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I'm back! My computer was down for a bit and I've been really busy with work and all... Still been doing some fishing though

I had no idea this was such a huge topic. In my opinion it would def be common courtesy to not fish near someone's boat if your aim isn't that good. Even still, if my aim was pin point, and someone requested that I not fish his docks, I would comply. I'm sure there are other docks to fish, so no point on arguing about one.

I can't answer your original question and I am anxious to see more answers. Too many of the posts I see on these forums are concerns about what color bait or what shape the plastic should be because the poster isn't catching any fish. The better questions are always where should I be fishing? There are times when one color or one bait will out fish everything else, but more often than not, if you put a bait, any bait, in the right place, it will get bit. In my experience, knowing where to drop a line is the biggest key to success. Learning how bass relate to flats, dropoffs and structure is what will make me a better fisherman. Good post!

I think most of the members here would practice common courtesy when dock fishing, but I also believe that if my skill level plays a part in making the decision to fish or not fish docks with the owners boat moored. I don't leave my boat in the water dockside for any length of time, especially during mid-day hours because I know other anglers will attempt to fish there and my boat is aluminum. If I had a boat or dock that I wanted to discourage anglers from casting to, at the very least I would put a sign similar to'; I don't skip rocks under your car, please don't skip lures under my boat. The problem gets intensified when two 'alpha males' (dock owner and fisherman) butt heads over who is right or wrong. A dock with a sign that says 'NO FISING; or a dock with some sort of deterent can be ignored by anglers, or respected. I choose to do the latter.

People ask me, why is it that I fish so much... I give them a generic answer, like "because it's fun". This morning, though, I feel compelled to let out why I do what I do. I guess I can break it down into two main subjects; the sport/hunt , and the water itself. The first one is easy, as the pursuit of fish provides an entertainment value shared by many. The latter, however, goes much deeper than satisfying the need for fun. The water doesn't disappoint. When people let you down, the water won't. "Best friends" may never call, but the water calls me constantly, and never fails to answer my call. The water is always there for you, when no one else is. It has the uncanny ability to take whatever problems you go to it with, and wash them away. Like you, the water has secrets, if you take the time to listen to them. And oftentimes, the water will unlock secrets about you to yourself.

To be a pack rat. I'm, actually, not a pack rat. If there is something in my house that hasn't been touched in 2 years, then it's landfill. Except...............................................fishing equipment. I still have the original rod and reel I used when I started fishing, FLW cranks and assorted tackle, fishing reels and rods I've accumulated over the years, 3 St. Croix rods I built back in the late 90's will never make the landfill as long as live. Today, after work I saw a nice hole to make a few casts at. Well, let's just say my outing was cut short when I heard this nasty squeel from my reel during a long cast. I spun a bearing. Got out some old parts and reels to see if anything would work and wouldn't you know, a reel with the same spool bearing. Spent the next 20 minutes switching out the spool bearing and while I was at it, did a quick clean of the reel. Smooth as silk again. Now I know I have too much miscellaneous fishing items that really need to be tossed, but seriously, is it all that bad to be a pack rat?

I was pre-fishing for an upcoming tournament and doing quite well considering I'd never been on this lake before. I was approached by two anglers at the launch that had seen me boat three nice bass off a weedless flat. I expected the familar question about what I was using and was a little surprised when they asked why I'd chosen to fish that area as they frequent the lake and had never even considered it. I explained that the flat had deep water access and was worth checking out IMO. There was a slow taper from four feet to ten feet before it dropped to 24ft. fairly quickly. That second drop was a good distance from the flat and they couldn't understand my definition of deep water access as the deep water was maybe 100yrd. from where the flat started slowly tapering off. What is your definition of deep water access and like me, does it change with the season and is it realative to the overall depth?

My vote is chronarch. Pair of hedgehogs or bocas, 2 brakes on, set it and forget it

I hit Lacygne this morning. I got 3 lmb over 18" including the fish of the day this one that went 4.10 I also got this fish of the day that went 16.7# I've got plenty of time to post this as I wait for my wife come rescue me (my spare is flat)

This did the trick. There were just a few weeds, nothing major, wound around the shaft behind the prop. Cleaned it off, put it all back on.....no ticking. Thanks for the help guys. Couldn't get any better even if I went to Minn Kota! You're all the pros!

I also fish from a canoe. Although it sounds like my Old Town is carrying a bit more weight than the canoe you mentioned, I still had to adapt to the boat's movement towards the fish on the hook set. Depending on how (Technique) your fishing, switching to braid type line helped, also a longer rod can assist by allowing you to move more line on the hook set. Setting the boat up and fishing "from the side" rather than straight off the bow will also reduce the boat desire / ability to track directly toward your fish. You could deploy a small anchor while fishing in a good spot to help hold your position as well. Good Luck A-Jay

Don't forget the Curado I, it's a heck of a reel!

Get the Curado i, the Curado i, or the Curado i. Any of those three will be a good choice. Hootie

I seen a post on here a week or two ago and have been thinking about it quite a bit. I don't own a boat, nor will I ever have enough money to own one, but the boat fisherman get ticked off if someone doesn't want them skipping jigs at or near their dock. It's their dock, they use it, their boat is in it. If they don't want you casting near it, don't get all ticked off and rant on these forums (I know, I'm doing the same and being hypocritical). The way I see it, is you put your $50K+ bass boat out there and let multiple fisherman of varying skill levels cast all sorts of lures at it and next to it. Sure, some of you may be great at casting, but there are people who will try to do the same as you and not be as accurate and end up pegging the hell out of someone's boat without saying anything. I know you're all probably going to say "it won't hurt the boat," but I don't think you're going to let me throw stuff at your car even if I believe it won't hurt it. Anyways, be respectful to people and their property. If they don't want you fishing near their stuff, then move along.

Bass fishermen and women have the tendency to run to the lake, river or pond and start fishing as soon as possible and fish for most of the day on sunny or cloudy days. Some of us go out in the rain. And I would say the majority of us do not protect ourselves from the sun's harmful rays while fishing or boating. I had my annual cancer screening by my dermatologist this week and no skin cancers were discovered. However, my dermatologist once again chastised me for being sunburn and for not wearing my BUM or using sunscreen. She told me that melanoma can appear behind your ears; on your scalp; under your armpits; and even on the bottom of your feet. Any place the skin is weak the cancer can begin. And if not caught and treated rapidly your chance of survival is very low. I do not want to preach about protecting ourselves from the sun's harmful rays. I want to bring up this subject to make everyone aware of the dangers we face from the sun, both on sunny and cloudy days so you can do what you feel is best for you and your family. Please do your research on skin cancers; get checked by a dermatologist once a year; wear protective clothing even if it makes you look like a nerd; and use a good sunscreen. I lost a friend to skin cancer three years ago and he left behind three beautiful toddlers and a wonderful wife. My cousin, who I fished with in south Louisiana growing up, has already had six small melanoma's removed from his face. We want everyone to live a happy and prosperous life with many 8-pound ladies in the boat and to do so we have to vigilant regarding our health, especially the silent killer, skin cancer. Just my two cents. Your input, please.

Owner just brought out a new 5/0 Toad Double twistlock hook. This is what a rage toad looks like cradled within the hook. For you guys missing hook ups on a single hook this might be the ticket. What do you think Steve?

For you guys that are looking to up your game and as a reminder to those like me that often forget lessons we've learned. There are times when making multiple casts to the same target is the only way to get bit. When you are confident a piece of cover holds a fish, never give up on it after only a cast or two. That may produce on occasion, but when they are reluctant to strike it may take knocking on the door until they have to answer just to shut you up! This mind set produced the only musky I caught on my annual outing this year. On the fifth cast with a buzzer over a sunken boat rack from the same angle, she exploded on it. I've had this happen numerous time, but I'm usually so tuned in on one thing or another. that I forget to try this approach. I'd tattoo it on my forehead, but that would only work when the water is like glass and I could see my own reflection.

X2. Even stock, I have one brake on and the tension loose. I don't want to ruffle any feathers, but for me there is no scenario in which that Revo comes close to the CH200E.

I like them, especially in more open water. They do go out of tune easily and that can be frustrating. I also prefer a spinning rod as its a lil light for a baitcaster.

7.40 last week

That 12 pd... In Yozuri it's not the deal for getting depth with you're DT14, I love the line... 12 is fine throwing shallow squares in 2-3 fow... Try 8 if you like Yo..... Or plenty like FC... I personally don't throw it... But I am a Yo / copolymer guy. Silver thread is good.. Pline, Triple Fish mono, made with Perlon is good stuff... Of course try FC if you want and it's gonna get trashed quick. That's my opinion. Good bait thou! Good luck!

I read these posts and it amazes me the diversity in baits and lures Dick's carry in each store from state to state. Not one store is similar to the other. Some carry this while others carry that.

Out of the two. Definitely the Pflueger Supreme without a doubt.

Watch the video and I think you will see: http://www.megastrike.com/#!products/vstc2=shake2-heads

Juvenile pike often have a more stripey than spotty appearance, and that northern pike looks pretty juvenile.

You haven't found the fish. Panfish aren't everywhere.... like bass, they only hang in certain areas.

I think that there are so many anglers throwing senko's around here, the bass are tired of looking at'em. I am hoping that's what everybody does, is go home when the senko bite is off. That way I have the lake to myself.

I haven't run into any problems fishing docks but that may also be because i am in a kayak and i don't think people feel as intimidated, not sure though. Common courtesy rules here and if someone is upset you move on and make it easy on everyone. We used to have people on our street growing up that didn't like us playing stickball in front of their house. Technically we were allowed to play wherever we wanted but we moved to save the hassle.

Sometimes identifying juvenile fish can be tricky ~ By that photo, I can't say for certain Pike or Tiger But it's not a Bass A-Jay

Very very nice.

A little late for you Ondrejka since you're probably on the water right now....... But melvern was pretty good to us on Wednesday. Didn't catch any big fish but caught plenty of 14-16's. Probably caught 60-75 fish between the 3 of us, didn't really keep track though. Most came on Ned, with a couple each being caught on a spook and shakyhead. Biggest was just shy of 3 pounds and had several at around 2 1/2 pounds. Aside from getting rained on from about 0530-1200 it was a pretty good day. Had a bit of a flurry at the end of the day. I was reeling in a dink and had two 4+ pound smallies trying to take the bait away from the fish. The surface activity even picked up around 2:00. I had already caught a couple small fish shallow and as I was walking my spook away from the rocks another small one kept hitting it. I was getting a laugh watching this fish play with the bait and as I did, another 4 pound class fish came clear out of the water and slapped the bait several feet away. That was a little disappointing..... 2.5 2.4 Another 2.5

At this, level....Shimano over Supreme

You gotta say more, I'm afraid......you got me to open this thread, after all

A perfect example and one that many of our members have fished is a gravel bar at the entrance of Dry Creek on Pickwick Lake. The bar itself is 3-8 feet deep, but drops off into the main river channel, 20'+. In late winter/ early spring this is a prime nesting area for both largemouth and smallmouth. To add to the picture, the gravel bar is also adjacent to the old creek channel which leades back into a major cove which is spring fed and always clear. Fish may pause or stay on the gravel, but additiong spawning grounds are up the creek. Then to top it all off, there is a secondary cove with boat docks and significant structure. Cover, structure, current, freshwater and immediate access to deep water. Sounds interesting, huh? A couple of years ago fishing with Dinky during the BassResource Roadtrip I caught 78 bass in one day, mostly around Dry Creek.

Looks like a tiger musky to me - a cross between the two species.

The Symetre is an excellent reel.

Looks like he had baby duck for breakfast!

Same here. I LOVE the 1000 size and have had no problems with pulling at least a couple dozen 6 pounders in with 1000FI Stradics. Love the size and there's plenty of drag to deal with anything. If the drag is not enough, my hand against the spool adds to the drag in order to fight the fish. Easily done. *EDIT* Since I've never pulled in a HUGE freshwater fish, I shouldn't say "anything". A several hundred pound sturgeon, or such would probably tax the reel. LOL.

That is a Fatty ~ Congrats A-Jay

Fished Jacomo last night from about 11-6. Bite was a little slow but caught some decent ones at least. Black and blue bladed jig and a 10" worm on a swinging football head was best and I got one on a slammer for good measure. First picture was 4.29, biggest one of the night.

The Pflueger President is a great bang for the buck spinning reel. If that's still too much, the Trion is not bad either. Fenwick and St Croix are two worth looking at for an over the counter rod.

That's a nice haul for the fish fry for sure !!

I'm a marshal for that event. I will be there every single day!

Great advice. I often want that quick bite to pick off the easy fish, and move on down the bank without thoroughly fishing the area. Some days I seem more focused, and will exhaust the area. For example, last week I only took my box of jigs because, I just wanted to focus on my jig presentation and building my confidence with jigs. I found some cover in 15 foot of water that just looked amazing. Several cast in and no bites, but I continued to keep casting. Then probably the 10th cast i caught a 2 pounder, 5 min after that another 2-2 ½ pounder. Threw my jig in there a several more times with no luck, I was about to move on down the lake. Before doing so I decide to change my angle, I move my boat from a 6 o’clock position to a 9 o’clock position. On the second cast I felt that thump and pulled out a 7 pounder. (made my day) Never leave fish to find fish

Sounds good, enjoy it! Spinning gear is one of the most underrated pieces of equipment in bass fishing IMO. Take advantage of it. Just make sure to use braid...

Russell is good. Enjoy. Nice guy out of the pen

Here is my problem with this stuff. Not a single thing came up in till he was a house hold name. This happens all the time in Hollywood and sports. People either hold a grunge against the person, or just want money. As for the rest of it. I can not answer with a honest answer. I only heard a few things about the rape stuff last winter. I can't even comment on that. As I only don't even know a 1/4 of that story.

Current was decent today, I fished the same location two weeks ago and felt safe wading, today there was no chance of getting in the water. I'm fishing the scioto river below griggs dam in columbus ohio. Tried a t-rig with a couple different weights- lost two rigs to the rocks with no fish to show for it. It's been a little difficult to find the right rig that doesn't hang up every cast. I have five brand new siebert jigs that I want to throw, hesitant to throw away some nice jigs until I have the skill to keep them from snagging.

I had some good luck with 3/8 oz Siebert Outdoors Big O jigs (PB&J) with a Rage Tail Craw Trailer (PB&J).

I second that!!!!!!!!!