Tuesday, October 11, 2011

New Rig...

This is my "new" fishing rig.  It's a 10' Future Beach Spirit 120 I got from Craigslist for $200 including the paddle.  I added a swivel rod holder in the front and a crate with pvc tubing for rod holders on the back.  I have only had her out a few times, the pic on the left is from back in August on the New River in Virginia.  I absolutely love it, it tracks great, is stable and has plenty of room for my gear.
I know there are a lot of "kayak snobs" who think you need a $1500 'yak, but just get what you can afford that will get you on the water!  TIGHT LINES to all!!!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Chatterstick Success...

A recent trip to a nearby reservoir with my brother in law lead to a couple nice catches.  I managed to land these two using a 4" Chatterstick.  The lake was pretty muddy, so I tried several spinnerbaits with no luck before tying on the Chatterstick.  The extra flash and vibration worked great and these two nailed the bait hard!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

 I went on a family trip to West Virginia over the weekend, where I got the chance to do a little fishing.  Saturday evening was awesome, I caught over a dozen bass!  The smallest was a pound and the biggest nearly four pounds, I caught 6 that were in the 2-3 pound range!   I caught a couple with a white 1/2 ounce spinnerbait and the rest on a topwater wake bait.  It was the perfect combination of the right bait, the right place and the right time!  Possibly the best 2 hours of fishing I have ever had!



Sunday, July 3, 2011

Topwater Action...

My last post shows my biggest bass to date.  I caught her on a topwater lure cast over a transition point from shallow to deep water.  I love catching bass on topwater lures, poppers, frogs, wakebaits are all a blast to catch with.  Even small fish are fun to catch, just seeing them blast the surface and swallow a topwater lure gets my heart racing.  I like to cast them near stumps, rocks, weeds, or any structure in the water.  I let the lure sit there for a few seconds before reeling, then work it back to me with an erratic retrieve.  Keep in mind how most frogs or bugs move in short jerks and twitches, you need to imitate the bass' natural prey.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Big Old Bass!

I finally got a chance to go fishing for the first time in a month and it was awesome!  My brother in law and I hit a couple small ponds near his house.  The first hour and a half was slow for me, with only a 2 pounder boated while my bro in law was slaying the crappies and had caught about 7 or so.  We decided to walk down to the other pond and fish off the bank for a bit, and I'm glad we did!  I caught 3 more bass, the last of which was this sweetheart shown here.  I caught her on a topwater lure as dusk approached.  She inhaled it about 40 feet from the bank and put up an epic struggle as I held my breath!  I didn't have my scales with me and we could only estimate her at close to 8 pounds!  Keep in mind I am 5'10" and 205 pounds myself, so she was a really nice bass!  I released her and I hope to get another shot at her- next time I will have my scales in my pocket!


Sunday, June 12, 2011

Rock On!

Due to some truck problems I haven't been able to haul the 'yaks around.  So due to a lack of fishin' content, thought I'd share a video from my boy, Kid Rock...If you don't roll with ROCK...

Friday, May 27, 2011

Hidden Dangers of Bass Fishing

I saw this excellent video the other day and had to share it.  If you think bass fishing is not a dangerous sport yo need to see this and learn from it!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Backlashes Suck!

If you use a baitcaster reel, you have probably experienced the backlash or "bird nest".  If you haven't, you will! These are extremely annoying and I have been known to express my annoyance with these situations in a rather loud manner!  I saw this video with some tips that I plan to try next time, because as much as I hate to admit it- there will be a next time.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Crappie Time!

Despite the name of this blog, I love catching anything that swims!  In this part of NC, the largemouth bass is King and the most sought after species.  I do enjoy going after crappie and bluegill at this time of year.
Last week we went to a small pond in search of some of these small and fiesty fish!  My son caught this nice crappie in his very first kayak fishing trip.  I was more excited than he was!  I caught about 6 and had fun watching my boy paddle around, he did great.  We used some 1/8 oz Roadrunners and small in-line spinners, both favorites of panfish.  Another fun time!


Saturday, April 30, 2011

Good Fishin'...

I made another short excursion to a couple of small ponds with my brother in law last week and had a ton of fun!  The weather was perfect and the water is getting warm.  I started out with a shallow diving chartreuse Strike King crankbait and caught a nice little one pounder on my 5th cast!    The pace slowed and over the next hour I wore out the hinges on my tacklebox as I tried spinnerbaits and crankbaits of every color! I was beginning to get frustrated.  Then I remembered the new pack of 1/8 ounce Roadrunner Jigs I had bought on sale back in the winter.  It was a great choice, as over the next 2 hours I caught 4 more bass, 4 nice crappies and 2 bluegill.  Can't wait to go back!


Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Quick Trip...

I got the chance to make a quick stop at a small pond near my home this afternoon.  The weather has been better and the water was not as cold as the last few times I have been fishing.
I decided that I would try some smaller baits due to the relative size of the pond that I reckon was about a quarter of an acre or so.  This seemed to be the right choice and I caught 4 small bass from a half pound up to about one pound in the 2 hours I was there.                    
I used a white Chatterbait jig and a Beetlespin with a white grub.  These are usually pretty reliable and once again proved their worth!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Break in the Weather...

Finally a break in the cold, rainy weather!  So I hit a local pond with a buddy in his jon boat.  The water is still cool and extremely muddy due to all of the rain we have had.  I did manage to land 4 decent bass, the largest being nearly 2 pounds.  I caught 2 on a 4" Chatterstick and 2 on a small Chatterbait jig with a white curl-tail grub trailer.  These seem to show up well in dingy water and have incredible vibration.  All in all a great afternoon!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Tie 1 On!

I don't know about ya'll, but I was never a Boy Scout.  That's my excuse for not knowing squat about tying knots.
I struggled for a long time with finding the best knot for me.  If you are a knot-master then just ignore this post, but if you need help like I did, pay attention.
The Palomar knot fit the bill for me.  It's pretty simple to tie and is very strong.  So practice it a few times and I think you will like it as much as I do.

 

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Big Bass Love Frogs!

Bigfoot Frog Soft Bait - Green
Bigfoot Frog Soft Bait - Green
The Bigfoot Frog̢۪s oversized feet really cause a stir, but here's the kicker -- the Bigfoot Frog Soft Bait floats so you can stop and spend more time around weeds, stumps, and brush where the big bass dwell. Or, retrieve the Bigfoot Frog in short strokes between pauses to attract more fish with a big-time bubbling action.. Bigfoot Frog Soft Bait














Wednesday, March 9, 2011

High Waters

I have been itching to go out fishing, but we have had a ton of rain.  All of the ponds and the Yadkin River are near flood levels, which is not conducive to good fishing conditions.  Worse yet, it's raining more today!

Guess I'll just have to wait.  Meanwhile I am adding rod holders and an anchor to my kayak to get it ready.  As soon as conditions improve I'm hittin' the water!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

New Lures

Now is a time great time of year to get your new gear and get everything organized.  Many of the lure companies like Rapala and Strike King are introducing new lures and there are some sales on the older models.
The new Rapala Clack n Crank crankbaits seem to be stirring up a big time buzz.  I plan on getting at least one for myself real soon!
Be sure to clean and lubricate reels, change old line and organize your tacklebox so you will be ready when you hit the water for the spring spawn.  Of course, in another shameless plug...click on the Bass Pro Shops banner and you can find the latest and greatest as well as anything else you might need for your outdoor excursions.
Now get your $#&* together and go fishin'!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

KVD Wins #4!!!

Here we are again!  Kevin VanDam is the Bassmaster Classic champ, AGAIN!
I was doing some thinking and came to the conclusion that he must undergo testing!
Is he a man? A machine? A cyborg?  Or some kind of human-largemouth bass hybrid?
Just kidding, of course!
What else can be said about the greatest bass angler of our time and probably of all time?
Congratulations KVD!  You Da Man...or are you???

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Learning Experience

 Today was a new fishing experience for me.  Last fall I bought a kayak, but due to shoulder surgery have not used it, until today.  I am not nearly back to 100% and am quite sore this evening, but I really did love it.
The weather has been extremely cold in NC this winter and the water was even colder than I thought it would be.  The conditions were tough, and being new to fishing from a kayak, I only managed one small bass in 2 hours of fishing.
I had to stop because my shoulder was starting to hurt a bit.  It's definitely different fishing in a kayak and I think I am now addicted!  It's very peaceful and quiet, you can sneak up on the fish for sure!  Hopefully with some more warm days the fishing will get better and my shoulder will get stronger!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Catch and Release

The spawn is on!  Now is the time when bass start spawning and are vulnerable because they are aggressive and hungry.
This is great for anglers and is a great and fun time to go fishing.
I would like to encourage everyone to practice catch and release at this time of year.  The big females are laying eggs or may still be carrying eggs, so it is important for the future of the species that they be allowed to spawn and protect their spawning areas until the baby bass can develop.
If it's good for the bass, it's good for all of us who love to catch 'em!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Love is in the air....uh, water!

In the south, February is the beginning of the bass spawn.  Female bass begin to move to shallow water to get ready for spawning.  This is when they are big, hungry and most aggressive, and prime for catching!
It's a great time for anglers to get out a hunt for the lunker bass of a lifetime!  One of the best ways to catch bass now is with Texas-rigged soft plastic baits.  These can be big 10 or 12 in worms, tubes or creatures like the Berkley Chigger Craw. 
Look for shallow flats near deep water with some type of cover like grass, stumps and brush.  Make fanshaped casts and drag, hop and swim these baits searching for where the bass are and which presentation they prefer.  During the spawn the bass will not be as picky and will attack anything that comes near their spawning beds!  Hold on tight because these bass will hit hard!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Invasive Species

I have read several articles and seen some fishing shows lately that gave information about invasive species.  These can be everything from the "snakehead" fish as shown in the picture, to a range of parasites.  These are species that are not native to our waters and can wreak havoc on our native fish populations.
These invasive creatures can be spread on purpose by people putting fish into their local waters or accidentally by not cleaning their boats, boots, or waders and transferring them from one body of water to another.
Another issue has been the spread of non-native aquatic plants.  These plants can get into our lakes and rivers and choke out the native plants, having a negative impact on these waters.  I know people don't think about these things, but we need to change our thinking to preserve our beloved bass, muskie and other North American fish species for future generations.
"If it's good for the fish, it's good for the angler!"

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Hardcore!

As I have stated in other posts, now is a great time for some big 'ol lunker bass!  Not everyone is cut out for this kind of hardcore cold weather fishing, but if you can take it, it could pay off with a trophy!
The best way to handle things this time of year is to watch the weather.  If you can get out after a 3 day or more warming spell, the bass may be slightly more active.  Some will move up shallower and can be caught near underwater structure.
A great bait for winter fishing is a jig with a crawfish trailer. These can be cast near cover and structure and dragged or slowly hopped along the bottom.  Bass and their prey are pretty sluggish at this time of year, so go slow.  If you can find a place where the water transitions from deeper to shallower, you should do well.  Any bass in the area will hang out in areas where they have easy access to both deep and shallow water.  So if you are a hardy type, get out there and land that lunker!