One nice outing!

[Zel]

A little story of the power of BassResource and the importance of keeping up on new techniques and technology.

I got a call Tuesday from the president of the bass club I belonged to, before medical issues forced me to resign several years ago. He was always in the top six, never finishing below 6th in over twenty years. But this year was near the bottom of the barrel in points standings. He talked to me of his frustrations, and asked me if I wanted to take a day off from work Thursday and go fishing just for fun without the pressures of a tournament. He threw out several lakes as possibilities. I suggested instead that we prefish a lake in his upcoming schedule that had both populations of largemouth and smallmouth so we could mix it up a bit. We decided on Fairview Lake, a lake I haven't fished in about 5 years.

When we got to the lake at 5:30 in the morning, I noticed his setups. It was the same old things the club guys had been using for years on end. I asked him if he took my advice when we last talked over the winter about adding the GYCB Fat Ikas to his arsenal. He said he picked up a pack but didn't have much luck with them the one time he used them. He said he was the only guy in the club that had them. I told him he was going to see some real differences in my fishing style then he remembers when I was a member. I said when I belonged to the club, everything we did was mirroring each other's successes. I told him we didn't know it, but were stuck in a rut. I talked about how much my fishing techniques have changed since the years I had left, and that was mostly due to the education and learning I incorporated since then. I credited the vast improvements in my fishing to what I learned here at BassResource, and guaranteed him we were going to do real well today (pretty bold of me I know).

He started off with his regular baits that I remembered. I said I was going to keep switching up until I found what they wanted, that we should let the bass tell us what they wanted, not the other way around. I told him he can read all the articles he wanted, but if he really wanted to get some of the best information available, to join a bass fishing forum like BassResouce. That the information comes form people who not only recommend things that worked for them, but who were also willing to interact with you regarding any questions you have. I said I was going to think out loud as we fished so he could see my thought process.

A couple of highlights I told him about one post I read about the Fat Ika attracting both largemouth and smallmouth equally that RW saw in a tank at a show. I said I was going to consentrate on the Fat Ika because we would be fishing locations that held both varieties. Another... when we hit an area that should have produced but didn't, I talked about how the Bisonix unit was based on the Rattle Trap. That it was basically a unit that mimicked schooling baitfish and helped to activate bass. I said I reguarly now throw a Rattle Trap in this type situation for a little while, in hopes it activitated the bass a bit. Even if they don't hit the Trap, my hopes were it would activate them enough were they would hit slow moving plastics. And it worked just as I thought, and we picked up 3 nice ones in that small area with plastics after throwing the Trap. Another... I told him to switch up from a T-rigged 4 straight worm, which was catching him some little fish, to a 4 Senko rigged wacky style. I said the 4 size matched the baitfish length we were seeing, but the larger profile might be key, and rigging it wacky style mimicked the erratic action of the baitfish we were seeing. And since both LMB and SMB lived in the area together, we should find something that appealed to both equally. He switched and really started catching some quality fish. He was really interested in the different things we did, and what had worked better than he ever saw on that lake.

All told, we boated about 30 bass, with equal numbers of LMB and SMB. 70 percent were in the 3 5 pound range, which is really good quality size for bass in the Poconos. He said he had the most productive fishing day he has had in years.

So thanks BassResource. After watching him as we started off fishing yesterday, I see how much the information I have learned here has improved my bass catching abilities. I guess you don't really know until you can qualify it, as I probably would still be fishing a narrow mindset like my fiend if I had not become a member here and put what I learned it into practice.

[rondef]

Great story, thanks for sharing.  I also credit this site with teaching me a lot about bass fishing.  I have made tremendous progress in the last year thanks to the many members and my friends here on this forum.

[slomoe]

Cool story. I have noticed that sometimes when I get to a spot that seems very calm and I start throwing something loud like a rattle trap, I will start seeing fish hitting the surface. I always wondered if it was me who triggered them.

[Big-O]

Zel, now "Ain't that what it's all about"....fishing with and helping friends to get more excitement and enjoyment thru sharing info that has given us the same...You're a great example of what is going on in this Forum and happening more and more often. And it's not just us old guys either, I see all these young guns getting in there assisting with valuable info and being totally unselfish with their attitudes as well. Some say the world is going to the dogs..... "Not in this part of the world it ain't"....

U-Da-Man-Zel

Big O

[roadwarrior]

So, how did you guys do with the Fat Ika?

8-)

[Daniel My Brother]

Great story Zel.

I had never thought about using a rattle bait to get bass active. Again I'm learning something new here!

This site has been a bigger help to my bass fishing than any magazine I've read or TV show I've watched. Just real people sharing what works.

[Zel]

So, how did you guys do with the Fat Ika?

8-)

I'd say the GYCB Fat Ika easily caught over half of our bass, and equal amounts of LMB and SMB and they were the largest fish of the day.  One cast we would catch a LMB, and the next cast to the same area would produce a SMB.  But it was nice to see the Fat Ika ride up the line rather then being thrown off and lost, when those SMB hawgs jumped 4 feet out of the water (better than loosing them at their price).  Senko type baits (both 4 & 5) came in second, jigging spoons on the numerous dropoffs in the 15-25 ft range came in third, and then a couple of other fish here and there on various baits.  My friend said he will never again go without a GYCB Fat Ika rigged up.  

[roadwarrior]

;D  ;D ;D

[Muddy]

Zel you are the Zen Master of Bass Fishing

[JShrock07]

Nice story!!!

[Zel]

I also got a lesson in the importance of concentration. When fishing for fun, I sometimes have a nasty habit of using two rods (one in each hand). When we were drifting and fishing dropoffs, I would fish a jigging spoon in my left hand and drag a Fat Ika in the shallows in my right hand. I probably had 10 fish get off when they hit the surface or jumped from failure to get a good hookset. One smallmough spit the jigging spoon on the surface 2 feet from the boat, and we estimated it to easily be over 20 and maybe in the 7lb range. I have never had a MH baitcast rod bend like that. He was mortified I just shrugged it off to being a bone-head.

Muddy... surely not when it comes to frogs. We fished some of the silver dollar type pads for a while in the afternoon. I was 0 for 3 yesterday. But unlike you, my friend couldn't hold back the laughter.

And Muddy, we've got to hit Fairview Lake some time soon.  What a great fishery for quality LM and SM bass, for only 195 acres.  Fairview Lake is the lake Mike Iaconelli caught his first bass and launched him into a great professional bass fishing career.

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050724/NEWS/507240350/1015

[Muddy]

Call you Wed. When I get back from Brooklyn Weekend next week looks good 8-)

[SPEEDBEAD.]

If you are fishing on a Sunday, get ahold of me too.

Zel, I think I need to get on the water with you before the next T in my area  

[NJfishinGuy]

i fished there there week of 4th of july and i only got 2 bass....

[SPEEDBEAD.]

i fished there there week of 4th of july and i only got 2 bass....

Ouch.

Zel, I remove myself and insist you take this guy out.  

j/k man, thats why its called fishing and not catching.  I am sure you will get on them at some point.

Keep it wet, it will get bit...  

[Zel]

i fished there there week of 4th of july and i only got 2 bass....

Could have been several factors that made the bite favorable on Thursday:  

The bite was viscous in the morning when it was raining with thunderstorms to the south.  Once the rain ended and the sun came out, the bite died off, and although we continued to catch them, it was slow after that.

You had a new moon, we were nearing the last quarter.

Temps dropped about 15 degrees from the prior day(although you would think would make for a slower bite).  Surface water temp was 75 - 77 degrees.

90% of our bass came from one 300 yard stretch.

We fished on a Thursday, and were the only boat fishing on the lake for the first 3 hours.  Also it was 4 days after the weekend, when they traditionally get hammered.

If you concentrated on the hump area out from the kids camp, we only got 2 from there.

[Muddy]

Hey Wayne : Make it 2 days we can do a day on that lake with Zel and a day on the Chunk PM me please

[roadwarrior]

Hey Muddy!  

Try the * the "right way" for awhile

and see how you do. I would like to see a report

on your comparison.

8-)

[Muddy]

Will do,Zel is smashin em under and by the mats and on the weedy flats doin just that RW, he is using the Ikas, if that makes you any happier this morning :