RSM789

As I suggested on another thread, if there is no true bad blood between Ish Monroe & Keith Poche (and if it turns out the "fight" was just two guys bumping & grabbing each other), they should really consider doing one of those B.A.S.S. Brawl segments. They could donate any income from it to charity as a mea culpa for their bad behavior and could jokingly have the winner push the loser into the water following the match. Like the friendship that arose between Ali & Frazier years after their fights, it could be used as an event to turn an ugly episode into something positive. Other combinations I would like to see: KVD vs. Aaron Martens - especially if they put it on a smallmouth lake where jerkbaits & dropshots were successful methods; KVD vs. Ike - Like Monroe/Poche, it could be a start to changing bad blood to one of respect; Cliff Crochet vs. any of the Japanese Anglers - The conversations between them would be amazing; Gerald Swindle vs. Tommy Biffle - Would would happen first, Swindle stop talking or Biffle crack a smile. What combinations would you like to see?

In open water with decent winds, I'll use my anchor (especially when using jigs & plastics). I prefer to anchor on the side where the wind is blowing into the target, so the anchor line is behind me. One time, I was casting into the wind into a sunken brushpile in 10 ft. of water and hung up on my first cast. I put that rod under my leg & let it "anchor" me in place as I grabbed a different setup. Ended up catching 3 fish in 5 casts & then noticed the brushpile I had hung up on seemed to be moving left. I grabbed that rod, set the hook and reeled in a 2lb fish that had sucked my jig off its snag.

It changes it quite a bit, which is a good thing I believe. If you watch most small panfish in the water, their tails tend to be brighter than their body. The red doesn't change it as much, which again I find to be a positive. Crawdad claws are red, but just slightly different than the bodies (at least here).

I have had people ask why I don't get rid of the wide-neck Gatorade bottle, not realizing that it too does double duty. Cool thing with it during the warmer months is that the entire bottle can easily slide up your pants leg of any shorts or bathing suit, so you avoid any chance of being labeled a flasher

My wife & I moved to Rancho Santa Margarita (CA) in July of 1989...RSM789

99% of my fishing in my boat is alone. However, the lake I fish is 12 feet at the deepest and is surrounded by homes. If my boat sunk, I would most likely be able to walk out of the lake into someone's backyard & ask for some help...

Well, if you hadn't gone home after that first cast, you might have had a shot to catch a few more... My best day numbers-wise started with a fish on my first cast and ended with a fish on my last cast (from the dock after I had loaded everything else up). I was tempted to make another cast, but felt like it was a perfect ending to a great day. The only superstition I have is that I believe it is good luck to skip a Senko under a dock where some hot blonde is sunbathing topless...

I would expect you to think that way, so let me explain myself. The guy who lives in Florida, full of canals, ponds and wetlands full of largemouth all within walking distance, that is a guy whom I am jealous of. The guy who lives in Texas, who has a ranch with a private lake and acres upon acres of open land, that is a guy whom I am jealous of. The guy who lives in Minnesota, with thousands of lakes filled with aggressive largemouth & smallmouth, that is a guy who I am jealous of. Who I am not jealous of is a pampered d-bag, who knocked up a woman & left her to instead marry some scrawny European broad and is adored by a bunch of Patriot fans who believe the world revolves around their racist little city and that the rest of the country is "fly over" territory. The appropriate word for my feeling towards that person & those folks would be pity.

deep being a relative term

Typical New Englander response...

I'm like you, I would prefer to Texas rig a plastic. However, when the water is cold & you need to slowly wave a plastic bait right in front of a lethargic basses nose in deep water, a drop shot is the best way to do it. For me, in winter on days when the bass will not chase anything and won't move far to pick up the most slow moving bait, it is an effective way to get some stink on your hands. It isn't as bad as sitting there with live bait, but it is precariously close.

I have never liked Tom Brady. Regardless of the type of player he is, as a person he is a little b***h. He won the first 10 playoff games in his career, including 3 Super Bowls until the Patriots lost to the Bronco's in the 2nd round in 2005. His response to the first setback to a career filled with unequaled playoff success was clear when he was asked about the Steelers/Bronco's upcoming game and said pouting "I hope neither team wins". Little b***h. Yesterday, Raven's coach John Harbaughs complained during the game that when the Patriots were sending in receivers declaring themselves ineligible, the refs were not allowing time enough for the Ravens to make corresponding changes & identify the eligible players (per NFL guidelines). When asked about it following the game, Brady responded "maybe those guys ought to study the rule book". Little b***h. Think about this. When Brady was a new player in the league, not a leader on his team, the Patriots won 3 Super Bowls in 4 years (all by 3 points). Those Patriot teams were led by their defense and were able to grind out those 3 Super Bowl wins (albeit they had some help from Belicheats illegal scouting). If the Patriots make it to the Super Bowl this year & lose again, that will mean the Patriots have lost 3 Super Bowls since Tommy emerged as the leader of the team. That definitely puts him in the role of Jim Kelly rather than Joe Montana - a leader who can run up some numbers, but gags during the Championship game. Lets go Patriots, time to tie the Bronco's with a record fifth Super Bowl loss!!

I grew up around both dogs & cats and have had both my entire life. When they are a cool animal, a dog can be better - he is your best & most loyal friend while the cat just wants to sit on you. However, if the animal is a jerk, then dogs are worse. A unfriendly cat will just run away (99% of the time) while an unfriendly dog can be aggressively dangerous. Each has its own place and if you don't try to make one act like the other, they both are great to have as pets. That said, I have had both cats & dogs get into my tackle. When I was a teenager, my parents had a lake house & we would organize our tackle the night before going fishing & leave them on the back porch instead of in the boat docked on the water. One night near 3 am, we are awoken to the howling of one of our cats and the sound of something being dragged around the porch. Sure enough, the cat tried to eat one of my crankbaits, hooked itself in the mouth & was desperately trying to get away from the lure & rod it was attached to. My mom & dad got hold of the cat, but couldn't get the hook out. Our fireman neighbor heard the commotion & came over. With my mom holding the cat in a towel, he got the hook out, but not before the cat nearly shredded his forearm. The cat, who actually used to ride in the boat with us when we fished & would eat any bluegill we caught, was none worse for the wear. Years later, I was at my mom's fishing for catfish off her dock. I had multiple lines out and one of the catfish I caught tangled around a couple of the other lines. I brought in the tangled lines & as I was untangling them, my mom's miniature schnauzer came down to the dock and grabbed one of the baited hooks of the lines I was untangling. I reached over & grabbed his throat to stop him from swallowing it when suddenly, one of my lines started zipping away with another catfish. One hand on the dogs throat, one hand fighting a big catfish, yelling for someone to come out of the house & help. Just as the dog finally coughed up the hook & bait, the catfish surged & snapped my line. Saved the dog, lost the fish. I'd love to take my current dog fishing, but he is 105 lbs. of Anatolian Shepard energy & stubbornness - he would sink my little pond Prowler before I made my first cast.

Great Catfish!! I have come to the conclusion that big catfish in ponds & small lakes have an identity problem. Once they get above 4 lbs, they think they are a bass & begin acting like one. Above 10 lbs, they decide they are going to eat anything that moves, just like their Largemouth neighbors. I saw a big catfish try to eat a full sized coot once...

I'm looking for some feedback from those of you who are able to fish year round. Not necessarily looking for advice, rather am interested if your experiences mirror mine. Where I live, we typically only have 4 -6 weeks of winter, the last two or three of December and the first few in January. At my home lake, this is the only time the water temps fall into the 50's and rare is the year they drop below 53 degrees. During this time frame, I have noticed that my catch rate drops to about 25% of what it averages the rest of the year. Now I am one of those people who targets numbers over giants. Not that I fish with little crappie baits, but I don't use oversized baits to target the largest few fish in the lake. The lake I fish is shallow (12 feet max) and I do catch nearly all of my fish this time of year in their deeper haunts, typically 9 - 10 feet. I make a concerted effort to slow down & find that most of my catches are on a dropshot with either fluke or grub type plastics. Second most productive is a jig with craw trailer, while the rest of the winter favorites (jerkbaits, C-rigs, etc.) are hit & miss depending on the conditions. I know that either I haven't hit upon the right combinations of locations & presentations for winter bass or this lower catch rate is the norm. The main reason that doubt exists in my mind is based on how my catches happen. Unlike the rest of the year when I can put a pattern together and stay on it all day, winter seems to be a couple of hours of no bites followed by 3 fish in 10 minutes. Further, the flurry isn't a schooling situation, where repeating the same cast over & over results in bites. The flurry will happen in an area, but the fish aren't stacked like cordwood. So, is your catch rate in winter considerably lower like mine or is it closer to your year round average?

Stay away from the parking lot & concession stand, areas with water will be much more productive. As noted in the Silliest comments thread, be careful not to go anywhere where it is 50 feet or deeper, your small boat may not be able to handle it.

Plus it is difficult to hold a rod while handcuffed & being perp-walked out of the store...

Let me add a 4th reason, one that is valid for many smaller man made lakes here in California. The weeds are often removed, either by chemicals or machine (such as the one used at Big Bear Lake). The reason they are removed is often cosmetic, especially on private (HOA) waters. Nonetheless, in some of these lakes, the fish still end up shallow most of the year because the main (only?) cover are docks and there are aerators creating current and oxygen in the backs of the coves. The surface water temp in the middle of summer can be in the 80's, but there is cover, oxygen & forage available in the shallows. A completely man made & controlled environment that affects how the bass live and are caught.

I have something to add - Me pregunto por qué Raule está actuando como un pendejo. Lighten up dude...

Was he a passenger in a very short bus?

Oh Ok, so you were escorted out. Stripping off all your clothes and rolling around nekkid in the bargain bait bin will lead to that...

My guess is that if you left without spending a cent, you are either a shoplifter or were escorted out...

The only true way to know is after you release the fish. If the bass leaves your hand & then crashes into a stump, a dock, your boat or any other object, it is a female. Male bass will be able to skillfully avoid hitting things. The lone exception is if it is an Asian bass, for both the males & females of these species will swim away slowly, yet still crash into stuff.

To paraphrase a Monty Python Skit "Not necessarily, maybe I was arguing on my free time"

The apps mentioned that are on Roku, most Blu-ray players and other Smart devices typically are popular sites (Netflix, YouTube, etc.). You won't find an app for bassresource.com or other specialty sites on these devices. However, most of the better Smart TV's made by Sony, Samsung & Sharp also feature a web browser. This way you can access just about any website on your TV without having to connect or disconnect your laptop or phone (be it wired or mirrored). This will become a more normal feature for TV's in the coming years.