Preytorien

After waiting so long, many of the ponds/lakes here in Central IN have thawed, and I was able to get out fishing for several hours yesterday. My buddies and I fished a filled in pit. The water was pretty stained. We ended up getting skunked, but it beat a day in the office. While fishing, we probably saw about 15-20 shad, about 5-8 inches long, turned belly up, slightly twitching, as they were about to die. We also saw several dead on the shoreline. What does this mean? Is there a contaminant in the water? Is it a fish kill? Any ideas?

Sweet. Show us a pic of that setup when you get it all put together. Sounds like a great way to get out on the water. We're expecting some hawg fish pics along with it too

I recently got my Sea Eagle out of the shed to get er' ready and I did some purposed timing on inflation/deflation..... Set up, including the floorboards and seats was average 12minutes Deflation all the way to the point of what would be my trunk shutting was average 7minutes With the size of the Boston valves, the air comes out very quickly, so deflation is very speedy. But in the vein that you're thinking, I too am not all that interested in fishing on the middle of a giant lake. I want to get back in coves and such, for which the Sea Eagle will do very well for as well as the one you're considering. I don't know about the one you're looking at, but the Sea Eagle, fully loaded (950# capacity) drafts only 3inches of water. That's pretty shallow.

They're sweet jigs, you won't be disappointed

I heard it said that the line weight rating is somewhat tied to the lure weight. I guess if they figure you've got a rod that suggests a 1/2 - 1oz lure rating you'll probably be using no more than 17lb line, so they make that the limit assuming that if you use a heavier line you'll use a heavier lure and therefore a heavier rod. But I'm no expert. I just use braid (sometimes with leader) to avoid the issue altogether.

Pretty much all of the above is true. I mostly fish ponds/retention ponds, and if I've learned anything, it's that nothing is consistent in ponds. I guess pretty much all of fishing is not 100% consistent. Sure there are patterns and factual truths, but even those can be skewed. Weather, presssure, temp, presentation, diet, equipment, etc. are all variables that can change and cause differing results. As fishermen, we strive to acclimate to these variables the best we can, which in turn puts us in a higher likelihood of catching a finned creature in the water. But yes, in ponds, it's pretty common for their behaviors to completely change from one body to another.....it's quite frusturating. There are a few ponds I do alright in, then there's one I fish, that I almost never catch a thing, yet another guy I know does pretty well in it. So it's just knowing a body of water and it's patterns, cover, structure, and food chain.

We've had a few days of warmer weather, with a couple of crummy days here in a row, then back in the 50's this weekend. I'm hoping to cast a line this weekend. Even if I don't catch anything, it'll be a win

I bought a Sea Eagle SE-8 Fisherman's Dream package this winter (http://www.seaeagle.com/motormountboats.aspx) which looks to be along the same lines as the one you're looking into. I think you would be happy with your choice. I haven't yet bought my motor/battery, but everything else is ready to go, now if this darned ice would thaw out! I don't know about the motor you've selected, but I've heard good things about that battery, it's probably the one I'll go with as well. If you could go with a Minn Kota they've got a lifetime warranty on the shaft, and the 30-lb version at Wally-World is $99 bucks. But I'm in the same boat as you, I don't have a car that I'm willing/able to put a hitch on so I needed something stow-able. This fit the bill perfectly. Packs up in my trunk about the size of a suitcase. Total weight - 35lbs. As suggested above, do yourself a favor and buy a mattress inflator. You can find them on Amazon for less than $25 all day, and they'll inflate it in 5 minutes. Heckuva lot easier than a foot pump. It's a solution for those of us who are limited by our vehicles but still want a way to be out on the water. Until I've got a truck/SUV I won't be able to get a bass boat, which makes my wife okay with my inflatable obsession for now

The free jigs were for the pre-orders only.....a kind of promotion

Got my Siebert T-Shirt in the mail today..... Talk about sharp. Almost as sharp as the hooks on his jigs. If you've not ordered from Siebert Outdoors, do yourself a favor and get some jigs. His work is impeccable. From the details on the skirts, to the fine finish on the jigheads, his work is A+, he even puts a carboard protector on the hooks to prevent them from puncturing the bag and anything else packed with it. Great guy, great jigs. you won't be disappointed! Now c'mon spring....I've got some jigs to use!'

I have little/no confidence in deep cranks swimbaits swim jigs spoons I probably worked them wrong or something, but I did give it an honest go. In my own defence though, many other lures/techniques I had given up on, until I found BR, then I read the wealth of knowledge on here, applied it, and now I'm a fan

I've used Bang for a couple of years. I got some a while back for a gift from another fisherman, and it seems to do alright. Probably isn't hurting. I got a couple of jars of JJ's this year and hope to see my hookups increase We'll see......

I'll have to check it out. My cousin was "The Lodge" manager for a few years. He said they bump up the fishing selection early spring in anticipation for the season and to be reasonably competitive with their competitors, but he assures me that come fall, the fishing will take the back seat to hunting equipment. I for one hope they keep up the inventory. Part of the reason I survive through winter is by going to stores, dreaming of warmer days, and satisfying the little baitmonkey sitting on my shoulder.

The DNR cited that as the problem. Granted the only bodies of water they mentioned were small lakes and ponds. Places that could totally freeze over. They said some of our waters are seeing 20-inches of ice. I suppose that's the problem....incredibly thick ice

I don't. It was in a newsletter I receive from them occasionally

I read on our local DNR page that due to the insane winter we've had that low oxygen levels in bodies of water could contribute to fish kills in some lakes/ponds. I was wondering, as a rookie, how does this affect fishing? Simple logic would state that it might cause poor fishing for the remainder of the year. But then again, the fish that DO survive might be more apt to eat my lure more readily since the level of baitfish isn't what it usually is. Anyone have experience fishing the season after a winter fish kill? What are your results like?

I can't feel pain....I'm too numb from the cold

My goal is to be productive with jigs more this year than ever. I've got a box full of Siebert jigs and RageTails....so i'm set! I feel that I've done an astute job of learning the craft of frogging. I love fishing slop and heavy cover, I'm not an open-water guy. So I'd like to focus on those presentations. Punching, jig, etc. I don't have a weight specifically, but I usually like to break my previous personal best by a pound, so this year I'll be searching for a 6-pounder.

I can't tell you how many times I've practiced my pitching into a shoebox from the top step leading down into the den. I've re-organized my tackle systems countless times, and checked and re-checked my gear. Ha! I'm pretty over this weather. However, hope is in sight. Looking at some 10-day forecasts see Indiana here climbing more consistently into the 40's and even 50's. Guys....the climb is slow, but the view from the top is great! Hang in there bass brothers!!!

Yea....wind ruins most of the plans I have on the water. Casting issues, difficulty with lures, boat drift, etc. Coincidentally, since I'm also a cyclist, I hate the wind there too. I had a couple times last summer where I had such a strong headwind I was going about 15mph and barely able to push the pedals. But right now I'd take any warm wind that'd blow across our frozen state.

Mike makes the best looking jigs I've seen. Oh yea....and do a search on his site for pictures....they catch fish....bigguns'

Sibert Dredge Brush (3/8oz or 1/2oz) jigs in various natural and black/blue combos with Megastrike Ragetail Chunk trailers to match. Shimano Curado 201G7 reel + Shimano Crucial MedHvy XFast rod w/65lb PowerPro

In my searches for line piling issues, someone said to hold the rod at the very base of the butt of the rod while you're reeling......that did the trick. Now I never get line piling issues. I'm not all certain what holding the rod by the butt does, but whatever it is....it works.

For the sake of my daughter's college fund Mike, please don't add kits to the website! Ha, just kidding. I'll keep it under control.....maybe.....

Like severson said, the fact they eat spiny, pokey, clawed creatures would make me think their mouths probably don't have any/many nerve endings. I don't know though, I've never asked.