Bazoo

I've been collecting and using knives since I was 10 years old. I don't have a huge collection, I go through spells where I'll sell some off and get others. I carry a Leatherman original PST daily. I use it during fishing almost every time out. I also have a spare, as I can't be without my Leatherman Tool. I also carry one of several traditional knives. I prefer to use a knife to change lures as to a line snipper, as it is aw ay to combine two of my loves, knives and fishing. (The other two are Jesus and guns.) I use this Case 6.5375 Jumbo Stockman a lot. Most of the time I carry the 6265 Folding Hunter as my belt knife. Once in a while I switch it up and carry the Buck 192 Vanguard, which is my favorite fixed blade. Got to cut out a nice backlash with my LT Wright Camp Muk the other day.

When I was a young adult, I was fishing a farm pond, and I caught a 6 1/2 pound channel cat on a jointed Rapala Minnow. It didn't put up too much of a fight. I weighed it on a de-liar, and released him. I continued to fish the same spot, and in a minute, caught another catfish of the same size. This one put up a tremendous fight, ripping the wire out of the back half of the lure, and the loop out of the nose about 1/2". I weighed that one, and it weighed 6 1/4 pounds. I always wondered if it was the same fish, or a different one. I often catch other species. Warmouth on a 6" Zoom Lizard Pretty little sunfish on a Fat Albert Grub Some kind of sunfish on a 1/4 H20X Mini Squarebill crankbait Pretty energetic critters to go after the Rebel Pop-r Very nice Crappie on the same H20X crankbait Crappie on a Beetle Spin 34" Gar on an H20X squarebill in American Shad color Catch a mess of goggleeyes on various soft plastics, this one on a Zoom Finess worm They also hit crankbaits, like this Ozark Trails This is about the healthiest one I've ever seen.

With the Abu Black Max I mentioned, I can throw a pretty light lure. A weightless 6" Zoom Lizard or Super Fluke. I threw the fluke today. Right at the limit weight wise is a Lunkerhunt Pocket Frog. Supposed to be 1/4 ounce I think, but they are on the light side of 1/4 ounce. This is with 10lb Big Game. If I dropped to 8lb it'd throw better I bet. I got a spool, might as well try it as I am about to respool that one. Right now It has Suncatcher Big Game in 10lb... great to see to tie knots... but I figure the bass can see it a mile away too, so I don't have much confidence in it. I was just trying it out.

I put the hook eye and knot inside the worm, unless I am using a bullet weight, then I leave the eye barely exposed. I trim my tag end to about 1/16" also. I don't think it makes any difference to the fish whether or not the hook eye is covered or slightly exposed. What does make a difference is the way you wiggle the worm.

I don't know what line I'm running, as it was on the reel when It was gifted to me. It's faded, but is still working just fine. I'm going to switch it end for end. I like braid for some things, such as texas rig fishing, but I'd loath having to use it for everything. The worst thing I've done with it is using it for a walk the dog type topwater. It ends up getting into the hooks, then into the split rings.

Of the brands I've tried, my favorite so far is the Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier 2. Second is the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur followed by their Black Max. The BPS PQ2 is my favorite of everything I've tried of mine and my friends'. It is not the smoothest, nor the quietest, but it is the workhorse. It's a day in day out reliable, with nothing that aggregates or causes issues. Dual brakes so you can dial it in right where you need it. I have 2 and use them daily.

I cannot imagine how being in the car would cause any damage to a reel, but the rod I certainly can, which is my primary concern. Up until now, I haven't had a convenient spot to store my rods in the house. Now I have made a rod rack for the ceiling just as I walk in. So I can remove my rods from the car. A little more work that way, but it if means the difference between the rods lasting 10 years or only 5, then it's worth it. I have noticed once all of the sudden my reel needed lube. I don't mind changing line, I doesn't take but about 5 minutes per reel. I got a good rhythm with it. My boy is my spool holder. There was once that I took my rods in from the car, and I laid them on the back of the couch... well, I left the next day for something (I work from home normally), and forgot my rods. My buddy loaned me one as we were going to be fishing together. After that I vowed never to not have a rod in the car. Today I broke that vow, bringing them all in so I could see what the rack looked like nearly full. I will have to remember a couple tomorrow as I am going to town.

Well, since I use a trilene knot... he will want to learn that one. I think its actually easier than the improved clinch, after having done both for quite a while.

The lake for me in question is clearly public for approximately 1/4 of it's shoreline.

Thanks all. So how, do you find out the regulations for such? There isn't anything about it in the guide put forth by the F&W department. It only says you can't release species that aren't native/established. Says nothing about keeping minnows. I know people catch them and use them on the spot. They survived through the night in a jug, we gave them "fresh" water, and found out they love skeeter larvae.

The lake is in city limits. I appreciate everyone's perspective. I've done some research and I have found this, which is in regard to rivers/streams, which have to be navigable. No mention made of lakes. https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/access:ky#:~:text=However%2C the public can use,by the adjacent riparian landowner.&text=Ownership rights of riparian landowners,right to use navigable waters I will start asking around and see what I come up with. Thank you all for the suggestions.

I know this has been hashed out a lot in the past. Thanks for the discussion, and suggestions. I'll have to try some of the other knots that's been suggested. I was referring to mono in my original post. As a kid, I never considered that there was a subtle little thing that wasn't right when tying the knot that caused it to fail. As an adult, I've tried, but haven't figured it out yet. I use mostly mono, but I also use braid now, and I use the trilene knot for both. When I first started tying the trilene knot I had a few failures, before I got a system down with it. Now, I'm very consistent and it never fails. That said I am sort of a knot enthusiast. I do occasionally tie the palomar knot, but mostly if I'm tying on a very small lure or a single small hook. Not due to the hooks (thought passing a treble hooked lure though a loop isn't always easy), but rather the ease of tying to a small object. One of the things I'm looking at is, which knot to teach my boy. He's almost 5. He's getting to where he might be able to start tying on lures soon.

I caught these minnows at the lake earlier. My boy was excited to take them home. Normally I’d say they wouldn’t survive, but these are always in the shallows and in hot water and sun. So I think they may be pretty hearty. two of the same different minnow What kind are they? What are the chances these will survive in a tote in the yard, maybe shaded? What are their chances in the house in a bowl? No aerator either place.

Thanks. I’ve done that too here and there. I would like to learn to replace the guides myself though.

Looks okay to me. I fill mine a bit more than that.

You ever see the movie mountain men? Pretty soon they’ll be fighting to get in the boat “pick me Catt pick me!”

I’ve used the improved clinch knot since I was a kid. But I’ve always had a problem with it not holding some of the time. It would roll and pull loose when I tested it after tying. I switched to the trilene knot and after I perfected it, haven’t had any issues. I didn’t try the improved clinch knot for a year and when I tied it again, I took more care to get it right and it was solid. I got to thinking that perhaps I had some bad knot tying habits in the past that caused my trouble. Has others have experienced this with the improved clinch? Also, is there any reason or situation that the improved clinch wound be the better or best choice?

I respool often, partly because I fish so much and partly because my rods are in the car most of the time. I don’t have any problem taking apart a precision mechanism, but rarely disassembly my reels fully.

I do not run a swivel and I don't notice any line twist. I rarely abort a cast though. I fish it back to where I'm at. I run a Super Fluke most of the time.

Shore, I'm a 9. I fish primarily from shore. With my bass buster, which I have paddled and with no electronics, I'd say I'm a 3-4. I'm not the most proficient with a small boat, but I am okay. If I spent some more time there, I'd be a solid 7. With a bass boat, 0 currently as I've never owned one. Been on one, but never the lead. That said, I'd use it the same way I use my small boat, except that I'd quickly learn the sonar, spotlock, shallow water anchors, and be on some hawgs. I am the type of person, that reading about something and seeing it done a few times, I pretty much have it. And already having a fairly broad knowledge of bass fishing, it'd just hone my already razor sharp skills.

I would do my best to keep the fish alive. Possible I'd best the state record with is 14-9.5 I fish waters much like this, smaller, public, pressured, unsuspecting. In Ky, it must be weighed on a certified scale, and examined by a biologist. I would first stringer the critter, then I would get on the phone to the biologist. If one couldn't be there shortly, which I doubt, the next plan is to use a portable livewell to bring it home and into the 55 gallon water barrel, then put the aerator in there. I don't have a portable livewell, but I'm thinking on making one for the occasion. I'm handy, So I'd have a tote set up in an hour provided a local store had an aerator. Otherwise, I'd remove the one from my boat and make that work. I wouldn't have to but mention it to put the boy to digging worms to feed the critter. He'd be half a pound more by the time the biologist got there probably. I wonder if that would effect the record? Would I kill it if need be, yes, but very reluctantly. I would also consider the body of water... first, I fish mostly public, and nothing that's to myself. If it was Freeman Lake, with the hundreds of people every weekend... no worries. If it was a hard access public lake that sees little pressure, not sure, it'd sure ruin it for me, but probably. Best thing would be putting the pictures up on the latest pic thread though.

I don't disagree, sometimes it is hard/impossible to slow down. One other thing to consider, the rod its on. If it was a fiberglass rod like a zebco usually has, I think that makes a more subtle wiggle than a graphite rod.

It depends for me if I have a change of clothes in the car or my poncho not far. If I have a change of clothes, I'll pretty much go into a medium rain. If I have my poncho... whatever. I have fished in pouring rain lots of times because once I got started I was too deadset to quit, but I don't care for being soaked to the bone, nor having to dry all my gear. Which includes my tackle bag, holster/belt, gun, and wallet. Drying my holster really sucks, because I don't have a spare. I'd actually like a waterproof backpack for fishing. I don't like having to dry out my tackle bag, that's a pain. I've seemed to notice that... but then again, I've gotten bit then too, but it does seem that it dies off.

Thanks. When you said using superglue for the guide, do you put it so it runs between the guide and rod, or on the wrap area if it is chipped, or both? That didn't occur to me, thank you.

I appreciate this discussion. I'm working on improving my finesse presentation and techniques. I prefer power fishing, but it doesn't always produce fish. That said... I LOVE plastic worm fishing because of feeling the bite. It's probably my favorite part of the bass catching cycle... the nibble.