Fishes in trees

A decade or so ago, BPS marketed a "Missouri Rig" based on a rig that was having some success on Table Rock Lake, and to a lesser extent on the other lakes in that chain. Basically the rig was a half ounce football head jig with a brush guard. Coming out from underneath the hook on the jig head and extending to 6"or so behind the curve of the hook there was a light wire leader. The notion was that you would put some soft plastic on the football jig - most often a large lizard or choppers type bait. Then a foot to foot and a half fluorocarbon leader would be tied to the light wire leader and some other soft plastic would be tx-rigged to that. Most often, a Zoom trick worm was used. This rig came out shortly after In-fisherman magazine came out with a lengthy article extolling the virtues of the football jig for fishing/feeling bottom structures, mostly hard bottomed lakes were referred to. So, the idea has some merit. I bought some, but never got in a situation where it made sense to use that bait. The clay/ weedy brushy bottomed lakes I was fishing then didn't easily lend themselves to crawling a football jig. My advice would be to try it and see. That is just one application that I've seem marketed, I'm sure that there have been others that have been brought to market as well as many others that have been tried experimentally. My best advice would be to experiment for yourself and find out. That is how the A-rig was invented, some guy trying to figure out how better to catch suspended fish.

Here's my opinion on the matter. Woody cover is woody cover. Fish are know to often, but not always, hang around edges. There are hard edges and soft edges. A shade line would fall in the category of a soft edge. I've had many decent days fishing what I call "shade pockets" By this I mean, there is cover, sun is hitting the cover, causing shade. I try to drop my bait - jig - tx rigged soft plastic - senko - what have you - on the sunny side of the cover, within an inch of the shade line. The notion is that a fish, using the shade line for cover, sees the bait in the sun and darts out and grabs it. This doesn't always work, but it is an approach that I always try when there is sun on cover. Carried another step farther, there is such a thing as degrees of shade - deep shade, semi- shade, openly lit by sunlight. Water clarity affects all these decisions. A bubba drop shot rig - with 20 lb or so fluorocarbon line, dropped into a "deep shade" pocket and just loitered there for a few moments has worked for me at different times - more often than not an afternoon summer thing. I might also guess that fish in a semi-shade area might be more active than fish in a fully lit sunny area. The area you've fishing is 3 to 4 feet deep. I'd probably do more spinner bait/square bill fishing in the semi shaded area and more pitching to specific shade spots with soft plastics in the sunny areas. So, that's my current thoughts on shallow woody cover with/without shade. Another thought comes to mind and that is current. You mentioned it was a wide creek - is there any current to speak of? Current makes a big difference on how fish set up on cover. I don't think that it trumps everything else, but it is an important element to consider.

Snaps with a ball bearing swivel on in-line spinners, like a Mepps. Other than that, not so much. I have a few jigging spoons and heavy blade baits. I don't fish them very often. I do have ball bearing swivels attached to them via a split ring. Back when I was fishing BFL's as a co-angler, some guy in a tackle shop told me it was a good idea. Cranks - not so much, I find it easier just to re-tie.

Back when I was a college student/aspiring hippie I had a similar outfit, tie dye jeans and long sleeve tee shirt that I would wear to outdoor concerts, protest rallies and the like. Mine didn't have any pink in it, it was various colors of blue and white. I thought it looked cool at the time and I fit in with many of the other students/aspiring hippies. That is really all that mattered at the time. A Royals cap and a back pack completed the outfit. I was a Royals fan, even back then. I do own one pink T-shirt. At a music festival a few years ago, there was a breast cancer awareness booth that was offering T-shirts for a "donation". I got a pink one, with the bow logo, that says "SAVE THE TATA'S" front and back. I would never wear that T-shirt in public, but I'm also certain that on that day the breast cancer awareness booth needed my $20 more than I did. I have many more fashion opinions, but I'll save them for another day.

Anything you can do to save time while you're fishing is a good thing. You can buy fishing gear. You can't buy fishing time.

The better reel you get initially, the less likely you'll feel the need to upgrade a year or so from now, when you get a modicum of skill with it. Tackle Warehouse has the Curado I on sale for $140 right now. That reel should last a lifetime with half way decent treatment. I know that other companies that make similar reels that with half way decent treatment last a long time as well, but I'd get the Curado.

In my opinion, cranking rods and spinner bait rods are two different animals. There is some overlap. If you're fishing from the bank, you're probably not throwing deeper divers. Me, I'd get a rod that I really liked for throwing spinner baits and "make do" when I decided to throw cranks, not the other way round.

I like shorter rods for fishing jerk baits, for some of the reasons mentioned earlier. I don't care much if I slap the water with my rod tip. I care quite a bit if I slap the side of the boat and fracture a rod. (which I've done several times.) I like spinning rods for jerk baits, because it somewhat takes the wind out of the equation. I can wind up with spinning gear and throw a half ounce pointer quite a ways into the wind, using a sidearm cast that the bait never gets more than 6 feet or so above the water. My current set up is a 6'3" ML Shimano spinning rod with an extra fast tip. The name of the line escapes me right now, it was a middle of the line model. I use an older US Reel spinning reel - the larger size. Yeah, I know they aren't made very well and the action is kind of herky-jerky, but it is a very wide spool and with the arbors, it holds a reasonable amount of 14 lb Fireline, without having to mess with backing or put 500 years or so of braid on the spool. I use a shortish, 2 foot or less fluorocarbon leader, generally 15 lbs. The reason for the shortish fluoro leader is that (a) I don't like the know rattling through the guides, so I start the cast with the bait and all the leader outside the rod tip and the sinking fluorocarbon, once the cast is made and underway, gives my pointer a slightly nose down position, which I like. I think slightly nose down is better than level, when the bait is stopped and suspended. I don't get the distance casting that I could get should I go to a 7 1/2 or so ML, which would be handy on some points, but I get decent distance and I feel I can control the cadence better with the shorter rod. If you ever go to an early spring tournament and look around and see what gear different guys have their jerk baits are tied on to, you'll see that there is a wide variety of opinion as to what works best for jerk baits. You got to experiment and see what works best for you.

Lipless cranks, for me fill a certain niche. Early spring, stay shallow (less than 4 feet) and keep them moving. Rest of the year, I want a grass flat - between 3 and 7 feet deep, in a perfect world I'd like a foot and a half of water between the tops of the grass/vegetation and the surface. I keep the rattle bait moving at a depth where it very occasionally touches to top of the vegetation.. Clearer water or murky water doesn't seem to matter much. Long casts do - I get bit farther away from the boat more often than I get bit close to the boat much more often than not. I've experimented with different rigs quite a bit. I generally throw a half ounce bait. I have a Falcon Bucco trap caster (one of the few rods I own that I paid full price for, because I wanted it right then), I use an older Calcutta TEGT filled as full as I can get it with 17 or 20 lb line. I think I'm currently using Suffix Siege, but any abrasion resistant mono is ok by me. In the past I've used Stren Dura- Cast, Berkley Iron Silk - not a big fan of Big Game or any of the P Line varieties.

10 lb vanish will work on a spinning reel. It will work better on a wider spool than it will on a narrow spool. The best way to get line twist out is to cut off all terminal tackle and drag it behind your boat, let it all go out down to the knot on the spool. Drag it for a minute or two and all the twists will come out of it. Crank it all back onto the spool with a decent amount of tension and you'll be good for a while. I think it is a good idea to do this every so often, as a preventative measure. While you are winding it back up, a few squirts of KVD line treatment, when the spool is a quarter full, half full and 3/4 full doesn't hurt either.

I think that you change line whenever you feel like it or whenever it needs it. In my experience, mono can last around a year given light usage. Fluorocarbon lines can last longer. My reels spooled with fluorocarbon get used the most, generally I have to re-spool because I've broken off enough times that the line is down a little bit on the spool and I'm not getting the pitching distance that I want. I think that braid and Fireline can last several seasons.

There isn't any perfect terminal tackle organization scheme. Try to keep items that you use together close to each other. For tournament day, try not to carry more than you are going to need. Back when I was fishing BFL's as a co-angler, what worked the best for me were plenty of small boxes organized according to technique. For example, a carolina rig box, with weights, hooks, swivels, beads and pre-cut leaders. Drop shot box would have weights and appropriate hooks. Tx rig box would have appropriate hooks and weights. You get the idea. Don't worry about overlap, for instance you might use the same or similar hooks in your carolina rig box and your tx rig box - but keep the hooks you want in both boxes. If I was going to be throwing jigs a box with the trailers already rigged saved time digging around for trailers. In the lakes I fished, green pumpkin, PB&J and black & blue were the only colors you needed. Your area might be different. I found that 2 soft sided bags half full were better than one soft side bag completely full. I kept boxes and stuff in one and soft plastics and stuff in the other one. The soft one you can throw down anywhere underneath your seat and not worry if it gets stepped on or whatnot. If you carry more than 3 rods, I totally recommend rod socks, especially on spinning gear, and lure wraps. Take the time to put up one rig prior to picking up a different one. The time you waste putting away gear as you go is better than getting one big tangle that takes 5 minutes or so to dismantle. For going from your vehicle to the boat, I totally recommend getting a rod bag. They solve a lot of transport problems. Don't forget the other gear that makes tournament fishing easier. Those lightweight lights that clip on to your hat are nice. Most guys don't use them and it makes it easier for your boater to find you on the dock when it is dark out. Makes it easier to get from your vehicle to the dock when it is dark out. A decent rain suit is an important part of your tournament gear - don't skimp on this piece of equipment. There isn't any substitute for a stainless steel thermos. A glass one will last until it breaks. A steel one will last until you misplace it. A waterproof case for your cell phone is a great idea. A zip lock bag is better than nothing. Remember to seal it or it doesn't work very well. The point of this rant is that there is a lot more to tournament organization than hooks & weights. There is always room for improvement.

Last time I was out fishing, I was at the ramp, I had gotten my boat out of the water and was putting stuff away and taking my time about it. A couple of guys and a young child drive up. They are pulling an older 80's model multi-species boat. Heavy fiberglass, front casting deck with 4 chairs behind the wind shield. They get lined up on the ramp, about a quarter of the way down and then decide to unstrap the boat, put in the drain plug, all the usual stuff you do a quarter of the way down the ramp. Then, they put a life jacket on the child and put him in the boat - to keep him out of the way I guess. It is a drive on trailer, but the guy doesn't get into the boat, they take a rope with a snap on it and take the winch hook out of the bow eye. The driver tells the guy holding the rope - "Here's the deal, I'm going to back the boat down fairly quickly, once the trailer gets completely submerged I'm going to stomp on the brakes and the boat will just float right off. Hang on to the rope." A good plan - apparently.. The guy backs down, submerges the trailer, stomps on the brakes and the boat floats off the trailer - good so far - As I mentioned, it is a heavy boat and I guess the rope guy wasn't set properly or didn't allow for the soft gravel he was standing on next to the concrete ramp. Anyway the boat floats off the trailer, inertia takes over and continues floating away from the ramp. The rope guy is trying to brace himself in the soft gravel - isn't working - he's being pulled toward the water - so he hops on to the ramp - it is concrete right, so the footing should be better. Not so, the ramp was very recently moistened by a guy putting his trailer in too deep, then stomping on the brakes and then quickly pulling up. Anyway, boat kept going backwards - kid started screaming (probably because he was in a boat that was drifting away with no adult in the boat, but how am I to know) Guy got dragged in past his waist before he got control of the boat. He's in the water up to his waist, still hanging on to the rope, boat has stopped drifting, but the rope is taut between the guy and the bow eye. He gives a mighty tug and the rope snapped. Fortunately the wind was blowing kind of in and the boat blew in to bank - sideways 78 or 80 feet down wind from the ramp. I had trouble keeping a straight face. If the wind had been blowing from the other direction the boat would have floated to the other side of the cove - a distance of a quarter mile or so and it would have hung up on stumps 20 yards or so from the bank. Anyway, when they finally got the boat recovered and nose in to the bank, the guy who was wet anyway waded out and got in the boat (why he didn't jump in at the bow, I don't know.) After ascertaining that the prop was in deep enough water, he started the motor and drove the boat over to the dock, where it drifted away again as he looked through boat bins looking for more rope. Finally found some and got tied up to the dock. Oh, did I point out that the child never quit screaming once the rope broke. That child had a powerful set of lungs. I'll never know why he didn't just get in the boat and start up the big motor once the boat drifted off the trailer. It wasn't cold out, but it wasn't hot either and water temp was around 60 degrees. I think that he had a chilly evening of fishing that was unnecessary. Oh, did I mention that he was wearing high top leather work boots - those got soaked and everyone knows how comfortable those are when they get soaked. Anyway, that's the most humorous thing I've seen recently while fishing. For the record, I would have helped if they had asked, but they didn't ask. I was a hundred or so feet away, just watching. I had a hard time keeping a straight face.

Since I can't get any MORE time fishing, I try to maximize the time I do have. I fish by myself more often than not. I'm not against fishing with a bud from time to time, but fishing by myself, I can only blame myself should I waste some time. Next, I save time by being ready on the water, not wasting time tying knots unnecessarily. To this end I carry 20 or so rods rigged up and ready to go for various applications. They might or might not all get used on a given trip, but the point is that they were there ready to be used. I try to have a plan for the day, based on the weather and seasonal patterns for that day. I try to fish what I interpret as current patterns rather than fishing memories of where I caught fish before. The easiest way to save time is to improve on your basic skills - i.e. cast where you want to accurately and don't backlash. Pay attention to boat positioning and be lined up for the correct cast before you make it. Don't settle for a semi-decent casting angle when given another 10 to 20 seconds you can be lined up better. I never did read that article, maybe the next time I get my oil changed, my Ford dealer keeps Field & Stream in his magazine pile in his waiting area.

In high water, there will be some fish up in the newly flooded area. Several years ago, a June tournament on Truman Lake was won by targeting picnic tables at a state park, which were all under 2 to 4 feet of water. This was a few days after the rain had stopped, but they hadn't gotten the lake down to normal yet. I'm pretty certain similar patterns have happened on Grand Lake before. Wouldn't know about any other Oklahoma lakes. I wouldn't fish while it was actually flooding, but after the rain stops, why not? Come to think about it, why not give it a try while it is flooding, assuming you have a fairly safe boat? The worst thing you could do would be to get it stuck in a really rude spot. The first rule of boating, i.e. "Don't do dumb stuff" applies here. The point here is that it is possible to be adventurous and not be stupid about it.

The trolling motor rule applies to pond boats, same as all other boats. Basically, get the biggest trolling motor you can afford. BPS catalog has a Prowler model - 55 lbs thrust for $200. Spend another hundred and get a 55 lb thrust that has variable speed control. Get the biggest battery you can afford. Getting two deep cycle batteries and wiring them parallel gives you more run time. That is what I did when I had a pond boat. I fished on smaller 100 to 200 acre conservation lakes. The extra battery gave me confidence that I could go to the other end of the lake - fish most of the day and still have battery power to get back to the ramp. Don't kid yourself and tell yourself that you will upgrade later. Spend the money now, while the boat is new. . . . Don't forget the charger - get a good reliable charger and recharge the batteries ASAP after each use. On your pond boat, the difference between different shaft lengths is negligible. Whatever length you get, you'll get used to pretty quick. That's my thoughts on the matter, anyway.

What is and what ain't a decent shaky head rod is very subjective. I have an old Diawa LT 6'3" Finesse rod that I love for shaky heads, primarily in the 3/16 & 1/4 oz range. Buds ask me, "most of your other rods are of good to great quality, why are you using that POS to throw shaky heads with?" Answer - I like it. I like the shorter length, a sensitive enough tips and serious backbone in the 3' above the handle area. I've got longer, 6'6", 6'10" and 7" spinning rods that I don't like as well for shaky heads. (Not to be confused with Slider heads, which have a spinning rod and a casting rod dedicated to throwing them) Point is, take all the recommendations with a grain of salt, find one that you like. What is most important to you in a shaky head rod? Strike detection? Hook setting? Casting distance? Reel seat comfort? Some of these characteristics are mutually exclusive - some aren't - all represent some sort of compromise. Go to a store where they have several different brands, so you can pick and choose. Option B - I don't have one of the DVT custom rods, but the people on this board who do rave about them. Call up DVT, tell Mike what you want and be happy with it after you get it.

I first saw that hook design in the early 80's, and it seems every so often that it re-born, or re-marketed as it were. I believe that LEW's originally marketed that hook design and it seems to me that there have been several incarnations of it prior to the current Z-Man version. I've tried it several times over the decades, probably still have some in one of my old hook boxes. I remember thinking at the time that if I wanted a light wire finesse hook, it was a little heavy and if I wanted a heavy duty texas rig hook, it was a little light. Try it and make your own judgements. I think that more than one fisherman had the experience that ghoti did and that is why they aren't more commonly marketed. It is an interesting concept that does solve the problem of your bait balling up on the hook shank when you set the hook.

I don't think you should fish humps while you're mourning. That could bum you out, and you probably not get all the positive energy you should out of the fishing experience. I'd just go ahead and mourn. Mourn all you want, or as much as you feel is necessary, whichever comes first. Get your head straight, or as straight as feels comfortable for you. Then, the morning after you are done mourning, go fish all the humps you want. I'm just glad that I could help in this situation. Genuine, deep counseling is never easy.

For the most part, you can throw any bait you want on any rod/reel combo you want. Results may vary. Nothing is guaranteed. Try it and find out. I believe that your rod has weight and line ranges printed on it, unless they have worn off. I'd try to stay within those weight and line ranges. Back in the day, I turned a bait casting rod into a spinning rod. Took my dremel moto tool and ground off the index finger trigger until it was somewhat smooth, mounted an spinning reel into the reel seat, tightened it down and smoothed it all out with a roll of electricians tape. It worked - didn't work perfect, but it worked. The worst thing you can do with any of these rod/reel experiments is break the rod. Don't worry, they will make more rods.

I leave my on board charger plugged in all the time. All winter long and between fishing trips in season. I haven't had any battery issues for the past several years. I use Walmart batteries, the biggest deep cycle ones that will fit in my compartment. I buy new ones every other spring. This seems to work best for me. I was unhappy with battery performance going into the third year. Now, in your case, in the information that you provided, it specifically states, about a quarter of the way down the page, more or less, that those batteries are marine STARTING batteries, and aren't recommended or warrantied for deep cycle applications. ( like your trolling motor) I think that is your issue. I'm not enough of an expert to know if that is your issue or not.

I don't have razor sharp reflexes. I find that once a strike happens it is a few tenths to a full second or two before I'm aware of it. It try to set the hook as soon as I'm aware of the strike, every day is slightly different and what works one day doesn't necessarily work the next day. If I can be conscious about it, I think that it is good to set the hook in the opposite direction from where the fish is swimming, but that isn't always possible. I guess using a longer rod is better - moves more line during the hook set and what not, back when buzz baits first came out, guys used whatever rod they had laying around - often a 5 1/2 foot MH pistol grip rod. We frequently got the hook set using that rig. I remember Rick Clunn, in the early 80's - recommending fiberglass rods to throw buzz baits with. That particular tip didn't ever work for me - but like I mentioned I've never had razor start reflexes. Maybe if I fished 200+ days per year that might make a difference for me. Like many pros, Rick Clunn has has his share of hits and misses on tackle endorsements.

Don't have a clue - I'm not that mechanical or brave enough to go about disassembling my reels. I know how to do basic oiling maintenance and that's it. I know that I have several reels that are currently on the shelf because of annoying little clicks. It is good that Chronarch 50E's are on sale for $180, so that's how I solve that problem.

In theory, if you can make your cast stop just above the water with the line fully extended, stop the spool with your thumb, there will be very little splash. I've never made a no-splash cast. I occasionally make a very low splash cast - on purpose - pitching in the 15 to 25 foot range. I guess if you were really good and practiced a bunch you could get better at it at a distance. Good to have goals. I'm also partial to the notion that sometimes a splash is a good thing. So I don't know, try to make the best cast you can each time, the cast you want to make, and go from there.

If you're going to upgrade for trolling motor you'll have to up your ante. $500 doesn't do much when you're looking at foot controlled trolling motors. Looking at my BPS catalog, a Minn KotaFortrex 80 is $1200. A Maxxum is $1000, If you want universal sonar - that is more. Universal sonar (transducer built into the motor head) is a good idea. What kind of trolling motor do you have now? Minn Kota or Motor Guide, I would wager that the bolt patterns from 1986 would fit current models. That is one of the reasons why once a guy makes a decision on which brand to buy, it is a challenge to switch brands - not impossible, but more of a challenge. You are lucky - not very far from where you live, in Hazelwood, MO there is Tri-State Trolling Motors. They sell & service all brands - maybe they can hook you up with a refurbished model. I live outside of Kansas City and back in 2007 when I wanted to get an Alumaducer installed in my 2002 LOWE, they were the only shop in the whole region who a - knew what I was talking about and b - had experience in installing them. I totally recommend them. To recap - you're going to need a 24 volt system at a minimum. Any 12 volt system just won't be enough in the long run - won't be strong enough. If there is any way to get another battery into your compartment, go with a 36 volt system. It is better to have plenty of battery power rather than not enough. Next, if you're going to upgrade your trolling motor game - upgrade your charger action as well. Go with an on board charger. I don't know what your boat has now, but I know they weren't real common in 1986 when your boat was new. Sorry about the bad news - but $500 isn't going to do much as far as upgrading your trolling motor action goes. There are probably other trolling motor dealers in the St. Louis area - Tri-State is the only one I know of and they did good by me. Hope this helps.