Fishes in trees

You've got to like it when you get to witness the classic launching without the drain plug. It is even funnier when they just "bump" the boat off and then the plug isn't in, the motor doesn't start and they forgot to plug in the trolling motor. The most unusual was a guy I saw a couple of years ago who had a brand new 17' Tracker. He was done for the day, had the trailer set in the water and was out in the water, wearing hip boots, trying to guide the boat on to the trailer in a cross wind. Me, and a couple of other guys, in line to take out, gathered to watch. It was an older guy, older than me, anyway. A dozen times or so , he almost got it set on the trailer the way he wanted it, but then the cross wind caught it and blew it off and he had to start all over. "Whatcha doin" ? I inquire. He replied that this cross wind was a pain in the butt, but that he would be finished soon. OK need any help - No, I got it, this new boat is just a little heavier than my last boat and it drifts different when I load it on my trailer. OK . . . . New boat, huh? Yep. .. .. You know that is a drive on trailer, right? Rather than messing with the rope the way you're doing it, you can just set the trailer in the water, set your parking brake and then just drive the boat on to the trailer. He replied that he just didn't want to skuff up his trailer. OK then, at that point the only thing to do is to pop a top and watch the show. He got it on the trailer in another ten minutes or so.

Ugly sticks are heavy. I would think that some fairly light weight 6' medium action spinning rod would be a better choice. After a few sessions of drive way practice, he should get the hang of a spinning reel -- or get one of those underspin reels, Zebco, Diawa and Pfllueger all make them.

It is a fairly simple job, I've done several of them. Take your time stringing the wires. Make sure you don't crimp any of them. Leave enough slack at the different pivot points when the motor is deployed. Make sure you don't cut or crimp the cable when the trolling motor is stored. It isn't that tough a job, just pay attention.

I've got to ask, what are you fishing for? Is that a steel leader? What pound test is that? That rig looks more suited for fish that have teeth. Go back to the drawing board. Pre-formed steel leaders with big snaps aren't a high percentage bass bait. What kind of rig were you considering throwing that bait combo on? I applaud your "outside the box" thinking on this rig, but you might want to consider thinking "closer to the box". Don't feel like you have to re-invent the wheel.

Who owns the boats you'll be using? That is something to consider. If one of the 4 has a dad or a grand dad, and you're using his boat, then the polite thing to do is to have that kid be an angler rather than co-angler. Other than that, I'd cast lots, draw names out of a hat, have a system with built in tie breakers next time.

I don't know about the Chronarch E's, but every place I go they are OUT of the Curado E's. Don't have any - ain't gonna get no more - get over it - buy a Chronarch -- That 's what I'm hearing from the different tackle stores I frequent.

BE CAREFUL banging up your prop. Banging up the prop can get it out of balance - not a good thing. Seals can get compromised. Water leaking into internal drive components is expensive. We're all gong to smack our prop into stuff from time to time, it is just something to monitor. Do you have a steel or an aluminum prop? It is much easier to get an aluminum prop out of balance.

Doctor, Doctor, it hurts when I do this . . . . . . . Well then, son, don't do it no mo.

I have a Cotton Cordell Spot that suspends. I never did think that the Rattle Trap Red Zone models suspended very well. I don't know about the Sebile models. If they work as well as the magic swimmer works, I'll have to pass for now.. I have a set of the Rapala Sub Walks, and they kind of suspend, and glide, but I don't think you'd use them in the same situations as you might a crank or a suspending trap.

As a pitching bait, I thought they worked best if you pinched off the tail.

I do both spinning & bait casting. I generally start with a 3/8 oz weight on bait casting gear. My current favorite shaky heads are the ones made by Chompers. I own some of the YUM punkin heads, but haven't had much success with them, not like the Chompers heads.

They are an alternative to a spinnerbait, so anywhere a spinner bait might work, a chatter bait is an alternative.

Here, let me help you be even more paranoid. It isn't just the sound that travels down the line in to the fishy environment. It is possible to over think it more than that. Just consider that your hopes, dreams, expectations, disappointments, and every emotion you've ever felt also travel down the line into the fishes world. Try controlling all that stuff, then maybe you'll catch some more fish. Glad I could help.

I think that you keep them moving and try to tick the top of the grass. If your lure never comes back with any grass on it, you're fishing too shallow. If it is constantly getting stuck, you're fishing too deep. For me, this applies to all grass flats down to 7 feet or so. I'm not a big fan of the yo yo retrieve. I want a consistent rattle, occasionally interrupted by snagging a strand of grass. I want Ms. Fish to have a consistent sound to home in on. The yo you retrieve isn't consistent with what I want the lure to do. Not saying it won't work, just that I don't do it that way very often.

If you feel like you need a looser connection to the frog, to help you walk it better, rather than tie a loop knot, try putting a split ring on the frog hook and tying to that.

Once you get a little tennis elbow or wrist pain, you become much more motivated to learn two handed casting, for me it seems to save wear and tear on my joints and doesn't hurt as much. Pitching , of course, is still a one handed deal. For me, all medium to long range cranking (spinning & bait casting) are two handed. Most side arm roll casts are two handed. Most of my directly overhead arc type and line drive type casts are two handed. It is just easier for me to do it that way.

I maybe approach rod buying from a different angle than some people. I've been addicted to fishing, especially bass fishing for a while now. I've already got rods very well suited for whatever technique I can think up, plus back up, plus quite a bit of multi-species stuff. So, any rods I buy now and for the foreseeable future, might be for some perceived upgrade, but more likely it is retail therapy, I'm buying myself a toy to make myself feel better. Every so often, I've just got to have a new one.

When you are away from home at a tournament, eat foods that you know will agree with you. Years ago, at a tournament on Grand Lake, I drew a guy who got some bad Kentucky Fried the evening before. Twice he had to go hang it off the back end, then around 11:00 or so we had to go to some cabins and when he came out he had all different clothes and a different rain suit on. 5 years later, his buddies still kidded him about that. On a positive note, he was very well prepared, lots of guys wouldn't have a spare rain suit.

For what it's worth, Rogers Lures in Liberty, MO has a half price sale going on right now on Lucky Craft baits. Given that the sale has been going on for over a week, they still have a decent selection of baits. They don't have any more Pointers 100 SP in Table Rock Shad though, I got the last 3 of them. They have an internet presence as well, so check them out and you might find some bargains. They are currently running Timber Tigers on sale at half price also. I restocked and got another couple of dozen in the DC8, DC13 & DC16 sizes.

I don't have one of those toilet tents and I think it would take up room in my boat. That being said, I am partial to the smaller conservation lakes, and I am reluctant to fish one that doesn't have a privy. When I fish larger lakes like Stockton, or Truman or LOZ, I know where the bathrooms are in the marinas close to where I'll be fishing, and I know which ramps have facilities and which don't.

I only own a few two piece rods and I don't use them very often.

Besides being more comfortable to fish out of, the primary thing a big boat does is extend your range and fishing time. You can be 15 miles away from the ramp at 3:00 and check in is 3:30, and with a 20 footer and a 250, that isn't a problem. The big fiberglass boats offer you speed when you need it.

Imagine that, inconsistencies among rod builders. The same words mean different things to different manufacturers. Basically it comes down to personal preference. If you feel you need a different pitching rod (I get that feeling on a pretty regular basis), then go look for one. I don't know anything about Powell or Dobyns rods, mostly because they aren't readily available here in Missouri and I'm not likely to buy a rod over the internet. Call me old fashioned, but I want to touch and play with a rod prior to buying it. That being said, my current favorite is a 7'2" Fenwick AETOS MH.

From the finish, my guess is that it would be some kind of Renowsky product.

Well, that guy was kind of incorrect. You probably won't give up on bait casting gear just because one rig does or don't work. He was correct though, that you do need a Shimano, because just the act of owning one will boost your self esteem and make you a better person.