preach4bass

Thank you!

I just bought a Helix, and saved a few waypoints on a mini-sd card. Is there any way I can put that information on my computer and name the locations, and organize them? Thanks for the help!

That's exactly what Boyd and the MLF are doing. They're correcting the market. Nothing unethical about it.

An old college buddy and I have been planning on heading up to Maine to fish the Big Lake for smallies for a few years now. Well, next week is the week we're supposed to go, and the reports are that it's been too cool this spring and they aren't biting yet. Does anyone fish this area and have any advice about whether or not to make the 20 hour drive or to postpone it?

I'm looking at upgrading to a 112 Fortrex. Was wandering from someone who has used one if the acceleration is "all at once" and will jerk you out of the boat, if it accelerates gradually when you hit the button.

I'm contemplating upgrading my electronics from something that simply tells me how deep the water is under my boat, to something that helps me identify offshore structure (without having to do it the old school way, and drag the bottom until I hit something). I've been reading about SI units, and it sounds like the way to go, but I can't figure out how you pinpoint exactly where the structure is. For example, if I see a tree on the unit, how do I know if the tree is 10 feet to the side of my boat, or 50?

Awesome! Congratulations, and nice write-up!

You, sir, are the man!

CURRENT. CURRENT. CURRENT. I grew up fishing fast moving mountain rivers for smallmouth, then moved South, next to a deep, slow moving river full of largemouth. Current is the biggest factor in both circumstances. For river largemouth, we have a progression that we look for: 1. Mixing water. If we can find clear water pouring out of a creek, or even a trickle of "black" water oozing into our stained river, we've probably found the active bass. The bait fish hide in the breaklines, and the active bass flock to them like a fat man to the dinner Bell. Our best presentations here are crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and swimbaits. The lure typically isn't as important as matching the color to the water (use colors appropriate for the dingier main river). 2. Outside bends. Over time the water will wash our little "caves" in these banks. Bass love to back up into them, and rest in the shade and current break. They will take an easy meal if it presents itself. Our best presentations are jigs and Texas rigged plastics. 3. Cover. Fallen trees, cypress knees, bridge pilings, boat docks, rocks, grass clumps, etc. Largemouth are lazy, and tend to use the cover as a current break to get a little rest. There are two great presentations here. If the fish are active (mornings, evenings, prespawn, Fall frenzy, etc.), try bringing a moving bait to the fish from an upstream position. If the fish are inactive (midday, postspawn, summer when it's just hot as blue blazes), try a virtical presentation. I like to drop a jig or plastic right on their nose. Now, when you find a spot that has two of those factors, you've found gold. If you find all three, you've found fish heaven! Of course, none of this means a thing if you don't pay attention to the current. One of our best holes is a creek (that often creates mixing water), on an outside bend, that has a few fallen trees below the surface. All of these factors combine to form the perfect storm of current breaks. We try to cast just beyond any little current breaks, eddies, or slackwater spots, and bring out baits through them. River largemouth are a blast! They're typically a little shorter than our lake bass in the, but they're stockier. I presume this is from the constant workout the current provides. Whatever the reason, they fight more like smallmouth, and love to use the current to get away from the ugly guyin my avatar! Good luck!

Just trying to figure out how to post a picture. After being on BR for ten years or so, I figure it's about time!

I fished them with great success as a kid in the small mountain rivers. When I started fishing bigger bodies of water I forgot about them for a while. Then, while fishing with one of the greatest fishermen I've ever had the privilege of sharing a boat with on a tough lake, he dug in his box and tied on a clear tiny torpedo. He drove out to the middle of the lake, made a couple circles with his boat that got the water choppy, then proceeded to catch a limit. I was stunned. When the bite turned off, he made a few more circles, and started catching them again. By that time I had tied on an old torpedo (I think it was baby bass) I had in my box, and started chunking it. Nothing. So I tried another one (I believe black). Nothing. Finally, the guy asked me if I had a clear. When I told him that I didn't, he got back in his box and gave me one of those little majestic baits. He taught me how to get the blade to spin without moving the bait, and I got to join the catching party. For the past 20 years, I've never been fishing without one. And, on a tough day, it gets brought out, and typically catches them. I love those little things!

Anybody fish this little jewel? Was wandering about the lake level after the recent rains. Also, are there any tournaments on this lake?

My dad is going to be retiring in the next couple of years, and is looking for a boat to help keep him active. He is looking for something steady, with higher sides than a traditional bass boat, yet small enough that he can handle loading/unloading by himself. It will probably be just him and occasionally my mom in the boat. We've looked at the Tracker Panfisher, with stick steering, and he likes it alright, but wanted some more suggestions before he purchases something. Any suggestions? Help me out old fellas!?

Three things come to mind: 1. Don't talk to the"owner" (who isn't actually the owner) about your concerns anymore. You'll probably annoy him and potentially lose your fishing privileges. 2. Find out who the other fisherman are, and find out how they fish. Don't try to educate them on your doctrine of catch and release only. Simply learn how they fish, and develop a strategy around it. 3. I've been blessed to help manage two large ponds. After consulting our regional biologist, I learned that the best thing we could do for both ponds was to KEEP the RIGHT fish. One pond had several bass in the 5-8 pound range, but we wanted bigger. The biologist recommend that we keep every bass under two pounds. It worked. That pond got to the point where it was rare to fish there and NOT catch a five pounder, and the eights got more common. The other pond was full of tiny bass. You could easily catch 50-75 bass in a trip, all around 11 inches. We fished it hard for a few years, and kept out around 600 little bass, and every bream we could catch. Over the first three years we only threw three bass back, that we wanted to stay in there and breed! Now, when we fish that pond, we only catch 20-35 bass, but they average 16 inches, and several will be over 18. Other people fish both ponds, and don't necessarily have the same goals we do. We've never asked them to change (even when we saw a five pounder in a bucket), but have started discussions about how the ponds have gotten a lot better, and then told them what our strategy was. An amazing thing happened when we showed them instead of told them..... we're all on the same page now, everyone is catching plenty of bigger fish, and most importantly, we're all having fun!

I'm a power fisherman. I don't finesse fish...ever. It's just not fin to me. Until today... Our bass are in the first week of postspawn, and the bite was tough. Fished about an hour and only got bit three times, nothing consistent. So, I got in the new bag of goodies I picked up at the tackle store the other day, and had hid in my boat so no one would see this sissy stuff. I pulled out a little ultralight with four pound test line, I use to bream fish with a couple times a year, and tied on a little mushroom jig, and a TRD in peanut butter and jelly (AKA "Turd sandwich"). I proceeded to put about 20 fish in the boat over the next hour, before my dad, who was in the back of the boat, finally decided to give this newfangled bass catching machine a try. We fished another half hour, until we lost every mushroom jig I had in the boat, then we went home. There'sno need in fishing without a Ned rig. We totaled over forty, most between 14 and 16 inches, with the biggest being a hair under 20. Fun stuff on an ultralight. Fun enough that I'm fully converted! I just wish someone would have posted about the Nedrig sooner.....

I used to be a snob when it came to lure size, sticking my nose up at smaller baits. But, a fee years ago I was fishing with a buddy who primarily bream fishes. He was using a little beatlespin, like the one in the picture, and catching a bream on one cast, and a bass on the next. After I had thrown everything in my box, I finally sucked it up, swallowed my pride, and borrowed one. A few minutes later I landed a bass over seven pounds on it. That was, by far, the biggest fish we caught. But, it made me a believer. There is a time and place for bity baits!

You're talking to the guy who is so un-tech savvy that he doesn't even have a profile picture. There's no way I could have captured this event with my left hand!

Had a few hours this afternoon, so I headed to the river. Pulled up at a creek where I've been catching them lately, and saw the water churning with schooling bass and striper that were feeding on herring. First cast, keeper. Second cast, four and a half pounder. Third cast, striper. Fourth cast, striper. Fifth cast, dink. Fished for a couple of minutes without a bite, then tossed out a big rat-l-trap to wake them back up. It worked. First pump I had one load up on it. Keeper. That's where the fun ended.... As I was trying to pop the hook out quickly, so I could get my bait back in the middle of the school, the bass flopped on me, and sank a big old treble deep in my thumb and under the nail. I secured the fish to keep it from flailing around and reminding me how to cuss. Next, I had me a good, long, thinking session. The hook, lure, bass, rod, and reel were connected to my right thumb... and I'm right handed. I decided that the most important thing to do was not let the fish move at any cost. So, I pinned her down between my shin and the boat deck hard enough to make her pass gas (sorry PETA). Then, I grabbed my needle nose and started to fumble around with the hook in the fish's mouth. Thankfully, it popped right out. I was a little jealous of him. And, just so you bleeding hearts can sleep well tonight, I released him, and he swam off just fine, with a cool story to tell his friends. Next, I cut my line so to remove another few obstacles. Then, with my not so useful left hand, I tried about 487 different angles to cut the ring off the lure before I finally found one that worked. Now, it was just me, a big old treble hook, and my chocolate lab, who had been watching the who escapade. I've had to remove numerous hooks before, but this one was at an odd angle, and when I tried to push it through, kept hitting something hard. (Bone, that is). Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the fish were so active because we had a little weather moving in. This weather was a fairly large thunder storm that came up quick, about the time the hook was digging into my flesh. While I was trying to get free, my phone was blowing up, with my wife and friends letting me know that the storm was coming. The rainwater standing in my boat, and the lighting popping around me let me know about the storm too. But, being free, I finally had a chance to let my wife know I was on the way home (using my best "nothing's wrong" voice). Then, I called a buddy who lives close to the ramp, told him the deal, so he met me to help load the boat and get the hook out. Everybody needs a buddy like that! However, after one look, he said, "Dude, you're going to the ER." I did. Numbing medicine is my friend. Hook's out! Worst part of the whole ordeal: On the ride home from the ER, I was talking to my buddy on the phone, and told him about the big school. He asked, and of course, I agreed to meet him at six tomorrow morning to go get them. But, my wife overheard that conversation, and now I can't go fishing....

Thanks for all the replies and advice! I found a suitable bait at our local Walmart of all places, and it worked just as planned this morning. It helped me fill out my limit with a two and a quarter, but the jig was dominant today. Can't wait to try it out again when they are a little more active!

Yes! That 8.0 is exactly what I've been looking for. Thanks!

I want to fish a BIG crankbait, but don't want it to go 25 feet deep. Are there any big shallow diving (4-6 feet) crankbaits out there? I want the depth of a Bandit 200 series, but two or three times the size.

Mercy, praying for his girls.

About ten years ago I purchased a Browning Model 751 knife. It is a fixed blade skinning knife, with a built-in pocket knife in the handle. I lost the pocket knife about a year after I bought it, but the main knife is still in service. I've cleaned close to a hundred deer, several hogs, and all sorts of other game with it. It has been, and continues to be, a great knife. Well, I decided that I wanted to purchase another one before Browning quit making them, but I'm too late. I was wondering if any of our knife aficionados might know where I could find one. Thanks!

I duck hunt. Similar to what you're describing, I went with a buddy several years ago and it messed me up. I think we killed two woodies, and by "we" I mean "he". I didn't hit a thing. But, I was hooked instantaneously. It's a lifestyle. If we're not duck hunting, we're scouting, working on habitat, training dogs, or talking about it. We were blessed to hunt 59 of the 60 days that the feds gave us to hunt laser year. Some of my best times and favorite memories are in the swamp. I love it with a passion, and hope you learn to as well!