Searched around & only found the video fishing & BassMasters threads, i know their are plenty of outdoorsman here, so i figured it'd be cool to draw upon the Planets vast experience in all things fishing.
I only use spincast reels & fish mostly large/smallmouth bass & cats. My choice of reels is quite the source of derision from many people i know 'duffer gear', but i haul in my share of 6 pound bass & 10-20 pound cats on that gear no problem. With a little know-how you can use just about any technique you want to on 'duffer gear'.
Berkley Powerbaits are a big part of my trick bag, the difference between those & regular stuff is night & day. My best action last summer came on Mister Twister scented white curly tail grubs, on one day fishing from shore to a bridge pier, i caught smallies, bigmouths, perch & even 1 carp believe it or not... great day. But my bread & butter is a texas rigged Berkley worm, it'll wiggle through any kind of cover without getting hung up.
With cats i strictly bottom fish, no bobber & bait is just as basic... but its always in 2's to give'em a real treat... a shrimp/with a nightcrawler, liver/chunk of cheese etc. Cats are mostly for night sport to me, time to kick back a lil...
So thats me style, how do the rest of you guys get your fish on? What do you fish for, what do you use? IIRC Missouri's trout season just kicked off, anyone getting anything? [Reply]
I'm SOOOOO wanting to get out there. I just live in a god awful place. there are no ponds or small lakes. Lake Meredith is 30 miles away and sux but is the only place remotely close. They are trying to restock the lake after they basically pumped it dry 5 years ago for Amarillo water supply. I'm heading to Lake Texoma in 3 weeks and plan to stay for at least 2 weeks , thats a 7 hour trip. Ugh!
When I moved here to the panhandle of Texas to go to work I noticed right across from my farm there was a big pond embankment and a draw leading into it. Looked like a great farm pond but you couldn't see into it from the farm road. So one day I caught the owner at the gate and asked him if he would mind if I fished it. He said go right ahead but don't let anybody see you. I said why. He said because there ain't no water in it and they'll think you're stupid.
I had just moved here from Holdenville OK so I was a n00b. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Easy 6:
Damn, thats a chunker... couple nice filets right there
I got out to the local lake yesterday, didnt catch much more than a buzz... the water is way high, muddy as hell and still very cold
Its really taking its time warming up around here
Fileted 14 awesome BG's. I need to get into the 10-15 in bass but...how sick is this...lots of 20 plus and under 10 yesterday on plastic worms...bass are off beds and cruising [Reply]
Originally Posted by Easy 6:
Damn, thats a chunker... couple nice filets right there
I got out to the local lake yesterday, didnt catch much more than a buzz... the water is way high, muddy as hell and still very cold
Its really taking its time warming up around here
Originally Posted by HonestChieffan:
Fileted 14 awesome BG's. I need to get into the 10-15 in bass but...how sick is this...lots of 20 plus and under 10 yesterday on plastic worms...bass are off beds and cruising
How big is your pond, and how long ago was it stocked?
Originally Posted by Easy 6:
How big is your pond, and how long ago was it stocked?
What are your top pond management keys?
3 1/2 acres
Pond was built in the late 60's...26 foot is deepest
Was horribly managed by last 3 owners
When I bought it, I refenced all cattle off of it and started a census...had decent BG's, small bass, no cats, and horrific weeds
3 years later all the bass died...experts said disease/virus/fungus....thats Fishery Biologist for we dont know.....I restocked bass, added 20 grass carp, and started a feeding program
Feeding is a huge boost to BG and bass, takes a while for bass to learn but once they do they love some high protein high quality feed
Today I have bass 5-8 even 9 pounds on the trophy end, the BG's are amazing, I added 30 Channels every 2-3 years and the weeds are under control
My professional background is in weed management, crop and rangeland, my real specialty is rangeland and wildland weed and invasive species. I knew jack shit on pond/fisheries but have had a lot of great help from smart people.
Next level will be to add redear sunfish this summer late for control od=f snails that are the vector for worm parasites that attack bass and BG [Reply]
Pond was built in the late 60's...26 foot is deepest
Was horribly managed by last 3 owners
When I bought it, I refenced all cattle off of it and started a census...had decent BG's, small bass, no cats, and horrific weeds
3 years later all the bass died...experts said disease/virus/fungus....thats Fishery Biologist for we dont know.....I restocked bass, added 20 grass carp, and started a feeding program
Feeding is a huge boost to BG and bass, takes a while for bass to learn but once they do they love some high protein high quality feed
Today I have bass 5-8 even 9 pounds on the trophy end, the BG's are amazing, I added 30 Channels every 2-3 years and the weeds are under control
My professional background is in weed management, crop and rangeland, my real specialty is rangeland and wildland weed and invasive species. I knew jack shit on pond/fisheries but have had a lot of great help from smart people.
Next level will be to add redear sunfish this summer late for control od=f snails that are the vector for worm parasites that attack bass and BG
Great post full of detail, thanks!
You may not be a fisheries expert, but it sure sounds like you went in with a plan and stuck to it with great success... it’s funny you mention that virus spreading snail, I watched a YouTube video of a guy busting the dam on his pond and starting from scratch because of those things [Reply]