DaubsNU1

South Dakota Smallie...

^^ THIS! ^^ Got in to chiggers as a youngster...had 200+ bites round my groin / business...itchy as all get out! Mom applied clear fingernail polish. Was better in a few days. Good luck!

Made the trip to Fork back in 1996...with bunch of buddies who worked for Cabela's (they were very good fishermen). Things I remember from that trip: Dangerous boating for sure...there were no "boat land SD cards" back in mid 90's...sometimes we followed a local when they were ripping down the lake...other times we motored slowly, being ultra-cautious. First day that lake kicked our ass! 30' deep...standing timber...how to fish that? We threw everything we could think of - plastics, cranks, jigs, etc. (remember, this was the 90's...). Did. Not. Catch. One. Fish. Talked to some locals at the dock...they just giggled. Best advice...get the biggest shiners we could find...rig up some slip-bobbers...park in middle of some trees...and get those shiners down 9-10'...crack a beer and wait. Man, did we catch fish! One guy boated an 8lb largemouth. Many in the 5-6 lb range. That's all I got...remember, that was 25 years ago. (Note: I still have slip-bobber rigs in my tackle box to this day...just in case I need to break out that secret weapon...)

1. Senko, weightless 2. Ned 3. Drop shot

Best buddy, his wife, and other friends were long time employees of Cabela's...i'm talking since the 1980's(!). They all lived in Sidney, NE, corporate HQ. I actually met Jim Cabela once...way back in the 1990's. Lots has changed with Cabela's through the years...final straw was BPS purchase...My buddy and his wife no longer work for Cabela's. Sad deal. I have noticed their product line and selection leave much to be desired from the "old days." Things change...

Doesn't happen to me often...but some times... There is a Cabela's, BPS, and Scheels here in Omaha...all three are "sort-of" on the way home from work : ) I was in BPS just yesterday...and thought prices were a little high on a few items (Fluro and Senko's...), so I didn't get anything while at the store. Stopped by my local wal-mart...and yep...FC was $3 cheaper, and Senko's were $1 less.

Never heard of a place like that in my part of the country. I do know guys that pay big $$$ for waterfowl leases, deer lease, and some pay to hunt pheasants...but never to catch fish. Interesting concept...

Fished the new braid-FC/leader set up tonight...92 degrees, no wind, water temps 81 degrees. Caught a few on weightless Senko...then we moved under the bridge...and caught four in a row, then just started hammering them. Not big bass, but fun. They were not hitting the lure hard...just taking it and slowly moving off...with the bright yellow braid I could see and sometimes feel the fish. Love it!

Was a huge fan of braid back in the early 1990's when they first came out...still have two reels spooled with Fenwick Ironthread (that stuff truly is iron-thread). Always fished mono on my spinning rods, no questions asked. Took a long break from fishing...from ~2005 until last summer...when I got back in to fishing I found this place...and have learned a TON! One of the "new" concepts I just couldn't wrap my head around was braid to leader on spinning rods. Just didn't seem right to me. I didn't want to tie funny knots, didn't want that knot thumping through my guides...didn't think I needed it...Mono worked just fine, thank you very much. I tried fluorocarbon on one of my spinning rods and HATED it...nope, not for me. But then I decided to give it one more try...on our trip to South Dakota chasing Smallmouth. Spooled up some green 30lb PowerPro (only braid I had), and 10lb FC leader via Alberto knot. It worked, but just didn't feel right. Switched to a different rod. Then tried it again...still not cool. Contemplated pulling it all off and going back to Mono, right there in the boat. But decided to give it a few more tries... Tied on a NED rig and really slowed things down...and realized that I was feeling the NED rig when it hit the bottom/rocks. Hmmmmmm...I liked this sensitivity. Then started feeling light hits on the NED, and started boating fish. Fish I was missing with mono. Nice! It took a while...but I finally came to the realization that this braid-to-FC/leader thing wasn't all that bad. Actually had some benefits. So ordered me up some Tacklewarehouse bright yellow PowerPro 10lb braid (they were sold out of 15lb), and spooled it up on two spinning rods tonight. Alberto knot to some 8lb FC. Tomorrow is Fishing night with my 80 year old Dad and Brother. Thanks to the good gentlemen on this forum for enlightening me...Very much appreciated!

Move to acreage four years ago...now have a 40x30 shop...free admit I'm a hoarder...but at least and organized hoarder ?

Ain't that the truth! Buddy refers to his wife as Frau Farbissina...I'm not that brave...getting stabbed in the neck while I'm sleeping...nope! ?

@galyonj: This. Post. Is. GOLD!

Long time fan of braid on bait-casters, and mono on spinning gear (30+ years). Tried FC on my spinning rig and HATED it (10lb test). Had braid on one of my spinning rods...never felt right. Did not like the idea of braid to FC leader, but told myself I had to try it. Fished it on last trip...took a few days...but now I'm a fan. Ordered up some 10lb hi-vis yellow braid and will be spooling up my spinning rods this weekend. FC leader preferred vs. Mono. Worked great with NED, weightless senko, even big walleye jigs with minnow.

Too late : ) I like projects like this...making it my own. This boat is great for my area...easy to launch myself, small enough to get in to tight spots, I don't care if I bang in to trees or rocks. When we hit bigger water, take my Brother's Lund Alaskan 1800.

Interesting, yep! Some of my most interesting... Had an active shooter in my Residence Hall on college campus...turned out to be a drunk college student with a BB gun, but we didn't know that at the time. This was in the 90's...campus police, city police, and state troopers were called. I had the master key, and had to open the door to his room...not going to lie...thought there might be gunshots Had a fire in our Residence Hall...in the trash chute. Minimal damage, and no injuries, thank GOD! Got to meet Dave Chappell, Jim Lovel, Alan Page (Minnesota Vikings Dlineman), Whitey Herzog, when they performed on our campus. Lots of drunk people, fights, sneaking girls in to rooms after hours. No suicides in my buildings...rare for anyone working University Housing for any amount of time. Those are the ones I'm remembering today...Been at this since 1989...

Man, good thread...I currently have five tackle boxes and two storage bins of "fishing stchuff." it goes like this: Tackle box 1: hard sided box with three large Plano boxes on bottom holding top water, jigs, cranks, walleye jigs, a few musky lures, frogs, in-line spinners, whopper ploppers, and swim-baits. The top of this box has racks for 20+ spinner and buzz baits. Also has five smaller Plano boxes with hooks, weights, jigs, jerk baits, rattle-traps. Also holds my scissors and plyers...and top holds tooth picks, wacky rings and a hook sharpener. Tackle box 2: soft sided with six or seven medium size Plano boxes containing soft plastics of all shapes and sizes - Senkos, Slug-Go's, grubs, NED, trailers, finesse worms, fries, craws, Houdini shad, etc. Front pouch holds all my power-worms, swim trailers, and floating worms. Side pouch holds small tool kit, extra line, and a small box with all my small Mepps and light crappie tackle. Back pouch holds reel lube, polarized glasses, sun block. The above two boxes go with me when I fish...every time. I am constantly moving tackle and equipment from the above, to the below... Tackle box 3: my old box holds extra soft plastics, extra hooks, weights, skirts, duplicates of stuff I have in boxes 1 & 2 (I never want to run out of stuff...keep extras on hand). Tackle box 4: the really old box...it's steel...given to my by my Dad when I was 8-9 years old(?). This holds all my rod building / repair supplies, vintage lures I just can't throw away, tackle building supplies, and miscellaneous fishing stuff. Tackle box 5: holds all my Musky lures. Bin 1: holds all my lines Bin 2: holds boat supplies, reel covers, rest of my walleye lues and jigs, older cranks, jigs, soft plastics that I haven't used in a while. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Going forward...I am currently renovating my 14' v-hull...creating storage compartments...the goal is to transition all my tackle to Plano boxes in the boat's storage compartments...no more tackle boxes to stumble over, drag in and out of the boat. When I fish with Brother, or others, I can then pull the Plano boxes I need, toss them in to a tackle box, and fish. Picture fishing with my Dad...Tackle box 1&2 are on the left...Dad's tackle box is brown on the right...gets pretty crowded in that little boat...

I was a Resident Advisor in college...led to a Hall Director gig after graduation. Stayed in higher education earning a Master's degree and supported the now ex-wife as she finished undergrad, and got in to medical school. We moved around a little, I did two years as a computer consultant / trainer...then back to higher education where I served as director of campus activities, student union, student development, chief judicial officer and and then a housing director. In 2005 had the opportunity to move our family back to home (Nebraska), and we decided I would be a stay-at-home-dad to our two young daughters. That lasted 4 years...divorced the doctor wife, and she gave me custody of the kiddos, I got the house in addition to child support and alimony. I got back in to higher education 12 years ago. I'm now the Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising at a small, private, not-for-profit University here in Nebraska. Good gig with great people and fantastic leadership! I also run a side business as a photographer (www.daubertphotography<dot>com), that helps feed the fishing habit : )

I re-spool mono when it gets low on the reel, or lots of line twist. I re-spool braid...well, I really don't re-spool braid. I have some old Fenwick Ironthread that has been on bait casters since the 1990's. It gets a little faded towards the end...but the bass don't seem to mind. Still casts great, holds knot...I guess it really is Ironthread : ) I do service my reels every spring...most are Shimano's from the 1990's...a few from early 2000's. All perform great and I see no need to replace them. My rods are all Cabela's branded from the 90's...I'm told they were made by Loomis. Hard to beat.

Brother has been saving, planning, and waiting for 20+ years to get his dream boat...a Lund Alaskan. He wanted this boat for the deep sides so our 80 year old Dad could fish safely and comfortably. Dad's old Lowe was not as stable, or spacious. Dad can't stand when fishing, and we have to hold him up to tick. This is the perfect set up for our crew. Yes, it's more maintenance, more $, takes up a garage spot, and we can't fish little ponds / out-of-the-way spots...but it's big enough to fish South Dakota reservoirs, yet small enough to launch at pretty much any boat ramp. And we eat like kings!

I use it with mono, FC, & braid...100% of the time. Last weekend fishing Smallies...30lb Power Pro braid with Alberto Knotted FC 10lb leader...and Trilene knot to my NED rig. Got stuck in the rocks...I was literally pulling the boat towards the snag...had to wrap oar handle around the line...when it finally broke, the breaking point was the Alberto Knot. Trilene knot held. When fishing straight 30lb PP braid and a Trilene knot, if I ever get really snagged...I cut the line. Breaking that knot has never worked for me.

Fished Frances Case in South Dakota, above and below the dam. Tried chompers, cranks, grubs, small spinnerbaits...none worked for me. Brother and Dad were catching smallies on minnows (lindy, bouncer, jig). I tried NED+TRD and started catching them like crazy. Good stuff.

Wow, great trip to Frances Case. Here are more details and a few pictures... Monday: Got off work, Dad and Brother were at my house, ready to roll. Brother's new Alaskan all hooked up to my Duramax, ready to roll. Always great to spend time with my Dad...this was our present to him for 80th birthday. We stayed in Spencer, Nebraska, at hotel we frequented when turkey hunting up that way back in the day. Tuesday: Got on the water around 8 AM, Dad was none too interested in getting up super early. Water temps were right around 60 above the dam. Air temp @ 63 degrees and sunny, climbed in to the 70's. Dad landed the first fish of the trip...small walleye on rocks right next to the launch, using lindy-rig with minnow. We fished some rocky points and landed a few Smallies on weightless senkos, cranks, and minnows. Tried to fish the dam, but the wind was blowing pretty good and it was tough going. Brother still trying to figure out his Ulterra and new boat. So we opted to get below the dam and out of the wind. Ended the day with 53 fish in the boat...mixed bag Smallies (x23), white bass (x8), crappie (x6), walleye (x6), and one each of pike, carp, saugeye, rock bass, mud-rocket. Wednesday: water temp was 62 @ 8 Am when we hit the water...sunny and the clouds started rolling in around 3 PM. Winds were north 8-15 MPH...and blowing right down the dam. We fished rocks near and on the dam pretty much all day...drifting down the face of the dam staying around 10 ft. mark. Dad and Brother catching them with minnows on lindy, Nephew and I using Ned , small cranks. Decided to only log Smallies over 14" on the fishing log...those smaller than 14" were just a tally mark. Dad had a BLAST! We boated 72 Smallies, and a 4lb/4oz. Carp. Twenty one smallies over 14", and Dad ended our day with a 18", 3lb/2oz bronze back! Got off the water at 6 PM...tired and happy. Thursday: Slept in as it was rainy and over cast, and we were tired from two long days on the water. Got on the water around noon, water temp 60.5 degrees, air temp 52 and drizzling. Winds NNE 15-25 MPH. Brother was soo excited to get fishing he forgot his Gore-Tex at the hotel. I had backup frogg-togg set in my truck...so he stayed dry. We tucked in around back of cement near spillway to get out of the wind...and immediately put five smallies in the boat on Neds, cranks, senko and minnows. Nothing showing on the radar...but intermittent periods of drizzle and rain the whole day. We drifted the dam face, then trolled back up...ended the day with 49 smallies and a nice 19" walleye. Fourteen smallies over 14". Friday: Packed our stuff and checked out of the hotel, and got on the water around 9 AM. Brother wanted to try fishing a hump near Svatos Point...when we arrived there were 12 boats in the area, all looked to be fishing for walleye. Water temp was 59.2, air temp 43 degrees...winds were NE @ 5-10. I had been fishing Ned exclusively after trying a bunch of different presentations on day #1. Now we were in 9-10 feet of water, and no rocks to cast towards...so I put a jig and minnow on and caught my largest smallie to date, 3lbs/5oz. We started catching fish and taking pictures, fun stuff for my Dad! The locals fishing walleye slowly fished near to see what we were catching, and when they realized it was smallies and not eyes, one by one they headed out. We fished for three hours on the hump. In addition to my fish above, we netted the following: 3lb/11oz, 3lb/10oz, 3lb/8oz, 2lb/2oz...total of 13 smallies, all on minnows deep. I threw on the Ned and landed one that way. Totaled 188 fish in 3-1/2 days fishing. Dad had a GREAT time! This was the first big fishing trip in Brother's new Alaskan...we had never fished this lake or for smallies exclusively. Learned a lot...and ate a lot of hard salami, ****-ton of deviled eggs, and had a blast. A few pictures: And one pic for my Sister...we are a super close family...we texted and sent pictures her way all week. Good fun : )