Freakin' Out!

 Well I finally couldn't take it anymore, I just HAD to go fishing!  So last week I headed out to a small pond near home where I could fish from the bank, since I still can't do much with my right shoulder while recovering from surgery.
The conditions were not perfect, with a cloudless "bluebird" sky.  The weather had warmed up a bit so I figured the bass would be somewhat active.
I fished for about three hours, and felt pretty good since I had to cast lefty and I am actually right handed.  This skill might end up serving me well in the future.
I only caught two bass, but was pleased because both were pretty decent in size.  The bass on the right was 2 pounds and the one on the left was just under 2 pounds.  The 2 pounder was caught on a chatterbait frog and the other with a 4" swimbait.  Overall I was very happy just to get out and stretch a line!

Trophy Time!

Now is a great time of year to land some monster bass! Watching my local weather forecast, I saw that starting Monday there is some warmer weather coming in. This may mean that some big bass will be moving into the shallow, warmer water to feed and fatten up before returning to the deeper water.

This is a great time to go fishing and possibly get yourself a trophy bass!

I really like to throw spinnerbaits and shallow diving crankbaits in the shallows right now. The change in water temps can make bass really chase bait and can be a whole lot of fun. Some great baits are Boo Yah spinnerbaits and crankbaits. A lipless crankbait like Rat-L-Traps and Strike King Red Eye Shad are super baits for early winter lunkers! Don't let a little cold weather stop you, get out there and catch one for me!

Lure Retriever

Here's a great tip for a money saving lure retriever.

We have all had annoying hang-ups or snags. One great idea is to take a paper clip and feed it through the eye of a large 2 or 3 ounce sinker. When you get snagged up, just slip the paper clip around your fishing line and let it go.

Keep your rod tip up and the line tight, the sinker will slide down the line and whack the lure. If this doesn't work the snag loose, just shake your rod tip and the sinker swinging around should knock the snag free.

I just love any tips and tricks that can save a few bucks, and hopefully this one will help my readers!

Lame Duck!

It looks like my fishing season is over after having major shoulder surgery. My doc and therapist seem to think it will be spring before I will be getting much use out of my shoulder, and I'm already in fishing withdrawals!

I guess my blog entries will be limited to reviews and commentaries on favorite gear and the new goodies as they come out. Hopefully if I can really buckle down and rehab successfully, I can hit the water in the early spring. For all you able bodied anglers out there, I am SO freakin' jealous!

More summer bassin'

A trip to a nearby small pond turned up several nice largemouth bass including this one. I was fishing alone so I laid it on my tacklebox for this picture. This one was caught with a BooYah Pond Magic series spinnerbait in chartreuse color. These are very affective lures in smaller bodies of water or where there is a lot of fishing pressure. Many times in heavily fished waters the best baits are smaller spinnerbaits or crankbaits.

On this particular outing, I had some good success with this spinnerbait and also a small 1/8 ounce jighead with a 3" Powerbait grub in white. These are also a great go to lure in ponds and rivers. I don't think I have ever been skunked when fishing with small white grubs, they always seem to catch fish, whether it's bass, crappie, bream, they are great to have with you.

Great Fishing Boat

Classic Accessories Kenai Pontoon Boat

On a recent fishing trip I saw several of these inflatable pontoon boats and they are awesome. They are very versatile as they can be used in rocky rivers or in still water and perform well in either place. They are very easy to paddle and can get into tight spots and shallow water. For someone searching for an affordable and nice little fishing machine I would highly recommend one of these little babies!

New River Smallies!

Last weekend I took a fishing trip to the New River in Virginia. It was a great weekend with awesome weather and some decent fishing. We caught quite a few smallmouth bass and my brother-in-law caught a nice walleye.

My most effective bait was a white Chatterbait with a white grubworm trailer. The flash and vibration of this bait worked really well and I caught a nice 2 pounder and a couple of pound and a half smallies on this bait.

We also had some luck with leadhead jigs rigged with white grubs as well as Carolina rigged lizards. Overall it was a great trip and I would tell anyone who has never been to the New River to visit. It's a great place to canoe, kayak, fish and camp and is one of the prettiest places you'll ever see.