jaybird71

Good to hear those who are protecting my freedom and privilege to hunt can also enjoy the fruits their service provides for me. Thank you sir, Godspeed.

Some years ago I fished the Blue River in late winter. My buddy caught one rainbow & I one brown, so we didn't tear it up but they were beautiful specimens and the scenery was amazing! I did learn (actually my buddy demonstrated) that the underwater terrain can be very treacherous as he went under trying to cross. His chest waders took on some water but he was lucky to grab a rock & navigate to shore. Those waters are cold so I would recommend a guide or buddy to fish with for safety!

"Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace" - Oscar Wilde For me, that line is my conscience however big or small. I haven't drank in almost 8 years and have taken heed to the following question.. "Will she still be pretty in the morning?" Chances are, if you answer honestly, you will wake up alone but with a clear conscience .

Yup, Lake Erie tried to claim one. Fishing a walleye tournament, had a rig leaning on the bow rail off a 28' sport craft. The 3'-4' chop sent it overboard but went under the rail so the line was over the top. Luckily my drag was just tight enough to hand line it up. I was rewarded later with a 28" marble eye!

Interesting topic...spinning gear- cast right handed, reel left. Bait caster- cast right hand, reel right handed (which requires me to switch hands). Exception...pitching bait caster- left hand pitch, right hand retrieve (no switching). I started pitching w/ my right & switching hands but pre-fishing my first ever tournament years ago my buddy suggested I learn to pitch w/ my left so I didn't switch rod hands & maybe miss an early strike. Glad I took that advice, next day as soon as my tube hit the water in a little pocket a bass hit. I never would've hooked that fish if I switched hands. That was fish #1 of 2 I weighed in that day. And what a great day indeed!

That's where I fished in my very 1st bass tournament years ago! Glad to hear you had a successful outing, and for resurrecting one of the best memories of my life !

I have on occasion, met some interesting folks too! If I'm the one being asked however, my response depends how ornery I'm feeling. Kind of like being asked for directions...they might end up lost

Your last line here is $ for me!! I hadn't tried a senko for a couple years but recently decided I needed to nurture my experience with it, partially because I have a 6'6" MH spinning setup dedicated to walleye fishing that was feeling neglected & wanted to repurpose. I figured this technique rigged weightless would allow the bait more "flight time" along the edge of a weed line I've been concentrating on lately. Casting just beyond, swimming it just over the top to the edge, then letting it drop and do its magic dance. It took me several misses before I realized how light the bite can be and watching for any line movement/changes is crucial! After that epiphany, I realized my right arm hook setting (I typically fish BC's in my left arm) was too weak (trained more for ultralight spinner fishing for trout when too windy for fly rod). After losing several fish, I made a conscious effort to muscle up my hookset and started landing fish! So if I were to offer any advice to the OP, is it possible you ARE getting bites, just going undetected and not seeing the subtle bite? I mean no insult or disrespect to your angling ability, just a question based on my personal trial/error.

I recently purchased the Mojo Bass "crankbait" rod, 7' MH. I have to admit, I was "lured" to it initially because of the label, but found I really liked the slightly slower tip action. I have yet to use it for cranks, but works great for spinner/buzz baits as I like a slight bow in the rod when working these and the rod still has the backbone to feel the thump & get a good hook set. I doubt I'll use this rod for plastics though because I just don't feel it is tip sensitive enough, but will be a great rod for moving baits that don't require the rod itself to provide action to the lure. Just my 2cents on the mojo crank rod and experience with it so far...

As I was preparing some red snapper to grill for dinner this evening, I reached for the olive oil and it hit me...a garlic infused olive oil vinegrette marinade for soft plastics. All joking aside, I think I'm actually gonna try it! We already know garlic works, I'm just kicking it up a notch.

It has become apparent to me this can be a very sensitive subject! In my particular case, ultimately I have to accept responsibility for sharing the honey hole. And as much as I want to believe all anglers would share the same views of etiquette and convictions as I, that doesn't necessarily make them sacred. My buddy joined me at the quarry last evening while I tested out a senko rod and did share some great news however...aforementioned "coworker" is looking to move out of state for work!!! With a grin, I offered to pen his résumé.

As a recovering alcoholic, I would make an exception of having this in my possession if proven effective! Do ya think tournament officials would bend the rules to allow such a product? How bout an Alabama rig doused in coffee liquor?

Here comes the next big debate...regular or decaf.

Awesome! I wonder if his Christmas list will look anything like mine around that age....Dear Santa, do you know where bass pro shops is?

Well I doubt I'm the 1st one to have opened this can worms, but I appreciate all the input as its helping me look at all angles. Since the quarry was privately owned/operated, I would assume it was privately stocked. If this is the case, the DNR would have no vested interest in reclaiming their efforts. However, it is possible they have been contacted to relocate some of the fish down the road. I've got some research to do on that... There are actually 3 quarries within a 5 mile radius. One was getting filled in 20+ years ago and the DNR halted it stating it was part of a migratory route. I still fish that one with good success but not quite the hawgery as the one in point. The 2nd was actually purchased by the city and is now a park, no gas motors. I've fished this once but was not impressed. Now back to the honey hole..I do know that the EPA has a role in a project of this nature. Only approved fill material can be used and must be free of asbestos or any other substance that could permeate and contaminate ground water. This being said, most of the fill material is generated by demolition projects so the rate of filling is based on availability. This is a university town so there is a fairly consistent turnover not to mention a lot of summer roadwork producing a lot of concrete etc. So I really can't provide an accurate timeline of hawg extinction. I have no reason to suspect the fish on the menu were taken illegally, and said "coworker" harvested well within his rights. What's hard for me to swallow though is that he used to tournament fish and yet selfishly ignoring the enjoyment for others and should have morals and/or common sense to know the affects. While I'm an advocate of catch & release, I also understand the importance of responsible culling/harvesting/length limits/etc. I have fished numerous ponds & small lakes that have experienced "stunting" I believe is a result of not properly managing a population. And lastly, yes "loose lips..."! Just as trophy deer hunters are reluctant to give away spots, I should take heed. I'm good enough friends with my fishin buddy to express my concern of "secrecy". He was also very disappointed by his coworkers selfish act, and he didn't have to tell me about it either. So I feel he is still trustworthy and I think we both learned a valuable lesson. I wonder what a 5+# bass tastes like? If it's anything like bald eagle I might have try it sometime cuz that's fine dinin!