Bankbeater

Went out Saturday to a lake that my fishing buddy has been having pretty good luck on. Air temps were in the low 40's but ended up in the high 50's. I got a bunch of dinks and one that went 16" long. That was my first real keeper of the year, so I'm hoping the fishing around here is starting to turn around.

Congrats, good job!

When they get snagged and you give them some slack, sometimes they shoot right to the top.

One time my Dad's two piece rod came apart and the top half went out into the lake. I swam out and got it for him, but it was in July and hot outside. For a lure I would just get another one.

I know just how you feel. Several years back I was making a left at an intersection that didn't have a light. I made my left and was almost through the intersection when some idiot came flying from the opposite direction and caught me in the rear left quarter panel. Completely caved it in and just scratched his bumper and cracked the grill. Come to find out that this guy was a mechanic who was test driving a customer's car after he had finished repairing it. I told the cops that he was speeding, and I even had a witness that backed me up! It didn't matter, because the law said that the vehicle making the left was automatically at fault. I took it to court and got what you would call a partial victory, I guess. Judge said that the accident would have never happened if I had not made the left turn, but did agree that the mechanic was speeding. All in all I had to pay for my repairs and he had to pay for his repairs.

I hear that. Two weeks after I was released from the Dr. the pain was getting less and I had full mobility back in my arm. I forgot to take it easy and started doing regular stuff again. Torn my shoulder up almost the way as the first time.

Grew up in St. John, but I've lived in St. Charles going on 31 years now.

Good post Catt.

When I was 18 I was catfishing from some rip rap. I got up to check one of my rigs and when I stepped down on a rock it turned over on me. My right knee came down on a rock w/ a point on it. I got a hole in my knee that was about 1/2" wide. Wrapped up my knee and kept fishing. Later on that night my knee started to swell up. It got so big that it wouldn't bend any longer, and I decided that I needed a Dr. to look at it. They took an x-ray and the picture showed a crack like you would see in a windshield. The edge was in one piece and the center was busted up. Even though the ER couldn't do anything but put a dressing on it they recommended that I treat it like a regular break and take it easy for about 4 weeks. Now I have a nice little scar right where the hole was.

Great pic!!

We got a late start pond hopping yesterday because of the rain. We started fishing around 7:30 in the morning, but the weatherman said the rain would stop around 8:00 and start back in around 2:00. The rain slowed down but was constant all day until it was time to leave. Then the sky cleared up. My partner found them with a 1/2 oz. rat-l-trap and caught 7 or 8 little ones in about 2 hours. After that the bass went down. He only brought cranks so he didn't get anymore fish. I was throwing a 3/8 jig and got one small one, and a couple of misses. I switched over to a brush hog and caught four more before we left.

Nice bass. I wish I could catch one big enough to put my fist in his mouth like that.

Always went a lot during summer vacation when I was in school. While I was in college and working I probably went once or twice a year. Same for the first 14 or 15 years after college. With a family and work I never seemed to have time. Since my daughters are older now my wife and I can do more of what we like. For me its fishing, for her its shopping.

I have always had very good luck with cut bait. Usually shad, or sunfish. Check your state's DNR for rules first before using sunfish.

Good job. Around here they hit rat-l-traps.

Stay safe and hurry home.

Last year was the first year that I really fished a fluke on a regular basis. I used them in, and around, grass and weeds and had very good results. I also discovered that turtles would hit them and bite the bait in half.

Needle nose pliers, sharp knife, digital scale, a small pair of wire cutters that I use for line, and a tape measure.

Beetle spins. I have only caught one bass on them. Stopped using them years ago.

Water, sunscreen, hat (wide brim if its sunny and hot), sharp knife, and a camera. I usually eat like a pig as I'm putting the stuff in the car so sometimes I take food and sometimes I don't.

All through March the bass were tearing up lipless baits on pretty much any lake you went to. Now that the weather is getting back to normal I would think that plastics are the way to go.

Rat-L-Traps Sub-Warts Mann's 1 Minus

I still like to throw my big-o's. They were the first crankbaits I used when I started bass fishing.

I like to take a 6" stik-o, cut it in half, and put it on a t-rig. If the bass are in the mood for it they will tear it up.

Welcome Back!!!