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What can I do? Went out today to Roger Williams Park today and had another brutal day there. Only got 6 keepers, the biggest being about 2.5. All fish on a 3/8 jig, had get real real crazy with it, like putting it in little 6 inch holes inbetween logs or put it through brush to get the fish. Had the have the 30 pound braid to get them out too. But this lake which was one of the best in the state two or three years back is getting extemely tough in the past few months. Usually the bite is the best and to win a 5 fish tourney you need about 12-13 pounds, but this weekend it took four fish for just over five pounds, and thee where no limits with 29 guys fishing. I have noticed my fun fishing days go from 15 fish to 5 or 6 and instead of a two and a quarter average, the new average fish is about 14 inches. The two main things I think are contributing to this downfall is the fact that the Park is spraying the weeds three times a year. They used to spray it once during the third week of May, no its two more times to kill the lily pads so the paddle boats can get through! Also the number of tournaments that are held here is getting out of hand. About 4 years ago there would be 4 or 5 tourney's a year. Now there about 2 or 3 tournaments there that wil have 25-35 boats, 4 or 5 club tourney's that will have about a dozen or so boats, and say another 7 or 8 tournaments for different things. Now people have tried to talk to the Park people and they dont really want to hear it because they make money off the paddle boat deal and make $175 a permit for each tournament held there. So am I out of options or what? I absolutely love this place and it is killing me to see it go downhill like this. Any advice...

Last year I had the oppurtunity to fish with a FLW pro with more than a million in winning in B.A.S.S. and FLW career earnings. He said another one of the reasons more pro's are opting to fish FLW over BASS is the enty fees and "other" expenses. The exact words from his mouth were that BASS Elite Series costs about $40,000 more than the FLW Tour. Now thats a lot of money and unless you are a Skeet Reese or Kevin Van Dam who is bringing in over $750,000 in just sponserships and taking a good amount of money on each tournament you fish, its a "tough" way to make a living. So just in entry fees and such, would you rather spend around $50,000 for the FLW or $85-90,000 in B.A.S.S.? Just food for thought. Like I said I dont know this for sure, but these are the facts I have been told from a guy who has done them both and what he told me. But I really dont think that anglers like Mark Davis and Jay Yelas sweat about that amount of money.

Matty, so we have a winter project??? I have some nice molds and plenty of air-alive skirts.

They work wonders in New England too. Doesnt matter when or the weather conditions. It is my "panic bait" when I need a few 12" 's in my livewell.

Pitching a jig around a laydown or just shallow cover was what came natural, it was how I first started fishing for big bass. Second would be dock fishing. I learned how to bass fish on a lake loaded with docks. They can be deep shallow, doesnt matter. When I'am around them I will either finesse fish them with a small worm, shakey head, or a little jig. If the fish are going nuts, I'll find a stretch loaded with docks, but the motorguide on high and fly down the shore with a crank or spinnerbait.

Depending on the water temp. throw a jig was back into some lilly pads and swim it on top, when it gets to the edge let it drop and give it a few pops. The fish will usually hit it when its going on top of the pads though.

In the average week I can fit in about 40-45 hours a week. But in the next few weeks the boss is out on Cape Cod, and no second job so I'm feeling some 65-70 hour weeks . Its going to be a fun couple weeks. And dont go back to college till late January, which is also whent the ice comes in. My boat is a 1997 Tracker Pro Team with a 40 horse Merc.

American Power

If they make them in 3 or 4 inch, just nose hook them and use them as a dropshot bait. I'm sure atleast one smallie will find it irresistable.

I have been having problems with owner hooks lately. The hooks pretty much fall out once you take pressure off the fish. The ones I have gotten in the boat have a huge tare where the hook WAS (because they always fall off when I flip them in the boat). And I know the tare isnt because of the hookset because I have gone over to 17 lbs. flouro, instead of 30 pound power pro, and went down from a heavy to medium heavy rod. And I'll still bend out a Gamakatsu hook with the 17 lbs and Medium Heavy rod. So it seems like mustad is my last option. Any input?

I mostly do tourneys and time is usually a dominant factor in my head. I f I know a lake good enough I will run and gun. But I really only feel comfortable on a handfull of lakes. Besides that its all about the patterns and the hotspots. You can have all the "hotspots" in the world but if you dont know what the fish want and are doing you cant catch them. I had to learn this the hard way by watching a fisherman pull up to a rockpile I was fishing and I had just left because "they just weren"t there", then he went over and ended up winning the tourney. On most lakes most people know all the "hotspots" anyway, so you need to figure out " the pattern" to get them off that spot.

Green Monte had a 500 lb counter weight in the back seat if you look close.

Most Jigs have an angled line tie and a Texas rig doesn't. The short version is each moves differently and has a different action... --- Randall hit it right on head.

Abu's are just great reels that are built to last. Everything from the old round ambassaduers, to the good old torno, to the new revo. Just cant destroy them and thats what I love most about them.

Zoom finesse, Strike King 3x, and the flirt worm. All on spot removers.

Dont get violent, just start catching fish in front of him 8-)

For me its Diet Mountain Dew and Cheez-its Another college student.

I had always been told Mercury four-strokes were made by Yamaha.

I'm with roadwarrior on that one!

Agree 100% Catt, Tim Tucker.

I would definatley say the PVA director we met today, LBH. I was just like "wow!" I couldnt believe how into it he was and jsut a great guy, donating his time and efforts to make others happy. As for fisherman I would say Ike without question. Mainly because he is from up north and he just doesnt care what anyone thinks. I have been able to go to a couple of Bassmaster Classics and seen things that he has done off camera and he is just a great guy. Not what he is seen as on TV as this screaming nut who breaks light poles and break dances. He is really for the youth and making changes for the better in B.A.S.S. Pro tourney's.

Snakes and Ticks. Also cant stand swans. In a local lake I had one approach the boat when I flipped a fish in. And a buggy of mine got a whooping from one, and got a ton of sttitches. lol

Strike King series 1 cranks around docks or a sereis 3. Like tenesse shad, arkansas shad, or the SEXY shad. I havent found sexy shad in a series one yet.

O come on, I'm from New England too, you dont need to stop fishing . We can usually fish until January and still catch fish, then dont fish from mid-January till March. As for that month and a half, to two month lay-off, I go crazy, usually watch all old Bassmaster episodes, read all old BASS Times and Bassmaster magazines. It is just horrible,change all treble hooks, I accually waste my time and wait for that ice to go out. And as for that high school issue, just go all the time then when May and June come around convince your parents that you can afford to miss a few days because you havent missed one yet and the fish are on beds. Thats what I did anyway. 8-) Just wait till your in college, I'm doing the winter semester this year and not fall so I could fish and work Its awsome!!!

I was really considering that but I didnt want to jump to that idea. I just want some input so I can learn and figure out if there was something I could have done different. I fish that place about 25-30 times a year and have never seen anything like today.