I talked to this guy back in the sixties and he said he fished the Everglades for bass using baby water snakes for bait. Have any of yall ever heard of this before sounds kind of wild and dangerous to me I hate snakes bur he claimed they caught lots of bass using them for bait. Raypaw<br><br>Cant change yesterday<br>cant change tommorow<br>can change today so lets get busy

Does anyone know what the record largemouth bass in this country is? How much it weighed,what it was caught on and where it was caught and by who? Raypaw<br><br>Cant change yesterday<br>cant change tommorow<br>can change today so lets get busy

Been thinking about fishing some lily pads never done it how do yall fish them with out getting all tangled up in them? Raypaw<br><br>Cant change yesterday<br>cant change tommorow<br>can change today so lets get busy

We like to tie up under a bridge and fish straight down the side of the pilings. We have pretty good luck doing that do any of yall do the same? Raypaw<br><br>Cant change yesterday<br>cant change tommorow<br>can change today so lets get busy

I am heading up to the Desolation Wilderness in the last week of July 2002 to do some fly fishing and was wondering if anyone had any info on the what lakes are hot, etc. Thanks.<br><br><br>

HiYa!!<br>Just returned from four terrific days off the West Coast of the Island. We (dad, a buddy from Utah and myself) accompanied Ernie Ross (Ross SwimmerTails) aboard his 48 foot troller the “Royal Quest” for this foray. A better sportfishing platform for our unpredictable West Coast waters can not be had! This vessel is extremely comfortable, and when coupled with Ernie’s nearly forty years of experience in these waters, provides the optimum opportunity to tag “the big one”. (Note: Mr. Ross does sports-charters off the west coast when not engaged in commercial fishing activities – for more on this E-me if interested and I’ll pass you along to him - didn't mean to spam, just inform, so no more here) While the weather was somewhat dicey for smaller craft, we anchored out each night and enjoyed first light / last light fishing each day.<br><br>Fishing was excellent!!! Overall, just over one hundred springs were battled to the boat, ranging in size from ten to forty pounds (most released of course), nearly fifty halibut encountered however that “barn door” eluded us as our biggest was only fifty-two pounds. Incidental catches included numerous coho – unusually large for this time of year as they averaged eight pounds plus (several over 12!!), several types of rockfish and of course the dreaded dogfish were found nearly everywhere. Carefully selected, our take-home included limits of springs, and one shy of the limit for hali’s – a virtual seafood feast for the crew’s families over the next while.<br><br>Although this is but one boat’s report, what we encountered in each area is probably representative of what was present and can be expected in each for the next little while. Below, I’ve listed each spot we swam the gear, and results thereof.<br><br>South Bank: Loads and loads of coho made it tricky to get the gear down to the floor where we expected the springs to be hanging out. Hooked dozens of these aerial artists, which provided great action on our light gear. This bank was loaded with needlefish (as usual), and when we could get past the coho caught the attention of numerous springs. Black-mouths ranged from eight to fifteen pounds for us on South Bank, although we heard of a few over 20 being boated by others. Hottest: straight glow needlefish, green/glow belly needlefish, and four inch blue/green swimmertail – all in the mud. No halibut showed, so we moved on in search of larger springs and flatties.<br><br>Big Bank (La Perouse): One word - Awesome!! Herring and squid were found in decent numbers out on the largest of the banks, which in turn attracted good numbers of springs and hali’s. Only three coho were encountered over the day and a half paddling around this area, which allowed the gear to search out our target species much more effectively. Springs came consistently four to five hours each morning and eve, ranging from fifteen to forty pounds. Springs best at the “shallow spot” and just to the SW of the “bottleneck”. Hali’s picked up the slack in the afternoons, and intermittently when springs were active – these were all taken trolling, and all but one on the trip came from this bank – shallow spot and just outside were best. Hottest: standard hootchies in army truck (glow belly w/tinsel insert), green scale back w/ glow belly, four inch swimmertail in blues (new version with dots one side and tinsel mylar), green scaled coyote, and any of the glow squid imitations, again, all in the mud. VERY tired arms and hands at the end of this from battling numerous big boys of both target species. One drag failure on a thirty-four lb’er spring – reel retired. Limits nearly full, we headed back towards Ucy and the last of the banks we checked out.<br><br>Lighthouse Bank: Dropped the gear inside from the “Deep Hole” and swam gear for a few hours. Again, numerous coho made for fast action, but only a few shaker springs. The Hali hole just off the deep hole got bottom bounced with spreaders for two or three hours - produced numerous hook-ups – but alas, all dogfish (to eight feet). Abandoned this technique and trolled the outside of deep hole. Massive schools of immature needlefish encountered throughout this bank – most three inches in length, as well as schools (?) of spawning squid. Caught fifteen springs in short order in this last locale, most between fifteen and twenty, and one chicken of twenty pounds. Finale came with a double header on thirty pound black-mouths, which battled ferociously for over half an hour. Boated both to finish off, and ran back to Ucy to culminate the trip. Hottest: Straight glow needlefish, swimmertail in blue/green (four inch) and the squid imitation. Coyotes OK in green scale on white background.<br><br>My poor old Chev groaned under the weight of transporting our catch back to Port Alberni. All in all a GREAT trip, fantastic ride and camaraderie, and very cooperative fish. Now about my aching back and arms…. better living through chemistry called for!<br><br>Other Fronts: Fished Alberni Canal yesterday am – landed 16 sox to ten pounds in three hours. Unusually large sox appearing in the catch, with one seiner landing a verified 18 pounder (perhaps a new record for the Inlet??)!! Bodes well for the returning springs and coho this year (as does the average size of the latter on the banks just now). Sox continue to be HOT with the right (ultralight) gear – outfishing nearly all the hootchie boats! <br>Interesting bycatch: yesterday a 32 lb spring was taken on a sockeye hootchie near Nahmint, and two days ago a 38 lb’er captured on same gear at Coleman Creek. Man, early and large!! Might have to run a heavier rod down below with a coyote soon! Watch out if one tagged on the ten pound test trout rods!<br>One of the boys checked Wya Point on spec last week – limited on 30 lb springs with largest 39!!! This traditional hotspot will close (1/2 mile all round) in early August, but might be a good place to swim gear in the interim.<br>Big Bank produced a 42, a 38 and 37 lb’er (springs) to a buddy just before we got there, so the giants ARE starting to appear. Expect these to heat up substantially in the next while.<br><br>Fishing on the “Real” West Coast is certainly living up to it’s well deserved reputation, and getting better each day that passes. Get out there if you can and enjoy one of the best in many years!! Hope to see you out there!! Just keep in mind – it’s big water that needs preparation – larger boats with COMPLETE electronics (we saw fog one day that had the radar working overtime), radios and safety gear will ensure a trouble free trip. <br><br>Heading out soon to check on Fraser sox swimming by the Isle on the way to the big river– letcha know…… ;-)<br><br>If it’s true that each day spent fishing is a day not deducted from one’s lifespan, I’m doing my best to become immortal this year!<br><br>Cheers, tight lines and silver s!!<br><br><br>

For those of you thinking about visiting Colorado, the fishing report is dismal, and growing worse every day. The big fires are either under control or 100% contained but more are breaking out each day. The coal train headed for Pueblo started eight in one day; they were small and put out quickly. Another started near Estes Park yesterday and burned 500 acres before being squashed by our resident aerial firefighters in record time.<br> Our streams are drying up, lakes are down anywhere from 40% to 70% and boat ramps are a memory. Water rationing hasn't started yet but isn't too far away in the future.<br> For those Colorado residents who will dispute this dire forecast, please remember that I'm talking about the Denver Metro area and everything east of I-25. Take a look at Carter Lake, it's dropping anywhere from 3-5 ft "per day", and it is a big lake. Boyd Lake is almost bone dry and Barbor Ponds only have enough water for three ponds; the pelicans are walking on the botton in the others.<br> The mountain lakes aren't doing much better. Dillion is only a shadow of its former self, Cheeseman Reservoir is closed to all human activity and many others are dropping daily.<br> Now, instead of burning, Colorado is drying up. I almost cry when I look at my favorite lakes and see the fish dead and drying in the hot sun (forecast is for 99 degrees today in Brighton). Antero Reservoir is dry. I was there several weeks ago and our resident Army Corps of Engineers, or someone of equally dense gray matter, decided to drain it for repairs. Water wasted in a year of drough.<br> I wish I could paint a better fishing picture, but I can't.<br><br>

Well I decided to go fishing with the Challengers -- a nice 1 1/2 day charter out of Pierpoint landing on the Aztec.<br><br>Anyway, about 5 days before the charter, Nolan calls me up and says that there’s an open spot on the trip. I hadn’t really planned <br>on going, but apparently Leo Liu had to pick his parents up from the airport, and couldn’t make the trip. I <br>can’t understand how that would be more important than a fishing trip, but then again I’m not that bright. <br><br>So I looked at my schedule, and unfortunately, I couldn’t give Nolan a good enough excuse not to go on the <br>trip. So I joined up with the gang Saturday night at Pierpoint Landing. One of the first people I met was <br>Steve Showler. In the past, I’ve been on trips with Steve, and when he’s boarded, he’s screamed “It’s going <br>to be a long F**king boat ride!” <br> <br>So I asked him “Will it be a boat ride this time Steve?” Instead of his usual warcry, he said “Actually, the <br>signs all point to good fishing this trip.” With that amount of enthusiasm, I knew we couldn’t fail! <br> <br>Armed with my new Relief Band, and a pre-swallowed tablet of Marezine, I confidently boarded the Aztec. I had already tested the Relief Band on a half day twilight trip and it <br>worked like the proverbial charm. After listening to David the deckhand discuss the coming fishing, and <br>preparing my lines correctly, I went down to sleep with good feelings and great confidence. <br> <br>During the middle of the night, the Marezine wore off and in spite of the best electric shock efforts of my <br>Relief Band, I woke up a bit seasick. Not to worry, a quickly swallowed Marezine and off I went. By 8 in <br>the morning, we were about 120 miles out and we were already catching albacore! The trolling teams were <br>barely starting to troll when they got bit time and time again. The first time my team trolled I didn’t even <br>get the rod out before Pam Sharp got bit. Even Nolan hadn’t thrown his feather out either! <br> <br>Around this time I believe, although I am not sure, I chummed the waters, losing the latest Marezine, and <br>the battle with seasickness. Aside from myself, Larry Natsume and a few other folks were a bit under the <br>weather. But that didn’t stop the fishing! I saw guest Jeff Mckellar pull in a nice albacore. Richard Smith, <br>Don Smith’s son was pulling in longfin with a spinning reel! Lynn Adams cast from the second row to get <br>bit. Chris Johnson and Jimmy Wong each had 3 albacore and I hadn’t even chummed the water a second <br>time (you really don’t want to know). <br> <br>Somewhere during the morning, I actually got bit, using my trusty left-handed Penn 500 reel. It’s been <br>awhile, and there’s nothing more exciting than to see your line suddenly leave the spool a lot faster than <br>the current takes it out. Then, after a few seconds, you shift the reel into gear, and then start reeling in for <br>all you’re worth! Once you’ve done that, and there’s a nice bend in your rod, you can yell “Hook Up!” <br><br>After that, it’s just a nice fight around the boat and over and under the other people. It’s a good thing we’re <br>all friends, because we ended up bumping into each other quite a bit. <br> <br>One of the hottest bites of the day came on a spot where we had caught about 12 fish. At this point the <br>skipper started the engine and was about to leave. Suddenly, someone hooked up. Then another person <br>did. Larry Natsume looked at me and asked “so are we going or staying?” Well, we stayed, and I think we <br>took about 50 longfins at that stop. <br> <br>Earlier, Pam Sharp saw me putting on the ol’ Scopalamine patch, which kicked in and I was able to fish <br>without feeling too badly. At one point, I was fishing near Bob Mode, when 2 guys were both hit. I asked <br>him “what are we doing wrong?” Well, it didn’t matter, because a few minutes later, we were both hooked <br>up with some nice 10-15 pound albies. <br> <br>As a clever student of fishing, I copied one of Ken Gandy’s 5 foot casts. I bettered him by casting 3 feet <br>out. Shockingly, I got bit rather quickly with a pretty pathetic cast. Another time, I was listening to Bruce <br>Roberts explain how he kept hooking sharks when I got hit again. Sometimes, it’s just dumb luck. Joe <br>Felker told me that he hadn’t boated one yet, but he eventually pulled down 2 nice ones. Mike Skibba, <br>showing off his fancy new Relief Band, also got about the same results I did. Well, it was worth a try. <br> <br>Guest Ted Lowe was fishing with a jig, while most of us went for live bait. There was a good amount of <br>anchovies, which the longfin love. Guest Lisa Mckellar showed off her prowess in fighting a nice fish, but <br>unfortunately, the cheap Frank Robertson special rod broke in half and she lost the fish. Whoops! Tony <br>Mark took home a whole bunch of albacore. It still amazes me that a man with bionic knees can still get <br>hooked before I can even get to the bait tank. <br> <br>Another new face I met, was Pat Knox, who showed off his skills, pulling in fish after fish. Don Smith also <br>added to the total. The other Don, Stratton, didn’t catch any whitefish, but he did put a massive hurt on <br>some poor unsuspecting albacore. Jack Giauque, borrowed one of my Marezine, and it apparently helped <br>him a lot more than it helped me. He and Bruce Roberts caught fish after fish. Bruce won the jackpot with <br>a 20 pounder! Congrats! Eventually, we put at least 170 albacore below decks. I was shocked to find out <br>my fillet tab was higher by 2 fish. It’s a good thing I didn’t spend much on food, due to my condition. In <br>spite of the rough ride, and nausea, it was definitely a great trip! <br><br><br>

I am new to fishing and I am looking to buy a quality steelhead rod and reel. I live in Washington and fish mainly on the Columbia River and some smaller tributaries. I have asked several people for their advice and I have narrowed my choices down to a lamiglass, G loomis, or St. Croix rod (Fast action, Medium-Heavy, 8-17lb test) and I am looking at a Shimano reel (Cardiff CDF 301 or Curado 201 BSF). What do you think of these choices? I am not dead set on these if someone has some better advice. Like I said, I am new to this sport (fishing for a little more than 1 year) and I am not all too familiar with what my best choices are, so any advice anybody can give would be very appreciated. Thanks all.<br><br>

Whitebass fishing is excellent. The whites are on the surface early and late in the day. After the surface feeding, bigger ones are being caught deep. Mepp"s XD in #3 on four pound line has been a fun time. The fish are chasing minnows along the old river channel. Lake Barkley has been a bit better this week. It has had the stronger current. Catfishermen are catching very good below both dams. Large minnows and nightcrawlers are working well. Cut shad is always a favorite bait for the catfish below the dams. Bluegill are under the docks for shade and will take crickets or meal wax worms under bobbers. Largemouth are hitting on the drop offs. Carolina rigged worms and deep crankbaits are needed to get down to the July fish. The big largemouths are hard to find. Some crappie are being caught drifting minnows and jigs along the drops. The fish seem to be suspended at 15' to 18' deep. Smallmouth seem slow.<br><br>TIP: Don't forget your jigging spoons for summertime fishing along the drops. Both largemouth and whitebass will hit spoon fished along the drop offs.<br><br><br><br><br>www.kentuckylakebarkley.com