Leaderboard

Every spring when the weeds are at their minimum and you can see all the garbage laying around I make sure my kids pay it forward to mother nature. I know there are a lot of good fishermen out there that also pick up refuse when they see it, but I think it is one of the most important lessons we can teach our young future anglers about fishing. Today I took my 3 kids around our local 8 acre lake and collected garbage for 2 hours. My kids patrolled the woods and shore areas while I wore hip waders and checked the edges of the water. I just thought I would share this, to get more people out into nature since it seems out country is on a forced lockdown and we are stuck at home! Overall we collected 4 bags of trash, some metal thingie in the lake and a grill cover.

This is my 1st post and also1st bass over a couple of ounces. I'm sure it's a smallmouth??, caught from a small creek in Northern Delaware on a small rapala lure, air temp was low 50's. How big do you guys guess it was. Didn't measure or weigh it. Thanks in advance.

Doc said to get my bucket list done so last week got it done. Always wanted to go to Lake Lanier and my son took me last week. Was a pretty wet week and missed the good bit I hear but we got some nice spots spots...just not many. Finished up on Chick and it too was tough but got a few pushing four. Would type more but I'm making too many errors...do not like to retype. Anyway...Praise the Good Lord....today is a great day...tomorrow is an adventure

OMG!

I didn’t do it that’s what I told my wife. I told her bait monkey did it. She didn’t buy it. lol I’m happy ?

Unless you are old or have a weak immune system, you are facing a fever and a cough. This brings the country (the world) to a standstill? If the current reaction to this virus is the correct way for us to respond, how did the nation ever survive SARS, the swine flu or the myriad of new viruses that appear nearly every year? Those in the smaller groups that are at risk should self quarantine, the rest of us should go about our business. Take this to the worst case scenario - Everyone in the world contracts the virus, all 7.7 billion of us. The result would be about 70 million dead worldwide, nearly all elderly or with weakened immune systems. That number is not much higher than the number of deaths we have in the world every year. A huge percentage of the people who would die in this worse case scenario are going to die anyway this year. I know it sounds cold & I'm not advocating to push Granny down the stairs since she is going to die soon anyway, I'm just pointing out how ludicrous it is for the world to come to a halt over this particular virus when the end result is not that different had we completely ignored it. It will be interesting if it ever comes to light who decided to press the Panic Button for this particular virus and what were the reasons why.

say hello to my “leettle fren” ?

Our newest color! Hot Sauce. https://siebertoutdoors.com/products?olsPage=products%2Ffogy-fgy25

I paid only $1.89 a gallon for gas in Greer SC on Friday. Today I’m in Bluffton SC visiting family and running errands for them and gas is $2.19 here. I also did some grocery shopping for my parents and sure enough there was no toilet paper, tissues, or paper towels. Milk, eggs, bread, and almost all meats were gone as well. I just don’t understand the panic some people are displaying. It’s making mountains out of mole hills. That being said, if the US ever faces a massive killer virus, war, or some other big event we will not survive. You can bet that China and Russia are taking notes now. Americans have gone soft.

The thread is getting out of hand. Please refer to official sites. Bickering on a fishing site isn't very productive.

Shutting everything down is simply due to lack of understanding, lack of preparation and logic working in simple form.....limit congregation, limit exposure. To many other issues will arise keeping this game plan long term. What I don't particularly care to see or hear is panic as it does absolutely nothing but spawn more panic.

Here's another thing to think about......remember those cruise ships with confirmed cases? if it was as terrible as what we're being told, shouldn't every single person on those boats have died?

*ahem* this thread is becoming polarizing...between "the sky is falling" people, and the "this is an overblown media hoax" people. Both are dangerous extremes. I've already asked one person to stop posting on this thread, and I just removed another post that crossed the political line. So.... Time to step away from this thread guys, before I shut it down.

Reports coming in from Texas have indicated that the Corona Virus has been infected by Chuck Norris. The virus has been put in a 14 day quarantine...

Don't think I've ever seen you make a post where you didn't make some type of reference to your 17 Conquests and/or 10 Metaniums.

Sitting here watching the snow fall. It will all be gone by this time tomorrow. Will likely keep me off the water this weekend, but its been a good week. A total of 5 trips resulting in 95 bass. Most have come on jerkbait, but have also caught several on jigs, A-rig and crankbait. The one in the pic came Thu. on crankbait. Water temps at least on our reservoirs have been running 43-46 degrees. Still waiting on a really nice warm day.

I was back in the S.C. Lowcountry today visiting family and spent some time fishing the lagoons. At one point I felt my chatterbait hit something and stop. Snagged. So I start with the bow technique trying to vibrate the line and knock it free. No dice. So I move down the bank trying to get behind the snag and free it up. No go. I let out some line and move further down the bank still keeping tension on the line. I snap it and nothing then drop the rod tip to grab the line by hand and the rod bows. I’m not snagged - there is something on the line. Sure enough, I let out line and it moves off slowly. So now I lock it down and try to reel it in and it doesn’t budge. Every time I give it some slack it moves off and bends the rod again. For about 25 minutes I’m trying to reel it in and barely make any headway. Then the line goes slack and I reel in my chatterbait. I figure I snagged either an alligator or maybe a big turtle, but more likely a gator because turtles tend to try and swim off. Too bad I’ll never know what it was. Anyway, after a slow start it turned into a decent day. I caught 8 or 9 in the 1-2 pound range and ended the day with a 5 pounder. Back at it in the morning.

I was first introduced to buzzbaits almost 40yrs ago. I was bank fishing a local lake, when two older guys came in in a small boat. They showed me the rods they were using, both strung with a buzzbait. They explained that they fished for the last hour or so almost every evening, and usually used a buzzbait. It was the first time I'd ever seen one. When they left, they gave me a black Harkins Lunker Lure, and told me how to use it. He said" son, when there's a chop on the water, hang on! Bass will try to kill this lure". Of course, he was right, and I've loved fishing buzzbaits ever since. Over the years, I've used all sorts of buzzers, single and double blade models. Most times in white, chartruese , or solid black. Buzzbaits are probably one of the best lures for a novice to throw, to experience some explosive surface fishing. There's no tricky rod manipulation, as with a Spook, popper, or other surface baits. If someone can cast, and keep a buzzer on the surface slowly, eventually, they will catch bass with one. Now days, buzzbaits are considered old school. Other noisy surface baits have replaced them for many anglers. It's all a matter of opinion, but I think old school is still good. I'll always love fishing a buzzbait. What buzzbaits are you using this season? What's your tackle setup? Colors and weights? In my humble opinion, buzzbaits are one of the all time great bass lures. What's everyone say here? Are you a buzzbait lover?

This Picture was taken by my 12 yo son

Hank had a burst of energy. Now he’s passed out in 6poundbass’s bedroom. When Hank gets a burst of energy it sounds like we have a horse in the house!

Had a fun Saturday with a shadow rap, my buddy even beached his boat below a dam and started walking around catching smallies. I also found a chatter bait in a tree

As far as I can tell, these items are all absolute necessities. I can write you a note to that affect. ?

Happened quite a while ago. A-Jay

OC - while I appreciate what you're saying - consider this like a forest fire. It will mostly burn the dead and dying, but will take healthy trees and houses with it. If it is contained, it is minimally damaging. But if it grows, it has the potential to kill a few percent of the world's population. The deaths arent part of the normal death toll of life, they are an addition to it. At peak, it would pull medical resources away from many, many other things.

DuPont Stren and Trilene were introduced around 1959/1960 time period, Trilene XL around 1972. Garcia Royal Bonnyl mono and Western AN40 pre date both Stren and Trilene and were the first I remember using in the late 50's. Trilene XT came out in the early 70's followed by Maxima copolymer mono in the mid 70's and I used both. Berkley introduced Big Game in the early 80' and switched to Big Game for 10 and 12 lb mono for decades, still use it for crankbaits. Started finesse spinning using Maxima 5 lb Ultra Green in the early 80's and still use it. My preferred mono today is Sunline Defier Armillo 11 lb and 25 lb, 11 lb for smaller size top water and 25 lb for swimbaits. I don't use braid with a leader. Fluorocarbon I have used nearly every brand over the past 30 years starting with Sunline Shooter 14 lb in 1990 and have always had knot strength issue regardless of the knots tried. I use 7 lb Sniper for some finesse spinning and 12 lb Shooter baitcasting for a few bottom contact presentations. Tom

It gets bad here but this is the worse I have ever seen it. Think it's because the spawn started when the water was down and the water didn't come up till right when the tourny's started for the year. Thankfully they don't last long and the fishing is better after this month anyways.

Another trout, this one a brookie. I was alternating between throwing some trout lures and also a suspending jerkbait for bass. I know both species swim in the waters where this is - it felt strange bass fishing in March for the first time now that bass are open to catch and release year round starting this year. The bass weren't cooperative though, this was the only catch of the day.

My new Falcon Expert rod setup with Daiwa Fuego CT.

Had one of the large companies approach me at The BassMasters Classic - I told him if its not made in the USA- hit the bricks - I think I insulted him but I didnt care--When was I ever politically correct-

After reading on here about a SK Rage blade vs. A Zman chatterbait, I have both, I decided the rage blade would be best for what I was wanting to do, which is slow rolling it on the bottom. It worked haha. I caught a catfish on a lure for the first time! I've heard of people catching cats on cranks and spinners. Next I pulled out the ultralight with 2lb test for some gills and hooked into a bass. A good bass. It had the drag screaming and thrashing left and right. I thought for sure I was going to lose it. But I managed to get it to the bank and weighed it at 2.2lb. My biggest fish on the ultralight!! Overall a fun time!

Same.

A-Jay

I always carry my F05 Rainbow Trout Rapala's when going to any pond. The bass and bream just can't help themselves they've got to eat it. It's almost like cheating.?

That scorpion ??? I call dibs if you ever want to sell it

I've heard the expression " ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law" and such was the case. I live in VA and have several lakes in WV that I've fished via a 3 day permit many times in the past. Since retiring late 2019 and about the time my VA fishing license was expiring, bought both VA and WV state license at same time as this gives me more options. Soooooo I get checked recently by 2 wardens at a WV lake that I know well. With confidence I hand over my license and then the shocking question " sir can we see a valid license? ". WHAT ? In VA your licence runs 1 year of purchase date. In WV regardless of purchase date, license expires Dec 31. Warden saw where I purchased both licenses same date and let me go. This had the potential to be a $5000 fine. I now have a valid WV license and will be updating it when the ball drops in NY.

Good dad lesson.

I have tried several different attractants. I honestly did not see a difference when I did or did not use it. it usually washes off pretty quick. it seems to catch more fishermen than fish. Unlike catfish,bass feed from sight or vibration. in my opinion a salt impregnated bait works better than any attractant.

I always carry an extra bag for garbage I see but 2 hours dedicated just to that with the kids is extraordinary! It is vital to teach the kids these lessons.

Got all 10 of my new 2020 Metanium XG's in!

Nice 2 1/2 lber out of a chilly pond today https://flic.kr/p/2iEiHve

@RSemmes thanks for the offer ? From my friend Mikey As far as work knows, I've already departed and am at my destination It's on!

Love this!

Being on the other side of the planet and whatnot, more or less, I ain't familiar with your seasons, or what your lakes even look like. What season are you in right now? According to seasonal patterns, what should the fish be doing now? What kind of lake are you fishing? What is the average depth? Is the lake more cover oriented ( various types of vegetation, with not so much depth changes), or is it more structure oriented, with rocks & stumps, standing timber and more pronounced depth changes? Are these natural lakes? Lakes built for electric power generation? Lakes built for flood control. Lakes built because some politician has his hand on the shoulder of the Corps of Engineers and he just wants another lake in his district, so as to make re-election easier. Are bass the primary predator or are there other fish that act as the apex predator? Do you have to watch out for crocodiles & hippos & stuff like that? I'd love to go fishing in Zimbabwe, but to give you any better advice than "put a 10 worm on 20 lb line and throw that bait close to as many objects as possible". I need to know more about the water and the while ecosystem, for that matter.

Wife shared this with me - from a Facebook thread. The morons are strong there.

About the same deal as last week. Buddy and I drove down to a little lake that's usually good early in the year, just to find out they'd apparently gotten way more rain than we had and the lake was way up and muddy. Tried for an hour but 5 dinks in the slightly clearer water we found and nothing in the muddy water (what a majority of the rest of the lake looked like), left us feeling pretty bleak about the day. Pulled the plug on that idea and hauled to a different little lake we'd talked about going to instead in the first place but decided on the other one. Should have gone there first. The water was up a little and fairly stained there too, but not as bad as the other one. A Booyah Covert and 6th Sense Provoke in Violet Panda did most of the damage.

I am seriously failing at not buying tackle.

Marabou has very little water resistance with maximum flare when stopped. Chicken hackle feathers are popular for dressed treble hooks combined with a few strands of Chrystal flash, no more then 3 feathers or they act like a rudder. Crankbaits feathered hooks also work on front hook in lieu of the rear hook without changing the lures action. Tom

We have DEC, Sheriff, USCG, and ICE patrolling our waters. The Sheriffs actually set up speed traps in speed restricted areas. Ask me how I know.

This should be easy to do. Be sure to use a fuse. Be sure to wire all of the lights in parallel not in series as shown the drawing below. If you wire them in series with each other, then each lights will only get 3 volts.