SuskyDude

Flow: the volume of water flowing past a certain pont, measuerd in cubic feet per second Current: the speed at which water flows past a certain point, measured in feet per second.

Smallies in small streams don't have alot of options during the cold water period. During the summer fish will be spread all over the stream, so when temperatures drop, they may have to move quite aways to find suitable wintering areas. In other words, large stretches that were great summer-fall could very well be vacant early spring if there is no wintering holes closeby. Find the deeper, slow water areas. The "resident" smallies should be there. As the water warms fish current breaks around these protected areas. Things to look for: slow moving coves, the entrance to backwaters- sandy, pebbely, leafy bottoms. Jigs (tubes are my favorite) and jerkbaits are great options for early spring. Not alll smallies found in tributaries to larger rivers are year round residents. It's not uncommon for fish to move quite aways into creeks and streams to find "quieter" spawning beds, then exit before summer. Another thing to consider.

You should turn your man card in. Reason: Attempting to end conversations about hot women. And yes Gaga is hot, in a filthy kind of way. You wouldn't take her home to Mama, but you would take her home!

Cabela's has one pound spools (6800 yds) of Ultra Soft in #8 and #10 test on sale for $60. I tried a small spool last week and liked enough to try it out for the year so I ordered one in green. 8-)

Thanks man! We get out in a canoe alot as well but often hop out to wade. I love getting in the river.

These are my go-to's: 4 inch Mizmo Tube w/ 1/4 oz. head. Storm Wiggle Wart Rapala Shad Rap - SR5 Yo Zuri ZZ Pop 1/2 oz Booyah Moontalker Spinnerbait (night bite)

Of the twenty or so 4+ pound fish I caught last year, I only got pics of these four. The top was the biggest, 4 lb 12 oz Next one was bout' 4 1/2 Last two around 4 1/4 Good times. In a few weeks I'll be out lookin' for a legit 5.

Dream about it? I had a day like this just this weekend! 50 ten pound bass on 50 consecutive casts. Then I rode my unicorn home. It happened, the pictures are out there. Buy my sponsors bait. :

Guess I disagree with you guys. See I'm currently enrolled in classes and I have to hear the incessant tip-tapping of the laptop douchebags everyday. I'm with this guy. Hand held technology is obnoxious in the class room. Leave your laptops, cell phones and PDAs at home. You WILL live without them. Promise.

Yo Zuri ZZ Pop

Tape, gloves, "tuff-skin"....oh brother! Why not let that thumb callous up? Don't be afraid to have man-hands.

Largemouth: 'bout 5 Smallmouth: 'bout 3 Digital scale: 20 bucks Not having to guess the weight of a big fish: priceless

I'm for leaving it the way it is. HOWEVER.... What about first team to score six points wins? What about just for the playoffs? Think about it. I think what most people are sick of seeing is a team drive maybe 50-60 yds downfield (often with the help of a PI or some such nonsense), get STOPPED, then kick a field goal to win the game. My opinion is that fiel goals are weak. Its why they're worth half a touchdown. Two of them to win an overtime playoff game I say. Or one good old fashioned touchdown! OR we could leave it the way it is. Have any of you heard of defense?

Technically, the field goal and the last three TDs weren't nesesscary! :D

Hmmm. Seems like you guys think I should check out the 870. Turns out my buddy has an 870 for me to try out. He also has a mossberg (although I think its an 835 not a 500) and few other more expensive guns I can play with. We plan on getting together within the week to shoot. Should be fun. Thanks for the suggestions everyone, and keep the advice coming!

You guys are making me chuckle. "Lock-down" for 20 and 30 degree temperatures.

I know plenty of you guys hunt/shoot and I've been thinking about buying a gun and I could use help. Let me start by saying I've shot a .22 maybe three times in my life, and I'm pretty much clueless about guns in general, so talk to me like I'm 5! I've been talking to a few buddies who hunt and I guess what I want is a shotgun. Something I can shoot at targets, birds, and maybe deer if I ever get the hankerin' to (which I didn't even know shotguns could do until the other day. "You mean with a different barrel it can shoot solid chunks of lead too? neat-O!" ;D). I'm not in any hurry to buy, so I want to check out alot of guns before I do and I'm willing to wait for a deal. The gun must be: Around $300-$400 Durable Easy to maintain, clean, etc. Badass lookin (like I mean business,even though I don't ;D) Don't care if it's the most accurate, powerful, smoothest, sweetest, most features, whatever. As long as it's not crap. Are synthetic stocks more durable than wood? They look cool anyway. So what do you guys recommend?

Elitist? Not so sure about that. More like sick of pulling rusty baitholders out of the gullets of the fish I catch and having to wade through piles of bait containers to get to the river. Hearing stories about invasive species and disease being spread, courtesy of some bait bucket, is pretty scary too. Of course not all bait fisherman are like that, but around my neck of the woods, the vast majority of them are. Wouldn't mind seeing live bait being illegal, at least on my body of water. That way no one could call me an "elitist" when I "look down at it."

If you want your bait to drift by a target, cast upstream of it. How far depends on the speed of the current and the depth of your target. The faster/deeper the water, the further upstream you should cast if you want to have your jig bouncing on the bottom as the current sweeps it past the target. When standing directly across stream from the target, casting a few feet past it, as well as upstream, will help to compensate for your line bowing in the current. Hope this helps.

Is it cheating to use the gutter-bumpers when you're bowling? To me bass fishing with live bait is the same thing: you bowl a strike every time. Technically not cheating, but its really for kids.

"wolf pack" smallies is a pretty common occurrence during spring/fall on my river. I usually catch most/all of the followers, so no, it doesn't scare them. Never had a problem from instantly releasing them either.

Looks like "your" fishing pond is now the otters. Unless you built the pond yourself, I'd reckon the otter has more of a right to the pond than you. Either way, I wouldn't worry about it. They're actually funny animals to watch. If it truly becomes a problem, trap him and move him as someone already suggested. Shooting it could be a big no-no depending on the laws in your state.

Wierd. I'll try again: 1. Like I already said, I prefer a plain barrel jig head. 2. Like Fuzzy said, dragging them on the bottom. Let your jig fall to the bottom, pick up the slack, pause and wait for a strike. Hold your rod at 45 degrees and just slowly reel so you drag the tube. When you start wedging into something snaggy, lift/wiggle the rod to pop it out. Let it settle to the bottom and wait for it. Resume drag if it dosnt come. Keep a tight line and be ready at all times. 3. Tubes have been CASH money for me in the winter. I don't think smallies care if its the wrong time of year for a crayfish to be wandering around, or if crayfish are the ONLY creatures a smallie might mistake a tube for. Darters come to mind. 4. Four inch Mizmo Big Boys on a 1/4 oz head. Somtimes a 3.5 inch slim. 5. Whatever you like. Abrasion resistance is something to consider when you're dragging in the rocks/junk alot. Your line rubs the bottom alot when you drag.

1. Never been a big fan of anything but a standard barrel-style tube jig head. Don't care about rattles.

While fishing the Susky for SM, we often catch: Walleyes Pike Muskie Common Carp Sometimes catch: Fallfish Rock bass And every once in a long while I get one of those green slugbass. ;D