KyakR

Up here in Maine my personal experience has been that the colder it gets the more important it is to think about the stuff Tom said above The fish slow down, are beginning to need less food and are seeking not only the warmer temperatures of deeper water (springs esp in a couple of my favorite lakes) but also well oxygenated water. I've believed that not all later fall bites are the same! I've also found that this is when real expertise and experience fishing shines, so don't feel bad! I'm not there yet for sure either I've often watched the better fishermen pinpoint where they are, choose a presentation and have success while I'm pulling in nada. I think as fall progresses the window for success closes, just my .02

Thanks! I like the way the elastec worms float really high for shakey head ....will try the pin type. Didn't know about GK alien head though!

My fondest and first memories of fishing are those I made fishing for white perch with my dad. I was about 8. We used to go out at dusk and troll .....he with bomber, me with worm and spinner. To this day I remember my first experience of seeing a school breaking on that calm twilight water, of throwing to it and pulling in fish after fish!! I could barely speak afterward. Then we went home and he taught me how to filet them, how not to waste, and how to fry 'em up! You and your grandkids have some wonderful memories to make. Some feel white perch are "trash" fish, but to me they'll always be magic ones

Beauty of a boat for sure! It's the little doggie. He has a harness

Tomorrow you'll be enjoying Thanksgiving with your loving family. Your journey and the people in it are amazing and inspiring! It's a good thing Kit caught you

Boy, PSN81, did your story hit home! Good chance I'll be at the Roadtrip this year and I'm terrified about the prospect of standing on somebody's boat to co-fish! I've never fished standing on a boat (only kayak) and certainly never that close to another angler. If it's Brian Needham he might push me in My story: I pulled up to one of my favorite spots and saw another car there. It's out of the way, so I got ready to to turn around, grumbling and cussing a bit, thinking of somewhere else I could go. Before I could turn I saw a woman come up the bank and sit down. She was holding a small bass and trying to extract the hook. I was thrilled! I almost never see another female angler! I parked got my gear and said "Hi! Mind if I put in here?" Didn't want to scare her off! She smiled and looked relieved. A two hour conversation about fishing followed. This was her first solo trip, and she was trying to teach herself. Her boyfriend was a game warden and had taken her out numerous times to get her started. His instruction was gentle and thorough....geared to increase her confidence and provide maximum enjoyment of the sport. She wanted to try it herself to see if she could do it! I gave her one of my rods, some fluerocarbon leaders and a bunch of tackle. I told her about this site and how much I'd learned here! After that I went out and caught a nice 31/2 er on a glass lake in the dark. Great day ;D

This sounds like a dream come true for me......but it's something I never believed I'd qualify for. IS there a qualifying process?? Guess I should have asked somebody! Will go on LBAA website to see if they let the riff-raff in That mention of lightning stood my hair up. Thankful you all were ok. Deb as always, you're an inspiration to me.....thanks! Laurie

My guess (I have no business experience!) is that if you offer something that the box and online stores can't then you might have a fighting chance. Like Jolly Green says, "YOU." I'd sure head to a shop where I could get advice and input about technique and local conditions. I'd head for a shop that specialized on one or two areas (bass fishing, bass fishing or that was affiliated with local guides. I'd be delighted to find a place that had good topo maps, or that could supply me with good baitfish in the dead of summer. Or one that could mail me free tickets to come fish in CA......

This seems to be a really important topic to all anglers who catch and release........wonder why it's not brought up that much?! I had no idea fish could get the "bends."

If I get a chance to get to the Roadtrip this year (it's looking good ) I'll have the experience of fishing with someone else, guy and gal, for the first time since I went with my dad 50 + years ago! I'll probably be a lot more relaxed with a woman for starters because that's just the way nature made us. I'm sure that'll be true of the guy. But I'll be so happy to have the chance to learn and share experience I believe any uncertainty will be fleeting, even though I'm quite shy by nature. I think in general men and women who pooh-pooh the dangers of spending a lot of time on the water alone with someone not your husband/wife/committed partner are making a mistake. Nature meant for there to be attraction, and it's had enormous power for hundreds of millions of years. It's the engine of survival itself in all life. Hey, there's an ancient myth (Greek?) that after the world was born each human being was both male and female and began to attack the gods. So they split man in half, each half a different gender. That meant man would be so preoccupied and dithered he wouldn't be able to attack anything. Lots of truth in this!

Thinking of you and happy at the end of those ........ pills! Sounds like you're in touch with your body, which is a good indicator of recovery. I'm praying for you, that each day brings feelings of well-being. It takes courage to reach out to others when you're so vulnerable! Your gratitude for your life and loved ones is a prayer from you to Him 24/7

X2. There are people here from all over the world who love fishing. The wisdom and acceptance here blew me away when I first posted. Welcome!

It's true that 3/4 of human communication is non-verbal. Maybe the anglers that are anal catch the most fish, though

Welcome ! I've learned a lot here myself The difference in my fishing, catches and confidence since people taught me to ask the right questions is huge! What's the structure like? Water quality? Flow and visibility? Fishing pressure? Other species? What lures and how worked.......line etc. etc.! They asked me rapid and specific questions to elicit information before they offered advice, the way I used to ask patients questions before I retired from nursing! This is the best place for gathering bass fishing knowledge on the net. Now I'm like the neighbor's dog that won't go home. Again, welcome!

Everybody's covered anything I thought of and then some when I was fishing from my yak for years with no electronics. Smokinal, Bluebasser, Catt and Tom X2. The only other thing I ever did was trust my "feeling" that bass were there. Intuition draws upon subconscious knowledge. Remember that scene in Star Wars where Yoda's teaching Luke how to lift his crashed ship out of that lake by using the Force? Well, Luke didn't have a fishfinder

Yikes! I've dreamed of owning a boat in addition to my kayak someday, but this thread is a good shot of reality. When I put my yak in at a ramp I'm usually very careful no boats need to come in or launch........it takes about 5 or 10 minutes for me to hook up my battery, fishfinder, TM etc. Some boaters get impatient on busy days and consider a kayak an intrusion. Kinda like motorists view a motorcycle. Some almost run over me even though I'm always off to the side and not on the ramp itself. I hope that guy had an understanding friend to help him get his boat home.......

Jay, can you elaborate a bit on this? Also, anybody have any tips on putting a twist-lock in the end of of one of the elastec worms?

I have a section of my workshop where I nail lids to some mayonnaise jars (love mayo ) to the rafter, screw in the jars, and I can see everything small parts wise. Haven't tried binders for my plastics, but this year I will.

Darn. Wish you could make a day or two......your sense of humor is neat

Brian, I'm bringing my Yak but they're flatulent and loud. After a long trip ticked off. I'll stake her outside your window upwind

Ok to bring my yak I hope!

Any other single gals out there going?

Threw my back out last week and had to put my yak up......sigh. Nice to hear you guys in Maine are out there. Usually I stay out 'til about Thanksgiving myself.