Bassun

A little further south here, but the same holds true. Around the 60 degree mark for a week or two seems to be the primary trigger. Of course runts will run early and late, and depth wise here they go from just a few feet of water to as deep as I can see, im guessing 15 maybe 20 feet if the conditions are right. Basically it seems to me that the location determins how deep they bed vs the fish size around here. If you have a big flat with pebble rock and any type of cover near a channel or ledge that's where they seem to like to be. Or that's where I seem to find them anyway, lol.

If I had to choose one bait, it would be a no brainer: Rapala Jointed Minnow. AKA the "Broken Back Rapala". Silver and Black in J-7 if I could only have one. J-9 for bigger fish, J-5 if I end up in a creek; and if the water gets a lil muddied up I like the gold and black. But, if I could only have one, it's the Silver and Black J-7. I've caught too many fish on it under too many different conditions to not trust it.

I tried some Wiley-X's but could not stand the foam sealing. I thought I would love them, but it just felt too weird when I had them on. I did, however, pick up a cheap pair of goggle styles glasses that I use when were running. It makes life 1000 times better especially in the cold or worse, rain.

Maybe we should spend a little time and build a list of glasses as a reference. I'm sure there are plenty of people wondering how different glasses perform and I know theres plenty out there willing to give their opinion. Something simple, but with enough info to be worthwhile. We could just keep updating one post with all of the brands, and models, etc. Maybe Something like: Brand: Fisherman Eyeware Model: XPS 19SLK Polarization Cost: $20 Lens Color: Gray Comfort: 8 Polorized Rating: 7 [how well they cut the glare] Overall Rating: 8 Comments: For the price, not bad. They are light, and stick to your head well. Fine for bright daylight, but the gray is too dark for deep shadows or dusk/dawn fishing. I don't know, it's just a thought... maybe add more info, less info or just ditch the idea?

MCS - Comparing the Strike King pro with the Vermillion Green Mirror against the Costa 580G Green Mirror, how do they stack up? I'm assuming the Costa's are a little more clear and probably cut just a tad more glare? If they are even remotely close then I don't think anyone could go wrong with Strike King Pro's.

Muddy Matt -- In my opinion when it comes to lenses you have to take opinions with a grain of salt. Some people do more sight fishing in clear water, others in stained, some fish usualy in the bright sun others on those nice overcast days, etc. So, to say one "affordable" lens for all uses is one thing; but to expect it to excell in them is a huge expectation that will probably not be met. I personally prefer lightly tented amber or bronze lenses even on bright days; but a buddy of mine wears the darkest gray he can find just about 99% of the time. Here is a sight that will give you a decent idea of how the color in your lens will impact what you see (based on Oakley's lens selection). http://rubensmenswear.com/pages/photographs/oakley/lens%20tints/lens%20tints.htm I highly suggest either picking up a few cheap glasses from wal-mart (etc), a light bronze or amber, light to med gray, then a very dark gray. IF you want a good range of cheap glasses. BUT don't expect too much. If you think you can afford it, and want to see a real difference the 580G (I think g anyway) in Mirrowed Green by Costa is apparetnly one of the absolute best freshwater lenses made. I have not used them personally; but I think I am going to splurge and pick up a pair this year. I would love to find a clear lens with that kind of polorazation! Good luck!

Yup, that about sums it up for me. Now if its someone elses fish, subtract a pound and I get stoked for them; and if its a kid anything over keeper size is a HUGE DEAL.

So yeah, I didn't see the post about the 3M so I picked up two swirl / scratch remover gels from Turtle Wax. The heavy swirl worked great using a buffer. Now great is VERY SLOW and took a couple / few coats before I cut through all the way. Not great, but I would rather go slow and be safe vs burn off what I have. I then waxed it and really pulled a nice shine back by using Back to Black. New, no... not hardly; but 1000% better than it was. HOWEVER -- the polish did not touch the stained mildew, so I will have to work on it again with a grittier paste... but that's ok. For now, I'm pleased with the look! I think when I rewax her in a couple of months I may pick up a higher dollar carnuba and see how that does compared to the run of the mill Turtle Wax... Thanks again for all the suggestions! Tight Lines! Bassun

Oh dude, I apologize for missing that, lol. Yeah that does make it extra difficult. I totally get the "ADD" feeling, lol. A good tip given me years ago was if you wanted to learn to fish a spinnerbait, for example, don't take anything else with you. Then even if you want to change, you can't so you have to really think about how you can find fish, and present the bait in different ways to succeed. It isn't always the most "fun" fishing like that; but I will admit it works... Either way, good luck!!!!

I know this isn't really on topic per se; but there's two things that pop out at me from what I've read. 1 - you said you don't track what your using because you catch most off a black trick worm. If you want to improve your fishing, leave the worm at home at least every other day. Right now it is your confidence bait, and that is a HUGE advantage when you have strong confidence in a bait. However, if you are not even fishing enough others to track what you are catching fish on, I will guarantee you are giving up on fish that can be caught by using different tactics. I know bank fishing is certainly different than from a boat and it does limit you; but don't compound things by limiting yourself. I am willing to wager that if you leave the worms home every other day for the next two weeks, you begin to learn a new pattern and find new ways to catch those fish. 2 - I can't help but to think you should save up for a used row boat. You are so close to the water you could literally drag it in from your front yard, lol. I would do everything I could to find a cheap floater of some type to get out on the water with. Kayak, john boat, big block of Styrofoam, homemade personal pontoon (I actually made one myself once -- and it was "redneck" but I digress) - something, lol. Again, I know this has nothing to do with your OP, which I agree would be a great way to learn, and would LOVE that opportunity myself. Oh, something to think about, depending on the depth and substrate, can you wade out a bit and fish back or at least parallel to cover? Sometimes seeing things from a different perspective may give you a different idea of what to use. Anywho -- good luck! And you never know ... maybe one of the up and coming pros out of GA happens to be a member here... and decides a good way to help gain sponsorship (which we all know is the name of the game when fishing for cash) is to do a nice PR move and comes out to visit. You never know... I remember when I was younger I was fishing a local creek and some guy came down the bank and just watched me for a bit. Finally he asked what I was using, so I told him, and he commented that it was a good choice. I was kind of like, duh... I'm catching fish on it... but I didn't say anything. A few mins later we were chatting about fishing and he spilled the beans that he had just a few weeks earlier been on the water with ESPN recording a spot for some show. He was a fishing guide, apparently one of the best in the region I later found out, and had been given a chance to highlight our local river on ESPN. They slated 3 days of fishing time (if I remember correctly) for the 30 minute show. He put them on enough fish in the first few hours of the first day they didn't even need the extra footage. So you never know who may just "stop by"... Good luck and Tight Lines! Bassun

Thanks for the additional incite. Most of the flaked area is "mostly" smooth...but highly oxidized. I think I will pursue a more "professional" approch vs toothpaste since it seems I am getting near the limits and would probably be better off spending the time an money to do it the best way possible to salvage what I can. Thanks everyone!!

I 100% completely agree that prevention is the key. In my case, I had bought the boat used and much of the damage had already occurred - which I knew going in. I, however, did not do enough to help protect her and could have stopped some of the damage. Unfortunately a garage/carport isn't an option right now. The mildew actually accurred while under cover, so I'm not sure what to do yet to stop that from re-occurring. None the less, I am faced with either accepting a faded, dull look or spending the time, effort and elbow grease to try to recover some of that look. I agree that this isn't the best case scenario, but -- I now have to deal with what I have. And so far based on the great info shared, the only resolution (beyond spending way too much) is to sand down that damaged clear coat / finish and get wax built up on it and keep it there, or accept the faded look. Excellent info Rhino, thanks! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...

Hey guys -- So, I have an older Skeeter (SS 90) which has been in the elements basically from day one. The paint/gel along the upper rail is faded / washed out badly. Also, there are some mildew stains, especially along the stern, and of course some UV fade / water lines etc. along the gel coat on the side. I have been trying different things over time trying to bring back that shine... wax, back to black, some restorer stuff than an "experienced" fisherman told me of (which actualy worked pretty good), and a few other things. Well, this year I am working on really getting the gleam back, and have been struggling getting the white white and blue gels back to shiney. I know the gel will never be exactly as it was on day one, but I hoped to get it much much better. I was talking to a guy who was working of polishing headlight covers, and he said he used toothpaste. The grit is ultra fine, and works great as a method of restoring headlights. *It takes a few passess of scrub / clean / scrub / clean etc. So, I thought, why not try that on the gels and mildew. So, I head out armed with two washcloths and a tube of Colgate Total toothpaste...to clean my boat. First I took the wet wash cloth and wiped down the gel. Then I applied some toothpaste and scrubbed. Next I wiped off the area with the other side of the wet cloth, the dried it off with the dry one. It looked a little better. So I repeated it again. The result was amazing! Now it was NOT as good as "new" but it was 1000% better than before. And thats with NO WAX on it at all yet! Next I tried it with the mildew stains on the white. Same process, scrub, clean, scrub, clean and BOOM -- NO STAINS! I was SHOCKED at how well it worked on mildew stains. Clorox and water didn't touch them, dawn and a scrubb brush laughted at it, and a couple other simple cleansers; but tooth paste did the trick! You could literally see them just dissapear as you were cleaning them. Maybe a majic eraser would work?? I don't know, I havent tried yet. But, we have some extras so I may. I also tried this on the gel on the side of the boat, and had the best result of all. Granted it wasn't faded nearly as bad, but the area I did looked like NEW! I was amazed at how well toothpaste worked! I have asked a bunch of people what to use and most couldn't give a good idea...now I know at least one thing that works. And I will probably try a magic eraser soon. So, does anyone have anything they use consistently that works that well? Basically what IS the best way to salvage faded gel, and remove mildew stains? My vote for now is Toothpaste! *Magic eraser could be an option after I try it... Tight Lines! Bassun

Yeah, read those three threads! Excellent info, great post Roadwarrior!

I personally think that ignoring any suggestions about new rods / reels / etc. right now is a good idea. Yes, things may be easier with a perfect setup; but right now I don't think you are worried about being "perfect", rather successful. There are lots of good ideas listed above. I am going to assume you have no boat, no maps, and no info about the lake other than what you can see from the bank. And from the above you see some grass, and some trees overhanging some. That gives us some clues to where the fish might be, but first: Something to think about with your location is where are the bait fish? Do you see any small fish near where you are? If not, keep your eyes open and try to find them. Once you find the bait fish, that will give you a good idea of where the "bigger" fish are. Even if you don't find a bunch of bait fish, most predator fish will relate to cover or structure. Read that as the fish like to have a place to hide...hide from bigger predators, sun, etc. They also like to use cover to allow them to ambush other smaller fish. So, all in all most fish will be caught in or near some type of cover or structure. Now, knowing that you may have a clue where to fish... or not, depending on the set up of the impoundment. SO - here is what I think is the #1 tip to catching fish on artifical lures when you are struggling with all of them... Down size. If you have a choice of a 2 inch plug vs a 4 inch plug - right now go with the smaller 2 inch plug. You need to catch fish to find them... For me personally I think one of the best ways to pick up a few fish when you are really struggling is to fish small grubs. I keep 3 colors handy, white, black and pumpkinseed (think a dark greenish color) in a small 2 inch version (ok I keep more but those and yellow are my go to colors). I know if things get really tough, I can put these on a 1/8 ounce or 1/4 ounce jig head and catch fish. Sometimes nice sized fish! But most often just bunches of smaller fish. But, while you are just learning the ins and outs numbers of fish will be helpful since you will learn where they are. If you are really looking just to catch a few fish one day you can always go with some night crawlers and bobbers. It's totally different than fishing with lures, but super effective. That can also be a way to help find fish... if your not getting bit on live worms... there are no fish there... GOOD LUCK! Let us know what happens and how you got there! Tight Lines!

Wow, a ton of different favorites out there. For the last decade I've been running various spiderwire offerings with Berkley Vanish or Transitions for ultra clear applications or ultra light 4# setups. But, I'm purely fishing for fun now so I thought I would try saving some cash and try using Ande line this year for the bulk of my rods. Ultralight 4lb - Berkley Vanish / Transitions 10lb - Ande *** (green) 65lb - Spiderwire Braid I will admit the strech with the Ande is taking some getting used to and I've found it a little too loose for heavier setups, but for everything else the trade off in cost for spooling a dozen reels makes it SO WORTH WHILE. I love the stuff! I 10000% recommend it for anyone whos fishing for fun. If you are fishing for cash, then yeah - I would still specialize but otherwise, I'm running Ande across the board basically. It is some of the strongest 10lb I've used, lol. It's very castable, has very low memory, holds knots well, has consistent but not too pronounced stretch, and surprisingly has good feel. The real kicker is the price! I picked up like 1,350 yards for less than the cost of spooling two reels with Spiderwire XXX or XL, and that's including shipping!

Sweet deal! Thanks for the pro tip guy!

Any experienced angler of that water is a HUGE HUGE HUGE advantage! But assuming you can't talk to someone (follow around etc)... map study, is in my opinion, hands down the best way to prepare for new waters. ** IF these are big waters like say Lake Toho, etc. then you can do tons of reseach in old issues of your favorite magazines and online as well. Do not discount that option! But, if its a fairly unknown lake I study the map and would as well for a big name lake. I look first for wintering and summering holes, idealy close to where you will be launching from. Once I find those I start working out from "winter" to spring as the bass would. Where would the fish be most likely to go? Are there primary and secondary flats and or points? Creek channels that feed into a good wintering hole with a flat and a point? A long flat on the inside of a turn, with standing timber, then further down rocks next to a 25 foot creek channel with one more small point and ledge before opening into the main lake? Etc. I keep looking around until I find the "best" scenario in my opinion (ideally the spot that has the most of everything). If you are lucky enough to have a good map that not only shows contours but marks off stumps, old road ways, rocky areas etc, then that makes it even easier. So I find that "one" spot that looks perfect, and I start looking at the map for other places with similar components. Maybe its just a flat with standing timber, or rocky point leading into the main lake off the edge of a creek channel, or just some flats in the back of creekless coves. I like to find places that are similar, then once you start finding your pattern (hopefully) in the "best" area you already have an idea of where you can begin to duplicate it in other places of the lake. Maybe you're not catching fish where you expect, but up and across from you is a flat that didn't look that good but it's windblown and shadey...and you keep seeing / hearing blow ups. Go fish it. Then dupliate that pattern even though its not what you expected. If you put the time in on your map, then you can often find similar areas quickly. As long as you are willing to be flexible, and listen to what the fish are telling you, you can find fish. Anywho, thats my opinion anyway -- Tight Lines! Bassun

Well, looks like the Costa's Green Mirror 580G's win out... I guess the next question is where can you get them... "cheap"? Ok, cheap isn't going to happen, I assume they price control like Oakley, Wiley X etc do and the prices are pretty much set. Anyone know if there is a reputible distributor who does run low prices if they are not price locked?

Not to sound like a killjoy; but the first step in starting a club really begins with a lot of research. For this GOOGLE is a huge friend. You have a ton of decisions ahead of you, not the least of which being what affiliation(s) will you have. So deciding FLW / BASS etc is a good step. The best way to decide which is right for you is by reading each of their bylaw highlights. Really, for many, it comes down to which you are more interested in... A ticket to the big show (Forrest Wood Cup / Bassmaster Classic) or better payouts along the way, etc. So, I would suggest your first step to be research. Here's my offering of help: http://www.bassmaster.com/news/how-start-bass-club That will give you the basic no frills how to for getting a B.A.S.S. club started. The process is easy, you just need to be informed and know what you really want before you get started. Good luck to you or any others that start a club.

For me personally there were two things that helped me consistenly find fish: A - A good fishing log. B = A good map. I kept short notes on the boat while I fished, basic info water temp, time of day, lure, area etc. Then when I got home that evening, or the next day, I would transfer those notes into a longer more detailed note. Once I finished that I would get the map back out, and look at where I was catching fish and suddenly patterns started popping out all over the lake that looked the same. Heres an example of the boat log. 5/8 - Raining on and off WT=72 - 10 am - 12" bass - 3.5" white swim bait - second arm of Z Cove - second tree on right ------------------------------------------------------ I would then change those scribbles into a longer note. (adding in other notes as fitting) 5/8/2012 - Lake X - Z Cove Raining on and off all morning, water was lightly stained. WT = 72 Could still see down about 3-4 feet. Brand Y 3.5" White Paddle Tail Swimbait. Fished with a slow steady retrieve. #1 12" Bass - First arm on the right of Z cove, right hand side first log lay down. #2 10" Bass - Same arm, fourth laydown on right. #3 16" Bass - Same arm, back right, looks like a beaver den. #4 11" Bass - Same beaver den. #5 8" Bass - Left side back of arm, Stump #6 10" Bass - Left side under cover of a tree. Or something like that. Now if you have a good plastic coated map you can use dry erase markers on it. If so, you can just "dot" where you caught fish. (Obviously over the entire lake, not just one arm of a cove) That will show you a pattern super fast. Then look at what the areas have in common. Are they long flat coves with a deeper channel, or maybe main lake docks just below a bend in the lake, etc etc. Look for other places like that on the map. Those areas are likely to produce fish at the same times each year. It's just a matter of finding them. Now as fish transition from spring to summer, look at your spring notes. Where were the fish? Where are they likely to stop at on their way to deep water? If you are catching them in little arms of coves, maybe looking at the first main point in a cove, or an old road bed, or any good structure between there and deeper water (15-30 feet depending) could be a good starting point. You may find they are transitioning from these points and structur all the way to the back of the cove during later spring summer and early fall. If you can find places that allow the fish to easily move from sping to summer locations you can usually find fish somewhere along that route. Find where they are, and duplicate it. Sorry that went a little longer than I intended but that's what helped me learn how to find fish. Sadly, I have to admit I've gotten lazy and don't log as I should anymore...

My worst has been pretty mild compared to some of these... The first year I had my boat, there were three boats out of my old bass club fishing an 8p-8a night tournament. On a lake that I had been on once. We all three had radios but the range was very overrated and never really heard anyone on the radios. Well, we fished alot and ran little most of the night. At about 3 am we decided we were going to fire up and move a bit down the lake. So I hit the motor, Wrr wrr wr nothing. We're a couple miles from where we put in at (if we were right about where we were) and had a dead battery. No biggie, i flipped the wires from the motor to the trolling battery and immediately heard an ominous pop. I didn't realize it but when they set the batteries they had one + - the other - + so i just reveresed the wires and blew something. So for the next 30 mins I searched for fuses... never found them. We decided to use the trolling motor and start working our way back, very slowly. We tried calling and radioing the other boats but never got any response. Finally we made it to the main body and the wind was blowing to hard. We called a little marina where we launched from, and they sent a rescue boat out and drug us back in. Once we got there, we found out that BOTH the other boats had problems before we did and had already left. Luckily they left word with the marina owners that we were out there so they at least knew to be on the lookout. Our 12 hour trip turned into a 16 hour mess. I did learn a lot on that trip though... like how to manually raise your motor if you have no electricy at all; which I have had to do once since then... The next closest is a massive sunburn the day before going on vacation. Long story short - we rented a jon boat, got hot - had the sun at our backs fishing most of the day. Next day I drove for 8 hours with blisters... that evening they really came up. By back was covered with huge blisters about an inch tall and some over 3 inches in diamater. I didn't sleep at all that night. We were at the beach and I figured the best I could do was to let mother nature help...so I went into the water with my shirt on and soaked in salt water. it burned but i figured it would help...and shortly it did. But as I was walking out, I didn't catch a breaker and it smashed right on my back instantaniously busting all of the blisters. IT HURT...but only breifly. I went back to the hotel, cleaned it up a bit; and by the next day I was tender but no worse than a normal sunburn.

My personal goals are to: Be more effective on deep structure. Fish more swimbaits. Get a bit back to the basics. Use more livebait! Slow down and enjoy the ride to the cove as much as fishing it. Look up more. Enjoy what all comes with fishing. Take the neices and nephews out more. Never fish alone.

I think for kids you don't need to think so much about what lure; but rather how the child is going to be able to work it. They are just learning, and are eager for success, and need all of the advantages they can get. They also like to feel like they are part of the process. I personally would put together a small box of lures that fill these catagories. A: Visible. Not just top water, but shallow running and easily seen. B: Easily worked. Focus on baits that cast and wind work well for. C: DOWN SIZE. If you are choosing between a 5" grub and a 2.5" - go with the smaller. D: Weedless is good, but not necessarily the only option. Most cranks are not weedless, but a small crankbait can be an excellent starting lure. So what fills those roles? Grubs, small cranks, torpedos, small spinnerbaits, etc. etc. etc. Just mix it up, keep it small, and focus on lures that fit the needs of the angler: Easy to fish, high success rate, greately visible, downsized. Mixing in a few gills, or perch with those small bass is perfect. By doing so you just doubled the success rate for your young anglers. Anywho -- that's my opinion...