merc1997 Bo

hazbin, that is correct that bass over 6 lbs. are very close to the end of their life span. also, 14 to 18 inch bass are the best at spawning. could be compared to keeping gas until it goes bad. bass are not any different and just like us only have a certain amount of time before they die. that was certainly a big bass and coming from the k dock area certainly had lived a long time to reach that weight. bo

well, here we are pretty much at the next change in fishing patterns. when water temps bottom out for the winter and begin an upward trend, usually the bait comes up and so do the bass. the shallower bass are often now the best ones to target because of being a bit more active than those that are still deep. now, how to decide what technique might catch them? one of the ozarks' best bassers by the name of glen andrews offered this advice to me many years ago, and that was the fact that most of the time, these bass will be slightly suspended and that is why lures in the crankbait, jerk bait, and now, the a-rig, all tend to be very effective. all of these lure groups are great at catching bass that are both suspended and still lethargic. true, there are always going to be days when rules will get broken. as i remember champ mentioning one time that bass some days bass are looking up, and others, looking down. water temps of 43 to 48 always gives me fits in figuring out anything that will consistently work. seems as though i can get them below 43 and above 48, but in what i have termed to be the bs range of 43 to 48, it is always tough sledding for me. way back in the day, this time of the year, we would go to the creek and get some nice creek chubs and sit out on the main lake flats and just wear them out. warmer temps are not far off, and now all of those that have been faithfully slinging in the shallows all fall and winter will begin to reap more rewards for their efforts. with me, i am waiting for the water temps to hit 50 and start to hand pick some nights to go prowl around in the dark and get them before the next wave hits the lake the next morning. bo

that was nice to see a home boy catching them using a home technique. since this last mlf started, i had been wonder when someone was going to put a spoon to work either on docks or off shore. i would never show up at a clear lake without some spoons in the boat. great job by james. bo

yes, you sure can!! great entertainment and lots of laughs! bo

well, that is just pretty much it believe it or not. sometimes just right of center. bo

that would be funny to watch. never did claim to be an english major. guess that is one of those things that can pictured both ways. but hey, maybe that could be a whole new sport, synchronized fishing. bo

that would be correct. we both fished with the same jig and worm all day. did not lose one bass, and all were hooked just as the pics show, top of the head. bo

took linda for a little fishing today and to enjoy the very nice day. saw lots of eagles, and did catch a few bass. 16 total with 4 keepers. best depth was 18 to 25 ft. right on the creek bottom. all were caught on the attached lure. the fish pics were taken in the water. so, those that like to banter back and forth can make up their own mind whether the fish was handled properly, turned loose, kept, thrown on the bank or otherwise. we did have a pretty even mix of all three species. the keeps were two lmgs and two brownies. bo

anyone that is good with a back hoe, could have most of that pushed into a pile to burn in a few hours, and that would not cost 2500. bo

a corp guy told me that they do not charge during the high water. you can use the lake for free. i said no s####, you can't put in any place. see how effective your ramp fees are working. bo

not a bad day. he called me last night. he was kind of bummed to just have three keepers, but it most certainly was not a bad day for this time of year, and then throw in all the water changes with that. it had to at least be great to just be out. bo

well, i do think it went to the taxidermist for a resort. at least that is the indication that i got. not mine to do with. bo

just wanted to share this pic that was e-mailed to us a couple of days ago. the bass was caught in the k dock area the same day the pic was e-mailed. note said it weighed 10 on a bathroom scale. that is a big bass! been so long since i have seen one as big as that, just thought i would share so we can all dream of catching one that big. bo

never had a rock crawler in my hand champ. so, i could not say. the rock crawler bill in pics i have seen looks to be longer and at the straight angle like a wart. the hooks seem to be very sharp and the shank seems to be slightly longer than most which is a plus, at least for me because they will hook and hold better. as to the the over spray, the original warts were colored that way when they went to the clear bill, at least several of mine are like that. what makes a hook cheap champ?? is it the finish?? like difference between bronze and black nickle?? i can tell you since i buy hooks, there is not a price difference with one finish or the other. from the bass that i have caught so far on it, i have not seen a need to change the hooks. there has not been any hook distortion and they have hooked well and not let go, which i attribute to not having a short shank. to me, they are all similar to a wart in different ways. at least this does not sink as many have has issues with the rapala wart and the crawler. so, which is cheaper, one that floats or those that sink?? just sayin. bo

a bad day of fishing beats a great day of work. glad to hear that someone had a chance to get out. plus, you did catch a few. bo

well, that is what don portrayed to me, that is would be exactly like the original. bottom line, it is not, but close. other bottom line, at least for me, it actually performs better. bo

most likely the first place to have them will be tackle warehouse. i think don told me they will be $9.99. not a bad price for a bass catching crank bait. the ones i have have not had any issue with sinking or any of the problems that some other brands have had. bo

ok, here is the scoop on Iovino's wart like crank bait. he told me that it will be called the Hunter by Iovino. attached are pics, and here are my observations. first and foremost is it catches bass. comparisons to a wart - it is slightly bigger. bill is a bit different, but in a good way. this bait through a lot of stuff that warts hang up in. bill has a steeper angle and the iovino mode consistently gets a good foot deeper than any wart i own. the wiggle pattern still feels like a wart. they run straight right out of the box, and that is due to the change of attachment. the rear hook hanger comes straight out the back instead of the bottom of the bait as a wart does. the iovino model has more of a steel bb rattle instead of lead as in the original warts. here is the biggest and best improvement over the wart, and that is the deflection pattern after the iovino model bounces off something. it takes off on a much wider path than a wart does. for me right now, i would pick up the iovino Hunter before an original wart. why?? because it seems to have the warts wiggle but it does not hang up all the time like a wart does. that extra foot of depth makes it easier to bang into stuff, and that wide deflection is why warts are fish catchers. bo

did that one have split ring or snap? we are moving all models to a wire snap. we need to educate the bass to quit hitting blade, which results in ripping the blade off. just undo a #2 wire snap and run through the hole of the snap, and you are back in business, and will be able to change out the blade very easily too.

champ is right about loose heads. the head being completely loose enhances vibration. here is a choice that can truly be thrown into anything. never needs tuning. wire frame goes back to form. you can change out the head for different sizes and colors. cuts way down on the need for carrying so many spinner baits. bo

great job in figuring out the bite. they look like they have all been eating well. bo

just have to fish where the bulk of the food source is. it would be nice if the bait came up shallow with the influx of water, but did not find any evidence of that. out in the main lake, you could take off and see a constant live of bait 40 to 50 feet deep. that pretty much tells the story of how deep or deeper the bite might be. i do know that in the big m area, the bait seems to be in the 20 ft. range. once the lake stabilizes some, things could change, but it might not because i think there will still be a fair amount of water running through the lake, and if so, that will have a definite effect on what the lakes food source does, and of course the bass will follow. bo

you are right about all the cover, and yesterday with the wind pushing you along fast enough to get on plane, it was difficult to fish slow enough for the water temps. however, there has been some out on better days wind wise, plying the shallower water, in a variety of water colors, and have still had the same results. this high water, and now falling water is a hard set of circumstances to deal with. for those trying the shallower bite, when we have the falling water bass will most often suspend. they might not be deep depth wise, but will still suspend. a bass's natural instinct is always going to be to not get trapped. so, they will keep water above and underneath them. the ends are good places to look, and out off steep banks. now, you have to begin the depth and correct lure and speed search to entice a bite. seeing presence of bait can be a good clue. bo

yep, it was a very difficult day to catch anything, especially since there does not appear to be many bass up shallower. if they were, it would have been a great chunk and wind day. bo

the last time i went fishing was at night around the last full moon. i should have been working today, but took a day off and went fishing. fished below the 13 bridge. the wind was a bear, so we had to really earn every bite. ended up with 7 keepers all around 2 1/2 chunks. 6 k's and one brownie. depth 50 to 60 ft. deep bottom of creek channels. lure a 1 oz. NuJig, bluegill, with small trailer. had to go down to some 20lb. test braid to cut down on wind drag. the key seemed to be the actual creek lip. the bass seemed to be right on the edge of the lip or on the creek bottom butted up against the creek wall. talked to a couple of boat that both were fishing up shallower and that did not have bite all day. one would think that at least some bass would be some where from surface to the 20 ft. range. perhaps that might be happening up one of the river arms. well, i was just happy to go fishing a day. now, i have twice a much work to get done tomorrow. bo