Florida Bass Fishing Forum
Smallmouth, Largemouth, We're All About Bass!

WHAT is more important to a BASS ANGLER: A name-brand boat, or his fishing skills? Would you rather own a "Ranger", "Skeeter", or "Triton"? Or own a "Stratus" or "Alumacraft", "Lund" ; AND have great fishing skills? Do you think the fish you catch know the difference between a "Ranger" boat and a "Lund" boat? Isn't perhaps your GEAR(rods, reels, electronic's, ETC), even more important than owning a "top of the line" name-brand boat? I currently own 2 boats(flats:"Carolina Skiff" & bass:"Lund") and have won quite a few tourneys in them. In the tourneys i've participated in, the "Ranger", Stratus", "Skeeter", "Triton", "Nitro", guys lose & win with the same regularity that people with off-brands do. It would seem that some believe the amount you paid for your boat equals your skills as an angler. Whats your take on the subject? good fish'n!

How can get started in bass fishing tournaments? Im 22 and I live in nothern nj and dont have a boat but im a decent bass angler,basciallty thanks to BASSFisherman and other posters like him on yahoo. Any advice? Please no idiots like jessiekatsopolous with your stupid simple answers to get you point's, I'd like real answers please

What are ONE good reason you should start bass fishing, and one good reason why you should not? Why you should start. It's one of the most fun, and enjoyable activities that i can think of. You have a chance of fishing for the most prized gamefish in America. Why you shouldn't. SOME bass anglers have cocky attitudes, which will make you wanna pull your hair out. And the pulse of wanting to have the best boat, lures, and reels will make a hole in your wallet. Come on, speak your mind. Damn, Tarheel i should have thought of that one.

Tournament bass fishing as a coangler.? I will be fishing a bass tournament as a co angler this weekend on Pickwick Lake.Got any ideas on what I need to throw at em?I will be fishing from the back of the boat and my boater may be bed fishing as they should be spawning now.My options will more than likely be limited to cruising bass that have,nt locked on to beds yet.I,ve never fished this lake before and would appreciate some insight to what they like best here.I,m thinking maybe swim jigs craws or topwaters.

Go to baits for tournament bass fishing on West Point lake this April? I have a Southern Divisional bass fishing tournament coming up on West Point lake and I'm a touring angler that know most of the baits to use here and there, but I've never fished West Point before and I need to know some go to baits for tournament fishing down there. And if possible, I want specifics. The colors, as well as sizes. Thank you guys so much if you can help me! P.S. the winner gets to fish the Nationals and the winner of it wins a 21 foot Triton boat and $20,000 in scholarship money so I really need your guys' help! =D

can you fish for bass from the bank? I am a young angler and one of my favorite fish to catch is bass,but i don't have a boat. Is their any useful techniques when fishing from the bank for bass

How could i become a proffesional bass fisherman? i am very serious about becoming a pro bass angler. How could i become one? Do you have to have giant boats to be a pro bass angler. I'm not rich at all and i'm from southeast kentucky. I'm only a teenager but, i know i have what it takes to be a pro. I know a whole lot about every lure imaginable. and mainly fish spinnerbaits. what kind of training would i need? If i have to have hi tech gear that i can;t afford, Can you become a professional angler in something else like catfish or carp in the united states?

Best bass boat for 2-4k? Hi, im looking to buy a bass boat and know alot of readers have bass boats so I would like to hear advice. I know im looking in the 80s to early 90s for a year. I am a serious angler but my wife likes to hang out while i fish and i think she is tired of sitting in a 12ft alum boat. Thanks for all your help in advance. Tom

What should I use at my tournament on Watts Bar this weekend? I will be fishing a bass tournament on Watts Bar reservoir this weekend and I've never fished the lake myself, so I was wanting to know what I should tie on and use. I've noticed on Google Earth that the lake has a lot of boat docks, laydowns, and points. Should I fish them? Or should I target something else at this time of year? Should I start out throwing a Carolina rig on the secondary points? Should I start out on the docks throwing flukes, swimming jigs, and shallow running crankbaits around the docks? What should I do? What should I throw? I need some help. I am a pretty experienced angler and I basically know what to do in most situations, but it is always good to get some knowledge from the locals and figure out what works from there point of view and experience on the lake. Can any local bass anglers help me out?

What do you think about BASS getting rid of the Co-Anglers in the "Elite" Events? Is this really "Growing the Sport"? What are the benefits to being in BASS if you do not have the chance to fish an "Elite" Event as a Co-Angler, a crappy magazine that is mostly one big advertisment? Do you think ESPN has ruined BASS? I have read on the Web about the "Pros" complaining about having a Co with them...but in all honesty, if it were not for us Weekend Fishermen, there would be no one to buy the products that they try to hock every time they get a chance...especially since most of the "Big Pros" get everything from their hooks to boats for free...what do you think? I am actually glad my club is a part of FLW and our Federation split with BASS... DANE: From my understanding the reason why BASS is getting rid of the Cos is because their "Pros" are complaining that they get in their way...

Did I goof in my last bass tournament? I think so!!? I was a co-angler. The boater found a pattern using a pop-r. I fished a spinnerbait, thinking I would be the shad that falls to the bottom, waiting for the bigger bass to eat me up. It did not work. Was my theory wrong? I did not catch any fish with that method. Should both anglers on the boat use an identical type of bait if it is working? Example...pop-r with pop-r, buzzbait with buzzbait?

SO you want to be a pro fisherman? This is part of an article I found today! To the outsider, the world of professional bass fishing may seem like a life of glitz and glamour. Those in the know, however, realize exactly what these fishermen go through. Enduring long, grueling days on the water trying to grind out a living is tough during the best of times. Today, however, even the best bass fishermen are struggling to make ends meet. The reasons are many but here are just a few of the main points: 1.) Rising costs a. The cost of fishing alone is driving many competitor’s out of professional bass fishing. Just to be able to compete a pro needs a $50,000 boat, a $50,000 truck, and countless thousands of dollars worth of tackle. Add entry fees and the ever fluctuating costs of fuel, food and shelter and a pro can be staring down a huge sum of money in the $200,000 range. Before we’ve even started many pro’s are $200,000 in the hole. 2.) Lower payouts a. In the face of the current economy, many pro fishing trails have cut back their pay scales to compensate for lost income, B.A.S.S. most notably. During the 2009 season it is now possible for a pro to cash a check in every event and NOT BREAK EVEN. That is a fundamental flaw in the system. A pro should at least have the opportunity to break even on their investment. 3.) Sponsor Pullouts a. To add to the monetary woes of the angler’s, many major sponsors have either scaled back their compensation to pro angler’s or eliminated pro staff positions altogether. While many pro angler’s may not have monetary deals with a company, the product they receive in exchange for the marketing opportunities for a company often helped offset many of a pro angler’s costs. This recent cutback has caused many pro angler’s to either rethink their profession or abandon it completely. Charles...DO NOT EVER SAY NEVER; all things are possible if you set your mind to your goal and practice, practice, practice & Keep your dream in star steps. Meaning set a reasonable goal reach it and set another one higher. How far are you from Bowling Green, KY. Thinking of selling my little Tracker 165 CHEAP. But keep my Triton thank you.

i fish better in small little ponds, than in big lakes, is that common? i dont know how to explain this. or if i should. it sounds obvious. theres a several ponds behind our house, altough i have fished those numerous times, i aint gettin nothin, despite our neighbors sayin they stocked with bass it. theres also a sewer canal by those ponds, but nothin. if you walk half a mile down, the sewer main is a huge pond( almost half the size of a football field. the first time i ever casted in that pond, i caught a three pound bass in it. time went by the next time i visited, and when i came another day. i caught three gar. then the next i caught another. see, my problem is, lake tahoe, 4 miles down the road is on the bass pro tour, meaning bass anglers from all across the country come. anyways, when i go, i fish off the piers and i scavenge around tryin to find a quiet,secluded spot that i secretly sit down and hook in fish. the only problem is, i only get a few bites a day, nothing like that little pond i go more often to. i need to use a boat to idle around the weedflats, and lilypads, the hotspots for bass. its ok to fish off the dock, but the few times i floated on the boat with my dad, i was gettin mad bites. more than that pond. but i caught fish in the pond, which i havent in the lake. do you see where im going? can you help me. i live in saint cloud fl and im thirty miles south of orlando. if you wanted a ten mile radius to fish, there are like 7 lakes to choose from. lake tahoe,east lake tahoe, alligator lake, kissimmee lake, bass lake, etc... i want to fish in all the lakes in florida. i will try hard. but anyways, can you help me out? thank you! edit: i use crankbaits most of time, and i aint good at usin live worms, i cant dress them good....... but i will also try jiggers, spinners and lizards lake tahoe is like a couple of miles long and wide, i havent tried every spot, as i usually walk when im fishing. a very long walk.........

A lake without bait or forage fish? A little about the lake (PLEASE READ EVERYTHING) I fish at this 165 square acre lake in middle Ohio. It is in a gated community (Cinnamon Lake). It isn't the healthiest body of water I have seen. In late spring it starts growing weeds and every GD year they dump poison in there. It kills the weeds and all summer the lake is filthy with loose strands of weeds everywhere. In fact last summer they stocked the lake with at least 10 50 pound grass carp. I would say the fish are under somewhat high pressure from anglers but the main problem in my opinion is the unhealthy ecosystem. So that brings me to this point. There are definitely NO type of forage fish in the lake. The only type of small fish would be after the bluegill/pumpkin seed spawn, bass spawn, or small perch or even bullhead and baby channel cats. Basically the small game fish are the only possible bait fish. I thought that a lake of that size should have some type of forage fish. What would a proper forage fish be? It seems to me that the decisions on lake management are made by stubborn old men an old ladies who have no knowledge on the matter. They just throw a fit because the weeds look ugly and tangle up their little 2 horse power trolling motors on the back of their 14 foot pontoon boats. Then the lake committee decides to spray the lake with algicide. I don't know if they are invasive or not but in early spring after the lake warms up the water is very clear and there are healthy looking green beds along the bank in front of my grandparents house. Also, the live "weeds" don't uproot and float to the top of the water like the killed ones, therefor boats don't get stuck in them and you can put out casts all day long and never pull up 5 pounds of dead weeds. A Texas rigged anything just glides right through the live stuff. So why do they continue year after year to kill the stuff? What do you think about it? How would you fish the lake? Questions: So why do they continue year after year to kill the stuff? What do you think about it? How would you fish the lake? What would a proper forage fish be? How do you think this should be handled? What would be a good bait? Additional information: It is very hard to catch a fish there. I stay there a couple times over the summer for 2 week periods. In one stay I may catch 10 largemouth. It is a bit easier to catch sunfish but not enough to have a fish fry for 4 people. Thank you for taking the time to read this. The first answer that puts time and thought into it will be chosen as best.

im going white bass fishing and need help.? im taking my dad out on my boat in ohio and were going white bass fishing. it is august 3 and were going next week and its about 83 degrees everyday. i have never been white bass fishing and im not sure what exactly to use beside the fact that i know there feeding on small shad. Any help and what lure to use would be greatly appreciated. p.s im not an amature angler i have just not gone white bass fishing

What is the average cost of signing up for a Bassmaster Open as a co-angler? Also, what exactly does being a co-angler entail? Are you just fishing off the back of the boat? Or are you also an assistant to your boater? I just started bass fishing last year and i'm interested in maybe entering a tournament or two. ANY information on the subject would really be appreciated. Thanks.

what type of fishing rod and reel should I buy? I am really going to take up fishing this year. I plan on getting a Jon Boat and some new gear. I never fished like this before. When I was younger I use to go almost everyday for a few summers. However I stopped. I rather fish off a boat than shore. So that's why I am going to purchase a small boat. Anyways, back to my question. I want to by a new rod and reel. Any suggestions. I have no Idea what to get. I plan on going bass fishing maybe use some spinner bait and some live bait as well. I am open to try a bait casting reel or open reel. None of the closed reels. I know back when I was younger the setup to get was a shimano . Any advise to what reel action, size rod etc..... Any help would be great especially from serious anglers.... Thanks

What type of Fishing Rod and Reel should I buy? I'm 21 years old and my 8 year old cousin hooked me into fishing. I'm a beginner with next to zero experience but one lousy attempt as a kid. I live in the Bay Area (East Bay - http://ebparks.org/activities/fishing) in Northern California. I'll be Freshwater Fishing in lakes primarily by boat occasionally around the lake's shore. The lakes and reservoirs around here contain Trout, Catfish, Bass, Sturgeon, Crappie, Bluegill, and Sunfish. I'm looking into buying my first own Rod and Reel or Rod/Reel Combo around $55 (Willing to spend more or save a few dollars). Spinning Rod? Casting Rod? Open-Bail Spinning Reel? Closed Spin Casting Reel? I'm hoping to one day become an experienced amateur angler. What type of Fishing Rod and Reel should I buy? If you have any advice with any other fishing gear I will highly appreciate it (Tackles, Baits, Lures, Jigs, Hooks, Sinkers, Fishing Lines). I have zero equipment as of right now. Thank you in advance. After posting this question and reading your answers I have looked into these three Rod/Reel combos. Any suggestions? Bass Pro Shops® Cat Buster Spinning Rod and Reel Combos http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Cat-Buster-Spinning-Rod-and-Reel-Combos/product/10202747/-1603387 Shakespeare® Ugly Stik® Catfish Spinning Rod and Reel Combo http://www.basspro.com/Shakespeare-Ugly-Stik-Catfish-Spinning-Rod-and-Reel-Combo/product/51675/-1012576 Shakespeare® Ugly Stik® Classic Spinning Rod and Reel Combo http://www.basspro.com/Shakespeare%C2%AE-Ugly-Stik%C2%AE-Classic-Spinning-Rod-and-Reel-Combo/product/74128/-1109608