August 27 2008

The dog days of summer are definitely here and now with the cooling nights this should finally get us moving towards better fishing within the next couple of weeks. The leaves are starting to change and a few are falling, the kids are getting ready to go back to school, so the fish should be getting ready to put the feed bag on once again. Fishing has been tough for many these days and it sure isn’t from the lack of trying. Pressure on these fish should start dropping off and also the activity level on our lakes after this weekend will disappear fairly quickly. It has been a very busy summer this year and not a lot of fishing on our part. This year has been the first in a long time that there was more time spent doing other activities other than being on the water. But once we get past this Labor Day weekend, that will change and fishing will be every weekend until ice up and then the hard water season starts. Hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend and be safe out there but also enjoy this last weekend of this years summer.

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Weather Stability

Finally the weather in New England has become stable with bluebird skies, bright sunshine and light winds. These conditions have not been around here in quite sometime and are a welcome to our wet and cool climate of late. With the weather being stable this should benefit the fish’s activity as well as the anglers catch ratio should be going up. We are into the late summer time and heading to early fall patterns so looking for fish in deep water should be a part of the days game plan. There will be fish still shallow especially early and late in the day and should not be over looked, but the deep water structure is still gong to be holding fish. Water temps are still warm but losing their temperature quickly as the evenings are cooling down and this will start getting the fish into their fall feeding frenzy.

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Kids fishing, keeping it simple

Many of us parents enjoy the outdoors and what a better way to do that is by taking your kids out into the outdoors with you. Fishing is a great family pastime and anyone can go fishing and catch fish as well. When you are out there fishing with your kids, one thing to keep in mind is that you need to keep things fairly simple for them when out fishing. By this we are talking about not going deep water bass fishing, or throwing crankbaits all day, but keeping it simple with a jig and bobber. The jig and bobber is a great combination that has caught numerous fish for every generation that fishes these waters. Plus, the jig and bobber is not one fish species specific as it will catch just about any species that is swimming in that particular lake. Fishing around some weeds or docks will always produce and keep their interest much longer as generally the panfish hang around these areas. Also, if they have their own rod/reel combination, this will also boost their enthusiasm to want to go fishing. By keeping everything simple for fishing, this will make those outings to the lake much more enjoyable for everyone involved.

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Persistence

With the dog days of summer upon us in full force and the ever changing weather conditions with loads of rain, fishing can be very trying for those that are out on the water. Don’t let this time of year and these conditions affect how and where you are fishing. It comes down to the angler that can be very persistent in their search for fish and these are the anglers that are going to make the best of the current situations. By not giving up and changing between baits, you will stumble onto something that starts producing for you and makes for a very enjoyable day. Keep the persistence going and you will see what we mean.

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Fishing August 10 2008

After a long time away from the water, finally found some time to get the boat to the lake and look for a few fish. Weather conditions were calm with a heavy fog that lingered for a couple of hours throughout the morning. The fog burned off and then the hot sun was beating down and without any wind made for a tough bite along with all of the storms and rain that we have been having. Went to a small pond and started fishing on a deep water ridge. Dragged Carolina rigs and jigs over and around but there weren’t any bites to be had. Decided to go to the shorelines and fish with a weightless BearPaws Hippie Stick and that finally produced some bites. The fish were very small in size but at least something was biting my bait and this produced 3 largemouth bass. The sun came out of the fog strong and any shoreline bite seemed to end and then I headed back to the deep water ridge but there weren’t any bites there and decided to call it a day.

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Fishing, what it means: part 6

Part 6

Also now that my son is getting a little older he has been accompanying me on quite a few adventures as of late. This past winter he had really gotten himself excited and went on many ice fishing trips with me and for a six year old, he showed this old man how to catch some very nice fish. Just watching his excitement while he is watching the electronics and catching a fish is priceless in my book. He always looks forward to our fishing and if we haven’t been out for a while he starts bugging that we need to go once again.

These are memories that you keep with you all of your life and I treasure all of these and hope that they continue to be made for many years to come. It is funny how we come full circle in life and from what my father and grandfather had taught me out there on the water, I am teaching my kids the exact same things. Sure we now have much bigger boats, all of the fancy electronics, more baits than we will ever use and more fishing rods/reels that we know what to do with, but we seem to always come back to the basics in whatever we do.

Fishing these days has been much more enjoyable to me and means so much more to me these days as well. I really look forward to each trip that is made to the water and at the end of the day, fish or not, I know that I had a great day out there. Fishing is not work anymore but a favorite past time that I can spend many hours out there again. But if I only have an hour to fish, so be it, I was still able to do something at that moment that means so much to me. Fishing, what it means to me is time to reflect on life, get away from all of the hustle and bustle, and spend some quality time with family, my kids and friends new and old. Once again, there aren’t enough days that I get to fish again and this is telling me that my passion to fish is back stronger than ever…

Get out and enjoy the outdoors and what Mother Nature has given to us…

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Fishing, what it means: part 5

Part 5


Since I have that behind me now, my fishing is all about having fun and enjoying spending time out there on the water. I enjoy these days hooking my boat up to the truck and picking a lake to go fish at, and I don’t care, I do a little, if I catch a fish or not. My days on the water now are to get away from the rat race of being an adult, a husband and a father and using that time to clear my head and get myself back to reality.

I look forward to the days that I am able to get out and fish with some of my old friends and relive some of the old days that we had together. I also look forward to the days that I am able to take my dad out fishing, like he use to take me, as he doesn’t fish much anymore and we don’t get to fish together that often either. These are memories that you keep with you all your life and I try and keep them going forward as each year passes.

Now are the days that I am truly enjoying fishing as I have my own kids to take along and show them the art of fishing. My daughter is getting into those teenage years now so we don’t get out much together anymore, but over the last years we had spent many hours in the boat, just the two of us and those are the memories that I will be carrying with me as I go forward. Hopefully the day will come once again that she wants to try her hand at fishing again and I will be there ready and willing to do that for her.

Part 6 continues

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Fishing, what it means: part 4

Part 4


So you are at that point in your life and you are working a real job at this point and the temptations of fishing bass tournaments are on your mind all the time. You take that next step and buy yourself a bass boat and start looking at some tournament trails that look inviting for you to fish. You spend hours and days pre-fishing for these tournaments and looking for that one sweet spot that is going to make you famous and put you into the winners circle.

Many lakes are fished and many miles are traveled around a few states to compete at these levels. You are making friends from the competitors you fish against and are starting to make a name for yourself. But you are not finishing in the standings where you really want to be and this starts playing mind games with you each and everyday that you are on the water. You now are second guessing all of your moves and this dream that you want to fish for a living is starting to not look so good or promising.

Anytime that we start moving towards a passion of ours that we would like to turn into a career things seem to be not what they look like. Getting up in the wee hours of the mornings to get to the lake at dawn to start another practice day, isn’t as inviting anymore and seems to be a lot like work and the fun really isn’t there anymore. Do I really want to fish for a living as this is starting to feel more like work and not play. These are memories that you keep with you all of your life and I was fortunate and glad that I took my shot at tournament fishing and can say that I tried something that I wanted to.

Part 5 continues

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Fishing, what it means: part 3

Part 3

Then the day came that you got your drivers license and you thought the fish better watch out now because I am coming to get you. You hook that 14 foot boat and 5 hp motor to your parents’ car that you borrowed and head to the lake that you think is going to produce those big fish for you. You fish like there is no tomorrow because you are living through your dreams of watching those guys on TV and what they are doing to help put fish in your boat.

Your mindset is not on catching panfish like your dad and grandpa had you catching all of your youth. You want to catch some of those big bass like they do on TV and you have all of the latest baits that you figure that will do that job for you. You cast and cast like there is no tomorrow and pound every target that you can find and are catching fish here and there and a smile is forming on your face.

After some time spent out on the water fishing the way that you want to fish, ideas are flying through your mind like “hey, I bet I could do this for a living like the big boys”. I felt that I could go to any body of water and catch fish after fish and there was no stopping me now. These are memories that you keep with you all of your life and you hope that these dreams come true one day and there wouldn’t be anything better than fishing for a living.

Part 4 continues

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Fishing, what it means: part 2

Part 2

Those days that were spent sitting on the shoreline casting a worm and bobber as far as you could, to try and beat your buddy with a bigger fish. You would brag to each other that your fish was bigger than theirs and seems that everyone caught huge fish by the time the end of the day came and then you had to make that ride home once again. These are memories that you keep with you all of your life and you wonder where these buddies of your childhood are today.

Then the days come when your father and grandfather would take you along in the 14 foot boat with the 5 hp motor on the back for a day on the lake. Panfish were always the species that was sought and many hours were spent anchored near some shallow weeds and casting a bobber out looking for fish. Dad and Grandpa were always telling you to stop making so much noise because the fish can hear you and that is scaring them away from biting your hook.

There were thousands of hours spent with the three of us on such a variety of different bodies of waters exploring and searching for those meals of fish. If it looked like rain we were not going to be caught out there and would head off as fast as that 5 hp would move us along. These are memories that you keep with you all of your life and one day you look forward to meeting with Grandpa once again to share those quality stories of yester years with each other.

Part 3 continues tomorrow

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Fishing, what it means: part 1

Part 1

If one was to ask an angler what fishing means to them, they would probably get a different reason from each of those fishers. There are loads of reasons why we fish and when you sit down and think about it, every one of those reasons has a meaning and something behind them.

Over the years I have looked at fishing from all different angles and theory’s and they all had their time and place over my fishing career. What does this mean? I want to give you, the reader, an idea of what fishing has meant to me over the years and it does and will go from one side to the other.

Back in the early days of when you were a kid and you and a buddy jumped on your bikes and rode to the closest body of water to wet a line. There were days that many fish were caught and also days that you were lucky to see a fish, but every chance you would get you made that ride to try your hand at catching a fish.

Part 2 continues tomorrow

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New England's Fishing Opportunities

Fishing in New England has multiple opportunities for all anglers that want to sample the waters. We have the various freshwater ponds and lakes around the area as well as many river systems that dissect their ways through the land. Then there is the opportunity of wetting a line into the salt water’s of the ocean from either the surfside or out in a boat searching the many ledges and deep water haunts. Freshwater fish species are a wide choice and the most sought after are the large and smallmouth bass, pickerel, landlocked salmon and perch/panfish. Saltwater offers many as well from cod, striped bass, bluefish and the large tuna that swim these waters. With all of these fishing opportunities where is the angler to start in their quest, freshwater or saltwater. It really comes down to what the angler seeks is to where and how they are going to catch these fish. With all of these places and species of fish to catch, it will take a lifetime to fish these fish as well as all of the waters that are offered the angler in the New England area.

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"Becoming an Outdoors-Woman" Workshop

CONCORD, N.H. -- Are you a woman who would like to learn the skills you need to get started in hunting - the original outdoor challenge? Or maybe you know a woman who might be interested in becoming a hunter. The fall Becoming an Outdoors-Woman weekend workshop has selected openings available that offer a chance to learn a variety of hunting skills while participating in an exciting weekend outdoor skills workshop.

The 2008 B.O.W. fall workshop is Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 5-7, 2008, at scenic Rockywold/Deephaven Camps on Squam Lake in Holderness, N.H. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate. The workshop fee of $295 covers everything - two nights lodging in a lakeside cabin, buffet-style meals, instruction and equipment use. There are no extra fees. The enthusiasm of the women at this workshop is amazing.

For more information click on this link:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2008/News_2008_Q3/BOW_Fall_Last_Chance_080108.html

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Wet Weather, Mosquitoes

New England has been experiencing a very wet and humid summer this year and that is growing numbers of mosquitoes as well. If you spend any time outdoors you are definitely going to be paid a visit from these little flying annoyances. With the diseases these little buggers carry you will need to take precautions to protect yourself from their bite. Wearing long sleeved shirts and pants is a good way to keep them off of you. But if it is very warm and this is not practical, then you will need to spray yourself with some bug spray that contains DEET in it. If you have sprayed yourself and go in for the evening, it is a good idea to shower this off once you are in the house for the evening. Many of us want to spend as much time outdoors as possible and taking some of these precautions will help you enjoy time outdoors.

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Fishing and Weather

Much of the country is going through a number of these weird weather patterns and this may be causing the angler a little grief. With weather condition swings, from lots of rain to drought conditions, from cold temps to severely hot weather this will and does affect the angler consistently. But does this affect the fish that we seek as well? Chances are that it does and an angler will need to adjust their game plan when hitting the water in these changing conditions. By change we are looking at fishing all of the water column depths until those fish are found, shallow shoreline water to outside weed lines to the depths of deep water that is available. With some searching the angler will definitely start seeing the pattern that fish are using under certain conditions. Bait wise as well you will want to keep changing until the baits start coming productive and the fish again will let you know what they are looking for. By playing around with the water depths, bait choices and times of the day, fishing can still be productive in these ever changing conditions.

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Vacationing and Fishing

Many families, mine included, are out there traveling across the United States and enjoying the countryside while on their vacation. Many of us fish regularly in our home areas but don't think of doing that when they are on vacation. What a better opportunity to introduce your family to different types of fishing that you may never be able to experience in your home area. Recently we were down in Virginia camping on the Chesapeake Bay area and the saltwater fishing opportunities were right outside our door. We didn't experience any rod/reel fishing but spent a lot of our time crabbing from the piers. Crabbing is something that we had never experienced and even my 6 year old and also daughter really enjoyed trying their hands at this. If we wouldn't have tried the crabbing while we were there, none of us would have been able to experience a different way to fish. This is a prime example as to getting out there and enjoying what the local outdoor area has to offer you and this will also broaden your angling experiences.

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Vacationing July 19-26 2008

Summer time brings along with it family vacationing and we were fortunate to embark on our trip heading south. With camper hooked up and pointed in the southerly direction, Virginia was the destination and opportunities were waiting ahead of us. We were fortunate to be able to camp on the Chesapeake Bay and look out at the water from our camper. There was a totally different type of fishing going on there and one that I had found fascinating to sit and watch and learn the how’s and what’s to do to get some of these saltwater creatures.

The campground had some piers that allow the angler opportunities at fishing and crabbing without having a boat. From my observation I didn’t see anyone catching any saltwater fish from these piers and not really sure if they do much or not. The big draw for the angler here is the clamming and crabbing. We didn’t partake in any clamming but made several trips out to do the crabbing. Crabbing is something that all ages are able to do as my 6 year old son became quite the crabber fairly quickly.

There are a few ways that one can catch these blue crabs, a weighted string with a chicken neck tied on, throw out a crab pot and also a string basket laid on the bottom and lifted every so often to see if there are any crabs in the netting. Many crabs were caught but the legal size had to be 5 inches and these were hard to come by for us. Between 6 of us and a few trips out we were only able to catch 3 legal crabs and they are still swimming in the bay. Unfortunately we were unable to catch enough to try these tasty little morsels but that is part of fishing that we all go through.

All in all it was a good vacation, to hot for me, but the kids were able to swim in the ocean which was warmer than they are use to in New England. The drive there was long but we were able to see parts of the country that none of us had seen before. Camping with the family is a great way to stay in touch with your kids and we always look forward to our next trip.

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Fishing July 17 2008

The fishing during my lunches, this weeks fishing trips have not been much to talk about as I am having problems finding a bass no matter where I have been trying. The lake that I frequent during lunch, I have not had the same success as last year and not quite sure what is going on there. The weeds are growing and not having a problem finding those and fishing them. The only major difference that I am seeing so far is that the water levels are 2-3 feet higher than they were last season and this is the only thing that I can think of contributing to the tough bites but maybe the forage isn’t there as well, don’t know.

I needed to get some bites so I put the bass gear down and went over to my ice fishing pond in search of panfish. Made my long walk around a good portion of the lake and armed with my ultralite with an orange/yellow T.H.E. Jig, wasn’t long and a few small sunfish were being caught. The size definitely wasn’t there and kept casting around trying to find better sizes until I hooked some wood and ended up breaking the line. Tied on a blue/yellow T.H.E. Jig and the bites started picking up better than the previous color. Was getting long into my time to be there and started walking back and stopped at one other spot that I never catch fish at. Casted over towards the overhanging branches and bang, the first nice sunfish came in. Casted back again, bite after bite and then it started dying down. After a number of sunfish and better sized ones at that, I figured I better get going as the action was going away. Just before leaving the water’s edge I was going to make a cast at one more spot until I seen a big black snake lying right next to the water and then that concluded my fishing for the day. All in all once changing the colors, the bites came in and actually a spot turned on that usually hasn’t produced.

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Deep Water Bassin, Carolina Style

Any bass angler out there knows that if they want to catch bass that they can go and pound the shoreline and put a decent limit together. By hitting wood, rocks and docks along the shoreline this will and does put fish in the boat and at certain times nice ones at that. But what if you would like to upgrade those sizes of fish to larger sized that may be a little more consistent than the bank runners.

Instead of facing the shoreline take a step back and turn around and tell me what you see. There is a vast amount of water out there and it is very intimidating to a number of anglers that their comments will be “where do I start”. Fishing deep water for bass isn’t really that much different if you sit down with a good map and plan out your attack and you will quickly find that it is very similar to what you were doing along the shoreline.

When fishing shoreline you are fishing targets along that shoreline and when you turn to deep water, it is very similar. We don’t just go out there into deep water and start casting at will but will concentrate on features and objects that we will locate with the maps and electronics that we have. Things that are concentrated on in deep water are humps, grass beds, ridges, or anything that is a little different that breaks up the bottom content either structurally or depth wise.

The depth of deep water means different things to every angler and body of water that you fish and this is what we consider deep water. Normally I fish depths from 8 to 12 feet of water and will fish sunken islands down to the 25 foot depths as well. There is a lake that I fish in central New Hampshire that is fished down to 40 feet of water in grassbeds in our search of smallmouth bass but this is a very clear lake as well.

Now that we have the deep water somewhat defined, the approach that we use the most often for fishing this deep water is using the Carolina rig. The Carolina rig allows me to cover vast amounts of water and by doing this it is also exposing my bait to more fish. The Carolina rig is a plastic bait technique that requires a few components to build this up. The components consist of a weight, followed by 2 glass beads, followed by a swivel tied to the line. Next we tie another piece of fishing line with a 3/0 to 4/0 hook tied to this tag end.

Main fishing line is usually 10-12 pound test with the tag leader of 8 pound test. The 8 pound test allows the bait to move more freely through the water and more natural looking. The length of the tag leader varies from 12-36 inches long and the bottom content dictates this length variety. Shorter leaders are better for working the bait through thicker weeds while longer leaders are great for sparse weeds or no weeds at all. Weight wise down to 20-25 feet of water use a ¼ oz sinker unless it is extremely windy then maybe a 5/16 oz. For 35 feet and more typically a ½ oz weight is sufficient and this in only needed to be able to get to those depths much more quickly and to keep you more in contact with your bait.

Now that the depths are covered as well as the technique, let’s take a look at the approach that works well for us. Typically anglers are afraid to throw the Carolina rig into weeds and that is the first thing that you will need to get away from. After you have fished in the weeds for a while you will understand how to work the rig through the weeds and also learn the differences in the feel between weeds and a fish biting. There may be times that you get hung up and lose some tackle but the fish that you are going to catch will definitely make up for that.

Once we have looked at our maps and found some promising looking areas, sunken islands, ridges, irregular bottom contours as well as different bottom content, weeds are what we are looking for in these areas. Not so much the thickest weeds that are there, but at times that is what we are looking for, but more of the edge and what is going on at the weed edge.

More of an explanation here: weeds only grow so deep and depending on how far the sunlight goes down determines how deep the weeds and edges are. The areas that I am looking for are where the thick weed edges end and from there out into the deeper waters. The tops of the structure areas will have thick weeds that if fished slowly with the Carolina rig you will be able to get through them. But where the heavy edges end, this is our high percentage area.

What we are talking about is that there is always a weed edge or front line and fish use these heavier weeds as ambush areas. But from this front edge out into deeper water the weeds themselves get thinner as the water gets deeper and bigger fish use this zone in their search for food. This is what is called a transition area and baitfish use transition areas all the time in their movements and feeding. The bigger dominant fish in the area know this as well and are positioned or are cruising this transition area ritually searching for prey. These transition areas will have smaller and sparser weeds here and you will definitely feel this with your bait as you are working it through.

So how do I get setup to fish this type of structure area from the boat? Typically find where the edge of a specific piece of structure is and where that drops off into the deeper surrounding water. Position the boat back more on top of the structure so that the sparse edges are out in front of you and not under you. Anchoring will help immensely if there is wind or also if you find an area that is holding numbers of fish.

With the boat positioned on top of a so called hump, cast your Carolina rig out into the deeper water. Let it fall to the bottom before doing anything else and then your concentration level will need to strengthen. Move the rig only about 6 inches at a time back towards the boat, as the slowness of fishing this is the key to your success. You probably won’t feel anything transmitted through your fishing rod at this point, but as you work the bait back towards the boat you will feel that first contact with those outer sparse weeds.

At this point you really need to start focusing on what your line and fishing rod are telling you and this will give you an idea as to how much sparse weeds are there and where the thicker weed edge is starting. Also be ready at all times as in this transition area the fish are cruising and will be picking your bait up at any time. What is happening here is that fish position themselves in these locations as they know that the prey are coming out of the deeper water to find food and cover.

After you have worked through that transition area you will still need to get the bait through the thicker weed edge and top as well. Slowly work your bait through these thicker weeds as well all the way back to the boat because until you get an idea as to how the fish are using these areas, a bite can come at any time. You will definitely start feeling and understanding the differences between weeds and a fish biting and won’t be long and the fish are going to be caught as well.

Many anglers are not going to be fishing these depths of waters and if you can get your confidence levels to work to your advantage in these situations, you have opened up a whole new area of fishing possibilities. This is a technique that I have been employing for a number of years and the size of the fish are much more to my liking. One thing though, is your numbers of fish will probably go down and if you like numbers this may not be for you. But if you don’t mind not getting the numbers but rather quality is more to your liking, then you definitely want to give this a try.

Once you have the feel for this approach, you will be able to take this into different areas of a particular body of water and search out similar type of structures there as well. Some of these remote deeper areas are very under fished as well as some of these fish may have never seen a bait in their life. The best structures and areas are going to harbor the biggest fish and after using this for a while, you will understand these areas and will be able to be more consistent in your size of fish caught going forward.

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Plastics, Are They All The Same

When people think of bass fishing baits, there is always one that comes to mind in every angler's arsenal, the plastic bait. When walking into a tackle store and you stroll over to the section that has the wide array of plastic baits hanging there, an angler can be overwhelmed by all of the selections. This angler used to do that and never could decide which brand to go to and they would never have the bait that I would be looking for.

Since those days I have gone away from the tackle store selections and to another bait manufacturer that I feel produces the best plastics for the money. This company is BearPaws Hand Poured Baits and I have been associated with them for the last few years and their plastic baits are the only ones that are fished in my boat. Do these baits produce more fish than other baits, they all have their time and place but what these baits offer is something different from the run of the mill plastic bait.

Most plastic baits are mass produced and the plastic material can be a little harder than I like. BearPaws Baits are all hand poured with the best plastic materials and when these are hand poured they are much softer to the touch. When a fish picks these baits up that softness alerts the fish that this feels lifelike and they will hold on longer for that hookset. Being these are hand poured there is a natural floatation in each bait that when rigged on a hook or jig, the tail will float up making the bait look as if they were feeding along the bottom similar to a baitfish.

Another feature that you won't find anywhere else is that these are also poured with the MegaStrike Formula, fortified in each bait made and if you are familiar with fish attractants, MegaStrike is an advanced formula that was developed with the Amino Acids that fish look for in their prey. So with the hand poured and the MegaStrike in these baits, the fish that pick these up will hold onto these baits a little longer than normal plastic baits.

BearPaws Baits are offering a number of bait variations numbering around 30 variations to allow the angler to meet whatever situation or bait they are looking for. One other feature that is being offered these days as well is the bait's fall rate through the water column. There are three varieties that you can choose from: floating, slow fall and a faster fall rate. This is another advantage that you are not going to find on the over the counter baits. Color selection is second to none with over a 100 available and if the color that you are looking for is not there, let BearPaw know and they will developed that color you seek.

Aside from BearPaws Baits plastic selection they also offer a hook selection to match with their product list. Another new item that has come out is their Jighead Lineup that has the screw lock feature molded into the head to help secure your bait to the jig itself. These jigs are offered in a wide variety of colors as well and are a nice addition to the BearPaws Baits.

I have been using these for at least 3 seasons now and only fish with the BearPaws Baits. The softness, the wide array of styles, color selection second to none and an attractant embedded into each bait, BearPaws Baits have a bait for any and all anglers out there fishing in my opinion. You can check these baits out at http://www.bearpawshandpouredbaits.com/ and see for yourself.

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SaltWater or FreshWater

Living here on the East Coast there is always a dilemma in what types of waters to fish when we are able to get out. I have freshwater lakes within 25 minutes of where I live as well as saltwater fishing within the same time frame from my home. I try the saltwater from time to time but just haven't given it a real opportunity to prove itself as a viable way to catch fish. Being from the Midwest freshwater fishing flows through my veins and more times than not that is what I will do when heading to the water. Need to really start forcing myself to spending more time fishing the saltwater varieties of fish since they are so close and handy for doing that. The areas that I can get to are prime spots north of Boston and there shouldn't be any reason for not giving it a whirl. But I just can't seem to get myself to do that as I know that if I were to fish freshwater there will be some fish caught as opposed to saltwater that the fish have not come to my bait as of late. It looks like I just need to get out there and do it and put the freshwater on hold for a little while especially now that we are into the hot summer time of the year. It definitely is much cooler fishing the ocean front as opposed to sitting on the lake which is good in the hot days. My dilemma will continue on and keep watching here as maybe the saltwater fishes will start showing their faces a little more often.

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Fishing July 13 2008

I woke to a very strong wind that was on the face of the slowly approaching front and time to head for the lake in search of fish. There are three lakes fairly close to my house that I fish regularly with these rising gas prices keeping me near home. One had a tournament going on and was not going to go there, the other gets very busy early in the morning with water skiers and also I have a tough time there in the summer as opposed to spring and fall. So I went to the third lake which is a small body of water that usually only a couple of boats out there at a time. The water color here is very dark and a majority of the weed growth only goes out about 5 feet of water. The shoreline is what most anglers’ fish when fishing this lake and I started doing the same. After a short time I decided that I was going to do something different that I wanted to do there but never did. There is a ridge that runs down the center of the lake and I decided that I am going to spend my time fishing that and see if I can dig some bigger fish up. The top gets to about 6 feet of water and drops off of each side fairly quickly with a little vegetation as well as gravel and rock on the upper portion. I had to fight the wind the whole time that I was on the lake and it was coming from different directions consistently. Was tough staying on this ridge but did manage to do it enough to find a fish. I was casting a Carolina rig with a BearPaws French Fry bait with a 2 foot leader. I would make the casts over the top of the ridge and off of the other side and this would allow me to bring the bait up the side of the ridge and then over the top and a little down the other side before it was back to the boat. Definitely could tell that there were rocks down there and at one point that feeling felt a little different and set the hook. The fish took off for deep water and I had to hang on and let this fish wear it-self out. This was a nice 2.5 pound largemouth and of course now I had it in my mind that this was the ticket and finally something worked out the way that I had planned it. Unfortunately there weren’t anymore caught from this area as well as a few other similar areas I had tried as well. This was another experience that I will be keeping in the back of my mind for similar situations on different bodies of waters that I can employ in this summer time of year.

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Listen OutDoors

While laying in bed this early morning with the windows open I was listening to the activity outside of my window. The birds were very active this particular morning and they were singing their songs like there was no tomorrow. In the outdoors when the creatures of the wild are very active as they were this morning, this to me means only one thing, the fish are probably as active as the other creatures outside. What I mean by this is that if the birds and animals are active around you, there is a good possibility that the fish we seek are going to be active as well. If you were to go outside and hear or see no activity around you, the fish probably are going to be inactive as well. I tend to try and use this information when I have a fishing outing planned but today is not one of those days as there are other things that need to be done before I am able to hit the water. Hopefully when I wake tomorrow I will be hearing as much activity then as I do now and this will get me very excited as I head to the lake. I am always wondering if other anglers see this same situation and would be interested in hearing those stories as well.

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Where are the fish

As anyone that knows that follows this blog, we do a lot of fishing during the week during lunch break. I am fortunate to have a couple bodies of waters nearby to do this but the one lake in particular has been tough on me this year so far. The spring fishing never really got started but we did catch a nice one here and there but not the numbers from past years there. Now I am starting to see the same thing as summer has set in and the deep area that did so well last year has not produced a fish yet. Granted that the water levels are still a couple of feet higher than last and not sure if this is affecting them or what. I will continue searching for these fish and if they are not going to cooperate, then I option out and go to another pond and try there for panfish. Haven't been to either the last couple of weeks so I am out of touch as to what these fish are doing but hopefully soon I will start connecting with them once again. The weekend is here and time to get the boat out once again and try other waters and hopefully the results will be better. Good fishing to all you anglers out there and hope you catch that big one you are searching for.

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Careful in Boat

As more and more families are taking to the waters these summer days, families are enjoying fishing together as well. Many times there are numbers of people in the boat and when it comes time to go fishing it can and will be a little crowded. Fishing with kids is a thrill but when fishing in a boat with others, they need to be reminded to watch their fishing rod and baits when casting. By having them turn their head and watch their bait behind them at all times as well as the rod itself, this will save the situation of somebody getting hooked or possibly hurt. By teaching them this early in their angling career, this will build a conscience angler that will follow them through their adult life as well.

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Fishing July 4 2008 Vacation Week

Summer season is finally here and vacation time comes along with that and camping and fishing go hand in hand. This year’s vacation was a little different than usual as my parents had come to visit for the week and spent it camping with us. Was very nice for them to actually have good week weather wise for a change on their visits and everyone had enjoyed their time. From the reports that I was hearing the fish were definitely in the biting mood for a change on this lake. This particular lake has been a tough fishery the last 2-3 years since the heavy rains that had water logged New Hampshire around three years ago. The vegetation definitely looks to be back to normal which is a good sign as the recent years those particular weeds were non-existent except for the long stringy grass. Didn’t take us long to locate fish in our normal spots finally once again and as we were all catching bass, the trend was starting to form and the size was all the same. Of all the bass that we had caught they were all 2 pound cookie cutters and we were unable to locate anything larger than that. We had a number of broken lines on the hook-set and that always keeps you wondering as well as to what that fish was. I did catch a couple on a crankbait again this year but that was not the dominate bite as it was last season. The patterns that formed were working the weed edge and into the weed bank itself with Texas rigged plastics as well as Carolina Rigs worked through the weeds. There was no particular plastic bait that out shown any other and we were constantly changing baits as we went along. The beginning of the week was much better than the middle and then the end it started to pick up better once again. The stormy days were much more productive than any other and the days that were calm and sunny were very tough to fish. All in all it was a great week and now that vacation is over and we are back to work once again.

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Saving some Gas

With the ever rising gas prices that are affecting everyone across the nation, this is also cutting into our favorite past times. Fishing is a sport that is shared by many from young to old alike and is not gender based at all. But with the expensive gas prices that we are paying these days, many anglers are not taking to the waters as much as they use to. One thing that can be done to help conserve gas when boating on our waters is running the motor at lower RPM's instead of wide open all of the time. By bringing the throttle back halfway or more, the fuel savings is greatly enhanced as running the throttle wide open you are literally able to watch the gas gauge move in front of your eyes. It is fun to go across the water a little faster but in these days, taking your time and going slower is much easier on the pocket book. We are all feeling these pains with rising costs but don't let that stop you from enjoying a day on the water with family and friends. Slow down, take your time and get out on the water and enjoy the day.

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Eye to the Sky

New England's weather patterns as of late have been very unpredictable from nice to a dangerous situation. We are in a pattern that the mornings are very nice and as the day progresses, thunder and lightning forms for a wild afternoon. Since these patterns can come out of no where, the angler that is on the water needs to keep their eye on the sky at all times. These systems have been forming very quickly and come in upon you fast as well. There has been numbers of lightning bolts, high winds and heavy rain associated with these systems. By keeping your eyes on the sky, you will be able to get out of a bad situation fast and when these come through being on the water is not a good thing. If there are numbers of boats on the water as well plan a little ahead as at a point everyone is going to be heading to the landing at the same time. Be careful when fishing in these charged scenarios as the graphite rods that we fish with are lightning rods looking for trouble. Stay low in the boat and get off of the water as you will be the highest point in the area and this could turn into a dangerous situation. Enjoy these days coming out on the water but always keep in the back of your mind that we are in a pattern these days that can turn ugly fast.

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Fishing June 24 2008

With the ongoing rain storms coming through you never know how much time you are going to have to get to a fishing spot before the next lightning bolts start flying. Since there was a lull happening I decided that I might as well take a hike to my panfish pond and see if the fish are still frequenting the shallows or not. Upon arriving at my destination I was taking a moment and tying on T.H.E. Jig since I lost my last one on a carp or something like that, I was mesmerized as I looked into the shoreline waters. Normally I will see a small school of minnows swimming along the shoreline but today was different. As I gazed into the waters, there were thousands of minnows continually swimming past my spot and they just kept coming and coming and I have never seen anything like this before. Then things started to happen to my surprise as all around the area the waters were bubbling and exploding and there were fish everywhere chasing these minnows. This whole bay area was loaded with these minnows and the ones that were swimming near the shoreline were the only safe ones. I stood there and watch as you could see where there were others out in deeper water and the fish were schooling them and chasing these minnows while gorging themselves on the feast in front of them. The fishing action that I encountered after this was basically nonstop as the panfish were scattered everywhere and in a very hungry mood today. There were a few smaller sunfish caught but most were the colorful bull sunfish. I am noticing though that their colors are starting to fade and this means that the spawn is starting to wind down here and things are going to be changing soon. The bait of choice for this adventure was an all yellow T.H.E. Jig fished a foot under a float. More fish were caught out in the open water versus relating to the wood and overhangs of the last trip. Watching anywhere that the fish were chasing these minnows you could cast to that spot and get a bite on almost every occasion. Mostly sunfish were caught but a bass and also a decent crappie came to the hook as well. I don’t think that in all of my years have I seen such a feeding frenzy going on and it was something that I found myself a number of times just standing there watching. These are rare occurrences and if I were to go back there tomorrow none of this may appear ever again. Pending on the weather conditions tomorrow will dictate if I will be chasing panfish or if I feel that the bass are going to be cooperating that may be what I will do.

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Kids Safety Courses

As we involve more and more of our youth into the outdoors and the equipment that comes along with those activities, we as parents need to keep in mind that our kids need the proper training at home as well as from outside sources. Many states offer safety courses in the areas of hunting, boating, atv, snowmobile, fishing as well as other areas. We owe it to our children to get them involved in these training courses so that they have a clear understanding as to how to act and operate in the proper way. These courses fill fairly quickly so make sure to continue checking the schedule and when you find a course that works with your schedule get your kids signed up for that. We here at BWS OutDoors try our best to keep the "OutDoors for Kids" page as current as possible and list the upcoming courses in their respective states. Our children are the future of where the outdoors is going to go and with the proper training and hands on experience, this will keep them safe, others safe and make for a very enjoyable outing into the outdoors.

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Fishing June 21 2008

Finally have my major projects done that have been consuming all of my time for the last 4-5 weeks and seems like so long ago since I had the boat out in search of fish. Decided to get up early and head to the lake and my son wasn’t happy with that but with vacation coming soon, he is going to have a load of water time coming to him soon. Arrived at the lake to only find a few boats at the landing with the calm winds and sunny skies that had greeted me when I arrived I was pumped for the day ahead. The first thing that I wanted to do was check out and see if the crappies were schooling on the waters surface as they normally do on calm days as this. I wasn’t able to find any of those pods of crappies as they may still be doing their thing or recovering from the spawn that has recently passed. So I continued on to my best spot for nice bass that I catch on this lake. The area that I concentrate the most on is a flat that is in the mouth of a creek that goes quite a ways back. The water depths in this area range from 8 feet up to around 3 feet of water and there is a variety of different grass types as well. What I have found in the past in this area is that there are clumps of vegetation and then clear sandy areas mixed in and around these clumps. The fish are relating to these clear areas and when you bring your bait through these areas the fish are sitting in ambush and grab your bait at that time. There was a bait fisherman that had come into this area and was fishing shiners under a bobber. Was fun watching him as the floats would disappear and looked like he was catching a few pickerel over there and doing fairly well at that. I was fishing a few different bait presentations that consisted of crankbaits, jig/plastic, floating plastic jerkbait and also a Carolina rig. My confidence presentation that you will almost always find on my deck is the Carolina rig and this was the presentation that paid dividends for me again this day. I had a BearPaw Grizzly Jerk on this presentation and this is a type of bait that you usually throw weightless as the plastic jerk baits are catching fish all over the place. Last year I started fishing this bait on the Carolina rig and it has been paying off very well. I had been working this presentation through these areas and felt like there were some weeds on my bait. I kept feeling and feeling to tell when it was through the weeds but it had that weird feeling that it wasn’t a weed and proceeded to set the hook. The rod bent over and the fish fought back and the drag was singing its tune but as fast as this was happening the fish came off and never got to see what it was. Anytime that I fish this lake I always seem to spend a lot of time in this area as there may not be a number of fish here but the ones that I have caught in the past, the quality is second to none. As I continued doing the same thing finally once again the line felt funny so I set the hook and there was good weight there and the fight was on. This was one of them fish that didn’t want to show itself but when it did, I definitely new that I had a good fish on the line. I couldn’t seem to get it to the boat and then that bad sign when they dive under the boat and go either towards the motor or trolling motor and you do everything that you can to get them back to the surface. Kept directing the fish to get it to come back and finally it came back to the surface and a couple of more runs and finally able to lip this fish. This is why I fish this area as the quality is always there, but you won’t catch a number of fish but like I said the ones you do catch are usually always nice. I worked a couple of more hours throughout this area and not much time left and the line felt weird once again. I set the hook and got a couple of reels of the reel but that fish came off once again and had to call it a day. The bait of the day was the BearPaw Grizzly Jerk fished on the Carolina rig and if you haven’t fished this rig you definitely need to give it a try. You are able to cover vast amounts of water with it as well as different plastic baits that can be put onto this rig...

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Fishing June 20 2008

I had decided to head over to a pond that has some decent bluegill in it with a bonus bass and such. When I arrived there, there were a number of anglers out fishing in blow up boats and I really couldn’t tell if they were catching anything or not. This pond is a very off colored and looks like coffee with cream added to it. The weeds have grown in very quickly this year and I was hoping to see the bluegill spawning but with the color of the water you couldn’t see any fish at all. Wasn’t long and the first fish was nibbling as the bobber started dancing. Went to set the hook and wasn’t a crank of the handle and the bass came flying out of the water and through the bait. Then the sunfish started taking over and catching these was a matter of keeping the bait moving so the fish could find it. I moved from location to location looking for fish and catching one here and one there. Time was winding down and I wanted to try one last spot as in the past have done well in this particular area. Casting from spot to spot wasn’t really giving me what I was looking for and figured that I only had a few casts left and I had to head out. Landed the bait next to some weeds and the float went under, I reared back to set the hook and this fish took off like a mad man. This was not a bluegill as it didn’t cut and circle like they normally do and it wasn’t a bass as they generally take to the air fairly quickly. What could the fish be and seeing other commotion around this area I started having a suspicion as to what it maybe. I was fishing T.H.E. Jig on my ultralite with 2 lb line and there seemed to be no stopping this fish. It was barreling out into the lake and all I could do is stand there and listen to the drag rip off of my reel. Then that heart breaking feeling when your rod goes limp and the bobber floats to the surface some 25 yards away. The line had broken and the way that this fish was running I had made the conclusion that a carp had grabbed my T.H.E. Jig and was going to show the bait who was the boss. That fish had won that battle but there will be another day that I may be able to tangle once again with this fish and after spooling on some new line I will be ready to do it again...

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Fish are moving

With the weather warming up and this is increasing the temperatures of local lakes, this is getting the fish a little more active but in deeper water. The panfish are certainly into their spawning mode and are frequenting the shorelines just about every where. The bass have finished their duty and are in the transition phase as they are resting and moving to their summer haunts. This is where you are going to start finding the better quality fish these days and in this transition mode, you may have to work a little harder now to get those bites. But that hard work is going to pay off as the fish that you do catch are going to be of that nicer version. Work a little and get rewarded for that and this will make you a very happy angler.

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Fishing June 19 2008

Lately the fishing for bass has been very uneventful and believes that we are in that transition phase that they have left the shallows and are migrating out into their summer haunts. Since this had been a slow week I decided it was time to switch gears and go after some panfish that are swarming the shallow waters right now. The setup that I am using today is a short ultralite rod and micro spinning reel spooled with 2 lb test line. For bait selection I am going to use a bobber setup and below tie on T.H.E. Jig in a full yellow color pattern. Wasn’t after too many casts that the fish let me know they were hungry and ready to fight. Only sunfish were caught as the crappies have left the shallows already and are heading to deeper water. The sunfish that were biting were the male bull sunfish in deep dark brilliant colors. I was fishing a lake that I frequent quite often in the winter and there is a trail system around the whole lake and I was fishing from this trail as I walked. It didn’t take long to figure the pattern that these fish were relating to and that was the fish were positioned near tree over hangs that had some wood in the water. If you didn’t fish near these, you didn’t get a bite. Any place that I could find an opening in the shoreline brush I was able to catch fish but you had to get them out of there quickly as they would dig for the tree branches. Was a very fun lunchtime break and will have to do this a couple of more times before they start migrating away as well.

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Fishing Equipment

I have been fortunate to be able to try out a new rod from a company that is very angler aware as to the anglers needs and wants in their equipment. The company is Acadia Sports and they make a couple of lines of fishing rods, line of spinning reels, baitcast reels and also fishing tackle. When Acadia releases new product to the market they go through a rigorous field test and the folks that they use for testing are your everyday angler and not a big name fisherman. The equipment that Acadia offers is more angler friendly when it comes to cost and I am finding that these items are very comparable to other items that I use but more easy on your pocket when the purchase price comes. Fishing rods to me are very compatable to others that I am using and have been holding up very well to the fish that I have caught this spring. If you are in the need for some new equipment take a look at Acadia Sports and see if their items are something that fits into your style and financial area as well. http://www.acadiasports.com/


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Start moving out

As summer is fast approaching, this means that the fish for the most part have finished their spring spawn season. The fish are going to start moving out towards deeper water as the temps are rising and their comfort zones are in a little deeper water. A good place to start the search for these fish is on the inside weed line. As you are leaving the shore and heading out, watch your electronics and also over the side of the boat and you will come to the shallow side of the weed line. Fish are going to position themselves here in ambush for an easy meal as the panfish are moving around in this type of an area in the warming waters. Finding any type of an irregular feature or piece of structure along this inside line is an extra bonus as these areas attract fish and usually better quality fish at that. Fish may not be out in the deep water quite yet but give this inside weed line a try and this may surprise you.

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Fishing June 11 2008

The weather in New England has been perfect temperature wise for the fish, but not so much for us anglers. As the near 100 degree temps have finally vacated this region, this should have helped warm the shallows very nicely. Have been noticing the sunfish are moving in and staking their territory and moving into their spawn phase now. The bass fishing has been fairly slow and I still haven’t figured out yet if we are still getting into spawn or if we are into full post spawn already. From my previous records when the sunfish start showing in the shallows that is when the bass are in full swing of their spawn so we will have to see how this pans out.

The end of last week and the beginning days of this week, I had tried a variety of depths to see what mode these bass are in. The efforts were uneventful to say the least with no action shallow or deep. Today the weather finally was a little cooler so I made my hike back to the flat that I had been fishing most of this spring. The wind was blowing into this area and made casting a little tough but watching and gauging the wind gusts for that perfect time to cast made all the difference. Was fishing water 2-3 feet deep and using a Texas rigged tube bait, wasn’t long and the line started moving. Set the hook and a decent smallmouth came flying out of the water a number of times and the fight was on. Was nice to finally catch a decent fish once again and after a couple of photos gently put the fish back in the water to fight another day. Moved around this area and picked up another smaller largemouth that was cruising through the area. Those were the only two fish that were caught but now this has me thinking that maybe they are finally starting to move in and time will only tell.

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Hot Weather Fishing

Seems like summer came flying in with a vengeance over the past weekend and there are some very hot conditions out there. Fishing in these types of conditions can be very trying and also hazardous to the angler as well. There wasn't much wind to keep the air moving around and air conditions are not the best as well. The main thing to do if you are going to be out fishing is keep hydrated with plenty of water. Water is your best friend in this type of weather and make sure to always have plenty of it with you at all times. Also dump some over your head to cool yourself down some as well. Take many breaks if you are doing any type of activity in this type of heat. Keep in mind that you need to drink plenty of fluids and more the merrier.

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Search the Shore

With the warming days of summer taking over from the spring weather, now is another time to start exploring the waters edges. Since the waters have been warming they are starting to teem with new life as creatures are being born or hatched on a daily basis. What the young angler will see is the new minnows swimming along the shorelines, different types of bugs hatching and also new vegetation growing in the shallow waters. By watching the new minnows swimming along you will start getting an idea as to how they relate to their surroundings and if you think more about it, the fish that you seek are doing similar things out in deeper water. You may also see some big fish swimming along the shoreline that are either basking in the sun or searching for a spot to create a nest. Now is the time to take a walk along your favorite waters and see all of the new life that is forming.

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Bass Video

Video of a Largemouth Bass searching for that perfect spot...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGWeP6DIlBo

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Fishing June 2 2008

The last week or so has been fairly tough out there for me catching fish and it surely isn’t from lack of trying. After taking a look and thinking about the conditions that are happening, it isn’t so much weather related but the transition from spawn to summer patterns may be starting to shape up. Probably going to stay in this area that I have been fishing for this week yet and see if things change at all as the water warms, but I am starting to think about moving out to my deeper water spots in search of fish. Today I went back to the spot that I have been fishing recently and decided to change from the tube bait that I had been fishing and put on a BearPaws B-Bug in the watermelon color. I have been doing the same thing all along and by putting on the heavier ¼ oz slip sinker to get some distance in my casts out to around 3 feet of water. Seems that there is a general area that the bites have been coming from and today was no different as the fish picked up my bait and the fight was on. This was a fat largemouth bass and really was reluctant to come into shore but after a good fight I lipped the fish and took some pictures and back in the water to fight another day. Probably only going to spend a few more days in this area as the bites have been getting less and less and start going to my deeper water areas and see if anything is going on there.

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Fishing May 27-30 2008

After the holiday weekend, and doing a number of projects around the house, tried a few times during the week from shore. The weather was very cooperative as well as the winds were working in my favor as well. This location that I have been fishing lately the fish are not moving in like they had in the past. I am not certain as to what stage the fish are even in and this time last year the smallmouth bass were on fire. This is not the case this season and only had one outing that brought nice smallmouth to my hook and have been somewhat struggling this spring. I did catch a couple of bass during the week but they were small male largemouth and all were caught on the tube bait. Did try one day in the deeper summer places but was nothing going on there either. Will probably spend another week in this area and then start transitioning out to deeper water and locations that the fish congregate in for the summer months. Keep checking a couple panfish spots as well but have not seen any activity at all in these locations either. Hope that the panfish are still coming because I would like to try a few outings catching them.

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Shop Around

With the cost of everything sky rocketing lately this is hampering anglers from spending money on new equipment. Lately there has been somewhat a swing of products that are appearing at your favorite tackle supply store. There are companies out there that have the angler in mind when designing and manufacturing their latest products. These products as well as any other product will need to be looked at in the anglers’ hands to see if they will perform to that angler likes. Some will never make the grade but others will and at times surpass the big named companies as well. With money tight these days, the angler owes it to themselves to do a little shopping and comparing to the products that are out there and see what fits their abilities as well as budget at a given time.

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Fishing May 21 2008

This has been a very tough week for me fishing wise as the shoreline fishing was hampered quite a bit from the prevailing winds. Since air temperatures are not rising very much, this is not warming the waters very quickly and with the nights are staying cool as well not sure yet if the fish are through their spring duties yet. Over the last week I had been out 4-5 times and today was the first day that a nice fish was finally caught. Towards the end of last week there was one outing that I had caught a couple of male bass but that was it. Finally today a nice chunky 2.5 pound largemouth fell victim to my presentation. The area that I am fishing is a shallow flat in a cove and ranges from 1-3 feet as far as I am able to cast. Working a Texas rigged tube bait crawled slowly along the bottom has been the pattern as long as there are fish in the area. These are hard fighting fish and are a blast to catch and always wanting more whenever I am able to get out there. Unfortunately at this time I am restricted to a little time during my lunch time and if I were able to find a few hours I think that more fish could be caught. Just before leaving another male largemouth was caught and capped off the outing and finally felt good once again to have that tug on the line.

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Fishing May 14 2008

Today was shaping up to be a better day than the last two and I was hoping that the winds would have died down from what they were...the winds were considerably lower in speeds but was enough and also blowing into this area once again...the sun was bright with air temps in the mid 60's and hopes of the smallmouth moving back up were on my mind...the lunch trip was going to be short and only 20 minutes or so as I have a hot project at work that needs to get done...fishing with a tube bait once again and making long casts into the wind was the tactic today and fishing in 2-3 feet of water and I was telling myself that I need to get going and figured three more casts will be it...two casts later this largemouth latched on and definitely gave the WaveSpin reel a workout and also had the drag system screaming as well...this was the only fish caught on this shortened trip and we are going to be having rain coming in again tomorrow and the next few days as well...I have been checking to see if the panfish have moved in yet as well but the waters are a little cool for them in the usual places and no signs of them yet...

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Fishing May 13 2008

With the cold fronts blowing through and dropping the temperatures all around New England this is not helping the bass with their spring ritual...the last two days we have been experiencing gale force winds once again and the area that I have been concentrating on was getting a beating from the wind...at least spring like weather has come back and the sun was shining but the white caps were tough to fish through from shore...under these conditions it seems from past experience that the smallmouth will vacate these areas until calmer weather comes around...so my plan was not to spend to much time there and fan cast to see if any fish were cruising the area...was just about done and threw my tube into the cove on my left and under the windy conditions I was still able to feel the tap and set the hook...the fish was jumping out of the water and could see that it was a nicer fish and figured that it may be a smallmouth as it was jumping quite a bit...when it finally had gotten closer I could see that it was a very nice largemouth bass...biggest of the spring so far and definitely made my day under these wind conditions...tried four other spots going back to the truck but nothing going on at any of these...chalk this one up as another productive lunch and looking forward to tomorrow...

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Fishing May 9 2008

Was fortunate to be able to get out fishing during my lunch time once again and really had to watch the clock this time as I had another appointment right after...made the trip back to my usual spot to see if the smallmouth were going to be home...weather conditions were drastically different than the previous day as the temps were 15 degrees cooler, stronger wind blowing into this area, cloudy skies as well as rain spitting a little...made many casts and definitely could tell that this coming weather was playing a role in not getting bit...but was fortunate to at least catch one largemouth bass that was around a 1.5 pounds...this fish came on the tube bait and was cruising the shallows checking things out...this was the only fish caught and tried a few other areas before pulling the plug...didn't get out at all over the weekend and we have weather fronts coming through for most of the week so this will definitely be an interesting week of fishing...

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Fishing May 8 2008

Was only a couple of days ago that I was wondering what was going on with my spring fishing this year...usually I am into fish and this year isn't the case...but within the last two days I can say that my thoughts of a crummy spring have left my head and we are into fish and now let's keep that line in the water...

Yesterday I was able to catch a nice largemouth bass...today I went back to the same spot during lunch and the smallmouth bass are taking residence of the area...since the topwater bait wasn't doing anything yesterday, I used the tube today and they were liking that...wasn't long and the first of three smallmouth was coming in...at a 1-1.5 pound fish this was a great start and this fish had gotten my blood pumping for more...kept casting and a tap on the line and his brother was coming in for a look see as well...I could definitely see that the male fish were moving in and wasn't sure if the females were in suit yet or not...only a few more casts and that question was answered with a 2.5-3 pound smally battling my WaveSpin reel and tube combination...

Conditions were the same as yesterday with mid 70's air temps, sun bright, but there was more wind today versus yesterday but this area was still protected and the water is warming...fishing a tube bait with a 1/4 or 3/8 oz bullet weight and this heavier weight is allowing me to make very long casts and also able to work more water by doing this...tried a couple of other deeper spots on the walk back to the truck but no takers there...I had taken a shortcut through a part of the woods to get to my spot but the deer ticks have let me know who the ruler of those woods are...hoping to get back out there again tomorrow but will have to see where the coming storm is at when lunch time rolls around...in two days my dreary spring has started on fire and tomorrow and the day after that can't come soon enough...

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Fishing May 7 2008

My early season spot is a good walk around part of the lake and has a nice sand and rock flat that the bass seem to use for their spring time activities...so far I have only been able to catch a pickerel or two off of this area but today my first nice largemouth bass has appeared...the last few days have been gorgeous with temps right around 70 degrees and bright sun with little wind...I started fishing this area with a jointed floating jerk bait and there wasn't any activity that the fish wanted with this presentation...after grabbing the other rod that that I carry with me there is a tube bait tied on it and on the second cast I caught a nice 2.5 pound largemouth bass...this area usually holds numbers of smallmouth bass in the spring time and the way this fish was jumping, I thought for sure that I had a big smallmouth on...my WaveSpin spinning reel showed this fish who was going to win and it was finally nice to be able to catch a good fish again...hopefully this is now a sign that things are turning around and good things are coming going forward...I have been having a very tough spring this year compared to others and this fish will hopefully turn this around...

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Quick Release

As the weather warms and the fish are into their spring activities, this is a great time to get kids involved in fishing. The fish can be found in the shallow waters of our lakes and ponds and there will be times that catching them will be fairly easy. But we also need to remember that these fish are in the shallow water for a reason and we don’t want to disturb them to much. If we keep a few for a meal that is fine but a majority of these fish are going to be released back into the water. Quickness of this release is the name of the game to ensure that they are not injured to go back about their spring ritual. Quickly unhooking the fish and placing them back into the water gently allows them to go back to what they were doing and you are able to cast and catch another fish. By being quick about the release this will ensure that they survive for another day of battle and also instills the catch and release philosophy into the kids as well.

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