Lets talk fishing

[nhbbear]

Probably don't have saugeye up there. They're a cross between walleye and sauger, they're a "put and take" fish raised and stocked by the DNR. All of our lakes and rivers used to be stocked with walleye, but 30 or so years ago they switched over to saugeye, I think because they survive hatchery life and stocking much better. In appearance, they're nearly identical to walleye. Since you have good populations of walleye, I doubt they stock any saugeye. Not sure about sauger. The only place we have them around here is down on the Ohio River, and a little ways up the Muskingum River. Smaller than walleye and saugeye, but they're a cool looking fish, with really pronounced markings.

I prefer walleye because they get soooo much bigger, it they feel cool like a wet lizard

 

[nhbbear]

though that said Fisting, and i wasnt surprised it had 50 pages at that point, then i re-read it, i am now surprised it has 50 pages

The goal is to catch a bass so big you can stick your fist in its mouth, so in a way, it is about fisting

 

[nhbbear]

I've dam fished for stripers and wipers. Great fun! I wonder why they can't make saugeye infertile like wipers? Maybe interbreeding just isn't an issue?

We have something ass stripers in the Ohio river. I have never caught a very big one, but the area I fish, I will eventually hook into one while fishing for smallies

 

[mjmj]

I've dam fished for stripers and wipers. Great fun! I wonder why they can't make saugeye infertile like wipers? Maybe interbreeding just isn't an issue?

I think it has to do with the similarities between the two species being crossed. But it's a bit over my head. I'm sure they could create a genetically modified version, but I doubt they want to open that box of worms.

 

[nhbbear]

Gearing up for the year. Every year, I choose two baits to get more proficient with. This year, I am thinking swim jigs and chatterbaits. I may throw some more jerk baits, which I have never caught anything on. I got a really nice looking mega bass vision 110 +1. Here is my gear. I also got some really nice spinnerbaits from evergreen (a Japanese company) that cost $20 each, but they have badass colored blades.

 

[koquerelle]

I've dam fished for stripers and wipers. Great fun! I wonder why they can't make saugeye infertile like wipers? Maybe interbreeding just isn't an issue?

First time I hear about wipers.

 

[Crazy Source]

First time I hear about wipers.

Like a short, fat striper. Great fun.

 

[mjmj]

Gearing up for the year. Every year, I choose two baits to get more proficient with. This year, I am thinking swim jigs and chatterbaits. I may throw some more jerk baits, which I have never caught anything on. I got a really nice looking mega bass vision 110 +1. Here is my gear. I also got some really nice spinnerbaits from evergreen (a Japanese company) that cost $20 each, but they have badass colored blades.

I started using swim jigs quite a bit a couple years ago, they’re one of my favorites now. With a small craw trailer, like a Yum Christie Craw, they’ll ride just about anywhere you want them in water column. And you can cover water or really work an area without changing baits or rods. I still struggle to have much confidence in a chatterbait. I’ve caught a handful on them, but they’ve never been very productive for me.

 

[nhbbear]

I started using swig jigs quite a bit a couple years ago, they’re one of my favorites now. With a small craw trailer, like a Yum Christie Craw, they’ll ride just about anywhere you want them in water column. And you can cover water or really work an area without changing baits or rods. I still struggle to have much confidence in a chatterbait. I’ve caught a handful on them, but they’ve never been very productive for me.

Like I said, I started picking two types of lures to work on each year. Several years ago, I chose spinnerbaits and jigs-both of which I had never really caught anything on (jig, in 2008, I caught an 8 lb 4 oz peacock bass in Miami), but now they are some of my favorite lures to throw. Both my largemouth and smallmouth PBs are on spinner baits at 6lb and 3.02 respectively.

 

[nhbbear]

I started using swig jigs quite a bit a couple years ago, they’re one of my favorites now. With a small craw trailer, like a Yum Christie Craw, they’ll ride just about anywhere you want them in water column. And you can cover water or really work an area without changing baits or rods. I still struggle to have much confidence in a chatterbait. I’ve caught a handful on them, but they’ve never been very productive for me.

As far as swim jigs, do you ever bounce them on the bottom like a regular jig? I figured I will fish them like a spinnerbait without the blades but will be more willing to toss them in cover. I just got a morning dawn chatterbait from zman which is a new and awesome looking lure.

 

[nhbbear]

Kind of glad I posted in here today if it gets the thread going again.

 

[mjmj]

As far as swim jigs, do you ever bounce them on the bottom like a regular jig? I figured I will fish them like a spinnerbait without the blades but will be more willing to toss them in cover. I just got a morning dawn chatterbait from zman which is a new and awesome looking lure.

Yeah, I fish them all sorts of ways. I’ll throw them up into heavy cover and just work them traditionally slow until away from the cover. Then I might throw right back there and swim it fast. Sometimes I’ll swim it clear up near the surface over weeds, other times I keep them going just fast enough to stay off the bottom. I don’t get too hung up on buying “swim” jigs. As long as it has a front line tie they all work fine, for me at least. About the only type I wouldn’t swim would be a football jig through wood or weeds. I used to swim worms a lot, I think the added mass of the jig is more attractive a lot of times. I’ve never seen that color before. I’ll have some soon, I like the look of that.

 

[Otto!]

Just got me a sweet deal on a new fishfinder. There’s about 3 foot of snow right now and more on the way, but I can’t wait to try it out as soon as the ice is out, likely in early may.

 

[mjmj]

Just got me a sweet deal on a new fishfinder. There’s about 3 foot of snow right now and more on the way, but I can’t wait to try it out as soon as the ice is out, likely in early may.

View attachment 1084438

I got a Helix 7 a couple years ago. Pretty amazing how far they’ve come since I bought my last one around ‘05 or so. I still haven’t figured out half of the features. But side imaging and the contour mapping are awesome.

 

[Otto!]

I got a Helix 7 a couple years ago. Pretty amazing how far they’ve come since I bought my last one around ‘05 or so. I still haven’t figured out half of the features. But side imaging and the contour mapping are awesome.

My boat came with a Lowrance Hook2 fishfinder, but the hummingbird will be much better. I will move the Lowrance up front and mount the Hummingbird by the console. Nest step is replacing my trolling motor with a GPS compatible one so that I can use ipilot and spot lock.

 

[mjmj]

My boat came with a Lowrance Hook2 fishfinder, but the hummingbird will be much better. I will move the Lowrance up front and mount the Hummingbird by the console. Nest step is replacing my trolling motor with a GPS compatible one so that I can use ipilot and spot lock.

That was the last upgrade I made. I’ve barely had time to get out with it much since I installed it two years ago. But Spot Lock is the greatest thing ever. I haven’t touched an anchor since, I even took it out of the boat. Its remarkable how accurate is.

 

[nhbbear]

Yeah, I fish them all sorts of ways. I’ll throw them up into heavy cover and just work them traditionally slow until away from the cover. Then I might throw right back there and swim it fast. Sometimes I’ll swim it clear up near the surface over weeds, other times I keep them going just fast enough to stay off the bottom. I don’t get too hung up on buying “swim” jigs. As long as it has a front line tie they all work fine, for me at least. About the only type I wouldn’t swim would be a football jig through wood or weeds. I used to swim worms a lot, I think the added mass of the jig is more attractive a lot of times. I’ve never seen that color before. I’ll have some soon, I like the look of that.

I ordered it with some other stuff. I got the delivery of all the other stuff except the chatterbait so I emailed bass pro and told them it was left out and they wer e really cool about it and sent one out. The next day, it arrived in a separate package along with extra trailers-scented jerk shads. So I emailed bass pro back and offered to return it to the store 10 mins from my house and she told me to enjoy it on them. Cool. This is a brand new color and the jerk shads match it perfectly both Color (coconut ice shad) and fit perfectly. Now, I just have to use it to catch fish. I might go tomorrow actually and might take my kayak out to a small lake where spinnerbaits work well. ÍwoActually, I might have just talked myself into it. . Yep, just did. Picking out a small number (7) rods to take on my kayak-which I will have to drag up and absolutely massive hill during which I have to stop and take ten breaks to avoid dying while dragging a sixty pound yak.

Of the seven poles, I have three spinnerbaits-chartreuse/lime, fire red, and black mna brown and yellow one, 1 swim jig white, the chatterbait in dawn, and unlike poles

 

[Flower2dPeople]

It was an excuse for us to drink when I was in college. Good times.

 

[nhbbear]

Just got me a sweet deal on a new fishfinder. There’s about 3 foot of snow right now and more on the way, but I can’t wait to try it out as soon as the ice is out, likely in early may.

View attachment 1084438

I bought a cheap $150 (albeit, the best one at that price point)one for my kayak and used it only a couple of times. I simply couldn’t read it because I had no clue where the fish were in relation to me-below me, in front of me, behind me? And since it was a kayak and not permanently mounted and I had to set it up everytime, it just became a pain in the sss.

I used it to map my home lake to determine depth in some places, but it never helped me catch a fish. That thing there is much better and If you knew where it was pointing, then yeah that would help me catch fish.

What are you thoughts on live scoping or forward facing sonar and how mid-strolling minnow shaking is taking over the bass masters? Personally, I think it should be outlawed for pro competition because it’s like a video game where you can see your lure and then watch the fish turn and look at it and then you watch them bite.

This is pretty controversial with the community split. Some pros love it because it puts fish in the boat while others recognize it as being way too easy to do what pros should be able to do without all the gadgets. While others, bass masters liking so many fish being caught for viewing numbers.


I am not against regular sonar, but a pro shouldn’t need something so advanced to catch numbers and size. I would rather see them face the same conditions as I face but it’s not their fault I can’t read a graph

 

[nhbbear]

Any kayakers in here? I have a question for you.

I helped start and plan a kayak tournament. Another local angler reached out to me and said he had been seeing me post lots of big fish and asked me if I wanted to help him plan the tournament. He made me co-runner of the events. However, when he made the schedule, he made all the tournaments on Sunday and I worked sundays at that time so I could only participate in a few of them. I was annoyed because I told him that and all the work I put into it was for nought.

I was able to fish the first one and was surprised to see that almost every angler had a trolling motor in their kayak. I don’t for several reasons.

First one, and a minor one, is cost. The main reason is rigging it and transporting it. I don’t have a trailer and load my kayak on the roof of my jeep and it would be impossible for me to transport unless I broke it down every single time I wanted to use it.

Another reason is that I am an idiot when it comes to mechanical things and I would have to pay someone to mount it.

And finally, I am a bit of a purist when it comes to kayaking. When you mount a trolling motor to the yak m, it becomes a boat in my opinion.

So, when the first buzzer sounds, everyone takes off. It’s a big lake but only has a few really good spots, one being the small dam area. That was my first destination and I got absolutely smoked trying and failing to get there in a decent amount of time-probably a ten min paddle if you don’t fish along the way. But all these other anglers smoked me and were there in two mins, so I had to fish on the way there and I was hitting spots that had been hit by 3 or 4 other anglers. It don’t seem to matter because they don’t catch anything and I did. Min size was 12 inches. I caught a 15.5 off this little island and then a 18.5 inch almost 4 lb bass at the dan. Then as I am paddling to the next spot, clearly going to this one tree, a guy zips in real quickly and snakes my hole.

At that point, I called it and was too frustrated to continue plus my back (I have a fused spine with a cage around the spine) started really hurting. I was in first place when I left but guys fished for 8 straight hours (no thanks) and I ended up finishing 3 iirc.

They had several events in the Ohio river which you need a trolling motor for unless you stay in the back channel. It’s not safe to try and fight the current in the main channel without a motor.

So what are your thoughts on this. Fair? Unfair? Are they pampered pussies? Am I being a pussy?

I am eventually going to go peddle instead of paddle because it is too much work with my big ass kayak which paddles like a fucking barge. Even my sit in old town is slow to paddle.

Here is Freya