John, did you use spell check on those names?

Wow John, and most people think a grub is just a grub. Makes me think that theirs more to a spinnerbait then an arm, blades and skirt! Having fished with John many times using grubs, I can say he is right on with his diagnosis. I’m definitly not the best grub guy out their, but John has taught me alot about the differences and theirfore it makes me look at all my tackle in the same manner. (except spinnerbaits – Mr. Larson can pipe in on this one) I know their have been different articles about them used on swim jigs and the different techniques used to fish them. Bigger grubs for the pads, smaller ones for burning it, and so on and so on. Maybe someone can add in some more details on them. One of my favorite ways to fish them is on a owner ultrahead jig with the offset hook. When the water is real clear and the fish are feeding on those blasted pin minnows, it gives you a small profile that is very weedless and snag proof and the hooking percentile is awesome. Another great thing about fishing them is if the wind blows, you still have fairly good control of your bait. Great article John and thanks for teaching all of us Rookies! fishnut

What a day. We had an awesome day and only lost 2 good ones all day long. Don’t know if they would have helped us or not. The kid “Matt” was on fire and the old man did a fine job of netting them. We both fished a variety of things, and just kepted pounding spots. We could catch one and then move on. Had alot of followers, and that would give us the confidence to go back and try again. We must have started the big motor close to 100 times that day. Thank goodness the wind didn’t blow like it did the day before and after, cause both days it was windy it was really hard to present a bait descent with the wind and the floating eel grass. Oh, Did any of you guys find a cel phone at the ramp on Saturday? I lost mine and Alltel says that’s it is responding so it isn’t in the water. If someone found it please let me know. Thanks Brian for putting on a fun, low hiped tournament and for letting some of these big ones back into pool 5. Was out yesterday and the trees are getting pretty darn attractive.

My hats off to the Wisconsin guys. If us Minnesotans could ever put our egos to the side, maybe we’ll be on top. Great job.

Thanks guys! What an awesome fishery! I will be glad to get back to the river and the tranquility of it. I’m not going to miss the wind and waves, but the big smallies will not be forgotten. Special thanks to Rick and John. P.S. Rick, my tackle is still drying.

Well, leave it to the semi retired guy to get on the stick and give you guys an update. Actually thanks John for doing alot of the leg work and for working together to advance one of us and I’m glad that one of us made it. I would have liked either one of us to go on. First day on the water, John and mother nature showed us what the word respect is. At one time Rick and I were looking at two separate squals on the lake virtually 5 miles apart and pretty small, and then we see John running back to the harbor and we both go “whats up”? Two casts later we look up and the squals had filled in between them and we were looking at a 5 mile front heading right at us. It sure was good to have a guy with the experience showing us the way. The rest of practice was basically as John wrote, and the good thing about being out their with a veteran was him reassuring us we were on the right stuff. The limited numbers of bass we caught in practice, didn’t make me sure of that. As days went on, it became more apparant, expecially once the tournament began. My first day I drew and Indiana guy who only fishes in 6′ of water and less, and had a surbo drive trolling motor to boot! Idling out that morning, I found out that John and Rick were making the long run to the school we had located, and realizing that it would be senseless for all 3 of us to show up and beat on the same school of fish seemed to not be a good call and the boater was not used to running big water, so I opted to have him start on a point that we had caught a couple of fish on in practice. Good call, first drift I had a 4.5#er 6′ from the net when I tried pulling his head to comes toward the net and I pulled him off. Bummer, but good lesson for the rest of the tournament, from then on I babied each one from their after. Next two drifts I put two in the boat worth 8 1/2 #’s. Next drift I lose one half way back to the boat and during retying, I bring my head up and an instant case of head spins, nasuea, and other internal parts decided that I better get off the water. I tried to regain my composer behind a seawall, but the reality of it all is I had to quit. Believe me, after coming this far, it was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. Weighed those fish in and had a observer take over for the rest of the day. Didn’t know till 5 a.m. the next morning if I would be good enough to fish the next day, but the good Lord said “Game On”. Drew a guy from Michigan who struggled the day before, and we started on the same spot I did the day before. Result 2 – 4# smallies for me and 1 for him. He took me to one of his spots that someone had given to him and I spanked two more 4#ers. Finished the day with just under 16#’s. Met my partner for the 3rd day and he was in first on the Ohio team. I wanted to start on my starting spot again, but after talking to my partner he assured me that their were plenty of fish on his area to do well. Questioning if I had enough fish left in my area to do well and also knowing he had extended time on the water compared to me, we decided to start on his area. 3 1/2 hours into it I’ve got 2 and he has 1. With one little adjustment at this time he spanks 3 dandies in 5 minutes and fill his limit shortly their after. Taking his advice I made some changes and filled out my own limit including one that went close to 5#’s. The last half of the day of the tournament their was lots of wind and waves. Thanks to one of my teammates and his supply of Bodine and for the patch I was wearing I was able to keep my intestines inside my body. Good teamwork with my boaters each day and a positive attitude and hard work to help both of us do the best we could for the day paid off with a 20# plus bag the last day. Final result, 44#’s, 11th place overall, and #1 for the state of Minnesota. I definitly couldn’t have done any of this on my own. I need to thank John and Rick for working together on figuring the pattern out. John and Mike Kepp for teaching me the dragging technique years ago so when I got their it was very comfortable as far as the technique and then it was adapting it to the right structure. A huge thank you to B.A.S.S. and the Zumbro Valley Bassmasters for all I’ve learned in 15 plus years of being in the club, and a major thanks to my great wife for always supporting me. Yeah, theirs always a little luck that goes with it and making good decisions on the water, but hard work and determinatioin go along way. I hope I can represent the state of Minnesota well at the Nationals. Hats off to the Wisconsin team for a job well done, hopefully someday we can put our egos to the side and prove that were capable. If you ever get a chance to go to Erie, Go! I never thought I’d ever think that a 4# smallie was just average.

What brand of hook are you using? Most guys I know pouring their own have to heat a 90 degree hook and bend it. To help warm up the mold, I just pour about a dozen jigs with no hook or any hardware (empty mold) and let each one sit in the mold for 15 seconds. It heats up the mold pretty fast. I do like the smoke idea! I was wondering what all that black crud was on a mold I borrrowed from a guy. If you ever want to find out a whole lot of intricat (spelling) stuff on pouring and the whole gammit, go to tackle underground. com. Tons of guys who have lots of experience and knowledge. Good luck

UV does break sugoi down, nor does it absorb water-
Did you mean to say does not break down? Your english is as bas as mine.

You’ll never find a more honest and diplomatic man then Fluker. Thank God we have men like you to make the rest of us step back and take a deep breath. Thanks for putting things in the correct perspective again.

Now it works! It’s so easy even a caveman could do it.

Maybe this will help. Sorry, I’m not good at this cut and paste stuff. http://www.futurebass.com/region2/article2/coolvid.htm

Do they have a date set for this?

I would agree, now if you quit sticking all of them, maybe the rest of us will be able to appreciate them. Got a couple more yesterday after I dropped you off. Good luck in your 3 week excursion to South Africa to set up the x-rays for their hospital. Get this, John won’t be fishing for the next 3 weeks!! Pool 4 will get a slight break from the action, but maybe with all the guys reading this they’ll put away the guns and go rip on a few of the big smallies. Have a good trip!

Thanks guys for all the congrats! Lowrance electronics and a positive attitude were definitly my two strongest weapons this tournament. I remember someone putting a post on here one time about a good book to read about keeping a positive attitude, but I can’t remember the author or the name of the book. If someone (Blue, D-nort, I already checked with J.C,) knows what I’m talking about can you please post it. I did not read the book yet, but mentally I was on top of it. I culled 7 times in the last 3 hours of the tournament flipping milfoil. Before that I had 5 dinks in the boat and I finallly told the guy we need to get away from these weedlines. Things just fell into place after that. Thanks again guys! Can’t wait to go to Erie and hook into those big smallies.

Just fished a tournament on Waconia with a 25# bag, come the end of the day. Had a limit within 1/2 hour to start the day. Three of those fish were over 4#’s. Noticed that when you would first put them in the livewell they would go up on their sides. Probably to do with coming out of the thermocline and getting dumped into 84 degree surface temp water. We knew the day was going to be tough on the fish so we came prepared with 2 coolers of ice. We first weighted the fish with 3/4 and 1 oz. jigs by sticking them through their lower fins to keep them positioned upright. Learned that trick in a Pro/Am a few years ago. When a fish gets on his side, it’s minutes before he’s a gonner. Added ice through out the day and used it all up by 12:00. We had 4 more hours to go in the tournament, and when the water got warm the fish would start turning pale and start going sideways. We went to a marina and bought 4 more bags of ice and used the last of it up with 15 minutes to go. When you would add the ice you could look in a couple of minutes later and they would be completly green and respondent again. We also were using a salt additive to the water (Don’t remember the name – maybe Rejuvinate) and running the livewells continuous. So my personal opinion is continuous water, ice, salt, weights on the fins and it helped keep 25#’s in one livewell and 13# in the other alive for a 10 hour day. All these fish were released and swam away hopefully to get caught another day. To see those fish look down a few posts at Fishnut shatters the record.

Technique was 4″ worm with a 1/8 oz. weight on 10# line in 12′ to 14′ of water. Fish were in small clearings in the weeds. My partner fished a jig about half of the day and never got a bite. Riverfan and others caught them on jigs, but the 4″ worm caught all of my fish that day. Life is good!

Wow, what an awesome day! Never thought I’d see the day that a guy would have to throw back a 4.3# fish. The day before in practice, I had one that went over 6#’s. We had alot of spots to pound on, but there were 3 that were key areas. Outside weedlines in about 12 to 14′ of water with a 4″ worm. You never seen fish that fought so darn hard either. I’d like to thank my partner for the day (Hollywood Holets) for letting me due my thing the whole day when I know his real passion is the shallow stuff. Thanks to Riverfan for getting me hooked on deep weedlines over 12 years ago, the excitement and the mystery of trying to read what’s under the water. Rick Billings for turning me on to a jig worm, and the rest of the guys from Zumbro Valley Bassmasters for always being a great group of guys to fish with and call friends. I learn something from everyone of them no matter how much experience they have. If anyone out their is thinking about joining a club to become a better angler, don’t wait, jump in with both feet and get ready for the learning curve to take off. Never lost a fish all day from any mechanical errors, and everyone that I hooked up on, eventually, made it to the boat. I’m still glowing today! Fishnut

Yes, they are made in Mankato. They have a service center their that is real good to work with too. But it’s also quite a hike to get their. They promise to have your trolling motor fixed in 24 hours. Sometimes in the winter some guys call over ahead of time and drop it off early in the morning and then pick it up late in the afternoon and they will have it done. It really depends on their work load and your ability to kiss a$$. Service work by Lake Sonic has always been excellant for me and can turn it around fast too. It’s just nice I don’t have to drive to mankato to get it done. Ever notice what the guys in the grass lakes from Florida run? 90% minnkota! Northern boys ? 90% minnkota Red Neck country? 90% Motorguide It’s either the guys on grass like Minnkotas or the rednecks haven’t figured it out yet! Had to get that dig in Fluker!

Actually I believe that the Minn Kota has two different bolt patterns, one of it’s own that matches the 74# and the 101#’s. The other pattern matches the Motorguides. Lake Sonic of Rochester, who sponsor me, told me that information, and by the way, quit working on Motorguides do too terrible response time, lousy customer service, and cheap parts (quality, not price). 3year warranty, 24 hour turn around on service, made in Mankato Minnesota, you can’t go wrong slop! I’m sold on them, just ask Fluker!!

A buddy of mine sharted (Love that term) one time in the rain and in the mist of taking off his suit and clothing to clean up, he had multiple lengths of Charmin floating around his boat. In the aftermath of the hazardous waste department spill, he was putting back on his rain bids just in time to find 2 kayakers paddling 30′ from his boat looking at him and the “new white aquatic vegetation” that was floating around him. He said, he’s never had his boat on plane faster then that time! Must have been too many of these the night before. Next time Dan, make sure you do this first!!!

Oh, and congrats Eric.

If I remember right Fluker, it was more like a mud line, not a chum line!!

Fluker your memory serves you well. The east side is shallow for a majority of the lake and the West Lake has more sharp brakes and weed lines. I’ve never fished the East lake, but some guys showed me some pigs from that side. I personally just prefer fishing the West to fit my style of fishing. Fluker, you might know which way the river runs, north or south, but were definitly going to have to teach you the difference between Wisconsin and Minnesota. Buy the way, next year when you drag me down to Missouri, show me them weedlines you’ve been hiding from me.

Does anyone have the address for Mike Hatch the Attorney General for Minnesota? How about an e’mail address? I personally sent letters to our Congressman and Senator and got back a very generic letter. I’m glad the cheeseheads had someone who stood up for them. It’s very frustrating the amount of letters I know myself and others have sent out for support of stopping this plan, but its also frustrating the lack of sportsman who don’t bond together to fight these types of political hog wash. Don’t get me wrong, alot of people feel the same way about this Alt. E (hunters, fisherman, airboaters) but we lack the organization and support of each other to fight it. Congrats to Wisconsin and lets see if Mr. Hatch can help us out. I feel better now.

Greg is a major user of the river and knows the aspects well. Myself too being a “river rat” agree 100% that only plan A is the action to be taken. Since when do we need a canoe trail? Can’t they go anywhere else just like everyone? Again we see the smallest users group (less than 2%) gaining the most out of this ridiculous proposal. Please everyone attend and let your voice be heard. Fishnut

Good luck Jim. A man of your caliber will do great. Show them how us Yankees like to open a can of “whoop a$$”.

Trolling motor only areas? Why couldn’t they be no wake areas (Island 42, Schnieders lake)? Again you have the smallest user group (canoes) gaining the most. If an area is off limits to motors it should be off limits to everyone. Who says a canoe doesn’t scare a duck? I personally think that this duck excuse for these resting areas if very lame. Practices in agricultural have depleated the duck population more than anything. Growing up in Plainview we used to hunt the corn fields every fall and have a blast. Now all those fields are plowed under and no ducks. Ask your waterfowl guys and you’ll quickly find that most of the ducks are taking the Dakota’s due to the agricultural practices. As far as canoe trails? What the heck is that. Can’t you just paddle and go where you want to? If you want a boudary water experience go to the boundary waters. If we let something like this pass, you put more restrictions on everyone and the next thing you know someone else will feel invaded. Can’t we just get along? Maybe we ought to put in their proposal that “No non-motorized boats are allowed on the whole area, because they propose a safety hazard to themselves and everyone else?” Notice that the “Tuna Boats” have no restrictions put on them. I still can’t believe they came back with this as the answer. I do think having a biologist on every pool would be cool. But again the smallest user group is gaining the most. Their I fell better! Have a great New Year! Fishnut

For some reason Tuna and strippers sound pretty good together! Maybe if he puts more horseradish in, we won’t smell the tuna so much. If he captains the ship, I want to be first mate for this voyage.

Lucky You Champman, but for a guy who doesn’t drink, it can be pure hell!! I think John grew up in the old Bud Grant days where the best offense is a good defense. As John wings swim jigs past your ear, all you can do is stand their and try to breath as this building burning sensation rises up your chest!!! As he snarls and laughs at getting the 1st shot in the sweet spot, you normally would offer the guy help lipping the one he has just bagged, but the overwelming feeling of burping and acid are to much. Beware John, their will be the day when you go [censored] over tea kettles into the drink to lip one as your partner stands their pounding his chest and you won’t know if it’s because of heartburn or the dieing urge to laugh!!! When you pull it out of the baggy and your eyes start to water, all he could say was “I might have alittle too much horseradish on this batch!” Maybe I’ll have to bring along some of Grandmas Chocolate Exlax bars?

I belong to the same club Fluker does, and this past years we’ve had more hurdles than normal to overcome. The good thing to know is that if guys want to fish in a club, someone has to step up and take it on. The positions in our club are normally filled and with a few positions with multiple candidates. We have a President, Vice President(I still haven’t figured out what they do and I was V.P. for a couple of years), Secretary, Treasurer, Tournament director,Federation Rep, Weighmaster and I believe another guy designated as a back up weighmaster. The nice think about having all of the positions is it really lessons the load that one person has to do. President normally runs meetings, V.P. fills in for the”Pres”, Secretary takes notes(which is actually pretty important to keep peace since our memories aren’t very good), treasurer – cuts checks for federation bills, flowers for condolances, payments for room reservations, and misc bills, Tournament Director lines up housing for 2 day tournaments and state, most other tournament decisions are made by him and the 2 highest ranking officials incase their is some kind of protest, Federation rep, attends the required meetings and is paid for his gas and gives updates on proposed legislation the federation is addressing (a time consuming job, one saturday a month for like 5 months) We have talked about rotating guys each month if no one volunteers. Weigh master is responsible for the scale and boxes and bags and cannot weigh his own fish. As far as blastoff, the last boat out blasts you off in order and if you are late it is then brought forward to the tournament director and him and two others make a decision. (Works if applied appropriatly) I guess what I’m trying to say is that none of these positions is real taxing, but they all take time. When enough guys split up the chores it works real well. Our club is very fortunate to have guys willing to do their part and others willing to chip in when were short. The club is reallly self manegable.(spelling) We do have mistakes now and then but for the most part guys want to fish and have fun. I hope your guys can read this and toss their fears aside and do whats right for the club. Many good friendships and fisherman come from ours and the memories are “priceless”! Good luck Fishnut