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I am not a tournament fisherman so all fishing is fun for me. Some days are more fun than others based on results. It's not always about how good the fish catching is but but how good the experience is.

When it gets below zero I go to something else as well. My slippers. Inside the house.

Been a few months, but things are getting back to normal. After fishing a total of 1hr in November and December combined, I have been reinvigorated by a great trip to the everglades and by my little neighborhood lake that just keeps producing. 1st the everglades....two Sundays ago a friend took me for my first everglades excursion. I did not know what to expect, but it was ridiculous. You won't believe this, but we caught 415 fish. Mostly bass in the 1-2 lb range, bunch of oscars and a few other assorted panfish. Almost every single cast either had a strike, a push, or a catch. Top water baits and pencil-type minnow were killing it. Sorry no pictures, we were to busy reeling one after another. However I did have some bruising on my forearm and side from setting the hook hundreds of times. It was awesome and I can't wait to get out there again. Now for my little pond in our neighborhood...The last two outings produced 4 fish and 5 fish, respectively, including these nice ones (attached). All caught on either white-ice flukes (overcast day) or green pumpkin/green pumpkin magic super flukes (sunny days) between 4-5:30 in the evening. Pop...pop.......and a really long pause. The fish are loving it. Here's to hoping to keep my line in the water as much as possible Cheers everyone.

What is more important with bass lures, action or color? It appears about 1/2 of the anglers on this site believe color is the key factor, the other half believe in a lures action triggers more strikes. Crankbaits, deep or shallow divers with or without diving lips are a good example. The early crankbaits called plugs were made of wood and each lure had a slightly different action due to the density of the wood and shape varied slightly because they were made one at a time by hand and not mass produced. If you bought 6 crankbaits the same exact color, one would out perform the others. In this case action was more important than color. With today's automated manufacturing and injected molded plastic the lures do not vary as greatly as the wooden plugs did, however a few still out perform others of the same make, model and color. Sometimes a lure company retools their lures or makes changes in paint suppliers that have an impact on how the lure performs. The Wiggle Wart is a good example, Rapala bought the Wart and retooled it, changing it's action and the original Warts became a hot item because the new Warts didn't catch as many bass, the action had changed slightly and the colors changed. I am in the action group, action is more important than color. However, color becomes important when a lure has the right action. Good examples of the right action, wrong color are lures that move slower underwater. Swimbaits come to mind, Matt's Hard bluegill in female bluegill color is more popular then the male color, same action different color. Could it be that Matt produces more female colors and being hand made wooden lures the odds of a good action lure are higher with female coloration? My favorite color discussion is black/blue jigs and green pumpkin red flake worms/Senkos. Jigs and worms have little action of their own, so color seems to be important as long as it's black/blue or green pumpkin, except when you add RageTail, now action becomes a major factor. Is action first or is it color or the combination of both? The fact is where I fish you can't get bit on black/blue jigs often, it's a poor day light color combination and smoke/purple out performs green pumpkin. The crawdads are reddish/ brown, the shad are closer to smoke/purple tones. Tom

You're new to New York, aren't you? lol

I feel your pain brother. Hang in there, you will manage. I have 20 month old identical twin boys. I work, she stays home to raise them. Better than daycare knowing your kids are being raised by the right person.

Really? Seven pounds in Wisconsin is a really good fish-unless you use the method of weighing used by most anglers. By the magic of the internet we can be as good or lucky as we want to be though...

A funn fish to me is the little 2lb'er who allmost snatches the rod out my hand and makes me think i got a hawg on the line lol those can be just as fun as an 8 lber or any time i hear my son say dadda "biggen" !!! They're all big to him. seeing that smile when he's getting his pic taken with his fish is just as good as as anything else i can think think of.

These will always be the Best Days. A-Jay

I've always had dificulty keeping my feet warm, not because of low quality footwear but because my feet sweat big time. Thinsulate, wicking socks, Underarmor, you name it they all resulted in cold/wet feet in short order. Two years ago on an early spring walley trip to Michigan as we were getting dressed to go out in 34degree weather with winds from 20-25, I noticed a friend spraying his feet with deodorant prior to putting his socks on. Kidding him about worrying that his feet would stink when he took off his boots he informed me that the anti persperant kept his feet dry (he has the same problem with excessive sweating) and therefore much warmer. Who woulda thunk? I've been using this trick to keep my feet warm ever since including a stretch of sub zero weather we had last week. Now I don't need to change socks every couple of hours and I am finally done searching for a good pair of boots/socks to keep my feet warm, but thanks for the heads up. I'm sure there are plenty of guys with 'normal' feet that appreciate the info.

PAIR OF 25-lb STRIPED BASS I'm not sure they're my favorite pair, but they were a special pair because I boated them on Father's Day Roger

Wow, before this thread goes too far off in a tangent, can we table the talk about cheating please? Thanks! Go Hawks!!

Nitro the problem is when we accept cheating as "part of the game" we diminish the game, the players, and the fans. I don't know if the Pats are guilty of anything that others haven't also done, and I don't really have a dog in this fight. I do believe that integrity and honor are more important than winning, even at-or maybe especially at, the pro level. I watched the 60 Minutes episode earlier this evening interviewing many of the players in the A Rod mess. The idea that everyone is doing it, so I have to was used as justification for using whatever it takes to compete. That attitude dishonors every pro who ever played the game without cheating. I will get off my soap-box now... We now return to our regular programming...

Fun fishing is when you are not fishing for money, just fishing for the fun of it. Tom

11- do not ignore or downplay a bite. remember the location and always think of that spot as a fishy/big bass spot. bite locations are fish holding areas so think of them as good not bad. it's easy to get down b/c u missed a fish but a bite is v-e-r-y important clue that reveals ur in a fish holding location. it's not as important on ponds. but very important when bank fishing lakes/reservoirs etc (and equally important when fishing from kayak or 18ft boat; mark a GPS point if u have a unit). if you got skunked that day but got 4 bites....go back to those 4 locations tomorrow and from that day forward. make them ur priority spots. try to figure out the bite right then and there. cast back immediately with something different (something closely related to what you were doing when you got the bite ie you gave up on ur dead sticking/slow dragging ur senko and just started reeling ur line in when a bass slammed it but he didn't commit. the 'fleeing' bait got a reaction out of the bass. tie on a similar color jig and cast back immediately. dead stick it for 60 sec to get his interest (like the senko did) and then go straight to reeling it back experimenting with slow to fast reaction retrieve, pops, rips etc.

i beat the bank for years and was a certified pond master before moving off shore. ponds are like fishing in a barrel BUT it still take awhile to learn how to: consistently catch fish, catch the biggest fish in the pond and learn how to read what's going on above and below the water. 1 ponds have a feeder stream, either above ground or underground. the feeder stream brings fresh water/oxygen/food. the influx of water during heavy rain and flooding flushes out a pit where they like to hold. there will always be fish hanging there, especially in summer b/c its like air conditioning. you can usually see the feeder creek above ground. if the pond is underground/spring fed the surface area can sill looks 'swampy' ie you won't trek thru that area without waders; you can smell the moisture in the air; there is beaver activity; tall cat tails, bullies etc. 2 the water must exit the pond as well. this area also holds fish but in my experience not as big. 3 streams meander thru a large lake like a snake. they don't have quite the opportunity to zig zag from bank to bank in a small pond. at the very least the underwater stream favorites one side of the pond. this will be the deeper side and it holds better fish. the opposite side is usually shallow, more stagnant water w/ slimy algae on the surface and on the bottom, and tapers very slowly out to the middle. it has stumps and logs jammed in the muck etc. this would be the pond flat or cove side. i always try this area but it produces best during spawn, spring, fall. bass don't worry about predators from above as much in low light conditions so they will be more bold about sitting in this shallow water at dusk/dawn/night fishing or with wind chop on the surface or rain. i hate this area in the summer b/c its the hottest part of the pond w/ no current or wind. but i love fishing it during the cold season b/c the water warms up the fastest so bass sunbath in these pond coves or corners. its hard to get a 'big lure over their head in this shallow water b/c even a 4" senko casts a bald eagle like shadow. i try my normal lures but keep them far off shore to draw the fish out to them. if they aren't chasing or are skiddish i go with a 1/8 Mepps in-line spinner. its the only thing i've found can be cast right over their heads and not spook them from above or below in 12" of water. a lot of times the thumping/vibration from a double willow spinnerbait just scares the crap out of them in stable pond water this shallow. there are aggressive feeding times where they love it so i start big but quickly downsize if i'm just scaring bass. the more you analyze ponds and what's going on above water the easier it become to read whats going on underneath. ponds are more shallow so it's easy to see bass reacting negatively to vibrating lures. learn from their reaction and make adjustments immediately. 4 if there is a dock never walk out onto it b/c you'll spook all the fish on that side of the pond. first stealth cast both sides and then the front from both direction. then slowly tip toe out to access deeper water. never walk directly up to the waters edge. i make my first cast from 10-15ft back. i've seen other guys laugh at me bc i'm elmer fudd but there's nothing better than silently flipping a lure 6ft off shore and having a giant bass smash it. vise versa there's nothing worse than walking right up to the waters edge only to spook a nice bass out to the deep. most guys see the swirling bass take off and think 'oh there's good activity today'. but really you just spooked a bass you could have caught. 5 fan casting is the way to go. i'll fan cast an area and move on. i don't fish, i hunt fish. ur first cast to an area has the best chance of catching the biggest bass and/or the most aggressive bass. so why not relocate often. some guys sit in the same spot all day long. probably bc that's how they were taught to fish. i've literally caught 3 fish approaching a guy...walked around him...and caught 3 more bass as i hiked up shore. he finally came over to ask me what my magic lure was. i know it took alot for him to approach me so i explained the lure changes each day but my hunting/hiking fish style will always be the same. it was probably the last time he used a lawn chair for bass fishing. 6 if ur not catching fish change lures often. if i fan cast 3 different locations with a spinnerbait and don't catch a bass, it's time to change lures. ponds are small so it's easy to locate and/or draw fish in. i'm quick to change lures and go from reaction lure w/ vibration... to reaction w/ no vibration (swim jig/senko/swimbait etc)... to bottom bounding something like a t-rig, c-rig, split shot... to flipping wacky senkos... to dead sticking senkos, drop shot or bottom crawling jigs. you only have so much shore/casting real estate from shore so i'm quick change lures. and i'm quick to slow down my retrieves and/or be patient. 7 analyze what comes back on ur hook. the two best things are green vibrant weeds and/or clean leaves. these areas hold bass so if ur hook comes back with either you are in the right place. the worst thing to bring back is green slim algae=keep hiking up shore. fountains or aerators are also fish magnets b/c of the oxygen/food and cover. i fished a pond for years that had no weeds but it had an aerator. it created an underwater current system and fresh mulched leaves would gather in a nice pocket 30ft away. this is where i always caught the biggest bass. it took a 80ft cast to get out there. if i couldn't draw them back with a reaction bait i would just bombed a jig out and slowly worked it till they crushed it. 8 i hate frogs . no matter how stealth i am, they are better. a frog jumping into the water is like an alarm to bass that gives away my position. if i spook a frog into the water at a good location i wait a few minutes before casting. i just check my text messages, tie my shoe, put on new lure etc. let the spot settle until the bass drops his guard again. 9 use braid mainline with leader of ur choice. i also carry 2 rods and use a fanny pack. One spinning and one casting rod. both have a braid (10lb and 30lb) with yo zuri leaders (6, 8, 12, 15 or 17 lb). i keep a bunch of 12ft leaders wrapped up with a piece of tape around each. it takes up virtually no room and weighs next to nothing yet i'm prepared for any situation. if the cover gets nasty i just remove the leaders and fish straight braid. 10 skip buying ur next two rods and buy a kayak. it will get you off shore and open so many possibilities. so many angles, constant fresh water, access to deeper water, ultra stealth. spring is coming and every box store will have one for under $300. it will change ur fishing life. Good article by Hank Parker on Pond fishing: http://www.bassresource.com/hank-parker-fishing/pond-fishing-tactics.html

The harder I fish the luckier I get.

Thank you sir. But which one, I suffer from PCSD or Photo Compulsive-Switching Disorder Roger

For me, every fish is a fun fish. The big ones are just more fun than the little ones.

HA !!! That's funny right there !!!!!!

Action. I had a "lucky" Rattletrap in chrome and black. I caught more fish of all species on that one bait than any other single bait I have ever used. I had even tried it side by side with other chrome and black Rattletraps. It had worked just as well beat up, missing paint, with teeth marks from pike and king salmon. There was just something about this one lure that was better than others of it's kind. That lure is long gone. Chrome and black is a staple Rattletrap color for me. I have never been able to duplicate past results.

I don't have any answers to your questions. But I love the " As seen on TNN cable TV " that was back in the day.

You can still get the Abu Vendetta at some Walmarts for $30. The Berkley Lightning Shock are pretty good rods also.

Without a question, depth & speed control are paramount factors. After that, lure action would be my next consideration (i.e.: crankbait vs. plastics). Color has always been way down there on the list for me. I have a couple of old Heddon's River Runts in red-head & white that still produce fish for me. Sometimes, even when I'm on a good bite with something else, I'll toss one of these bad boys and sure enough....I get whacked!

Not sure of any particular brand per say, but for the last 30 years or more, I've been using fingerless rag wool gloves, with hand warmers in each jacket pocket. The wool keeps your hands warm, even when wet. The fingerless feature allows easy knot tying. And the hand warmers keep your fingers toasty as well. The new chemcal pack hand warmers today are incredible! We use to use those old cigarette lighter type hand warmers (I think they still make those?) which were stinky, but worked. I'm sure there are more expensive, high quality gloves for fishermen these days. But what I have has proven itself time and time again. And the cost is not prohibitive.

Cheap bushing in place of 3rd spool bearing low quality spool bearings carbon fiber drag washers frayed and appear to be hand cut rough edges on spool "Geary" feel These aren't terrible reels but are over priced IMO

I agree. One of the best walleye vertical jigging trips was with a green pumpkin 4" finesseworm. Slayed them.

To echo what mark said, it doesn't get any better than a parent staying home to raise the kids. I have 4 little ones and my wife's a stay at home and home schools the oldest. It is hard on the wallet but better than someone else raising your kids. And hats off to the ones that stay home, it can get pretty crazy. I dont know how yall keep from going put of your mind sometimes. lol My rod purchase after i got my new reel for christmas went from$100 to $60-70 to wait until my b-day lol luckily I was given an old Berkely lightning that has surprisingly been a really decent and durable rod this far. It is all good though. If you do get a ghost rod, those look sweet. But to give you another idea the shimano Clarus is 79-89 and comes with a lifetime warranty. Happy shopping.

Keep one of each and sell the others, they should net you enough to then buy reels for the 2 you kept and boom!!!! Half your arsenal is filled. The Rosewoods are really nice rods and should you want to sell, they should get good $ pretty fast. Gear Ratios Cranks (pretty personal...) anything around 5:1 is sort of a guideline. Some will say 2:1 other say they deep crank on 100:1 reels, it is really pretty personal, but starting with a 5ish:1 is what most people do. Spinnerbaits go with anything 6+:1.

baluga, next time you order, try TSI321. When you buy 301, you're buying 321 lube mixed with a solvent. The solvent is what evaporates, not the lube. I'll agree, there is no "magic" lube, but 321 comes as close as I've found. Just have to careful, and not use too much. I dip a thin, steel pick in the container and get a very small drop to apply to the bearing. This gives the speed of the very light, low viscosity oils, but lasts all summer.

Heaviest pair. Good thing you were younger back then Roger. Those look pretty heavy.

I love it all , tournament fishing in particular , it really makes you think a lot of the time and pressures you to do better , but there is no better time on the water than when you can spend that time with family especially when the family is having a great time , everything comes together , fishing and the bonds get stronger as a unit , no matter the troubles you have from within , they all seem to go away with a loaded rod .

Dang dude !!! what kind of inbreeding y'all got goin on down there LMAO !!

Good luck and don't rush your recovery.

The president is a solid choice, also the abu garcia cardinal

Wow i cant wait to get married... Pflueger president 6930 great reel! i have a couple of them and they are very nice reels for $60.

Lifting you up in prayer for tomorrow's surgery ...

Not a fan of the bass baits, but the 1" minnows are deadly on panfish. And I like the 3" leeches as well for multi-species action. I have caught every fish that swims in my local lakes on them.

Legend Xtreme.

Good luck man. Be sure you follow your doctor's orders to a "T", regardless of how good you may feel. Do not rush your rehab.

Prayers and good wish's

I've rehab'd quite a few of those over the years and it's a pretty simple procedure you should do great with. That doesn't mean you're not going to have pain, but you'll definitely be good as new for fishing this spring. Best of luck!

Big swim baits are not the typical search bait. The understood definition of a search bait is a bait that facilitates catching fish. If you are throwing a big swimbait and catch a fish it becomes a search bait. And the chances are it will be a good size fish. So I guess you could say that big swimbaits are a search bait for bigger fish. The only time I ever cast big swimbaits is when I'm looking for a quality fish. The quality of the catch has to exceed the pain of throwing the bigger baits.

Back to back casts... Some nice salmon...

J's only weakness is that Yankees hat.

I know this is supposed to be smallies only, but all we have in NW Illinois this time of year are Mississippi River saugers!!

I caught one, Jordon caught the other, but the pic is of him, taken by myself after our win on Erie:

Great pics. I had another idea of my best pair but glad to see your post is about smallies.

And whoever is asking for the spot, I would tell him that I'd put him on it if he wears a Megastrike Jersey. EVERY DAY.