"hamma"

Bassmasters magazine and time trial by error. seeing as most of the stuff they printed back then was intended for southern fishing I had to tweak it. and joining a bass club

I look at it like this, If im fishing a tourney, I want to target bass only, and will only use one if im currently skunked. and have exhausted all my few dozen finesse techniques Otherwise I kinda shy away from them as the opportunity to twist up my brand new line is always there if it snags something,.and they do easily snag stuff. With the negatives out of the way,.. the positives They work just as all of you have stated, about 30 years ago I had gone so far as to remove the trailing treble hook and replace with worm hook to attach a grub on the end. Nowadays you can find them already weedless on the shelf, not back then though. And that weedless version used to be my go to bait anywhere i found weeds just under the surface. I think I still have it somewhere around here. I havent set up a bass rod for a inline spinner in years just because, I like my spinnerbaits, and that linetwist issue can be a PITA. As for trout fishing? always have a rod or three setup with a snapswivel for a 1/8 oz inline, wont leave the house without them. And do I have "some"? lol ,...ohhh about a hundred or two 1/8 oz in the trout fishin tackle bag. (plus a few dozen larger versions) Mepps, panthers, blue foxes, roostertails, some 30 years old, some brandy spankin new. Im always on the lookout for 1/8 oz inlines while scanning a tackleshop. And will cast or troll them, I dont discriminate. Stripers? Many years ago when I first started striper fishing a rather long odd looking inline spinner caught my eye. It was a long solid wire shafted version with three size 4 willowleaf bladed model with a single hook, and a short piece of 30 lb test mono with another single hook as a trailer hook. I asked the shop owner what thats for and he explained that you add seaworms on the hooks and troll it for stripers. So I bought one,.. tried it, and it worked well, but every so often I was loosing fish near the boat. I saw what was happening one day, they were shaking there heads using the leverage of that long solid shaft to dislodge the hook, So I remedied that,. I now make my own flexible version, and my hook up catch ratio is almost 100%. they work so well I had to start making them for other anglers as I was outfishing the heck out of them, and they'd get really ticked when I showed up at the bridge and drop one of them spinners in the current and bag a fish in a few minutes, when they had been there all day and caught nothing. Do I use inlines? You could say that I do. But when you see me at a bass tourney weight in. You wont see one tied on any of my rods,... unless 90% of the anglers got skunked, and my livewell is wet.

Im assuming the trolling motor used has designated speeds like: 1 thru 5 forward, and 1 thru 3 reverse,...maybe a variable speed trolling motor would rectify the issue. No "speeds" per'se,... just percetages that allows him to manipulate the desired speed. I have a variable speed up front for fishing, and a "speeds" model on the back for cruising,.. of my basshunter . Works great for me.

Go with your gut feeling no matter what. It wont steer you wrong. Being "new" to boat ownership can be a daunting venture, and I know how you feel. I bought my first boat brand new 20 years ago and still have it. I looked around for 2 years, hemmed and hawed at used, fiberglass, etc.,... but ended up with my gut of a brand new tin deepv hull and am grateful I did, my gut was right as its exactly what i needed for my situation. After 20 years of boating I would now consider buying used as I have some experience to fall back on, and know whats needed and what to look for. But 20 years ago I wasnt sure, and went for the warrentied and sure thing of a new rig. Dont be strayed by others recommendations, They arent in your situation. Im not saying they have no validity,..by all means they do, and their experience may even greatly outweigh mine. But , again this is your situation, the boat will be yours, and the cash is yours to spend. Personally?,.If I were you? I'd pick the rig "you" want, and buy new, utilizing all the deals available to get the best deal. By all means shop around til then, check out the electronics/ trolling motors available and find the rig that fits you best, but be sure you dont get ripped off. There's always the chance a new rig may have issues from the factory, but thats what warrenties are for.,.. Used? not so much I do know that most new rigs are setup with moderate power, be it big motor or trolling motor. Especially tracker is known for this. If possible for you to do,..upgrade your motors. You will be glad you did down the road. Reason being? I didnt when I bought my tracker, and just dropped alot of money to do so this year. My boat was nice before by all means, but now it rocks. People that have fished from it before, are now amazed at the difference.

Thats a really nice looking rig! I wish you nothing but good luck and safe boating with her. I'd recommend opening up that gate so its a easy parking job, and maybe a cover to keep her sweet looking for a long time. Congrats man, and good luck fishing

Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Conn., Vermont, New York and Alabama (wilson and pickwick) and of these 7, Alabama was a nice trip, but...Maine rules. Ya gotta try fishing there,...really, its amazing

If i'm correct this is sheep pond on the cape? I've never fished it but I can tell you that many of the cape ponds have herring in them, and, green pumpkin is a good color for plastics on the cape. Many cape ponds are crystal clear, I use 8 to 12 pound green stren, and cast as far as possible when faced with such waters Its not a large lake, but that doesnt really matter as far as the quality of fish on the cape, many of the smaller ponds there hold good bass. And if it does have herring, you may find some monster bass in it if the pond has the right weeds.,... Morning topwaters should be good, a silver patterned jerkbait would be a good bet, and a green/pumpkin plastic on a "ecofriendly" 1/4 oz jighead, or otherwise rigged would get my nod as well. A craw patterned crankbait wouldnt hurt either. Massachusettes is a lead banned state, jigs or weights under 1 oz must be ecofriendly. Looking at the topo maps I'd say the area just after the ramp where the pond opens up looks like a good drop,... and the hump, with added sunken points in the middle of the pond looks like it will hold some bass too. Seeing as its a smaller pond, you might be done fishing quickly, and if so. The first tourney I ever fished was on neighboring long pond and some beauties are hiding under its waves. There is also a state park nearby thats stocked with trout, that I've been told some nice bass are in those smaller ponds as well. I wish I had more for you and good luck

Due to my diligence to fish as many lakes as possible before my time is up. This question imposes a tough answer. One would think my favorite lake would surffice as my best known lake, but unfortunately it isnt. I like Quabbin Res. for its beauty, the fish present, and the past sightings Ive experienced of the resident bald eagles,... Growing up you just didnt ever see them in my hometown. But the res. has posed restrictions that have halted my outings there, its been a while since Ive last launched in its clear waters. My tournament days dictate my answer of Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. With 72 square miles of surface area, the way its spread out, and (current count) of 261 islands and dozens of hazards and shoals, it offers some of the best fishing in all of New England. Look at any Map of the state and you cant miss it, its huge. I think its like 185 miles to cruise around it,...The islands alone comprise over 5000 acres. It offers alot of clear water fishing, mostly for smallmouth bass,.. but some of the largemouth bass areas are impressive all on their own. And beleive me some of the buckets I've seen at weight ins are well within trophy standards. And seeing as its a big tourney lake holding fish offs and such I've spent many, MANY hours there, and still have some areas there ive yet to memorize. With all of the different species there, any angler would be impressed. Several areas boast a couple hundred foot depths, and with all the shoreline, hazards, and islands, its well known as a Bass tourney mecca. Any given weekend there can be several different organizations holding a bass tourney on it, and the dept of fish and game regulates it all. To fish there? what do I always say??? topwaters in the am, then jerkbaits or spinnerbaits in the wind, and bottom bouncers on tough days. Color? pumpkinseed, watermelon, or smelt pattern as smelts are the previlant baitfish. (A chartruese doublebladed spinnerbait with chartruese blades works well too). I personally try to launch before sunrise, to take advantage of the awesome early morning smallie topwater bite which usually lasts til about 10 am, (5 to 6 hours of explosive heaven) Areas to fish?,..take your pick, theres good fishing everywhere. But beware of the hazards, and especially of "The Broads",... the windy days on the broads boast some impressive waves. To the point some bass boats have speared waves that cracked the boat in half, ripped off many a trolling motor, and have probably been responsable of most NE pro's back and kidney issues, than any other lake in New England other than Champlain. So many incidents out there have prompted the fish and game to build a barracks on the lake, and they patroll constantly looking for boaters that have yet to pass a safe boaters course,... as NH demands it. so BE CERTIFIED!!! If you ever get a chance to fish there? DO IT !!. You to will fall prey to its shear beauty, small NE towns charm, the call of the loons, and the impressive common smallie testing your reels drag as they leap and cavort about. There are areas there that you will see, and just be amazed that there is such structure available anywhere. Some of the most healthy and therefore beautifully colored smallies, and mountain views that take your breath away. That is, of course, if you can spare the moment to not be checking out the available rockpiles and other underwater structure. Im typing this thinking to myself "yeah, it is impressive" But in reality,..? what you guys have shared,... the lakes listed in this thread are truely impressive.,... To some living on these gems, or having one nearby,... must be such a draw to just skip work for the day and go fish. I dont know how you do it other than shear demand,...lol I know I'd have trouble

Theres a good striper spot not far from home thats actually a bridge over the river. While cut bait fishing I cast out and before the bait could sink a seagull swooped down and picked it up, I pulled hard to avoid hooking it, but it was too late. So there I am, during rush hour afternoon traffic, fighting a seagull for about fifteen minutes with car horns beeping behind me, trying to gain back some of my braided line. I finally did get most of it back but with the big seagull flapping franticly (about ten feet away) to get away, I cut the line. seagulls fight hard,..lol

I agree, but to an extent,...this train of thought would apply in many lakes that are somewhat void of shallow water cover adjacent to deeper water structure, Maybe where Nice_Bass lives,...Im not sure, But I digress,.... In many New England lakes and ponds (which is where the op is from) some of their shallow water cover abutts Catts "22 foot thermocline" situation, and you can find the biggest bass in the lake in 2 feet of water hiding in expanse weedbeds. Consider a main lake point with a weed filled cove on either side,. typical summer pattern, right???.. At least it is up here. The bass will relate to the points "22 foot structure",.. but that slightly cooler shallow water cover nearby, laden with forage, will draw that pig in. And with that deep water right there, is very attractive for a big fish due to its availability of nearby safety, opportunity for roaming forage to be ambushed, and ability to react to condition changes without expending much energy. (Big fish are generally lazy) So I guess to sum up what Im telling NEBasser10 is: after finding the thermocline, look for the main lake points with that depth available, and if there are weeds in their adjacent coves dont overlook them because they are getting pounded by winds,... that can be the key to a personal best. Note I said "CAN" I'd start fishing the thermoclines depth, and work my way in to the very back of the cove. You "should" hookup, id be surprised if you dont at least get one small bass. Sometimes you wont get even a nibble. Sometimes you will stumble onto the best fishing you've ever had. Figure out the pattern of a lifetime, and eventually catch the lakes great great grandma !!! The best pattern of all time is?????? ,..... the fish are,..in the water. keep your line wet

What Catt said, especially for New Englands dog days,.. be it small or largemouth

"Usually" stunted bass dictates a overpopulation, remove some. If the crappie and bluegills are huge then Id take some of them out too, because they will be competing with the bass for the bass's forage. Dont remove them completely, you will need some to spawn more forage for the bass Its going to take some time for the pond to re-bound but it will if its healthy enough to support the larger panfish. This worked for a small pond up here that the state screwed up by removing the weeds, and the asians could now bobber fish the heck out of it from shore, and caught all the bigger bass leaving a ton of smaller bass. which snowballed to a stunted pond. Some of us concerned cartopper anglers removed some of the smaller bass one year,.. and the pond is now back to its former glory,.. weeds and all, took about ten years but it worked

Congrats to Bill Evans,.. great story, great fish, with a state record to boot. Thats AWESOME!

Suspending smallies can be a difficult venture, especially in clear water. Can they be tempted? Of course, but in that clear water they can be spooked too. If you can find the smelt trapped against a ledge then by all means fish there. But I would start as I always do, be on the water when the sun begins to rise and ride the shallower topwater bite as long as possible, then switch over to a spinnerbait, or crankbait/ jerkbait, in windy conditions. With laydown conditions a swimbait or bottom bouncing lure such as a jighead with a grub or small worm, a dropshot, etc. The trick or "issue" with such clear water is the fact that the deeper they are holding? the easier it is for them to see you. For example, on sebago lake theres a huge smelt population, but with almost 30 feet of clarity the large smallies see you a mile away from any depth, no matter how much the bass are keying in on smelts, even if your using live smelt for bait, your gunna have a hard time getting a bite. They know you are there. Wind will help greatly, and can be the difference between a great day or bust. Clear water tactics are a must, albeit flourocarbon lines or thin mono's are imperative,..long casts,.. and natural looking baits. When the conditions are good you can have a banner day on a clear water lake. but those days when the skies are clear, the sun is beaming and there's no wind whatsoever? Can be tough, and I say "can" because sometimes the unusual will occur and anything you throw gets bit,.but those days are few and far between. Small clear water lakes with healthy smelt populations are great lakes to target up here and can actually be difficult at times to find the mass population of bait as they sometimes will hug the bottom like a sheet on a bed,..On these days i get a evil smirk on my face when i see that there's no "baitballs" on my lcr. I know exactly whats up and fish my favorite finesse bait, the grub on a jighad. The smallies are pinning the bait on the bottom, looking for the weaker/easier meal, and a slow fished smoke grub, or smelt patterned 4 inch straight tail worm, or slugo is the ticket. On days when I do see baitballs on the lcr I will target the areas where there is some type of structure that the depth the bait is holding at, a drop, ledge, hump, brushpile etc. The activley feeding smallies will hang out on these waiting to ambush,...Again, using the same baits as above. So,... to sum up your question? It depends on conditions I hope this helps some and good luck

I have a 2000 deep v 16 ft tracker with a 40 hp tiller that I take out on the larger lakes up here in New England, except Champlain (just havent done it yet) but id be wary of the weather when i finally do. Im sure that the great lakes are to big for my rig when the weather kicks up, but then yet, what size boat is big enough for the weather on the great lakes. If there is a good dealership where you live ,...go for it. Ive had nothing but good times on my boat, recently re-powered (due to health issues) and had some kinks to work out but nothing major. I dont regret my purchase of a tracker one bit

camoflage it by not coloring the line solid like,....mark it just a inch or so staggered so it breaks up the color of the braid,...adding green and brown to the equation is even better for clear waters

Seeing as I dont get to go as much as Id like,...I just want to be out there nowadays. But I do get a kick out of catching them on a lure I've made. Used to be,... the first fish is a bonus, but then you want another, then, a big one, then another big one, and so on. I believe everyone comes to this crossroad eventually. When I was tourney angler I wanted a limit of quality fish every outing. but now? I just want to fish, whether I catch fish or not is no big deal anymore, (I've caught enough) but I do strive to make sure that any other person on my boat catches something of some quality.

No Idea how many are caught on the circuits, But consider the pros are "usually" cruising the shore with the trolling motor on 10, both lcr's on, searching for a hit. Not many of them are actually being stealthy about their approach. Big fish see that stuff coming a mile away. Of course it could happen,... but highly unlikely. Any pig I caught was caught in "the perfect scenerio" no lcr's ticking away, the trolling motor only used for direction,(using the wind to move) sun to my back, most using a previlant baitfish patterned lure,.. with ton of luck added in there,.. and so on, the only exception to that was my biggest came on a spinnerbait. ( along with all the other criteria). I can see how many would doubt the availability of such a big bass being present in "any" lake, Its not a common thing. But the truth is there is just as much chance of one being there then not. Most anglers are doubtful due to the lack of evidence in their face, or a pic. Consider most bass anglers arent fishing in such a manner to produce such a fish. They are rushing along down the bank with the tm on high, tossing a bait "they" like at any visible cover (that gets pounded daily) probably flipping or pitching all the while touching the bait with their hands and not adding any scent. a lcr on high sensitivity ticking away like a old grandfather clock in a quiet room. dropping stuff on the boats deck and slamming hatches in a hurry to catch that big fish they heard was released after weighed. with the sun in their face and wearing a bright orange t shirt. I got news for ya,....if this sounds like you? The chances of you catching a 10 pounder are greatly deminished. Did you ever watch a wading bird seeking minnows? He's not thrashing about in the water, hes quiet, he searches correctly with the sun to his back, using the weeds to mask himself, his strike is quick and quiet. and he is patient. this is how he feeds and its what works. big fish need the same dedication, and delicate approach. So what have we learned? 1) tournies arent optimum times for a 10 pounder to be caught to begin with. Being patient is a huge requirement for a dd fish,.2) .in a t your actually "racing" against the clock. you kinda need the lcr on at all times to help figure out a pattern, you kinda need to search out the fish on highspeed. maybe you can slow down and turn off the lcr once you figured out the pattern,. but to figure one out within just an hour or two is a stroke of luck. 3) dd bass are a different breed, they need to be fished in a different manner to be tricked so easily into hitting a "lure". Just because you havent caught one doesnt mean they arent in your lake, they very well could be. if you really want to catch a dd bass,...fish where they are, put some consideration into the equation, and most of all be stealthy about it. the moment you drop them needlenose pliers on the floor of your uncarpeted johnboat,..you're done. Once you alert them your there,..you're done.,...once you decide to fish in the wrong direction,..you're done. Leave the lcr off, only use the trolling motor when need be. and at that??? as slow as possible. And by all means use a bait thats known for big fish. I go with a jig and pig.,... if there are no crayfish there,.. use a baitfish pattern thats actually in that lake. Big fish are smart, if you're not? sorry,... your chances are nil,....lol

Mine was actually my first fishing outing, and it turned into a nightmare,...literally I was about 4 and dad rented a lakeside cabin and took us all to Sunapee Lake in NH. I finally got to fish as my 3 older brothers used to go often with dad and I was obviously eager. Well it was springtime so the bluegills were bedding and I caught about 2 dozen or so that day, and come dinner time I was extremely excited, and a pro by then of course,.. That night I had "the" nightmare that someone stole all my fish. I was sleepwalking at 2:30 am ransacking the whole cabin while crying out loud, "someone stole my fishies! where are my fishies" I woke everyone up, went thru every drawer, closet, cabinet,... kicked everyone out of bed so I could check under their covers to make sure my fish werent there,.. even went thru the car and boat, (yeah at that hour) under all the furniture and under every cushion on the couch,..... when I realized that my fish were gone I finally laid down and went back to a "calm" sleep,;;;lol next day I heard all about it, and still do sometimes when the family gets together.,.. Maybe I'm sub-consiously still searching for my fishies within my obsession with bass fishing

This would be a good jig and pig, worm rod. Id prefer a longer rod for frogs, and heavy spinnerbaits,...but then thats my prefference

Id get the bracket, and hold onto the fortrex as a backup in case you ever come to a point you "need" it,...it would be an easy swap as well

sounds like it was trying to shake a hook, when they are actively feeding some will clear the waters surface, but not many,... they dont like to waste undo energy. Nor do they miss consistently, unless your moving it to fast But when they are trying to shake something they will try shaking it underwater first, then clear the waters surface and shake violently using the lures weight to fling it out of their mouth

here's my take: I only use berkley crosslock snaps and snapswivels when called for. And the reason being they are the strongest there is out there ,..literally. Sampos are good but still arent as good. hooks, jigs, jigheads, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits without a loop, all get tied on directly. Spoons and inline spinners get a snapswivel, as they need to spin freely. Jerkbaits, crankbaits, topwaters usually come with a split ring on them, I take that spilt ring off and use a crosslock snap. It aids to change lures and still allows the lure to move correctly unhindered. Now these snaps and snapswivels are designed in such a way that they don't come apart on their own, or fail. Like the cheapo's,.. BUT, some lures are tough to get on there so you need to open up the first bend just a slight bit with 2 pairs of needlenose pliers. If done right that snap will last a long time and you will be able to sneak any sized eye on it.

As I was re-wiring the power cable I found that they ran the wiring thru a tight spot near the rod box (I had to pull most of my deckings up) the wires were pinched between a support and the hull and it was so pinched the insulation was smeared all over the area and the bare wires were almost cut thru. ,...It was sickly obvious that this wiring was doomed to begin with NICE JOB! marine usa,... Dontcha think they'd wire something better No wonder I was poppin fuses,... I re-ran the new wiring thru a better area and even protected it with that split corrugated harder plastic wiring insuation just in case. No problems now,.... thanks for the responses

This time of year? The main lake points should produce some quality fish, I'd start early with a popper then switch over to a deep water presentation like dropshotting, or jigheaded grub, or big worm There are 5 lbers and better there, just got to hit it right Again its been a long time for me on kezar, but many days I spent there leaving home at 2 am to get there for first light