OhioFisherman

Only landed one ski by accident a small one, had some big fish on but not properly prepared for them.

"This fellow had a suspended licence and was driving a borrowed vehicle or one not in his name anyway but apparently, not stolen according to the OPP." Here it is illegal to let some one that doesn`t have a license drive your vehicle. If it wasn`t stolen? It sounds like you need to get the owners insurance info and maybe a lawyer?

It is real hard to assume any thing when bass fishing. In the Cleveland Ohio area myself so the weather is a little different? Maybe 3-4 weeks behind yours? A buddy was fishing pick up bass tournaments here as late as December? Ice on the edges of the lake that melted once the sun started shining on it. His go to bait? a vibee, a blade blade, pitched to pockets in the weeds and allowed to flutter down and lift, if they didn`t grab it on the way down they would bust it on the lift. There really is no way to tell what or where to try, you need to get out on the water and experiment, locations, lures. I have caught smallies and largemouth here as late as Thanksgiving on tubes, crankbaits, jig and pigs and even plastic worms and lizards. Late September on the Georgian Bay you might find the smallies and largemouth together in 15-20 feet of water, the next day in much shallower water, 2-5 feet. I could only assume it was because of the location of food for them. If you use live bait a 3-5 inch chub or shiner will attract attention if fish are there, but I usually only fished lures. A tube, white or green pumpkin, bait fish or craw fish patterns might be a good starting point? Never really much luck this late in the year on surface lures for bass, but something like a heddon torpedo that you can work slowly might draw a hit. If the shore line isn`t working? a point with a good deal of depth changes or a weedy or rocky flat with some deep edges might be a good place to try.

Bass, pike, walleye, ski`s will all eat now, it`s a question of locating them.

Nice looking stick, quality work and low key.

If you are just getting started? I would suggest a spinning rod and reel, medium action 6-7 foot depending on what you are comfortable with and a decent reel in a 2000-3000 series size. It is an all around setup that can be used for many species with 8-10 mono line or 20-30 test braid. Also a bait casting reel and a 6 1/2 - 7 foot medium - medium heavy rod and 14-20 pound test mono or 50 pound braid. Just starting points and you can work around your budget as to prices for them. Salmon, Muskies, big fish of any species will require a lot more specialized tackle although even then there may be some use for more than one species.

Mine was always stored inside my garage or barn. I had a wheel on the trailer stand, I took a few short pieces of 2x6 made a hole in one with a large hole saw and screwed them together. The hole held the wheel from rolling and gave me extra height to make sure all the water was drained, if any out of the boat. Mine was a deep v and just cranking up the stand wouldn`t get it all.

Old is new? Just seems like a name change to me. Flutter spoons like the one in one of the previous posters picture are used a lot on the Great Lakes, a very thin piece of metal, like a 32nd of an inch? No weight to them, usually fished on downriggers or perhaps dipsy divers? I have also seen guys take the rear treble off a deep diving crank bait add a leader and one. The flutter spoons in the video? a different animal, the technique is not new though. Sounds like what van dam was doing when he got his big smallie on a crocodile? spoon on Lake Erie. It has been done for a long time and is an effective way to catch deep fish at times. A lot of lures can be used, a Hopkins shorty and lures of that style and blade baits like a silver buddy, heddon sonar and such. A jigging Rapala usually used for ice fishing will also work in the spring, summer, fall for fish in deep water. You can stop right on top of them and let the Rapala swim in circles with a darting action on the lift and a flutter on the drop. I have even caught catfish and crappie in the summer on the Rapala. Just a lot of ways to fish different lures, the best way is the one that works that day.

Like Roy mentioned, probably walleye. A friend used to do it on vacations at Felon Falls, a movement of walleye around a dam I believe at night.

Agreed stupid, but it`s funny management never seems to put cameras on what they do for lunch? A drunk or drugged captain can steer the ship off course?

Johnny, winter is a good time to join a club. The one I fished with for a long time usually had a meeting in January or February to decide and vote on choices for tournaments. It is nice to have some input on them, I never really cared what lake the tournament was held on, but traveling distance was an issue. I never had a desire to drive 150-200 miles to the site of a one day tournament, drive 3 hours, fish for 8 or 9 and drive home? Safety first? it makes for a long day. I just felt those were better options for two day events, something you could combine into a long weekend or perhaps a weeks vacation with the family if the locations permitted it. None of my kids ever really got the fishing bug, but a cabin, house, or trailer by the beach and they were ready to go! A number of guys in the club would make it a family deal, so the wives and kids had things to do while the guys fished. If the lake is new territory to you? you can get some tips practice fishing with other members.

Caught a steel head one fall and thought it was full of eggs, nope, when I cleaned it like 22 3-5 inch shiners, shad, perch in it.

I used to do some business with a guy that fished Kentucky Lake and Dale Hollow, I bought small hair jigs off of him that he used for smallies. Bass are bass, some times the approach to fishing for them is different, google floatnfly, shakey head worm, a couple of popular methods in that area. You do have to find fish to catch them though?

The glass on the bulbs may be hot after a drive, contact will cold water can crack them. A lot of water proof lights aren`t really.

Brings back memories, stayed there many times.

I have never been there myself, my dad and brother were, but years ago. It is a very big lake, a lot of creek arm coves and deep, the shoreline can just drop away in areas. It is a TVA lake, Tennessee Valley Authority, a power and flood control lake, a dammed and flooded valley. Largemouth, Smallmouth, and spotted bass I think, also 1+ crappie are fairly common.

I don`t own one myself Raf, my daughter has a late model Ford explorer with a v-6 engine, like an 08 or 09. U-haul wouldn`t rent her a 6x12 enclosed tandem axle trailer to move with.

Dated by our tackle experiences? It just come down to the fact that in my youth most people were fishing with some Mitchell spinning reel or some Abu bait caster. They were just considered to be the best by most people. My brother Mike liked the Cardinal 3 & 4 reels also, I used Diawas for quite a while. Really though most of my fishing was geared to Bass or larger species and most of the time near cover so bait caster were just some thing I was more comfortable using. In the later 90`s I did start using some older Abu semi-closed face reels for bass. If I had tried one in the time they were in production I would have gone to them sooner. They cast light lures with heavy line well, and are easy to use, I have never had a birds nest on any of them. It just boils down to you are going to pick up what you are most comfortable using first?

With all that said? I think the cheap reels of today are much, much better then the cheap reels of yesterday(in regards to performance, but not sure about durability). Those 15 buck made in france Mitchell 300c`s seemed like a bargain? I don`t notice enough casting difference in any to make all that much difference. The smoothness is nice on the newer reels, the drags are probably better. I don`t like synthetic frame reels, unless they are dirt cheap. Spinning reels for me are usually light line, open water reels.

http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&source=hp&q=advertising%2C+banners&btnG=Google+Search

That is a strong argument for name brand popular reels, the parts will be around longer if you need them.

You could try calling the Lunge Lodge? ask for Mike Pettry he was always a straight up guy, as I understand it him and another guy that we fished with bought the place. Now that I think of it that is part of his head in my avatar, like 22 years ago.

Always tried to schedule a trip up north for late September colder weather shorter periods of day light started something, for walleye too, they moved into areas you didn`t see them in mid summer.

Can`t really tell by the picture alone, but the style to me would indicate 1930`s or earlier.

I was for 30+ years, but retired 7 years ago, and also only here in the states. Laws and things may be different now or different to an extent there. My watch came off the last day I worked and haven`t had one on since, and I haven`t kept up with the latest regs.