Chance_Taker4

I went to the Defiance Reservoir today which was a waste of a day. I got kicked out and only caught 2 and 3 lb bass. But anyway the security guard that kicked me out told me to go to Oxbow Lake. I have heard of this place (fished it once or twice a very long time ago) being very popular and have seen lunkers pulled out of there. So I decided to get directions to the lake and check it out. By the time I got there I had to turn around and go back to college for a meeting, so all I could do is scout it. My question is has anybody been there before and fished from shore, if so were are some of the popular spots? The lake is bigger than my normal fishing lakes and I don't have a boat so I am looking for good spots for largemouth that I can get to from the shore.

OK so on my way to the Reservoir I went and picked up a white spinner to go along with my other two. But the reservoir itself wasn't what I hoped for. They had two boat ramps built but no parking lot or driveway to get in. I had to park on the side of the road and walk a little over a half of a mile down a dirt path to get to the lake. Finally when I got there my girlfriend and I were the only two on the water. I was there about an hour when a park ranger came up to us and kicked us out saying that the only people that are allowed to fish the reservoir now are the people that work at the treatment plant and guests that are with them. But in that hour I caught a 2 and a 3 lb largemouth and my girlfriend caught a 1.5 lb largemouth. I caught my two on the white spinner she caught her's on a T-rigged Junebug YUM Dinger. In closing I'm not sure when they will open it to the public or even get a road and parking lot in to the boat ramps but the fish are in there and biting.

It is in Defiance right off of South Clinton Street. I'm heading there now and can give you more when I get back. I live in Toledo to but go to college in Defiance.

I'm not sure what they are feeding on. The reservoir was just open for fishing this Monday and I'm going to check it out Thursday. It was built and stocked in 2007 and the DNR wanted to give the fish a chance to grow and mature so they kept the water off limits to the public up until Monday.

I am new to the use of spinnerbait. I used the last 6 bucks of my college fund to buy two 3/16 BOOYAH spinnerbaits. One is Red with a red and black skirt with a red blade and a black blade. The other is Fluorescent yellow, green, and orange with a fluorescent orange and yellow skirt and fluorescent green and fluorescent yellow blades. I'm going in two days to a reservoir that was just built and just opened to fish starting yesterday. Which spinner would you throw out first? Im going out around 1 oclock in about 65 degrees and light rain.

I'm going on vacation to Gatlinburg, Tn this weekend and from what I hear smallmouth bass are the main type of bass in the waters there. I have never fished for smallmouth and don't know a thing about them. This may sound like a stupid question but I use Watermelon Seed and Junebug colored Yum Dingers when I'm fishing largemouth and was wondering if smallmouths hit them the same way or do I need a different setup for them. The Tennessee law has a single hook limit and no live bait law so I am restricted as to what I throw out there. What would Be the best recommendation if my Dingers wouldn't work?

I am going on vacation with my family to Gatlinburg, Tn this weekend and I am throwing my fishing gear in the car and going to try to do some fishing while I'm there. I am from Toledo, Oh and am not familiar with the area so where are some spots in Gatlinburg to go bass fishing? We rented a cabin up in the mountains. I am trying to stay close to the mountains as I can.

I was doing research today. And like my previous post stated I am going to stat using worms instead of just hardbaits. The problem is I am on a college budget so I can't keep buying worms everytime I turn around and I keep hearing that Senkos do not hold up as well as other stick worms. What brand of stick worms would you recommend to use instead of senkos that will not fall apart after 1 or 2 fish?

I'm just starting to fish with worms. I mostly fished hard baits but I want to start worms. I am going to buy senkos but I don't know what colors to buy. The pond I fish in is very clear and has weeds in literally every square inch of the pond. The ponds deepest part is 6 feet. What color senko would you use in this pond. Also what rig the Texas or the Carolina?

I lip them. I put my thumb in their mouth and place my fingers under their bottom jaw.

I was doing some research on the internet and I was wondering if anybody has heard of putting a wet rag over the bass' eyes when pulling it out of the water to subdue it? The website I was on said the if the fish can't see it will not be aggressive and let you do whatever you want.

Well What I mean when I say the treble hooks are damaging the fish are that when I get the fish out of the water about 90% of the time it is bleeding badly from the mouth (usually the small bass this happens to) and the second hook is hooked into its gill. Then I get one hook out (usually I go for the hook in the gill first) and it flops around in my hand and re hooks the hook back into its gill almost every time making it bleed from the gill as well.

I fish the Rapala XRap 8 almost every time I am on the lake. It catches me every lunker I have caught this season. My problem is I only catch and release and the treble hooks on the xrap seems to damage the fish to much to release them. The hooks don't seem that bad until I land the fish and they start flopping and thrashing around in my hand. I have never seen bass so feisty like the ones that are in this farm pond I am fishing. I have tried replacing the trebles with single hooks and that didn't work I lost a lot of fish. My couple questions are I am thinking about taking one treble hook off and just using one on the lure. Which one should I keep on? Also what can I do to control these fish once I get them. I fish from shore so when they are about 6 inches to 1 foot from shore i pick the line up to lift the fish out of the water to lip it so it doesn't touch the dry ground?

Can I replace the front and the back treble hooks with single hooks and keep the performance close to the same? If so which size and kind ( C or J) would be best?

First off I would like to say thank you to all the people how gave me their input on my last xrap post. But now i have a bit of an issue. I have I belive it is the 8cm xrap. I was fighting a fish today and it felt like it threw my lure so I reeled it in. When I got it in I realized the fish broke the front treble hook off of it. What size treble hook do I need to buy to replace to one that broke since I am going to Bass Pro Shop tomorrow.

Another piece of info that i put in my color selection is I have seen the bass chase and eat the bluegill in the pond but I see the shad just swim around the bass with no problem.

32 inch norther pike on a black jitterbug

Ok thank you for all the advice I will just stick with buyin the xrap. I fish very clear waters what color should I look at? The original shad works in stained but it doesnt seem to in clear water.

I am looking for a suspending lure that has the same action as the Rapala Xrap Suspending that do not cost 7 and 8 bucks like the Xrap does. Does anyone know anyother brands that have immitated the Xrap and is selling them cheaper?

perch colored jitterbug why? because it catches fish

My name is Chance. I live in Toledo but go to college in Defiance. I fish in mostly reservoirs like Swanton, Wauseon, Delta, and Metamora. But I also fish the Maumee River, Maumme Bay, Oxbow Lake (once when I was really little), Harrison Lake, and any farm ponds that let me.