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Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/19/2015 in all areas

  1. My coworkers are baffled that I throw fish back. They've all told me to call them and they'll come pick up the fish if I'm just going to throw them back. They don't understand the concept of fishing for fun
    7 points
  2. Finally got out Saturday on my first trip this year. The catching was slow as I only got one in the boat but it did beat my previous PB buy one ounce, coming in at 6.4 lb. Threw just about everything I had, with this girl caught on a 3/8 jig with 3" pit boss trailer pitched to a laydown in 6 ft of water. Happy to have my first trip and first bass this year be this one. 6 lb 4 oz
    6 points
  3. Here's a visual report of some early spring bassing in the Pocono Mountains. The big girl went 7.65lbs Water temps have been in the mid to upper 50's and rising the past couple weeks.
    4 points
  4. i got her - the subject of this post. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/152591-have-you-ever-obsessed-over-a-particular-bass/page-2#entry1727336 i waited a whole year for this fish and catching her today was kinda bittersweet. when i caught her last spring she weighed 10-2 which is pretty nice for a regular old northern strain bass. this year i was hoping she would be over 11. it was not to be. last year was obviously her prime year. now, on her first spawn of the year, her weight is down a little and she appears to be on her way out. just goes to show you can't count your trophies before you're holding them. so i donated her to some friends who are trying to get some good bass in their new pond. though she's seen better days, she still has great genes and probably has another spawn or two left in her. so hopefully her progeny will put a smile on someone else's face a few years from now. on another note, it is quite interesting that this fish spawned in the same location for the least 3 years. not the same general area, but the same EXACT spot. i have noted this trend with other big fish i have been fortunate enough to catch off beds over the past few years. now granted, we are talking small lakes and ponds here, but it makes me wonder if this phenomenon also occurs on bigger bodies of water. she fell for a homemade jig 'n rage bug but she really made me work for her. conditions were anything but ideal for bed fishing - stained, choppy water, late in the day with the sun going down. the only angle i could see her from was still a bad angle that kept me far enough away that i couldn't read her body language, which is the key component of bed fishing. i never even saw the male at all, probably because she dwarfed him. and i never felt him nip or bite the lure either which is pretty unusual since it is often difficult to get a big female to commit without engaging the male first. i had to dig pretty deep into my bag of tricks to close the deal with her. and it had to have taken nearly an hour to get the bite. but when it came and i dropped the hammer, the war was on. even with a 7' 11" rod and 50 lb. braid, she gave a stellar account of herself - one last time. so long big girl. it was nice knowin' ya.
    4 points
  5. I just picked up this years rod. I had it built this winter on an Avid blank, 6' but to make it a one of a kind, I had 3" added from a SCV rod just to make it a 6'3" LF for Crappie, Perch and White Bass. I had it balanced to a new Stradic CI4+ 1000FA. The complete outfit weighs in at 8.7 oz. Recoil Guides, and fly rod reel seat with cork center. It's not quite as sensitive as the elite blank but you can still feel every bump when dragging just the dead line across the gravel drive!!! lastly it is 100% balanced right at the line pickup when rotor is in it's rearward position. Last year I had the Legend Extreme built with the 6'6" MLF blank and precisely balanced to a 1000FG Sustain, using Recoils Titanium guides on it also. I like these guides so well I had two factory rods, both Legend Elites, striped of their guides and the recoils installed, what a difference they are truly indescribable and the only way one can believe the difference they make is to try them. These make a sweet light finesse spinning rod set for anything from Walleye and Smallmouth, to White Bass and Crappie. A few years back I had a special spinning outfit built by the same craftsman, it was special because I wanted a spinning rod built for Pike and Musky, but wanted to be able to use it for Redfish in the Gulf, and Snook and other species on the flats and canals of the everglades if I visit Florida. We used a MH casting blank in a XF action to get the speed and backbone we wanted as the MHXF spinning wasn't available, for bigger single hook baits this excells for bigger fish and works great with heavy spoons and Bucktails too!!! I had a Sustain 4000FD on it to begin with but sold it and went with the 4000FJ Stradic instead, I have not made it out for Reds and Snook yet but have landed several Northern Pike on it and a few Chinook and Coho Salmon in Michigan. I am truly blessed to have a rod builder that I have, the guy teaches rod building for a large custom tackle firm on the great lakes, and every time we get together on a project he still amazes me at all the fine details others overlook for eye bling instead of function. These are the spinning rods he has built me to date and I think next year I will build one more, on a Legend Elite 7'MF blank and that should cover everything I can ever imagine I will need. I have two custom casting rods he built on Legend Extreme blanks a MXF and MHM that also use recoil guides and the same cork patterns slightly different but with the same dark brown and natural cork to adjust weight for balance and just a touch eye candy and a touch to define my custom request to make them personal.
    4 points
  6. Yes they are! I'm hoping they perform as good as they look.
    4 points
  7. Use a leader and you'll be able to part it a whole easier if you get hung up. Also - here's a Free One . . . . . . Instead of Texas rigging your plastics on this lake, which on the fall will always put your baits down between the logs on the bottom and hang up, try rigging your worms, craws, creatures or whatever plastic you're fishing, on a weighted swimbait hook. ( Think 10 inch Power worms - did I just say that?) Start with 1/4 ounce and go up or down depending on the depth & the rate of fall you want. Lighter is better here. Your presentations may take a little longer to get to the bottom but they'll glide over and around the logs rather than plunging down between them and getting hung up. May save you some rigs & still get you some Fatties . . . Good Luck. A-Jay
    4 points
  8. Braided line helps quite a bit. Try the same rig with mono and see what you think. A-Jay
    4 points
  9. If you go straight braid, get yourself a wooden dowel to wrap your braid around if you do get hung up. I use leaders if I know I'm fishing rocky areas just because it's easier to break the leader then the braid.
    4 points
  10. We got on the water at about 8 am today for some tourny practice and the bite was real slow, as it has been the past week. I didn't manage to get any but my partner Jeff did. The good thing is I think we found where the big ones are holding. I wanted to share how beautiful these smallies were. They were some lunkers too!
    3 points
  11. Just and updated pic
    3 points
  12. The action of a rod is independent of the power (stiffness). You can find Med Fast with stiff tips and XF with soft tip and everything in between. There is no harm fishing braid with and XF action but the advantage of XF will be a little less than if you were fishing mono. There's no need to tighten the drag beyond the point of protecting the line, rod and reel.
    3 points
  13. Gulf and Turtle, I'm giving my wife your contact info when she sees the paypal statement to TW. Just ordered 4 colors of TRD's and 2 sizes of Shroomz.
    3 points
  14. AnDDy - looks like you taught Hootie how to do your "SOTS"
    3 points
  15. Do You Like Fluorocarbon Line ? Nope. Especially as a Leader - Mono works perfectly. A-Jay
    3 points
  16. I spent three days out on a couple of different lakes this first week of the MI C & R bass season. It sure felt good to get back out on the water and putting a few bass in the net always makes me smile. Two days on one lake and the third on another. The water color & clarity difference will give it away as to which one is which. The ice went out on each a couple of days before I fished them. Water temps were averaging in the mid-forties and the fish certainly acted it. I had success on a squarebill, lipless crank, and a jig & craw on the first lake; and then light lining a tube on the second produced fish. Late afternoon was best. Starting out this year with a new video set up (Garmin Virb) and I’m still working on the editing deal. Seems it takes as long to edit these as it does to catch the bass. I’m hoping to get better with time. Forecast for the next few days is calling for rain and I hate to say it, snow – so I’ll have to wait a bit before getting back at it. https://youtu.be/R3yiIYPWCow A-Jay
    2 points
  17. Your just showing off your new paint job. Looks very stealthy.
    2 points
  18. I'm going to try this. Just went through my gear & I have what I need, I think any way. There are a few spots I fish where the brown bass can get a little extra fickle, if that's possible. This little gem might be just what the Dr ordered. We'll see. I'll post my results but I'm expecting some surprised Bronze to end up in the net . . . . A-Jay
    2 points
  19. And that's why it's called fishing, & not catching.. Lots of things have to occur, fish has to inhale the bait, you have to detect this strike, your timing needs to be correct, the hookset needs to be proper, the hook must rip threw the plastic, ( a sharp, properly sized hook ) that hook must penetrate the fishes mouth, tissuse, etc.. Your knot must hold.. There are variables to everything fishing & catching. Your a new fisherman, remain patient..
    2 points
  20. In the store with my wife a while back, I was looking at the fishing poles. Wife: Don't you have enough fishing poles? You can only fish with one at a time you know. Me: Do you have enough purses and shoes? You can only use them one at a time too. Wife: No, but I use them for different outfits. Me: And I use the fishing poles for different situations and baits.
    2 points
  21. We have lake near me that is stocked with tens of thousands of trout each year. It also has bass it...big old trout fed fatties Evertime i walk up to that lake a trout fisherman will see that i have a jerkbait or swimbait tied on tells that i wont catch a trout in that lol...i say " youre probably right!: Then when i catch a bass they look dumbfounded and say somerhing about not knowing there were bass in the lake
    2 points
  22. Nice Job Hootie ~ Had some success with tubes myself this week. But be very careful - you almost smiled right there. You don't want us to think you're having fun do you ? A-Jay
    2 points
  23. There are three main aspects to this discussion. If the high price is due to quality hardware and construction, then the bait may very well be worth the cost of admission. A bait that tracks well, hits the depth it should, doesn't break the first time you bang it off a rock, has hooks that don't need to be replaced and sports a durable finish is a worthy investment. If quality control is what's driving the price higher, well that can be a good thing as well. I don't mind at all paying extra for a bait I know will perform, right out of the box. In reality the cost of manufacturing the rejects, and the QC process itself is factored into the cost of the good baits that make it out the door. I have no problem with that. On a different note, if what you're paying for is an expensive, multi- step, detailed, lifelike finish, I'm not interested. Fish do not have the neurological capability to process to amount of data required to "see" that level of detail. I'm not saying those baits won't catch fish. I'm saying the bait needs to be more than a pretty face to stay in my box.
    2 points
  24. I've tried to explain to the "Why do you fish if you don't keep them?" people more than once, it's pointless. Right up there with the "Why do you need so much stuff?"
    2 points
  25. Most of the companies like Jackall, Megabass, Duo and Lucky Craft for example put in a lot more time, effort and money testing and refining the action and looks of their baits. Maybe it's my sense of entitlement talking but why would I want an inferior looking, moving or less researched and refined bait? I want and deserve every little advantage I can get to improve and maximize my hookups on the water.
    2 points
  26. Run... it's Berkley Vanish's ugly step sister.
    2 points
  27. I came across this one guy as i was fishing docks one day, hes pulling his pontoon in it to dock it. Apparently this guy hated fishing and those who fished so hes just repeatedly criticizing me with things like "Did you abduct any fish today, murderer" After a minute or so of ignoring him he gets close to me, i let him pass then get his attention by yelling "OH OH GOT ONE" he turns around, looks and me and goes, "So what is it, criminal?" And i just say "Your boat hitting the dock" as he proceeds to ram into a break an entire section. My best day ever fishing to date
    2 points
  28. I fish Senkos, so no, I don't worry about it.
    2 points
  29. As I often bank fish a community lake.. I cast & hook up.. 3, 15 to 18 year old girls approach me and begin dialogue... 1st girl says " did you just catch that ?" Me. Uh, yes I did.. 2nd girl says " it that a real fish ?" Me. Uh, yes it is.. 3rd girl says " are those real hooks ?" Me. Uh, yes they are.. 1st girl says "can I touch it ?" Me. Sure She replys oh my god, GROSS.. As I release fish.. Girl #3 says " what did you turn it loose ?" Me. I always do.. Girl # 1 says " what's the point, then ?" I finally looked at them and said " I'm quite certain you would not understand".. Girl #1 says " yea, I guess I don't" They thanked me and wondered off giggling.. Young girls are silly...
    2 points
  30. I read a book and if I remember the name of it I'll post it. Anyway, it was about fish biology and how different freshwater species live and the bass chapter was interesting. The author writes that the part of the brain responsible for memory is extremely small and they don't have the part of the brain that is needed for reasoning, which is what you are referring to. The fish lives solely on instincts and just like some people are smarter than others, it is the same with fish and some have better instincts than others as well, that explains why one fish gets caught multiple time and another fish doesn't get caught at all. During certain seasons like pre spawn, these instincts change and they focus on eating much more in preparation for the stressful act of spawning and at that time they are more venerable to being caught. The fish isn't thinking, it is reacting to its environment and its instinct is to be an opportunist when it comes to feeding but what it perceives as prey is based on its instinct and some have better instincts than others. In the Berkley lab they discovered fish have a memory span of about 10 minutes but they can become conditioned to things like color and even scent, they don't remember that they were caught on a purple with blue flake worm after 10 minutes, but after they've been caught and see a purple with blue flake worm multiple times, their instinct changes and they will ignore it completely and while it isn't know for sure, some researchers believe that certain instincts will be passed on to the next generation.
    2 points
  31. Some bass never get caught, other bass are so aggressive they get caught several times. It's aggressive bass we try to find and catch. Bass vision isn't microscopic, like trout for example, the bass eyes see the big picture very well, small details are not that important to a predator with a big mouth! The bass has a brain about the size of a pea and smarter than some anglers! Tom
    2 points
  32. BTDT I have a few spots so secret that I blindfold myself before I go there.
    2 points
  33. Sold off all my favorite older rods, payed some bills. and had a little left over for a new bfs rod. The Megabass Super Criffhanger. Had that out with the Ultima today chasing some trout.
    2 points
  34. All of the starting lineup minus the "big bait" setup Lew's Tournament Pro Speed Spool 6.4:1- Duckett Ghost 7'3 Heavy Shimano Curado I 200 6.3:1- Duckett Ghost 7'3 Medium Heavy Shimano Chronarch 200E6 6.5:1- Duckett Ghost 7'3 Medium Heavy Shimano Chronarch 200E5 5.5:1- Duckett Ghost 7' Medium Crankin Shimano Curado 200G6 6.5:1- Duckett Ghost 7' Medium Crankin Shimano Curado I 200PG 5.5:1- Duckett Ghost 7' Medium Crankin Shimano Chronarch CI4+150 6.2:1- Duckett Ghost 7'3 Medium Heavy Lew's BB1 Pro 5.1:1- St Croix Mojo Bass 7'11 Heavy Shimano Stradic 3000FJ 6.0:1- Duckett Ghost 7' Medium Spinning
    2 points
  35. I had a couple of old school Arbogast Mud Bugs repainted by Oss. They turned out great. I threw on some new hardware and they're ready for another 25 years of service. http://imgur.com/a/eva6h
    1 point
  36. After reading some replies to a different thread, it is obvious that some of the members that fish northern or natural lakes would like to see more information that is relevant to those waters. So I, for one, would like to share some and I encourage others to add some of their knowledge that is specific to those types of water. For starters, and I believe this is most important reguardless of what type, or where your lake is; "A bass is a bass, is a bass" I don't know who said this, but I adopted this outlook a long time ago and try to apply the information from every article, video, or thread on a forum to the lakes I fish. Yes, I'm aware that there are northern/Florida strain/ smallmouth, etc. but the generality still applies. I also believe that structure is the key element to locating fish and that some knowledge of the fish and it's enviornment is essential. Let's get a little specific now. Natural lakes contain structure, cover and forage just as the southern impoundments do. They may not be creek arms/ledges, submerged timber, or threadfin shad but they are still present. So whatever information you get from whatever source can be applied to your waters if you 'see' how it translates to them. Creek arms/ coves, ledges/drop offs, submerged timber/weed beds, threadfin shad/minnows or other small forage fish. Lets talk points and all the information you know about them. There are 'points in your lake. How do you 'translate' that to a natural lake that's bowl shaped and void of points? Break down what a point is (slow bottom taper that leads from deep to shallow), and apply it to areas that are similar in your lake. What about the points and pockets that form in weed beds? That drop off will taper off somewhere (deep to shallow). Okay, maybe you're getting the idea, but where on that slow taper, or whatever do I look and how do I attack it? You apply the information you know about points to that area. You look for isolated cover, a change in bottom composition, current that is the result of the wind, and FORAGE. I truely belive that if you can see the similarities between the different types of lakes, you can apply not only the knowledge you have acquired, but the techniques and baits that produce in the video's and articles where we obtain some if not a majority of that knowledge.
    1 point
  37. Finally got a few that I like ready to go.
    1 point
  38. Tiny creeks and super clear water - lighter leaders. I always keep a spool of 3, 4, 6 and 8 on hand. I have watched steelhead move out of the way of 6lb flourocarbon leader while it was drifting through a pool. Longer noodle rods help protect the light leaders.
    1 point
  39. Is it stocked? Last year i spent 3 days, about 15 hours, on a pond, to come to find out it hasnt held fish for a good 10 years
    1 point
  40. I have 2 in my 17' boat, but if its bad enough that I need to use both of them, I just put the boat on the trailer, go back to camp and drink beer.
    1 point
  41. Fish don't think. They react to a given set of environmental conditions and physical needs. You are giving them way too much credit.
    1 point
  42. If fish were truly smart they'd never hit an artificial lure. I fish the same places all the time, use the same lures, much of the time it's in small ponds that hold just so many larger fish. Good chance I've caught many of the same fish multiple times, have seen distinguishing marks to back that up. Several years ago, I posted the pics here, I caught the same bass with a brown spot on it's lip. Caught it in the same general area using the same lure and did 3 days in a row.
    1 point
  43. i heard guys have good results w/ the redneck 5 gallon bucket
    1 point
  44. I can almost guarantee that as much as I like to believe my spots are secret, someone else is fishing them when I'm not.
    1 point
  45. Tie the plug to your truck, drive off, and hope for the best.
    1 point
  46. I go to my nearest orthodontist and usually they will give me a bag of rubber bands they give patients for braces. Works well for me!
    1 point
  47. One of the spillways I fish that I catch a ton on the fish tend to hit the concrete on the way up and and even if I try to set them on the wet towel they flop around before I can grab them and are covered with stones, dirt etc. Then as I unhook them they are touched by my hands. I think it's more of an issue in small fish than bigger fish. I notice the bigger fish tend to recover in an instance and I rarely see bigger dead fish on shore but the smaller fish tend to seem more dazed by it and I do see a lot of smaller dead fish on shore (under 7") Wether it's swallowing a hook, spending too much time out of water, losing slime etc it's part of our sport/hobby. It happens. But seriously most of us are hunters too. Why are we so worried about a fish dying (Rarely when we aren't eating them anyways) as opposed to my bullet exploding a grown bucks heart? Deer can be tamed, pet, hand fed, and are kind of cute when they aren't destroying our cars and trucks. But seriously.... It's part of our hobby/sport and if someone wants to get a good pic of their 11lb bass next to something for size comparison. So be it. We all pay for our license and do have the right to keep that fish, gut it, and eat it. A lot of people taking grass pics are doing just that from my experience. I have a problem with people bowfishing. Especially fish they don't plan to eat. I know a guy who takes out 10-12 carp every few days via bow. Then lets them rot for the birds. That, I have a problem with. I may be not native american but if I kill a fish it's going to be dinner. I've even had smaller sun fish swallow a hook I couldn't save and I gut them, wrap them in aluminum foil throw them on the grill with salt, pepper, butter and eat the 3-4 forkfuls out of them because I'm not going to kill something for fun. I'm a fisherman and I respect nature, and the sport.
    1 point
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