bigbill

Most novice fishermen are beaten before they go out. They say I never catch anything. Even the kids. Then I step in. They leave with there confidence way up. It's a teaching about life. You can do anything you put your mind to do. Just stay motivated and focused. I'm no pro, but the local bass fear me Lmao.

First the Linder boys at Infisherman say if you want to catch trophy fish, go out during the full moon. I fished by the mauri charts adjusting them to my time zone. My PB 10lbs was caught around 5:am when the charts said good early. I fish at anytime but pay close attention to the charts and moon phases. I also watch the approaching weather fronts. About two hours before the front/rain hits the fish can put on the feed bag. During the warm rain they can turn on too. I wish I knew what actually causes this to time it better.

When there is kids fishing next to me if they show interest in how I fish I stop and help them. Some are surprised to catch bass. Helping the youth is number one. Then I get adults(older man) who ask me if lures work as I pull out a 2lb bass before I could answer him he says I guess they do. Then he sees me using scents and he asks do scents work as I pull out my next 2 1/2 lb bass he says I guess they do. Then he asked me to scent his spinnerbait. I did. He caught nothing. Why bring one bait, use it for hours? Other fisherman watch me and the next night they have new lures, new rods, reels and tackleboxes. I guess I raised there interest in bass fishing. I'm a field salesman.

Watching fishing videos is for the wintertime. Fishing is for the warmer weather. Apply all the things you learned over the winter on the water.

Fishing before the internet. We're talking the mid to late fifties, it was my older brother, my mentor. Gadabout Gaddis with his float plane flying into no access bodies of water in Maine on sundaynites. It was Jerry Mckinnis on Saturday mornings. Then Bill Dance, Hank Parker, Roland Martin, the Dime Store Fisherman and any bassmaster shows. Now comes the internet. Bass Resource Guide and it upped my knowledge even further. There is no limit on how good you can be. But my older brother who first took me fishing started it all. We fished and hunted together.

They all fish at brannans bass shop too. I spread the wealth around. Everyone has to eat. I do order from our sponcers/supporters first. Guys here like Sieberts outdoors and Bizzbaits keeps me above the dollar menu. Fishing equipment comes first. When money was a problem when I was younger I enjoyed P&J sandwiches. But salami and cheese was a bait too. Don't forget the double prop baits.

Got to, www.vimageoutdoors.com Look at the prop spooks there discounted.

I was out there fishing 24/7 @ 4am till 9am. Being very stealthy. Being quiet in the dark is the key to catch the bass feeding at the shoreline. I cast past the area I target. If I'm fishing near the edge of the Lilly pads and there is action in the pads I cast parallel to them about 10' away from the edge and past the area I target. I walk the dog (spook) right by that area. The rattle spook will draw them right out. I don't cast into the pads so I don't spook the bass.

I find using a hummingbird cast out fish finder which I use more to learn how deep the place is and the bottom structure dictates what dept lures to use and how to fish it. I find out where the flats are, transition areas are to the deeper areas. The holes, the points and shallows. Lots of info when no topography map is available for these smaller places.

I was up to 9 to 10 bass plus a pickerel or two in a few hours on average from shore. In the light warm rain my PB has been 19 bass. But the moon phases matter. Topwater, inline spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, plastics, are a good start. A inline spinner like joesfly 1/4oz bass size in firetiger apache to start off with.

Here in the northeast so far my Seiko colors are red/red flake, Amber redflake, but colors can vary due to water conditions. They can be weight sensitive if your using a weight. I use a c-rig 1/8oz weight and a 24" leader.

I use a eagle claw 249w weedless hook. When I get s strike and a miss the spring comes up open. If it comes up closed it hit something. The first Seiko cast I use no scents. If I get a strike and a miss I use a scent on the second cast. But be ready to set the hook they do hang on longer with a scent.

I have brand new packages of the helicopter lures in gold and chartreuse. Discounted of course. I needed for my museum collection. Lmao. Mann's Dragun fly. These worked great when split shot rigged and presented in a vertical hatching in the weeds. Discontinued but I have a stash. I fished them in a droppoff near the shoreline near the weeds. Mepps Timber Doodle. Looks weird but works awesome in the weeds.

I start off with these, 1. BPS Topnocker, I soak it with scent and make the longest cast I can make. 2. bomber fat A or model A's in red Apple craw size 05. Run shallow. I use all the colors. 3. Mister Twister Top Prop. I use it over the weeds. Skip fan cast. 4. Mepps Anglia inline spinner #3 skip fan cast 5. 1/8oz Carolina rig senko, brushogs. Work the 9' deep channel. 6. I have two Rocky points nearby. I walk a jig up them. 7. Rapala f7 in blue. "Blue Max" slow reel. 8. Mann's baby 1 Brown crawdad. "Hank Parker Special" runs shallow slow reeled. 9. Mann's classic spinnerbaits white, gold Indiana chartruese, gold Indiana. Grub trailer. Take your time I try to side cast softly. And far away as possible. I work the baits softly. Slow steady reel, or a 1-2-3 twitch n pause, Slow, twitch n reel, pause.

On my last job I heard my new boss say he was going to ride my butt till I quit. I made it to the end and got $25k severance pay. I was all set up for disability all my ducks were lined up. The company couldn't believe it.

I used number 0000 steel wool on the orginal stock then applied six coats++ of form by stung oil finish to protect the wood. Once the stock is glossy I use 0000 steel wool then apply the Johnsons wood paste wax.

Lots of nice rocks for a dam? I would use joes flys in black gnat.

Before I retired I was the worker while two guys who worked with me warmed there butts on chairs. Inside I was upset but I was the highest paid guy on the floor. I had a family to feed and I laughed all the way to the bank. Since most raises weren't that good I kept my part time job ready to go full time on my own. But I retired in 2002 at 52yo. I had the doctors evaluations to back me up. I was smarter than they were. I knew my health was failing. I stayed there to build up my social security. My doctor wanted me to retire ten years sooner. Now I say he was right. years ago I learned life is a game, play to win. If I was going to work eight hours a day I was going to make as much money as I could. Low pay or high pay its the same bs. Ride the wave. my boss asked me what I thought of unions. I told him in the shops I worked in the union guy didn't work. I'm non Union, a worker and could eat my lunch anywhere.

Pickerel eat the schooling bass fry. I seen this happen right in front of me. I put on a little rapala baby bass that matched the size of the bass fry and I pulled every pickerel out of there. I did c&r and returned them after a good spanking.

Ok my facts are I'm fishing a swampy area with stumps. I'm using a mepps #3 Anglia silver blade brown tail. I'm landing bass after bass up to three pounds. The action stopped. It's around 1 pm. I put on a larger #4 mepps Anglia same as the #3 color wise. The next bass was 4.5lbs. The larger fish came by to see what the smaller ones were eating but wouldn't eat the smaller bait. To me size and color matters. i had the same thing happen with pickerel too. tip, Your using a joesfly in black gnat bass inline as it turns from light to dusk the bite stops. Switch to a brighter color lure like joesfly fire tiger Apache same size. You will land a few more bass before dark. There's a short time to use brighter color baits at dusk. In the morning it's at twilight. Try it.

Try fishing at 4am when the place is calmed down. Quiet is the key to success. practice cranks in the light, then close your eyes and try it. spooks maybe better.

The Alaskan crab guys used one of these trying to catch a monster in a cove up there. It's something out of the dinosaur era. The hooked it using a 55 gallon drum for a bobber. It straightened out a 1/2" thick stainless hook. I think they need bigger equipment.

After I spent my money on a plastic pistol grip stock I hated the look I changed it all back. The Monte Carlo stock may be better. The sks is my camp gun for at night.

Manns tail dragger? Just purchased six of these. Some have a rear hook that I plan on dressing. Just something different for topwater

It's almost the middle of the summer the heat has the weeds in full bloom. Don't let them choke you out. When I first seen how thick the weeds could be I almost gave up till next spring. Then I searched BPS & Cabelas for weedless baits. Here a few of my favorites, Mister Twister Top Prop. presentation, 1-2-3 pause, slow reel, longer pause. Mepps Timber Doodle. let it fall in the open weed pockets. Repeat. Weedless Plastics, worms, creature baits either split shot rig or Carolina rig, drop shot. Or just a plain worm weedless hooked. Crankbaits. pause over open weed pockets and twitch it so it rattles. Just enough so it stays in the open pocket. This is a great tactic over submerged weeds. what are your tactics for weeds?