Neil McCauley

I don't have a depth finder but I do well just knowing the lake and the fish in it. If they aren't in the first few places I'm expecting them then I'll try trolling. The key is to explore a little, try new things. The LMB in my lake hang out very deep, often at the same depths as SMB. I caught two ~5lbers last week suspended about 20ft deep in about 30-40 FOW.

The above is at extreme end of the invasive species spectrum. But I consider carp (both Asian and Common) to be in the same category. They are 1) human introduced, 2) destructive, 3) non-native. Having grown up in the fingerlakes I have seen the damage they do to a fishery. The responsible thing to do then is to NOT release them if caught. And yes they are damaging/harmful, including the Common Carp: http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?speciesID=4 http://www.in.gov/dnr/files/COMMON_CARP.pdf

Bass can have heart attacks/strokes, too.

Yep definitely.

The benefits of using 12-20lb line.

28,000 acre lake...395 islands...hurts my brain to think about.

Whacky rigged Senko.

Zip ties also work.

If you have enough of them you can use them for fish stock. But we're talking 20+ ribcages for it to be worthwhile imo. I don't think they have any other value and definitely wouldn't leave them in a filet. (myself choked on a LMB filet fish bone as kid!) A few times I have taken panfish and dressed them by just scaling them and removing the head and fins then pan-frying them. It's a little less work than fileting but then you're left picking meat out from the bones.

How's it going this year on "The King" ?

I've caught them 30-40 fow in the summer but on my lake I've heard of much deeper. Anyone else?

I have an almost identical setup- C2 Endura 55lb with a custom mount on a 14.5 ft canoe- minus the outrigger and the extra battery which I plan to get soon. If you want a bit extra speed check out Kipawa aftermarket props. http://www.kipawapropellers.com/propellers.htmlStock MK trolling motor props are built with a shallow angle for slowly shifting around full size boats at <1mph not cruising small boats at >4mph at which point they start to drag more than they propel.

Most: fly fishing with a popper, 1-2ft water, around fallen shoreline timber. Least: deep water casting plastics in the weeds.

I've checked out a few like the "Solunar" one, and suggest not bothering. It is entirely based on the lunar cycles. If there is one that takes cold/warm fronts, water temp and clarity, cloud cover, wind speed, and time of year into account then sign me up.

What is the length of the wire? 8ga is only good for 5 feet per MK's owner's manual.

Why is no one saying Senko ?

Never had a swivel break. I also have found that swivels actually do little/nothing to reduce line twist.

Explain this to me. Rods don't exactly wear out. Is it just for the heck of doing it or is it a cost saver or what?

Doesn't a bobber defeat the whole idea behind the Senko? ie to let the bait sink over and over so the fish can "see how it sinks" and somehow the salt impregnation mind%$#!@s them into biting it. Anyway, if it's under a float it's not sinking.

Yep...July/August fishing kind of sucks. It can be good at times, but usually just in brief bursts like daily during twilight at dawn and dusk and right before cold fronts hit. Fish growth actually slows measurably in July because of the heat, and winter is the only period that's worse for growth. Same with fishing...even though most bass are caught in the summer, the # catches per angler is lowest in the summer. But who would mind bad fishing with such enjoyable surroundings....the insects, the tourists, the many other anglers, and the drunken boaters zooming by within 10 yards of your boat.

Beef Jerky Chips Red Bull Couple IPAs Enjoy it while you got it.

I'd say there's one problem. Actually it's probably temperature. Ponds heat up and cool down too quickly. Bass metabolisms need that middleground temperature in spring/fall for growth.

Crack a brew, grab the flyrod and start catching bluegills.

There are always new experiences/opinions to be heard, whether from people who weren't here for those threads or who have learned new things since then. Or would it be better to necrobump one of those old 5 page threads to the top?