Please, please, please help me

[WishICouldFish]

Hello everyone. My name is Brittany. I'm twenty years old and I attend Unity College in Unity, Maine.

Alright, I need some serious help. Unity College has a fishing for scholorships tournament each year in which they tag fish to be caught. Each tag is worth some sort of scholarship. They tag:

large and small mouth bass, white and yellow perch, pickerel, and crappie.

We fish on Unity pond which is really a lake and is only considered Unity "pond" if you are in Unity.

I don't know much about fishing and I was hoping that you could help me with some good lures for these fish that won't cost me a furtune. No live bait is allowed. Thanx a million. If you need any more info just let me know.

~WishICouldFish~

[Guest bigtex]

Here are a few more questions and I'm sure some other anglers will have some to add.

1.)  Color of water?  Ex.  clear, dark, muddy, stained, greenish

2.)  Cover, Structure?  Ex.  lay down trees, bushes, docks, rocks, logs, etc.

3.)  What is the weather like?

Will this take place in the fall, or you yall still be in summer when the tournament happens?

[sodaksker]

If it were me, I would get a small to medium size inline spinner bait(mepps). This would allow you to target every species listed. You might also try a beetlespin or mimic minnow. I would think they would all be good for this application. If you knew how many of a certain species were tagged, that would also help, as you could choose a bait that suits that species. How many acres is the lake?

Hey Tex, Fall starts August 1st in maine.. ;D ;D

[Shimano-king]

what would really help is to find out where they threw the fish in, or if they caught them and tagged them in random areas.  One lure that I found to be ol faithful is the Rat l trap, their at walmart, get the chrome one.  Also, rooster tails, cinkos, and top water hula popers.  Hope i could help.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Can you fish with a partner?  I'm in RI

[Lightninrod]

Can you fish with a partner? I'm in RI

You Cad you!!! No, wait, take the camera and make good use of it

Young Lady, get several of these baits:  Johnson's Beetle Spin because as was said, they will catch all of those fish.  Just throw it out, let it fall for a second or two and then just reel it back in at a steady, slow pace.  You should be able to find them at any local tackle store or at Wal Mart.  Get a few different colors too.

Dan

[senile1]

Can you fish with a partner? I'm in RI

;D  Well, I can't say I didn't think along those lines as well.

[wacky rig]

I agree with those that said the beetle spin or an in-line spinner(mepps or roostertail). Easy to use, cheap($2 a lure), and catches fish. Use spinning gear(not spin casting) if you can. Tie the lure directly to the line using a clinch knot.  Good luck

[slappy]

for someone who doesn't know how to fish you can't go wrong with a weedless sinko

[WishICouldFish]

Thank you all so much.

Umm...The water is dark?  I think. Sorry not really sure on that one

Its a pretty big lake so the most cover I will get is a dock, maybe a few rocks

The weather lately has been about 90 and humid, if that helps.  

We are fishing 8am-2pm

If I find out more about which fish were tagged I will let you know.

Thank for the help.

Oh, and by the way, my partner for the derby is my father!!  But I'll keep you in mind for next year  

[BucketmouthAngler13]

Thank you all so much.

Umm...The water is dark?  I think. Sorry not really sure on that one

Its a pretty big lake so the most cover I will get is a dock, maybe a few rocks

The weather lately has been about 90 and humid, if that helps.  

We are fishing 8am-2pm

If I find out more about which fish were tagged I will let you know.

Thank for the help.

Oh, and by the way, my partner for the derby is my father!!  But I'll keep you in mind for next year  

i wish LBH could be my fishing contest partner.....

[Madhouse27]

Brit this is kind of a tough one because you are fishing for tagged fish of various species. I've fished Unity a couple of times and it definately falls into the "stained water" category. I think I would concentrate on the pickerel, largemouth and smallmouth bass. I'd grab a couple of spinnerbaits. One in white w/silver blades and maybe a chartreuse one with gold blades. I'd also have a floating rapala in like the 9 or 11 size. Actually when is the derby? I'm in Bar Harbor and might be able to set you and your dad up with a little assortment of gear so you don't go blowing a bunch of money for a one day deal. I also have a friend who graduated from Unity College. He's pounded that lake. I'll ask him if he's got any words of wisdom as far as strategy is concerned. Brittany you might as well start spending that scholarship money right now. I feel a victory coming on!

[Madhouse27]

You Cad you!!! No, wait, take the camera and make good use of it

Dan

Good one Lightninrod ;D

[Hale]

Look in the directory/phonebook for a local bait/tackle shop. Talk with the locals/staff and let them know what you are doing. Them guys will most likely to be the best help as they fish surrounding areas (if not right there). They may even contribute to your campaign by letting you work a few hours here and there for trade in equipment.  And at a minimum they will tell what the hottest lures are up there right now.

Of course we will all want to see pics of your winning fish!

[WishICouldFish]

Brit this is kind of a tough one because you are fishing for tagged fish of various species. I've fished Unity a couple of times and it definately falls into the "stained water" category. I think I would concentrate on the pickerel, largemouth and smallmouth bass. I'd grab a couple of spinnerbaits. One in white w/silver blades and maybe a chartreuse one with gold blades. I'd also have a floating rapala in like the 9 or 11 size. Actually when is the derby? I'm in Bar Harbor and might be able to set you and your dad up with a little assortment of gear so you don't go blowing a bunch of money for a one day deal. I also have a friend who graduated from Unity College. He's pounded that lake. I'll ask him if he's got any words of wisdom as far as strategy is concerned. Brittany you might as well start spending that scholarship money right now. I feel a victory coming on!

The Derby is this Sunday, probably not enough time to meet up with you huh?  But if you could talk to your friend from Unity that would be great.

Again,

Thank you all so much!!

[DR_Bass]

The main thing to me is just keep it as simple as possible.  I like Lightninrod's idea about beetlespins and other small and easy to use baits.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I was serious guys,...geez,lol.

A senko is a form of rubber worm made by a company called gary Yamamoto.  Most tackle shops have these or some version of one.

I would buy a pack of these in the color "watermelon".  Probably the most universal, red hot, easy to use bait out there.  It's been termed "idiot proof",lol.

They are deadly coast to coast and in any color water.  

Hale has some good advice also about talking to shop owners but look for areas on the lake you should be fishing as opposed to opening yourself to be sold a bunch of junk.

Perhaps you could road trip and meet madhouse 1/2 way?  (very generous offer btw-Nice )

[jomatty]

i second LBH.  since your fishing for quantity not quality i would definetely go senko.  if it is not too weedy or the like get some circle hooks and just hook it right through the middle and throw it out on a slack line and let it sink. let it sit.  lift and repeat.  i normally use the 5 inch models but for what your doing i would use the 4 inch as i believe you will catch more fish with them.  you might also get a small spinner bait like the terminator tiny t.  i would think if you had just those two lures you would be ready to go.

matt

[WishICouldFish]

Thank you all again.  

The lake is 2,528 acres

Last year most of the tagged fish were pickerel

We also get a small prize for 1)most small/large mouth bass caught and 2)largerst small/large mouth bass caught.

I've written down all of your suggestions and I'm going to head to Wal*Mart to see what I can find.  I'll let you know how I make out.  Thank you again.

And I'm still open to suggestions.

~Britt

[jomatty]

if your going to wal mart look for kinami flash or tiki sticks instead of senkos.  flash are the same thing and while the tiki stick is imo not quite as good it is a very acceptable alternative.

matt

[Panamoka_Bassin]

Not to overwhelm you, as can happen when all of us bass fishermen chime in, but I would also try using some watermelon colored tube worms (also available at wally world), and rig them weightless so they can slide into the brush.  A tagged fish may want to just go and get into cover and hang out for a while as it recovers from the experience.  Yet, they will still want to eat...

BTW, this sounds like a great way to get money for college.  I wish that my school had done something like this 15 years ago...I might have been able to afford to finish school...

[WishICouldFish]

Alright, I saw the Kinami flash I believe, but is there anything specific I should look for with those?  

Panamoka_Bassin-- I don't know if this would change how you think or not, but they were tagged Monday and to do so the school used "electrofishing."  Do you still think the tube worms would work?

My Colllege is "America's Environmental College"  leave it to them to come up with fishing for scholarships huh?

Thanks again,

Britt

[jomatty]

all you need to do with the flash is to tex-pose it or wacky rig it if there is not to heavy cover.  throw it out and let it fall on a slack line.  watch the line for any twitches that indicate a strike.  lift it with your rod tip after letting it sit and then let it fall again on a slack line.  repeat.  i would suggest a green pumpkin or watermelon colored bait.

let us know how it goes,

matt

[Madhouse27]

I happened to be watching the local news Sunday night and they covered the fishing event at Unity College. Our very own Britt actually got some tv time. She was using a Shimano spinning reel but I couldn't see what she was throwing. Sounded like they gave out $10,000 of the scholarship money. One guy caught a pickerel worth $2500 of it. Britt, hopefully you had fun fishing and will stick with it. They do have a women's pro tour these days in case you're interested.