in JJ's Magic and 1/4 Oz Evolution Jig. I lost the first fish I hooked up on in the first tree I hit. Probably 2-3lbs. I saw a little hole about 2 feet in diameter between branches and I knew there had to be a fish in it. I pitched it right in and Thump! Set the hook and the drag went screamin. I was like crap! I didn't want it that big, I was using 12 lb flouro and a 6.5 med. So after about 5 mintues of finesse her out of the branches and stuff I pulled out a nice 4lb 10 oz. Good way to start the year in Idaho

Red bull and a pack of smokes. Try and eat a hearty breakfast and it usually tides me over 8-10 hours.

Jig, Shakey Head, Slow-Roll Spinner bait & Trick Stick. That would be what I would first start with in that order.

Trick Stick Style: Black, Watermelon, Watermelon/Chartreuse, Junebug, Huckleberry, Pumpkinseed, Shad(Black/SilverFlake) ShakeyHead/Finesse: Watermelon, Purple, Junebug, Red, Pumpkin Large 7" Plus: Watermelon, Junebug, Black All dipped or changed in some way with JJ's Magic

Those are some sweet fish! Good Work

The bird thing is a myth in my opinion. Fish inhabit non-habited lakes and ponds by water systems and flooding. If I were you I would see if you could get in contact with the homeowners association before you do anything with stocking. You definetely don't want an association to be upset with you or your girlfriends family. I would go along the association route because you might find another angler or two in the subdivision that might be willing to help you get the pond in a manageable state. Stocking, setting up feeders, dropping brush etc. Ponds in subdivisions that produce good fishing are always a bonus from a homeowner perspective because it can raise the value of a home.

After KY Road Trip and speaking with Glenn he told me about the three tap rule of a bass bite: 1. The first tap is a bass eating your bait. 2. The second tap is the bass spitting out your bait. 3. The third tap is me hitting you in the back of the head for not setting the hook on the first tap. This is a great way to remember a hook-set! When ever I feel anything I will set the hook. Even if it is a rock or hung up a little. I will sometimes even get a reaction strike after a hook set when there is no fish so just be ready. I would rather set the hook than missing a fish.

As Cj said, I think luck has a lot to do with catching "Trophy" Bass. Being at the right place at the right time. This last week at road trip one day his boat got onto a ridiculous amount of fish one day and went back the next day and they were gone. Fish move in accordance with the weather and what is happening in the lake. You have to find them and search out for the big ones. I have found that big fish will be located at that "perfect" spot. A ledge where deeper water surrounds, cover is abundant and lots of food. Once you find this pattern you will probably get into bigger fish.

After fishing Kentucky lake I have a whole new respect for you eastern water fishing guys. Fish will find your bait. They have to feed everyday. We were catching fish on jigs and shakey heads. Try to find cover and the fish will be there. If you are fishing suspended fish I would use a bait with as much water displacement as possible. As the spring approaches I would find areas where there is gravel with cover close by and is close to ledges. As the water warms the fish will travel up into their spawning grounds. A little JJ's Magic will also help!

Russ, I will have to send ya DVD's. What size do you want them (Video Size), so when I batch them they will be adequate? Would you like me to put together a intro for the video. If you do, send me pictures and some video so I can layer them into the intro. I will do all sound editing for the speaker videos so you don't have to mess with anything. There was a lot of channel switching from the lapel to surround. Glenn, Can you get me high rez-photos from Big-O, JJ, and C&R for their sections so I can edit those in including logos. If I am missing anything let me know. My email is Patrick@blissad.com.

Well, made it home everyone! What a great trip. Fluke, I am glad we got there early! d**n flight carrier moved my flight to fly out at 3pm instead of 7pm. If I wasn't there earlier I would have missed my flight and would have had to stay the night. I will be calling the carrier tomorrow morning. Triton21(Kelley) my roomie and boat partner, it was great to get to know ya. He let me call the shots on a Lake that I have never been to and I was able to put us on fish everyday. That was a great confidence builder! A great thanks to the cooks and everyone that was involved. Throughout the whole week I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! I think between the whole week Kelley and I probably caught 100+ fish. Brian (Firefightn15) it was good to meet ya and fish with. Sorry about not showing ya earlier about that shakey head. Glad you were a good sport about it, it was sure fun laughing all day! I would really like to appreciate everyone who helped me learn how to read a map. I believe that knowing how to read a map is a very intrical part in fishing now. It eliminates a lot of dead water, especially once you have found a pattern. Thanks everyone and I am sure I will see you all again next year and more to meet!

And I thought my 70lbs of stuff was a lot, HA!~

sweet fish!

I say fish them. I see no problem creating habitat for the fish. If a man-made lake is created where do the stumps and brush come from. They don't magically appear. Fisherman and Ecologists strategically place habitat for fish to live in and why not partake in the growth and help of the habitat you have created? Crappie anglers do this all time on my lake in front of their docks. I have had days that I can catch over 100 crappie fishing in front of a dozen docks. I see no harm in it! ILH Added: I also find it hard to believe that if you saw someone spanking a certain spot you will not go and see what the type of structure the fish are holding in. I find it hard to believe that you wouldn't use that knowledge to your benefit, especially in a tourney. There is so much knowledge about lakes and "most" people, I would hope, wouldn't mind helping other anglers out. I have people ask me all the time where and what to fish on my home lake. I give people a 100% description and let them know I am an avid catch and release fisherman and if they are to fish my spots they are to practice the same. If I find them keeping fish on my spots they violate that trust and they don't get any more info.

Btech, Here is a preview Manual I don't know if your engine falls in this category but it has enough info that would get us started. Look at pages 121-150. http://books.google.com/books?id=U3j8tgmmPFcC&pg=PA651&lpg=PA651&dq=Adjust+throttle+20+HP+mercury&source=bl&ots=QhdsAzhmD1&sig=Bq39-lFiTLM3TGamh5l7Ug2A8_g&hl=en&ei=dknWSe2pGpeEtAO8opCiCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#PPP5,M1

Great advice Matt!

I don't think the pros care about this. Did you see the Classic? They take stumps like speed bumps!

Do you have a manual? Try looking online for a manual and I'm sure there are enough of us that we can figure it out!