What have you learned Dorthy?

As we look back on this year’s bass season what have been some of your best discoveries?
1. Techniques?
2. Increased ability to locate?
3. Overall better understanding?
Please Share with all of us.
Thanks

I’ve learned (1)-4 inches of water over dead trees is more than enough water to get a 20 foot Triton over them.

(2)-Never underestimate the power of the spinnerbait.

(3)-Triton boats turn on a dime and you don’t want to be sitting on the bow when they do.

(4)-No matter how big a 4.5lb bass looks in the water, it’s still a 4.5lb bass.

More to come…….

Dude, I just lost all composure. People walking past my office are looking at me with mixed reactions. I fear a spontaneous drug test may be in the works from the HR dept.
What I learned this year….
1. If you want to keep your partner in the boat while sitting on the bow is to affix him to the carpet with a series of rattle traps and bandit crankbaits. This method is quite efficient as Tom can testify.
2. When removing your partner from the deck use pliers to avoid getting piercings where piercings don’t belong.
3. If you are in a tournament and you only have 4 inches of water to get a triton over log then you better make sure your insurance is paid up.
4. When you hook 4.5 lb bass and are bummed that the little one ate your rat instead of the big one you saw, you are on some pretty good fish. Don’t then drive your sorry tail to pool 7 to fill your limit.
5. If you are boating 3 and 4 lb fish in a tourney be sure to pull any half digested fish out of the fishes gullet if it is stuck half way out. THESE FISH WILL DIE and cost you a grand or so.
6. Dead Sticking a spinnerbait does catch fish… Why? , who knows but proof is in the livewell.
7. Swimming a jig is the same as tossing a jig is the same as hopping a jig is the same as pitching a jig is the same as flipping a jig is the same as…… Its all fishing a dang jig!!!! Get over it, Fish it and get bit. The fish don’t care what the bait is doing. Get it close proximity and apply any action the seems to be getting reactions and go from there. The allure is in the lure.
8. The DNR listens more to lake associations and such than the fisherman which pay there salaries.
9. Some dock owners will toss rocks at your boat if you fish there dock.
10. When dock owners toss rocks and step in your boat they are fair game and most have a hard time putting up a fight when you have tossed them into the lake.
11. The DNR officer will let you go if you kindly explain that the man stepped in your boat and while doing so you thought he was actually falling off the dock and were only trying to catch him. The fact that you still had parts of his shirt in your boat only coo berates the fact that you were trying to hang on.
12. Jet Ski riders often like to mess with bass boats.
13. When a jet ski comes racing towards your boat you are within your rights to hit him with an apple and claim self defense since a motor vehicle is considered a deadly weapon.
14. I need to stay off MN lakes because I always seem to invoke the idiots.
Just a few things I have learned this year.
Jc

Haywood, great question. As I went down your list the light didn’t come on for a new techniques, finding new locations or overall understanding. My first reaction was I was disappointed with myself and didn’t think I would reply. As I thought more about it I started feeling better about myself. Please don’t take this as a “know it all statement” but I’ve been at this game for a long time and have experienced a lot of things. I’ve had a chance to fish a lot of different northern waters. I’ve fished the Great Lakes, natural lakes, Canadian Shield lakes and a lot of river systems (Ohio, Missouri and Mississippi).

So here is how I would answer your questions. I really didn’t learn any new techniques. I did experiment with the float-and-fly technique but didn’t find a place where it worked better than other presentations.
However, I learned how to refine some presentations and I found different places to use them.

I find fish just about every where I go, but not always the big ones. That is something I need to work on. That will be one of my goals for next year. I tend to find lots of areas that hold fish but not take the time to learn the intricacies of them. I did get a new Lowrance LMS 320 this year and it’s tool that will help find the spot-within-the-spot, and get back to it.

I did expand my overall understanding of bass fishing but not in the way you might expect. I learned not to do some things. I love to explore in the hope of finding the secret honey hole. Some times that calling takes me away from productive areas. I have come to the conclusion that fishing a community spot isnt all bad. You just have to fish them better than the other guy. I had greater success fishing a spot thoroughly this year. I prefer to fish a lot of spots, but a stay-at-home approach helped me in the two tournament wins I had this year.

I think everyone agrees we learn something every time we hit the water. It may be a new technique or when not to use a technique. It might be a new location or a spot that looks great but never produces. It could be when someone knocks them dead and you hit yourself in the head and say to yourself, you dummy you knew that way didn’t you use it! It’s the challenge of the game.

We’ll have to work on that pool 9 to pool 7 thing next year.

I learned that no matter how hard you may try, even to the point of getting a blister or two, you can’t work a chugger to fast for a smallmouth!

amen….

To follow that up, I’ve learned that St.Croix makes one of the finest topwater spinning rods available.

What have I learned in 2003?
Well for starters, don’t try to hand land a 10# ornry walleye with a 3 trebled crank hanging out of his mouth in the darkness of night……don’t be a hero and use the damn net!

I also found that Ranger boats still float in the middle of Mille Lacs Lake with the boat so full of water, it was actally pouring our of the boat and back into the lake!

Spontaneous drug test? I’m sure you have nothing to worry about?? What have I learned?
1.WEAR A LIFEJACKET WHEN UNDER WAY!!! as i almost became the 3rd statistic fishing death this year. My flatbottom can also turn on a dime, and it will throw me from the boat if i’m not careful .
2.Make sure your battery(ies) charged. You wouldn’t want somebody to bush-league you to a spot cause they’re trolling motor is at full charge and you’re barely creeping to your spot.
3. When Netting your partners fish….don’t throw your tackle down….It does bounce off the boat…………………..and into the water.
4. I actually did learn to read water flow alot better, and to find good current/current breaks/etc..
5. Fish never do what you expect them to do.

more to come when i think of more.

One question though… who the heck is Dorthy?

I was thinking Dorthy from Wizard of Oz. I have been known to be wrong before.

It’s Haywood’s imaginary friend. We have to take an extra life jaket for her and everything!!!

dorothy? or dorthy? I read it as that gal with that little dog but then re-read and was wondering.

Can you tell I’m desperately trying to avoid web-work today?!

Avoiding work? Take a number! Bring on the weekend. I can’t wait to go thin the reno bottoms deer herd!

Things I have learned this last season:

1) Get rid of 75% of the tackle I currently carry.

2) Pay attention to the weather forecast, when
pre-fishing! Don’t put all your eggs into a Senko
bite, on a quiet bay weedline, and come tournament
day, have 20 mph wind blowing into the weed line!
Find fish on several different areas, that fish better
with different winds. River boys can substitute the
word “wind”, with “current”.

3) Stop buying crankbaits! After the first 200 enough
is enough. You already own several for any situation
where a crankbait will work best!

4) When you are on pressured fish, there is no such
thing as fishing too slow.

Big Bass Bane

What I learned on the water and what I learned in this forum. First, what I learned on the water. My expectations usually weight more than the fish. Two crankbait poles are better than one. I need to become a much better rat fisherman, and Crawford’s boat can actually “take flight” when the right pleasure cruiser gets in his way.
What I learned in this forum. There are a lot of good/great fisherman on this site who are willing to share what they’ve learned in order to make some of the average fisherman better. (much appreciated) With that approach, this site can do a lot to further the sport of Bass fishing. Last but not least. We’d all rather be fishing than working

I learned….

That Pool 10 bass love white on white buzz baits, and black/grey skirted 3/8 spinnerbaits with #5 gold colorado when they quit eating the buzzer…. the schoolies love the smaller silver and black back frenzy traps…. That frog color does not matter, but musky master line on the frog rod improves hookups tremendously (especially when using the new Owner frog hooks)… That if you name your rat after your wife, (Rebecca the Rat), it might bring good luck, and give you something exciting to share with her when you get home…. but the coolest of all that I put together last year, while fishing Sturgeon Bay smallies, was the viciousness of attacks on the small Optima Swim bait in trout color… runs right under the surface. The worst lesson this year was running down river on the right side of the green channel marker at Mud Hen Lake on pool 10… lets say I added some new structure to the wing dam that was quite shallow in August. I was in good hands with Allstate.

“What have you learned Dorthy” is a line from the Wizard of OZ. The Good Witch of the North asks her just before she returns home. or something like that
I do like MossBoss’s answer better though but my friends name was Donna not Dorthy and she is real….isn’t she

A Few things I have learned:
1. If I bring a coloring book with me my 4 year old is entertained longer and hence I stay out longer.

2. When with your 4 year old remember you have a parrot in the boat. When you tell her not to slap her rod in the water and saying, “G-damn it” and her repy is, “Well you said G-Damn it this pisses me off” Now all you can do is look really dumb at her and go (sorry to those offended by the language)

3. Your partner CAN take a picture of your fish with there NON-dominate hand, when they have a large treble hook in there other hand which needs to be removed in the emergency room.
More to come later
Awsome answers though. Keep em coming

THINGS I’VE LEARNED THIS YEAR
THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE WAY TO WORK A JIG.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN A LIGHT LINE TECHNIQUE IS BETTER THAN THE USUAL 15LB. TEST AND TELEPHONE POLE.
I’VE LEARNED THAT A 2001 OPTIMAX WILL BREAK DOWN A MILE FROM THE LAUNCH AFTER A 3 HOUR TRIP TO LANSING. THAT MAY BE MURPHY’S LAW, I’M NOT SURE.
I’VE LEARNED WHAT THOSE LITTLE HARD BODY BAITS WITH THE LIP AND TREBLE HOOKS ARE FOR. WELL, I’VE STARTED TO LEARN.
I’VE ALSO LEARNED SLOP IS STILL MY FRIEND.
I’VE ALSO LEARNED THE BEST CAN BLANK AND THE LEAST EXPIEIENCE CAN WIN.
TBASS

What I’ve learned again this year. Get a lot of kids together,provide guides,boats,Domino’s pizza, Dairy Queen dilly bars,Swiss Miss pudding bait,poles,and everything thats needed and it just dosen’t get any better than that. Steve

What is Swiss Miss Pudding Bait?
Are we fishing for fat chicks…
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
jc

I have no doubt what so ever that the advice from all the grand pobah’s of par excellance fishing extrodinaire wetliness milkywayes is without a doubt the best of advice from this universes, non glareing, all seeing, non fogging, dont go anywhere else to obtain advice council. THEIR all knowing wisdom covers everything from how to keep your best buddy under control after loosing a winning bass by hooking him too the boat carpet with the lures that aren’t working that day too making shure my favorite all reliable dipnet hasen’t got a hole in the bottom of it. This extreme water born wisom of all knowing unmistakable hints is only to help the guys that bring dull sinkers for sharper than known fish for the frying paness. Thanks guys i need it and will be asking of your wisdom soon!

Quote:

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I have no doubt what so ever that the advice from all the grand pobah’s of par excellance fishing extrodinaire wetliness milkywayes is without a doubt the best of advice from this universes, non glareing, all seeing, non fogging, dont go anywhere else to obtain advice council. THEIR all knowing wisdom covers everything from how to keep your best buddy under control after loosing a winning bass by hooking him too the boat carpet with the lures that aren’t working that day too making shure my favorite all reliable dipnet hasen’t got a hole in the bottom of it. This extreme water born wisom of all knowing unmistakable hints is only to help the guys that bring dull sinkers for sharper than known fish for the frying paness.

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“That there my friends is some pure mountian gibberish.”
name that movie

Can someone who speaks “Gibbersih” please translate. Thanks

i’ve learned…..

…you don’t have to fish big water to catch big fish

…all fish fight harder on light tackle

…if it ain’t chartruse, it ain’t no use

…i can fish everyday for a month and still not get sick of it

…living on the river is GREAT

…in the spectrum of life, $54 dollars ain’t worth cryin about

…cleaning fish isn’t as fun as catching fish

…this is a great site, with a lot of great people on it

Is it deliverance?

Or Apocalypse Now?

SlopBass,
If you’re trying to guess the movie, think older comedy.
“De camp town races…..”

The “Jerk”…

Older?

As we look back on this year’s bass season what have been some of your best discoveries?
1. Techniques?
2. Increased ability to locate?
3. Overall better understanding?
Please Share with all of us.

#0- It scares me when men answer questions addressed to a women????

#1- Techniques?- I could have fished the whole year with just 4 baits/technique/pattern , since at least 90% of the Bass I caught were on those 4 while trying probably over 100. And on many different bodies of water.

#2 Increased ability to locate bass? Every piece of wood or rock on pools 7-8-9 with 6 inches or more of water has a Bass close by. If they are busting the surface, “you Will catch them”. My Guide customers can repeat those two in their sleep.

#3 Overall better understanding? I NEED SOME!!!

Happy holidays to everyone.