So true Bob. I hope Bob L doesn't take this the wrong way, but I think his
basic problem stems not so much from a lack of skills & knowledge of
catching bass, but from a possible lack of fish-finding ability. I think
he's keeping a closed mind in saying "the fish have to be in the backwaters
(or anywhere else)", and ignoring the "main lake", etc.

I find bass relatively easy to catch, finding them is the difficult part.

The fish you catch in the backwaters look different because they came out of
shallower water, not because of thier diet being different. Put those fish
in deep water for a day & they'll look like the rest of the deepwater fish.

Warren

"Bob Rickard" wrote in message
m...
Bob, you just gave a thorough description of what fishing is. Nothing is
ever for sure. The best tackle and baits can give you an advantage, but
not
always. There is always room to better your performance, and there is
always
more to be learned. That is why fishing, and the quest for fishing
knowledge, is so darn much fun.

--
Bob Rickard
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))


"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
"Craig" wrote in message
om...
I agree with Warren. A tough day is only tough because I cannot find
what
the fish want or what is needed to make them strike (out of anger,
fear,
instinct). But I have found during these times that my odd ball lures
are
the ones that draw the strike. Like this worm somebody gave me that
has
a
jig head with what appears to be a Indiana blade sticking out of it.
I
never use it unless all else fails, because it just doesn't fit my
normal
style of fishing, but it does work in those tough conditions. I have
may
be
a half-dozen lures that I call odd-balls, and each has produced fish,
typically in tough conditions.

--
Craig Baugher

Living in The United States, and Loving It!
Practicing My Freedom of Speech, and Enjoying It!
Knowing how to Thank those that paid for it, by Honoring It!



Its funny you guys have said that. I have relied pretty heavily on the
early morning topwater bite (something that has never produced for me in
the
past), and then on soft plastics this year. I spent a couple outings
throwing nothing but spinner baits and caught a few fish, but nothing
spectacular. I spent quite a bit of time thinking about it and I have
been
thinking about some different things to throw at these fish. Almost
everybody here goes to flipping jigs or worms when it gets tough. Thats
what I did too.

Now I was thinking if the bite was tough why not try some of my old
standby
stuff. When I was a kid I caught a lot of bass (mostly small ones) on
small
Kastmaster spoons ripped very fast through the water, and small inline
spinners run as slow as I could run them. I even figured out how to run
them over weeds without hanging up. There does have to be atleast a few
inches of clear water over the weeds though. I would use a light action
rig
7' or longer and hold the rod tip as high as I could to keep the lure in
a
pulled up direction and crank it just fast enough to keep it out of the
weeds. I have already decided to have a couple of those tiednon next
time
I
go out. I also ordered a few of the Mepps minnow inlines. I only ever
owned a couple of those when I was a kid. At three bucks a pop they
were
more than I could usually afford so I stuck with the cheaper Rooster
Tails
or even cheaper generic spinners.

I never fished the big stuff when I was a kid tromping through the brush
on
the Gila River. Crank baits were out of my price range, and I would
have
never dreamed of throwing topwater.

I've listened to all this throw anchor line with boat anchors directly
the
brush stuff. I've learned that topwaters do produce some nice fish.
Finesse worms do work for sight fishing when the fish are biting. I
don't
know about the jig and trailer being the big fish getter, but I have
certainly tried it.

Now its time for me to go back to my basics.

Its going to be tough with all the weed growth in the water, but I will
give
it a shot.

As to knowing the fish are there... I have seen them. I really can't
imagine a back water fish is going to thread his way out of a 8-10 foot
deep
back lake through a bunch of shallow channels to the main river and hunt
the
main curent on a slow day. Sure he may move back into heavy cover, or
he
may move into to deeper water, but the fish I catch in the back waters
look
different than those I catch in the current. They eat different stuff
and
they hunt different prey.

Blame the bait? No that wasn't my point at all. They didn't make the
difference. Sure they are good looking baits, but they did not give me
an
edge.

Further back in the brush? Thats what I do when I pitch. In fact when
the
regular pitching gear failed to produce for me I started throwing light
action stuff back into the brush. By noon or one I was throwing 12 lb
(6lb
dia) super mono into cover I would normally reserve for 50lb Power Pro.
On
the edge of the brush and then towards deeeper water. I just wasn't
throwing what they wanted.

I was amazed though by how easily I got the lighter stuff in and out of
the
heavy stuff. I figured if I hooked up with it I would have to run the
boat
right up into the trash to get my fish. That was something I figured
I'ld
worry about after I actually hooked one.

My other stand by when I started to be able to afford stuff was the
Storm
Thin Fin Silver Shad crank bait. It was a bait that would always get me
a
fish or two of I just kept thowing it out and cranking it in very slow.
It
is no longer made, and it catches every weed in the area. With the
heavy
weed growth its difficult for me to throw a lot of my real confidence
baits,
but I think I am going try them next time out. My little green Zoom
U-Tails
didn't even produce this last time out, and they have been my hard corp
bait
in recent years.

Its been a tough season fishing for me. Just about the time I think I
have
something I can build on it quits working. I'll find an area that
produces
a few fish and a way that catches them and I'll set myself a plan to hit
that then try soemthing else, and I wind up trying something else
because
that didn't produce at all. I sympathise with some of the guys who come
in
here ready to just give up.

I've tried to blame my skills, but I hook most fish that I feel or see
hit.
Sure I describe missing some, but I've found things I can rely on. The
Excalibur rotating hooks now decorate most of my topwaters baits. I use
the
Eagle Claw rotating hooks for most soft plastic applications except
light
lining jerk baits where they tend to twist line. I know I don't have
much
of a touch for feeling a bite with the heavy action stuff, but I'm
pretty
good at watching the line. As for finding fish. In this shallow river
and
lake system the fish finders are of minimal use. Too much weed and
brush
growth paired with a lot of shallow water. As Van Dam says I do try to
follw the bait. A couple weekends ago I found a school of shad pinned
up
near the dock in Squaw lake. I caught a mess of small keepers there.
Or
as
any of the trouters would say match the hatch. When I get in waters
where
I
see lots of 3-4 inch bass I throw baby bass pattern baits and catch some
fish (most of the time). I just can't seem to find any patterns that
will
produce consistantly for me on good days much less on a tough day.

I go out with 12 - 15 rods rigged with different stuff, and by the end
of
the day I have fished every one of them. Usually a half dozen other
things
as well.

I try hard points which most anglers here ignore unless they see a feed
actually going on. I fish lake mouths and back water mouths when the
water
is rising or falling. I fish standing under water trees in open water
when
I can. Another thing that a lot of anglers around here seem to ignore.

The things I see others here doing consistantly day in day out is
throwing
topwater first thing in the morning, and pitching the shore of the main
current during the day. Some will also pitch the refuge (when its open)
in
Martinez lake and the shore line in Ferguson Lake. I've spent whole
days
doing each of those things trying to figure out what works when.

I try and fish with others when ever possible and I try to be a good
fishing
partner. I'm always quick with the net when my partner has a fish on.
I
always bring extra sodas and munchies for my fishing partner. If I am
fishing out of someody else's boat I always give them extra money for
fuel.
If I damage something I always point it out and take care of fixing it
no
matter the cost. I try to keep my mouth shut and not whine if I'm not
doing
well, and not brag if I'm the one putting fish in the boat.
Unfortunately
I
have found that most of the guys around here in the clubs are either
younger
and have no interest in fishing with a guy my age who has mediocre
skills
or
are much older and feel the same. Mostly they are 50-70 in the clubs
and
those of us under 40 are the "young pups." Thats was one of the reasons
I
decided I wanted my own boat. Atleast I could get out when ever I had
the
time.

As to guys not members of the local clubs that is harder. Of those I
have
met and who wanted to fish most have few skills, which I actually don't
have
a problem with. I learned balloon rigging minnows from a guy who
couldn't
cast a spinning rod in open water. That is a fish catching technique
that
is unequaled. I taught him my lazy sidearm cast that can put a bait
under
over hanging brush on the far bank. I learned about slow dragging worms
on
sandy slopes from a ten year old kid with a broken down spincaster. He
also
showed me how to use a round head jig to fish a worm in rock piles and
riprap. When it works it really works. When I was ten I figured out a
trout
lake that everybody said was dead anytime after a heavy rain fall. It
turned out that with the correct presentation that was the best time to
fish. When I was about eight I figured out a technique for fishing
under
bridges in current from the bank. Everybody can contribute something if
they are really interested in fishing. I kind of got turned off of a
lot
of
casual fishing partners though when I realized that most casual
fishermen
just want an excuse to go out and drink. Quite a number only if I buy
the
beer, bring my boat, supply the gear, bring the food, pick them up, and
don't even offer if they screw up some of my gear. If I wanted to pay
somebody to fish with me I would hire a guide. In fact I would but the
only
local guide I know is laid up with a torn achilles tendon.

I'm trying to learn new stuff. I do change up my gear. I try different
tactics and different waters regularly. I fish with other people when I
get
the chance.

You can only say so much in a usenet post. I imagine most people
reading
this one got bored somewhere around the second paragraph.


--
Bob La Londe
Yuma, Az
http://www.YumaBassMan.com
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