Ratherbfishing

Yes, there is a lot of fun in the journey but I don't think humans as a species would have gotten very far if we hadn't handed down our knowledge and experience to the next generation. I will concede that some (many) things can only be learned through personal experience but those are the refinements which, in part, separate the wheat from the chaff.

Don't need to show off. But if one was to ask how people can identify me as a fisherman, I'd say it's the nervous tick I've developed from all the hours of waiting for that minute little "tap tap" on the other end of the line or, perhaps, the odd expression I now have from holding my mouth just so.

If I could find/catch bluegill like those depicted, I'd probably give up bass fishing altogether. Probably my "trophy" catch is hooking a 30" muskie on 6 lb line. 30" isn't big by any means but it was caught in the river current and it pulled hard. I thought I had on a world record smallmouth (what I was fishing for) so I was simultaneously disappointed and elated when I saw it was a muskie.

X2

Well, there's my goofy cousin Greg. He's the fella who wears blue polyster shorts with black socks and a green button down shirt and then wonders why people cat call him. They aren't in my personal circle (thank God) but most of the Chicago/Cook County politicians.

You should have seen the "road" my GPS tried to take me down last week. It was more like a dirt walking path.

Hmmm, me thinks you got a different batch than I did. It's a little stiffer than Trilene XL but a lot stronger. I seldom have troubles with the spool I have. If you want to give yours away, PM me. : )

Figuring out which lure to use and when is a long and imperfect process. But oh what fun!!!

I've tossed a fair number of crankbaits and my favorite is the Rapala Glass Rap.

I can only say that my two biggest bass (6 lb 3 oz, and 7 lbs) were caught on a crankbait.

No but the prop turns fairly easily. I'll check that, though.

Yes. : )

Two vultures are eating a dead clown and one says to the other, "Does this taste funny to you?"

What they said. You didn't say what size crankbait you're using. Sometimes I use tiny crankbaits and it's not at all unusual for bass to throw those little hooks. But big hooks can impair their action. So, although it's already been said, use bigger hooks (if it won't impair the lure's action), sharpen those hooks better (always a plus), use a "softer" action rod, or use stretchier line. Or do all of the above.

My Minn Kota Endura trolling motor worked like a top last fall but this past saturday we took it out and it barely ran. Sometimes we would turn the handle and nothing happened. At other times we turned the handle back and forth and sometimes the prop spun weakly but ultimately would stop (after maybe a hundred RPMs). (We know it's not the battery-it's strong). We took the cover off and there aren't any loose wires inside there. The motor is sealed so I hope it's a problem with the switch or something accessible. I know just enough about electronics to be dangerous so before I fiddled around too much, I was hoping some of you might know what the likely culprit is? Thanks in advance.

It depends. If I'm throwing to specific targets, I don't generally fish thoroughly all the way to the boat. But I also try to listen to what the bass are telling me. One time a buddy and I were fishing a lake which is largely like a giant flat. Were were casting into the flooded cattails and we noticed that a lot of our fish were being picked up near the boat. So we began to spend a great deal more time hopping our jigs vertically before we'd reel them in. As a result, we probably caught twice as many bass. We believe the bass were following our baits all tlhe way to the boat and if we had reeled in sooner, we would have missed a bunch of fish.

I don't know how stupid I look (probably always) but I do catch myself saying "There we go!" if I set the hook and there's weight on the end of my line.

No. This was a cave in France. If it were in Russia, they'd have been drinking vodka. And they'd have been clubbing sabertooth sturgeon.

I have a few of these. I noticed that with the smaller size, I can't use heavy line with it because it impedes the wobble considerably. And I haven't really tried to use it as a jerk bait so much as a subsurface crankbait. But I plan to use them a lot this spring. I've never met a Rapala I didn't like.

Interesting question. We still haven't found the missing link yet. The fossil record indicates there were sabertooth bass and the wolly bass but those were distinct and separate species. There are cave paintings in France depicting fishermen drinking beer and clubbing bass (this was before catch and release-and before wine was invented) dating back some 100,000 years. These were the first bucket fishermen.

Hmmm...Let's see. To be versatile, I'd have to say the Zoom Superfluke, Gulp Turtleback, and Berkley Chiggercraw. But others obviously work well too.

Worst advice: "Don't worry. That storm is going to miss us." Best advice: "Can't catch fish with your lure out of the water."

Hmmmm. Some great suggestions. I also found another Bomber bait (Herky Jerky) which, while perhaps technically a glide or jerk bait, has rattles in it. I wish I could try them all out!

Gang, Besides Bill Lewis Super Traps, do any of you know of any other 1 1/2 oz (or thereabouts) lipless crankbaits? I'm going to Lake of the Woods Canada in August and the smallmouth up there seem to like the giant baits. Thanks in advance.

I'm not trying to be a troll (I swear) but how did you sell 30 Lucky craft baits for $1000.00? That's 33 dollars and some change (not including shipping). I know they're expensive (far too much for my blood) but you must've had some rare/collectible examples. Are they really that pricey? To me selling stuff on ebay is like investing in the stock market by buying high and selling low. I guess I'd rather just stop buying and just continue to use what I have. If you fish much at all, you're bound to lose some baits that you'll want to replace. But yeah, if you aren't going to use them, you might as well recoup some of your expenses.