Fish Chris

Hey 6point, I was sitting here trying to think of the exceptions.... and honestly, I pretty much always fish, sitting shallow, casting deep. Thinking back, I can only remember 1 big fish I caught casting "at a point" from further out, and that was a situation where it was too rough and windy to anchor on that point, and I was being blown straight into it. So, I made one hale Mary cast, and pow ! 14.6 lb'er ;-) So, anythings possible in fishing, but the vast majority of the time, no. Sit shallow, cast out deeper. Peace, Fish

Hey Speedbead, well, of course I "always" use the boat to get me to the best spots on the lake. How often I get out of the boat, and onto the shore, depends a lot on the place, and the shoreline. Obviously, solid boulders and steep banks don't work very well for this. So anyway, I'd say, on an all year basis, I'm probably completely out of the boat 20% of the time, and then sitting really shallow, casting out deep, or maybe casting only slightly further out from shore, but with long parallel casts, the other 80%. I almost never sit deep, and cast in. My boat gets plenty use, taking me all around the lake. Peace, Fish PS, Another thing to consider, is that sitting shallow, a big fish will cruise right up from deeper water, to look at you (which they do with me nearly EVERY trip). But if you are deeper, your making that fish feel trapped between you and the shoreline, and that fish will want to do nothing but get the heck out of that situation. I'm not surprised that SO many people almost never have big fish cruise up to look at them, like I always do. ......and again, knowing where the big ones hang, is 3/4's of the battle.

I know you were asking "why points are so good"..... but as long as we agree they are good, let me tell you the one biggest thing that comes immediatly to mind about points; I see SOOO many guys coming flying up in their high-per bass boats, and park off of the end of points > right where the big fish were sitting < before they came up and parked on top of their heads ! :-? :-X :-/ Which means that basically, that fished was clued in before that angler ever picked up their pole, and is either already leaving the area, or now has a serious case of lockjaw. Instead, come up from behind, and from one side of the point, or the other. Sneak onto the point > as shallow as you possibly can < Of course if you have a high-per bass boat, you won't want to scratch that pretty finish, but the only thing that keeps me from banging the bottom of my outdrive, or aluminum hull on the end of the point, is I don't want to make all that noise. Sometimes if the point is sandy or gravely, I'll even beach the boat on one side or the other, and walk out to the point to cast. But the importance of all this, is now you are casting out > to where the big fish are < and reeling back into the shallows. Read: The direction a bass likes to chase prey ! ....from deep, to shallow, effectively squeezing the prey out of space, as the water tapers to nothing. IMPO, this is the most common mistake that beginners, and sometimes even (almost unbelievably) experienced anglers make, when fishing points. Peace, Fish

Thanks again guys. But one thing comes to mind.... You guys really seem to like that Smallie (don't get me wrong..... I love them big Bronzebacks too :-) Honestly though, I've probably caught a dozen Smallies bigger than this one, with 5 of them over 7lbs (all from this lake of course) while that 10.5 Northern bass, is my very biggest. The fact is, when it comes to giant Smallies, that lake will really twist your perspective. It's like, if I caught a 4 lb'er from any other lake I fish, that would be a darn good one, and a 5 would be an absolute trophy.... but at this place, it almost gets to be like, "Oh. Another 5+. That's a nice one. Splash. :-) I guess it's no different than catching a 10.something, from a trout-fed, trophy Florida bass lake, that's known to produce 17's. It's all relative to what that particular body of water produces. You guys would be sticking them just as well. Peace, Fish

CatfishKing said Yea' ! Me too..... but since I NEVER fish less than 6 hours.... ;-) NY Trav said I hear you..... 25% of the time I fish by myself..... 40% of the time I fish alone..... and the other 35% I fish with nobody with me ;-) Hey in all seriousness, I'm kind of surprised that so many of you, fish so much of the time by yourselves. And one other thought comes to mind.... Several of you said something to the effect of > I know this sounds selfish < .... But I don't neccessarily think so. Everyone needs some time to themselves. I think their are probably a lot of guys who "give" at work... who "give" at home, etc..... but of whom "their own personal time" is spent on the water. Nothing wrong with that in my book. Peace, Fish

Absolutely, positively, by myself "always"..... at least when I'm bass fishing. I've had fun in the past, fishing with friends, during wide open bites for Catfish, or Crappie.... or should I say, bites that were so wide open, that no thinking was required :-) But when I'm trophy bass fishing, I need to be able to forget the whole rest of the world, and get into my "tunnel vision" mode. In all seriousness, I have big time AADD, so I can't "think about fishing" and "socialize" at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to run my mouth about fishing, before, or after a trip, at the launch ramp, or here on the forum, but when I'm after a big bass, please just give me my space. Then, I saw where a few of you (like most of my buddies) are very competitive. While I'm the least competitive guy on the planet. I don't even care if I do better than the next guy. The only guy on the planet I'm trying to outdo is myself..... Okay.... and maybe George Perry ;-) LOL The other thing about having somebody in my boat with me, is that if they rock my boat even 1" (which is totally unavoidable) or they make the slightest of bumps, it just makes my skin crawl ! I curse myself for bumping or rocking my own boat ! So Lord knows it kills me when somebody else does it ! But then again, being the oddball that I am, it's hard to find anybody (no pun intended) in the same boat that I'm in ;-) Peace, Fish

The fish don't care how shiny your boat is ;-) I say you should bead blast it, and put a "real paint job on it" like I did to my old 12ft Seaking ;-) Of course after 10 years, and probably 12,000 hours spent on that old aluminum, I had to step up to the hard-core trophy bass catching machine...... and it came stock with best finish for any bass boat ;-) Oh but hey, I do know a guy who has a 16 ft Klamath, that he has polished to a mirror finish..... It looks.... uhhh.... bright and shiny... and kind of odd..... But then he fishes for hatchery (artificial) trout..... So what does that tell you ? ;-) LOL Don't mind me :-) Peace, Fish

I've been checking in on this thread every now and again, and didn't think I'd reply, as I don't / won't have any kids. {I think kids are great, as long as I don't have to raise them} But anyway, first off, to whoever suggested barbless hooks, thats a GREAT idea. Heck, if they lose a fish or two, that will be a good lesson right from the start ! You will lose a few. And if they get stuck with the barbless hook, that will be "enough" for the second lesson... Be careful, getting stuck with hooks is all bad. Oh, but hey.... I don't think a single person here mentioned the use of cane pole ? IMPO for a really young angler, why make things so complicated ? {you have to turn this... and that pulls in your line... and you have to do this when the fish pulls.... and careful the line doesn't get tangled, yada... yada} Why not just the basics ? > When the fish pulls down (the bobber) you pull up ! Spiderman is all fine when they are at home watching TV..... But when they are fishing {IMPO} it should be all about catching fish ! And finally, I'm not sure if anybody mentioned this, but I think the age at which a kid starts fishing..... or whether or not he "EVER" starts fishing, should be completely up to him. I think if I had a kid, I'd take him and the wife on a fishing trip. I'd fish. If the kid wanted to do the same, so he/she could be like dad, "cool" ! {I'd be like, "I think we got a keeper here honey" ;-) But the best you can do is to make sure they catch fish quickly, and easily. Let them fish "if" they want to. Don't try to make them fish because you want them to. Always remembering that some kids are just not born with it. Oh, I started at 2 1/2..... with a cane pole, for Bluegills :-) Been hooked ever since :-) Peace, Fish PS, I think the kids who believe they have to have that fancy Spiderman rod to catch fish, are the same kids who grow up to believe they have to have a 21ft bass boat, to catch bass ;-) LOL

Yea' ! Why would it "not count" ? I don't care "what you thought you were fishing for" ! That's the coolest thing about fishing ! Anytime you put a line out there, you never know what you might catch ! :-) Nice fish Peace, Fish

Yes Sir :-) I've also caught several Largemouths over 10 lbs, up to 14.1 lbs on crawlers as well. Even many Striped bass up to 20'ish lbs. And Catfish... Carp.... etc, etc. Granted, I've caught all of my biggest bass on artificials..... but that was simply because of circumstance. A big bass on a crawler or crawdad, means just as much to me, as one caught on an artificial. In fact, from what my experiences have shown me, the very biggest bass are {slightly} easier to catch on artificials. So, from that standpoint, I guess I should feel a little more accomplished to get one on a crawler, or live dad..... But in the end, I really just don't care. As long as I can get them into the boat for a quick photo session, weighing, and release ;-) I can be very stubborn about 'some things'...... But when it comes to catching big bass, I'll throw whatever it takes to make them come into the boat :-) I totally let the fish decide Peace, Fish PS, I think a lot of guys say, "I want to catch a big bass"....... But I want to do it on 'X' type of lure, in 'Y' body of water, at 'Z' time of year, etc, etc...... and by placing all these additional challenges on themselves, they "Challenge themself right out of ever catching the fish they dream of".

Much thanks guys Can't wait to be back there Monday Peace, Fish

Well, I caught a new PB today..... even if just barely :-) My old PB Northern strain Largemouth was 10.4.... and the one before that, was a 10.3.... and before that (I swear this is true.... although against all odds) 10.2 :-) At this rate, I'm going to have to catch a lot of DD Northern bass, to finally get a 12 lb'er ! :-) Anyway, I was up against the shore, casting a Hud way out. Where it landed, it probably had 70 feet of water under it. I let it sink about 15 or 20 feet, then started a slow retrieve and Whack ! {I love that feeling ! ....heck of a thing to be addicted too, huh ? ;-)} Fought really good too. Couple of jumps, and some hard digging. Anyway, although I usually take my own photos, there were some trout guys nearby, who offered to take a few shots for me. Plus, that way we got some scale shots (and the release, but those were a little OE) Oh anyway, I also caught five Smallies from about 3 lbs to 5.7 lbs (only weighed and photo'd the biggest one) Caught two of those (the smallest, and biggest) on crawlers.... and man did that 5.7 rip on the micro-light ! One on a charteuse Huddlebug, and two on a 6" Hud trout. Anyway, look at that belly ! ....the Smallie was pretty fat too ;-) Sure had a blast today :-) The crowds can just have the place this weekend, while I work. But I'll be back Monday ;-) Peace, Fish PS, I sighted a Smallie cruising, that had to have been 9 lbs or more ! Her location is now permanently marked on the map in my head ;-)

Hello Shaner. My PB that I'm holding my avatar was 8.5 lbs. She was just a real fatty. I've caught 3 or 4 others, with as big, if not slightly bigger frames, but of which were just not so super fat. Peace, Fish

Hey BassManDan, that is one heck of a nice fish you got right there ! Big congrats to you :-) You could have told me she went 12lbs, and I'd have believed it ! Great shots of that trophy as well ! Anyway, continued success to you :-) Peace, Fish

I use a 6 1/2ft medium action, 6-15 lb test, spinning rod, for most of my Smallie fishing. But I love throwing tiny live dads or night crawlers on my 6ft G Loomis SR720. They are the only company who makes a 6ft, 1 piece rod, rated for 1 to 4 lb test ! Talk about light ! But being 6ft, it helps to put a weightless crawler, or tiny live dad way out there. Of course the size of the rod has "nothing" to do with the size of the fish :-) Remember this one I caught on my micro-light ? Should be able to land any Smallie I hook on it ;-) Peace, Fish

I'm a 100% braided guy, so hooksets are never a problem. Sure, sometimes if a fish is swimming straight at you, you might yank the hook out of its mouth.... but then again, sometimes it could be swimming straight away from you and you might still rip it out of it's mouth, leaving you wondering "how the heck did that happen" ??? But more often then not, your line will tick, and you won't have any idea what direction the fish is headed, so you just reel down and swing. Some you hook, some you don't. That's fishing..... But again, braid helps tremendously with hooksets.... Unless you are a really hard "swing for the fence" kind of hooksetter, and you are not able to get over that, when you start using braid. Peace, Fish

Well hey MD, since you should ask, the CA state record of 9.1 lbs had held for nearly 30 years...... until last year (in June I believe) that long standing record was smashed, by a 9.83 lb'er, from this same lake ;-) That is why I just went and had my scale recertified. Never in my life, have I felt that I had such a strong chance at catching a new state record..... and the first certified 10+ lb Smallie from CA. Of course fishing is fishing, and you never really know. One thing I do know though, is whether or not I catch that 10+ lb Smallie, it "is" there. If a 9.83 lb'er was caught 2 or 3 months after the spawn, I think their has to be a 10lb'er or three of them, swimming around over there, right about now Please wish me luck {I'd rather be lucky than good anyway ;-) LOL Fish

Thanks guys. Hey dick, really ? I thought they looked kinda' small in the photos, compared to what they did in real life, holding them yesterday. I mean, I'm usually pretty good at "sticking them at the camera" to combat the "shrinking fish photo" phenomenon..... I was even guessing these fish a bit high when I caught them.... like 6 and change... But the scale doesn't lie :-) Anyway, Peace, Fish

Nice fish ! I think it was your shirt and hat that allowed you to sneak up on her ;-) For me it's my hat and my boat ;-) LOL Stay on em', Fish

Northwind blowout coming today ...but I'll be back out tomorrow Anyway, I found a good one cruising around in an area which has 4 or 5 beds, in about a 20 x 30ft area. I assumed she had been on one of these beds, but spooked off when I aproached. So, I see her a couple feet away, looking towards a bed. I put a Hud bug in there, and she looks at it, but cruises away. So, she comes back up towards another bed. I put my bug in there... she looks again, then cruises away. After about 15 minutes, it became apparent that she was not on any specific bed yet, but just kind of scouting for one / trying to decide. Well, I'm not going to get her to "defend a bed" if she isn't even using one yet. So, I turn around and grab my micro-light. I put on a big, fat, tail-hooked crawler and fly-line it out, and wait for it to sink. Probably took a full minute. So, she comes cruising back in, and I hop it once to get her attention. She turns, starts running down towards it, nips it, and bolts away ! I totally expected to see my line start running... but nope. She just wanted to get a sniff of it. Now it gets a little breezy, and I could not see her at all. So, I just leave my crawler out there doing its thing (remember; A tail hooked crawler, will actually crawl across the bottom, dragging the line behind it ;-) After about 10 minutes, my line just shoots out... Swing.. Fish on ! And OMG ! That thing fought like you would not believe ! Couple of jumps, and back flips... several hard runs.... But, after a few minutes, I put the net under her. Not a huge one.... but still, not a bad one either. 5.2 lbs with a pretty nice belly on her. So, I look across the lake and see that its still glassy on the other side. So, I run over there and start some high speed sighting (fast idle with the gas motor, while standing. Remember, I always wear a PFD ;-) Cruise for several hundred yards and Bam ! Theres one locked on ! Cruise on past, do the big loop. Kill the gas motor and get on the t-motor. Circle back and get positioned. I start throwing a Hud bug, and she acts interested but just won't go. After about 20 minutes, she takes a swat at it, but it's like she freaked herself out, then was afraid to even go back on the nest !?!? I'm thinking to myself; This fish is acting WAY too skittish. I bet she has been swung at by another angler, already. Hmmmm. Now usually, I don't use live bait on bed fish {not that I have any kind of ethical problems with it, it just does not usually work well for me} However, the fact that this fish is so "lure shy"... Plus the fact I just caught a good one on a crawler an hour before, I decide to fly-line her a crawler. Even that spooked her out, but after 10 minutes or so, she comes creeping back in.... and my crawler is waiting ;-) I twitch it a couple times and she turns and looks at it. She investigated it for several minutes. Then the breeze comes up here too (urghh.. I hate wind A few minutes later though, I see a dark shadow moving to the left.... and then my line starts trailing :-) Swing.. Fish on ! And Holy $%%& did she fight hard too ! Crazy thing was, as I got her to the boat, I could see she was barely hooked. I reach for the net, and it snags something ! Urggg ! {BTW, you know nets are only good for 2 things, right ? 1) Netting fish. 2) Snagging every imagineable thing within a 20 freaking foot radius !!!} I swear it took me a minute to untangle it with my left hand, but I finally get her back to the boat, and get the net under her. When I go to unhook her, I swear the piece of tissue over the hook, was as thing as ther hook wire itself ! Unblelievable she diodn't come off. But anyway, she was a little bit spawned out, but still, exactly 5.2 lbs :-) Dumped a couple 4 lb'ers later in the day, but these two 5.2's were the fish of the day :-) Had fun Can't wait to be back tomorrow Peace, Fish

When people get all bent out of shape about other people keeping a few small bass for dinner, they are showing two things.... 1) their enthusiasm for the sport of bass fishing (which is a good thing, right ?) and 2) their general lack of knowledge, concerning fisheries management. This doesn't mean those guys are stupid. It just means they still have stuff to learn. Heck, when people get all whacked over somebody killing a BIG fish, it shows me something too..... > That they haven't been around this block as many times as I have. You just kind of get to a point where you learn to expect it, here and there, and move on. Even when I hear of a big one being killed from 'my own waters', anymore, about all it might illicit from me is a short grumble. Figures. Whatev. Oh and like I always say, those goof-balls have to "catch a big one, before they can kill it"..... and I bet I'll catch more big ones that they do ;D ;D LOL Peace, Fish

Hey Paul, that's a great looking fish you got there ! Congrats. Stay on em' ! Fish

Hey RW, I'm definately not complaining I'm just saying that so far, with the catches I've been making, the trips themselves {or should I say, just being out on a beautiful lake, surrounded by nature} has been the "best part"....... Now, let me start sticking some 7+ lb Smallies, and 9+ lb (10 ? :) Northern strainers, and then it might shift to where "the catching" is the best part Seriously though, and I'm sure I mentioned this last year.... But the older I get, the more "just being out there" matters.... and the less "whether or not I'm catching anything". The kids here probably think I'm crazy, but I bet a few of you older guys can relate.... Peace, Fish

I haven't exactly been hammering them yet, but I've managed to scrape out 3 to 6 good fish per trip. Mostly Smallies, 3 to 5 lbs, but a couple of 6 lb Northern Largemouths on the Hud. Anyway, this was a nice healthy 5.4 lb'er from yesterday. I took a vertical shot which I like a lot better, but somehow it came out OOF :-/ Oh, one fun thing yesterday; So, I come up to one of my spots, and their is a pontoon boat beached about 100 feet down, which had transported a whole 20 man fire crew. So they are just covering the shoreline, right in front of my spot, gathering brush and making bonfires. Felt kind of weird to get so close to them working, but I figured, their job was on land, and mine was on water So, I go on and whip out a long cast with the Hud and start a slow retrieve................. Whack ! I get hit, set the hook, fish on ! So, I hear one of the guys say, "Look, he's got one". I glance back over my shoulder, and the whole fire crew has stopped working, to watch me fight this fish Right then, it does a jump, and all twenty guys are like "Whoa......" It had that pro-sporting event audience sound to it ;D So anyway, I land the fish, and it's not a bad one.... about 6 lbs... but not really a big one for a swimbait fish, either. Certainly not a photo fish. Pretty cool to have had such a large, and attentive audience though :-) I need to go stick a big one today though ;-) Peace, Fish

I prefer Crappie, Catfish (for freshwater fish) Halibut, Salmon, Grilled Ahi Tuna (for salt). Nothing against bass being taken for food. Their are just so many better tasting fish. Then again, I think most would agree that "how its prepared" can make all the difference in the world. Peace, Fish