arul

As a non-boater myself, I think if you are working a fish for more than 30-45 minutes, you should let your co-angler make a few casts at it... Yeah, maybe the coangler gets the bite, but at least you learn what worked for the next bed you roll up on. :D ;D ;D

I was looking on FLW site, hoping to register for a BFL tourney, but I can't find out what the entry fee would be for a non-boater. You click on the tourney registration page, and forces you to become a member before taking you to the registration details. Does anyone know what the entry fees normally cost for the Gator Division? I am looking at the St. Johns tourney in September... thanks!

Good points man! Thanks for the perspective. There is still plenty I don't know, so I guess I need to remember there are plenty of new folks out there that may not know about different diving cranks. I just thought it was funny- no doubt that Dance is a great teacher. To be honest- I permanently saved his episode about the plastic worm because it was basic but yet very informative. However, as good as Dance is, he needs to get off that pond of his! hahahah ;D He just keeps pulling up lunker after lunker! I like those fishing shows where the host struggles catching em. Guess that is why I like Mike Iaconelli's show "City Limits" so much. -cheers

Hahah that is true. Madden and Dance are similar. Good comparison. I'll keep that in mind and chuckle when Dance gives a Madden like analysis. ;D

I was going to post a thread, but saw this topic. Sorry if I am hijacking, but where do I hook the bass to weigh it? I thought it was under the chin, but I couldn't figure it out. Does the hook go through the gill opening there near the chin? And if so, doesn't that harm the bass?

This week Bill Dance gave the juiciest, most exlusive, insightful, brilliant, superb, genius, pro tip on fishing crankbaits!!! Check it out: If the fish are shallow, say from 0-6 ft, you want to use a shallow running crankbait. If they are in the mid range, you want to use a medium depth crankbait. And if the fish are holding deep, like around 20 ft., use a crankbait designed to dive deep. :'( :'( Brilliant!!!!! ;D;D ;D I think he has been spending too much time on that dang pond he fishes in every episode. offtopic: If you want to watch some good fishing shows, set your DVR's to record "City Limits" (with Mike Iaconelli), Bassedge, and Basspros. those are my top 3.

so you don't think it'll matter much? it won't spook them or something? I am kinda new, and have never fished a day after a big rain...

Hi, I am in Florida, so the temp is great. Water and air is around 75 degrees. However, it has been raining all day long. I was planning on going fishing tomorrow, but was not sure how a day of rain would affect the bite. It should be clear and calm in the morning....should I get on the water? any thoughts about this subject? thanks.

Nah, haven't tried the super line hooks, but I think going Flourcarbon would be a good help. That is the tricky thing- I want the fluke down there, but I don't want to lose the action getting it there. :-[ Maybe I am just using the wrong bait for 15-20 ft. deep...??? Abandon the whole fluke idea for that depth and just jig or worm it? :-?

-thanks What weight would you use to get it to 10-14 ft. deep, but not too fast where it would look too unnatural? Unweighted just takes way toooo long, and a couple twitches makes it rise too high...

Anyone know of a good jig that "rattles"? or do they all mostly rattle? I saw one on a show, but can't remember the name... "pro" something... Anyone know? Also, should I even be using one that rattles in clear water? or is it mainly a murky water thing? As you can tell I am new to jigging... Also, what are a few good trailers? I have been told to use crawdad looking ones... good?

Hey all, I am looking on basspro.com for some EWG weighted worm hooks to use with a Zoom super fluke. (where the weight is just above the bend) I can't seem to find any? Am I calling them the right thing? Do you know of any brands or names I could search under? thanks

So, you think I could fish it about 8-10 ft. deep that way with flourocarbon line? If I let it sink down all the way before the retreive? I suppose flouro line is not as bouyant as mono? Also, what does the bait represent? A dying minnow or shad?

Interesting, since I was going to post a similar topic. I have worked it in the pool, and I just don't understand the action. Looks kind of lame, but nonetheless, I seem to be getting regular hits on it. I am sure I could do even better with it, if I knew what the heck I am supposed to do with it. I am basically just working it like a worm or jig, but with a few more rod snaps when I raise the rod. IS THIS how you are supposed to work the thing? Also, I have no clue on the rigging, and I am having trouble on hook sets. I am using an offset hook for texas rig, but I don't like the angle the hook enters (and ultimately leaves the body on hookset). The hook point is too parrallell with the hook shaft, so it doesn't stick through right. WHICH kind of hook should I use?? See my attached example. The blue line is what is happening now. I need a hook that angles up more like the red line. Any thoughts on how to rig and work this thing would be great.

Hahahaha I think we saw that same gator!!!! on the bank as we were making the turn. It was a biggun.... I was thinking, "better not tip this canoe....." hahaah

If you remember the Telecast, it wasn't the color or paint that KVD was stressing. Whether it was sexy shad, red eye, or purple may not have mattered. KVD was preaching the "wiggle" it gave as it fell through the hydrilla after he was jerking it through. - Not really the color. It was almost as if he was intentionally trying to get it hooked up in the Hydrilla... Now, I have never heard of that technique. I tried some suspending jerkbaits just above submerged hydrilla to some decent results, but I always figure actually running cranks through the stuff was a no-no due to hangups. I wonder what Lb test and type of line he was using. I mean he was really yanking it through when he got caught on hydrilla... Also I guess yanking it so hard would shake the grass off the lure as well as it came free??? Anyone else fish a crank like this to success?

Hi all, New to the forums. I just got a 17 ft. fiberglass canoe, and got a little trolling motor on the transom. Nice little boat, but the seat is horrible, made of 4- 1 1/2 inch slat boards spaced about 1/4 inch apart. Spent the day sitting on it, and 3 days later, my tailbone is still sore. This, even after padding it with a folded towel and life preserver. The bench is probably just too small for my rear end! ;D Does anyone have a good idea to get a comfy chair in there? I was thinking about one of those low sitting lawn chairs, but I think they are too wide. Or maybe one of those folding tripod type chairs you see people use on Golf Courses, but I would probably have to cut the legs to sit low enough to not lose balance on casts... Any ideas would be great! thnx!

Hi all, Came over to Lakeland for the Easter weekend, and took a crack at fishing Tenoroc State Park, which is a bunch of old phosphate pits ranging from 200+ acres to 10 acres, managed by Fish & Wildlife. Since I am a total newbie when it comes to fishing these pits, I tried one of the smaller ones known as Fishhook pond. Conditions were no wind, solid overcast, with a few scattered rain sprinkles every few hours. I am used to fishing clearer water and was surprised to see the water actually pretty stained greenish with some brown detrital. Water temp was 70-73 degrees. Like I said, I have never been on a pit before, and was surprised at the lack of shoreline cover. There was maybe a few feet of dollarweed along the bank, which dropped to about 15-30 ft. almost immediately. I was told to look for sumberged spoil piles, which I was able to find a few humps that would come up to about 10 ft. deep. I fished the shore and the humps with both a Watermelon Senko rigged wacky, and a Zoom Fluke watermelon texas no weight in these areas to with no luck whatsoever. I also tossed a X-rap (only got 1 hit on it all day) and a deep diving crankbait at the humps and didn't get anything either. Finally trolled to the end of the pond where it was noticeably more shallow, with flats about 4 ft deep, with sandy bottom, and little to no vegetative cover. We anchored in the little cove end, I tossed the Zoom fluke and the Wife tossed the wacky Senko, and we both got hit the exact same time! They were just little baby bass, probably only 7 inches. We hung out there in the shallow end, and the wife caught 2 more tiny ones and I probably had a small 10 incher that came off, all on the fluke. We paddled around the end and saw obvious signs of old spawning beds worked out in the sand, but couldn't find any of the big mommas all day long. It was a fun trip, but I obviously was missing something, and did not have much luck at all. From what I had read about Tenoroc I had been dreaming on 3-5 lbers all day long, which was obviously not the case. I have a feeling they were tucked upped under the dollarweed along the shoreline, but I didn't have any jigs or know any techniques that would be able to punch through the thick mats. I obviously need to learn a lot more about fishing these types of phosphate pit waterbodies. Anyone out there with the experience that could lend a few suggestions? I would love to give it another shot once I know what I am doing... Any help would be greatly appreciated.