flyingmonkie

I'm a frequent visitor of Murray, about 20 minutes north of Texoma - it too is at record lows. The locals say they've never seen it this low (between 8-12 feet the past 2 years). It's a deep clear lake with very little watershed. The running joke is that it will take 8 feet of rain to fill it up. :/

Speaking of dinks, Felix77, I've gotta say that I've been a fan of your avatar picture since the day I signed up on Bassresource! I have a similar picture from one of my most infamous outings ever. Fished a picture-perfect lake for 8 hours, and only caught one fish... a largie that was smaller than my crankbait.

Awesome, thanks! I was lucky 13.

Jealous... that's all I'll say.

I posted earlier about my $12 Berkley obsession, and then my wife got me a pair of JiMarti's for Valentines Day! They are more of an all sport type, but look promising. I can't wait to give them a shot... mainly because it means I'll be fishing!

I only peg if I'm flipping or fishing rock/brush - keeps the bait and weight from getting seperated for less hangups in rock, brush, and cattails, and lends to a bit more accuracy during flipping. The only thing I ever pegged with was a good ol' fashioned tooth pick. I'm a firm believer that in all situations, an unpegged bait will lead to better hook-sets. When a bass goes to engulf the bait, it will slide away from the weight and go further into the mouth (unless you are in an active retrieve).

Excellent point: gotta love the process of elimination! To echo consensus on this post, I will almost always try to eliminate a profile or action before a color. Color does indeed matter, but basic observation of water clarity, bottom type/color, light level, and seasonal patterns will usually put you in the ballpark. To answer the original question, I usually won't change my color strategy. I might try two or three different style baits, but if I can't establish a pattern after a few changes, then I usually rethink things altogether (or start cracking open the beer!)

"Reel Fishing" for PS1. It came with a fishing remote that vibrated when you caught a fish. It was very much a simulation - no annoying voices or graphics - sometimes you'd go 10 or 15 minutes without a bite. I still have it somewhere and have threatened to hook it all back up more than once. Hands down. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reel_Fishing_(video_game)

Amen, brother! Hey, gripnrip - I'll be in Tahlequah in a few weeks to visit a friend, and was hoping to swing by Tenkiller for a couple hours (minus the boat). I'm only familiar with the south-end. Know of any good spots up North I could get some bank fishing in?

The stars were aligned: warming trend this weekend following a long cold streak, wind out of the south and highs near 70, big pressure drop leading a cold front to pass through tomorrow. Just got back from the neighborhood pond for a 30 minute quick-fish, and caught 3 totaling about 7 pounds, the biggest being close to 4 (on my first cast too!). d**n it felt great! The fish usually start to show signs of life in late february around here, but I would have swore I was fishing the pre-spawn. Had to get it off my chest. The wife and baby just don't get it.

+1 vote for fuoro. I'm a big fan of Seagaur Red Label, but their Invisix would probably be a good choice too.

Couldn't hurt! I've often wondered why you don't see more suspending cranks. If nothing else, it'll be a lesser seen presentation for the fish… might get strikes out of curiousity. I find myself spending so much time concerning over "what everybody else is using/doing". One of my goals this year is to have more confidence in myself and not be afraid to try unconventional things. Go for it! Would love to hear how it works.

Thank you! What are the odds that my first 12+ came with my wife (who is a semi-pro photographer) and her fancy camera in the boat with me!

$12 amber-lens Berkley's from Wally-World! Heck, I can get a new pair every month if I want!

I love to use them with my soft plastics in dingy water... I like to think that a little flash of red might help get a fish's attention. For natural presentations in clear water, I tend to avoid them.

I remember witnessing this phenomena as a kid bobber fishing for bluegill. The first one was always the hardest to catch, but then afterwards, you could throw a bare hook in the water and get bit. Most of the time, I would say it's less of a phenomena and more of a feeding frenzy! I wouldn't be surprised, however, if scent had a tiny bit to do with it.

Absolutely they COULD… I think it's more a question of whether or not they would WANT to. If you have a comfy spot with nearby food, why would you want to leave (other than to reproduce)? A bass has simple instincts - as we all do - find food, shelter, and booty. In some lakes, these instincts might be met locally, while in others, fish might have to migrate. There was a study done at my hometown lake several years ago. They marked all the fish that were released after weekly tournaments, and then tracked when/where they were re-caught. Most fish were caught within a short distance of the release zone (within a mile or so), but some were caught as far away as 7 miles. http://www.seafwa.org/resource/dynamic/private/PDF/GILLILAND-144-149.pdf In regards to the original post about offshore fishing. What are you curious about / where are you at now? Wanting to know what it is, how to improve? Do you have a specific offshore structure or technique in mind?

I too was a little perplexed the other night when I saw it. A bit surprised the mag let it through - i know they don't verify, but they do ask for length/girth measurements (my avatar pic was in there last year ). Surely, somewhere along the way, somebody saw the numbers as a bit "fishy".

Agreed! I'll take a nice muddy channel cat over a bass pulled from an oasis of ice-cold Aquafina. Nothing wrong keepin' one every now and then (if it's a healthy fishery, of course), but I'd rather get back to fishing!

That's always been my theory! There are so many perspectives, there is no right answer. It's kinda like parenting - everybody has an opinion, but it doesn't mean diddly squat when you have a crying baby at 2AM. As a rule of thumb, I subscribe to the warmer the water, the bigger your bait gets and the more action it should have. If water clarity is a factor (gin clear), it's purely about looking natural IMO (don't forget to match the hatch). There is a school of thought that using bigger baits in cold water will trigger an "I'm hungry and that will fill me up!" reaction bite, but that's a pretty low percentage strategy.

Getting ready to spool some 10lb flouro (Seagaur Red) on my newly acquired St. Croix 7' cranking rod. The tightwad in me is regretting not buying 12lb (less risk), but deep down, I know that lighter is better.

Evenin'! I think I was in the same boat as you about two years ago. I fished the lake obsessively for about a year, mapping out structure and trying EVERYTHING under the sun… many many hours. I even did a couple tournaments, but never once made it to a weigh-in… this only further fueled my fire! I still give it a go from time to time, but lately, have been making an hour drive south instead. Pretty much what I've learned: - Yes there are big bass… and the guys that catch them can do so consistently. It's all about knowing where the right structure (brush pile) is at. - Focus on brush piles, mainly submerged cedar trees. - Stay shallow (1-4 ft, usually, but I've heard them caught on brush up to 8 ft) - Docks are always worth a shot, but they are few and far between - Points are ok when fishing is active and lots of bait… but focus on brush piles. - Ignore standing timber. You'll flip it all day long and get nothing. I've caught a bunch of fish at Thunderbird, and on a good day, might catch 8-10. However, they are usually either different species (white bass, saugeye, crappie, catfish), or non-keepers. My best [bass] day on Thunderbird came during late spring/early summer, and I caught three keepers… yes, THREE! Largest was no bigger than 3 pounds. My go-to is a chartreuse spinner bait, colorado blades, one with bright orange paint. Can also do ok with chrome rat-l-traps and the occasional crank bait. I'm a die-hard soft plastics guy, but I've never had good luck with soft plastics… blows my mind. My next trip out, i'll probably focus on the rip-rap at the dam, as I've never given it much thought but actually offers some of the better structure on the lake. I'd be happy to discuss more off thread or even go out there some day if you'd like - I live/work in Norman. Tight lines!