Nitrofreak

I made sure to thank everybody too before we headed back home, I thought as well how amazing it was and was truly grateful for their efforts in putting together and document a stellar tournament, well said man !! I look forward to seeing you at the Veterans tournament on Friday !!!

Just a tad late there puddle jumper LOL !! I finished 83rd, weighed in a whopping 1.8 lbs wwwoooohhhhhoooo ! ? I did learn a great deal and your advise has a lot of what I had learned about the day, I really didn't give much thought to paying attention to what they were throwing, I pretty much focused on what I knew I had a lot of confidence in for the water conditions etc... we had that day, they could have been throwing the same thing I guess and maybe a change would have improved our chances, that's something I will defiantly keep in mind for the next time. I did have a lot of fun making plans and rigging up in anticipation of our days event, If I had to grade myself however I wouldn't know where to begin, we were in the right areas but my approach was not stealthy enough on those stained shallow flats, I hit the trolling motor while on the lowest setting and spooked a nice group of fish, flashes everywhere and mud trails to let me know how big of a mistake I just made, things like that plagued me all day long, huge lesson right there, that's just one of the mistakes I made. I have another coming up on Veterans Day, I'll take what I have learned and apply it in the rest of what is to come, your advise is truly appreciated and I will put it to good use in the future my friend, thank you very much for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with us, it means a lot !!!

Hey congrats man !!! I hope you get the opportunity to get your dad out as much as possible my friend. Please pass along my sincere thanks for his service to this great nation of ours !!!

I believe I gave it all I had buddy, I feel as if I did, I believe that resulted in the offers presented to me, like you, I feel like that part of the day was worth more than anything else. thanks for everything Hamma !!! I overheard one conversation that a team was having where one of the anglers actually told a non tournament angler to move because of the investment he had made, wouldn't put it past anyone to be truth the way some of them handled themselves. Truly great event you missed out on but I hope to meet up with ya someday and say Howdy !! Thanks Logan !!! You fishing the Veterans tournament on the 11th there ?

Thanks man !! I don't know if they get any easier either my friend, guess I'll find out next year hopefully, it's a lot of fun and I hope you get to experience it if that's one of your goals. God bless and thanks a bunch !!!

Well, I learned a lot, does that count ??? LOL! WOW !!! What an experience that was, 150 boats, 300 anglers, on a 9600 acre impoundment, pretty big event for my home lake, in hind site I let the emotions get to me, I got flustered and lost sight of the big picture, started the morning boat 69, first stop, fishing a large flat, noted a lot of bait in the area but not much in the way of activity, first indication of life came about 15 minutes into the event, water conditions, stained, surface temp. 65, worked my way off of an old concrete bridge piling to an old boat ramp with lots of chunk rock, made a handful of casts before an angler pulled in beside of me and started fishing ahead of me, not upset but meh, ok, first experience with this sort of thing, first fish came from an area they had just passed, just barely legal but a keeper non the less, little boost of confidence that we were on the right track, the little guy came from a spinner bait slow rolled over some old road bed gravel, then, nothing, hit a couple of areas in that large flat that had some bird activity but nothing, moved to an area that had a little bit clearer water but couldn't find any activity, this area had a high concentration of anglers in it already, well, I decided to hit a couple of areas that I had known of and again came up empty handed, probably should have fished behind some of these guys and tried my luck anyway, I didn't even think about already following up with one angler, anyway, to make a long story short, I finished up with 2 little fish that weighed 1.8 pounds, combined, winning weight was just over 12 pounds, actually 12.55 won the event, seems as though I fished behind someone all day long and in hind site I probably could have / should have fished some areas that I know better but didn't even try. It was a lot of fun having you guys along, I did pay attention, I kept it simple, I fished my strengths , didn't let the ones who cut in front of me have too much of the pie so to speak, I weighed in when a lot of others didn't, not much but meh, a little success is always a good thing, in my case, very little LOL !! I wish to thank all of you for the advise it means a lot !!! The experience was great, I ended up with a few offers from some pretty good guys to go out with on the water, and I even met one of our members here who loaned me a measuring stick, didn't know who he was until about an hour ago LOL !! Thanks FishnFritz !!! There is always the next time, next year, who knows what the future holds but I am looking forward to future endeavors on the water, continuing and learning as much as I can from you guys and gals and putting what I learn into experience, hopefully someday passing some of that experience along to others. Guys and Gals, thank you very much !!!

Too late for that man !! LOL !!

While I will not argue the advancements of technology and the usefulness that they provide, we are also gifted with a second set of eyes that I feel we often overlook, we are built with sensory inputs just as our electronics are built, our paths have been intertwined and in this modern day push button world we have lost some of the intimacy of using our own tools, our hands is the reference in which I am speaking, they can translate a clear picture of what is going on beneath the surface with the use of proper tools. I posted this to hopefully inspire others that there is so much more to the underwater world than what lay on the shores, sure there are docks that hold bass, sure there are lay downs that hold bass too, what does one do when those bass have been molested and bombarded with baits often enough that they are regularly conditioned to unnatural presentations and the angler can not buy a bite, all of us have been there, we look toward the open water and ask ourselves if they might be out there somewhere? Fishing the changes in structure is a key that can unlock some of those questions we ask ourselves, I'm merely offering encouragement to turn around, look under your boat and not at the dock by itself, the lay down by itself, we are often distracted by the visual attraction of the shallows, often overlooking the brush pile we just ran over or that sudden change in the form of a rock line, a drop off, what ever the change is, there is more of it out there that is unmolested with fish that have never seen an artificial bait. I am reminded of a line in the movie Star Wars "The Empire Strikes Back" the scene where Luke is using the force to lift the X-Wing from the muck, Yoda was talking about the force, it's energy from which that makes up the force, what's beneath you, above you, around you, I think what the pros do is much like this, they are aware of not what the sonar is sending back but also of the surroundings outside of what the sonar can translate. These are the things we must introduce ourselves to, familiarize ourselves with, become comfortable with. There is no try, only do ~ Yoda.

Will do man !!!

I'm still working on that but I am getting closer, I can't see the 3D picture in its entirety just yet but I am seeing the neuances that give me a good idea, there are some areas where I can see that 3D vision you speak of, just like I referenced from the lessons I am learning, I can even see the fish staging on a rock or some other form of cover as the bait slowly makes its way to the target, it's working, I have you and many others to be thankful of for that. It gets a little easier after a while, it takes a while for those of us who have not grown up around others who already have knowledge, this knowledge, to grasp the concept, of course I am referencing my own experience, sounds like you are going through it just as I am doing, that dock you caught "that fish" on, remember, it was only one, (in reference) it could be you catch one every time your there, if so then your close keep looking, there is a reason there is always one there, or over there, it could have been that fish was a resident fish as well, but it was a nice one, a memory, in general when a bass reaches its maturity it goes off in search of that sanctuary in which you speak. As with boat docks and lay downs they both take a calculated approach, it may be that same way with the area you find fish on, factors of a different nature may play a role, as with docks you dissect them, we fish floating docks differently than we fish stasionary ones, each will have their own approach, how hard is the sweet spot we want to reach to get to, we my chose to fish the parameter before we hit that area for some of the more aggressive fish, same goes for areas that we find, it begs our attention to detail, the bait may be coming from one direction and you fishing the opposite could spook and or cause them to reject the presentation because it's not natural to them, you must take into account things of this nature while your out there and remain as open minded as you possibly can, it will happen if you keep after it. Good luck and be safe !!!! Not all of us get it right away, that's the reason I stated "for now" My point is merely to encourage those who are wanting to move out and explore to stick with it. I still have a long way to go myself, I may never get it right, I know one thing however, if it wasn't for the well educated "old school" educators like yourself helping us along our way we would be at a loss, I am forever grateful for the guidance and I know I am a better angler because of your participation in this forum. My first boat had a flasher, seems like eons ago now, what a long way we have come, I have learned a lot from reading your posts, everything has its place, from the smallest of life forms to the targets we seek, plankton to bait fish, bait fish to target fish, it all has a role to play and deserve someplace reserved in our memory banks. Thanks Tom !! I won't stop, I promise. very well said and I thank you !!!

It can be very confusing when your walking down the isle of your favorite bait shop, I agree, limit the amount of things you need to just a few is a great idea when your first starting out, the T-Rig ( Texas Rig ) is basically our SUV, the go anywhere do almost anything kind of rig you want, you can finesse that set up by removing the weight and using a split shot for those really finicky days. Start there, you really can't go wrong with that, as you are starting out, try making your bait enter the water as quietly as possible, work on technique and presentation while your getting the feel for what's on the bottom vs. what is a bite, start by working your way around cover from the outside and work your way in if you are able to do so, focus on points if at all possible or bridge pilings, easy targets that hold fish, don't get discouraged, your going to get hung up, your going to lose some tackle, if you get hung up try not to make to much of a ruckus trying to free the bait, a lot of times a bass may be eying the bait, try giggling the line first and see if you can illicit a strike, most of all, enjoy your time on the water. Good luck and be safe !!!

I am not much help, not yet anyway, I made a promise to Catt that I would pass along the things that I learn to others, someday I hope to hold true to that promise with clear and concise information, I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed but if I can help, I'll defiantly try. Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated riverbasser !!

Sound advise man, Thanx !!!

OMG YOUR HILARIOUS MAN !!!! Thanks for all that, I started working on reminders last night from all of you guys of the things I will take with me on my first outing, a lot of this is going to stick with me for a very long time and I for one am going to enjoy having all of you there with me, well, not physically because my boat just ain't big enough, I'm pumped, ready to go, one big deep breath at launch and I will turn my focus to what I do and do it to the best of my abilities for that day. Thanks big guy !!!!!

Deep, shallow or in between, from my experience thus far, I think the hardest thing when I think about it is getting started, accepting the change and the wait of finally setting the hook on that first change in structure bite. Where does one begin to look, what am I looking for, how will I know when I find it, what do I do when I find it, questions just seem to lead lead to more questions. Simplifed, if one can do such a thing, you can break it down to one important aspect, that aspect to me is change, distinct or subtle, it's most always the change in structure that will render all the answers your looking for, put aside all the terminology for now and simplify everything, the rest can and will come at a later date while you are at the beginning of your underwater journey into the unknown. All the looking, all the time spent casting at things that aren't visible to the naked eye with exception to the waters surface is a truly tuff task to overcome at first, especially when that tree laying up close to the shore just keeps calling your name and your not getting bit, you begin to wonder if that graph of yours is lying to ya, it's one of the hardest things in the world to do sometimes IMO, to break from our patterns of fishing visible cover to expand your fishing prowess, we are after all creatures of habit, it's not until you finally catch that very first one that you truly begin to understand the changes, shucks, while we are on the subject of change, even you yourself will undergo a change as well in some form or another, maybe your approach takes on a change, a transformation if you will, a totally different mindset in the way you approach and fish an area, depth becomes irrelevant to you and becomes relevant to only that of your target or the species you chose to hunt, no longer will you look at the vast open water and simply see the emptiness of the surface and feel the sensation of being overwhelmed, a change has taken place not only under the surface but above it as well, you can now begin to envision your bait slowly falling beneath the surface, you can almost feel the fish watching it as it falls toward them, to me it was that first one that was the hardest one but one worth the wait. Once that first one has landed the change is inevitable, a new journey begins, the excitement of fishing is rekindled in a new and different light, again and again you find yourself looking at and for different variables, exploring new and uncharted water, re-exploring already visited waters, you begin to realize what it means when they say that only ten percent of a body of water will hold ninety percent of the fish, it's that exciting moment to find or see an area the size of a compact car in something like a 10,000 acre impoundment for the first time light up your sonar screen, to see a pattern on your sonar screen that looks like a big bowl of spaghetti on the bottom, to think that your fishing that pin drop of an area with a minuscule artificial bait, yes, it becomes that specific and at times, just as simplistic. Change, that one word, at least for me, that sums up everything, fishing the changes has changed my fishing forever and I can't wait to see what it has in store for me and the rest of us !!

Makes sense, that just may be the ticket too the way this past tournament went, thanks, it's much appreciated !!! OK ! OK ! Stop hollaring at me LOL !! Thanks big guy !!! Your right, it doesn't and certainly makes plenty of sense, thank you !!! Got it, shut up and fish!!! LOL !! I want to say thanks all for the truly great advise, I'm looking forward to finally getting started on this journey and I will take every bit of this with me and put it to good use, I am not expecting anything but to be confident in the fact that I will give 100 percent, if I come back with an empty well, it won't be from the lack of effort, it will only mean that I have learned a new lesson to put to use for the next time. From the heart, Thanx everyone !!!

I hate failing it's aggravating as hell LOL ! Fishing is just a mindset, the skills you aquire takes work, the water you explore begs of education for the habitats below the suface, it's putting all of this together and having the patience to work through it which gives us as anglers the challenge and drive us in the pursuit of the ensuing reward. Truly glad to hear that your learning and succeeding in your endeavors to become a better angler my friend, I thank you deeply for the kind words, I hope to someday meet up with you at some point and share some fish tales LOL ! Good luck and be safe !!!

Sept 11-17 Fishing this ol girl this week was a pain but an enjoyable one, to find a single fish on the bottom would have been an exciting moment, needless to say fishing her was almost like everything was suspended, like fruit in a big bowl of jello, water temps ranged from 81.9 to 89.5, water clarity ranged from about 3 to 4 feet to a mere few inches, down lake a lot of the water was brackish, (that brownish looking color) but with visibility of about 4 feet in the areas I visited. I learned a lot this week of how to fish for suspended bass with some success, I learned a lot from the cooler stained but oxygenated waters that flowed into the upper regions that I had visited also finding some success, I learned that fishing that skinny water takes a truly finesse approach, not just from your bait selections but from a mentality standpoint as well as a mechanical/methodical approach for an area, I fished everything from 45 feet to 1.5 feet of water, I went through 2 tanks of gasoline covering the entirety of this 9000+ acreage body of water to learn more intimately the importance of a never say die attitude. I fished my strengths and she showed me my weaknesses, I fished my weaknesses and she gave me confidence in becoming a more versatile angler. This lake is one lake that I will always have a soft spot for in my heart, she is forever my arch enemy, my nemesis and yet, my love. She has given me life, she has inspired me to do more, push myself harder, to reach in and touch her very soul only to have my hand smacked away just like a childs hand in a cookie jar just before I could grab it and hold on, she would tease just a bit just like a girl to keep your attention then cut you from the family as if she's never known you. Anna, I thank you for the lessons this week, I look forward to the change of season and the challenges of fall that you will give to us. The fish I caught before the tournament this past week.

One of the anglers I would most like to meet, I've met a few, one of the most respected I've met was Paul Elias, another down to earth angler and all around great guy. Swindle deserved this honor for his efforts this year, it's been a long wait to see him on top again, congrats big guy !!!!

I applaud you for taking the time to give back to our service men and women, keep their rods bent and you will have done more for them than you can ever imagine. I personally thank you for taking the time to take care of those who have taken care of us, I wish you well, be safe and have fun, be sure to post up how your day went buddy !!

I think he did, we sure laughed a lot anyway, a little disappointed because of a slight mishap on our part, when the 5th place winners were announced we could have sworn we were in the top 5, he got all excited as did I, we just missed the mark though LOL ! Really great guy to have had as a partner for the day. Thanks Buzzed !! Always my friend, always !!

I do remember, my only hope is that I helped without confusing you, it's time to put some of this stuff to the test but at least it's on a body of water I have studied the last two years in intimate detail in hopes that I can go somewhere else and have some success as well, Va seems to be a finesse anglers dream come true, a lot of hard work has gone into my presentations, bait selections, tackle choices in general. This past week was one of the toughest weeks I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with, it taught me a lot about patience, timing, attention to details we just don't use in everyday angling but must stay familiar with. Thank you my friend, it means a bunch !!! Thanks Dave, I'm excited to get this done and under my belt, nervous a bit, yes, one could say that, it's a good feeling to have the support of friends and one that I will carry with me for sure !!! Thanks buddy !!!

Thanks BB, it's much appreciated man !!

I know what to expect as far as tournaments go, this is my first tournament for a measuring stick to see how much I have learned, I have set a couple of goals, primarily to make sure that I have fun and not stress over anything, second goal, to reach the top 25 ( that one is not going to make or break me but it's where I hope to be) there will be some truly great sticks in this tournament on my home lake and if I can break the top 25 I will feel like I have accomplished something and that I am on the right track. The tournament is an angler appreciation tournament, it's Oct. 30th, I plan on trying to do a little pre fishing before then for ideas of where the fish will hopefully be the day of the tournament, other than that I won't really have much more time for. Any and all suggestions/advise welcomed and would be appreciated, Thanks all !!!

No saint brother, just a red-neck blooded American that appreciates the sacrifices of our men and women, it's a blessing to do as such, thanks Hamma, means a lot my friend !