dink

Great job, Nick. You are definitely an inspiration to alot of younger anglers in our ranks! Kudos!

Russ, Years ago I would haul a battery and a transom mount TM to smaller lakes that rented Jon boats. Before putting the TM on the boat, take out the screw that holds the head (speed controls, wiring, etc.) on to the shaft and turn the head 180 degrees. That way, you don't have to run it in reverse on the front of the boat. Now just mount it anywhere up front that you can. Set it on the lowest speed setting poosible for the conditions and just adjust direction with a nudge of the knee. You seem pretty 'spry' and we are roughly the same size.... you can figure it out. Good luck.

whenpeoplepostareplywithabsolutelynoregardforpunctuationspacingspellingoranythingelsetaughtinfourthgradeandthengetoffendedwhenitisbrougthtotheirattention ;D ;D

Fall definitely means fun withthe 'biggies' again. I have already started to dust off my large obnoxious spinnerbait and buzzbait selection. My fishing hole is only a 250 acre man-made impoundment with very stained water (2 foot visibility). As the water cools and the days get shorter, the shad go shallow into the bays and coves as well as the main lake flats. Large moving baits with mucho vibration help me score with big bass and some huge cats. Oh what fun!!

Good summary Keith. You nailed it with that last paragraph about keeping an open mind. Interesting topic. dink

I tried this at night and ended up fishing in a tree! ;D

Man, you guys watch alot of TV!!! I never have time to watch that much TV. When I'm home, I am else eating, sleeping or mowing the lawn. When I do watch TV, it is for about ten minutes and it is always the Weather Channel. P.S. Yesterday was my 150th day on the water this year .

I got my pliers at Walmart in the craft section. Assembly instructions for tandem-blade baits: 1. On the arm of the spinnerbait, start by sliding on a bead. 2. Now put on the clevis (hanger for the front blade) with the front blade already hanging on it with the cupped side AWAY from the head of the bait. 3. Now add another bead and a spacer and another bead or two or three or four etc. but not too many, you still have some bending to do . 4. Grab the end of the wire arm with pliers leaving a little stem (1/16th of an inch) sticking out the other side of the pliers (meaning don't grab the VERY end) 5. Hold the bait and pliers very firmly and twist (quickly and smoothly) the "stem" around to touch itself (the wire arm). 6. On the loop you just made, you can now attach the ball bearing swivel with the split rings already on it. Note: Make sure the spinning half of the swivel is toward the rear blade. 7. Last, attach the rear blade to the spinning side of the swivel. 8. Put a skirt on it. 9. Catch a fish. Have fun Dink P.S. For a single blade bait, skip to step 4.

Jacuzzi.

Bad RW! ........... GOOD RW!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

If you have already mastered the painting part, the rest is simple. Obviously you will need some beads, spacers, swivels (ball bearing type preferably), clevises (hangers for the front blade) and of course a good selection of blades. I came up with my own blade configurations by looking at existing ones on the market. This is where trial and error can be a little expensive yet fun nonetheless. As for bending the wire into a loop at the end for the swivel, I searched out a pair of craft pliers specifically for wire bending. They look like needle-nose pliers except the jaws have no grooves or flat sides where they should mesh. They are both perfectly round and make a nice even loop on spinnnerbaits. Remember, let your imagination run wild and have fun with it. One of my favorite baits that I make is a 1/2 oz white tandem Colorado/willow white blades, but the Colorado blade is a little oversized. I was told by a bait shop owner/tournament fisherman that it would not run right like that. Three 6s later, I still don't believe him. Happy building.

GMAN, After keeping a detailed log for the last six years for our area (St. Louis), my only other suggestion is to make sure you pay particular attention to wind velocities and directions each day you go fish. That one point seems to be crucial when I look back at my old logs to get an idea for the present. I don't concern myself too much with details about actual baits and their respective sizes as much as weather, water conditions and presentations.

No problem. That topwater bite will surprise you sometimes (mid-day). A Texas rigged worm should work fine in the weeds with a high sun. Try pegging the weight to get better penetration through the weeds. Also try Texas rigging a salt craw in those same weeds. Happy fishing.

When a bite seems to "shut off" on strip pits, I usually go to a topwater bait. I will start out with a buzzbait or spook along the weed edges. If that does not produce, then I will try a frog or lizard (weightless) on top of the weeds. You did mention rain in your post. One my best rainy day methods is a white spinnerbait with gold blade(s) waked just under the surface. Conversely, I like my topwater baits to be dark colors on rainy days. Good luck and stay dry .

For the record, I am a devout C & R follower. Although..... I have always been under the impression that a state record class fish is in the waning years of its life (bass specifically). Thus, keeping such a fish would not negatively affect the overall genetic quality of the lake or river. As far as invasion of your little piece of paradise, if you tell even one person or show just one picture of such a fish, word will get out and the invasion will be inevitable. We are all fishermen here... we know how it works. It may take a little longer, but will happen nonetheless. Yet, as with all hype, it will eventually die. So, I voted YES. After all is said and done, it is as cool as that trophy you won't throw away..... because it is memories!

Kudos to you! Great article. Keep 'em buzzin' Nick!

Got a couple. Sunrise on tournament day. I throw out my trusty Bow Howdy to some busting fish. Blurp... blurp.... SLAM! I set the hook way early and the lure comes flying back at me and lands in the water right at the boat. When it did this, all the line that came flying back also got caught in my hat pin hook (one those gold ones). As I tried to untangle it, another fish crushes the bait pulling my hat into the lake and me reeling like mad. Fish went in the well. ;D Now this one I had never even heard of happening before. I was fishing with a buddy in a little two man boat. I was throwing a worm and he a crankbait. I got a hit and started reeling down to the fish which was swimming towards the area where my buddy was fishing his crankbait. He felt a hit and swung just as I did the same. Same fish. Worm hook in one side of his mouth and treble hook in the other side. True story.

Point taken, Bassnut. Different presentations for different conditions. Marks of a true fisherman.

Janalon's explanation is right on. I use the C-Rig alot throughout the year. I can't say I agree with Bassnut's preference for the slower reel (5:1) especially if you use the drag and pause method. You can get burned by the fish that hit your bait and run at you. Most people who throw the C-rig extensively, make long casts that require quick line pick-up when getting hits at those distances. I have tried the slower reel years ago for more "winching" power, but realized that it is not necessary at those distances with that length of rod (7+ feet). My way is not the only way, but is the most efficient way I have tried to date. Happy C-rigging!

Hey Fish Chris, Is 33 young? Because I did the all-day-into-the-night-sleep-for-two-hours-in-the-boat-and-fish-at-sunrise thing like two weeks ago ;D ;D ;D. dink

I fish alone most of the time. My day usually includes "Hello there Mr. Deer" or "Don't you even think about shaking off little guy" or the occasional "Hiya Mr. Whiskers!" Other than that, it's to myself. And yes I get the strange stares from people who sneak up on me in mid-conversation, too! ;D

My signature says it all..... Seriously!

Go for it! The very first guides had no one to bounce their ideas off of. They just took a chance and did it. Take the advice here but screw anyone who tells you that you can't do it for whatever reason. So what if you fall flat on your face..... that is living, man! Dare to Dream!!!!

The popularity that bass fishing enjoys today leads me to believe that there are no secrets. If you think you have discovered something completely new and innovative, think again. Chances are someone has already been there and done that. I will personally tell anyone anything as far as fishing info is concerned because I fully believe that success hinges on personal ability more than any secret bait or technique. The only secret I keep is my password to my e-mail ;D ;D.

I agree with you, Bigtex. I was raised eating bass also because that is all I ever fished for. If NOBODY ever kept a bass from anywhere, can you imagine how screwed up the populations of bass and other fish would be? Anything in excess is unhealthy and almost anything is acceptable in moderation. I have personally not kept a bass to eat in so many years but I don't mind if someone else keeps their limit to eat or keeps a big one to mount. It almost seems with the popularity of catch-and-release some people believe they know better than the fisheries biologists and DNRs of the country when it comes to creel limits. And, for those people to chastise others who are fully within the limits of the law, is just wrong. Bon Apetit!