Shad : The Natural Bait That Most Lures Imitate!

In my very last article"Hot Summer Time Bass Fishing Techniques" I made a
statement that one of the reasons bass are harder to catch during the hot summer time weather, Is because the bait fish hatch ( or the shad ) is just the right size for the bass to eat. This means that there is plenty of bait fish , and bass become wary of artificial lures. They see a lot of natural prey and artificial lures just don't look right to them.

So I might just add that a bass fisherman might just have more success if he or she uses shad for bait. Wow , that is making sense to me, how about you? Anyway, when you start looking around the bait shops, you will probably find, that very few bait shops ( if any ) even have shad for bait. So now what?

That only leaves= catching your own shad. Now if you figure out how to catch them on a pole , let me know. Good Luck! I guess you have figured out by now that I am stretching a big yarn and pulling your leg! So True!

You have to go purchase a shad net, unless you already have one. THEN, you
have to learn how to throw a net so that it fans out in a pretty circle, and then
you have to locate the shad in order to net them. Now that sounds easy, doesn 't
It?

WRONG! Unless you already know how to throw a net and locate the shad, it
just might surprise you how difficult this can be. Finding the shad isn' t that tough.
One down and NOW , to throw the net! ; - ( HA ! have I got a story to tell you. If your a veteran netsman then you can remember your first experience with the shad net. If your not a veteran, Do I have a clue for you? You bet ya! Well that should get the veteran netsman to laughing , but it will definitely get the newbie netsman a little worried. (Netsman) is that even a word? This is my blog and I say its a word. Now that , thats settled .I just have one word to say, 3 times ,. Practice! Practice! Practice!
Last year, I finally broke down and bought a shad net. A 5 ft net. now that doesn' t sound too bad except when this 5 ft net fans out it is 10 ft across! HA! My friend Leo, and I went to the lake and decided to try this , what WE thought , being macho men of course, would be an easy task to conquer. AGAIN I say WRONG! Murphy's law was in full swing , and we hung that @#$%%$ = net on everything that was in the boat , and out of the boat , and for the first hour I am not really sure we even got the net wet, let alone around some shad. HA ! HA! HA! although at the time is wasn' t that funny. Anyways, enough of that nonsense, I think you get the picture!

Now for bass, shad about the size of a nice size crank bait, will do the trick. Pretty much the same for cat fish too. Now for Stripers and Hybrids 5- 7 inch shad are the best. Some striper fishermen like even bigger shad. Now trying to catch shad that fit the 5-7 category is a pretty tough job. I have read several articles and they recommend a gallon or two of water for each 5-7 inch shad. Good aeration. and cooler water not more than 10 degrees cooler than the water you get them from, as they will go into shock and die. Rounded holding tanks with about a cup of salt for every 20 gallons to ensure not to destroy the shads slime covering.

If you don't know how to throw a shad net, don't feel lonely. Neither did I ! So I found this pretty neat video on how to throw a net and I have included it just below this post. I hope using shad to catch those bass, catfish, stripers, wipers, and even a walleye or two helps you to become more successful with your summertime fishing. Remember shad is the #1 bait fish for almost all
of the different types of that you might try to take at the lakes and on the rivers.

Keep your hooks wet, fish and boat safely , enjoy the" Great Outdoors"
make sure you watch this video and believe me it WILL help. I didn't even realize
that a shad net could be so easy to throw with the right instruction. See you out there, Good Luck! and try to stay untangled from your shad net if you can! HA! HA! ; - ))

Video On How You are Suppose To Throw The Shad Net! Believe me when I say this isn't exactly the method or the luck I had my first time ! ; - ( A hard hat might be advised!

Hot Summer TIme Bass Fishing Techniques!

July is just a few days away, and the next two months are going to be extremely hot, and nearly unbearable, with temperatures around 100+ degrees! Shew, it makes me sweat just thinking about it. Fishermen don"t like to fish when its this hot, and bass don't seem to want to cooperate just the same. Many fishermen including the pros sometimes find it very difficult to catch bass during this time of the year.

I know, you have to deal with extreme temperatures, ski boats , pleasure crafts and even recreational boats where they are drinking, and being obnoxious and washing you and your boat up on the bank. Plus, the bass seem to have lock jaw, and the thought of being under the a/c seems to out weigh the thought of dealing with all this nonsense. But like my grandpa used to say "you can't catch fish unless you have a lure in the water"

Bass, believe it or not, still need to eat , and they can still be caught if you just learn a few techniques and learn how to overcome these obstacles. Besides sweating is good for you, as it gets out all those poisons and impurities that we, through our bad vices accumulate. LOL! Man, I sweat like a pig in a sauna! LOL again!

As I stated in an earlier post,( Night time Bass Fishing?) you might consider fishing at night. Unless you know the area like the back of your hand, this can be dangerous, but it can be more productive and enjoyable. And if precautions are taken you can have a safe outing.

Most fishermen will tell you that in the last few years it seems to be getting tougher and tougher to catch fish, not just during the summer, but especially the summer. There is more boat traffic and fishing pressure now than there has ever been. The bass have adapted to these conditions and I believe that, most fishermen have simply not adapted to these conditions!

The first thing to consider is get out there before or a little before day break. Its cooler and the bass are more aggressive and usually feeding, well up into mid morning. Top water baits are an excellent choice. Sub surface crank baits are really good too.When the top or sub surface bite diminishes, the sun is usually pretty high and is getting hot and bright. Fishing in shallower water like coves and creeks are really good early morning because bass are usually in the shallows feeding on bait fish like crawdads,shad, minnows. Lures that simulate these bait fish work best.

Once the sun gets up and things start heating up temperature wise,. start working from shallow to deep. Let the fish tell you what they want and adapt to the fishes desires. My grandpa always told me " fish with lures that the bass want, not what you want to fish with." You see a lot of lures catch fishermen , but not too many fish. How many times have you seen a lure that you thought was pretty? Pretty doesn't catch fish. Lures catch fish. The right kind of lures and the right colored lures.

If your getting a lot of follows but no bites , then you know something is just not right , either the action, the color, or the size is usually the problem. If you are observant , you will adapt to the conditions and desires of the bass. After all the bass is the one who is eating the lure. If you really wanted a steak dinner, and all the cafe had was chicken would you settle for chicken ? OK that's not a fair question if your really hungry. LOL! ; - )

Never the less as the day progresses the fish will usually move to deeper water. Deep diving crank baits or jig and pigs and worms and tubes, are all good choices and very reliable. One thing I want to point out , Bass see a lot of these lures and can get lockjaw or wary of these artificial. During the summer months bait fish have grown to just the right size and there is plenty of prey for these bass. What I am saying is match their natural food and you should have better results.

Crawdad colored lures are good, and chad imitations are good. Some of my favorites lures are the fat free shad, rapalas, rogues, rattle traps. I think you get the picture. Big spinner baits slow rolled are really effective when the bass go deep. Remember to slow down and go down to get to those bass that seek the refuge of the deep waters.

Most fishermen beat the banks. So sometimes off shore structures , like humps, ditches, etc are top spots for big bass that escape the fishing pressure of the bank fishermen. Sometimes these offshore structures hold several big lunkers and your live well can get healthy quick if you can learn to locate and fish these structures. In fact lots of bass have learned that these structures are safe havens for them when the pressure gets heavy and tend to stay there, except to feed.

In order to find these structures and fish you need good electronics and a very effective method or technique is the drop shot or a grub. When you spot a big fish or two with your electronics, quickly drop a grub or jig or even a spoon right down in front of their nose and shake it a little and these bass have a better tendency to hit these lures, because they haven' t been pressured by fishermen.

If you are a die hard bass fishermen, just take plenty of Gatorade, be prepared to experiment and find out what the bass want , where the bass are, try to get away from all the boating and fishing traffic, and remember this, when the summer heats up , so can the fishing. You might just catch the biggest bass you have ever caught . The bass still need to eat and they will. So give them what they want. And when you get back to the house you might just be a hero.

I hope I didn't bore you to death with details and a long post, and maybe you might have just picked up a tip or technique that makes your next summertime bassing adventure a great success. So until next time, stay as cool as you can, drink plenty of Gatorade and keep your hooks wet. Fish safe, and enjoy the "Great Outdoors!" See ya out there! ; - )

Walleye: Fun To Catch And Very Tastey!

Walleye fishing is both exciting and challenging! As I mainly fish for largemouth bass, I very seldom fish solely for the elusive walleye. I am extremely lucky in catching walleye while I am bass fishing. Sometimes during the hot summer months I will pursue the walleye and I have found that walleye is probably, in my opinion , the best tasting fish I have ever eaten.

Like most predatory fish the walleye has 4 different seasons, spring, summer, fall, and winter. Which require different methods and techniques to be a successful walleye fisherman. Since I mainly fish for bass, I don't even claim to know all there is to know about these fish, but I have learned a lot about how to catch these fish from fishing shows and reading fishing articles.

I have found that when you fish for walleye, you have to give them what they want, just like any other type of fishing. In murky waters use bright colors and in clear waters use natural colors. I have the best luck on chartreuse colored lures.

I have better luck catching walleye on cloudy overcast days, or at night. From what I gather walleyes see very well with little or no light, and from what I can gather,from most of my walleye fishing buddies,they fish primarily at night.

METHODS AND TECHNIQUES

There are many methods and techniques that can be experimented with to catch these walleye. I am only gonna list what I know , that works for me. Since I am not a pro walleye fisherman, I am sure that there are many more that I am not aware of . So you can research this and find out more if you like! ; - )

1- live minnows - I have used minnows and it is real effective, especially when there picky and they are not hitting lures.Minnows in combination with jigs are also effective at times.Sometimes they want just plain minnows.

2- crankbaits - this is the method I use the most, and I have found that I am very successful with crankbaits. I have better luck with bright colored crank baits and especially on cloudy days, rain does seem to improve the bite. Experiment with the retrieve like bass fishing , because walleye like different retrieves also. Usually a slow retrieve is best, but sometimes they like it fast, while other times they like the start and stop retrieve.

3- Trolling - sometimes this is a very productive way to catch walleye. Walleye are very aggressive and you can troll at faster speeds, with great results. Walleye seem to have no trouble catching up to, and sometimes prefer the fast moving crankbaits. Try different speeds when you troll.

4- Vertical jigging - Try this method with jigs, spoons, little georges, rattle traps, live minnows, live minnows on a jig, roadrunners , etc.

These are just a few methods I have found to work. I have caught most of my walleye on cloudy, overcast days, with light rain. Shad raps and jointed rapalas are my main lures I turn to and chartreuse is the color I use most.

You may already know this, walleye have teeth! The first time I caught a walleye when my wife was along, she started to lip it like you would a bass and I had to tell her to grab the net. She wasn't aware of walleye having teeth. I had to laugh!

If you have learned anything with this article on walleye, then I am tickled pink. I am not an expert on walleye but I love to catch them and especially eat them. So I hope you picked up something today, and If you have any more tips or techniques , email me with them and I will post them for all of my readers to enjoy. I always appreciate my readers comments and will post them for all to read. I will also answer questions or reply to comments if needed. There are no such thing as dumb questions , so feel free to comment often . Lets establish a blog community and everyone participate at will.

Remember to boat safely, and keep your hooks wet! See you out there, and if you catch more walleye than you can eat , You can share some with me! ;- ) Practice catch and release. Keep what you can eat and turn the rest loose, so they can grow on you!

Stripers and Wipers: Biggest and Most Agressive Game Fish In Missouri Lakes!

As you probably know by now, if you have been following my posts, that I love to fish for large mouth bass mainly. I do however love to catch white bass in the spring and when the bass aren't cooperating, I pursue the striper bass and/ or hybrid white bass. I am going to focus today on stripers and hybrids or as some refer to the hybrids as "WIPERS"

STRIPERS



In the natural, striper bass spend most of their lives in salt water, and venture inland up freshwater streams to spawn. Once the different state conservation agencies figure out that the striper could survive in freshwater they began to stock them in several lakes all over the United States. It didn' t take them long to figure out that the stripers didn' t spawn in captivity or impounded lakes. I assume the saltwater is an important factor in spawning.

INTRODUCING THE HYBRID (WIPER)!



A hybrid striper are hatchery produced by crossing a female striper bass with a male white bass. Natural spawning of these hybrids has not been officially observed and whether they do or don't is a controversial subject. You will hear a pretty good arguement from both sides. Continual restocking is an ever present event on most lakes and here in Missouri the stripers and the hybrids seem to me to be abundant in several of our lakes.

Stripers and Wipers diet mainly consists of shad and they seem to prefer shad that are 5 inches or longer. However,these 2 species can also be caught on many types of artificial lure. I read recently that for every striper or wiper that is caught on a lure , 10 are caught on shad. So, I think it is safe to assume that shad is the best bait to use.

Stripers tend to get up to 30+ lbs in Missouri lakes, and I am sure they get bigger but I believe the world record striper is 78.5 lbs caught in Atlantic City, New Jersey, In 1982.

The world record Hybrid or wiper is close to 28 lbs, and I am not sure as where or when it was caught.

Stripers and wipers like there relatives the white bass are primarily school fish, so if you catch one , there is probably more close by. They both are very aggressive predators and have a tendency to strip off a lot of line in a hurry. You need to have a lot of line and a relatively loose drag or otherwise they will break off. If you don't use a good hook they tend to literally straighten the hook out !

If you have never been striper fishing, then you need to try it. The thrill of a big striper or hybrid stripping of line and a hard pulling fight, will be something you won't soon forget. A really big striper will literally tire you out and you will definitely need to sit down and rest your arms after the fight to get the blood flowing in your arms again. I am not kidding. It is an awesome experience. Once you hook one , you will be hooked for life. Pun intended ; - ) !

If you want to try your luck with artificial lures , try big flashy lures, and cast or troll them. Stripers and wipers primarily spend their time in the deeper waters of the main lake body. In the spring you can find them up the rivers and creeks that feed into the lake. Like white bass they think they will spawn, but like I stated before this has never really been offiicially observed.

I hope this has been an informal post on stripers and wipers, and like I said before if you haven't tried this exciting method of fishing before, then get out there and try it. You will like it! There is so much more material on these two fish, just google them and you will be amazed at the photos you will see.

So until next time, keep your hooks wet , and enjoy the
"Great Outdoors"! See you all out there!

Tips to Fishing Unfamiliar Waters

One of the biggest challenges that bass fishermen face is locating bass on unfamiliar waters. Whether you are a newbie to bass fishing, or a seasoned vet, this is probably the biggest obstacle you will encounter in becoming a consistantly successful bass fisherman.

We all love to fish area lakes and streams that we are familiar with. Lets face it, with the cost of fuel, fishing tackle, insurance and boats all skyrocketing out of site,we want to get the most out of our fishing activities. To spend all that money and go home with an empty live well is not exactly what most fishermen have in mind. We would like to limit out and go home as successful fishermen. Fishing unfamiliar waters doesn't have to be that difficult to over come if you do your homework before you leave home.

As we all know the internet is just loaded with all the information we need to do anything we desire. Sometimes the best information is from other fishermen. This information is easy to access if your willing to put out a little effort.

I am going to share with you today what has worked for me, and I honestly believe will help you overcome some obstacles and fears of fishing these unfamiliar waters. Even with the information on the internet, there is no substitute for " on the water experience" You can drastically improve your success if you learn " fish habits, and fishing methods"

If we research bass behavior , temperment, food sources, etc, then we have overcome half the obstacles, that determine success or failure.

Before you head to the lake you should acquire maps of the lake, in order to navigate and determine where ideal fishing structure is located. Study these maps and use your already gained knowledge and experience to pinpoint these normal fish holding structures.

Natural structures that hold fish are as follows:

Points - are always a prime area to find bass, most lakes have lots of points.Point are favorite routes for feeding bass.

Current - This is always good for bass. Obvious water movements is where rivers or creeks run into the lake, or the main river channel.Bait fish are drawn to current , because of the rich oxygen content.

Riprap - A stretch of bank that has a concentration of rocks is another great place to start looking for bass. Bass use this riprap as a place to ambush there prey.

Roadbeds - Shallow roadbeds make excellent spots to find feeding bass as baitfish tend to inhabit these roadbeds. There is usually good enough cover around roadbeds for a feeding bass to ambush there prey.

Sun and shade - In the summer bass will seek the shade , the shady side of a cove or the shadey side of a log, provide bass with a comfort zone. On a cooler day or winter time look for those locations the are exposed to the sun earlier , remember that bass like certain tempertures , just like you seek an a/c or a shade tree when it's hot , or the sun when it is cold, bass react in the same way.

Rubble - Many lake shore lines are barren, these what I call rubble shorelines can be an oasis for bass in these areas of the lake.

Laydowns or Log jams - These are natural inhabitance of bass because they provide shade and a point of ambush for a feeding bass, remembering bass are easier caught when they are FEEDING! This is just plain old common sense.

Ledges, breaks dropoffs, ditches , creek of river channels, underwater structures like sunken brushpiles. These are all excellent fish attractors and can be discovered by your electronics and/ or a good topigraphical maps.

Of course these are just a few suggestions but if you will put these suggestions to use, and use your own knowledge and experience , you will have more successful fishing trips especially on unfamiliar waters. Remember this, overcoming the fear of the unknown is half of the battle. The more you know about your quarry the easier it is to find and catch these fish.

So I hope this has helped you improve your ability to fish unfamiliar waters. Practice safe boating , and we will see you out there! Until next time enjoy the "Great Outdoors"and the" best of luck" to you! Practice the same strategies that you use on familiar waters on unfamiliar waters and your confidence and your success will without a doubt increase.

Top Water Fishing Is Extremely Exciting!

This is beyond a doubt my favorite method of bass fishing. If you ask most bass fishermen what type of fishing is their favorite, and most will say the top water bite. Having a bass blow up a top water lure will surely get the adrenilin flowing in even the most veteran bass fisherman. Many people say that May and June are the best time of the year for the top water bite.

There are literally hundreds of different topwater lures that a person can use, but we will list just a few as the whole list would require more bandwidth than I have available to this blog. These lures come in dozens of different colors and shapes and actions.

My favorite topwater lures are buzz baits, zara spooks, topwater chug or popper baits, Jitterbugs, Rogues, torpedos,poppin R's, senkos and floating worms. As I stated earlier there are alot more available but these are a few that I use and have great success using them. Not only that I have alot of confidence in them Because I know they work, at least for me. I am sure if you learn to use them you will have great success with them too.

Topwater lures are good throughout the summer, with success coming at day or night. Even a big spinner bait if reeled rather quickly waking the surface is a very effective top water lure.There are a lot of crankbaits that are sub surface lures retrieved within 12 inches of the surface are excellent choices too.

A real good indicator is the surface action of feeding fish chasing minnows or busting surface bugs or whatever. This indicates surface feeding and usually dictates the best time to try topwater lures. Though I have had a lot of success when there wasn,t any surface feeding that was visual.

The bite is usually a boil or big loud splash and then a real hard jerk. When you get a topwater bite , wait until you feel the jerking before you set the hook. If you set the hook when the splash happens you will usually jerk the lure out of the basses mouth. A lot of the time a bass will blow up on a bait 2 or 3 times before they get on.

Each kind of topwater lures has its own unique way of retrieval or action , some move rather fast , some slow. Some just have action and no noise. You really need to have a variety of topwater lures as some work better than others during certain weather, or lighting conditions.

There is so much information out there on different topwater lures and colors and conditions and weather all fit into the puzzle to determine the best time to use these lures.

You can catch smallmouth , largemouth , kentuckies, white bass,hybrids, and stripers even an occasional walleye. During the day you can usually see the bass boil or strike the lure. Bass hit these lures very aggressively, and head for deep water when hooked. If you wait to feel the jerk and then set the hook you will not have near as many misses and alot more success at getting them to the net.

As I have stated before there will be future articles on topwater lures , so stay tuned and be sure to subscribe to "Kennys Great Outdoors" to keep up with further developments and more detailed articles on a lot of different subjects, feel free to comment , I really like the feed back that I get, good or bad it doesn't matter , as it will help me to respond with better information and tips.

Remember to keep your hooks wet , fish safe, practice catch and release. Most of all enjoy the "Great Outdoors" and we will see you out there, and Good Luck!

New Fishing Loophole or What?

No one in this town could catch any fish except this one man. The game warden asked him how he did it so the man told the game warden that he would take him fishing the next day ...

Once they got to the middle of the lake the man took out a stick of dynamite, lit it, and threw it in the water. After the explosion fish started floating to the top of the water. The man took out a net and started picking up the fish.

The game warden told him that this was illegal.

The man took out another stick of dynamite and lit it. He then handed it to the game warden and said "Are you going to fish or talk?"

The Most Versatile Bait: The Spinner Bait!

Today I am going to spend some time talking about one of my favorite lures, the "spinner bait". This is probably one of the most versatile lures on the market, and the most favorite lure used by fishermen from all walks of life.

The spinner bait is extremely versatile in that , You can fish it effectively at any depth that is necessary to catch them big lunker bass. There are several methods of retrieval ,which can trigger even the most finicky bass on a hard day of fishing. We will discuss the different methods used by successful bass fishermen in an effort to help anyone interested in learning different methods of catching those "Lunker" bass.

1. chunk and wind - This method of retrieval is the most common and easiest to use. This simply means cast it and retrieve it at a normal and steady rate. This method should not be overlooked and usually does the job just fine with great success.

2. Yo-yo or pumping retrieve - simply cast the spinner bait to the target area and as the name implies slowly pump the rod tip up and down as you slowly real , This method at times, produces great success as this arradic motion sometimes triggers the strike usually on the down fall.

3.THe slow roll - this method is used mostly when the bite is deep. You want to stay close to the bottom and bumping the bottom quite often is a very effect retrieve during hot summer days when fish are laying deep.The vibrations of the spinners and the bumping noise can bring a bass in from a great distance.

4 jigging the bait - similiar to the yo-yo but a slight variation. Pitch the bait to the target and let the bait drop to the bottom, lift your rod 2 or 3 times and then let the bait settle to the bottom again.

5. dragging - there are many variations to this manuever, but the main idea is dragging the bottom almost constantly , which causes vibrations, noise, and visual disturbance of the bottom like a crawdad disturbing the bottom with its tail.

6. waking the surface - This retrieve is probably the hardest to learn and perfect. Cast the bait and reel fast enough to make the lure wake the surface actually skimming the surface . This method is very effective when the top water bite is hot and allows the fishermen visual contact and you can actually see the bite.

There are other variations and some of them quite similar to the ones we have discussed here today. But if you can master these six variations you will improve your chances of catching bass with this versatile lure.

The spinner bait comes in many different weights and colors. Some have single spinners , 2 spinners , and three spinners.So stocking your tackle box can be a little costly but well worth your time and money.

If you notice alot of strikes and misses then try adding a trailer hook the the spinner bait and you can also add a grub or a frog to the spinner bait, which sometimes is just the ticket to ensure success at catching those bass. After all that is the whole point behind fishing isn't it?

Because you can vary the retrieve , fish the spinner at any depth,and weights and colors are so plentiful , you will find that the spinner bait truely is the bait of choice for most bass fishermen Mastering this lure and developing confidence in the spinner bait is a real smart way to increase your chances of a lunker of a lifetime.

So I hope this helps you and enables you to be more successful on the water. This has been a basic post on spinner baits and we will go into more depth in future articles , so stay tuned and subscribe to" Kennys Great Outdoors" to stay up to date on the latest methods and tips.

You can subscribe by feed or by email , the choice is entirely yours, but will be greatly appreciated by me and feel free to leave comments. All comments good or bad are welcome , I want feed back for ideas to future articles etc..

So until next time , please fish safe, respect others , keep your hooks wet and See ya out there. Good luck! Remember to practice "Catch and Release"

White Bass Fishing Is Fantastic and Fun!

White bass, commonly referred to as "sand bass" is abundant and a popular sportfish in most of Missouri's area lakes and lake feeder streams. This is mostly due to the fact that they are relatively easy to catch and more than willing to hit artificial lures. White bass provide exciting action throughout the year, but are extremely easy to find and catch in the spring of the year during their spawning migration up rivers and streams, that feed the lake reservoirs.

It is during these spawning runs , when literally thousands of white bass are concentrated in small creeks, rivers, and dam tailwater, and also when the majority of these whites are caught.

When they release water out of the locks below the dams , the white bass literally go crazy! While the water is swift it stirs up the baitfish and the whites start working these baitfish. While this action is taking place the fishing action heats up and it is a good time to catch your limit rather easily and in very short time.

A wide assortment of lures will catch these hungry white bass. Lots of fisherman like shad colored lures, for example shad raps, rapala lures, rattle traps, etc. Some fishermen use small bright colored jigs, roadrunners, and rubber minnows. Rooster tails in bright colors are awesome too!

It is a lot of fun trolling for these whites also. You can cover lots of ground and when they are hitting lures that are trolled they will literally jerk your rod out of your hands if your not careful. These fish are very aggressive and literally bend your rod double when you catch them trolling or casting either one.

You can catch them on crankbaits, shallow running lures of almost anykind
spoons, killer bs, spinner baits, just about anything in your box, so don't be afraid to experiment. During the spring they are not to picky, but some lures and colors work better than others on certain days. And remember where there is one white bass there are generally a whole lot more, considering they are a schooling fish.

White bass fishing usually involves lighter spinning and bait-casting tackle, since the average size of the fish caught is about two pounds. Small 1/8-ounce hair and plastic jigs in white, yellow, and chartreuse are popular lures, as are small silver spoons. At times, small topwater popping lures can also be used. Using light tackle makes and exciting day and gives even the most season veteran fisherman quite a thrill.

Remember Spring is the best time of the year to catch these aggressive white bass , but you can catch them all year if you can find them. Usually early in the morning or late in the evening you can find them surfacing, busting shad . Look for a lot of shad activity and pay attention to the gulls , this will clue you in to the location of a school of white bass, and also, stripers, and hybrids tend to hang around these feeding whites too.

Remember to fish safely , and respect your fellow fishermen, and you will enjoy fishing anytime and everytime. Keep your lures wet and catch a bunch, see you out there, and good luck! Keep what you can eat and release the rest, they might just grow on you for next time.

Can A Bass Hear?

A lot has been learned about the senses of bass. Somewhat like humans a bass depends on its senses to survive. Lets look a little closer at the senses that a bass' survival depends on. They see,hear,feel,and touch, that much we are sure of. All of these senses work together to accomplish one thing, SURVIVAL!

Today we are going to focus on a basses, in my opinion , the two most important senses, sight and feeling. With a bass you can't just pick one of the two, because they seem to work together,pretty much. How does these two senses work for the bass? I will do my best to explain, and I don't profess to be all knowing on the matter. But I have done alot of research on the two.

A bass uses these two senses to catch their prey and/or food, if they are skilled enough and maybe lucky too! When their prey, most commonly crayfish and minnows or smaller fish, move thru water they put off vibrations and/or clicking sounds. Reguardless of a bass seeing the prey they feel it thru their lateral line. Since this is a natural sound to a bass, it alerts the bass that food is close by. Thus on closer investigation, when it closes in on the vibrations it gets close enough for their eyes to take over.Now keeping this in mind , we have a little better understanding of how artificial lures work so well.

A lot of crank baits wiggle and have chambers of bb's that rattle. Get it? Natural vibrations and sounds stimulate a bass's natural predatorial reaction to investigate. Rattle traps have a chamber of bb"s and they wiggle too. Spinner baits have the big spinner and in most cases two big spinners that really set off a big wave of vibrations also, making them a very popular weapon in most fishermens arsenal.

Now days jigs and worms have rattle chambers that are attached to them. Some fishermen have the opinion that in heavily pressured fishing areas fish become weary of this rattling noises, and lures without the rattles become affective if this is the case. I have to agree, as I have experimented with this at times and it seems to be true. As a rule though, the rattle is usually a better choice.

Sound travels faster is is magnified in the water, and when you add movement to it , you will understand a bass and the techniques used to catch these creatures, alot better.

This is why it is extremely important to keep the noise level down while fishing. As some fishermen have stated , a bass becomes accustomed to noises that fishermen make and associate some noises with the threat of danger. For example , rummaging thru a tackle box, closing a live well , walking heavily on the deck of a boat, trolling motors, dropping a lure in the boat. These are just a few things that some fishermen aren,t aware of.Even motoring in to a spot with the big motor alerts a bass of fishermen . I am not saying that it spooks all bass , but in heavily fished areas bass become familiar with these noises and may become wary of taking a lure during these situations.

I have heard a lot of fishermen say that bass are dumb and it takes no skill to catch them. This is so far from the truth, that it isn't even funny. It just shows how inexperienced and naive some people can be. Lunkers don't become HAWGS because they are stupid or dumb. Sometimes it seems like they will bite anything you throw and other times you have to out smart and outskill them.

When you take a basses eyes and and feel and add them together , you can see why they are a natural predator ,even when water is muddy or when it is dark a bass is properly equipped to find their prey. So the next time you are fishing, and you thing the water is too dirty or muddy, remember these pointers and you will have more confidence in your fishing abilities, or should I say the basses abilities to find your lures.

Keep your hooks wet, and fish safe, and remember , keep an eye out for me, cause we will see you out there. Until next time Good luck and remember to practice" catch and release!" Oh yeah in the side panel click on the banner and take the anglers challenge, take a youngster fishing. ; - )

Night Time Bass Fishing?

We are nearing the time of year when the fishing conditions become
unbearable for most fishermen. I personally do not like to be on the
lake when temperatures get above 90 degrees. Most fishermen are aware
that there is practically no shade on most lakes. Being exposed to the
sun all day during these high temperatures can subject a person to a
severe sunburn and possibly a heat stroke.

One of the most overlooked ways to fish and probably the most productive
way to fish during these hot summer days, is NIGHT fishing.Some might think
upon this method of fishing as dangerous and it can be if you don't take
precautions.

The best time for night fishing I have found is 3 to 4 nights prior to
the full moon.I have had success during the full moon and a few nights
after the full moon.The most effective being prior to the full moon,has
been the most productive for me.

You see the light of the moon enables us to see better, and navigation
becomes safer than with no moon. My recommendation for no moon is that
you know the area of the lake your fishing well. The safest way to
navigate is slow your boat down to a safe speed, and make sure you use
your navigation lights which is required by the law. To not use your
navigation lights is both illegal and down right foolish.

Fishing at night is not any different than during the day and your
choice of lures is not much different. I use dark colored lures, plastic
worms, jig and pigs, spinner baits, crank baits and of course the most
overlooked is the top water lures such as buzz baits, jitterbugs, chug
baits and even the zarra spook.

Bass have a lot better night time vision than we have and also have their
lateral line as an aid, feeling vibrations and noises such as a rattling
sound. They can zoom right in on any of the baits very easily and effectively
catch and engulf these baits.

A fisherman has a better chance at catching a lunker,for various reasons,
one being there is a whole lot less traffic and fishing pressure at night.
Cooler temperatures make the fisherman more comfortable and enjoy the trip
much more than trying to endure the sun and the heat associated with these
hot summer days.

If you haven't tried night fishing, then I suggest very strongly that you
try it a time or two. It sure beats trying to endure these hot summer days
when the bite is extremely slow and the recreational boating is too much
for an enjoyable trip.

SAFETY is a must for night fishing. Make sure you have flashlights and
extra batteries, and a good knowledge of the lake where you are fishing.
Always let someone know where you are going to be fishing and a rough
estimate of the time you expect to arrive home. Take your cell phone with
you for emergency situations. My best advice is try to make sure you have
a buddy along.

If you plan ahead, slow down, know the lake well , and take all the safety
precautions that you can, then you should have a very enjoyable trip.You
might even catch that trophy lunker bass that has always eluded you before.

I hope this article has been informative and helpful for those die hard
bass fishermen that would rather not sit under the a/c during july and august
hot summer days.

So again, until next time, and there will be a next time. Keep your hooks wet and

safely enjoy the "Great Outdoors" See you out there, and have fun!

Canoe Floats and Fishing On the "Big Piney River"

If you have been keeping up with articles on "Kenny's Great Outdoors" you might remember a post I did, If you did read it great! If you didn't then check here in my blog archives in April and look for Fishing On the "Big Piney River"anyways to summarize I have about 44 years of floating and fishing on this magnificent, spring fed river.

The "Big Piney" was rated by "Field and Stream" magazine as one of the best fishing streams in Missouri. If you do a google search on the "Big Piney River" you will be surprised at all the entries available for a thorough research on this river. It has a truely amazing history that goes back into the late 1800's. Known by earlier settlers for the fishing, water resource, and trapping , and used heavily by the indians as evident of all the artifacts still surfacing on these river bottoms. If you happen to find some artifacts , remember that there are very specific laws governing these findings and the best thing to do is leave them alone! ;-)



There are at least 2 or 3 canoe rental resorts on the "Big Piney" There may be more if you do your research, but I
am going to suggest 2 here today. If you click on the links you will go to their home page and you can make reservations if needed. They are busy this time of year but if you call ahead they will let you know their open dates.

Rich's Last Resort

Located near Duke , Missouri or the town of Big Piney , Missouri, Rich has been here along time and has been an associate and friend the the Breckenridge family. He has a river access, cabins, campgrounds, showers, and whatever you need for accomodations and he is very hospitable. Depending on how many days you want to float
he can accommodate the vehicle to haul the canoes and put you in the river and take you out. Click on his link above for more information and brochures. These brochures and documents are in pdf format for you to download.


Boiling Spring Resort

I used to know the owners of this fabulous resort, it has changed ownership and rumor has it among the locals around Licking Missouri that they are very hospitable. They have camping areas , boat and canoe transport, groceries bait , etc. Click on the link and you can find out more about this Famous resort. Boiling Springs has a flow of about 12 million gallons of cold spring water as pure as water can be. There are several springs of this nature flowing in the river . In the summertime the water is so cold it will take your breath and numb you fast.

So depending on your preference , whether it is fishing, canoeing , camping, beautiful scenery, or whatever, the "Big Piney River" has exactly what you desire from the " Great Outdoors" If your into photography, make sure you bring your camera and plenty of film. You nearly always see, deer, turkeys, wildpigs, armadillos, squirrels , birds of every kind, and you might even see a bald eagle or golden eagle. Wild life is plentiful, and there are lots of wild flowers , all of which make beautiful pictures for your memory keepsakes.

So in closing if you have never been on a fishing trip or canoe trip on the "Big Piney" river , then you just haven't lived yet. Just click on the links to The 2 listed resorts above and be sure to Tell them that you heard about them on Kennys Great Outdoors

So until next time, keep your hooks wet, practise outdoor safety, and definitely above all things, enjoy
the "Great Outdoors" and we will see you out there on the lakes or maybe you might even run into me on the "Big Piney River. I didn't mean that literally. ;- )

THREE BLONDES FISHING

Three blondes are sitting by the side of a river holding fishing poles with the lines in the water. A Game Warden comes up behind them, taps them on the shoulder and says, "Excuse me, ladies, I'd like to see your fishing licenses." We don't have any." replied the first blonde.

"Well, if your going to fish, you need fishing licenses." said the Game Warden. "But officer," replied the second blonde, "we aren't fishing. We all have magnets at the end of our lines and we're collecting debris off the bottom of the river."

The Game Warden lifted up all the lines and, sure enough, there were horseshoe magnets tied on the end of each line. "Well, I know of no law against it," said the Game Warden, "take all the debris you want." And with that, the Game Warden left.

As soon as the Game Warden was out of sight, the three blondes started laughing hysterically. "What a dumb Fish Cop," the second blonde said to the other two, "doesn't he know that there are steelhead in this river?

Catching Those Truman Whites?

Well the recent trip to Truman paid off again! The day was a pleasant one , Not so windy and pleasantly warm , We were trolling some and catching them on a "shad rap" The big ones were biting and then we went up some of local fishing honey holes and started catching them on a " suspending rattlin rogue " Now when the whites are hitting these lures they hit em hard. You had better be hanging on to those high dollar rods and reels or you might lose it.

The day went well and so did we and we caught way more than we wanted to clean, so we kept what we wanted to eat and released the rest. Wow! what an exciting day, We got sunburned. Later in the evening we had a big fish fry that was tops! So everyone get out there and enjoy the "great outdoors" Keep your hooks wet. See ya out there!