MrGiggles

If you're filleting them the way most people do, the overall length would still be easy to measure, as long as you don't chop the heads or tails off. I know lots of people do it, since there is usually always fish scraps tossed in the water near the ramp when I put in.

Berkley Lightning rod. I wouldn't want anything too expensive, the chances of it being broken, stolen, or lost are pretty high.

Gotta watch them things, they'll practically hook you just by staring at them. Sharp boogers.

Haven't been catching much bass, but I don't generally run cranks that shallow. Trolling flicker shad in slick mouse and firetiger, 8 out of 10 were on the slick mouse with lead core 18 feet down in 25-40 fow. The big slabs love it, and I'll pick up a walleye now and then. Purple tiger was doing good too until I lost it in a brush pile, need to replace that one, it's always been a productive color. First pic from Thursday night. Quit early as I had enough for dinner in 2 hours. Second pic was from last week. Also caught a 4lb carp on a crappie jig, gave my 10ft rod a workout. Haven't had much luck dropping jigs, the crappie seem awfully scattered right now.

I was out tonight and last night as well. Caught a few crappie on brush and bridge pilings. Trolled quite a bit both days trying to get some walleye, (I caught two last week), but was not successful. Those pesky crappie would not leave my flicker shade alone, caught well over a dozen, from 8" to a couple that were high 13s. I've got a firetiger flicker shad, might have to try it out. Purple tiger and slick mouse have been producing for me.

From the storm that went by to the north this morning.

I caught males really shallow on 5/6 and 5/7, at that time the females were still holding deeper in the same area, which was south of the 245 bridge. I did catch a couple bass up shallow too. Unfortunately I was broken down until the 16th, I have not been able to find any fish up on the bank in the same area as before, aside from dozens of carp. The fish that I have caught this week while trolling were mostly females, and they still had eggs but were not ready to burst like they were before. I'm no expert either, but I know that things like water clarity, temperature, and weather patterns will all affect the depth that they spawn in, and those factors can vary considerably from one end of the lake to the other.

They aren't on the banks anymore. The spawn window opened and slammed shut within a week or so. Water temps were 74 yesterday, 72 today. I messed around tonight and last night jigging on brush and timber, didn't have much luck. The trolling bite is ON though. The big slabs wont leave a flicker shad alone, and I caught two 17" walleyes as well. Most of what I caught were females that still had quite a bit of eggs left, I don't think they had a very successful spawn this year.

I've read people talking about fishing hot spot maps and how good they are. I browse the Navionics maps quite a bit, and I've seen these red fish icons in areas that seem to be good spots, structure wise. I can't help but wonder, are these what you find on the hot spot maps?

I don't understand it either. Ate a 5.5lber out of a farm pond when I was younger, never again. The little ones eat better, IMO a 15" or smaller largemouth is right up there with crappie when fried.

I was out on Sunday and last night. I put in at cedar ridge and went on past the 245 bridge. I caught several nice males right on the bank, and a few decent females on brush in 12-14ft. Same story last night, although the bite wasn't as good. I also caught a decent channel cat, two keeper LMB, and a drum.

I have not seen anything suspicious at Master's or Cedar Ridge. Those are the only ramps that I really use. Never had anything fooled with on my truck. In fact one day after putting in I noticed a safety chain had come loose and was dragging, I left it alone and figured I would get it on the way out. When I came back later a good Samaritan had hooked it back for me. Then again, I tend to stay pretty late in the summer, many times I'm the last one to leave the ramp.

I caught a hump backed eye in the fall, he ate good.

I'd like to see a pic of that 16"er.

I might brave the wind tonight. Will likely go to Pomme though.

Sold.

Looks to me like the bank southeast of the 245 bridge, if those are the power lines that I think they are.

I was out on Friday. Water was stained but not too bad. 53* With the rain forecasted tonight and tomorrow I would expect it to get worse.

What plastics do you guys like to use on the A-rig?

I think I've seen it used to abbreviate Crabtree Cove as well.

For those on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/DaySons-Bait-And-Tackle-195481407714410/?ref=br_rs

I'm glad to see it, I go right through Fair Play to get to Stockton, if I wanted minnows, I had to go clear down to Aldrich and then backtrack to the ramp. I see them doing well, with the amount of fishing traffic that rolls through Fair Play.

I can't speak for the bigger units, only the little 4"ers that I have on my boat. I've got a Humminbird Pirahnamax 4 DI on the bow (transducer on the trolling motor), and a Garmin Stryker 4 on the back. The Garmin is a far nicer, clearer, and easier to use unit. I do not know if the Humminbird transducer does not like to be mounted on the TM (I've had the Garmin transducer on a TM before and it worked fine), but it has never worked that well. Lots of noise in sonar mode, and the down imaging is next to useless.

That's a hog, good job.

I gave it another shot last night, couldn't get bit on anything. Skunked. I went back to the same spot where I caught those two on Friday. 24-28 feet, standing timber nearby. Some fish holding tight to trees (at least that's what my sonar tells me), and the occasional ball of shad with fish on their tail. They moved through quickly and I couldn't really stay on them. Water was 45-47. In my very inexperienced opinion, we still have a little bit until pre-spawn activity picks up. Saw a couple other guys come through, they worked the area and took off, didn't see any fish caught.