Peter E.

and fish will stage themselves according to their prefered temps. and bait fish range.

Very proud of ya there boss. Which theory?

Well the Native Ultimates are what they call a hybrid design. They have spray skirts and all manner of add-ons. You can check them out at www.nativewatercraft.com the designer lives across the bay from me.

I was a little bit surprised to see kayaks and an article on fishing from kayaks in this past months Bass Master magazine. I myself have been fishing from one for about 4 years now and I have really enjoyed it. Down here on the Gulf Coast we have kayak fishing tournaments for inshore and bass. I agree that there are draw backs to fishing out of kayaks but there is alot to enjoy in it too. For example there is no stealthier way to fish and small creeks and tributaries are just waiting to be explored. I really hope that maybe some folks on this forum might enjoy doing a little fishing out of a yak. Heres a few picts to give an idea of how it all goes. And guys in bass boats, please keep an eye out for kayakers, I realize that we're hard to see sometimes but we're just trying to go fishing too. My New Yak, Native Ultimate 14.5

enjoy. I caught more fish in a 12 foot jon boat than most folks have a right too. You're going to enjoy it. Next get yourself a kayak.

"There is nothing new under the sun", Soloman

The biggest trick for releasing your fish in the safest manner is to simply debarb the hook or just fish with barbless hooks.

I ahve to agree with all of the previous posts although I would like to add that not all deep places are created equal. One of the best things to look on a lake is cool water running into the lake. These creek mouths provide a refuge for the fish and a flow of bait into the lake. Often the fish will stay off the drop off adjacent to the creek mouth during the heat of the day and move higher into the water column as the heat of the day fades or other low light periods of the day. Deep grass edges are also a good spot to look for with the smaller fish generally on the edges of the grass. The larger fish are tucked in deeper. I normally try to work the edge with down sized lures and then once I find an active school slow down and work further in with a larger bait. In rivers rock out croppings and soap stone walls will often hold fish due to the fact that the moving water is cooler and it channels shad past the bass' ambush points. Spinner baits and crank baits are ussually the ticket, though you can also get a good bite on suspending jerk baits. With Jerk baits, the clearer the water the more effective the presentation. Good luck. Peter

sorry about that, the link to the facebook.com event is: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=67966147151

on March 28th, there will be a tournament held on Big Creek Lake in Mobile AL. With a 1:00pm pre-meeting at the launch, the launch is 2:00pm and the weigh in is at the launch at 7:00pm unless otherwise specified by the lake keeper. This tournament is for small boat enthusiasts, so this would mean Kayaks, Canoes, Jon boats, and so on. That being said no combustible engines are allowed. Unlike most bass tournaments, the limit is only three fish, and you may get out of your boat so long as your boat is tied to you. Like in all other tournaments there is no live bait, (this is more for our saltwater brethren). The fees are: $10 entry fee per boat $5 big fish pot Hope to see some of y'all there. If you have any questions please let me know. There is an event link on face book with additional info. Thanks, Peter

I gotta admit that my lure types dont change very much. What does change is the size and speed that I work the lure in the water collumn. I normally use a large crankbait like a DT18 and work it slowly, bumping off the bottom, or a jig and pig with a little more bulk and a slower fall. I have been using 4 inch tubes texas rigged on 1/8th oz bullet weights around sunny protected areas with a sandy bottom, jerk baits work well there too. Slow rolling big single spin spinner baits is a good choice too. All in all what you use doesnt change much for me, I just keep in mind that the fishes strike zone is smaller and that they are going to try to expend the least energy for the most food. To keep things natural, remember that the forage is sluggish in the cold, more so than the bass. Good luck, and enjoy your fishing. Peter E.

My vote is for spotted bass.

No idea if anyone has stated this but I'm going to give you my experience with having a pet bass. Good cover is good for the fish, Take extra care of your filtration system, and under gravel filter is a big plus. Also dont worry about the fish out growin the tank, fish grow in portportion to their enviroment. Finally if you have any crawfish traps see about getting up some bait sized ones. The fish will love it and if you catch enough of them they'll help keep the tank clean. Oh and a add a bream for added fun. They're a trip to watch interact. Have fun with the fish and beware of infection, add any slime solutions that you can find. The fish isnt made for a super sterile enviroment. Peter

i miss bass like that.... theyre scarce in tournaments

One thing that it could be would be a fungal infection. Often there are tons of fungi and bacteria all over every living critter, but the fact it that the body's immune system easily fights them off. But every now and then the immune system ignores a particular bacteria and you get growths, infections and such. No idea why it happens. Odds are that you aren't likely to see it again. Hopefully.

So long as he didnt spend too much time out of water or end up gill hooked, I'm sure he's fine. tough critters those bass.

If I was able, both. i wouldn't be surprised if the drop in temps didnt send the fish shallow and into a good feeding mood.

Sam is dead on on the dangers of the wind, but all in all, the wind can be indicative of fronts and pressure systems. There are plenty of little sayings about the wind, like wind from the west, fish bite the best, and wind from the east, fish bite the least. This comes from the idea that with a westerly wind you have stable conditions while an eastern wind shows a front or high pressure system. Same for northern and southern winds. But should the wind deter you from fishing, most likely not. But it can give you a clue into what the fish are doing, and then you have a better chance to adapt to catch those fish. Good Luck, Peter

You boys should enjoy fishing for auburn. Het up with Jann Swain he is the club's academic advisor.

Hey I/m from selma down stream from Pratville. But up and down the river the colors and presentations dont change very much. Big shad crank baits with charttrues, like a lime shad. Also jigs in the wood cover, I like pumpkin seed chartrues. I also like to dead stick around the soap stone walls with black and blue, red and black, or june bug craw worms on a 3/8 oz weight (texas rigged). If you have some more specific questions ask away. Peter

I'm going to have to put the florida gator trout in my shop! That was a trip. Thanks for sharing. Peter E.

It depends on your line usage, and the memory of the line. Also certain types of line will break down faster than others. Personally my line gets replaced about every 3 months. Look for your line to curl, and look for there to be places in your line that are whit and crusty. When you get there its time to change out your line. Also keep an eye on your line and make sure it isn't nicked beat up, if so cut that section of your line out. Good Luck, Peter

Well for me I like a big colorado bladed spinner bait, it must be black. I also like a black and chartrues top dog. And a black and bone jitter stick. Huge black knuckle head poppers are great. Good Luck, Peter E.

I was wondering what college teams would be interested in having a tournament in alabama other than the Auburn Series? Not that theres is anything wrong with the series I just was wanting a few more tournaments. Peter

Alright a budy of mine has a Calcutta 100 (silver) and it is in poor condition. I tried to take it down and take a look at it but the proble is still occurring. What is happening is that when you push the thumb bar the reel does not disengage to cast. Any ideas on what to do or where to get a scematic on the reel? Peter