RPreeb

Yep, I get that too. Since they already have my email, I just type it in and I don't get that add for a while. I assume that someone wins, but I've never seen anything about it. I have enough faith in Glenn to feel that it won't be anything that causes a problem.

I'm 71 and just about as new to this type of fishing as you are. Look at the videos and articles on this site to find just about everything you will need to know about using a baitcaster. That's where I started, and really where I got the easiest to find and most useful information. How you set up your reel, and then fine tune your setup, depends on the brand and model of your reel, but Glenn's videos will get you started in the right direction. There are videos on how to select and use a baitcaster, how to select a rod, how to choose and use just about every type of bait or lure, how to read the weather and water to pick the likely spots to fish, and more. You can literally spend several hours watching videos and reading articles just here on Bass Resource, and all of the advice is good advice. Also, don't automatically reject what appears to be conflicting advice... sometimes both ideas are valid, despite their differences. Bass are notional critters. Two guys can be fishing from the same boat with completely different baits and techniques and still can both be catching fish. Another time they can both be using exactly the same thing and one is catching while the other is completely befuddled. Then if you don't get enough here at BR, You Tube will teach, confuse, and confound you. There is a full mix of good, mediocre, and poor information on You Tube, so watch with a few grains of salt.

I've only just begun the journey myself - last year was my first time in at least 55 years using a baitcaster. I picked up the sidearm roll cast quickly - accuracy isn't that great yet, but I can put the bait out there without backlashing almost all of the time. Overhand has been a bit more difficult. I have a tendency to release too late, and that splashes the lure into the water about 15 feet away, so unless the thumb is really ready to brake the spool, you will get a birds nest of historic proportions (I do have this tendency with the roll cast too, but it's not as potentially fatal as with the overhand cast). It helps to have your reel set correctly (and a decent mid price range baitcaster doesn't hurt either - I have 2 Tatula CT 100's, 8.1:1 and 6.3:1 ratios). The setup for these doesn't change much for me from one bait to the next unless I'm trying to go from a weightless Senko to a nearly one ounce Whopper Plopper. At my novice level I set the Magforce brake dial at about 8-10 and it's good for most of what I use it with. I've never used a centrifugal brake, and the setup is different so I won't even try to discuss that. I also don't worry about distance - I'm not trying to win any contests. I can cast far enough even from shore to catch fish, and now that I have my canoe, I can get off shore and be as close to my target as I need to be to get the job done. Now I need to focus on actually hitting that target more consistently.

I know that my brother-in-law used one for a while to fly fish some small lakes and ponds for trout. I never saw him use it, and I don't think he uses it any more, possibly for the same reasons - it's more hassle than it's worth.

In Colorado you'll be doing the tango with the Parks and Wildlife guys if you harm one. Despite the fact that there is nothing remotely endangered about them, it's still illegal to even harass them. Whacking one with a broom handle would get you fined very quickly. I think so. For many years, the tradition in my family was to have goose for Christmas dinner. Goose is 100% dark meat, and my family always preferred turkey legs and thighs over breast. Thanksgiving leftovers were almost always white meat. With our Christmas goose that wasn't an issue. I'm on the side of they need to be controlled. I lived in the Denver metro area for 40 years, and worked at a local public golf course for 5 years after I retired. During the late spring the geese would disperse to nest and raise the kids, then they would start to gather into larger flocks for the summer. That's when the poop started to become a problem. When they cut new holes each morning, the maintenance crew actually started carrying a snow shovel to scoop the goose poop off the greens. Since the geese don't leave Denver in the winter, and since they seem to view golf courses as prime grazing, the droppings got to be bad enough that the crews would have to break out the mowers a couple of times during the winter to chop up the dried feces on the fairways so it would break down into the grass. Done that way, it's not a bad fertilizer. On a slightly similar vein, my brother and I were camping with my parents a few weeks after my high school graduation in Montana (Great Falls High class of '64). We had climbed a small mountain and were working our way through the woods around the base of the mountain back to the campground. While crossing a small meadow, there was all of a sudden this loud thrum-thrum from behind us - scared the devil out of us. It was a male ruffed grouse that took exception to our presence. We didn't argue and just quickly cleared out of his territory.

The places I've fished, chumming for game fish has always been very much against the law. Using anything like that deliberately to attract bass would not fly with the authorities.

Come on guys, it was a joke. Cut me some slack.

I have to ask... what was the final resolution in Moosehead Lake? The article was from 1987, so there must be some later info on what damage ultimately resulted from the illegal stocking. Colorado wildlife management has had a long battle with trying to keep a pure strain of the endangered greenback cutthroat trout (the Colorado State Fish) from extinction. The latest article I read says that there is only a 3.5 mile stretch of a creek SW of Colorado Springs which still supports a genetically pure population of them, only about 700 fish. The native cutthroat can't compete successfully with the introduced sporting populations of brook and rainbow trout. Another example of what can happen when a species is introduced without any proper research or planning.

Here's what you need to lip those toothy fish: Stainless steel chain mail. However, at $80 for one glove, a net is much better deal.

Was just surfing through Amazon and came across this Arbogast Buzz Plug. Funny looking thing - wondered if anyone has tried it? It comes in most of the same color patterns as their Hula Poppers. With the up oriented double hook, it's supposed to be more weedless than most hard baits. Just curious. Another thing I noticed... sure are a lot of Chinese soft frog knock-offs. Or a 43 piece bait set for $43.... gotta be some must have lures.

If it's anything like we got yesterday, batten down the hatches. The good news for us is that the thaw is already under way. Tomorrow 60's, and Monday near 80 will take care of the drifts.

I have this one from Amazon for my canoe. I didn't want to deal with pneumatic tires, so this was one of the few options for me. Canoe/kayak dolly

When I was out scouting one of the lakes near here last month, found a dead cow floating against the shore. It was at the state park, so I called and reported it. I'm pretty sure that they don't leave anything that big to nature.... too much chance of really nasty germs getting into the water and possibly being contracted by kids playing along the shore.

First is late afternoon yesterday (snowing with 50-60 mph wind) and the second is this morning. Now the sun is out, but it's still only 38°. Had to take the second photo from the garage as I couldn't open either the front or back doors because of drifts on both porches.

It's here!

We have the winter storm watch for tomorrow (Friday), with potential blizzard conditions (5-8 inches of snow and 40 mph wind) in the afternoon. I have to drive 20 miles to take my wife to physical therapy (just had a total knee replacement on Monday). I hope that it's either not as bad as forecast, or it holds off until we get home about noon. It's no fun on a highway in the plains even in a fairly average snowstorm. In a blizzard, the whole world disappears in a big white. With the post op meds she is on, it's not an option to not go home after PT.

Here's your silver lining - think of it as an "educational" experience. We may have to work a bit harder to find where and when they will be feeding, spawning, etc. Then just keep the faith... actual spring and/or summer will eventually arrive - it has to, otherwise it's just chaos.

If you look through the "Fishing Rods, Reel, Line and Knots" forum (which is where I expect this thread to end up shortly), you will find a few dozen discussions on this very topic, and you will probably read enough conflicting answers that you will realize that it's most a matter of personal preference. Like almost everything about bass fishing, there is rarely a "best" way to do anything, because too many methods work to catch bass. I personally prefer to put the fewest knots possible between my reel and my lure. Less weakening of the line, and less time to change baits when change is needed. I snip off about a foot of line to account for any wear, then tie direct. The only place I use braid at the moment is on my spinning rod.

I get Outdoor Channel on Dish. With my Hopper, I'm set to record every new Zona, Pass Pros, Hank Parker, MLF. I can't watch fishing 24/7, so that's enough to work for me.

Forecast for NE Colorado: Today - 79° with wind over 20 mph by mid afternoon. Thursday - 77° with about half as much wind. Friday - 38° and snow. Those of you to the east... it's headed your way.

Here in Colorado we can have all 4 seasons in one day any month of the year. Just depends on where you are. With the highest average elevation of any of the 50 states (6800 feet), you can literally drive your car from 3315 feet in Yuma County to over 14,000 feet on top of Mt. Evans in Clear Creek County in one day.

I remember some great summers growing up in Minnesota and Wisconsin (where I first learned to enjoy fishing for bass). Good springs too. I do remember being thoroughly bundled up for trick or treating on Halloween though, so fall was a bit dicey. That said, if you live in Minnesota, you had best be ready to embrace winter. I also lived for 9 years in Montana, and saw colder lows there (as low as -45°) than I ever experienced in Minnesota.

The Colorado Rockies played their home opener Friday in light snow and mid 20's temps. Several of the players looked more like they were bundled up for skiing instead of baseball.

My plan is to get this to load my canoe on my F-150. For short trips I can just strap it securely in the bed, but when towing the camper it has to go on top. No way I'm going to lift a 78 pound canoe more than 6 feet up onto my Thule racks. This way I'll slide it up onto the rack from the back, then flip it over to strap it down. I managed to do it once without, but it was a pain in the butt and I wasn't sure I was ever going to get it up there without scratching the back of the cab.

I managed to put my new Old Town canoe in the water 2 weeks ago... got a beautiful day just a week after I got it and spent 3 hours paddling and fishing a 100 acre pond here. No sign of bass but caught a couple of walleyes and a crappie on crankbaits. That was the last day that I was even remotely inspired to get out, what with either wind or cold or both ever since.