msmonroe

jeepcrazy, I think you have found your avatar image! (after some HEAVY cropping!)

Well, there's only one thing left for you to do. Go get some and give them a shot. What do you have to lose besides a few bucks. If they don't work, then you've learned something. If the do work, then you've learned something AND boated a few fish. Some people will tell you that they are worthless, some will tell you they are the best bait to hit the water. What does it matter? Until you try it yourself, all you got is a collection of opinions. And as a wiser man than me said, opinions are like armpits, everybody's got a couple, and they usually stink. - Matt

My family and I have a trip to Oahu set for the 3rd week in May. We have already booked a trip on Lake Wilson with the hawaiibassfishing.com folks. I can't wait to hook into a beautiful peacock bass! I would also like to try some nearshore salt water fishing. I'm not really interested in trolling for tuna or marlin, that doesn't sound like fishing to me. But fishing for barracuda or tripletail sounds like fun. Does anybody have any experiences or advice they could share? Also, can anyone recommend a service? I, of course, could use google and just pick one, but I'd prefer to have one referred to me (or told to avoid certain places as the case may be). - Matt

how did you know he was even on there?!?!?

i was around his age when I caught my first bass. I was fishing off a private pier on Center Hill Lake, TN. I was actually trying to catch a brim using live crickets. That was my introduction to Mr. Bucketmouth. I never forgot that moment. It started a lifelong (healthy) addiction. Thanks for sharing. - Matt

DUDE!!! What's up with the Bill Dance Venom. I've seen his show a couple of times. I thought it was a bit hokey, but I didn't realize that he was evil!! Where/What is this proof you speak of? - Matt

the latest issues of Bassmaster magazine has an article on how to tie your own flies, on the cheap. Maybe it's time to go to Bass Pro myself... - Matt

We don't have no-seums like you do in FL, but we do have mosquitos the size of small aircraft. I use stuff called After Bite. It's a liquid that comes in a tube with an applicator doo-hicky at the end. It gives me pretty much instant relief as soon as it touches my skin. I would highly recommend it. Benadryl makes a similiar product, but it doesn't work as well. IMHO - Matt

I never eat LMB. If I want some fish to eat i'll take home some white bass, or striper, maybe a catfish. But where I fish, overpopulation is not a problem, so i return them to be caught again another day. So bighead, what do you mean "full of small yellow worms"? Is that a parasite? Is it a problem at just one specific lake? - Matt

Here in Texas there are a several things that we always take seriously. You brought up two that are high on my list. Let me first say that I salute you and your service. I wish you and all of your comrades in arms God Speed, a successful mission, and a safe return. Tell your buddies in Iraq that Texas stands behind them. Secondly, d**n!!! Nice fish! - Matt

I caught a PB on a Jointed Shad Rap! I love them, but I only use them in certain conditions. Last August I was at Lake Tawakoni and it was HOT! I was tired and the fish were not biting that day. So I hooked up a JSR-5 and fished it reeeeeeal slooooooow. Gave it a twitch now and then to give it the "injured and dying" look. After 4 or 5 casts I felt a tug. Nothing more than that until I started to reel faster. Then the fight began. It ended up being a big tubby 8lbs lazy-*** bass. Some largemouth just aren't willing to go out of their way to chase down a burning spinner bait, but if you dangle a nearly dead minnow right in front of their nose... - Matt

I don't have much to add. Dominion Dan put together a pretty nice list. I would say that while Lucky Craft does make a rockin' set of lures, you might want to go with some less expensive stuff to start with. For instance, I am much more fearless with a $2 Strike King or Cotton Cordell lipless than with a $15 Lucky Craft. I usually don't break out the LC until I am very familiar with the terrain. One of my favorite lures to burn through dense grass/hydrilla is the Cotton Cordell Suspending Super Spot. You can lose 5 of these before you pay for one Lucky Craft. Also: XCalibur makes some nice jerk baits (Xs4) Cotton Cordell's Big O is a nice shallow water lure Rebel Pop-R is good for some top water action Rapala's Jointed Shad Rap is great for sloooow crankin

I guess the reason I go to places like Academy or Sportsmans Warehouse (or take the occassional trip to BPS) is because, at least where I live, there are knowledgeable people that work there. They know AND fish in the lakes in the area. I waste alot less money and time because I can talk to these guys and get tips from them. Personally, I've never had any kind of experience like that at a Walmart. I occassionally go there with my dad or brother-in-law, but in those instances there is almost never anyone there to help them, and they end up asking me questions about what to get. Of course, if I already knew it all, then going to someplace with knowledgable salespeople would be a waste of time. But then so would going to Walmart. Then I'd just go to ***.com. - Matt

coulda been worse. it could have been a catfish truck.

I agree with the points made about bass being widely available. However, among all of the fish that are also widely available, why is Mr. Bucketmouth so sought after. In my opinion, it is because of the versatility of the fish. Young bass tend to be less cautious and can be caught on a wide variety of ways. I caught my first largemouth floating live crickets under a bobber while fishing for brim. It was exciting to say the least. Older bass are smarter and more cautious. It takes some planning and skill to catch these guys. And then there is the grand prize. That 10+ pounder. It's what keeps us going, trying new lures, trying new approaches. I submit to you that catching just one os these bass scores higher on the thrill meter than catching your limit of crappie. For me, it is the pursuit of my next tropy largemouth that keeps me passionate about that fish. If there were no bass in the lake, I'd still be out fishing. But if I knew that there were bass in the lake, that's what I'd be fishing for. - Matt

I'd try a sporting goods store. I bought my first spinning reel/rod combo at a Sports Authority. It was a shimano sedona spinning reel with a shimano scimitar rod, plus it was 40% off at the time. The salesman in the fishing department pointed it out to me because he knew that is was a good deal. All in all, I paid under $50 for a rod/reel combo that lasted me well over 2 years (then the bait monkey and his cousin gear monkey showed up). The two piece rod broke last summer, but my wife still uses the sedona reel among others. Of course that was many years ago and many, many rods and reels ago. However, I still think that that was the best deal on a rod/reel I've ever gotten. I agree with the previous posters though, brand names are better. - Matt

If God did not intend for us to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat? - John Cleese 'nuff said

Up until March, I fished from the bank exclusively (except when I cobbled up enough $$ to fish with a guide). However, in March, my dad bought a small bass boat. Now we find ourselves in a similiar predicament. Where are the fish? It is almost like we are fishing on a new lake. Part of the answer, I'm sure, is just learning the lake better, how various weather conditions affect the behavior of the bait fish, etc. Part of the answer is based on what the fish are feeding on that day and whether your bait/presentation is appropriate for all of the conditions above. For us, it has all boiled down to learning the lake better. Here are a few things we have done to help, though we are still far from being experts. - get a map of the lake that can tell you where the humps, dips, creekbeds, etc are (or a fishfinder that has the lake mapped out) - build out a plan of attack ahead of time for a given spot on the lake (what lures you will use first, then second, etc.) - work that area for a while and be patient - if that doesn't work go try another area of the lake that has totally different structure We spent several hours last Sunday in a cove with lots of timber. We fished with Senkos and lizzards and even lipless crankbaits but got nothing. We then moved about a mile up the lake to deeper water (10' - 14') and started reeling them in with deep diving crankbaits. I started out thinking that the bass were sure to be in the shallows because of how warm the water was, but, I was either wrong, or we were not doing something right. Oh well. I'll just add that episode to my field of experience, learn something from it and hope to do better next time. Good luck.