Conference wahoo::fishing

    Ed the reason he woul not bite was thjat he could smell you as well as
    having just seen you. Fish have an acute sense of smell . hence the use
    of fish repellents that the pro's squirt on their lures.
    
    Want to buy some fish formula?? in the handy squirt bottle?
    
                                        Walt
    

    Ed, I have to assume that the when you state it was post spawn that you
    are talking about July. In the colder lakes as Winni it is possible by
    the description you gave that this bass was still spawning even if this 
    was middle to late June. Let's assume it is a post spawn bass and that
    it has recovered from the spawning ritual. A bass will strike for many
    reasons. The bass will utilize its sense's for sight,sound,smell,and
    some people suggest that the lateral line on the fish assist it in 
    identifying sound. The reason it will strike is by using these sense's,
    when it is hungry,angry,territorial,or a reaction strike. It is quite
    obvious that the bass was not hungry or territorial, or in a
    reactionary mode. Some times it takes the right lure and presentation
    to get a bass to strike in a reactive mode. But that same lure cast
    numerous times 20-30 can really get him upset and get him to strike.
    I've only had the patience to accomplish this once but the fish was
    around 4lbs when I finally landed her. When your normally fishing and 
    you don't get a strike after a few cast we tend to give up on the spot.
    I guess when we can see fish and the size we tend to put in the time.
    

Ed,
	You hit the nail right on the head. If you can see the fish they
can also see you. I've had the same problem you just described on streams,
Lakes and rivers. I think from the fishes perspective it knows seeing you
that something isn't right in it's enviornment,so it's super cautious. 
	It sounds like it was a big fish so it probably stayed there 
because it didn't feel physically threatened by your presence. My
experience is little fish as soon as they see you are gone. Bigger fish 
will usally move somewhat but will stey right there untill they feel 
physicaly threatened and then they move. 
	But either way once they see you they get lock jaw much like 
when a cold front moves in. It would have been intresting to see if you
left that spot and came back an hour later,but didn't get close enough 
for the fish to see you,if it would have taken you offering. Some folks 
go to extremes of painting their boats to blend in with the surroundings
and wear clothing that doesn't have a high contrast(yes I've even seen 
them wear Army fatigues,must be Rambo fishing techniques). I don't go to
any of these extremes. If a happen to get to close to see the fish I 
usally back away and come back later. 
	The only time I've seen when you can sit right on top of the 
fish and get away with it is during the Spawn,when the male is either
making the nest of protecting the Eggs.

						Com'on Ice Out,
							Gary

    While we're on the subject, how do you guys feel about low-vis line vs
    blue flourescent? Do you find that bright line spooks fish? Or maybe
    more accurately, do you find that low-vis line gives you better results
    than high-vis? Also, do you feel that greenish line is even less
    visible (to the fish) than clear?
    
    My impression now is that high-vis line might be better for top water
    or low-light fishing and that low-vis is preferred on bright sunny
    days.
    
    Any comments?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Ed
    

    I don't like high-vis line... donmac

Ask Bassin' Bob about line.  He did a dive test with a whole bunch of line on 
a rack.  He was exceptionally helpful to me, as I purchased 3 3000 yd spools
this season (8,12 and 17#).

Tim

    Ed
    
    I can relate to your predicement exactly.  At least three times at the
    Wachusetts I have been standing on the shore and less than four feet
    away will spy one or sometimes two gigantic bass swimming by.  When
    that happens they don't swim away just continue to swim back and forth
    along the breakline.   I have tried crankbaits, rubber worms, spinners,
    buzzbaits and even rattle baits to no avail.  I have been toying with
    the idea of a handgrenade but figuire that might be hard to do a catch
    and release after the explosion.  I don't think they saw me, but I
    can't be sure because they just continued to swim back and forth until
    they have suffieciently screwed my brains up, got my heartbeat to
    caridac arrest level, gave me sweating palms and of course the moment I
    begin to hyperventilate they turn tail and go deep.  Like I said I
    started thinking of handgrenades but BPO doesn't sell them.
    
    Maybe thats why they have grown so large, by giving bass fishermen
    heart attacks.
    
    the Bassassin

    Bass are bout de mos spookiest fish dere are. Tings chew kin do to keep
    frum spookin dem:
    
    1. Don chuse a alumunum boat
    2. Don hit chew lure on de water to get de moss off it
    3. Don chuse a alunimum boat
    4. If chew on de bank, don take a step. Dey feel de fiberation.
    5. Don chuse a metel boat
    6. Don move roun in de boat. Keep chore box open an close.
    7. Don chuse a medal boat
    8. Wen chew paddle, slide de paddel into de water slowly. Best to drift
    into dem.
    9. Don git wun ob dem medal boats.
    10. Alweys try to approch dem frum de shady side wit chore shadow away
    frum dem. If chew have to com frum de sunny side, don put chore shadow
    ober dem.
    11. Stay away frum dem dam metel alumumun boats. Wooden boats is best
    wit de bottom painted alumanum(shiney).
    12. Wen dey spawin, trow chore lure between dem an de bank. If it maks
    a big splash, wait a few seconds before reelin it in. If de bank is
    clear, its best to jes trow it on dere an drag it into de water.
    
    Jes got bak from de camp. De weather is nice(75-80), but de waters
    still cold. De poule d'eaus an wood ducks are cleanin out de coontail
    moss for de spawnin. Crankerbaits wuz good, but fishin wuz spotty.
    Guess dey won be takin much till spawnin tme now.
    
    Coonass

    Well, I'm ahead already. No middle boat - got a Colemen Crawdinghy, 
    an I keep the tackle box open and close right in front of me to
    minamize fibrations.
    
    Thank-yeew!
    
    Ed
    

    	As for line color, the ONLY time I have used HI-VIS line was last
    summer for one week because I couldn't get the GREEN line.  I spooked
    probably twice as many fish with that line that week as normal.  (Water
    conditions, CLEAR with moss.)  In slightly dingy water (muddy but
    barely), I like clear.  In Clear water with no moss, I like clear line
    better than GREEN.  Only time I used PRIME, I had a lot more line
    spooks than the same weight category GREEN Trilene XT.  (Does that tell
    you what I spool on my reels?)
    	Oh, and Coon-Ass, If'n you gets you one o dem der luminum boats,
    CA'PET it!!!!  :-)  Then, if all else fails, use the Chawin Tobakee
    trick!  Spitum in water.  When fish come up to spit, hitum on head with
    paddle.

    Hmmm. That might explain why we had so few strikes that day (or why I
    caught so few fish last summer!) *all* I used last year, except for
    that German line, was blue flourescent. Sheesh! Some other folks in a
    bass boat nearby us on that day caught 4 or 5 bass to our one. Now I
    can blame it on the line!
    
    I think I was mislead by a fishing "authority" who said that bass were 
    not line shy, so he recommended blue flourescent line for visibility.
    The biggest bass I caught all last year was at night! The rest were
    aggressive med sized ones, and not many of those, either. The places I
    usually fish get more than average fishing pressure, so the fish
    probably get wise to blue line fast. I caught plenty of picks, though -
    they are *not* line shy...
    
    Ed