I am brand new to this forum and relatively new to bass fishing.  Until I retired I didn't think I had time to fish - boy was I wrong!  Now I have many years to make up for.  Just started bass fishing last year (spring) and I have to say I am totally hooked!  I have much to learn but I fish 4-5 days a week when the weather is good - so I get a faior amount of practice in.  

I also fish for other species (walleye, pike, muskie, trout) but I find bass - both large mouth and small mouth - to be my favorite.

I look forward to learning much from this site and already have as I have lurked for a few days as a guest!

Great to have you signed up. Hopefully you will find the answers you're looking for. These people are great and full of information.

Basst of luck,

Snag

Thanks Snag!

I have already learned a lot just from skimming posts and from the wealth of great articles posted here.  I am sure i will never stop learning (well maybe when I stop breathing!)

glad to have ya here. this forum is growing rapidly almost at exponential growth. haha

You have a trout pond near ya? i went fishing for trout when i was a little kid on a trout farm   and cought quite a few. had to pay by the pound and at the time we didnt know that and ran a bill up to almost 200 dollars  :-[. lol i recently got into bass fishing heavily. but anyways welcome to the site  ;D

Stickling,

There are several sites in Illinois where catchable trout are released twice yearly.  I do fish these on occasion.  I also take my canoe to Missouri and float the trout streams there.  Some of those streams are also good for small mouth.  Last year I went to Canada for a week in early June and caught lots of walleye, northern and some really nice (18-22 inch) small mouth bass.  I am hoping to go again this June!  Heading to Lake Fork, Texas in March for some large mouth fishing and to Canada in late June for Muskie.  When not traveling I fish a local lake that has quite a few 4-6 pound bass and some 45+ inch Muskie.

Welcome to you and all the new members!  I'm glad you joined the message boards, and delighted this site is helping you!!   ;D

Thanks Glenn.  This really is a great and informative site!

Welcome aboard! Plenty of stuff here to read when you aren't on the water.

Orabbit are you from Illinois also, if so where are you at in Illinois im from Cambridge its about a half an hour from the quad cities and a little over an hour from Peoria. Im also going down to Lake Fork this year or the next to chace the lunkers, i went down there last year and didnt catch any wall hangers but i did catch several 4-5 pounders.

bmo30,

I am from Springfield.  Last spring was my re-introduction to fishing after a 27 year lay off.  Long story!  Anyway. I have really gotten the bug.  I don't own a boat or have a place to store it so I fish smaller lakes and rivers from a canoe.  Plus I really like paddling.  It is my other great passion.

Lake Fork will be a new experience for me!  Can't wait.  I am going mid-March during the spawn.

Get a Guide i cant stress it enough and get one soon because they will probably be booked up soon. I had Richie White when i went down there and he was very good and i learned a lot. You will probably be fishing very shallow flipping and pitching to the big fish is my guess so work on that if at all possible, and good luck.

Welcome.....! This is a GREAT SITE to learn from....You will compress years of experience from the information here.... ;D

bmo30,

I have a guide and it happens to be Richie White.  Glad you liked him.  I am looking forward to it!