grimlin

I cast better going sideways with spinning or baitcasters than overhand.I think overhand throws make a bigger splash...spooking fish.

Last week i never felt the tap or see my line move..gave it a tug and felt a bit heavy,so i set the hook to be sure.Sure enough a fish was on.I think you just have to be ready to set the hook anytime.

Definely gonna have to remember this. Thanks!

Started when i was around 7 or 8,went to a camp,everybody was swimming and i couldn't swim so i walked over to this shed where this old guy was handing out fishing rods/reels and gave me a pack of worms with them.Loved it so much i begged my parents for a combo. Nope,my equipment was over 10 years old...i needed some new stuff badly Nope,still the same old shorefisher looking for weeds,trees and humps.Don't have a boat either. I have to say yes,I'm more relaxed when i come home from a fishing trip.Yes i do plan if i'm taking a vacation to let's say my parents house down in TX i'm gonna try to get in a fishing day as well.Nobody in my family or my friends fish besides me...so it's gonna be a challenge to get people to try and fish with me for a day while i'm visiting. with lures yes(don't use live bait much anymore)...otherwise nope...but i've been back in fishing heavily the last 3 years...maybe down the road if i can ever afford it and get over my fear of drowning i might get a boat one day. i do this for fun only...i never want to be a tournament chaser.For the simply fact whatever i make money on i began to hate it.I don't want fishing to turn into a job.maybe it's just me but that's how i feel. Improved...all i want to do now is fish.Learning all kinds of new tricks and the fact you never know what you are gonna catch. Definely improved...i'm more relaxed again. I was fishing off and on from 7-18yrs old and when i fished i seem to be at peace...once i turned 18 i sorta just forgot about fishing and got myself into all sorta trouble.Through those ten years i think i've turned into a bitter person.I moved here finding my soulmate and just passed by some lake one day and it just hit me how i used to fish for bass down in TX...i was alway at peace and at home.I couldn't be happier.now i just have to try and figure out how to get my girl to go with me and teach my son to fish...he's gonna be raised like a fisherman. 8-)

Jigs are my go to bait as well as a great bait to scan the bottom for rocks,trees and holes.Like others mention look for weed lines...Fish love hiding in those weeds.

I suck when it comes to fishing worms,so i'm learning off this thread as well.I don't want to highjack this thread. I wanna add a question,what is the most common hook size and how is the hook set(sweeping side hook set?). I lost 5 good fish today 4 of them spit the hook on the jump in the air...I kept that line tight as i could.I'm kinda wondering if the heavy weeds played a factor. i fished that senko till my wrist got sore... ;D i was determined to learn how to work this senko right.

I walked away from fishing for 10 years....i've been fishing again for 3 years straight now,with the bass seasons and off seasons here in Michigan i fish every chance i get...the off season can really get you excited about bass season's open day.We are limited here for bass season. I think it's good to get away every now and then...if you don't you can get burned out.

Go home,cook something to eat,turn on the tv and call it a day! ;D Just kidding.... On the reality side,it takes more than ten cast to catch something sometimes when the biting is slow...try tieing on something and working it,sticking with it and practicing whatever you are fishing with for an hour. I fish jigs and pigs and it requires a SLOW PRESENTATION so it may not even be until 2-3 hours before i actually catch something.even then i get skunked out alot of times.Sometimes all you can do is enjoy nature for the day. Sounds to me you are giving up on the lures you are fishing with too fast.

;D i got two packs of pink bait...i felt kinda girly for picking them up...but i hear they do work.

I'm not gonna lie if i saw that i'd turn around and either go home or to another lake.I'd be sick seeing a bunch of dead fish all over the place.

I never keep track of cast per catch...I wouldn't know where to began ;D

I usally just bring 2 combos one baitcasting and one spinning.Casting i use for jigs and spinning i use for lighter lures or weightless lures.I have a small gander mountain bag and a plastic lure binder.That's all i carry.The more rods i'd bring the more i'll stay in one area of the lake,the less i bring the more i'm gonna be walking from spot to spot. there are some rod holders out there that you can put 4-8 rods on and carry all of them like a suitcast like way...why i haven't picked one up is beyond me.I guess for some reason i don't trust it(i don't hear much about them).

I'm pretty sure it's the rod,medium action with a 3/8 oz or bigger lure is gonna bend that rod regardless once it sits on the bottom.It's always putting pressure on your rod so you are always getting that "feel tight" feeling...That's why when you set it and nothing is there your line goes limp and you don't feel that pulling,but once your line goes tight again the pulling feeling comes back.That's what it sounds like to me. Upgrade to a heavy rod with a fast tip.

If i find a babysitter i'm sneaking off to the lake in the morning before i have to go to work by afternoon. I'd bet with my luck i won't catch a thing....

what rod and line are you using? Does your rod bend like that when casting anywhere or just one place? Could be hard underground current coming from somewhere as well. When using a jig and pig you should be using a rod that's MH to Heavy atleast a 6'6 to 7'6...most people use fluoro line 12#- 17# or higher.

Not sure how many they send,i joined not too long ago and i've only gotten two books. After sending the second one back i haven't gotten another book since.Somebody told me you get one every 1-3 months...i haven't gotten one in awhile so i really don't know how many they keep sending.You can mention you don't want anymore and they won't send them.Their mag. suck though...stay away from their mags. I'm really glad i kept one,the one i have i've seen in the book stores with just about the same information for over $20. You can sign up for a field tester as well,i got a free fillet knife off them...it's pretty nice. As for it's worth it? My answer would be somewhat...nothing is for free though...and it can become expensive if you order their books and stuff.They have a forum on their website as well...they will probably be way more helpful answering anything you have a question on. It's a fishing club to keep you up to date on some products that come out and books that can be useful...really not much more i can say.

Those books do have some useful information.I have one called bass strategies,they have all kinds of cool information on just about every bass lure on how it works,how to present it right,where it works best and when the best time to use it.It sounds like a novice beginner book and it is somewhat,but it also refreshes my memory on some other lures i don't fish with much.It's a great book to have if you enjoy reading up on it.If i were to get somebody fishing bass with me i would give them this book to read...it's the perfect book explaining just about everything they need to know. The last one i got was on knot tieing and boat positions..send that one back. :-/

Ahhh ray roberts lake....bring minnows. I used to fish that lake when i was younger and lived in TX before moving up here 4 years ago....minnows are the best bait to bring if you opt for live bait for your dad.Not sure sure how you can teach him,but if he's there just to enjoy being with you guys you really can't go wrong with minnows and a bobber on that lake.What i did was put a small split shot 3-6 inches up from the hook rigged a live minnow,cast and retrieve slowly and just caught close to every specie in that lake that eats minnows.

I hate senkos to be honest....i can't seem to catch anything over 12 inches on them.Either i can't fish a worm right or every big fish in the lake i fish hates worms.The littles ones seem to love them though and i'd like to leave the little ones alone. But when i set up a crawfish imitation lure,that's when i get my good size fish.

WLDCRZYWMN,I think you are honest,just learn from what happen and don't let it happen again.Hopefully the guys that fished the pond learned a lesson too. It takes alot of guts to admit you didn't know and now you'll change that(hopefully). Takes even more guts to come on this forum and admit this infront of some of the hardest core bass fishers here...lol Time to move on and learn from this.People make mistakes. :-/ I know i learned something...it got me checking into private pond regulations and rules now.

Goldfish are an invasive species that can destroy the fresh water habitats. They eat plants that provide food and cover for native fish, carry disease and push out native fish with aggressive behavior and breeding. If it's illegal i wouldn't use them...i'm sure if you look hard enough you can find a lure that looks like a goldfish and use that instead.

I think you made the right choice. I think everybody would agree we'd rather be fishing ;D

Only you can be the judge of going...from the look of it i probably wouldn't have either.I'd rather be 100% healthy,i'm sure you'll be able to rent one again soon enough.

kinda looks like what i did when i was living at home with my P's...my girl makes me keep my fishing stuff in the spare ropom with all the "junk" now...sadly it's taking over the room....going to BPS tommorrow to fill the room with more "junk"....She's taking me there which is the suprising part....i think the baitmonkey talked her into letting me get more fishing gear for father's day. I can't complain...

True,i see where you are somewhat coming from in a point of view...but still...public lakes and private ponds are completely different.Apprently they didn't know about private pond rules.They should have looked into it before they fished it...i'll 100% completely agree with that.It happens,it was a mistake.She did mention they'll just have to take the punishment and live and learn.But if they looked and couldn't find anything on private rules..then it's the fishery department that needs to figure out how to inform people better. This isn't and can't be compared to a drunk driver going to a MADD website asking for advice...i think you went a little overboard on the comparison there.Law specially clear about "don't drink or drive drunk".I want to know how many guys here drink and then head home on a party half buzzed?If you drink i can tell you right now you've drove drunk.It takes one beer to be over the limit now.Plus we are talking about human lives here being put in danger. I lost a friend to a drunk driver....so yeah....ain't gonna comment anymore on this i'm done. :-/