jwo1124

Well I Just checked my colleges academic calender and seems that my spring break is 3/10-3/14. I would still like to blow off a whole week of lectures and just catch up on the reading later, but I don;t know if that's such a good idea. Well, maybe I'll hit up these trips when I'm out of school. I'll actually have some money then, hopefully some more gear, and some more knowledge and experience. Catch some for me guys.

Ok here's one thing I am confused about. If each cabin is say $140 a night, and they sleep 3 people, doesn that mean each person still puts in $140 a night or would the cost be spliut three ways. I don;t mind sharing a places for a few days, especially if it's going to save me $60. To be honest, beign a college student, I can;t afford $140 a night for a few nights, and I'd love to go on a trip with a bunch of other avid anglers, but if I have to come up with $140 each night, there'es just no way it can happen.

I think Matt Fly got the wrong idea of what I was saying. I am not using those three forementioned set ups for all my fishing, just my bass fishing. I have other UL and L rods I use for trout , as well as ML set ups I use to target stocked broodstock salmon. As I said, most of the time I am stuck on the banks of ponds, so there is only a handful of techniques I use, which I feel the three set ups I mentioned will be sufficient for. And regarding how passion ties into how much tackle someone has is ridiculous. I have heard the analogy that rod set ups are like tools or like golf clubs and you need different clubs to execute different tasks, and to an extent that makes sense but I don't feel that is a very accurate illustration. Using three rods will be just fine to cover a broad variety of techniques, whether it be finesse fishing, cranks, spinner baits, topwater, jigs, platics or whatever. I will have the means to fish them correctly. I may not have the perfect set-up for each technique, but that is not needed. Three good set ups that will effeciently, maybe not perfectly, but effeciently execute a broad variety of bass fishing techniques is all I need for now. I have been watching Bill Dance Outdoors for as long as I can remember and 95% of the shows I watch he is using a 6'6" Bill Dance Signature QUantumn baitcasting combo with 14# stren original line. And usually every show he is using a different lure. Now if one of the best bass fisherman in the world is usuing mainly the same exact set up for most of his bass fishing, doesn;t that tell you something. I'm sure if he was fishing a tournament he would have more than that one outfit, but he's not and niether am I. Yet, he is consistently catching bass every show. If I had a bass boat with a large deck where I could have 6-8 rods, I probably would have 6-8 rods rigged up all with a different lure on each so I could just pick one up and go. But it's hard to carry around 6-8 rods around the bank of a pond or in a small aluminum boat with two people in it along with other tackle, a battery, oars, and anchors. So mainly my choice to only use a few set ups is somewhat based on my storage capacity while fishing as well as need based. I am not knocking anyone who owns more gear than me, or saying that it's stupid that they do, but I just find that it isn't neccassary for me at this point in time. I do agree with farmpond though, that some people equate more tackle with more fish, meaning that they think the more tackle that they own or take to a lake, pond, or resivior is going to mean that they are going to catch more fish, which obviously isn't true. I'm sure to be a successful bass angler, one could benefit from having technique specific set ups to maximize their benefits, just as a weight lifter would maximize their benefit by taking lots of strength enhancing supplements. But this doesn't mean that a weight lifter who doesn't take these supplements won't see benefits from their training. They may not maximize results, but then you must ask are the maximum results worth the supplementation? Or, do you need the maximun results? Back to a weight lifting analogy, if one were to train for a lean muscular beach body they would go about training and supplementing differently than someone training to be an olympic lifter or a competitive body builder. I hope this helps clear up any misconceptions other may have on what I intended in the original post. I was trying to help out any other anglers like myself understand that you don't technique specifc set ups to have results in bass fishing. Just as a lifter doesn;t need to take supplements from GNC. If you want to supplement the bass fishing basics with things like technique specifc set ups to enhance your chances at seeing results, that's your business, and it is niether right nor wrong. Just trying to help others see through the fog that can sometimes congregate around bass angling. it seems like every time you turn around there has been another technique or lure out that "needs" it's own rod/reel set up, which is false because one set up can be used for several applications in bass fishing and execute them effectively enough to catch you bass. And I am willing to bet my bottom dollar on that statement.

I have a feeling there are a bunch of either type of this forum. I myself have yet to enter a fishing tournament, and don't really feel the urge to do so. I've never been very competitive, but have felt the need to live up to my own potential opposed to living above someone elses. ANyway, that is niether here nor there, but I would liek to touch on there differnces in the needs of each type of angler. For example, I do not make any money from fishing, there for I really can't justify putting a lot of money into it. I will admit I have been influenced by the bait monkey here and there, but I would like to get a control over it and be rational. I only speak for myself here, but I start bass fishing around mid-may. This is the time in MA when spring is in full run, things are blooming, weather is warming, days are getting longer, etc. being shore bound for most of my fishing expeditions leaves me with less time to bass fish than boaters, due to the fact that i can only fish the shallows surrounding the bank of the ponds I fish. On average I will fish 1-3 times a week for about 3-4 hours each outing. For anglers like myself, it just seems down right foolish to have 4-6 rods, some being technique specifc, just for recreationaly fishing loacl ponds for bass. Sure, I want to get the most out of my time fishing, I don;t go to the ponds just to watch the birds. I want to get at least a couple fish each time I go, and hopefully break my PB. This leads me to thinking since I am fishing for bass an average of 8-12 hours a week (I spend time fishing the migrating stripers, which seems to run parallel with Largemouth season) I am not going to need the same gear as the next guy who is fishing from a fully loaded bass boat 4-5 days a week practicing for the upcoming club tourney. His expectations are going to be more than mine. As I said I would liek to get at least a couple, he is looking for a heavy 5 bass limit. Plus he is fishing deeper water than me so maybe he needs a heavy crankin stick and a drop shot rod, both which do me no good fishing shallow water around the pond bank. I just wanted to bring this up so others would know how to approach an answer to a post. I think my needs would be met with 3 set ups. One spinning set up: one spool of 8 or 10# and another with 6#, this should be good for lighter lures and finesse tactics, or on windy days. One MH/F baicaster with either 14# mono, or braind w/ a fluro leader: this should cover most applications such as jigs/plastics, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits(the only reason I said braid w/ fluro would be for flippin heavy cover or working a frog) and one M/M baicasting Crankbait stick with 12# mono: cover almost all cranks, jerkbaits, and topwaters. That's about $300 for three nice mid-grade outfits. Match this with a good arsenal of basic tackle I'll need like spinnerbaits and buzzbaits in a few colors and a couple sizes, some shallow and medium cranks, various topwaters(walkers, popprs, frogs), some jigs, some plastics and terminal tackle; and we're looking at about $500-600 total. This gear should last a few seasons, taking into acoutn the lures you will lose. First off, since I mainly fish from shore it's hard to carry around more than 2-3 rods, and when I'm not I'm in a cramped 12' aluminum dingy and carrying more than 2-3 rods there is going to result in a lot of banged around gear possibly getting broken or falling overboard. I'm sure once I get out of college and get a full time career I'll have more capital to support my fishing as a hobby or a sport depending on which path I take. For now though, even though I have years of fishing under my belt, I'm still just learning the ropes. I think the three outfits I name will be good enough for me now and any other recreational basser who is looking for minimal damage to their bank accounts with out compromising a lot of catching results. This will also leave me with money to purchase some some nice striper gear too, and posibbly have some money left over in my checking account.

I will definately always keep a spinning rod, as I heard many instances where they are essential. Dock skipping for once, drop shot, small tube jigs, light line in light cover for a wacky worm. Bottom Line is spinning gear is made for light applications. Where as casting gear is made for heavier applications. They do have heaavier spinning gear, but a heavy powered baitcaster that holds a good amount of heavy line is almost always going to be about half the weight of a spinning reel of similar line capacity. I am even thinking about buying a casting set up for the stripers in the summer and fall. I'm thinking about a 7' Tiger Lite casting rod with a reel to hold about 200 yds. of 20 mono.

I live on the Northshore. The border isn;t too far for me. I can make it up to NH via I-95 or 93 in less than an hour, and up to Salem in probably an Hour depending on Traffic. I used to go up to Canobie Lake Park all the time as a kid. I absolutely love NH. Growing up as a kid, my good friend's parents had a house up there in laconia right on Lake Winni. Just being up near the woods and the mountains and on the lake is a great atmosphere. I'd gladly make the drive up to go fishing. What bodies of water do you fish? On this map, I live right on that small pennisula sticking out on the coast next to Lynn. http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADBF_enUS222US224&q=salem,+nh+map&um=1&sa=N&tab=wl

I know the new fad is big swimbaits. But has anyone had luck with other big lures like big topwaters liek this Heddon Mag Spook. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_93419_100005004_100000000_100005000_100-5-4 Also If someone can give me a a link or two where I can browse over some swimbaits. Also, reccommendations for rod/reel combos for big swimbaits and topwaters? Moderate or fast action?

Hey BM7, The rod seems great, but you might not want a rod with a fast tip for working a swimbait. I have heard time and time again that a soft tip or moderate action is a must with treble hooks - or you're going to be losing more fish with that fast tip. You should PM Road Warrior, he reccomends a H power Rod with a moderate or slow action for large baits with trebles - which pretty much describes a swimbait. I have no experience with swimbaits, or set ups for fishing them for that matter. But I have read a lot of posts on this forum and other articles that preach the use of a softer rod action when using treble hooks. A fast action rod will tear the small trebles right out of the fish's mouth. I found this to be true after fishing a crankbait with a new 6' MH Berkely Lighting Spinning Rod. The rod have great feel and casted great, but I lost a couple fish on cranks that day. Each on either shook the hooks or I pulled them out. Needless to say I was pretty upset. And I only missed a yellow perch and a small bass. I would hate to see a nice trophy Mama Bass engulf your swimbait only to have it shake loose and break your heart due to the wrong rod choice. Maybe that Daiwa rod will prove to be a good choice though, I'm just going off of what I have learned. Shakespeare makes a version of their Ugly Stik called the Tiger Lite model. A guy that worked at a local Bait Shop was preaching how he loved the rod for tossing plugs for the migrating Stripers off the coast here in MA. They have three sizes M, MH, and H that have the max lure weight at 3, 4, and 5 oz. I'm not sure of the size of the swimbaits you plan of using, but this rod could be a good choice. I personally held one in my hand, it was the 7' H and it's lighter than you'd expect, but it probably doesn;t match to the lightness of higher end rods. And it's not floppy like other Ugly Stiks are, but I'm gues that was because it was a Heavy. Good Luck in finding the perfect outfit.

This is one of the best posts I've read all day. I can see where Bass Machine is coming from. He isn't into tournament fishing where the name of the game is hook 'em, flip 'em, and lip 'em. I have watched many Bass Master tournaments on TV and when you see the guys flippin' that heavy gress with a big 7' H or XH pole and 80 lb. braid, it takes them a few seconds to get that fish in the boat. It seems he is out for more of a challenge than a sure thing. In tournament fishing, where your main or secondary income is on the line, you better be sure every fish that tugs your line is ging in the livewell. For recreational guys, as Bass_Machine put it, it's all fun and games; until someone loses an eye of course ;D So I guess for BFM, he finds fun and excitement in a challenge, or perhaps it's from taking on the underdog position that many anglers spend countless dollars on trying to do that to the bass. Personally, I would think that would be just as fun hooking up witha bass 5 feet out and yanking it out of heavy cover as it would be hooking a bass on a crank or spinnerbait 50 feet out and fighting them in. You still get that adrenaline rush when you feel that fish tug on your line and you set that hook. It doesn't matter if the fight is 3 seconds or 30 seonds, you still get that rush of excitement which makes it all worth while once you are holding that fish. To each his own. From what I know now, I wouldn't reccommend a 6'M rod, especially a spinning rod, for flippin' a jig into heavy cover. But if you'd ask me why, I'd say because you won't be able to horse the fish out. But as BFM said, he find more joy in catching a fish that actually has a fighting chance, more than he does than just catching a fish. And I can totally respect that, he's not fishing for money, so If he loses a fish, it's really no sweat of his brow. Sure it stinks he may go home with out a picture of a fish on his thumb, but he'll still feel that rush when the fish hits and he sets the hook. He may not feel the satisfaction of landing it, but he may still have fun. And for the rec. angler, that's all it's really about. Plus, as BFM already alluded to, catching a bass out of heavier cover with a M action spinning rod is more of an accomplishment than horsing one out with a H power rod and heavy braid. Tight lines to Bass fishing Machine and to everyone else. Just don't let me find you in my fishing spot J/K .....but really, there'es a whole lake-Get Outta Here!

Two things; First, that Black Bass book does look like a good read. It is a bit pricey, about the same price I spend per book for college. But, seeing how it is meant for students, scientists, and wildlife agency and conservationists, it is probably a very accurate and dependable source worth every dollar. But, it's either buy that book, or a new IM7 worm and jig rod....::stop bait monkey that hurts::....I guess I'll just stick to reading articles on Bass Resource for now... Secondly, the choice you make is one of personal morality as Muddy said. It is great that anglers like many on this forum have such repsect and empathy for the bass, even though we spend every waking moment learning how to trick it into biting a false food item and sticking a hook into its face ;D All kidding aside though, I would say as long as the fish isn't bleeding, cut the line as close to the hook as possible, and let the fish swim off. Try to hold it in the water for a few seconds to let it recover from the stress of the whole incident and get some O2 back in it's system. I have always read that fish are tough animals, and are able to pass and even break down and digest a hook because the acidity of their stomachs are very high. Think, they have to digest whole organisms, bones, fins, shells: they are tough critters. Some members here have posted that they have been witness to this. So I would say, If you do gut hook a fish, and it looks like it's in ok shape, NOT BLEEDING, cut the line and throw it back. Chances are the fish will survive and keep feeding. I was shiner fishing one day, gut hooked a dink bass, cut the line threw it back, and ten minutes later I caught the same fish with the hook still lodged in it's throat. Fish are tough, don;t under estimate them, they have been here alot longer than us, and probably will be here a lot longer after we're gone. Hope this helps. -Joe

That'd be great. I'm just looking to improve my skills and meet some people with the same interests as myself. It's still fun going out with my brother or a friend who knows "how" to fish, but it's different unless your fishing with someone who has the same passion that you have for fishing. I'll keep in touch and maybe we can meet up in the spring after ice out.

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I really liked the feeling of using the baitcaster. It just makes you feel like you accomplished something. It's like a coming of age experience. I just found my can of reel magic the other day and sprayed the reel down after practicing. I can't afford to strip the line every outting. Although maybe purchasing a large quantity spool may save me some money in the long run. I just checked and it's only $35 for 2400 yards. That's filling up a 150 yd. capacity reel sixteen times. That's four months of line if you were to change lines every week for four months. I will probably look into and try changing the line once a month since I usually only fish 10 hours a week unless it's summer break.

I am looking forward to the spring-fall '08 Striper run up here in Mass. I have been usuing an 8'0" BWS Ugly Stik the past cuple of years. I bought it as a combo with a cheap 1 ball bearing shakespeare spinning reel. I have caught about a dozen stripers on it, nothing big though. This will be my 3rd season striper fishing, and still a novice, but full of zeal, I would like an upgrade in equipment. I was told my a guy at a local bait shop that the Ugly Stick Tiger Lite rods are great for pluggin for line siders and cast great. Familiar with the Ugly Stik lites for freshwater I was suprised in the difference in the Tiger series. The tigers are a lot stiffer than US Lite, which are stiffer than US Originial, but still Soft. I am looking for a good set up for topwater, jerkbaits, and possibly Bucktails and soft plastics like Gulp or Slug Gos and Power Eels. Would you reccomend graphite or composite? Spinning or Casting? All info is welcome and will be appreciated. Thanks -Joe

I live on the Northshore of MA. I mainly do all my freshwater fishing in local ponds. Some as small as a couple acres, others are 70+ acres. Most of the time I am bound to the shore line, only bringing my small aluminum boat out on occasion. I am a very passionate avid fishierman, and I am really looking to advanc emy skill, knowledge and gain more experience in order to excel. I'm 21, in college full time, I really don;t have any friends or elders I know who enjoy fishign as much as I do, translating in not having anybody to share fishing with or to learn from, or teach for that matter. Anyone in the area of MA I'm from, or further away who would be intersted in meeting up and fishing together. Since I am a non-boater, having another angler with a boat to fish with and learn from would be great. At times it seems like I lose the love of fishing every so often because I really don't have anyone to share it with. I am thinking about making a local bass fishign club through the local bait and tackle shops, but i figured I'd throw this out there too. Maybe even do a group outing or tournament with boaters and non boaters. Anyway, let me know if anyone is interested. Like I said I would love to be able to fish with someone I could learn from, as well as share the experience with. -Joe

That sounds liek a good drill. Thanks robby. I did try fully releasing the casting knob so the spool would spin very easily and just go through the motion on pitching, but I could see the tangles starting in the spool, so I didn;t pursue it. Plus the air temp was 25*F and the rod guides kept freezing over making in difficult for line to easily pass through.

Ok, I just picked up the baitcaster yesterday. practiced casting for about an hour and a half, must have made over 100 casts, and not one backlask. I am ready to up my rod reel arsenal with some quality baitcating combos. I know that for fishing crankbaits a rod with a moderate action and/or a soft tip is best for maintaining tension on the fish, but not too much to rip out the trebles. My question is, since we apply this theory to crankbaits, should I take the same approach to topwaters, and jerkbaits and use a cranking stick with a more forgiving action, or should I opt for a regular fast action graphite?

Well, I think I had a little bit of cabin fever. either that or I just needed to get water side for a little while and enjoy what I've been missing since the weather has cooled. The high yesterday has a scorching 25*F I went down to the local pond with a Baitcasting combo I have had but never really put to use. I firgured since I had nothing else going on that day i should try to practice my baitcasting skills. I stipped the old line of the reel, spooled up some fresh 15# stren high impact line(which is pretty cheap line, like $8 for over 800 yards.) After setting the cast control knob I practiced casting with a 1/2 oz. Rat'L Trap for about an hour an a half. I must have made about 100+ casts, all backlash free. I picked it up well, and got the hang of it quickly. I think the new line helped out alot in regards to preventing backlashes. I spooled the line on the reel with tension so the line would go on tight to the spool. I was easily outcasting any cast I could make with my spinning rods. I was using a cheap $35 7' MH Berkely Lighting rod and a cheap $35 Shakespeare baitcaster with 1 Ball bearing. Both I purchased at Wal-Mart last year. I must admit the combo seemed sufficeint for such low money. The reel casted pretty far, I'm not sure how it did in competition to other higher end baitcasters since I don;t have much experience with them, but I'm sure a higher quality baitcaster with more bearings would give further casts due to the more ball bearings. All in all I was proud of myself for picking up baitcasting so well. Honestly, it seemed to raise my spirits a lot just knowing I executed a new skill. For thos eof you that don't own baitcasters and fret them due to backlashes...don't let that hold you back. Like I said, I made over one hundered casts yesterday without one backlash, and it was only the second time I casted with a baitcaster. As long as you properly set the cast control knob for the size lure your using and as long as you stay mindful of what you are doing, you will be able to pick it up as easy as I did. I have a new born hunger to get out their in the spring and try out bass fishing with baitcasters. I have a couple spots and new techniques I would like to try that i couldn;t do with my lighter spinning stuff before. Flippin lily pads and grass beds, froggin' Pitching to heavy wood cover...and the higher Horsepower of a baitcaster will allow me to do this. I strongly suggest you go out and get an inexpensive baitbasting combo, possibly even a higher end baitcaster(at least $70) and some line and go practice if you haven't already picked it up. I have evovled so much this one season going from unresponsive ugly stik and replica type rods, to my first all graphite spinning rod, and now I am using a baitcaster...it's a game of knowledge, experience, and skill, and the more of each you aquire the better you will become as an angler. I plan on all graphite next season, possibly baitcaster exculisve except for one spinning outfit for lighter stuff. I feel like I'm evolving into a real bass angler.

Sorry for all the long posts...this one will be short... One other way I just thought of is set realistic goals. If you are familiar with bass fishing tournaments which I'm sure we all are, we know that a limit of bass is 5 fish. At times I have watched tournaments on TV we're some Professional anglers, guys who are so good they get paid to fish full time, don;t even catch their limit, and they have all the gear and tackle they could dream of, a fully loaded bass boat, decades of knowledge and experience...yet even they still have bad days fishing. So be realistic, and set small goals. I'm not saying settle for under par, but realize that if a pro angler can come up short of his limit, than I guess catching two nice 1-2# bass from the bank at the city pond doesn't seem so bad after all. Like I said above, fishing is tough, especially artificial exclusive fishing. So, when you get a win, feel d**n proud, because you just accomplished a difficult task, and when you come up short, realize that it's not that bad because it's not like you were trying to do something that is easy. So always aim high, but realize that even if you dont make it to the moon, you may not be that bad off.

Dave, I'm glad my long winded rants are appreciated by someone. I totally feel what you're saying also. I also fish from a small 12' aluminum row boat, mostly with my bro who couldn;t care less about fishing, which just makes things worse. He'll want to pack it up after an hour unless the bite is on and we are catching fish every few casts. Some people outside the hardcore angling community don't get what it is like to really be passionate about fishing. And I think the more passionate you are about something, the harder it is to become burned out. You just have to find ways to rekindle that spark you had when fishing was new to you, because no matter how much you know about fishing, there are always something that will be new to you. What I am saying is, in order to stray from burn out, just keep things fresh. If you are getting bored doing the same old thing, try something new. I just read an article about Bill Dance today, it it had something in it that said something about Bill being the first angler to really emphasize confidence and a positive mind set in fishing. And it's so true - fishing can probably be one of the most frustrating things in the world at times, and at other times it seems easier than a drunken horny girl at a party. I've had days fishing where I caught 6 bass in a two hours, other time I don't catch two bass in 6 trips. But that's fishing. And if you haven;t seen the Jimmy Houston quote on the bassresource homepage it says "If bass fishing was as easy as we wished it was, than it wouldn't be a sport, it would be a hobby." And we must remember that it is a sport. Sure we don't need to warm-up and stretch our hammy's before we cast a line, and we don't have to be physically athletic to fish(thank god ;D )but we are engaging in a challenging event that takes knowledge, experience, skill, and a certain mental attitude in order to achieve. So we as anglers must not look at fishing like we did when we were 10 and casted out minnows and night crawlers under bobbers as we soacked up the summer sun. We must realize that we are part taking in a time honored sport that is challenging, it is hard, it can be frustrating, but to the truly determined and passionate: those are just more reasons to get back out there next time and keep trying. The more we realize fishing isn't easy, the more rewarding every fish will be. And for those of us limited to the shoreline or small boats that are undesirable as fishing boats: Do your best with what you have. Artificial exclusive angling is tough, and sure you probably could catch a few more fish if you tossed out some shiners, but ask yourself this...What's more important, catching fish, or being successful and exceling at a difficult task? Because if you are just there to catch fish go buy some shiners and crawlers at the B&T, but if you want to excel at a difficult task such as bass fishing, you must be willing to put iin an effort and still feel defeat, but at the same time you must still keep the will and desire to suceed and not let a loss discourage future attempts at success.

I think it's safe to say that the majority on people on this board are "serious" anglers. We are the type of people who fish that sit in the aisle of Dick's for hours, search the web for any and all information on fishing we can, we own fishing books, fishing dvds' fishing magazines, we fish at least once or twice a week, we watch every fishing TV show broadcasted. We are not the type to run into Wal-Mart buy a cheap combo, a couple lures, and then hit the lake. We are passionate, we are dedicated, we are hungry, we are border line obsessed. I think this is why some of us may get burnout. We spend so much time, energy, and money on an activity, hoping to at least break even; that is to say, get back at least what we are putting in. Fishing is no more a fun activity, it is a challenge; a test of knowledge, skill, patience, persistance, determination, and dedication. And when we aren't getting back what we feel is a just return, we get angered. Some of us fish on different levels. Some are confined to the shoreline, others fish from small boats or canoes powered with an electric motor. Other have fully loaded bass boats. I am guessing those who will burn out the fastest are those who are fishing on the lowest levels. For example, the shore fisherman can;t get to where people with boats can go: he will get frustrated easier. If he is not getting anything with in his small fishing area, what else is left to do? Also, he could get bored of always fishing the same spots, and fishing can seem mundane to him. Guys in smaller boats can get around to more spots than bank fisherman, but they still don't have the manuverability as a larger boat, or the sonar capability to locate under water structure as well as fish. Guys with loaded boats can reach every area of a body of water, they can see what's invisibile to the angler's naked eye. Even if they aren't reelin; them in on any given day, they can still search for "hot spots" be it areas of prime holding cover along the shore, rock piles, lay downs, timber, brush, weeds, lily pads, they can also search and find out structure to come back to at a later date. You see when these guys aren't catching, they have a world of other stuff to occupy them. Other guys like small craft and bank fisherman, if they aren't catching the day seems like a wash. They can;t really say, "Well nothing was biting at the usual spots from shoree, but I did locate this great rock pile in 12' of water, or this great flat with a bunch of underwater cover or a creek channel ...etc." They just say a bunch a four letter words followed by..."skunked again" So you can see that burn out can just be caused by the lack of results and/or the frsutration felt along side. It seems in order to keep fishing interesting we must stay stimulated by it. We must keep things fresh. Things are always evolving, and fishing is no different. Even if you just read one new article, guess what? You have just evolved into a new and more knowledgable fisherman. Even if you fish the same couple spots from shore, keep evolving, keep trying new techniques. If you have never used a certain soft plastic rig, or technique, or lure...try it, practice it, master it. This will keep you intersted, stimulated, and hopefully keep you from "burn out". Look at every outing as practice...for what...maybe a distant tournament you may some day enter...maybe just at becoming a better fisherman...but look at it as practice. Just as an athlete would spend a certain amount of time each week practicing a sport, or an apprentice would spend time practicing a skilled trade...we are anglers practicing the art of angling. We are at the same time outside getting fresh air, enjoying nature, winding down, enjoying the great past time of fishing, hopefully catching fish and having fun. But even if we don;t bag a limit on any given outing, or break our PB larget fish, or we lose a couple, or not even get a bite. Look at it as practice. Sure practice isn;t always fun, but it is d**n sure rewarding and worth every minute. Do you think running 10 miles a day is fun and enjoyable to a runner training for the Boston Marathon? Probably not, but that practice of doing so is going to help the runner in the long run(no pun intended ) I'm sure a few months into training the runner will start feeling stale after running the same routes for months on end, but this is the time to push yourself, and keep the fire buring. Challenge yourself with new things. We must keep those lights burning bright and never allow them to be extinguished by boredom or defeat. Keep learning, keep practicing, keep evolving. But for those who may have had enough of the grind and mind numbing that fishing can sometimes become...take a season off and take up a new hobby. Maybe fishing wasn;t your ultimate passion and burn out is just a way of Divine intervention so to speak. Maybe you'll get so wrapped up in something different and never come back to fishing, or maybe you have just had too much of a good thing, and you need some time to crave it again. Sometime you can just reach your limits of somethings. For those who feel this way, take some time, detox, look into another activity that will keep you busy and have fun.

I have been thinking about this topic lately. I personally feel that the burn out that some of us anglers feel isn't caused by the time we spend fishing, but by the stress that surrounds the activity. It seems for me at least, that fishing has become so much more complicated and stressful as it was a few years ago for me. It seems like I am trying to make it into too much. I love looking at gear on the web and in catalogs and running up and down the aisles of Dick's at all the lures and tackle they have on the walls, but stressing myself out about needing half a dozen rod/reel set ups, every type, size, and color of lure on the market gets me burnt out. I think there is a time when we have to pulll ourselves back into reality and ask what we want out of fishing? Why are we doing it? Mostly the answer is going to be to catch fish and have fun. I mean I'm no professional angler by any means, I don't fish tournaments for money, I just fish for the excitement. I like catching fish, as many as I can, but I don't NEED to catch as many as I can. Look at the saying K.I.S.S. - Keep it Simple Stupid. I have came to this conclusion for myself. I absolutely LOVE Fishing. I love catching fish, and I personally don't think there is a better feeling than all of a sudden having an elusive fish strike at the other end of your line and BOOM the fight is on. But the more I stress myself out about gear and techniques and all the other technical stuff, it seems the less fun fishing becomes and the more of a chore or a job it beomes. I think a way to rid myself of this is to just stick to the basics. If you really love fishing, and like going recreationally a couple times a week, all you need is one or two basic set ups, maybe one for lighter line 8-10# area for lures around sparse cover or open water, and another setup for heavier cover and/or larger lures in the 12-17# range. Here you will be able to cover most lures from 1/8-1/2 oz. and around 1/4-1 oz for a standard M and MH power setup. Get a standerd top handle tackle box or a couple of the plastic plano containers and limit yourself to a couple dozen lures, and a half dozen bags of your favorite soft plastics. To think you are going to keep every piece of equiptment available to catch a bass is absurd. Leave the bait monkey for the guys fishing tourneys who have money riding on the line. For us weekend warriors looking to have fun, break our PB biggest or PB most fish for a day, and maybe even break the state record if we're lucky....K.I.S.S. I think that taking on a new train of thought towards fishing, it will make it more enjoyable and even more challenging by limiting yourself, and using what you have. This will make you a more flexible angler, it will make you think more, not just recall: "What am I "Suppose to do" here again." I mean all you really need is a spincast outfit and half a dozen lures and you'll probably have just as much luck as the average guy with a tackle box full of gear and a few different rod/reel combos. I'm not saying resort to that, but just realize that most of the burn out some people face is because of the stress that surrounds fishing. And if one thing on earth shouldn't be stressful - it's fishing! Now I know a lot of other anglers have a different view of fishing than I do and treat it more of a sport than a recreational activity, and for them, sure it should be a little bit more complicated because it is being done in a more serious light: for money. This whole rant that seemed to be a little bit more long winded than I hoped, is mainly just directed to the average angler like me who hits the water a couple times a week to get away from the daily grind and endulge in a relaxing, exciting, challenging and rewarding activity.

Well, whatta ya know? http://www.ebassin.com/

Hey, Does the Bassin' magazine have it's own homepage? I am looking to subscribe to all the magazines I used to get again. Don;t get me wrong, theres probably everything you need to know about bass fishing on this own web site, but there's just something about sitting down with a good fishing magazine. My laptop is broken, so I have to spend my computer time infront of a desktop and it feels like I'm in an office. Plus I can only stare at a computer screen for so long until I wanna pull my eyes out. I have always found magazines to very stiulating and informational, as well as convienent. Anyway, I found bassinusa.com, but I don;t think it has any relation to the mag. I found a site that sells subscriptions, but I'm weary of sending my card# to some random site. Trying to find a secure page to buy the mag. from.

The Storm Wiggle Wart has been around for a LONG time. I'm not sure why it's so popular, besides from being a great crank, but I have heard great things about it. It sort of has a unique shape to it. I was thinking about ordering a couple after seeing them on BassPro

To add what RW said about Berkely making several terrible lines. I purchased VANISH fluoro around the time it came out and all the pros were talking about it. I lost more fish in a few outings using that stinkin' line than I have in my ten years of fishing. I started using Triline when I was a youngster because BASS would send me free spools for signing up to their magizine. That's just a little stap I had to take at Berekly ofr losing a couple fish.