BigAngus752

What technique helps me catch the most fish? Reading bassresource.com and stealing the knowledge and experience of all you guys!

Our first boat. Beautiful Ranger aluminum. Second trip out. After 45 minutes of fishing my wife says, "We sure are sitting low in the water back here". Thank goodness for auto-bilge. Step 1: Put the plug in.

@freelancer27 I'm totally with you on the whole lure size thing. I really struggle even putting some of these huge buzzbaits, etc. in the water. Probably because I've never caught a fish large enough that I thought it could handle a buzzbait the size of my hand. But perhaps I've never caught a huge fish because I fish only medium lures! You know what women say when a guy has big feet! He wears big shoes!

I just helped my son 14yr old son catch his biggest LMB a couple weeks ago in this same scenario. Don't focus on the school. Focus on the area of the school. My theory (which is based on totally weak science and an extreme lack of experience) is that there are always fish AROUND the school, either feeding in it or stalking it. I told my son to throw his Rooster Tail past it by several yards, count it down just briefly, and pull it back through. 3rd cast hit his PB bass. We generally catch fish doing this.

@roadwarrior has the same weather as we do. But I would still rather be in Tennessee.

Rapala Original Floater. I have literally been catching fish with these for 35+ years and I still have the first one my dad ever bought! I have caught every kind of fish that will take a topwater bait with a Rapala Floater. I just caught a bluegill with one last weekend. Not saying it's the best thing on top of the water. Just saying it's part of my family now! LOL

Oh man, this is me. No idea what I'm feeling in the woods. I get resistance...YANK! Try for the hookset! FYI, 20lb Spiderwire braid will pull a 2in thick, 12in long section of wet tree branch at your head at approximately 45mph. I have to stop lifting weights...

So, being hit by lightening is just like getting married?

I've got them both set the same right now. How will I know if they are interfering with each other?

We got our first boat and it has a Hook 7 on the console and another on the front TM. I've never had a fish finder so we are struggling. We are starting to understand how to interpret what we are seeing after studying the screenshot sticky on this forum and watching lots of youtube videos. I am still not confident in my settings for the units but I think I now know we need to be using 83kHz as we fill in 40ft or less all the time. Just recently figured out that what we are seeing on the screen as we are slowly moving along is a history and not what is under the boat, especially the console unit with the transducer mounted at the back. What about the front unit? The transducer is mounted on the TM at the bow. As I steer with the TM is it affecting the area that is covered by the transducer since the transducer is moving back and forth with the TM? Also, our boat was a year old when we bought it so both units were set up by the previous owner (who fished the same areas we do). Any suggestions for "basic" setting to begin learning with? Or should we go back to defaults and use the set up wizard? Thanks

I'd be interested to know what your water temp is and what kind of water you are in. I'm in Illinois and today I fished a lake with a max depth of 60ft and an average depth of 22ft. The water temp was 82! Not a good fishing day today. Remember that the advice you are getting is relative to where the person responding is fishing. The guys from AZ may be baking in the heat but the fish are used to it and behave accordingly. You need to think about your median weather and water temp and then adjust your techniques based upon highs and lows relative to where you fish. @Dorado may be giving you great advice but even though he has a temp well above yours it may be "average" for this time of year for his target fish. If you are "high" for your target fish you must adjust differently.

Thank you for posting this. It's like you were reading my mind. You got some great responses. I'm hi-jacking what these guys teaching you!

I use Google Earth to find a Subway so I can buy a footlong tuna after a long day of not catching any fish. Seriously tho, check out this website for really neat tools and calculators to use on Google Maps. The top two are what I use the most; Area Calculator and Distance Calculator. Tons of applicable uses. Not just fishing. https://www.daftlogic.com/projects.htm

Cannot do the cork. Hate the cork.

Well, I just found a Daiwa Tatula CT 8BB in left hand with 7.3:1 at Amazon for $110. Perhaps that is the way to go.

This sounds like a great plan for learning to use it. Thank you very much. Man I've heard great things about the Tatula but I've only found them at $130+. Maybe I just need to spend that or dig harder for a better deal. And your suggestion about going with the 7.3:1 seems logical to me also. Much easier to slow down for the crankbaits than speed up for flipping and pitching. Thanks much.

I have been lurking these forums long enough now to realize I must learn to use a baitcasting reel. I checked the sticky posts and saw a lot of "best reel" conversations but I didn't see anything that addresses people brand new to baitcasters. Any suggestions for a newbie picking a first reel? I'm certain I want an Abu Garcia Vengeance rod (7ft medium/heavy). After trying numerous rods in several stores this one immediately felt right to me. It felt so good I think I know what it was like to hold Excalibur. Just felt great in my hand. My first baitcasting reel has to be under $100. It will also be my only baitcasting reel for now. I'm looking for one that will make me look less like the idiot that I am as I try to learn with it. Are there features I need to look for? I've looked at the Lew's Laser MG Speed Spool MCS and the Abu Garcia Pro Max Low but both of them are only available in 7:1:1 for left hand. Should I be looking for a 6:4:1 since it's my only baitcaster for now? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks

Do you have another reliable boat mechanic within reasonable distance to go to if you can no longer use this guy? That would be the number one deciding factor in my attitude with this guy. In my area boat mechanics are almost nonexistent.

"I fear not the man that has practiced ten thousand kicks once. But I fear the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times". Bruce Lee You are a Kung Fu fisherman!

Today my wife, 13yr old son, and I went to a local private pond we have permission to fish. My son caught a 14in largemouth on a white Rooster Tail spinner. My wife caught a 10in smallmouth bass using a #6 hook with a nightcrawler and a bobber. We catch a ton of fish with the spinners. I wouldn't place a bet on seeing another smallie pulling on a worm and bobber.

Very true. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Mostly I hate Illinois but you are making me like fishing here.

This makes me want to say "Hippos", just to one-up you.

You know, I never thought about it like that. That's a good point. This is exactly why I came to this forum. Thanks

Six people is a whole heckuva lotta people to put on a "fishing" boat. Especially with a 4yr old on board. I think the guys talking about used "fish n' ski"s and deck boats are on the safest track for you right now. As we were boating back into the launch area last weekend we passed at pontoon boat (prob 18ft-ish) that had a 150HP Merc on it. I would think that would pull a tube pretty d**n fast in a straight line. Have you considered getting a used ski boat and a small used aluminum bass boat? If your budget is $35,000 you could have both of those in really good condition with money left over.