paangler13

My favorite is a pad crasher with a white belly and a yellow back. The keys is the white, the back is so I can see the dang thing at 40 yards! I fish all white a lot too. My theory is this: Shad, perch, crappie, frogs, mice, suckers, bass, trout, all have white bellies. At some point in time, a bass has seen some white as it struck something from below! Black is good too, especially on really dark days and early and late. Good luck! Jim

tiger musky. Jim

I really like using as large a reel as I can get away with. I never use anything smaller than a 2500 size reel. My main ultralight setup is a 5.5 ft Tennessee style handle rod(bps micro light) with a 4000 size reel! I like being able to take up a lot of line quickly, plus the bigger spool cuts down on line twist. I do a lot of spinner fishing for trout with this setup, so minimizing line twist is a big deal for me! I also use it for crappie and perch, and river fishing for smallies. Can cast light lures a mile with four pound mono. If it were me, I'd stick to the 2500 size. I don't think you'll be disappointed! Jim

I gave a bag of pink floating worms to my wife when we started fishing together (before she was my wife actually!) Told her I never had a lot of luck on them, but she just had to have em! Last year we went out with my boys fishing, she decided to use them finally. She WORE ME OUT on them!! She caught the more than me, bigger fish than me, and capped it off with a big ole pickerel too... well I have pink worms now!! I figure bass are like women. I have no idea what there are going to want on a given day, so you better have a little bit of everything to throw at them! Jim

In colder water, I catch a lot more just pulling the bait between pauses. Instead of snapping or jerking the bait, I just reel it in six inches or a foot maybe then pause it. If the water is less than 55 degrees, I start with an 8 second pause, but will go clear up to 20. I looked in my log and last year the best day I had on a jerkbait was early in April, on an X-rap with a 12 second pause! Tight lines! Jim

A friend of mine took the plunge two years ago. We were wading the Raystown Branch fishing for walleye, and he took a tumble! about a 20 minute walk from the vehicle. Water was lower 40's air temps in the upper 30's. till we got back at the truck, he was showing early signs of hypothermia. (starting to get tired, and shivering uncontrollably). We got him in dry clothes and warmed backup, but it was a sobering thought. remember even at 60 degrees you have about 10 to 15 minutes. I used to wear my pfd once in a while, mostly when i was alone. Since I had kids, i wear it all the time when moving, and even while fishing when the water is under 70. I can't stand the thought of my wife and kids waiting for them to recover my body. stay safe everyone. Like the sticker I had as a child said, "don't drown, it will spoil your day." Jim

5.09 on a black and blue jig. The last three years my biggest fish have all come on jigs. 5.09, 6.2, and 5.14. Jim

This is why I am a better frog fisherman than you. I throw it a lot. I mean a whole bunch, probably more than I should. I love that it can go from open water to the bank, and catch fish the whole way. But, why I am better has to do with where you put it. I catch more fish fishing behind guys cause I put it right on the bank. It is amazing how shallow bass will be in thick slop. Also stick it where the sun doesn't shine, Literally! Shade, and shade lines, up into bushes, over limbs, as deep as you can get it. There is a reason for that 65# braid! If YOU want to be a better frog fisherman than ME, than my advice is to practice casting...... Jim

The shad will be in the creeks by then, so thats where i would say to start. James creek and Aitch both have launches. Brumbaugh cove is right there too. Makes it handy having three creeks pretty close. They are in the middle part of the lake(MM 13) . I fish the upper end more, from MM18 to 26. There you have Shy beaver, coffee run, and some other smaller creeks. There is usually some bait and bass in the main lake too, on steeper banks. It seems like since the weeds have went away, you need to be on the bait. Lipless baits, crankbaits, jigs, jerkbaits. I would stay with shad patterns. The water should be pretty clear, especially down the lake. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions! Jim

On shore or boat? Jim

Sayers is pretty good. it's right up rt 26. Jim

Boat = Break Out Another Thousand!!!!!! I Just wanted to chime in on the lure retriever too. The only "tool" that i take from my boat to others when i go fishing with them! My dad made it almost 30 years ago, it's a hound dog style and has saved us HUNDREDS, if not THOUSANDS of dollars in that time! Still lose one now and again, but there have been years were I never lost a crankbait all year! Thanks for the tips guys, Jim

Roll cast, or pitch, depending on distance. One thing I will say, is don't skip spots! Last year I tried making casts I knew I couldn't make, even making repeated casts to spots I blew out retrieving a lure from a previous cast. I Noticed my casting got better (more accurate, more stealth on splash down.) My pitching is what I really worked on, and I feel it improved by leaps and bounds. I felt frustrated at times and some days I was in the trees more than the squirrels, but it made me a better caster, and a better fisherman. Jim

So if I blast a seal, we have an early spring??? Ma, fetch me my rifle.... You southern boys don't understand what happens to a mans mind when your trapped in the house, the boat is snowed in, and you need a pickaxe and a stick of dynamite to find water! Jim

I don't like it, simply because it eliminates huge chunks of the country from ever hosting a Classic. Hope you never want to see a classic above the mason dixon line again. The midwest is out, too. Not a big deal I guess, but I don't know why the wouldn't want to have their biggest tourny all over the country instead of 6 or 7 states. Jim

They make some nice fillets. They are pretty firm and flakey. I keep 5 or 6 a year, but I prefer walleye, striper or perch. They are easy to fillet too! Jim

We're going to need a bigger boat...... Awesome fish. Jim

In Raystown here in central PA, the fish will key on the alewives in the spring. They run a little smaller than the shad that time of year. When this is happening, you have to use a little smaller bait. Last spring, i was using the smaller sized x rap. Couldn't catch em on the bigger size. Same color, location, and cadence, the fish just wanted the smaller bait. Just a thought, Jim

Hey all, I was wondering what size rod do you use for pitching? I have been using a 7', but am thinking of getting a shorter stick. I think a 6'6", but maybe as short as a 6'. I feel like I am losing some accuracy and "splash control" with the longer rod. I am about 5'10"-5'11" and I feel like the 7' is just a little too long. I do some fishing for wild trout in little creeks and use a under hand pitch almost exclusively at these little streams. It seems like it's easier to do with the shorter trout rod ( 5'). I know I am using a baitcaster for Bass, and a spinning rod for trout, but the mechanics of the pitch are the same. So what length rod do you guys use for pitching baits in close? Am I onto something, or should I stick with the 7? Thanks, Jim

Fish the day. Past knowledge is a place to start, but in regards to whats tied on and where I am fishing, where I start is not usually where I finish. Just because they "should be" on isolated wood in 15 feet of water, doesn't mean they aren't in the weeds in 4 ft! If you planned to fish one way, you better learn to recognize changes and adjust to them! And spend as much time on the water as life allows. Jim

I caught an 8-9 inch smallmouth that had a mouse tail sticking out it's throat. Other than that, just the normal stuff, shad, bluegill, bugs and crayfish. Jim

I have never done it with bass, but have seen my Dad do it three times. All smaller schoolies, biggest ones were about 1.5 pound. All of them were on lipless cranks! Jim

Lay downs are trees down in the water. (usually with the trunk out, and the top in the drink.) I would throw a senko on your spinning rig. I usually use 8lb test, but you can get away with six. Be careful with your hook sets, and keep your hook point all the way through your bait. Bury just the tip of the hook in the plastic. makes hook sets a little easier. I would also use no weight. The key thing with a senko is it's shimmy on the fall. You loose that shimmy when you use a heavy weight! I don't know if I have ever used over a 1/4 oz. with a senko. Good luck rhino, Jim

Maybe Shawnee, in Bedford? It's electric only, it might be kinda small though. Jim

Found a spro deep diver this year. looked brand new, bill wasn't even marked up! I also hooked a ultra light ugly stick dragging a jig a few years back. Hooked it right in the handle! Where I hooked it is the only mark on it! The reel on it was junk, but the rod cleaned up like brand new! Jim