SuskyDude

Relying on colors, is the quickest but least reliable way to identify any fish. Same goes with the patterns of said colors, i.e. lateral lines or markings. Smallies- closed jaw does not extend past eye, first dorsal fin (the spiny one) connects fully to the second dorsal fin (soft one). Largemouth have a notch between the two.

Sounds like a bunch of that was made up to inspire some good ole American pride.... :

I would never use my friend Chad as bait. ;D

What you mean,'rasslin ain't real? Seriously though, years ago the wwf would come to town and my buddies and I would go for the show. The redneck audience is more entertaining than the wrestling! We also used to try to sneak into the lockerroom. Got kicked out by Vince McWhoever himself! Dude is HUGE! Got to meet undertaker, yokozuno?, and a couple others. Another time we jumped into the walkway the wrestlers use to enter the arena, and tried to storm the locker room that way. Did not work out so well

No Anime Other, your not alone. I think its perfectly fine! Safe, supervised, no kids on the streets or getting fat in front of the TV. I think its a great thing. Would any of you guys have a problem with kids boxing? How about karate, wrestling or even football? MMA isn't any more high contact or "aggressive" than any of these sports. Bad article with a slant against MMA. Too objective: sucker punches? I feel the author of this article probably has very little knowledge of MMA and the skill and discipline requried in training for this sport. Its come along way since the old days. Anything that captures kids imgination and get them away from the TV!

I set the hook instantly, or very close to that, with most soft plastics. Some of the larger ones (senkos, worms, etc) I may wait a second or two. Literally. Not this 3-5 seconds I've heard people mention. Thats way more time than needed, and can result in missed or gut-hook fish. As soon as I feel a bump, I drop the rod tip, and pick up slack until I can feel there is something still there. Then I let er rip. Total elapsed time from bump to set is usually a second or less. Sometimes you have to do a little more feeling around for the fish, but not five seconds. Gut hooked fish needn't be common with soft plastics. Pay closer attention.

If its what Im thinking about, it wont last long as it rots pretty quick. Won't cost anyhing to try though, right?

. Hmmmm It sounded like you described Hickories park, which is down the road from "downtown" owego. Could that be it? If not im intrigued. I dont have a boat on the river, so Im restricted to wading, and the shore. I've covered alot of ground the past couple years but there is some gapes I still need to fill. I know of one other culvert but Ive never seen clear water coming from it. Looks like Ive got a new destination to hunt for! ;D As for the chubs, think of it as a trade off. Yeah they're annoying, but I bet the large bass in your river feel otherwise! Hey if you got any info about where you were, shoot me a PM. Im not too proud to get a tip from an out-of-towner! Hey if your ever out this way again we can go hammer down some bronze ! 8-)

How 'bout both? Seriously, river smallies are aggressive!! There isn't a lure you cant catch them with, if you can find them Sure some days a crank will beat a tube, and others an inline will beat both, and a jerkbait won't get a sniff... but on the whole, if you're on them, your on them, even a t-rigged rock will get bit if you work it right! Gotta find them first though.

I wish more tournament guys lipped them, rather than launching out of the water and bouncing them off the deck of the boat. But they're the pros..... : Ill lift them out with the rod if they're less then two lbs. Over that, and I lip them just to be sure. Flippin' a smallie? I'm not sure what that means but it doesnt sound too good......

Yep I know just where you were! Thats a good all around spot, but mostly for cats. Big musky and walleye have been caught from there too. Yeah, river is up, wont be long though . Runnin at about 17 feet out of Vestal. I want it to be about 9. We'll get there. Oh, and there is no such thing as trash fish (except non-natives like carp and snakehead). Suckers are musky food, and chubs are bass food! By the way do you know what kind of "chub"? The name chub is hung on hundreds of fish around the world. We mostly have creek chubs around here, and they are eaten by all the major gamefish.

No kidding? I live in Binghamton, twenty miles upriver from Owego. I fish that stretch all the time, and there is great fishing all throughout the Susky around here. When were you here last year? The spring bite was short last year but fast and furious. The water dropped, warmed and cleared up so quick, the fish were on the prespawn like gang busters. Sorry to hear about your river, it must be really bad if you think the Susky is nice and yours is garbadge filled! The Susky has had some serious problems, its been on Americas Most Endangered Rivers List (or whatever its called). Its still a serious smallie factory though. Waitin for the action to heat up! Its been a good winter of fishing on the river, but I cant wait for Spring!

This is how I would rig a hard plastic craw: First, throw it in the garbadge, then rig a 4 inch, green pumpkin tube on a 1/4 oz jig head. Next, start draggin it on the bottom wherever there are smallies. Finally, start rippin lips!