cyclops2

That is my feeling also soflabasser. Well stated.

I can catch them on bare jig heads & a spinner blades during bad weather. Low light & no flying fish eaters. Lets fill up guys. CHOMP CHOMP is now in effect.

Agree roadwarrior. Any above water that casts a shadow is my first choice. Only takes a day or 2 to replace. If I keep 1 to eat. It just works that way in my area.

I enjoy doing a different puzzle every day. Even if I do not complete it for a couple of days. I fish first for my home bound perch friends. Then I fish for SMB C & R.

I have found that LONE SMB are very similar to a LONE trout in a river. Take up a position that hides them. But allows a easy successful attack after a food goes by.

If you are C & R ? There is very little harm if you get 2 in 4 casts or drifts. Then go back & Finesse them. I did that a lot more last year. Have a tool to reach DEEP into the throats to remove the hooks if needed. Enjoy

I have no use for any money fishermen / woman. They yank as hard as possible with 60# line. To rip jaw muscles & tendons. Then yank the 5# bass out of the water as it bangs into the boat. Then lift it by the lower jaw. Twisting the jaw as far open as he can to save time. Or the other lift out of the water. Pinch squash the gills closed tightly to remove the lure. But But we never see any dead bass floating, You do not have any big catfish or otters either. In all honesty. I believe in my area Pollution & invasives are more destructive. Without good water and weeds. There is no gamefish repopulation possible.

Why terrible weather is BEST in my area.

Between invasive & pollution our good old days are gone in many places. I have 0 small game fish last year. Just big old timers.............NOT GOOD........Not even 2 or 3 inchers where they should be.

All are silver & blue or green. My scientific fact of over 75 years of casual testing.

I only open & re oil if I water soak a reel somehow. Very rare since I only take 2 rods at most on the boat. 1 if on foot. Yes !! I dropped it off the dock !!!!

Agree totally with water quality affecting FLAVOR taste. My 1 mile long bay is a perfect place to prove the water quality affects odd tastes. We have a up river & a lower river ends. The crystal clear constant flushing flow of main river water makes every fish excellent. The huge Round Gobies have wiped out all the invasive mussels around our docks, that filter the water for food. Now It makes sense why last year we had massive amounts of green floating micro stuff that changes density with amount of sunlight shinning. Why the pollution experts are at a complete loss to even start screwing up the waters even more. Can anyone even GUESS how many invasives are being pumped in & out of all those giant ships. In all the worlds harbors as they wait, with BILLIONS of tons, of rotting meat & vegetables. The Good old days are long gone. New fish contests. GASS fish contests. Gobie Association of ....... .......

I never fish / cast in dusty areas. Bad for my lungs. ? Cough cough

As they BITE the finger & suck out your blood. MOOO HA HA ?

Sport or meat fishing is ALWAYS the same setup. Weight at end of line. 1' to 2' feet below the surface Is the Rapala. It works if they are here & hungry. I do not frustrate myself over the uncontrollable.

Infection & death ? Larger fish picks up scent or infection trail. Any more marine biologists toys to surgically insert?

I worked as a Busboy at the Last Supper. Been fishing ever since.

My friend made up a measuring board with Min & Max length of each type of fish. I had to bring in 1 Jack Yellow Perch. Some how the giant guy had a broken artery that would not stop. It looked like a small Walleye. What a breeder. Victor told me to be more careful with the breeder sized fish. I had to reread the topic. I tend to wander.

Nothing has less stretch than Braided Line. You WILL SEE and FEEL every swing of your lure at100 feet trolling a lipped lure. A nibble instantly changes that rhythm of the rod tip. Braided & a clear leader are the best combo.

1 end of our bay is pure BLACK muck. Push a stick in & Hydrogen Sulfide ? gas smell comes out of it. But the baitfish love the reeds & cattails for protection.

I quickly learned to only LOOK at rods in a shop with no price tags on items. How much money do you have sonny ? You are still $ 10 short.

You trespassing in his hunting and living area. You can not run on water fast enough. Most major cities has a gator release program for unwanted bigger pet gators. throw it away somewhere else.

70 years ago I was rowing a wood rowboat with a B B split shot at the end of the main line. 1 to 6' up was a floating lure with only the tail hook on it The mosquitos loved my sweaty body in August. Rowing that 200 pound wood boat I rented from the park. Trolling that rig thru heavy weed edges. But it did produce big LMB. I could put my fist into their mouths. 10 acre county park was truly the good old days. Looked it up. It is Warinanco Lake. Kids would catch a 24 " carp on a massive opened safety pin. Watched a father reach down & do a lip & belly lift for the son. Our garden had plenty of Sunfish in very early spring. " Here is the shovel. Bury them spaced out. " Life was so different back then.

Why would anyone use anything that looks like a Breakfast Sausage ?

I can bring in any bass or pike on almost any Pink Disney rod at a dock. WE have at least 2 pike under the docks. Kids love to reel in a Rockbass slowly. Let it flop & splash. SLURP goes Pike. It is always subdued . No real problem. I have caught+ 36" long in reeds & eventually untangled them. The pike are a odd fighting fish 1/2 the time. Some fight hard for 1 minute . Others come to the boat. Then flail & do death rolls till exhausted so much that touching their head has no reaction. Weeds & junk or ledge rocks ? I have had them saw up the braid & escape with the lure. Big bass or pike are NOT BLACK leader shy. I use a old 4' black braided leader. Any rod & reel will subdue a big fresh water fish. If you are buying for a Canadian PIKE trip ? Ask the place to supply the rod & reel. Save yours at home from being damaged or lost somewhere.