Leaderboard

How much of a secret is it if others are fishing there? If the water is public anyone can fish it and take whatever they please with in the limits of the State's regulations, providing they have a license. It's admirable to improve a public area in hopes of enhancing your own fishing pleasure, but that does not mean other citizens are banned. Since I've read no mention of this being private property and by your own admission "Like I said I have no problemn if youre obeying the law, it appears that this fisherman was lawful and you were not by kicking over his catch and threatening him. If by accident you omitted a pertinent fact showing this fisherman was in violation, IMO does not give you the right to take the law into your hands.

It was that day that made up my mind early bout being in the military and here I sit typing this over seas. We had a 5K run for it last night it was the biggest turn out iv ever seen we do 2 a month the whole base minus 1 platoon working gates and towers ran it. That platoon did it after shift though in formation.

good read, now let the temps drop!!!

I had just said goodbye to one of my best friends and his family. They were moving to Fort Bragg for his next duty station. I turned on the TV and watch it from the very beginning of the reports. I held my wife for a long time and then called Fort Gordon to see where I needed to report. I put on my uniform, laced up my boots, grabbed my gear, and kissed my pregnant wife goodbye not knowing when I'd be back home.

None of this was mentioned in your initial post, still doesn't give you the right to do what you did. Wondering, do fish caught on private property need to conform to state size regulations. Where I live no state regulations that I'm aware of apply to private property or a body of water under 20 acres.

I'm guessing you are talking about a spinning reel. So try this, first always close the bail by hand. Then I use a swivel with a "tippet" so to speak in front of it. tie this to your crank bait or soft bait directly. I don't use a spinning reel to much, but this works for me. enjoy.

I wont hold it against you. But do it again, and I'll stab you in the face with a soldering iron. Let me ask you, does your mother sew? BOOM, get her to sew that! Lol.

The idea of a public "secret honey hole" is funny! This conversation illustrates the passion that this discussion always has. It also shows clearly how easy it is to judge others based on our values. I completely agree with SirSnook regarding imposing ones beliefs on others. If a person keeps a bucket of legal fish while fishing at a public lake, it is none my or your business. Whether they speak English or not is none of my or your business. There are many of us who do not have a bucket, but if we did and someone kicked it over there would be trouble. If someone is doing something illegal, get the law involved; if not leave them alone. We don't have any idea what their circumstances are, and no right to give them any trouble.

just make sure your line is tight, never set the hook on a slack line bad things will happen...also since your fishing with a worm, make sure the fish has it. in time you will develop a feel for it, but dont wait too long.

Vanish doesn't have a lot of shock strength. oe

I never kept a bass till one night after work.I managed to hook a nice 22 incher through the gullet on the last cast,by the time i got him in the light to get the hook out I knew he was doa.and I'm not one to feed the sea gulls so to the table he went,and man what a meal Mind you that this was on MY private lake........as in I own it.Out of season or not from now on if I have doubts of a fish making it he is table fare if on my property,end of story. On public waters (I RARELY fish them)I would still probably keep a mortally wounded fish,but that has yet to happen.

I'd eat it if I were a bass.

Here ya go! http://www.reelgrip....ducts/reelgrip/ Tom

Your fishing licence give you the right to do as you wish with a legally caught fish of any species. I personally keep no fish I catch, but if it meant a meal for a needy person I have no problem in giving them the fish. However, I will not give a fish to people that horde them all.

Your issue could have been any number of things already mentioned. Keep in mind that the thermocline at Smithville generally occurs around approximately 15 feet so there is no reason to fish any deeper than that during the hot months. Smithville fish will suspend on channel edge trees at about 10 feet down to the thermocline in Summer. Look for these trees on channel bends and intersections. They can also be found on points at that depth as well. Find these locations and you will increase your chances. Having said that, I am a regular at Smithville Lake and for me, it is one of the most difficult lakes I have ever fished for bass. I can go out of town to other Missouri lakes that I don't know as well (Table Rock, Stockton, Norfork, Pomme De Terre, Truman, Mozingo, etc) and I rarely fail to put fish in the boat. I have spent a lot of time the last few years learning Smithville and I know it better than all of the other lakes combined, yet, my success rate is lower there, especially during the hotter months. I can only make educated guesses as to why that is the case. As a 7190 acre reservoir near the KC metro area it gets a ton of pressure and numerous tournaments which may have something to do with it.

If you're going after white bass, you can't do much better than a Kastmaster, IMHO. Like Sir Snook said, a ball-bearing swivel is almost necessary, especially if you're using spinning tackle. Tom

One tip I have is to go cheap with your lures (without compromising the performance, that is). I used to make my own jigs and the cost of one jig with trailer went down to something like $1.25 a piece. If you are not afraid of loosing your lure, you get more fish.

To add on to HeavyDluxe's great post, I have went away from tackle box altogether. I have a speedbag for my plastics and some plano boxes for hardbaits. My plano boxes and everything else (pliers, gloves, scissors, etc) get put into a backpack. Bam, done. I carry a somewhat large backpack and my fishing poles and that is it. I always have one hand free to traverse rough-ish terrain. Now, I should mention that I have a heavy duty back pack that I bought while in the military and it is nearly as comfortable as a proper issue rucksack even when loaded down, so your standard school book bag likely isn't up to task. They do make fishing backpacks and most of them come with plano boxes already. This method also helps when I am invited to go with someone on a boat because ALL my gear is in one place and doesn't take up a lot of deckspace AND has the added benefit of being able to store drinks/food.

Another newbish, bank-bound angler here... But here's what I've learned. 1) When possible, take time to explore the body of water before you really intend to fish it. It helps to identify 'fishy' spots beforehand so you can plan how you'd fish them and from where you'd attack them. Several times early on I would walk along a trail and stumble on a nice spot around the corner only to see a splash and watch the fish I wanted retreating out of reach. 2) Don't underestimate the need to be as stealthy as possible when moving along the bank. The vibrations from your footsteps and the shadows you cast on the water (to say nothing of voices, etc) can have a much larger impact on your success than you'd expect. You don't need to be a ninja or anything, but move intentionally and quietly. 3) On a related note, learn to fish/cast parallel to the bank from your location or learn to cast out a good distance. If I cast further up the bank, down the bank, or out from where I am standing, I have had better success (likely because fish haven't been as aware of my presence). 4) Simplify, as much as you can, your tackle. The more moving you do, the more you have to haul the 35lbs of soft plastics and jigs that you've got in that bag you bought last Christmas. If you can do that, so be it. But I've found I'm more effective at getting around the water when I economize what I carry. This also helps if you intend to try to get off the beaten trails to some areas of the bank that are generally not accessible. The more stuff you're carrying, the more hang-ups in trees and brush you'll deal with. 5) Consider investing in slightly heavier tackle than you might otherwise think... especially if you're trying to work with a single rod/reel combo. See below. Lastly, and take this with a huge grain of salt, but... Plan to simplify the tactics that you employ, too. Here's what I mean... In the two bodies of water I frequent most, there is a fair bit of vegetation and the bass seem to hold along the outside edge - towards deeper water. In a boat, you'd pull up there and either cast in towards the weeds and retrieve back out over the down-slope or you would cast parallel to the weed edge and work. Both are hard to access, obviously, from the bank. You'll be casting out - either straight out or at an angle - and retrieving back *into* (through) the cover. Of course, this is fine but it will certainly mean that you leave most of the treble hooks at home. At least, it has to me. Learn the body of water as much as you can, be patient, and setup so you are flexible and can make the most of the access to the water you do/can have from shore. Can't wait to hear other replies so I can learn more, too.

just did man , but i don't see how a senko would attract bass lol theres no attraction to it other than when its on the fall it doesn't rlly look like anything ahaha

yea it could be. it should be set to let line out. you should be able to pull on your line and hear your drag click and give line.

I had a smallie take my lunch money once. Another time I had one take my seat on the bus. It was a tough school.

A drop of crazy glue on my leader/line knot gives me piece of mind even though it isnt necessary.