fishballer06

There are always some smallies around the chute into the main lake. But I'll agree with the others, you can load up on largemouth in the bay.

A big cat on bass gear is always an intense battle. Sounds like a fun day with your son. Hopefully you two can get out and fish more often!

There are a bunch of launches around the Presque Isle area. Finding one shouldn't be an issue for you at all. Inside the bay is your best bet for finding a mixed bag of fish (large and smallmouth) in fairly shallow water. It doesn't get quite as windy there, but it still can get rough. This map should help you with finding a boat ramp. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_003286.pdf

If you're doing a tournament that isn't going to have a typical weigh in with the same set of scales, then you're best using the kayak method. Everyone gets the same ruler at the beginning of the day, along with a tag with their boat number on it. Every fish gets photographed on the ruler with the tag in the photo. At the end of the day, total length in inches is the winner. Below is an example of what I mean.

I've never fished in it, but it runs through the area where I salmon fish in the fall in western NY. The overflow of it dumps into the one creek we fish and we always do well there, so I would assume that the water quality is safe for aquatic life.

I haven't had cable in years... The wife and I have Netflix and Amazon Prime. Between those two, we have plenty of shows/movies to watch for the 2-3 hours a week that we might turn on the TV.

Never underestimate the power of the jelly worm!

Those are some really cool photos. I'm surprised that there is that much life underwater in that cold of an environment.

Fish it just like a spinnerbait or swim jig, and hold on tight!

Well then, your $250 gift card should get you about 5 of those Daiwa Goldcast reels then!

My goal this season has been to get better with my slower presentations. I've always fished moving baits almost exclusively. So this year I've been fishing wacky rigs, Neko rigs, texas rigs, jigs, etc. more and more in order to force myself to get better at these techniques. I've been visiting small local ponds to practice these techniques so that I can transfer that into my trips out on the boat. It's finally starting to pay off and my confidence is growing every trip with these techniques. My buddy and I hit the water at 5 AM yesterday, July 4th. I wasn't expecting much with it being the final day of a holiday weekend on a lake that is over pressured as it is. We started our morning off throwing topwaters and large swimbaits because this lake is known for above average sized fish. My partner caught his first ever frog fish, a 3-7 to start the day off. I quickly followed up with a 3-4 on my trusty old black Cavitron buzzbait. Once the fog burned off, the fish started boiling at the surface everywhere in the large weed flat we were on. I picked up a wacky rigged Senko and started going to work on them. As the sun got up, we went to deeper water. I caught a few fish flipping a pegged D-Bomb up under some overhanging trees on a steep bank. We then moved to an old barn foundation that is left on this lake that always produces fish. Another boat was on this spot when we got there, so we fished down the bank some and waited our turn. While waiting our turn, 3 different kayak fishermen paddled up on this spot and fished it as well. None of them caught anything. Once it was our turn to get on this spot, I managed to pull a nice 2.5 pounder out on a wacky rigged Senko. This was a big confidence booster to me to go to a spot that had already been worked over by a few other fishermen and pull out a fish using one of my weaker techniques. By the end of the day, I caught around a dozen fish all in the 14-19" range, with only one fish being on a moving bait. Our best 5 was probably in the 12-13lb. range. My partner's 3-7 frog fish. My 3-4 Cavitron fish.

I got out on the water with my partner at 5 AM on the morning of the 4th of July. I was reluctant to go that early whenever my buddy mentioned the idea of it. However, we were rewarded. We caught around a dozen fish, all in the 14-19" range, which for western PA on an over pressured lake, is a very good day. My 3-4 caught on a Cavitron buzzbait. My buddy caught this 3-7 on a Frog. His first ever frog fish.

Another vote for the Chronarch. Mine will bomb a Baby 1- with 12lb. mono and a proper rod for the job (like Raul said).

Just flipped through that Bassmaster article and a few things caught my eye. 1. A Curado branded rod line from Shimano. 2. A $650-675 rod line from Loomis/Shimano. Yikes! 3. A new Veritas. 4. A new line of Smoke reels from Quantum.

If Shimano and Daiwa would quit making such good stuff, I wouldn't feel the need to keep buying reels!

Bill Lewis is supposed to be releasing something "Ground Breaking". Ike and Palaniuk have both stated that VMC is releasing a weedless Neko hook. Brandon used it to help him win the Sam Rayburn tournament.

Looks like you may have hit turnover. Texas rigged plastics, hollow body frogs, and buzzing frogs are your best bet for now.

The Aldebaran MG7 is probably perfect for you. It's a 50 size and you can find used one's fairly regular if you search around the internet.

A 5 power spinning rod? Yowza. I didn't even know they made such a thing.

That 8 ratio is going to be a great frogging reel.

Looks like Shimano has two new casting reels coming at iCast next month. These were posted by a rep at Shimano on another website this morning, so I would assume these are accurate descriptions and pictures. The Chronarch looks to be the exact same at the MGL except with a saltwater friendly spool. The new Curado looks to be an overhaul featuring a new paint job and micro module gearing. I also like that they're now coming stock with 90mm handles. Chronarch G Packed with Shimano’s most advanced technology, the new Shimano Chronarch G casting reel delivers the top level performance enthusiast saltwater anglers require. The new Chronarch G is fitted with Shimano’s MicroModule gearing, providing a more efficient gear train with a smoother, more positive feel. -Light inshore saltwater reel, perfect for wade fishing for speckled trout, redfish and flounder. Great for spotted bay bass, calico and sand bass. -MicroModule gearing provides more and smaller gear teeth for a more positive, efficient engagement and smoother feel -SVS Infinity -Cross Carbon drag washers - Composite frame -Ci4+ side plates - 8+1 S-ARB bearings - 90mm handle (HG) 95mm handle (XG) -6.5 oz (HG) 6.7 OZ (XG) 11 pounds max drag MSRP - $279.99 Curado K The new 7th generation of Curado is a complete redesign loaded with new features. Built tournament tough, Curado is the benchmark for reliability and durability. Generations of anglers have looked to Curado as their trusted partner. Shimano gives you more than ever with the new Curado K series reels. Now featuring the latest in Shimano technology, such as super smooth, efficient, durable MicroModule gearing, and offered in multiple gear ratios up to 8.5:1, Curado builds on its legacy as the ‘go to’ baitcasting reel for both fresh and saltwater action A new matte black appearance with Curado "green" spool and cast control knob for a nod to the old B model. MicroModule gearing uses smaller gear teeth to make for a smoother retrieve. By allowing more teeth to contact each other, the gear train becomes more efficient. The latest generation of SVS Infinity allows for a wider adjustment with the brakes. The new design reduces vibration and maintenance. The result is a smoother and longer cast. Reduced frame size to allow for a more comfortable feel in the hand. The 10% reduction in both length and width make the reel easier to palm and reduces fatigue. The B side (palm side) plate is now attached to the reel. 6.2:1/26 Inches Per Crank 7.4:1/ 30 Inches Per Crank 8.5:1/ 36 Inches Per Crank 11 pounds max drag 90mm Handle Length 6+1 bearings (4 S-ARB, 2 SUS and Roller bearing) Aluminum frame, CI4+ A-side, Graphite B-side 7.6 ounces (standard and HG) 7.8 ounces (XG) MSRP - $179.99

Try them all and see what works. More often than not, all of them will produce, but some days one will be better than the others.

Spot lock features on trolling motors are a God send. This really became apparent to me last month during a trip to Canada whenever I fished between two different boats, one of which had a spot locking trolling motor. Our best producing days were on the super windy days out at the end of points. The boat with the spot lock greatly out fished the other boat every day that was windy. If you can eventually upgrade you'll trolling motor, you will love it.

We built a pond on my families farm here in PA. Trust me, go at least 10-12' deep. The fish will need it not only during the winter whenever the ice can get thick, but also in the summer too. Plus, over time, silt/settlement can accumulate and make your pond even shallower. There's nothing wrong with having 3-5' deep area's, but you'll want some deeper water. As for structure, make a few rock piles, some fish cribs made out of cedar wood, cinder blocks, bricks, tires, etc. There are lots of websites out there with information on building ponds. The most important part is creating a proper drainage system in the event of flooding.