Fishes in trees

If that is the boat that you've got to use, the simple solution is to learn how to cast & pitch while sitting. It can be done. Pitching becomes more of a Jimmy Houston style roll cast than a true "pitch" but most of the time the fish don't care. I can see where fishing 2 people out of that boat could get problematic. Pay attention, and it isn't much of a problem. Fail to pay attention and some one is going overboard or some rods are going to get snapped. If that lake is a trolling motor only lake, I would hope that you'd carry an alternate form of propulsion in addition to the trolling motor (i.e. a good set of oars or at least a paddle, would highly recommend a good set of oars) If I had that set up, (and I've had similar set ups in the past) I'd use the oars for going from place to place on the lake and the trolling motor for positioning while I was actually fishing. Save your battery. Hopefully you will have enough battery left so that for the last trip to the bank, at the end of the day when you're tired, you don't have to row.

I have a pair of walking shoes I got from BPS that I like OK. I used to wear Aqua Socks, but found I needed more arch support.

After several pitches with any given bait, you probably know what it feels like to NOT get bit. Anything that feels different than that, you might want to consider setting the hook. Don't over think it. If your fishing skills are anything like mine, you probably have LOTS of experience knowing what it feels like to not get bit. Ergo, anything other than that, set the hook.

These are both very good companies. It comes down to what you can get the best deal on. I don't have to make this decision because the place where I buy most of my reels doesn't carry much in the way of Diawa reels, for reasons I don't understand and haven't asked about.

If you aren't concerned about appearance, anything you can do with the BPS balancer kit you can do with generic chair leg tips and quarters and duct tape. Once upon a time, I sought to make a balancer attachment more permanent and so I used that rubber stuff that you dip pliers handles into and I sealed the rod end with that. Mixed results.

If you really want a good round reel that is built like a tank and will last a long time, stay away from all reels that start with A . The only two words that you need to know, as far as round reels are concerned are SHIMANO CALCUTTA. I will concede that there might be a couple of other words to know, but I don't know them.

Just the normal stuff. I've fallen out of the boat. I've had hooks in my hands past the barb. I've hooked a venomous snake with a buzz bait. Recently I had motor issues with my outboard and hit a deer with my fishing truck, back to back in consecutive trips, so I missed most of the spring season. In the past, I've stepped on snapping turtles (no damage, big scare) and tripped over nesting geese on an overgrown pond bank, where I got slapped around a little by its wings and got pecked a few times, no blood, some bruises. Once I got my wits about me, the Canada goose got some bruises also. I'd call that quarrel a draw. I've had a few good quality rods and reels go overboard, lost forever, because I did something dumb. If you go fishing at all, it isn't a matter of if a calamity will happen, it is just a matter of when will it happen. Several years ago, I had an acquaintance who was inadequately prepared weather wise for an early spring tournament. By noon, he was showing signs of hypothermia (I think that is the term, i.e. he was way too cold and inadequately dressed for the weather and a 50 MPH trip in a bass boat) and his fingers got frostbit. He got an overnight in the hospital out of it and minor damage to nerves in his fingertips is permanent. None of this is a reason not to go fishing. I just try to be aware that on occasion stuff will happen. I just try to be prepared for current conditions and not make dumb stuff happen.

Budget an extra $50 or so and get a Curado 300E. What you need is a large capacity, low profile reel that will last forever. The Curado fits that bill.

Just my opinion, but even 55 isn't enough for a 17' tin boat. I think you are taking too big a chance of running out of power. I'd go 24 volt, probably an 80 lb Minn Kota. You can't have too much trolling motor.. If you can swing it, I'd say go for the new Ranger aluminum model. They are very well thought out boats. They come with a warranty, which used ones don't. You are in charge of the maintenance from the start. There isn't any chance of you inheriting some one else's problem. Just depends on how you want to pay for it.

I can empathize. After a long winter, colder and wetter than "normal", I was ready for the season to start. In a perfect world, I like to get out at least once a week. First trip of the year, unexpected boat issued. What started out as a fishing trip turned into an exercise in how to get your boat back on the trailer when the motor won't start and the tilt & trim don't work and no one else is at the ramp to help. Two and a half weeks of down time and $2100 later, I'm going fishing again. This time, 4 miles from my house, a deer decided to run into my fishing truck around dawn, on a positive note, I was only running about 35-40 mph when it ran into me. Another 2 1/2 weeks, messing with the insurance company, etc, my truck is fixed. Right now, everything is ok - knock on wood. The point is, I missed a little over a month of spring fishing. I seemed to be in a continually pissy mood, really I was lucky that I didn't get any write ups at work for "bad attitude" On further review, on my days off I drank more than normal, not a lot more, but more. In that month or so that fishing was down, I had a few other unpleasant experiences, both work and non-work related. The point of this mini-saga is that, as far as I'm concerned, fishing blues is real and something to be aware of. If you're addicted to fishing, like I am and like many of us are, periods of time with no fishing can have consequences - mental health wise and wallet wise, and probably other ways that don't come to mind right now. Something to be aware of.

After my original boat cover wore out, I managed to find a trailerable boat cover - better than the original one - at the Cabelas bargain cave in KCK. I think I spent $50 - a good deal.

If you are seriously going to get into tackle storage, you've got to prepare. Every time you go to Walmart or Home Depot or Lowe's or somewhere like that and they have shelving on sale - buy it. You can't have too many shelves. I'm at 15 and I could use some more. I am a big fan of easy access horizontal storage. For soft plastic storage, every time you see the plastic shoe boxes with lids on sale at Walmart for $1 or so - bust out a 10 spot and get some. You can't have too many plastic shoe boxes for long term soft plastic storage. You will need medium and large sized totes for assorted/odd sized gear that you will accumulate from time to time. A dozen or two will suffice. Be sure to keep 4 or 5 empty ones around. If you have to take your boat to the shop, you don't want to leave a bunch of gear in your boat at the shop. Having a set of empty totes around, makes it easy to unload your boat quickly. Have a roll of duct tape and a sharpie available, so that you can quickly label the totes. YOu can write directly on the totes, but sooner or later you will have too many scribbles on the totes and you will need duct tape to make current labels. No need to ask why I know this. Every time you see bundles of the 3700 boxes on sale, buy a bundle or two - you can't have too much long term hard bait storage. This is all in addition to your regular kit that you use for week to week fishing. Taking it to the next level - built a bigger shed. Thirteen years ago, I was outgrowing my garage and I wanted a bigger boat - so I bolt a new shed just for fishing. 30'by 40' and I wish now that I had built bigger. I built big enough that I could pull my fishing truck and boat into the shed without unhooking it, just plug it in. I wish I had a couple more doors for easier access to my ATV and utility trailer and better flow through ventilation in the summer time. Doyle 8218 is right that you don't have to take all your tackle with you, however the more organized you are, the easier it is to take what you want to play with that day and leave the rest at home.

I have the opposite problem. Trying to find decent fishing clothes that ARE NOT covered in logos. Also trying to find shirt & shorts that match is a problem. The suit look, rather than a shirt & shorts that kind of go together. In the links section, under fishing tackle shops, there is a company called Aqua Design. As soon as I met my goal of getting my weight under 200 lbs and staying there for a while, I'm going to bust out and get one of their aqua camp suits. I think that they look cool. Changing the subject of looking cool, I wish those cheap seersucker jump sits that we wore in the 70's would come back in style. Those were convenient and comfortable.

"pay it forward" is a good idea . . . and it works . . . . in a movie . .. . where everyone sticks to the script.. . .. . . because they are actors. It is a fantasy. My recollection of the last pay it forward thread we had here, after a short while there were too many of the same guys begging for stuff. That gets old. I'll stop now or I will start ranting.

When I was learning bait casting, it helped me to think in terms of throwing in an arc rather than throwing in a straight line, like I frequently did with spinning gear. Other than that it is just a matter of practice. Until you get it down, buy cheap line.

Go to the In-Fisherman site and research the "Ned Rig" You can't get any more finessful than the ned rig.

I carry both types in my boat all the time. Many trips they both get used.IT is a valid point that the extendable pole works better at getting lures out of trees & bushes. They are both cheap enough tools that you might as well carry them both if yo've got the room.

Big lake, heavily pressured, walk in pits & ponds that aren't so heavily pressured. Your location says Columbia, MO. You're probably talking about the Finger Lakes/Rocky Fork conservation area, right? Early to mid-80's, I fished that area quite a bit. You've got a few options. Option A - research & network - there is someone who can give you permission to get a boat on those secluded waters. I found that person in the 80's, you can also with diligent and creative research. Option B - Tote in a boat. I had a belly boat, that was good for mid May through early September. A kayak is an option. If you've got a buddy a canoe is an option. I had a professor pal who had an 18' flat bed trailer and he towed an ATV and a 16' jon boat (on a little trailer) He would just back the ATV & boat trailer off the flat bed trailer and off he'd go, down the different paths that run all through that property. When you came across a chain or gate across a path, he'd just reach into his pocket, pull out a key and say "Lock the chain/gate behind us after we pass through." Back in the day, the U of MO and the Conservation Department often had a mutual back scratching relation ship. I presume this is still the case. Option C - As I recall, most of those waters were actually better bluegill & various sun fish fisheries than they were bass fisheries. Get a bunch of your buds together, 7' light action spinning rods, corks & split shots and go to town. Don't stop until everyone has their limits. You can actually chum them up and summon a monster school of bluegill and catch all you can carry. I used crushed dry cat food, throw enough into the water that it makes an obvious cloud and then fish crickets on floats near the bottom of the cloud, where the water you've chummed meeds the clearer water. If you are determined to bass fish, fishing from the bank is a challenge, and there are better and easier places to bank fish than the finger lakes/Rocky Fork strip pits. Many of those pits are very deep. How deep? I remember 40 feet or more being common, but that was 30+years ago. They might have filled in a little bit then. Basically, on each one of those pits, there is a shelf. That is where they got the bull dozers in and out of the pits. Many pits have 2 or 3 of them as the veins of coal they were following didn't always run in a straight line. That is your shallows. That's it. Some time during the day there will be action on those shallow shelves. The vast majority of the area of the pits, the banks drop nearly vertically, down to the bottom. The pits are ringed with vegetation though. This is key. Fish will be suspended, relating to that vertical wall of weeds in some way. They are a challenge to access from the bank. Paralleling the weed wall with some kind of crank, like a shad rap works. I think that drifting a wacky rig senko slowly down the fact of the weed wall works better. Back in the days when I fished those waters regularly, I was a meat fisherman. I seldom had issues with catching enough fish for supper there. Hope this helps

It may be just my opinion, but I think that the MO department of conservation indulges in a lot of wishful thinking when it comes to bass populations in creeks. Perhaps their idea of what is a strong population and my idea of a strong population is different. I don't know. It is a possibility that there isn't a strong population where you're fishing. Anyway, on to more pertinent matters. Did I read right, that the line on your reels is that same line that your dad used, and he's gone now? Son, you need new line. If you're not certain about what kind to get, go to Paul's on Chippewa, tell them where you're fishing and buy the kind they suggest. They will put it on for you as well. Start fishing with a known quantity, that being the age and condition of your line. Next, fishing in creeks, live bait is never a bad idea. Minnows & worms - maybe. Me, I'd start out with the biggest minnow I could get - 6" or so. Research how they fish shiner minnows down in Florida. That works everywhere. You might want to downsize your bait a little, and use a float - depends on cover. Next, my buds who live in southern Illinois and bow hunt on the Ohio river tell me that Asian Carp are good to eat. You may want to get into carp fishing. I have gardener friends who will take all the carp can bring them - apparently they add nutrients to your compost pile.

I'm assuming launching your boat isn't a problem. Pay attention to high water navigation. There will be lots of extra stuff floating here and there. Both on top of the water and slightly underneath the surface. Newly flooded cover is always worth checking out. Cover that has been flooded for a week or so is better than cover than has been flooded a day or so, or at least thats been my experience. I've had a couple of experiences where, in periods of extended high water, the fish didn't go anywhere, instead of being right next to cover on the first break from shore, they just suspended above it somewhat. (This was more of an early summer pattern as opposed to a spring pattern, or it has been for me.) As long as navigation isn't a problem, I'd be more inclined to run up a creek than stay in the main lake. I'm looking for cover/structure close to spawning areas, not necessarily directly in a spawning area. If you have flooded picnic tables, fish them. On Truman Lake, more than one tournament has been won fishing flooded picnic tables.

If you've ever fished for trout using a sinking fly, you know what a strike indicator is. Using lightly colored braid (for spinning gear, my current preference is Fireline Crystal) functions more of less like a strike indicator. Off and on I play around with making/ using a floating strike indicator for my drop shot fishing. The best I can report right now is mixed results for that effort.

My current weedless wacky hook of choice is a weighted Falcon K-wacky hook. I prefer the 1/16 or 3/32 oz weight. I think that the weight helps you get deep quicker when you are fishing in the 10' range. I don't think that the slightly faster drop hurts anything when you are fishing the wacky rig shallow.

When I was learning how to pitch, it seems like I had to unlearn some of the stuff I knew about casting. In hind site, it might have been easier to have learned how to pitch first, then learn different distance casts.

Imagine that, a BPS worker giving misinformed/incorrect advice. Is that the first time that has happened. Sadly, no, in my experience misinformed/incorrect/bad advice is par for the course for BPS employees. This has pretty much been my experience for all BPS employees in all departments, with the exception of the shoe department. In the shoe department, when you ask, "Do you have X shoe in (whatever) size, they have been trained to say, I'll go look." At the BPS stores I most often frequent, Independence, MO & Olathe KS, they do a good job of keeping the store looking pretty and straightened up, but don't count on them for information.

i've winterized my 100 hp Yamaha 4 stroke every year by taking it to my dealer and saying, "Winterize this please, call me when you're done and I will come and pick it up and pay you." For me, this is generally an early December exercise.