OhioFisherman

It has changed over the years, like the price of anything. As a kid a bucks worth of emerald shiners in a large styrafoam bait bucket would pack it. Larger bass size minnows were more costly, a buck a dozen got you maybe 15. Just guessing that very few bait stores catch their own bait any more, and gas prices affect everything (transportation). A lot of bait (minnows) are raised down here, get away from Lake Erie and Emerald shiners are hard to come by, you get fathead minnows instead at most inland lakes or for bass sized minnows Golden Shiners. The minnows that are natural to the lake have always seemed the best bait to me, the fish are used to eating them. Most lakes here were made by damming a creek or river running into a valley so the baitfish from that are the natural bait. No new lakes made here in a long time, bait sold and dumped into the lake at the end of the day have had enough time to become established as natural ( fish grew up eating them ). Most lakes here have an established population of fathead minnows and golden shiners. There is a wide variation in baitfish, I don`t buy bait often, but will pay for what I want. I used to catch my own and know it can take some time and effort.

LOL nice hold! Tail end is safer? Beauty fish!

Great pictures! pretty looking place. Nice snake!

Try fishing points of land that jut out into the water, off of the mainland or points of islands. There are usually a lot of different water depths associated with the points that can provide comfort zones and feeding areas for them(and other species. It is usually a shorter move for them to go up or down the point for comfort and food. Spend less energy, grow bigger. A dropshot is one way to fish points, you can also jig a tube, lift and drift over the side, a good depth finder helps a lot. Smallies usually show up on the bottom or very near it sometimes in groups. They school more than largemouth and tend to be similar in size in the school. Jig and pig will work also browns, dark greens, black have worked best for me. I will cast tubes and drift them. Smallies will also bite well at nite and tend to move near shore, I have caught them in a foot or two of water at nite, any weeds or other stuff, broken rock, wood, helps. Docks, streams entering the main lake are also spots to try, first edge near a stream mouth can hold fish waiting for food to wash down. You can also troll a small crankbait that will run deep to locate them, you want some bottom contact though, just a bump of of the bottom or rocks once in a while. Early or late, in closer, mid-day deeper. An edge off a weed bed or flat if there is any. Look for baitfish while your on the water, they will follow or herd them.

I don`t play around changing brands or types of line much for me Stren since the early 70`s, even some of their products have been bad news (prime?) I also use a little trilene if the price is right. No opinion on the braid, tried spiderwire years ago and didn`t like it, bought some 65# power pro but no real chance to use it.

Skiel glad your ok, reports on the news are saying the bridge, like a lot of others here was structurally deficient but not an urgent fix.

My house isn`t air conditioned, and heat affects a lot of people with Multiple Sclerosis badly, me included. I had to break down and buy a room air conditioner. It doesn`t mount in the window, it sits on wheels on the floor and has a flexible duct you attach to the window. A bit more pricey that the standard window mount but I didn`t have to drill holes in the window sills.

Joey, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, right now the squeaky wheel is Iraq. A lot of the bridges here are older and in need of replacement or repair. There was a report here that like half the elevators in Cleveland haven`t been inspected in 10 years? Nothing seems to get done until a tragedy

I was asleep last nite early and missed the story, it`s all over the news here now. Lot of people still missing.

1. Crane Operator? I have to look up? Heights? 2. Drafter? involve beer? 3. Cabinetmaker? say what? 4. Plumber ? I could be aplumma? 5. Machinist? like bump and grind? 6. Model Maker? hey baby looking for a good time? 7. Office Machine Repairer? what is an office machine? a chair on wheels? 8. Home Inspector? no not me. 9. Dental Lab Tech? west virginia? short work week? 10. Cartographer? like a go cart? 11. Gunsmith? fire yes, fix no. 12. Electronics Assembler? LOL like a computer? That wouldn`t be a good plan. 13. Tool and Die Maker? Die? don`t like the sound of it. 14. Electrical Engineering Tech? yes that`s the hot wire! 15. Electronics Engineering Tech? Dang twice? 16. Cable Installer and Repairer? ground level? 17. Telephone Line Installer/Repairer? see above, I don`t look up. 18. Arborist I have an arbor! 19. Manufacturing Machine Operator? noise? like rap? 20. Upholsterer? LOL 21. Musical Instrument Builder and Repairer? tone deaf 22. Truck Driver ? Oh No! 23. Train Operator? LOL 24. Bicycle Mechanic? I can`t even test drive them! 25. Carpenter 26. Furniture Finisher 27. GIS Specialist 28. Picture Framer 29. Sheet Metal Worker 30. Tilesetter 31. Tailor / Dressmaker ? LOL 32. Boilermaker ? Drank them, never made one. 33. Welder 34. Tow Truck Driver? truck? I am done with them rascals. 35. Veterinarian 36. Millwright 37. Veterinary Technician 38. Industrial Machinery Mechanic 39. Elevator Installer and Repairer? Does this involve heights? 40. Land Surveyor? Like walking? Dang! I can`t be President? Oh well tutu designer is just as good. LOL

I have caught far and away more fish on soft plastics, just my opinion they are a more adaptable lure, LOL and generally cheaper, snags don`t cost you as much. The first thing I usually throw for L/M is a worm or lizard, daylight or dark. For smallies depending on the water a tube, hair jig and pig, dropshot a small soft plastic. Not much easier than casting a crankbait until your arm wants to fall off, just had days when it wasn`t the lure or way to go about it. I can do more with a soft plastic lure, fish it top to bottom and not worry much about junk in the water. 1 hook vs a pair of trebles most of the time, one hook is usually all I need. I do carry a lot of crankbaits, tools, the bags are full of them.

It`s cut in half? I wouldn`t shoot anything I couldn`t carry! here mousie mousie!LOL

LOL a couple of nice guys in a boat, with some nice fish. Wizzle? senko?

There is a time and place for everything, some days the crankbait bite can be red hot, others a soft plastic or other lure will out produce them. Never get locked onto one bait because you like to fish it, let the fish dictate the hot "lure of the day". I like the old Storm Wee Warts or Wee Steelie Warts, hard to come by now. Bandit crankbaits have worked for me plus a lot of others. I prefer bait fish colors, chrome and black, chrome and blue, gold and black. A confidence thing but I will switch to other colors. I like to work various depths in an area with a variety of lures, I will run a crankbait over a weed flat and if that isn`t the ticket probe it with a soft plastic, slow rolled spinnerbait or jig and pig. Most of my bass lures have seen action for other species, just a question of location and depth. What lure will go where I need it to be, and trigger a strike.

Plus there are probably a lot more for sale here, my neighbor has one holding up weeds, don`t know if it was used half a dozen times, just been rotting away in their back yard. Figure 300 million here and 40-50 million up there, bargains are easier to find here.

Won`t you be awful close to the breeding gear?

Sorry to hear it John.

A Canadian without a boat is like a yank without a gun "danger zone". ??? If you can wax boat and motors there should be some spots open?

LOL Terry I thought maybe it was a noodle rod or something, 7 foot is normal for me.

Great pictures and report, Terry the rod in the first picture looks really long?

Either figure is a lot of dead fish. It seems really strange that it is only carp that seem to be dying. LOL Rizzo, not my favorite species of fish either, but a sign of a problem? Hope it doesn`t spread to other species or waters.

Nice fish, and steeple!

Nice! two weeks is the way to go.

Nice report! Nice fish!

Do you have rods, reels, and line that will handle one, don`t forget leaders also. Better not to hook one and hurt it than lose it with a lure stuck in it`s mouth because your gear wasn`t up to snuff. I lost quite a few on the wrong gear, try to do it right, it saves you some grief.