dragger

You need to 2 people to get a jon boat on the roof of your car, safely, even if its a car topper. So if you plan on fishing by yourself, save yourself the trouble and time of trying to load it on your roof. It was mentioned earlier and I found to be true, get a hitch kit installed (<$350) and a trailer. Very affordable and easy to launch/load.

It will help keep your bass population a little more balanced by eating the runts. Good mistake releasing it.

I've fished NYC/Brooklyn/Long Island for stripers and it is an absolute incredible fishery. Lots of fish, lots of nice sized fish. Biggest fish are taken on live baits or lures at night, but it takes serious skill to catch the cows, they see a lot of different baits. I'd hate to fish my expensive swimbaits for em though. They're tougher then hell and there is a lot of nasty cover in the right places to catch big fish. 9" sluggos are my favorite. Edit: They fish smaller stuff because they chuck it hard all day and the forage is pretty small too. The striper really key in on the right bait in the right size, not just a big meal.

If I'm catching small fish shallow, I fish deeper. If I am catching small fish deep, I fish shallow and that works more often then not. I don't really change baits because it is obviously working if I am catching fish. I don't ever see the two size classes really mixing, from angling or snorkeling experience. However, I am a firm believer that where I am catching a lot of smaller-medium sized fish and then there is a lull; anywhere from 5-60 minutes, that a big fish usually comes into the spot. This happens a lot on "productive," spots; you know the ones with "perfect," habitat that you just know you're gonna get bit at. It's almost like those toads are waiting off to the side for all the rookies to leave so they can move in and do it right and be totally solo, kinda like swimbaiters on a busy Saturday morning at their favorite spots. Small fish to me show me that something about that spot is productive that I can't determine from charts or bottom contact or sight. Whether it is something like better temperatures, forage, ambush points, I don't know, but when there is a lot of fish in an area, there for a reason and thats what matters to me. Big fish started off as a little fish and don't always stray to far from where they started. After all, thats how they got big, they started in the right place and did everything right.. in my opinion at least.

That's a little harder for me since I kayak bass fish on that big lake, but maybe I should launch on the main lake and check the other arm out? See if that area has any bait movement! It's hard for anyone to find bait on the move, a needle in the haystack would be easier to find. Look at full lake topo maps, I see a lot of deep bait around deep humps/islands and drop offs, but I'm in the NE.

Not every lake turns over and not all turn over in the fall, some in other seasons. A lot do, but not all. Turnover mixes the entire strata of the water column meaning that two important components, oxygen and temperature and the same throughout. Depending on species, this has differing effects. Bass tend to favor warmer water so the mixing of cold water into their warm shallows can put them off a bit, as everyone here has noticed. However, after the initial transition, it puts fish into a huge feeding frenzy because their little internal clocks know winter is coming soon and the time to feed is now. I love fall turnover and my lakes are just starting to turn over. A lot of cold/coolwater species move in abnormally shallow too... lotsa bait moving around trying to find ideal conditions. Don't discredit deep water. I have done limnology studies monitoring water quality during a turnover and have found some unimaginable sized schools of bass and baitfish deep with the depthfinder, like 30-60 feet deep. Came back with an Alabama rig and it was on. The real key this time of the year in my opinion is schooling bait movements. It's a weird time of the year, but a very underrated time too. A lot of fishermen fear it and have all these superstitions about this phenomenon, but fish don't stop feeding, they just do it differently and you have to fish em differently.

From stomach content analysis I have done on a variety of bass I am really skeptical of commercial lures and what the sponsored professionals tell anglers about bass feeding. I have seen 2 pound bass with giant bluegill in their guts. 7 pound bass with 1 inch perch fry. Bass with all kinds of other fish, rats, snakes, frogs, and invertebrates you could imagine. My point is that the majority of feeding on different forage occur simply out of a good chance of success at consuming the item. Sure they "prefer," (<-- used loosely) certain items, particularly less spiny ones that move slow, but eat anything they can, when the opportunity is right. That's why bass to me are so awesome and a dominant predator. How does this affect my angling? I carry few lures and focus on more important variables than my lure like weather over the days prior to my trip, water temperature, available cover, and overall being stealthy when fishing. These are the things that made Bill Murphy and many other trophy anglers reach the levels of success they did. Murphy came across to me as a pretty simple angler (stitched A TON) with a complex approach, not tackle box. We fall for those shiny new baits far more than fish do. All of this is just my opinion, but from studying fish and spending a lot of time with them, I have learned a lot of counter-popular information. Your theories are all very interesting though.

Bass eat what is available. They are not born knowing or being taught not to eat catfish, so yes they will experiment with what is available, even if it is a spiny catfish. Crayfish have claws and hard exoskeletons and bass eat those with gusto despite those spiky features they have. Feel the roof of a basses mouth, it is very strong and bony. In addition bass snap it shut with great pressure and speed on prey. They probably break the spines of bullhead and small catfish with no real damage to themselves. Carp are in the same family as shiners and minnows so a small carp is basically a really big shiner. Depending on the lake, carp can make up a very significant part of trophy fish diet, more than most would think. Neither of these are really strange in my opinion by any means. I am always baffled when I do stomach content analysis on bass and find things like song birds. A biologist I know found a bass dead with a kitten in its mouth. Figure that one out.

Wow, I'd say thats the trip of a lifetime, but I have a feeling you'll do one better at the pace you're going soon again. Keep at it man, those are some straight up brutes right there.

Dick, you hit the finer details of the matter I didn't plan on hitting and did so well, regardless of your career or background. Here is a little more of an understanding I think bass fishermen should consider from a fisheries point of view. Native species like steelhead are significant and need to be protected. Are extremist measures being taken? Absolutely. They have become a pivotal species environmentalists can use to wage their agendas on legislatures and fisheries agencies. They really do not care about the steelhead as much as they say. The amount of money these groups raise in membership fees, donations, and other such avenues is not to preserve a species, but to repeatedly sue and make more money. It is a cycle they fulfill every decade where they find a new, obscure species and sue over it, win, pocket the funds and repeat. Very little of their money does anything in regards to direct conservation the species they supposedly protect by suing agencies established (DFG) that do a pretty good job of taking care of them. As Californians, we should view this as unacceptable to have the minority of people managing our fisheries through legal war. In a very liberal state like CA, you can count of people who know nothing of conservation to pretend they do. They think that by limiting fishermen, reducing trout stockings, and suing fisheries agencies that they will achieve something significant. Fishermen and hunters are the greatest conservationists there are and have been eco friendly and green long before hippies, media, and politicians made it trendy. They are attacking the wrong people. We need to punish farmers, who rob water from migratory steelhead streams and pollute the waters to the point of killing the fish. We need to punish hydroelectric companies for creating large dams with no regard to the well being of the inhabitants of that stream. We need to punish essentially everyone, but the recreational angler, yet we persist to. The marine protected areas are the same thing. The depletion of ocean fisheries stock is not being done by weekend anglers, but commercial fishermen. Read some of the regulations for commercial fishing in CA. Particularly squid seining, market squid is one of CA's top produced products right up there with strawberries, avocados, and recently marijuana. You cannot even fathom the amount of bycatch and destruction that goes on. And to think wardens will issue tickets for fish 1/2" under size when commercial fishermen slay thousands of the same fish in a single day. I left CA because what is going on is absurd on a level I could not even fathom. I feel that no left wing, non scientific based agency has any right meddling in fisheries management when they do not have the slightest idea how the fishery is really managed or even how to ideally manage a fishery. Because they went to Berkley for 6 years on their parents dime and watched an Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore does not mean you a darn thing about the environment. Natural resources is a truly amazing field to be in and I am thankful for where I am and what I get to do every day. The real pain is learning about and studying such fascinating creatures only to realize the amount of crap, doom, and destruction that is currently happening. The best thing to do is resist these negative changes and progress positive changes. I think the best recovery for CA's trophy bass fishery is for increased harvest of smaller bass on these larger reservoirs that are most likely, severely overcrowded. City ponds are not applicable and should not even have bass in them, it is impractical to attempt to manage them. Texas has no trout in there reservoirs and the fishery is doing very well so it is possible to do so in CA with similar circumstances. Less bass would equate to more and larger shad, shiners, and other forage. TX has huge bass tournaments and though they are catch and release, a great number of bass perish from them so whether they know it or not, they are selectively culling many bass and this is good. I feel I could type about this all day long, but it still won't go anywhere.... I'll step down form my soap box and think I'll go fish instead.

Thank you all for taking the time to read all of this and recognize my points. I look forward to you guys progressing trophy bass fishing and fisheries. Only takes 1 person to start.

Don, I left CA because the state is just facing too much for the government, people, and fisheries agencies to handle and I really don't want to come back. Haha. Only thing I miss is the big bass and Mexican food. Rob Belloni did some great things and it's a shame calfishing faded away, some truly great people that shared some real information. Emails work great for tempers. From what I have seen Don, I think you would be a good person to organize something along these lines. I'm not joking when I say bass fishermen need an organization that would promote their fishery. New York has many and they do very well implementing special changes and progressive management practices in my opinion. The same should be applicable to many states, but especially with the amount of dedicated anglers. Thank you for reading Don and your input. You have good things to say and you should take your ideas to listening ears and see where it will go. Frustration is a good thing, it shows invested interest in what you believe in.

Don, I worked as a Park Ranger in So Cal at a very popular lake a few years back and am very familiar with the mussel issue. What he told you was incorrect. The inspections are to stop spreading Quagga to other lakes and has nothing to do with trout or salmon. Even if that lake has them, they still search boats to prevent spread to other lakes. This is really a good thing, however you are right, an incredible waste of resources. I wouldn't say that they should remove these stations, but should re-evaluate how they educate both staff and anglers on the damage these little buggers do. Trout stocking was stopped for a variety of reasons, but largely because of the spread of disease hatchery fish can transmit, genetic pollution (captive fish spawn with wild fish), and some bone heads managed to convince legislatures that the trout were eating endangered frogs and other native wildlife. I agree with the first two, but recognize that these successful reservoirs and fisheries that both endangered frogs and people alike enjoy only exist through trout. They will go ahead and close it and let it be a pure frog sanctuary if they believe that is more important than recreational angling and outdoor activities for people if people do not speak up. Native species will always trump introduced, like bass vs. salmon/trout. Plain and simple fact. If a small minnow or wild salmonid is threatened, extreme measures will be taken to preserve that species and remove what ever is impeding its success. Do I agree? Yes and no. All species play a role in the ecosystem, whether we know what they do exactly is insignificant, and their disappearance is a reflection of the health of the ecosystem. Whether it is introduced bass eating them, poor water quality from pollution, or global warming ( ), the state and national agencies will do all they can to figure out the issue and save the species. That species in decline doesn't exist just to say "Hi," to other fish, it is a significant species that plays an equally significant role that a more desirable species does. Bass eat everything so they are on every agencies "undesirable" list, especially in Western states where salmonids are struggling. What do I suggest? Get involved. The amount of private trout conservation groups is growing rapidly and their agendas are being written into law as a result of their progressive ideas and active involvement. Bass fishermen need to fund research for the benefits of bass like trout fishermen have for starters. Speak with your local biologist directly, ask them questions and give input NOT criticism. They have a lot to say and like to hear from the public. Don't cry about a guy who caught an 8 pound bass and ate it, mention the decline you have seen in the fishery over time. Form or join bass clubs NOT focused on big fast boats, big checks, and big egos, but preservation of the fishery and sport. Sounds stupid and crazy? It is not. A local conservation association I am an active member of took some input and pushed the fisheries agency to remove the size limit on smallmouth bass in a local stream to grow bigger bass. The fisheries agency agreed and the bass fishing has been phenomenal, data shows the best it has ever been and native species originally threatened, have recovered fully. A win win. Go to your town's public hearings and help educate non-fishing parties on the positives of bass fishing and don't let them just read the negative things in newspapers or hear elsewhere. I think a lot of anglers are content complaining about bass fisheries with each other, but never really take the step to talk to the people in charge. This forum has a lot of CA guys and if you want the trophy fisheries back from the 80's and 90's we all read about, get together and make something happen. Fish offs are cute and all, but form a Trophy Bass Alliance or something like that focused on preserving big bass fisheries. Try and get some things to change on your local bodies of water before someone else with the initiative and conflicting beliefs does and you can only sit back and watch things get worse. I took the time to write a fraction of my thoughts on this matter and I hope some of you take a fraction of your time to read and seriously think about this stuff. Thanks.

Fisheries seems like such a twisted logic at times, but the science behind my statements is not twisted at all. I don't support taking many trophy fish, but a few here and there isn't that bad either, seriously. Colby, I have great respect for you as an angler and I think your thinking out of the box, like in this case, is what separates your catches from most. Message me if you want some literature on this topic. I was a skeptic too when I entered the field and the bass fisherman in my still doesn't accept all of this information easily!

That is a very valid point and I side with your opinion there as I C&R a lot (ironic right?) and what I stated was my experience as a person educated and working in fisheries as well as a simple generalization. Of course this does not apply to every body of water with bass in it (it is ridiculous to assume that was my point), but it does apply to a greater majority of them. More than anglers give credit. I work in the North East a lot and even here where it takes some fish 4 years to reach 14", we still encourage strong culling of these fish and the quantity of 4-7 pound fish (trophies for this region) increases prolifically. Predation and competition by larger fish is a good thing and bass have very little of that in most lakes were they dominate. People need to fulfill that role. CA produces monster bass simply by having small bodies of water (comparatively) with high forage supplies (trout, crayfish, shad, etc.) and non stop growing seasons so the fish rarely travel to find abundant forage. I believe catch and release really limits the fisheries more than it helps; except in the case of a trophy fish. A lot lakes I grew up fishing in So Cal had insanely high numbers of 1-2 pound fish and very low numbers of 4-8 pound fish and a few super trophies from 10-15 pounds. I think less C&R of smaller fish would really do wonders for the fishery, but these lakes aren't managed to produce trophy bass; they are recreational fisheries to be enjoyed and utilized as a resource of the people. Japan does everything in their power to eliminate largemouth bass and what has happened? They have created the most effective trophy bass fishery in the world cranking out bass American's can only dream of due to limiting our fisheries with perpetual C&R and sustaining dink fisheries. Even culling trophy fish isn't the sin of our sport. Those fish have spawned successfully many many times and contributed superior genetics to the population over and over. Bravo, their role is complete by the time an angler catches them typically. They are only preserved to save the ego's of fishermen who feel better about themselves and become "sportsman" by releasing them. A fishery does not operate effectively on sympathy and ego. It is primal and aggressive.

From a fisheries point of view, keeping largemouth is a good thing; regardless of size. Too many fish with too little food crashes any successful population of fish quicker than almost any other variable. Largemouth grow extremely quick, eat a tremendous amount of forage for their size, and spawn very successfully. They can reach 12" in less than 2 years and some 10 pound bass in CA have been aged to about 6 years old. Bass fishermen need to release this notion that catch and release is king and we are conservationist anglers and scientists. You are not, there are plenty of people in your local fisheries agencies who are and they will agree with what I have said. When I do consulting work on a private pond or lake and the owner wants larger bass, we tell them we need to kill all bass under 15". This is very unpopular, but insanely successful. Those fish eat the resources trophy bass need. Within 3 years of aggressively removing runts, you would be surprised how many more trophy class fish will emerge. Back to lurking, I feel I have said too much.

Great seller, quick shipment, and good communication. Nothing but positive stuff to say!

Can't say enough cool things about this guy; easy to communicate with, sticks to his word, and easy to deal with; a rarity in the swimbait world. Thanks again for the purchase and easy transaction dude!