papajoe222

My first personal best was caught in 1986, 6lb.7oz. before that I'd caught plenty of quality fish, but that one topped them all by a large margin. My current PB is just under a pound more at 7-5 and I was no where near as pumped, or am I more proud of it than I was of that first big fish. I had that first one mounted and even if I were to catch a 10lb. I doubt that I would have it mounted.

Not knowing the size of the pond, how far north you are, or the avg.size bass in that pond, the only answer I can give you is a general one. Chances are you did luck into that one little fish as smaller bass tend to be more agressive and roam a lot more than adult fish. Considering the weather conditions you were facing, the chances for a successful outing were slim, but some things you should take into account next outing; Under calm conditions, stealth is of the utmost importance. Be observant as baitfish activity can indicate active fish. Downsize your offerings under adverse conditions. Lastly, don't stick with a presentation unless it is producing and when it stops producing, give the area a good going over with something different in the same general size and/or color.

I prefer; Ride like the wind Bullseye/

What else is there to do during the off season, but look through catalogs and web sites for fishing stuff that I don't need and will likely never use. Two winters ago, I got a great deal on an AllStar rod. I've used it once. Ditto for a BPS ProLite casting reel that I gave away this year. Don't get me started on lures that haven't even made it INTO my tackle box, let alone seen time in the water!

I couldn't count the number of times when I could have left the tackle box at home and just taken one lure. Of course, without going through some of those baits I wouldn't have known which lure it was. If I'm lucky enough to figure out a pattern in the short time I'm normally on the water, that is usually the situation. Yesterday it was a short arm, gold Colorado bladed spinnerbait between shore and the inside weed line (about 3ft.) on the wind blown shores of the islands and the main lake. I tried a swim jig in the same locations, but they wanted the thump and flash of that blade. Who am I to argue?

I just jack mine up enough to get the weight off of the bearings, leaving the wheels on. If for whatever reason it were to drop off the blocks, the tires are already on the ground, or slightly above it and no damage would occur. This acutally happend on my old boat with the wheels off and I had a b!+ch of a time getting it back up. The only lucky thing was the hubs weren't damaged.

For the scenario you mention, either a T-Rig or split shot rig will get the job done depending on whether or not you want your presentation on the bottom or not. The biggest difference between the rigs you menton, both in the physical set up and in the presentation of the bait itself, is the distance of the weight in relation to the bait itself. The use of a bait that floats, adds to the effectiveness of a C-Rig as it will stay off the bottom the majority of the time. Use of a swivel, aside from allowing the use of different strengths or types of line, assists in keeping line twist to a minimum. Ask anyone that uses a split shot rig or Carolina Keeper where a swivel isn't included and they will tell you that line twist can turn a productive presentation into a nightmare after extensive use. Rigging a bait Texas style without any weight can end up with the same situation.

One of my neighbors used tried applying their aluminum polish by hand and the end result was not worth the time and effort he put into it. He may still have some of it and if so, I'll try it with my variable speed polisher. It would be a lot easier and time consuming than what I'm thinking of.

There are only two conditions that keep me from fishing; Lightning and a frozen lake!

I did the same thing when I converted my old boat. You can also get a handle extension or a foot swing arm. I added a 'BigFoot' switch mounted to the deck and the combination was fairly user friendly.

I added a front deck to my old boat with a narrow bow and fished out of it for almost twenty years. Granted it was a little tipsy with a pedestal seat, but as long as I was by myself, it wasn't a problem. The conversion itself wasn't all that difficult. I installed supports to the front 'step' or seat and built up the center seat to that height. It was a short distance, so no other support was needed. Marine grade plywood and carpeting lasted until I sold it fifteen years later.

The hull of my ten year old Tracker is really looking nasty. Dull, discolored and a stained waterline are the culprits. So I've decided to do something about it. I know it's a little late to start thinking about it, but this is my first unpainted aluminum boat and I figure that once I get it restored keeping it looking good shouldn't be too difficult. I've tried a couple of metal polishes with little or know improvements and last week I remembered having the tanks on my truck polished. The guy used a rotary polisher with a cotton fiber buffing wheel and polishing compound and when he was done they looked more like chrome than aluminum. So my big project for the up coming off season is to use that system on my boat's hull. I own an old rotary polisher and arbors and have seen the buffing wheels and compound for sale on eBay. I know it will be a big time consuming project. Has anyone attempted this on their boat?

Do you know the reason behind the line breakage? The reason I ask is the type of line may not be the cause. Big fish put you equipment to the test and will find any weak links. Knots, drag settings, dull hooks, old or nicked line, just to name a few. I've had fluoro break 30ft. Up from my lure where there was a kink from a prior backlash. The first big fish I had on put that line to the test and it failed. Using braid can give you a false sense of security when it comes to line breakage. Just saying

You are already fishing lures with the braid without any leader, what prompted your concern about stealth? If you believe the use of a leader will get you more bites, go for it. If your concerned about loosing lures vs. some line, you'll have to decide which will cost you more in the long run. Are you loosing lures to snags when using braid now? If not, using a leader shouldn't make much difference and from a stealth point it will be advantageous.

Two of the best methods I've found are a Lindy rig and a Gapen's Bait Walker. The first is similar to a C-Rig and the second looks like a spinnerbait with the hook removed and a leader tied to the swivel where the blade would be.

One question I have is in an area that is (for example) 15 ft deep, I sometimes will find bass suspended at 9 ft. Is the next step then to move to target areas that are 9-10 ft? Especially if using a bottom contact technique i.e. jig n pig?

Great post. I don't fish many reservoirs, I mainly fish small, natural lakes and with few exceptions rarely use my electronics to find fish. I do, however attempt to observe my surroundings and that includes keeping an eye on my depth finder. I only run flat out to a spot that has been productive recently, the rest of the time I will take my time getting to an area I believe may be. I'll keep my graph speed on high and split screen with zoom. If I pass over an area I think is worth checking out, I'll mark it so I can return later to check it out. I'll break the lake down in a similar matter, but from top to bottom rather than end to end. Seasonal locations will dictate where I begin. Weed growth is to me what bird activity is to you, so density and depth along with the types of weeds are what I look for. My final step before actually fishing is to look for either structural changes or points or pockets in the outside weed line. If the bass are active, I'll know in short order. If not, I either need to get into the weeds, or hit the docks.

For me, it isn't a cost, or size thing. It's a sensitivity thing. There is a world of difference between lead and tungsten when it comes to transmitting information back to me. The same goes for brass and steel. Drag a C-rig with a tungsten weight over a hump and you can immediately tell when the bottom composition changes, where the weeds, rocks, shell beds, or whatever are. I equate the difference to that of fluoro vs. braid. For sensitivity, I choose braid. The majority of my rods are in the $100 or less range and tungsten and braid give me the sensitivity I can't afford from more expensive equipment.

What is it we're searching for? Active fish, drop offs, changes in bottom composition, submerged weeds or wood........of the lures listed, a jig,T-rig and C-rig can be used, but are poor choices when searching for active fish as they are time consuming. I have to agree with Tom. The best search tool isn't a lure, it's my electronics.

Dang, the Walmarts around here don't even carry Daiwas, or Shimanos, or even Quantums. To answer the OP, I am a Diawa guy, but I love my new LaserPro. Small, light and smooth not to mention it retails for under $100.

Don't get me wrong, I like both of these stores. I just would appreciate it more if their associates were a little more knowledgeable about the items they carry. It's gotten to the point that I'd rather order online and just pick up at the store. I really feel for anyone that stops in either store on the weekends and has a question because not only are these people uninformed, they don't make any attempt to get informed. The young man I wasted my time with today has been working the gun section for 'almost three years' couldn't tell me if they carried any .223 Rem. match grade ammo. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel their customer service at the point of purchase needs some major improvement?

Let me say that my favorite bait is not my most productive. My most productive bait seems to change every year or two. My all time and forever favorite is a Spook. I can't throw one for extended periods anymore and my wrist will talk to me for a few days if I do, but it's still my favorite. My all time top producer is a jig and I doubt that any bait will replace that. Well, maybe a plastic worm, or a crankbait, or maybe a ................

The biggest obsticle to overcome when night fishing is yourself, expectations, fears, overconfidence, etc. If you approach night fishing the same way you approach fishing under overcast skies or any other low light condition, you'll be on your way. Think of it using simple logic. If there were no shade from those trees, how would you fish that pond?

This

My all species PB was a 52in. muskie that I bagged on the last day of my yearly treck to Wisconsin. I didn't even have a follow on that lake all day and had given up and headed to the lauch. With three guys ahead of me, I grabbed my bucktail rod and just started fan casting the bay. It really didn't hit me, what I'd accomplished, until after I released her. I sat there shaking for at least 15min. and it took me three tries to back my trailer into the water (I'm a truck driver!). I didn't really calm down until I was back at the hotel and had downed a celebratory beverage. The first couple of times that I spoke about catching her, I got the shakes again. I did get some what similar rushes when I caught my PB largemouth and walley that were short lived, but I haven't set a goal for them. My goal for muskie had always been 50in.