senile1

RoLo, You have said a couple of times that barometric pressure doesn't affect water temparature. (I've included your last quote below.) I agree with that statement. And it is your contention that the pressure has nothing to do with the bass's behavior. It is only the water temperature that is affecting the bass. What I have read is that barometric pressure affects a bass irregardless of any correlation in the air temperature. I have seen very high barometric pressures with warm, clear, sunny days and these can be some of the more difficult days to put alot of fish in the livewell, at least in my experience. I've also had storms come in where the pressure drops dramatically but the temperature doesn't, and I've caught alot of fish. The water temperature in these instances remained fairly constant. This link describes the supposed effect that barometric pressure has on the swim bladder of a bass, irregardless of the temperature. (http://home.comcast.net/~rkrz/infoarch/fyibarometer.htm) I'm just trying to learn here by playing the devil's advocate. Are there any fishery biologists out there who have definitive evidence regarding this? Every part of the fish's anatomy (for that matter the human anatomy) is affected by barometric pressure. However, our bodies are designed to easily tolerate these natural changes in atmospheric pressure and for the most part we're unaware of their existence. Fish on the other hand are cold-blooded animals. Consequently, anything that affects water temperature will affect the disposition, movement and metabolism of bass. It's an involuntary process in which the fish has no say (their behavior is dictated by water temperature). Bottom Line: Air temperature affects water temperature, but barometric pressure does not. A rise in barometric pressure is typically accompanied by a drop in air temperature. A drop in barometric pressure is typically accompanied by a rise in air temperature. It has always been my belief that a rise in barometric pressure that is not accompanied by a drop in air temperature is a 'non-event'. That is to say, barometric pressure is a symptom rather than a cause. Bass in shallow water are the first fish affected by air temperature changes, but a persistent change in air temperature eventually affects bass in deep water as well. Roger

I'm not a barometric pressure expert, but everything I've read indicates that barometric pressure affects the air bladder on a bass. And from what I've read regarding these effects, this is an inexact science but there are some general conclusions that can be made. These conclusions seem to agree with what Jim stated in the quote below. I, myself, have noticed that a sharp rise in pressure does seem to shut the bite down while a drop can turn the bite on. Of course, this is only my own anecdotal evidence. Maybe some of you have experienced something different.

As Ben stated, check out this boat and motor thoroughly. If they are in good shape, as stated by the owner, you're gettting a good deal at $2500.00 for this size of boat and motor. Low prices always make me skeptical.

Flechero, I like the c-rig idea. I'm going to use this technique on a tiny lake/pond near me. Thanks for the info.

RoLo is right on the money. The big bass will seek any change in the contour no matter how minor. I've fished a few lakes like this. If you can't find these minor changes, then work some plastic down the slope as Avid suggested. There will always be something that will draw the bass, but you may not be able to see it.

As Duke stated, fish flooded timber, bushes, weeds, and grass. I've had alot of look in these areas over the years.

I've used Shad-Master's method more than others. I've read articles that suggest a medium retrieval speed also.

The bait monkey is never defeated. Sometimes a destructive force such as a wife or live-in girlfriend can diminish his effects but he will always come back strong when the destructive force is not looking. You are in the eye of the hurricane, but the storm is coming.

I was going to say the same thing as Glenn because you know you've got spark if the engine starts everytime you hit the hotfoot. If it wasn't getting spark this wouldn't have made a difference. You're not getting enough fuel.

Like Mr. Fly, I tend to slow roll my spinnerbaits and bump them into cover. I also like to reel the lure up just above cover and then stop and let it drop into it, pull it back up with a rod sweep and continue the slow roll. Although all of the presentations mentioned will work at times, I've had the most luck with this one.

I own a MinnKota 65 lb thrust trollling motor and I love it. They are good quality for the money.

Cajun, Could you tell me some details about the Garmin 250c and why you like it? I've been looking in this price range and narrowed it down to the 3 finders mentioned in my quote above. The resolution on the Garmin is what has caught my eye.

I'm always finding something useful in this forum. I'm going home tonight and setting up my crankbait retriever with an old spincast rod and reel. Thanks, guys.

The money from our licenses benefits fisheries and everyone who fishes. If these people are getting a benefit from the lakes of that state, they should be willing to pay for the license, or a temporary licence in this case. As for the guy who plays for the Cowboys, Big Deal. He puts his pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us. IMO, his fine should have been larger, because he should have no problems paying for a license.

If you only have $300 dollars I'd take a look at the following depth finders. I believe these prices include the transducer but you can confirm this online. Garmin 250c: Runs $340 - 350 Best resolution in this price range - 320x320 pixels 4.5 inch color screen Eagle Fish Easy 320c: $220 - $250 3.5 inch color screen 320x240 pixel resolution Lowrance x67c: $250 - 290 Similar features to the Eagle Fish Easy

Good points by Papa Smurf. Also, you say structure fishing is new to you. Are your casts accurately accessing the structure. Sometimes your bait has to fall right on a big bass's nose for him to take it. Other times, you need to cast past the structure, reel it up to it and pause, let it drop, bump the structure, etc. And one last thing . . . is your lure landing as gently as possible when you cast?

This is a tough one. If you want to get him hooked on fishing you might want to try fishing for crappie or bluegill with him before fishing for bass. These would be much easier to catch and the number of fish might get him hooked. Then turn him on to the joys of battling a big bass.

I'm a B.A.S.S. member and I still find some good stuff in their magazine. I don't fish tournaments because for me, that would eliminate one of the reasons I go fishing . . . . to get away from stress and relax. FlyRod made some good points in his post from May 2nd on this thread (his quote is below). I think anything can become addictive and detrimental if not done in moderation. However, the question is what is moderate for bass fishing? I think this will be different for each of us, depending on our schedules, careers, family activities, etc. I make sure I spend quality time with my wife and kids. They always come first, but I plan on fishing every day I can when I retire.

I've heard that the Stripe Off Wheel by 3M removes decals rather well but I've never used it. I always heat them up with a blow dryer and use a dull putty knife to raise a corner and pull them off. However, you still have to be very carefull when scraping them off so you don't scratch your gelcoat.

I've always used a paperclip to push the toothpick out of the sinker. I'm going to have to check out these sinkers with the rubberized core. Also, I like the idea of tying the tag end above the sinker (why didn't I think of that?).

I had some great fishing recently at the end of a light rain at a small 22 acre lake/pond. I was catching them with a spinnerbait in wood at one end of the lake where a creek fed it. I was fishing while the barometric pressure was at its lowest point. So as some others have stated in this thread, the stream section might be good after or during a rain and a spinnerbait might be a good way to go. I think it is good to consider factors such as barometric pressure, rain temperature, amount of rain, did a strong cold front go through, etc. in addition to the fact that it rained. These are the reasons why sometimes the fishing is hot and other times the bite shuts down.

Deadsticking is good as Nitro stated. Sometimes shaking the worm a few times as it falls works. The loose ends of the worm wiggle during the fall and even when the lure is sitting on bottom, enticing the bass to strike. Let it sit for a bit, pick it up and drop it back to the bottom and let it sit for a bit again. You can also shake it when it is sitting on the bottom. Often the strike is light and you only feel pressure. Many times the bass hit it as it drops.

The info you've given definitely sounds like a deal. I would check the boat and trailer out closely to make sure everything is fine since the price is so inexpensive. I'd also have a mechanic check the motor unless you know what to look for. The quote below from Cart7 in another thread gives some good advice regarding checking out a used boat. . . . . take the boat out. Running an outboard on the muffs is alright but you really don't know what condition the motors in till you put a load on the engine. A boat that old is also prone to have wood rot. Walk around on the floor and feel for soft spots. That could indicate either a rotted floor or worse, a rotted stringer as well. Then you need to really look at the transom. Get someone to put their weight onto the lower unit of the OB and jump up and down while you observe the transom. There should be no flex at all. If there is you've got a bad transom. Other indications would be the engine mounting bolts sunk in to the transom and you can also knock on different areas of the transom. It should sound solid, not hollow. Transom are repairable but they're not for the lighthearted and they're time consuming. Remember, it's a 12 year old boat, and just like a 12 year old car, it's not unusual for their to be some problems. I'd raise the trailer on a jack and spin the wheels to see if the bearings are making any unusual noises as well. But otherwise, this sounds like a steal. Good luck.

Read this thread from this website. There's a bunch of stuff about fishing a Senko on this site. http://bassresource.com/cgi-bin/bass_fish/YaBB.pl?board=gen_bass;action=search

Walking the dog with a good cadence takes some practice. I don't know if you're using a hard stickbait like the Heddon Zara Spook or a plastic fluke. This site gives a good description of the technique: http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/fishing/article/0,13199,1069239,00.html