No tag needed
 

For the tourney fishermen,

After much thought ..a tag is not necessary...a date in the picture is good enough..

My main concern is for the fish .last year while trying to get a good photo of a bass...a stout 4 pounder was not able to recover.The fish was in the slot where it had to be released..I felt badly about that...

The date from the camera is good enough..if your mechanism is malfuntioned then go to Paint and put a date in...

God bless,
C7

Sounds good Chuck. When catching and releasing though, your absolutely right, the fish is priority number 1 and the quicker you can get him back in the water, the better.

Amen..one other bug in the tag idea..

Say the bass was a trophy...most wouldn't want a tag in the picture..

and like has been said..takes too much time...Bertha needs to get back int the water ASAP..

Plus..some folks handwriting may be hard to read..LOL

My other camera bit the dust but my wife has a very nice cannon I bought..takes nice pics..I've PMed MTHands but have not gotten a responce yet..

hey chuck count us in

M.T.Hands
Iam deadly

10-4 buddy...

I'll let you in on a secret..since I'll need a BIG BASS and can't use shiners..I'll be putting your lures you sent to work..that's a fact..the ones you sent 4 years ago..I think that;s the ticket for a Big Bass

C7

No problem chuck, tho if ya did need a tag i was gonna put one in it, and if its a trophy size fish with a date in it it would remind you of the year it was caught but ether way is fine for me, and i also dont see any reason what so ever for anyone to cheat (Integrity :cool2: ), we just here to have fun and have a good time!

I hope your right Lance...the tag is no big deal if you have another person to take your picture..but I did find when I'm by myself..with a flopping fish..it was a pain laying the fish down still...setting up a tag..holding camera hoping the bass doesn't take an unexpected jump...only to find out my fish would not make it..

Without the tag one can quickly click off a couple pics..weigh her..release her.
Good luck Lance..you got some serious contenders here. [-;
C7

Sounds Good Chuck. Its gonna be fun either way

yes sir..I'm pumped ..I hope to post something opening day..this Sat. { -; even if it's 1 pound.{ -;

I was going to crappie fish...not sure now..May let Matt take the rear of the boat and haul in crappy while I fish the front for bass..sounds like a plan.Monday I'm off for Martin Luther King day..moon will be perfect...wind decent and not freezing..This year I plan to travel to some well known better lakes..I should be ok if the wind is in the right direction..I wrestled with the possibility of joining BASS MASTERS for the opportunity to fish all the hot lakes..and to fish with the pros..but all the tourneys are on Sundays..I can't do that. I go to the house of the Lord on Sundays..

Guys, I don't care about winning ..but I do desire a 10 pounder this year.If I get a 10or better she's on the wall .

Last year was weird,..NO ONE saw them spawn..Shiners would not hardly work..and my best boater was 6 1/4 ..not good for my area.We had a horrilbe freeze last year that killed 1000s of fish..I hope this year pans out good for all of us and I hope we all get a personal best...

Check those license dates
Make sure life jackets and legal stuff is in the boat.
Double check your drags.
May need to change line this year..LOL
Sharpen hooks.
Camera Battery charged or new
and ENJOY THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF GOD'S CREATION:wink:

It is funny when you guys start talking about the spawn right now and I look out the window to see a foot of snow and 10 degree temperatures. I am not complaining by any means. Out tournament season doesn't even start until May 28, thankfully they just implemented new laws about the legality of catch and release bass fishing.

Yeah, Im going to try and go exclusively big this spring, but I may get too bored and start downsizing if I dont get any bites. We are having a severe cold snap for us this time of year and so I am thinking the pre-spawn wont start up until the end of january and into early february with the bulk of the spawn kicking in right around mid march.

Hopefully ya'll dont have another massive die off like last year Chuck, but maybe that allowed some other fish to grow big and healthy because of a lack of competitiion? Who knows, but good luck this spring any how.

Well,
A bad day fishing is 100times better than a good day at work..and I'm not kidding.

Here's what I enjoy besides catching fish..

A. Fresh Air
B. The Sun rise
C. Looking for lost lures that folks off the shore snagged in trees for me.
D Seeing a bald eagle or warbler
E.hearing a Barreled Owl or Common Yellow Throat
F.Making great cast..
G. Seeing a big swirl
H. Spending quality time with a friend or family member.
I. Driving down the road with a large cup of coffee
J.Chatting with folks on the shoreline.
K.Listening to the 4 wheel drive as I back my boat down a grassy hill
L.Seeing a big gator sunnning itself on the shore
M.Bumping a jig...in a promising spot.
N. the steady retrieve of a Rooster Tail through fish you saw on a depth finder
O. The drag properly kicking in when you realize you got a quality fish on
P. Hearing God's Spirit in the quietness ,,comforting and encouraging you as a son
Q. getting a nice tan on the arms and legs..in the winter time { Florida only }
R. Noticing that the boat isn't leaking { -; after 3 hours of fishing.

And now the bonus..{ -;
S. A tap on a rubber worm..
T. The solid hang up on a Rooster Tail that you know darn well this is a quality fish.

U. The boil under a Horny Toad...

V. A bucket mouth clearing the lake with your worm in it's mouth shaking it's head violently

W. Your big fish 2 pounds heavier than you thought.

X. Schooling bass ...

Y. Seeing a friend or family member with a quality fish.

Z. Findng a new island or brush pile in the middle of no where that has never been fished.

There has been talking of fishing exclusively for "big fish". Isn't this the objective for all fisherman? I just don't understand when someone says, "I'm going to try to catch a big one this year."

Now, I atleast understand what ya'll mean, but to me there is times for all kind of fishing. There are days when I am happy to land a 12" 1lb Largemouth. Other days or in a tournament once I get a limit, I will specifically target big fish areas.

But again, isn't every fishermans dream, specially bass fisherman, the hope of the big one?

I by no mean think this is the only reason you guys, or anyone for that matter should fish. As Chuck just stated, A-Z should be just as important as catching the fish.

OK BUCKHUTER14..

For me..there is a big difference between regular bass fishing and fishing for hawgs,,I can't say too much because I don't want to share my strategies...

Reg. fishing like last year..use a smaller worm that will get any bass's attention..gettin gexcited about schooling fish...playing around with lures while drigting a shiner..trusting your shiner will be your bread and butter..

OK Big bass fishin with artificial...not so easy..Mrs. Hawg can not be easily fooled..she has survived the pressure for a long time..Strategies..which are my secrets..look for all of her weaknesses...she still has a few..this is like deer hunting..in highly pressured public property..you know the big one is there..you will have to stick with your plan and have PATIENCE..I know alot of stuff from simply talking to sucessful and consistant fishermen in the area..and also my own past experiences..I do not plan to catch alot of numbers this year..rather..go to where I beleive SHE is..and do my best..with a prayer.{ -;

remember Doug Hannon The Bass Professor...He was a hawg hunter to ..from central forida.

[quote=Chuck7;3757446]
Reg. fishing like last year..use a smaller worm that will get any bass's attention..gettin gexcited about schooling fish...playing around with lures while drigting a shiner..trusting your shiner will be your bread and butter..

OK Big bass fishin with artificial...not so easy..Mrs. Hawg can not be easily fooled..she has survived the pressure for a long time..Strategies..which are my secrets..look for all of her weaknesses...she still has a few..this is like deer hunting..in highly pressured public property..you know the big one is there..you will have to stick with your plan and have PATIENCE..I know alot of stuff from simply talking to sucessful and consistant fishermen in the area..and also my own past experiences..I do not plan to catch alot of numbers this year..rather..go to where I beleive SHE is..and do my best..with a prayer.{ -;

[quote]

I agree Chuck.

Although, to me a strategy is a strategy. Worthless in a sense, unless you know when and how to execute it properly.

Although, to me a strategy is a strategy. Worthless in a sense, unless you know when and how to execute it properly.
Buckhunter14

Agreed..and like anything else you must have faith when executing your plan. ..and when the moment comes LOL don't choke up..

Choke up experiences I've had ...all of these were 10 pounders and up.

A. drag not set properly
B. should have retied more often
C. did not keep a tight line..
D. too light of line for structure I was fishing in

Stuff that wasn't mine fault..
A Fish wrapped around structure and unhooked herself
B. Straightened hook on lure fresh out of the package
C Fish cut line with teeth

Quick story about that last comment. A neighbor and I were doing a spawn flipping in tight lily pads .I was in the front..3 tiny bluegill type taps..we had already caught about 12 dinks to 2 pounders..I said ,"Kevin , you can have this dink LOL ." so i left that tiny spot and kevin jigged his little black and red tailed worm in the spot..Lo and Behold..Kevin hooked into a monster..it was no dink. This fish pulled us and the boat about 5 foot deeper into the thickest of pads. he was using 10 ound Triline clear. After a long time the fish was exhausted..Her mouth and thick body freaked us out..an easy 10 pounder ...she laid half way out of the water and on the pads..I reached as far as I could..darn 3 foot short of reaching her..The water was only 3 foot deep.If it was my bass I would have gotten out of the boat..gators and all I wouldn't care..the fish was hooked real good but all of a sudden i noticed while the bass was staring at us her head was slowly turning back and forth..very suttle..and the 10 pound mono was cut in two. The fish just laid there..exhausted..Kevin nearly crying { A 40 year old at the time} "my my my bass MY BASS "as she slowly back finned herself back into the water..we go over this story alot..Lesson learned...in thick structure ...use the right line { -;

If it is a trophy bass and you plan on putting it on the wall it wouldn't matter as you may want to take more pics anyways. I do agree though that less time out of the water is better on the bass being able to survive better.

I am not sure on what the large bass has for eating patterns up here or down your way for that matter. Here however if I was to plan on catching just the monster lakers it would be a lost cause. That does not say I wouldn't want to catch one though. They say the large lakers only eat about once a month or so. That makes your odds of catching one of those rare to say the least. That is because they tend to eat larger fish than a smaller laker would. Then they just lay around until it is digested before going on another eating binge. So if large bass happens to eat in a simular pattern then it would be hard to target them as well as the only fish to catch. I do understand wall hangers though and everyone wants to catch one.

I am thinking of using the fly rod more this year with a hair mouse tied to it early in the season may do the trick..:)

Nice bass your friend had caught by the way..

Phil,
I've been flirting with the fly rod idea too...not for lunkers..but just for the pure novelty of it..we don't have many fly fishermen around here..hardly any.

Well..went out this morning...I put an asterick but the comments that applied.{ -;

*A. Fresh Air
B. The Sun rise
*C. Looking for lost lures that folks off the shore snagged in trees for me.found a rattle trap in new shape.
D Seeing a bald eagle or warbler
E.hearing a Barreled Owl or Common Yellow Throat
*F.Making great cast..
G. Seeing a big swirl
H. Spending quality time with a friend or family member.
*I. Driving down the road with a large cup of coffee..actually drank it in the house
*J.Chatting with folks on the shoreline.
K.Listening to the 4 wheel drive as I back my boat down a grassy hill
*L.Seeing a big gator sunnning itself on the shore..saw 5 gators
*M.Bumping a jig...in a promising spot.
*N. the steady retrieve of a Rooster Tail through fish you saw on a depth finder
O. The drag properly kicking in when you realize you got a quality fish on
*P. Hearing God's Spirit in the quietness ,,comforting and encouraging you as a son
Q. getting a nice tan on the arms and legs..in the winter time { Florida only }
*R. Noticing that the boat isn't leaking { -; after 3 hours of fishing.

And now the bonus..{ -;
S. A tap on a rubber worm..
T. The solid hang up on a Rooster Tail that you know darn well this is a quality fish.

U. The boil under a Horny Toad...

V. A bucket mouth clearing the lake with your worm in it's mouth shaking it's head violently

W. Your big fish 2 pounds heavier than you thought.

X. Schooling bass ...

Y. Seeing a friend or family member with a quality fish.

Z. Findng a new island or brush pile in the middle of no where that has never been fished.

You might be surprized by what a fly rod can do. When you see fish bubbling on the water they are after one of two things. They are either chasing bait fish or hitting bugs that are either hatching or falling into the water. Why else would they be up on top? Of coarse frogs may be the case and they make some flies that can look alot like them as well. It can be a challenge to get one out of the weeds but the zing of a fly reel going full tilt is a lot of fun. You can also troll with a streamer just under the water that the bass will surely hit if they are onto bait fish.

By the way did you give those streamers I sent you a try? They are great early in the year streamers and you may want to give a slow troll with one. Most all fish up this way will hit those streamers. Just give one a shot and see if anything happens..

I still got those streamers sir..I sure will give them a shot..

I use to fly fish some..probably not as much as you..I saw a nice old {Perfect Condition } split bamboo the other day..I should have grabbed it...it was an antique in new condition..75.00..If I get one I'm going to get an old bamboo rod..with normal reel not an automatic.

that would be fun for sure..I've caught a few bass before on a fly rod but never anything over 1 1/2 pounds.
I've always used Betts Poppers

Just a pic from my first HNI 2011 Bass Trip../ trying out the new camera..[ -;
the scenery was nice as usual. I 've got a real nice bass on video VCR a few years ago off those cat tails straight ahead....It was a blast...over 7 pounds..weighed. 24 inches.
off a black and green tail worm...I've got quite a few good ones out of that patch...that is always my first tell tale patch of cat tails to see it the fish are spawning or not..

Chuck, what FOW do you have off those points and up in the tails? Could you flip all of that stuff with a jig or plastic?

Chuck, what FOW do you have off those points and up in the tails? Could you flip all of that stuff with a jig or plastic?

What is a FOW?
I always pitch or flip there with a rubber worm or jig..When the fish are biting..I always catch something there....It's real good about 1/2 way down on the left of the cat tails..the right side stinks..the left side is hot.

These cat tails si where I always start first..It's about 3 feet in front of them and the bass like it here for some reason..I've taken about 10 big bass in all in this area..The place where I am anchored on { Facing the point} is a rock bar..with hydrilla all over it..I'd guess last year, 40 of my bass came out of this area and all the water you are looking at..Depth range from 3 feet to 25 foot.

I was at it again this morning..got rained out...no hits ..It was like that last year..slow in Jan..I'll fish the days just prior of the new and full moons...I need to be on the water when they decide to spawn..IMHO that isone's best opportunity for a hawg on artificial..

I've got some decent VCR videos..wish I could transfer them..One was of Matt. I got out of the boat..so I got a full picture of him casting..getting a hit..and boating a decent bass..he was 13..My son Andrew has a video of me.{ Very embarrassing} LOL as I 'm saying loudly.soundling like a Geek.."I got a BIG BIG BIG fish!" I sceaming pretty loud..The fish never jumps and I'm not sure if it's a gator or a cat fish..Then about 6 feet from the boat...this big bucketmouth explodes shaking her fierce head with the big red gills exposed..and I say." It's a big bass." I get the net and scoop her up and weigh and measure her and release her..Just prior to that I had fought a nice 5 pounder caught off a rubber worm..

FOW = Feet Of Water I think.

THat sure looks like a good place to catch a lunker. Which side of that cat tail island faces the sun? Do you think that might play a role in the selection of which side the fish prefer, or do you think its more of a depth issue? Full moon is right around the corner so hopefully a few fish come up in the shallows for you.

Do the fish in your area start to come up for new moon as well, or just the full moon?

Thanks Aaron,
Good to hear from ya.

Inside the cats..go up the bank to an island..As I'm sitting on the rock bar facing the point of cat tails..to my back is the east..the good side {Left side }of the cat tails face the south . It's been my experience that bass like warm ..still waters..out of the main current to spawn..the south end here is more still than the other side..nice thick hydrillas/ cat tails...still water yet quick access to 25 foot only 20 feet out from the cattails.

This is my #1 consistant spot for big fish..the entire area.

Note the cat tail point to the far left..I won a tourny off that point..right before dark pulled a nice 4 1/2 pounder...off that point is a good hydrilla flat stetch...4 feet deep..thick hydrilla with dark pockets of bass in them..great Horny Toad spot..{ -;

I've never seen a bass boat stop here..they just zoom on by..and I smile and wave as the GO ..

Let's call that point we are looking at a finger..there are 4 fingers that look just like this.

It's hard to see..but the yellow represents the rock bar I'm sitting on..the red dots..are big fish taken from there...yes..to the right I got a 5 1/2 pounder in a rubber worm a while ago..way up ther..do ya see it? { -;

but most have been on the left side..south side..now I've caught alot of 1 -2 pounders..everywhere in this spot..they hang to the right of the rock bar i'm on..goes from 3 foot to 10 foot.in thick hydrilla