ValleyBoy

I just got my new Shimano Sahara 2500 reel in today along with my new Shakespere Ugly Stick lite (7 ft medium action). I caught a fish on my first cast. Let me tell you, is that reel like glass! I am very happy with it so far.

I fish in really clear water. Pumkinseed or other clear color lures and longer casts seem to be the ticket.

I smoke an occasional cigar when I fish and the Bass don't seem to care. The mosquitos do though. 8-)

Ever have one of those days where you weren't gonna go fish, but at the last second you said "Ah, what the hey?". I did yesterday. I went to my little honey hole, and was only there about 25 minutes, but man did I have a great outing! Remember, I just got back into bass fishing after a 10 year break, so yesterday was the first time in 10 years that I fished a worm Texas rigged. I caught two really nice bass and 3 panffish (1 redear and two greenfish). It was so awsome. I hadn't thrown a worm in ages. Man did those fish attack that bait! I had a blast. Ever have those last minute whopper trips?

I'd love to stumble onto a day like that. I have caught a lot of panfish, but very little crappie before.

I believe that's a Redear sunfish. The tell-talemarking on it's "ear" area says it all.

Osprey'sand Caracara's are like sparrows or crows around my parts. I live in one of the most, if not the most, sought after birding regionin the country. They're net birds.

If bass were truly colorblind than would that mean that the only things the color on our lures are capable of catching is fisherman? ;D

My little brother, who has always been a heck of a fisherman, used to catch 32 inch reds of 6# test. He always used very light tackle. In a lot of ways he swore that it made him a better fisherman. He really had to know his equipment and learn to play a fish. I always sort of admired that. I use 8# test almost exclusively.

Wading is out of the question as this pond is swarming with water moccasins and other snakes. Believe me, I thought about wading. As for a little John-boat, I may well try this. I just know if I get get moving in there, the bass I could catch would be astounding.

Alright, let me explain. I have no boat, and as bank fisherman know, we sometimes have very limited areas on the bank from which we can fish. I have this little honey hole that is beautiful. It is the epitome of what one thinks of when one thinks of a bass pond. It also produces a lot of fish. It is completly fenced in by either natural (read heavy brush) or man made (actual fence) on all sides except one. Even on the only accessible side there is really only about 20 yards of shore to stand due to heavy brush. Here is the kicker. In the only open area, there are bees. Everytime I fish there I get buzzed . It's cast and swat, cast and swat. I have never found there hive, and I'm not sure I want to either. I'm pretty sure they're not killer bees (we have those down here, and yes they kill people, but rarely). I also feel very guilty when I kill them because I know that they are somewhat of a shortage right now. Anyway, a smarter man would stop going to that pond.......but man there fish there! :-/

My experience is that they will "work" but not as effectively as if you were to use UL gear.

I have really got to get me some senko's. I am hearing way too many good things about them.

In line spinners for me. I throw them all the time lately.

That is one nice fish. I'd love to catch something like that I once caught a 12 incher. Reallyy nice fish.

Just when you feel as though you have the game figured out, they change the rules on you don't they? Conversely. just when it seems as though you outta sell your gear and start accordian lessons...you catch your limit. ;D Bass.......the crack of the outdoors!

Thanks. I live between 6-8 hours away depending on the route I take.

Whenever things start slowing down for me I go small, literally. I go back to panfish lures or roostger tails, and this seems to really get me through any "slumps".

Bass have excellent eyesight. I do nothing but bank fishing and I have seen them swim away when ai am still 10 feet from the edge. If you can see them, they can see you.

Thanks to the bait Monkey, I just ordered a 7 foot medium action Ugly Stick Lite, a Shimano Sahara 2500, a Rapala scale, and some Berkely XT 2# and 8# Line. (Along with $70 worth of lures :-[). D**n you bait monkey!!!!!

In one of the little resacas I started revisiting, I have noticed some new fish. In my 10 year hiatus from freshwater fishing I realized that those resaca's now have Warmouth's and Redears, whereas they had not had so previously. I have caught three warmouths and two redears using a jig and minnow from vibrafox. I called the Texas F&G and they said that the next warmouth I catch I should take pictures of so that they can verify it. They know that they have extended down this far, but I guess they just want some more proof. I am gonna start taking a camera out there from now on, as I think it is just a good general practice.

A long time lurker and new member says hello! Let me give you some background info about myself. I am a huge gun guy! I shoot IPSC, IDPA and USPSA competitions. I am an avid reloader (have two HNL proggressives and a Dillon 650), and a long range rifle shooter. Before I became a teacher I worked in a gun shop. With all that said, I grew up fishing. I have always loved fishing, but I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hardplace. See, I live next to the coast here in Texas, away from any lakes or resorvoirs. I live among the saltwater fishing fanatics, but I love Bass fishing. Growing up, my brother and I would subscribe to field and stream and BASSMASTER (we were even members of B.A.S.S.) We read everything we could on techniques. We packed up the old car I had saved up for and scoured the area, literaly hundreds of miles, and fished every canal, resaca, and body of freshwater we could. It's incredible to look back at all of the miles we logged. We had no one to turn too for knowledge. And we caught fish! My personal best was an 8# largemouth fished out of a city "pond" about the size of a standard house lot. We built up our little tackle systems and learned the terms. After I went away to WI for college it all stopped. I become very involved in my other passsion (guns) and all else just dissapeared. I had not gone bass fishing in over ten years. But it always haunted me. I always longed for that bass thumb, for the sound the water makes after a lunker hits that torpedo or jitterbug. I could never get over that urge to feel the rod bend. One day, out of no where, My wife and I booked a trip to stay in some cabins outside of Japer, AR this summer. The owner's mentioned that their land had 3 fully stocked ponds. All at once the fire was renewed. Then I stumbled onto this forum. You have no idea how much info and fun I have derived from this forum. It made me go out again to some of the old haunts. I even caught some bass recently. I have also been visited by the Bait Monkey again to the tune of $300. I hadn't seen him for a while , but he came back with a vegence. Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself.