SPEEDBEAD.

I agree 100%. Respect for and from fellow fishermen is a big part of the game.

Look at it this way, at least you are catching fish, right?

I am more of an optimist...I'll give you credit for a 4lber. Great job!!!

In addition to wetting your hand. Remember to wet your measuring board. As far as hands go, if I am grabbing lips it is not as important to me. Thanks for the post, its always good o have a little reminder now and again...

gotta love those natural colors...tough to beat. I do like the sharpee idea, i will have to remember that.

Three to four years of completely draining and recharging is all you will get out of MOST batteries. The only ones that may last a little longer are the Optima batteries, but those you have to pay an arm and a leg for. I would say spring for some new batteries and be happy with the life the others gave you.

Sit when I am motoring around, stand to fish...

It's really hard to beat a smallmouth. Here in PA (juniata and susquehanna rivers), there is an abundance of those things. Spend a Mid May day with me throwing topwaters, catching 20" smallmouth and I don't think you will have much of an argument against bronzebacks.

When I used crayfish for bait, we always went along the river bank with a seine net. Have a partner stand about 10 feet downstream from you with the net. Kick around and make a commotion as you make your way down toward the net. Make and effort to move around rocks with your feet as you go downstream. As you get to the net, have your partner pick the net up out of the water and you ought to have some of those little critters in your net. That will give you the opportunity to pick and choose which craws you want to keep. Hope this helps....

RoLo, Great description...nice avatar by the way.

Wow, these are some impressive numbers. If I can find a way to scan a few pics of a fish, is there any way I could possibly get a weight estimate? I caught the fish before I was very serious into the sport, so I didnt have a measuring tape or digital scale (which now I dont go without at least one!). Let me see what I can do and then we can talk weights... My best couple of fish are probably around 5lbs. The pic of this one...I dont know.

This is another topic where there is no really clear answer...you may need to allow more pauses in your retrieve when bass are not as aggressive or work it in a constant motion in order to get their interest. I would say, more often than not, you will get better results if you are patient on your pause. Most of my strikes will come after the bait has settled; that first twitch will usually bring them in. Good luck

Welcome to fishing...as a side note, all the guys on here who have kids should take note--how you act when you take your children fishing could have a lasting impact on how they view the sport. I know a lot of people (myself included) take this sport very seriously. However, if the sport is to continue growing, a new generation must be introduced. Think about how your kids view your actions; you probably wouldn't want Iaconelli teaching your kids about life and fishing, so try to act less like him. Ok, enough of that....WHO WANTS TO FISH?

Try a Horny Toad as well. When you get that green crap all over your gear, its easier to throw away a plastic frog than it is to clean a $20 topwater bait...

I have never used it for bass fishing, but is standard procedure in PA for crappies. I don't see why it wouldn't work, and if you are in a school of bass there is always the chance that you could double on a single cast. Wayne

Try throwing the soft toads on braided line. As difficult as it is to let a fish take your bait when he blows it up, be patient. When you feel the fish's weight on your rod, LET LOOSE AND GIVE IT A RIP!!!!!!!! The braided line wont stretch at all and will allow you to set the hook with confidence. Good Fishing... Wayne

We could use a little mojo here in PA and we would love to pass it on to the rest of the members. Come on guys, I know that I am new to BR, but give the PA anglers a chance here... Good Fishing... Wayne

Cant go wrong with a Terminator in the fall.

Good answer trivib!! Like you said, the bite is typically short, but it gives you the opportunity for some seriously fast fishing action.

I have gotten on people's cases before for making a big commotion when their bait enters the water. I think the deeper you are fishing, the less noticeable your splash is going to be. Especially when throwing a spinnerbait to shallow structure (less than 3 feet) I tend to make as silent an entry as possible. If I am throwing a 1 ounce c-rig in open water, I couldnt really care less. Good Fishing... Wayne