Scott F

The amount of tackle you have means nothing. A friend of mine is by far the best fisherman I’ve ever fished with. He doesn’t own a rod that cost him more than $100, he only brings 2 of them on a trip that lasts 10 days. He brings one, average, hard sided tackle box, that is far from full of lures. He just knows where to cast, makes good casts and puts the few lures he does bring in front of fish. You already have everything you need lure wise to catch fish. Learn to catch fish with the baits you have. If you aren’t getting fish with those lures, you won’t be more successful with more lures that you don’t know how to use.

As long as there is a bit of slack in the stinger line, the bait will be able swim. Actually, if the shad struggles to swim, it makes it even more attractive to a predator. Like I said, walleye and musky fisherman use this set with with great success.

Walleye and muskie fishermen, when using live bait, will often include a stinger hook to catch those fish that are short striking and don't suck in the entire bait. If you aren't aware of a stinger, it's usually a smallish treble hook tied to a short piece of line. The other end will have a loop knot that attaches to the eye of the main hook. Here is a premade stinger from Northland Tackle. You place one barb of the treble into the bait near the tail so the other two points are there to hook the bass.

I have nothing against any rod company but I've been buying nothing but St. Croix for the last several years. I use mostly spinning rods and I like how I can handle hard fighting smallmouth even on the ML rods. Also, because I visit the St. Croix store a couple times a year if I have any warranty/repair issues, I take them in and can get a replacement on the spot, no shipping involved.

That looks like it might not be easy to get the rods in and out if you have undo the Velcro twice on each rod in and out. Maybe, if you only have to do it once while traveling on a long trip, it wouldn’t be bad, but I wouldn’t choose that style.

I’ve been a member of 3 fishing clubs. Two of them did no tournaments or competitions at all. The third did keep score at events but offered no prize money except a $25 gift card at the end of the year to the guy with the most points. Because of the disparity between the skill levels of the members, the same people would have won every event. The elimination of competition means everyone was there for the camaraderie, fun and shared experience. Works well for those clubs.

Last year, during the last week in May, the water temps on the lake I was fishing in Northern Wisconsin, never got into the 50’s. I don’t think the ice was even off on May 1. In the Southern part of the state, it will be welcomed.

I scream, you scream, the police come, it's awkward.

I’m going to be in Northern Wisconsin a month later. As often as not, I see snow while I’m there. So whatever happens weather wise, I can handle, mostly.

In April, I’m going to be taking a solo driving trip from Chicago to West Palm Beach Florida to attend the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction which happens April 16-18. I’m not going to be in any hurry to get down there or to drive back. I was wondering if any BR members would be willing to meet up with me and take me out for a day of fishing. I’m not bringing a boat and I can’t afford to hire a guide by myself. I’d chip in or pay for any expenses, including a nice dinner out for my host afterwards. I’m an easy guy to get along with and you’d only have to put up with me for a few hours. It could be anywhere from Tennessee to Florida. Cabin fever is hitting me hard and I need to see some warm weather and feel a fish or two tugging on my line. If you are crazy enough to want to fish with a total stranger, drop me a note.

I’ve got a Terrova, and a friend of mine has an Xi5. It seems the batteries are an issue on the foot pedal of the Xi5, at least it is on my friends but I think he forgets to turn it off. So the AA batteries don’t seem to last long. I do like the shape of the MG foot pedal better. I don’t use my entire foot on the pedal, just my toe of my shoe. So the full size MK pedal is bigger than it needs to be for me. I like the remote on the Terrova better. It has a screen so you can see at a glance what your speed is set at, how fast you are going and it has 5 spot lock locations it will store at a time instead of just 1.

Don’t you just love spell check?

Just google fish handling gloves and you’ll see several. I bought one several years ago for handling pike up in Canada. They were a pain. You couldn’t wear it all the time, and when you needed it, it was hard to put on while you were fighting a fish. I learned how to handle the pike, so I never used it again.

Do those hold a lot of water making them hard to cast?

Bass just aren’t as predictable as we want them to be.

Back several years, before I retired, I thought retirement would mean I’d be fishing or playing golf everyday. Now that I am retired, I find that I don’t feel the same way. Physical limitations have kept me from playing any golf. And while I still love to fish, I’m not interested in doing it everyday. If you get the chance to retire and you want to fish everyday, go for it! I couldn’t be happier today being able to do whatever I please, whenever I want. Some days it’s fishing, many days it’s just keeping busy around the house.

I’m sure you could find someone who does welding/fabrication work who could make one for you.

Bass don’t feed continuously. They might also be spooked by your presence. If you can see them, they can see you too.

Seeing how this post is nearly 3 years old, I’d like to hear from fishwizzard (the OP) and see what he chose to do and how he feels about it now.

Don’t you find that when you upsize the hooks on a suspending jerkbait that the bigger hooks cause the lure to sink on the pause instead of suspend?

Sawyer makes top of the line oars. Very popular with the guides who row drift boats for a living. Top of the line prices too. I’ve got a set on my jon boat.

Lucky Craft Pointer in Chartreuse Shad.

I only carry one of two of my favorite tackle bags in my boat for a day of fishing. One of them carries 5, 3700 size utility boxes, the other carries 5, 3600 size boxes. If it doesn’t fit in one of those, I don’t bring it. I don’t store any lures in compartments on the boat. If, I’m on a long trip, I might leave some terminal tackle, or a small box with some panfish tackle if we happen to find a school of crappies in the boat. I have a pretty good idea before I go out what is going to be useful on the waters I’ll be fishing. If the bite is that tough where nothing I brought is working, I’ll call it a day. In my mind, I know if I’m not getting bit, there probably wasn’t some magic lure or color that would have made the difference. Maybe, it might have, but what might have made the difference was if I’d tried a different location, depth or speed I didn’t get around to using before ran out of time.

Rock Run is a smallish creek that runs along the West side of the City of Joliet. I’ve fished the Hennepin Canal several times putting in at the Hennepin Visitor Center near the intersection of I-80 and IL-40 which is about 90 miles west of Joliet.

I’m retired. I get up when my body tells me too and I go to sleep when I’m tired. If it’s still dark out and I don’t want to get up, I don’t. Doesn’t matter to me what time the clock says it is.