Fishing News

hookemquick answers:

Some tournaments require that boats meet their standards, but in general, your husband should be able to fish using his ski boat. Check out a tournament near you, and see how it goes. Good Luck!

hookemquick answers:

If your not lookin’ to do any competition fishing you’d probably want to go for an Aluminum hull. Aluminum hulls are cheap and you don’t need a huge outboard motor to power them. And they are lighter, so you don’t need a V8 or larger vehicle to trailer them, which saves you a ton of gas and money.

The best brands i know are Crestliner, Lund, some Tracker models, Triton, SeaArk and Duroboat.

The outboard motor is the life of any boat and is more important than the hull. Understand that boats are not cars. Never buy a new boat unless youv got money to burn. Boat hulls have a long life. Outboards don’t. Just have any used outboard checked by a marine mechanic if you can. Look in the local paper and Craiglist for good used boats in your area.

hookemquick answers:

If it is motorized you most likely do.

hookemquick answers:

Most of the time Ranger and most all bass boats run the hoses up the center of the bilge to the fwd livewell. You should be able to get to the hoses through the storage compartments or deck plates, if equipped.
But, if they are not leaking, I would not mess with them, could be more of a headache then worth.

hookemquick answers:

You can find videos of all these things on you tube.
Perhaps you may have some software or a program that will separate the sound from the video and then copy that.
Or just hold a microphone up to your computer speakers.
There are sites with free wav. Files you can download.
Here’s a few. There are hundreds more.

Http://simplythebest.net/sounds/WAV/sound_effects_WAV/index.html

http://www.thefreesite.com/Free_Sounds/Free_WAVs/

http://www.wavcentral.com/

hookemquick answers:

Try some floating frog immitations, such as a scum-frog, they can be dynamite in semi-clear water. Also try a buzzbait, shallow running crank bait, poppers, plastic worms on a texas rig fished weedless, and suspended baits. Just keep trying different lures. They are a lot of fun lures to use in your type of conditions. My #1 suggestion would be a scum-frog in the lilly pads. Try to match local baitfish and just run them a little higher in the water. I catch some nice smallmouth on twister spinner baits run shallow, they can’t resist!

hookemquick answers:

My advice would be a Zoom Super Fluke, or a Bass Assasin. It could be that there may not be many fish in the lake, and they may be wise to the baits that you are using. I have never in my life not caught a bass in a farm pond on these baits. They are really the same bait, buy different manufacturers.

hookemquick answers:

A good looking fishing pond thats almost asking “how do I build the coolest house ever” theres so many possibilities.. I hope I help in aiding your decision.. But I take it that you do have some money to spend… So here goes..

Cottonwoods – these trees are really good looking and grow big(if thats what you want) they have the two shaded leaves.. Green on one side and off-white on the other..I like that myself
Other than that… Try differnt types of maples(like japanese maples its a dark red leaf) and oaks.. I personally dont like evergreen trees b/c of the needles and sterilization they do to the ground.

Shrubs.. You might try some boxwoods(the normal shrubs) or some crape myrtles if you want a lil color. I wouldnt use to many of these just b/c I would try to stick with trees

As far as grass.. Im a HUGE bermuda fan… You keep it mowed and it will keep out almost every weed which is a huge plus.. It looks amazing when grown all the way up to the edge of the water.

But you might also look at installing a fountain or two in the middle.. This will greatly help with aeration and add beauty too. Maybe have a lil stream that flows into and small ‘pond’ that overflows into your big pond.. Hook up a pump that sucks water from the pond and flows it down that stream.. Thenyou could put fish in the lil pond like koi or goldfish..

During the summer you can buy this lil things to put in water that kills mosquito larve…you might look into that..

If you do build this… Email me some pics.. Id like to see what the finished product is!

hookemquick answers:

Here are some quick tips to help you catch some fish:

#1. Find the LIVE weed-line/weed-bed- Live weeds give off O2, (O2 is usually low in abundance during the Winter months).

#2. The easiest and most abundant fish you will usually catch under the Ice is Bluegill and Perch. If you target Bluegill & Perch you will almost always have SOME action. If you target Northern you will have less action; Walleye- even less; Bass almost nothing…..

The point? If your looking for a fun day of “catching” VS a fun day of “fishing” target Panfish.
In general, Panfish will be the easiest fish to catch under the Ice. Look for Bluegill around popular Summer-time weed-beds in 8 – 14FT of water.

#3. You need to be fishing with light line. Anything over 6LB is WAY to big. Try down-sizing your line OR spooling up some low diameter Power Pro 2/10, (looks like 2lb has the strength of 10LB). You can also try using a 6LB Fluorocarbon leader.- http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_44282____SearchResults

#4. There are two approaches to finding a good place to Ice fish- Go with the “herd” OR find your own spot. Fishing near a bunch of other permanent houses or “towns” can be productive. Fish move up and down off shelfs, flats, rock/rubble reefs, Etc and people with permanent houses will generally place their house on the best possible spot available. However, the fish can get acclimated to seeing lures & bait in the water and shy away from these areas.

Finding your own spot can be difficult, (esp if you don’t have a Flasher unit or a GPS unit), but generally MUCH more productive than fishing where everybody else is. If you don’t own a Vexilar OR a waterproof Map of the area lakes you plan to fish then finding a good place to drop a line will be tough. They sell used Vexilars on Ebay regularly- if you plan to become a successful Ice fisherman you will need a Flasher and a map- http://cgi.ebay.com/Vexilar-FL-8-Ice-Fishing-Sonar-Depth-Finder-Very-Nice_W0QQitemZ270518187501QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3efc23f5ed

Here is a “basic” list of Ice fishing equipment you NEED to be a successful Ice fisherman:

An auger to drill through the ice (a 6 inch one is fine)
A scoop to get slush out of the hole.
A rod and reel
Bait or lure
Bucket to sit on and carry gear
Warm Clothes
Good boots
Vexilar unit to mark fish and give you accurate depth readings, (A Vexilar unit can even shoot THROUGH the ice letting you know the depth BEFORE drilling a hole.- To flash through Ice simply place the transducer in a bit of liquid water on top of the ice.)

(Thanks Curtis! Lol)

If you do these things you will catch fish regularly.

hookemquick answers:

You could use a Balloon Rig instead of a Bobber. ( A balloon rig consists of a childs balloon in place of a bobber.)
Many guides on the St. Johns (Welaka/Palatka) use Balloon rigs for trophy fish. The balloon doesn’t easily get wrapped in weeds and if you hook into a 8-12LBer they POP!

Other options?

You MUST use attractant when using lures for Bass, (period).

I have a buddy who loved to snorkel/scuba dive.
We were spending time on the Ichetucknee Springs State Park River tubing, fishing & canoeing. (By the way, Ichetucknee is FUN! Eatin’ Hot boiled peanuts, smokin’ “wacky weed”, and tubing down the river is AWESOME! Sorry, just walkin’ down “memory lane”, LOL)

We got bored and decided to experiment with this new Berkley Fish Attractant I had purchased. I cast with and without it, while my Buddy watched my plastic worm under water.

He watched as I got HIT after HIT. I had NO IDEA I was getting hits UNTIL I put the attractant on.

Whats my point?

You may be getting strikes and NEVER know it!

A Bass can literally inhale and spit out a lure in the blink of an eye.

Attractant gives you the “time” to feel a striking fish.

Also, what size line are you using when your fishing?

This pond is obviously VERY clear-water if it has that much weed-growth. If I were you I’d be using a 10LB Flurocarbon leader.

What you are describing -A huge weedbed growing “almost” to the top of the water- is THE perfect time to use a soft plastic Jerkbait/Senko. OR a 1/4-1/2 OZ weedless jig.

Now EVERYONE is gonna give you THEIR OPINION on what lure will absolutley, positively, un-conditionally WORK.
Your gonna get people that tell you Soft plastic Frogs, (little do they know- Frogs are gettin’ MIGHTY scarce in FLA due to fertilizer/sewage run-off), AND the Rapala crew will guarantee you a limit, (Anything with treble hooks in most FLA ponds is silly! Lol- teasin!) OR the Spinnerbait Clan will SWEAR (to buy you a dinner at Cracker Barrell!) that a spinnerbait is the ONLY WAY to go, (In Fla algae-slop has a tendency to STOP the spinning blades of a S-Bait!).

You want to catch these fish?

If I were you, I’d find some Motor-oil colored 4-7″ worms and fish them on 8LB line. I caught my largest “lure” Bass (10.14 OZ) on 8LB Berkley Trilene XT(or was it Big Game? Can’t remember, damn-it!) in a pond that no-one even KNEW held fish that size.

Ok-so my answer is longer than a book!

I’m gettin’ old; Sue me! (lol)

Good luck catchin’!

hookemquick answers:

I’ve fished a million spots like this. There are some key things to remember that aren’t the same as river or lake fishing.

In a pond, there’s not alot going on, around it, or on it. Therefore, it’s very quiet, other than some light wind, some bugs, and the occasional splash of a frog or a bird whistle. Shadows are unusual too. All this means that it’s absolutely crucial to basically sneak up on them. Come in from the side across from the sun if you can, and keep low. Be quiet. Don’t talk in loud voices. Avoid talking if you can. Crouch down if possible. If none of this is possible, kick back after you arrive and stay quiet in your fishing spot for 10 or 15 minutes, then try it.
Wear natural colors of clothing like green and brown.

Use lures that look like their food source. A large cork bumblebee on a size 4 hook is great. Throw it as far as you can (don’t use a sinker), then let it set for about 30 seconds. Then, twitch it. A very light twitch too. The elastic feelers will continue to vibrate and it will quiver in the water like a bug that fell in. I picked up a 4 lb bass like this once. It really works.

Next thing to try: Depending on the pond, crawdads may be a major food source. The best crawdad lure (in my humble opinion) is the rebel mini-craw crawdad. They have 2 small treble hooks on them. If you hook a fish with a small mouth with both hooks, they aren’t going anywhere. So, to make my life easier, I clamp down the barbs w/ some needle nose pliers. I’ve probably lost a few fish because of this, but the lure is small enough that a bigger fish can get it in their mouth. You’ll tear the fish up if you don’t clamp down the barbs. No biggie if you are eating them, but if you aren’t, then, there’s no reason to do the damage. Even if you are eating them, it makes it easier to deal with them after you catch them.

Another lure to try: small silver and black 2 inch rapala minnow. Sinking or floating will be fine. Try both and if one doesn’t work, try the other one. Cast it, then let it set a moment. Sometimes you’ll get a hit after about 10 seconds. If you don’t get a hit, then twitch it. Start giving it a steady twitch, and only reel in line when you have too much slack to keep twitching. That being said, try to keep the slack out, and your pole low. That way, you are ready for a strike when it happens.

Fish as far from you as you can. If you can fish the opposite side of the pond, then, that’s good. If not, cast off at angles from where you are. Start with the edges of weed beds and gradually go deeper. Cast each cast sequentially in a fan shape like you are going around a clock.

I knew a guy once that could consistently catch big bass out of crystal clear farm ponds in Kansas out of a belly boat, using rubber worms. He could watch the fish while he worked his worm, and learned to worm fish that way. I never did learn that, but it’s just an interesting point.

Another lure that I’m not in love with, but it works sometimes in ponds, is the roostertail spinner. Fish it as slow as you possible can and still keep the spinner moving.

If I had to pick one lure to catch fish off of, and only one with no other options available, I would pick the rebel crawdad. I won’t go fish without about 4 or 5 of them. You’ll notice that they are frequently out of them in busy tackle stores. There’s a reason for that.

Good luck w/ the fishing. I hope this helps a little bit.

- Kevin

hookemquick answers:

Well that other guy is an idiot. Anyways, try top-water, or loud baits early in the morning and other baits ( spinner baits, crank baits, lipless crankbaits, etc.) in the evening but when there is still some light outside. Not when it’s too hot or cold.

hookemquick answers:

The ultimate bass bait is the texas rigged plastic worm. Use a 1/8th oz bullet weight and a 3/0 Gamakatsu worm hook. Do not be afraid to throw it in the thickest vegetation. Remember to let it fall into holes, work it slowly over weed beds. Try to take your time. When you cast it out, let it sink to the bottom before you start reeling. I cannot tell you how many bass I have caught on a cast that I never retrieved. Pay attention to your line as it sinks, you may see it twitch. Be ready to bust him. When he hits, I count one thousand one one thousand two, not letting him feel the line. Reel the slack and smack him.

My favorite color is Moccasin!

hookemquick answers:

Throw some 1/4 oz. Spinnerbaits near that cover. Also, try some med diving crankbaits, & soft plastics.

hookemquick answers:

Thats a spoon your going to be fishing. From the shore i bet you will lose it unfortunately. But basically throw it out and don’t let it sink and get caught on the bottom. I don’t think that will work from the side.

I suggest buying some 4/0 / 5/0 wide gap hooks, some lead weights and some zoom trick worms or gary yamamoto senkos.It makes me feel alot better loosing plastic worms than lures that cost between 3-15 bucks.

If you have any other questions just send me a email.
Big_buffum@yahoo.com