starcraft1

OroBass, sent you a mess. went their yesterday. Right now the birds are nesting in the coves but the walls (rocks) are on fire! I'll be on Oroville tomorrow - C.A.S.T. for kids in the morn., so I won't be getting any fishing in. This one is all about the kids.

Ok where do i vote?, and will it pull my Skeeter?

Pro's - Da' RAIDERS, A's, Giants College - Smurf field - Bosie state Broncos, Butte jr. college ( a guy who plays Q.B. on the frozen trunda went there - Aaron Rogers) High school - Paradise high - don't laugh, our high school has put more players in the pros than any school in Cal. (per cappa). We have 4 team members playing in the Pac-10? 12? (they keep adding schools to that div.) right now and a couple in the pros. All this out of a school that had 135 kids graduating this yr. GO BOBCATS!!!!!

Excellant!, perfect music, filming, and fish. I can't wait to see the entire thing. There was one problem that I could see, THERE'S NO ME IN ANY OF IT! You'd have to have much more yak experance than I've gotto be on that water. Great job!

Smoky, Triton a good & stable boat with good resale vaule. Now for the but, a 115 on a 18 1/2' boat is way under powered. A 150 or 175h.p. should be on the back of it. Remender just because you have the horse power doesn't mean you have to use it all, but it sure is nice when you need it. I.E. - my boat has a 200 h.p. punched out to around 230 h.p. on rebuild. New she'd run 65 to 68 mph on "perfect water" slight chop, no one else on the pond (Lake Oroville, CA.) Now in the low to mid 70's. I very rarely have her over 50 m.p.h. and run her at 40 to 45 most of the time. This not only saves fule but is also easy on the outboard. A 115 is way under powering that hull and will work that motor to death in no time. For a two stroke to work properly you want to keep it (the majority of the time) in the 3000 to 4000 rpm range. in my case it's the 45 to 50 mph range. Another problem you'll have is the "hole shot". Bass boats are designed to get up on "pad" as fast as possible using good old fashion horse power to get there.25' to 30' of distance is all a boat should need to do that The 115 on that hull won't do that. Keep in mind that boat you test drive won't have all your gear in it (add another 100 to 150 lbs.) Also make sure the fule tank(s) are full when you test drive and find some choppy water to see how the boat handles rougher water with that motor. You'll also find you'll have a much harder time re-selling the rig with it being under powered. Wait untill you get to your next duty station, find a good bait shop and tell them what you've been telling us. I'm sure there's a few old (like me) vets hanging around there that will steer you in the right direction. I still think you should look into slightly used boats. A lot of times you'll find someone who had the idea of bass fishing and then found out how hard it is and how much $$$ they are going to have to spend to get into the sport. I see boats for sale all the time with under 50 hrs. on them 2010 and newer that are like new. The key to buying a used boat is simple, check the hrs. on the motor. For this have a dealer or marine shop hook the motor up to the mach. The computers that are on todays motors will tell you how many hrs. the motor has run and at what rpms. Check the hull bottom (beach rash) and top cap (dock rash) Make sure the transom is strong (no wood if possible), stress cracks in hull or top cap. guages work (don't worry about the speed-o-meter, they all go out first) and, in my experance, stay away from the 2004 to 2008 yrs. They all had their own problems during that time. If your "stuck" on buying new, check into BPS's Nitro - Z-7 or Z-8. One of the guys out here just bought a Z-7 - 19' dual consel from them for $22,000 with a 200 h.p Merc pro XS, 80 thrush Minnie, and only had to upgrade the electronics (they all come with lower end stuff) Nitro has come a long way in the quality of their hulls. Most stores have a full mech. shop right there with certified mechs. and their service has been great in Manteca, Ca. Look into where Bass pro shops are located near your next base. You also might want to look into a militay discount. I believe they have one? check frist, could save you a bunch of $$$$ Again, good luck in your boat hunting, but stay away from the 115 h.p unless it's on the back of a 19' alum. Bruce P.S. - Your going to find you'll be treated a lot better than we did some 40 yrs. ago when I got back from nam. Good luck!

I looked at most of your picks, stay away from 2000 Evinrudes (bad lower units). Scrach the 17'ers, not enough boat for the waters your planing to fish. Nitro has come a long way sinse the turn of the centry, not a bad boat now and both Skeet & Jimmy Reese drive them. My choice would be either the Skeeter or Ranger. Both give a great ride in rough water, Skeeter is a bit faster hull and has no wood in it. Thats a big thing when it comes to replacing the transom. Lots of $$$ in that repair. As far as motors go either Merc. or the Yammie are your best bet. Yamaha's run on less cycns. when at idle (a fule saver idea). The Bass cat is a great hull, but that boat is worth a lot more than there asking. I'd steer clear of that one, sounds like a set-up (scam) to rob you. Yes it does happen! A word of advice, when you decide on which boat(s) you want to look at, DON'T TAKE CASH WITH YOU!!! If the party your dealing with won't take either a bank note or chasier's check, walk away from the sale. Also take the boat to the water and run it. A used boat comes with a "as is" gurantee. Good luck with your purchase and get your tail out of the sand!

I make jigs for a living, and I'm sure there's plenty of ideas on how to fish them. When their using a swim bait, I swim a jig, when they drop - shot, I hop the jig, when their using a crank bait, I speed up the jig, senko bite is on, 1/8 or 1/16 oz. jig. I would tell you to always use a trailer, but there are times that you should'nt. If the bite is a bait fish bite then "GO WITH THE HATCH" a shotrened & thined the skirt or left long skirt with a trailer (single tail), it all depends on the time of year and the size of the bait fish. Pre- spawn & post spawn - hefty skirted jig - " ME WANTA EAT? I'm a crawdad(crawfish)- (full skirted) meal type of jig with a twin tailed trailer, your choice of co., but play with the color don't relie on the "trend" try your own ideas. You might want to try a light weight jig (1/8 - 1/4) on beds. The slower fall entices them more than a fast in your face type of presentaion. Another idea, when others are throwing frogs, flip or pitch a jig into the same junk. the action of the frog will knock lose baby crawdads loose from the folige Use enough weight to, again "match the hach" and the fall per the size of tha crawdad & the water temp. I could go now for a few pages or more, fact is read, on the water, pratice, practice, practice! One fact, a jig has cashed more checks than any other bait. Spend time, don't buy junk (you get what you pay for).

I guess I'm lucky, Bass tackle depot is only 25 miles away and wal-mart is about the same. No the good side, I know where all the homeless dopers go in hot and cold weather. It's not BTD!

Anyone have any idea what happened to Bass Rumors.com? I've been a member since 2010? I think that's when it started? Now I get the OOPS owner get a hold of us and a ph. #. Any info would be helpful. Thanks P.S. I'm not the owner, but don't know how to get a hold of him.

When you fish the Ark. river, black/blue jigs. I sell a lot of them out there. Clearer waters, go to more natural colors such as green pumkins & browns.

I fish Oroville from the Lime saddle side. I use the finesse jig, senkos, tubes, spinner baits, tremmors (a chatter bait style with a bigger blade), rip baits, & top water plugs. Been fishing Oroville sinse I moved to Paradise some 16 yrs. ago.

Welcome Orobass, I'm up the hill from you. If you shop at Oroville outdoors (Bass tackle depot) you might have bought my tube jig heads. Paradise tackle. Good to see another Oroville guy on here. Also the after bay is starting to get a good frog, senko, and jig bite. I try to fish it once a week. With lime saddle just about our of the water (maybe 30' to go) The Paradise boys are going the have to make the 50 mile round trip to your side just to launch! Going out Tues. and finesse jigs and tubes are going to be the bait, along with top water in the morn.

As far as giving info to each other in person, I have a very small group of anglers I'll tell. Not to be a "hole mounger" but I've seen the results of being the good ole' boy that tells everyone about a spot that had big fish. We have a place that we can pratice for both the Cal. delta and Clear lake in the northern part of Calif. without the exspence of driving to either one (2 1/2 to 4 hr. drive). Word got out and the meat hunters started showing up. With-in a yr. it was hit so hard we had to put the word out that it had been "fished-out". This happened 3 yrs. ago and the place is still on the rebound. It had fish to 15 lbs. in it untill the mongs got wind of it. Their style is to clean out a body of water and move on.

The first thing I saw was "new to the boating world". My advise is to take a boaters saftey course. You need to know the rules and how deadly a boat can be first. Then boat fishing will be so much more enjoyable, not to mension safer. As far as the fishing part, the only thing I could add to the advise you've allready recieved is time on the water is allways best. Google maps, topo maps, ect. are great tools, but by dragging a 1/2 or 3/4 oz. jig down a bank will let you feel the bottom. Take a note pad with you and when you feel a drop off, rock plie, brush pile, ect. write it down. Next time you'll be able to use it as a ref. Between these two trees and this dock I found a rock plie in approx. 20' of water, ect. You'll find it to be a usefull tool.

I guess I'm down there with the "I don't care" bunch. What's that old saying, "Are all fishermen liars, or do only liars fish?" I guess my best is "Honey, I'll be back in by noon" her reply is "witch day?"

Went out with a friend last week and used some my wife bought me, 55spf, called helioplex by neutrogena. My buddy said "something smells sweet, is that you?" "Yea, I replied, I just passed gas. I've been thinking about bottling it, could make millions" A bee liked it to. Now I've got to find some that's unsented. Oh yea, he out fished me about the same (5 - 1) but I did catch biggest and smallest fish. In my defence, he's our local guide.

I jioned B.A.S.S. after I caught my first bass, (1968 or 1969) at the ripe old age of 13 - 14. Besides a mag. just for bass fishing, it had stories about "Billy the Bass". When I went into the Army, 1972, I had the mag. sent to me where I was staioned. Not only myself, but all in my patoon read it till the covers were worn off. I'm still a member to this day, the mags gotten smaller, the lures have gotten more $$$, the paches have also gotten smaller,and no more "Billy the Bass". Still all in all, a great mag. As far as the lures, the mag. and my local bait shop owner, taught me how to tie jigs. Bronze hooks (back then it was all you could get), square rubber, hand poured with a hot pot and a ladle, Arkie & football were all you needed, and I almost forgot bailing wire to tie with. Things have changed a bit from then to now. I still use Creme worms, Uncle Josh's pork, and Pop - R's. I found some Hulu poppers and Jitter bugs a few months ago and bought all they had, dust and all! Had a young angler ask me if they worked? "Like a champ!". I got a funny look from him!

Hard one to ans. Lakes, Lake Oroville is out my back door unless it's low then it's the west branch of the Feather river. Rivers, I grew up on the San Jaquin side of the Cal. delta.

Glen, I said it it more than one of my comments. The so called "new pros" have this tude that makes them (in their eyes" the best") How in the world could anyone catch a bass bigger than theirs? It's not possible, it must be fake! Got tired of that B.S. a few yrs. ago and dropped out of the circut fishing to concertrate on making jigs. Now I see pics. of 5 to 8 lbers. and pat the guys on the back. It's not only the "photo shop" guys, it's the sport in general. This clown act way of thinking has got to go or it'll become what Mr. Scott pulled it away from. Way to much wrong and not enough right.

Thanks, I remender (all of us do)! They took me from one delta (Cal delta) and stuck my a$$ in another! Hang in there! When you get 30 day short, find a poster of a G.I. sitting on a peice of paper with his legs dangling. Only one word on the bottom of it - SHORT! Be safe, keep your a$$ below your head and eat dirt when the sh!t hits!

Like any pro sport, the odds are against you. Pick a career fist. You might want to get into the fish field such as a fish biologist, or something along those lines. This will give you something to fall back on. Like a lot of guys here, I've fished a lot of derbies & tournaments in the last 40+ yrs. but also had family, career, ect. to think of. Look deeper into your dream and find out the cons along with the pros and start doing the wieghing out. I can reminder Skeet Reese sleeping in his worn out car and hitching a ride with anyone who'd take him out. It's a tough road to hold in the begainning and still takes a resume' to make it into the bigs. Also a lot of $$$$. Lastest. I heard was over $100,000 for one yr. on the Elite tour. Another thing to think about. Sponsors are'nt going to sink a lot of money into a "newbie" or also ran. You've got to prove yourself first. Build your resume' first, then talk to sponsors. Don't exspect a "full ride" right out the gate. Most likely your recieve a discount on tackle, and if your lucky, some of your entry paid. Good luck in your dream.

B.T.D. has two men working the floor and after sales three. they had over 450 orders to fill and some of the products hadn't come in to fill the shelves. Why do I know this? They sell most of what we make and I know all the staff including the owner. It's a 5,000 sq. ft. building and right now we have a serious flu going around the entire north state. Hang in there, their doing the best they can with the short staff they have right now. Fil - out with the flu, Jamie - just getting over it - Bobby - working his tail off - Brent - doing 7 days a week to get the orders out. I don't mean to defend them as much as I do, but they're all my friends and I fish with and against them. All great guys, just having a tough go of it right now. This flu is no joke, it put me in the V.A. hosp. for a week. All your orders will get out A.S.A.P.

Ours has Creme worms for $1.99 - 8 packs also senko type baits same price. Been using their worms for 40 yrs. and the stick (senko) baits fall the same and catch fish! Humm $1.99 vs. 6.99 same amount just not as many colors to choose from.

I should have said 6 ft. at a time - leader.

Butt wipe, ended up cleaning in the water! NEVER AGAIN!