Felixone

Based on the couple responses already made to this I expect businesses all across the country will experience a spike in productivity tomorrow.

This is the attitude more people need to have. I too have never understood why fishermen tend to be so secretive. Sure if we were talking tournaments then it might be different, but most of us will never compete. I am a new angler, and I share everything I learn. I fish a local pond that almost everyone I talk to says you can't catch bass there. I have had some luck there, about 8 bass total over the past couple months. Now most of you will shake your head at that, but remember I am new to this. I have only just moved to having to use my toes to count the total number of bass I have caught so having most of them come from a pond experienced anglers say you can't catch from is an accomplishment to me. Here is the thing though. I don't care if the person is standing next to me on the bank, or out on the water near me. If they ask I tell. I will show them where, what bait I used, and if needed what technique I used. I have found that being open and honest about what worked for me pays itself back. When I share people seem to share with me. It has gone a long way to helping me learn to catch more fish. This is a wonderful family friendly non-violent hobby that almost everyone can enjoy, we all should be working to help people enjoy it.

Awesome! Congrats on the catch! I only just started using buzzbaits. So far I have caught 3 bass on them. The first one I caught was just after the cast. The other two was at a time when they would only strike when the bait was just under the surface running almost like a spinnerbait. Given this I didn't get the epic top water smash that everyone talks about, but it was still fun to catch something on a bait that looks so strange. Now I am trying to catch my first on a spinnerbait and one of the small umbrella rigs (3 baits). Keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow is the day.

Hey scfox11! I am close to you. I am curious where this pond you were fishing is. I am always looking for new public waters to try out.

As I grew up in Florida my short term goal is to hit south Florida for some LM and maybe some peacocks. I watched that video in Florida and ever since I have been wanting to try my hand at catching peacocks. I am hoping I can arrange something either next year or the year after. Fingers crossed! If we are talking an all expense paid sort of trip then I would probably hit the Amazon for peacocks.

So I am having some difficulty with the handle for an S30 Abu Garcia reel. The issue I am having is the paddle portion of the handle keeps coming lose from the arm while reeling in line. It looks like there is pin inside the paddle that just inserts into the arm assembly. This pin is what keeps slipping out. Has anyone run into this type of situation before. If so how did you resolve it. Obviously this is a low end reel so I don't expect miracles. I also intend to replace the reel but I was hoping to make it last just a few more weeks until I am done for this season.

I saw a video where they were saying to cut pieces of a wire clothes hanger to use instead of a nail weight. I have been meaning to try it but haven't gotten around to it yet. The metal used for clothes hangers is soft enough you might be able to rough up the cut piece enough that it in effect makes barbs to help keep it from falling out. Again, I haven't tried it, this is just off the top of my head.

So I was browsing the articles on here and ran across this one: http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/going_nutz.html This got me thinking about different things I could do to change up what I am throwing. Now I am curious what sort of crazy concoctions you all have come up with. So my question to all of you is: What "unusual" mods you have done and how well did they work?

Thanks for the response Retired. I have been out to Murray twice now, and I can see what you mean. I think I need to try a couple other places to put in. That lake is really too large for a kayak as far as I am concerned. The area near the ramp I was putting in at didn't have much. There is a creek/marshy area at the back that looks like it has a bunch of beds where bass have previously spawned. I am hoping the area will be much better in spring. Since I don't deal too well with cold I will probably alternate between the two to three spots I have been fishing for the next few weeks. Once spring spawning season comes are around I will probably start hitting up new spots. At least this way I will have something (researching new spots) to keep me occupied over the winter.

As I am still relatively new to this it hasn't happened to me much, but it did a couple weekends ago. I was finishing new water. I paddled out to a likely spot. One of the little quirks I have picked up is my first cast isn't intended to catch fish. I typically cast to open water, and just reel right back. I don't really know why I do this other than it is a simple test of my equipment. Well this time it worked. That cast no sooner hit the water and bam a fish hit it. As I wasn't intending to catch a fish the hit spooked me. It almost seemed like the fish hit before it even hit the water. I just saw the huge splash, and then the tug on the line. I set the hook, but the fish swam down into some weeds and threw the hook so I never got to actually see it. Still it was an exciting 10-15 seconds. I thought for sure it meant I was in the right place, but unfortunately all I managed to land that day was a couple of pickerel. Still it is moments like this that keep me going back.

I learned to fish saltwater from my father. We used to all go as a family, and although I was very young at the time those are some of the best memories I have of my father. He wasn't really into freshwater fishing so I have had to teach myself most of what I know. I have a few local friends who helped me get started, but after that everything else has been online for the most part.

I have run into this as well with a local pond I fish frequently. I was kind of annoyed at first, but I was able to use that time to "map" out some features of the pond I wasn't normally able to see. I have used this knowledge to help me catch fish when most people around me believe that it is near impossible to catch fish there. As a matter of fact I have now caught more fish from this pond than I have anywhere else. Of course as I am a new angler this isn't as impressive as it sounds given most people probably catch my lifetime total in a single day. As it turned out beavers were the cause of the low pond. They had setup a dam on the creek and the pond was draining out into another creek/pond. So even though it made for a rough day at first, it has made other trips more fun.

So I had a mixed weekend. On Saturday I went to one of the larger lakes in the state. It started out great, or at least I thought it did. Within the first 45 minutes I hooked a really nice looking bass (saw it on a jump), but I shook free so I couldn't land it. I thought it was sign that it was going to be a good day, but unfortunately it wasn't. I didn't even get another bite all day. All I managed to bring into the kayak was this load of junk left by other anglers. Since I fish from a kayak it is typically easier for me to paddle back into the brush and pull the trash out, and I am happy to do it. I have even gone so far as to help a fellow angler get unhooked since he was on a boat and couldn't get back to the lure in the brush. I like to think this builds good karma for me. If that is true then it paid off on Sunday. I went to a nearby pond that I have been repeatedly told you can't catch bass there. Well this was proven wrong as I caught 2 within 30 minutes of each other. The first fish was about 2 lbs (maybe a touch over), the second one is touch shy of 1 lb. They aren't much, but as I have been getting skunked over and over lately where bass are concerned I was very happy with them. I keep waiting for this whole fall bite I keep reading about, but so far it has been elusive. However, I did notice that the large lake I referenced is cooling quickly (dropped about 3-4 degrees this week and might be below 70 degrees by this weekend). I am keeping my fingers crossed that this means the bite will be picking up soon. Until then I will be happy just to catch a bass or two. P.S. Sorry about the picture quality. I didn't realize the flash was on and it is reflecting off the case.

J, thanks for sharing this. That little down flick you did with the rod is something I had been missing. I am going to give that a try this weekend.

So I made it out this weekend. I tried a bit of jig fishing. I am not completely sure what a roll cast is, but I think that might be what I ended up using. It was more of a side arm underhand cast. Really more of a gentle toss over to where I wanted. It seemed to work pretty well. Unfortunately, it didn't catch me any fish. I blame that on the day more than the technique though. Hopefully this weekend will be better. I will be trying a new spot that at least from the map has a lot more cover as well as quite a few docks I can work.

I did some poking around after posting, and it sounds like this is military only. Oh well, you guys have it rough enough. I am more than happy to let you guys have at least one lake to yourselves. Good luck fishing there. I hope you catch a new PB.

Ugh, I just hate that the weather completely ignores my fishing plans. We had a cold front come through Saturday night. It was a little warmer here in that it was in the mid 40's when I got up. I stalled around a few hours before heading out, but nothing was biting. At least that included insects. I also would like to second that comment about stealth. A couple weeks ago I was fishing in a small lake. My typical MO is to paddle towards the area I want to fish. As I get close I stop paddling and coast into the area. Well apparently I did a pretty good job. As I was coasting in I could see a big old catfish swimming right towards me. He was probably close to 3' and he didn't even notice until he was maybe 5 feet from the bow. As I said this is a relatively small and shallow lake. I didn't even realize they had catfish that big in there. It was very cool to see. Here to hoping you can make it out this weekend and catch all the fish!

I unfortunately can't provide any information about this lake. However, I am in the area and am curious. Does this lake have public access or is it located on the base (military personnel only). I have been trying to find a new spot and this is well within my travel range if I can get access to it.

J Francho - Like I said, I was just poking fun. I really didn't mean to get you upset. My apologies.

So I am getting frustrated with fishing the couple small lakes and ponds I have been hitting lately. I am thinking of trying out Lake Murray, specifically the area around the Hilton Recreation Area (X: 34.09552 Y: -81.32841). Has anyone fished this area with any luck lately? If not does anyone have any suggestions for other spots around there that has public boat access? I am fishing from a kayak so long runs to different parts of the lake are out of the question, at least for now. Since I haven't fished this lake before does anyone with experience know if this is considered a clear/stained/muddy water lake? I am trying to put together the right tackle to bring. Any suggestion of lures would be appreciated as well. Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

Congrats on the keeper. Looking at the pic of the lure reminded me of something my father taught me as a kid. I noticed you hook your lure through the eye of the guide. My father taught me that this was bad to do. The hook/barb can scratch the inside of the guide which in turn can nick or fray your line. I don't know if there is really any truth to this, but it is something I am cautious of. If my rod doesn't have a hook holder, I will hook the lure through one of the arms of the guide just to be safe.

I am just poking a bit of fun, but I find it kind of funny that your profile pic shows you in a small boat with jeans and a sweatshirt (also no PFD).

Thank you for sharing. I am so glad to know it turned out ok for you. It is a good reminder to me for why I wear mine all the time. I generally fish alone out of a kayak. I am terrified of something going wrong while I am out, even though most of the water I fish out of is shallow enough for me to stand. Fortunately for me, even though my PFD is a cheap one it is actually quite comfortable. I actually like the snug fit, and keep it cinched up as tight as it will go. Keeping it really snug helps with it riding up so it never really gives me any trouble, and even though the padding is low on the back it actually helps give me support. It kind of works like a lumbar support. For those on the fence, there was a quote from a EMT/S on here a while back in a similar thread. They stated that they have never removed a PFD from a drowning victim. Although just one persons experience, this is a powerful statement. Accidents can happen at any time. Stay safe everyone!

My answer is both yes and no. I am pretty close to being done with buying lures/baits for now. I have a decent selection of hard lures. I don't really count plastics since they are consumables to me. Not unlike gas in your boat. There are however a couple holes I might fill out over time, but I think I would be hard pressed to find enough to even spend $50 on, well maybe $100. I recently was given a gift certificate, and struggled to spend that. Part of the reason is I kayak fish so space is limited. The other part is I have spent a lot of money on lures this summer and most of them either haven't seen water, or haven't caught a fish. Given this I am sort of holding off on buying more until I learn to use what I have. Where I really need to spend some cash is rods and reels. I have a couple cheap Walmart combos that are serving me well enough at this stage, but I definitely want to upgrade. Before I replace the spinning gear though I want to invest in some baitcasting setups. Once those are purchased I will upgrade the spinning gear. After that I will be looking to upgrade my kayak, and in a few years perhaps purchase a boat. So although I have what I "need" I am sure there will always be more to spend money on. At least so far fishing is actually one of the cheaper hobbies I have gotten into. I don't even want to think about how much I spent on radio controlled planes.

I am from South Carolina not Mississippi but we are looking at similar weather this weekend. I am headed out Sunday, and I am crossing my fingers this will be the skunk-buster day. The last couple weekends have been tough around here.