Koz

Back when they first came out I bought an iBobber but it's kind of useless where I have been fishing. The first problem is that the lagoons I fish are only 7-9 feet deep at most and the sonar cone is too narrow to really "see" what's down there. It was OK for scanning the bottom and finding vegetation and deeper pockets or ridges, but you can't save that data or stitch the scans together to get a broader picture of the basin. The second issue is that if there's any wind at all the current really takes it away from your target area. And my third and final issue is that it's an alligator magnet. With those three items it became more of a headache to use than it was worth. I don't know about the Lowrance that you picture above, but I do know on the advanced Deeper models that they have side scan sonar. For me, that might make it worthwhile.

Now go out and get some hooks for live bait, bring some light gear and catch some bluegills, and hook them up and see if you can land that bass.

I actually decided to go out for an hour this morning before work and before than storms set in. While the fishing wasn't great and the 80% humidity made it sticky out there, a few interesting things happened. The first was that I bought a new slashbait the other day and on my third cast with it landed a bass. It was a dink, but it's always great when a new bait pays off right away. The bass were moving along teh surface way off the bank this morning, so I tied on a buzzbait. As it so happens, when I was ready to cast I saw a bass break the surface 80 feet out or so. I made my cast and it landed in the exact center of where that bass had surfaced - bullseye! And as soon as it hit the water I got the reaction strike. It was only a pound or so, but it was pretty cool to hit the bullseye and have that immediate reaction.

One thing I have learned this year is that when what lure(s) I expect to be working don't work I throw something completely different. For example, we had some really, really windy days here and I was having no luck with Senkos, spinnerbaits, or chatterbaits that usually do well this time of year. So I started throwing a buzzbait out in the choppy water and the bass just killed it. Now maybe someone more experienced than me already knew that was a good option, but to me throwing that topwater in choppy conditions was a last resort.

Honestly, I always start with a bait that I like to throw based upon the season and the current conditions. If that doesn't work I'll throw another bait I really like based upon those conditions. If that doesn't work I usually fish a bait or technique that I don't like so much. It's surprising how many baits that I initially didn't like that much made it to my favorable list. In the past when fishing was slow I'd go through the bag. Either that of suffer through paralysis of analysis and overthink color and bait choices. But I think through my own experience, reading here on BR, and watching their videos, I do OK with my initial choices on most days.

That's the beauty of fishing - one bait with multiple techniques that may or may not work on any given day or location. The more I learn about fishing the more I change up techniques before I change baits.

I can't catch a break this week.

Sounds like a recipe for some good polarized glasses and site fishing. That and throwing a topwater like a frog or buzzbait and see what comes crashing out of the weeds.

Classic! **Just realized this thread was resurrected from the dead.

There's a lot of luck involved in catching your PB. Above all, you've got to be at the right place at the right time. And then if you're at the right place at the right time you have to make the right presentation to get that big bass to bite. You can decrease the amount of luck needed by knowing the right place to fish based upon seasonality, time of day, and weather conditions and knowing how to break down the lake keeping those factors in mind. That's a lot to take in plus you've set a goal of catching your PB on a specific day. With that in mind my suggestion is to go to your local bait shop and boat dock, tell your story and ask where they are biting lately. I'd also buy 3 bags of Senkos and go fish those areas using both Texas rigged and wacky rigged Senkos. I caught my PB on a Senko, and even if you don't catch yours that day they Senko is bound to land you enough fish to make your venture worthwhile. You may not catch your PB, but you might catch the most fish you've ever caught in a single outing.

I've done that as well, but it kind of defeats the purpose of protecting your nose from the sun. Maybe applying some rubbing alcohol or Rain-X to the glasses will help with fogging.

I bank fish in a lot of open area so I don't mess around waving a graphite rod when storms are near. I also keep my phone on me so I get immediate weather app alerts when a storm is approaching or there are lightning strikes in teh area. No need to be a hero. Live to fish another day.

It's that time of year again... Every day at work I look forward to finishing up and heading out to fish for an hour or so. In the spring everything goes as planned. But this time of year on just about every single day the thunderstorms roll in between 4:30 and 5:30 pm. Today was no different. At 4:15 my phone alerted me to a line of storms moving in. At 4:30 I started getting lightning alerts. Now closing in on 4:45 I hear the constant rumble of thunder. The same thing happened yesterday and thunderstorms are forecast pretty much every day for the next 10 days. I may as well stay at work. ?

Compared to a Senko where it's not unusual for the ratio to be one fish for one bait. I love Senkos, but there are many times when the bass tear them off the hook and I reel in the fish and the bait is gone. Or the bass breaches the water and I see the Senko go flying. I wonder if putting a ring of Mend-It around the top near the insertion point on the hook would help strengthen the bait.

I started about 49 years ago when I was 6 and fished regularly until I was 15 or so. We had local ponds near us with sunfish, yellow perch, and bass. During the summers we went camping at Bantam Lake (CT), Lake George (NY), and Lake Bomoseen (VT). We also took trips to Lake Nipigon (north of Lake Superior) in Canada for some pike fishing. Once I hit college I didn't fish much for the next few decades but picked it up again about 7 years ago when my son was old enough to fish without poking his (or my) eye out. Now I fish 4 or 5 times a week, even if it's only for 30 minutes or so.

Thanks. I have zero intention or inclination to go back. When I grocery shop I'm not even tempted by poor food choices. Heck, last night I put on some shorts that I hadn't worn in a long time and that had me excited and even proud. There's absolutely no way I could turn back now. I'm a little more than halfway to my goal in about 6 weeks. My initial goal was to meet my desired weight in 6 months. It will get harder as I get closer, but I'm motivated.

Beetle Spins and cheap $1.00 Wal Mart spinnerbaits.

It's been about 6 weeks now since I ditched almost all carbs as well as cutting out sugar and processed foods. I still get some carbs from vegetable like broccoli but I've stayed away from bread, pasta, and potatoes. The result? I've lost 4 inches off of my waist and I'm fitting into clothes I haven't worn in a long time. I did cheat twice and have a few slices of pizza, but I earned that. The other night I had a piece of chocolate cake but the sugar made me feel physically awful. I still have barely touched the weights although I know I need to add that if I want to continue dropping pounds to get back to my college playing weight. But I do walk for 2-3 hours every night and more on weekends. But the walking isn't bad at all - I'm walking the banks of lagoons and fishing all of that time! Best of all, I feel proud that I've made the changes, stuck with it, and have seen results. I spent too many years putting that off. I am kicking myself for that!

Teckel Sprinker Frog

With bank fishing here in my part of the south what works in one part of the season rarely carries through the rest of the year. Late winter (Jan-Feb): Jerkbaits and Beetle Spin Early Spring: White or chartreuse/white spinnerbaits with Keitech Swing Impact trailer. Mid-Spring: Bluegill colored chatterbait with Havoc Pit Boss trailer in Perfection color or white chatterbait with white paddletail trailer But right now my Strike King Banshee Buzzbait in Sexy Shad is just killing it almost every day. I can't even count how many fish I've landed with it lately. But it's completely beat up, bent everywhere, and most of the paint is missing but still landed four in about 45 minutes tonight. I might have to retire this one in the next week and buy an identical replacement. Here's hoping it has the same squeak as my current one! If the buzzbait isn't working then this time of year either a weighted or unweighted T-rigged Senko is next on my list. If that fails I'll just wacky rig it and give that a try.

Very good. I have 3 or 4 Lew's baitcasters and the primary reel I use is the Mach II Speed Spool and it's been great. I really like the Winn grips. I needed Lew's customer service once for a rod issue and they went above and beyond to make sure I was satisfied. That being said, my next reel may be a Tatula just to see what all of the fuss is about.

When I see myself in a wide brimmed hat all I can think about is that I look like some sort of weird mushroom. Every wide brim hat I have tried is either too big or too small and none just right. I was in Dick's today to pick up some Senkos and tried a few hats on but I looked ridiculous. So for now I'll just use my Huk fishing cap and a gaiter for protection. Someday I'll find the right wide brim hat...

I was skeptical as well. I don't know about throwing on just any long sleeve shirt, but the Columbia PFG shirt that I have wicks away the moisture and it really does work. The only time I get any kind of sweat in the shirt is on my back when I'm wearing my backpack, and even then it's not completely drenched. Right now you can get the Columbia PFG shirts at Cabela's, Dick's, and BPS for around $30. They are normally $40-$45.