Crestliner2008

Definitely rattle traps. I never have any success with this lure and I've used them a bunch of times? Bass XL - please tell me your secrets? All the pros say they are great bass catchers, but this is one I've never been able to get a handle on

Interesting discussion! I have the first #1 - #79 editions of the In'Fisherman (from back in the 70's) and even in the their first overview magazine, they talk about the pre-spawn, etc.. Now they have recently put out the discovery that bass can and do spawn as late as June/July; and in some cases, deeper than most folks believe. Pretty neat what we still don't know yet .

Let me tell ya, you haven't seen anything, until you've seen a woman's pantyhose, filled with hog pellets and placed over the side of an anchored boat - for catfish chum! ;D Honest, that what we tried one night about 10 years ago. Those legs...waving in the current....pretty strange! BTW, we did catch a few cats. Not convinced the chum bag did much though

Here in MA, the largest by far is at the Eastern States Expo grounds and takes place in mid-late February. Called the Eastern Fishing and Outdoors Show. Under 3 buildings, they display hunting, fishing, camping and boating (to some extent). Use to be that my buddy & I would go every year. But that was when it was $4. to get in - period. And they use to have some pretty good deals on just about everything. Now it's a $10. spot and you still have to pay for parking! The deals available are far and few between (better know your prices!) as well and it gets so packed with people, that by 11 am you're in a cattle-car situation and can't get to some of the booths you want to see! Just not worth the cost and aggravation anymore - JMO. I think they've out-lived their value. However - now we have a brand new Cabela's (East Htfd., Ct) and BPS (Foxboro, MA) - maybe they'll put on an "Expo" of their own?

Since we have no closed season on bass here in MA, per se, I break down "prespawn" into two catagories: "Ice Out" and the "Pre-spawn" itself. The ice out period is obvious, as stated, up until the water temps reach about 40 - 45 degress. This is the time for slow horizontal (hard jerkbaits & slow rolling large spinnerbaits) presentations. From the upper 40's to about 55 degrees, I'd classify as the actual pre-spawn. I might still find some deeper, but most will start moving up. This is when you should start to fish closer to the bottom (slowly); with stuff like tubes, jigs, drop shot, etc.. JMHO folks! But this approach works for me .

Not sure of how the bass respond in your neck of the woods with the warmer waters, but up here in MA, they are all hugging the bottom right now in 32 - 36 deg. water! Rivers are most productive and hard jerks or blade baits rule.

Concur - X-Raps and Pointer 78.

I'm in Western MA myself and with the 65 yesterday and 55 today, it's looking pretty darn good out there! As a matter of fact there was a rig launching on the Oxbow ramp of the CT river this morning. ;D. Reality check: snowstorm for Tuesday >.

We have some gravel roads to deal with here in New England, but the most damage is caused by highway travel. Once I got stuck behind a gravel truck doing 70. Got around him quick, but it was like I was in a sand blaster, for a short time, with stones hitting me and the boat everywhere! Towing has it's disadvantages, that's for sure!

Last fall I had some limited success fishing a 1 oz. Hopkins off deep humps for smallies. I was wondering if these relatively new Free Styles are any better? And do you fish them the same way as a regular spoon? Thanks!

I don't remember the supplier, but I think it is Cabelas; they offer "shock buttons" to put under your battery to help allieviate jostling and bouncing. Of course you definitely do need to strap those batteries/batt boxes down.

An UW viewing system (camera) is the only sure way. If you can see bait fish clouds near the bottom and defined arches close by, you probably have some predatory fish down there of some kind. But they could be pike, cats, large crappie or yellow perch...you just can't know for sure unless you can take a peek with the camera. Or...unless you can catch one! Trouble is, a lot of folks fish over what they think are their target species and catch nothing. It's amazing to see a bunch of smallies down there; knowing that can give you the confidence to stick around and switch up your presentations until you connect.

Already bought a bunch of those special "shakey head" jigs and some floating worms to try this presentation. I think it will be more effective on a more open bottom though. Would seem to be hard to work through weeds or moss? Also would like to give the swimbait a whirl for big smallies in open water.

I've used this presentation underwater, but never above

Hmmm....interesting. The performance level I was and am getting now was never questioned by my marina at all. And as far as my GPS goes, if it's off, then so is my Nissan and my F-150. I'm using the Garmin iTrek Legend CX - not a cheap unit. But thanks for the input anyway. I'll let you know what my results are come spring, but I'll guarantee you this. I will get that rig up to 25 mph with 2 guys onboard. Whether you believe me or not .

HPBB - All I can tell you is what my GPS is telling me!? Alone in my rig I use to get her up to 29 mph, prior to the DF installation. Now, alone I can only get about 24 - 25 mph. Again, using GPS for speed and comparing results with my sonar speedometer - which, surprising to me, is pretty close to each other. The boat I have is the Crestliner Sportsman series, that measures 14'8" in length and weighs in naked at just under 500 lbs.(she's the widest boat of this size made). Running with two batteries, one trolling motor on the transom alongside the main engine. Both batteries are far forward. The 6 gal. gas tank is mid-ships. The load weight is pretty evenly dispersed. Switched from an 11" pitch prop to a 9" pitch when I first got the rig. This change, along with adjusting the trim on the engine, got me from 15 mph (2 guys) up to 26 mph - prior to DF installation. I just want to get back what I had.

Yes, I already have installed a HD 9" prop; both batteries are in the bow; the portable gas tank in in the mid-ships. Before installing the Doel Fin I was getting 26 mph (using GPS) with 2 fishermen & gear. After the installation I dropped down to 18 mph. I raised the engine 1 1/2" with a wood block and this got me up to 22 mph, so I believe on the right path. I also have installed a "Tiny Tach" tachometer to tell me if I get too close to the max. rpm's. Even with this last adjust raise, the Doel Fin is not up to the start of the keel, at the bottom of the transom, so it's still dragging quite a bit in the water. This is why I've elected to try a jackplate to raise the engine even more and try to re-gain my top end speed. I believe it will work, but we'll see! Thanks again for the input!

Waterwolves - The answer is yes. And sometimes the biggest smallies of the year. You can't catch bass where they ain't - period. In the cold weather season, they are usually stacked like cordwood on the bottom of these deep holes. Very inactive. But they have to eat - another given, which has been proven through various F&W studies, as well as ice fishermen. They do NOT hibernate - another given. Up here in the northeast, a lot of species stack like this when the water temps are down around the freezing mark; bass, walleye, catfish, etc.. The UW camera merely allows you to see what your sonar may - or may not - be telling you is there. Why spend hours fishing a jig over a bunch of carp or catfish when your goal is bass? The sonar certainly isn't going to tell you that. Yep, even though you see them stacked, you're not likely to fill the boat unless you try various presentations and spend some time over them. But at least try to get the odds on your side by fishing over your target species!

Just curious, why would you ask, "are they durable", when talking about a stick bait? That's the last thing I would consider, if at all. Stick baits are meant to be soft; in order to get the desired wounded minnow action on the initial drop. Stiff, hard, durable sticks don't catch fish; if they do, they probably don't catch as many. This is from what experience I've had with the Mann's hard nose and gulp knock-offs. JMO

I plan on trying some of these out come spring on large reservoir, for small mouth. I saw an In'Fishermen segment on TV where they were being used in place of tube for early season smallies. Looked pretty interesting. I'll let you know how I make out later this season.

I have a rather small rig: 15' Crestliner & 15 HP Yamaha. This rig is underpowered for compliance to local reservoir restrictions. So, I put a Doel Fin on the cavitation plate to get my rear end up on plane quicker and to try to save some gas. It worked just fine! Use to take me 30 - 35 sec. to get up on plane; now less than 5 seconds. Amazing! However....now I have the problem of lost top end speed! I've lost about 8 or 9 mph! I already have a HD 9" pitch prop, so I figured I'd get a jackplate to try to get the DF up to the surface of the water at top end; the drag of the fin, below the surface of the water, is what I suspect is causing my loss of speed. The jackplate I bought is a "Mini Jacker": My problem is, how can I temporarily (safely!) afix this jackplate to my boat's transom, so that I can try various engine heights and check my engine's rpm's to stay withing mfg. specs.? (I have the "Tiny Tach" tachometer to tell me when I'm approaching the danger zone.) Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The 2" Senko is a very productive panfish bait. I use it early spring and late fall for big yellows and crappie. I rig it wacky on 1/32 oz. jig head or on a DS.

SHHhhhh....that lil 2 1/2" angle worm is one of my DS staples! DYNOMITE! ;D

I believe color factors in; however, it's not a primary attractant or trigger. In clear water, open structure, I prefer watermelon green w/blk flake. If the water is stained, heavily structured, I prefer pumpkin brown w/blk flake. Sometimes smallies prefer smoke or something sparkly; sometimes LM prefer black or dark solid colors. You have to go with what you have confidence in and what the locality dictates.

Yes! Saw it last weekend for the first time. Pretty good show. Not sure if 1/2 of it is always going to be about promoting their underwater videos or not though? I like uw vids mind you - just that I don't care for it as a means to sell me something. The title of the show makes me a bit leary. Hook n' Look: 1/2 program of fishing n' 1/2 program of sales pitch? I could be wrong. I'll check it out again this weekend and see.