DaubsNU1

Depends on the day. Some times I peg it...other days I let it be free.

Fished a new-to-me-lake recently...got me thinking about my plan of attack. Lakes in my part of Nebraska are mostly small, man-made reservoirs, not huge by any means. Game and Parks are leaving standing timber and doing a pretty good job creating rock points / rip-rap, and other cover. I generally start with the following and move down the list: Start early with top-water, buzz-baits, Plopper, maybe even a Jitterbug (I'd fish top-water all day if I could!) Fast-moving baits in shallow water, spinner-bait, rattle-trap, squarebill Move to points or rip-rap and continue fishing fast-moving lures Hit grass/weed beds in the intermediate depths, moving baits, then to Senko, NED, drop-shot, soft plastics Work the edges of standing timber with moving baits, then plastics and slowing down. Slow down and concentrate on high-percentage areas What is your plan for dissecting a new lake?

Believe none of what you hear, and half of what you read... The tricky part is deciding what half you are going to believe...

Woke up today...checked the weather...35 degrees...went back to bed : )

Man, you just never know. I've been logging my fishing trips since 1992...tried for a long time to track patterns and "crack-the-code." There are just so many variables...sometimes it is hard to get a pattern going. Wind, clouds, weather, barometric pressure, air temp, water temp, water clarity, grass/moss/weeds/algae... I to have some tried and true patterns for certain lakes, but some days even those do not work. Hats off to you @Darth-Baiter for sticking in there and finding a way! Nice work!!

The old 1960 Rich Line is a little leaky. Filled it with water to find the leaks...unfortunately the leaky rivets are underneath / inside the benches, and behind the ribs on bottom of boat. I'm planning to seal up the gaps in the ribs...might paint the bottom of the boat as well. Goal is to stop leaks, or greatly reduce. What would be the best solution to seal up the entire seams of the ribs? TotalBoat Aluminum Boat Leak Sealer Marine-Tex RM306K, get some empty / fillable caulk tubes to apply and force in to the gaps 3M Marine Adhesive Sealant 5200 ** Note: I don't care what it looks like...it's a 61 year old boat(!) ** (thread Redesigning my 14' Aluminum v-hull...)

@Hammer 4, you my friend, are a Bad_$$! I'm 54 and still doing all my own maintenance...it is sometimes a struggle. The fuel filter on my 2019 Duramax is behind the transfer case...pretty easy to access and change. Rotating tires is a pain...d**n 3/4 ton rims and tires are heavy.

I have honestly never seen buzz-bait blades in any color but aluminum. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough... I have the following skirts -- black, white, chartreuse, white-chartreuse. Seems to suit my needs.

Great advice here...especially the ethanol free gas suggestion. I run nothing but ethanol free in all my small engines (ATV's, Lawn Boy, weed eater, blower, chain saw, power washer, generator). No fuel related issues in 30+ years.

Just back from vacation on Friday...got on the water yesterday and water temps were low of 64 and high of 65 (Been in the 70's and 80's here). This time of year I am normally gearing up for hunting seasons (duck, goose, deer, upland), but this year I'm fishing more. Following this thread and watching more youtube videos on fall fishing.

Wise words!!

Pinky behind the stem…butt against my forearm. Gives me good leverage to set the hook.

Well, I’ve only owned Shimano…and Chevy, with one GMC thrown in for good measure. Work well for me!

Credit cards for pretty much everything...flying to Maui today for free...credit card miles : ) I do keep a $100 bill tucked away in my wallet...just in case I need emergency cash. Aside from that, it's all cards.

Great advice from @J Francho! I've only owned one boat...but have purchased and sold many vehicles. You are never getting the full story, period! I will always remember my Dad's advice..."when you are buying used, you are always buying someone else's headache." On wood, it often depends on manufacturing date and products used. When I pulled the transom wood off my 1960 Rich Line, it was surprisingly well preserved. The chemicals used in the 60's were pretty stout...they could get away with it back then. My Dad's house has the original Pella wood framed windows...they are rock solid. Whatever chemicals they used back then worked well. The Pella windows in my house built in 2005 were rotting in side of 5 years : ( Good luck!

Well, after not fishing for the better part of 20 years, I think I did okay. Daughters took priority #1, meaning little to no time fishing from 1998 through last summer. Well, now that they are in college (hell, almost finished with college), I finally got the boat out of storage last summer and dove back in to fishing. Much had changed since I last seriously wet a line. I had never heard of NED, Senko, drop-shot, fluoro, etc. Bassresource.com was a Godsend! Fished last summer and fall, and got a new fish-finder for Christmas...then decided to renovate the boat. That was a fun and frustrating experience all at once. Caught some good numbers of bass, challenged myself to try new techniques, Brother and I took our 80 year old Dad to South Dakota to chase Smallies (first time for any of us!). We had a blast. I concentrated on a local lake just 15 minutes from my door...and caught some good numbers...a few 2 & 3lb LMB's (pretty new lake). Think I figured out that lake. Looking forward to some fall fishing, and waterfowl hunting...stoked for deer season. I am still learning, still watching youtube videos, still asking stupid questions here, still experimenting on the water. And still taking my Dad fishing Thursday nights after work. Good stuff!!

My Dad had a modified V-hull, 16', 50hp Merc, I think it was a Lowe. Casting decks, steering wheel, it did what he and my Brother needed it to do. Didn't handle chop well at all. My Brother got a Lund Alaskan this spring. Dad sold his Lowe shortly thereafter. I would highly recommend getting a V-hull. They are hard to beat. Rather have it and not need it, vs. need it and not have it...

I've fished the lake probably 5 times now...caught a few 3 lb bass, lost a really nice bass...but overall, it hasn't produced. Thoughts, suggestions?? What am I doing wrong? I've tried: Spinner-bait, white (most productive, caught all the big bass on this lure) NED (few smaller bass) Senko, black-blue (hooked a nice largemouth, but broke off), green-pumpkin Buzz-Bait, black Wacky-rig Senko Square bill (bluegill, silver, white, craw) C-rig Plopper Drop-shot Worm Jig-n-craw Jerk-bait Area's I've concentrated on: Boat Docks Rock / Rip-rap in all areas of the lake Reeds Deep holes in Southeast corner Lilly-pads Rock points throughout the lake Found schools of baitfish along North shore...caught nothing Thanks!! Daubs

Yes! I keep the completed logs in a 3-ring binder in my shop. Reference them often.

Blue fleck has been a long time favorite. Been fishing green pumpkin lately with good results. Motor oil has been a producer, and black.