Bizzo

Ahhh, lol, I see!

That's awesome. My wife and I just started trying to add to our new family, I can't wait for moments like that. You are a blessed man LBH.

Wow, that is awesome. This is why I love smallies. they will hit anything! Great pic Chris! ;D ;D

Sweet! I grew up in DeWitt Iowa, about 20 minutes from the river.

Great fish! Where on the Mississippi were you? What state/town?

I took RW's advice and gave yo zuri ultra soft a try. I love it, has nearly zero memory and wont break. I also like gamma line a lot.

Man, that got ME steamed! I really do not understand people these days. Why would you go out of your way to tick someone off, and with your grandson with you? What a great lesson that kid learned. Look out for him on the lake in a few years.

For me, 8# test is the smaller of the lines I use and I use it on my spinning gear. I use 15lb test on my BC reel. I don't need to use much bigger here in MN because the fish just dont get that big.

I dont know if this helps, but the Minnesota DNR website has something called lake finder. It gives you all kinds of info on most MN lakes. For instance, they drag it once a year with a net and count and report all the fish they catch. It also has topo maps with depth and a bunch of other stuff. Maybe the state this lake is in has something similar on its DNR site. Anyway, checking with the DNR and local parks dept. cant hurt.

Well, it isn't something I would do. I won't keep any bass. If I want to fish for something to eat, I break out the stink bait.

lol, i love it

Welcome! As far as the "pond" your describing, it reminds me a lot of a place I fished when I lived near Buffalo NY. This lady had what was basically a ditch in her back yard that measured maybe 30 feet wide and about 75 yards long. I fished it just for the heck of it one day and got 3 bass 3 lbs or bigger right off the bat! I was using a slugo and the bass just hammered it. I would try a senko fished slow if I were you. I would not be at all surprised if you got some decent fish out of there. I sure never thought this ladies "pond" would have fish in it.

HMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm! It has been said that if you remember the 60's you weren't there. : ;D You know though, if ya look around, it might be Bill Dance. Everytime I see him on the TV he's swappin' spit with some bass ( I think that's illegal in Wisconsin, everything else is.). ROFL, that is hilarious! I got a good laugh out of that one!

I can tell you that if I am being impatient, I fish differently. There have been a few times that I have been fishing for hours with nothing to show for it, and I notice that I am not fishing the same way. I tend to speed things up, I fish my senkos/fat ikas too fast. I make too many casts and dont give the fish enough time to size up and hit my bait. The best advice I can give is to slow down and think positive.

I hear this all the time on the Mississippi, it's catfish hanging out in the shallow water. Not sure what they are doing though...

I have never fished with a fly rod, but on the Mississippi where I fish, I see people cruising by in boats fly fishing all the time.

' Amen to that.

I stood in the exact same spot for over two hours today catching fish after fish (it was awesome). I must have caught 15-20 fish ranging from dinks to 2-3 lbs. If they are talking to each other, it aint about me and my fat ika's. Here's a pic of the biggest one (2lb 11oz)

He doesnt make a ton, but he does live with mom and dad. He's an extremely smart kid.

We have a young man that works for my company, he is 18 and has been there a couple of years. He puts 50% of his check into a 401K. Talk about smart! I wish I had started a lot sooner. He will have no money worries when he retires.

Rofl, I can just hear it "missed em! Dang thing must not have a mouth!"

Thanks guys, I live in Minneapolis and work less than 5 miles from the bridge. I tell you, it is just surreal around here right now. No one can believe it. They are saying that the death toll could easily be 30 before its all said and done. My father in law also has a coworker with a connection to someone who was on the phone on the bridge when it collapsed, the phone went dead and he is still missing. Keep the prayers coming, I am praying with you.

Awesome! Can't wait to see the pics! And happy birthday!

Good question, I wasn't thinking there. where I fish, in the Mississippi up here in Mn, its easy because its so shallow. If your river is that deep though, would be tough. Maybe RW has some thoughts. RW?

I would try finesse baits like RW said. I use senko's (I absolutely kill them with green senko type baits) and fat ika's along with other tube baits. I just cast out upstream and let them bump there way downstream, then repeat farther out/closer in. I have also had luck with a white twister tail on a jig. I also use 8lb test, either gamma or yo-zuri hybrid. Also make sure to look for structure, rocky bottom with vegetation is where I seem to find the most fish, but my river is 6-8 ft deep AT MOST. Usually its like 2-5 ft. places where the depth changes near structure work out the best for me. Oh, and welcome to the forum!