I feel like the Crappie will start their spawn about three days before the FULL MOON which is the 29TH of March, and if the weather holds up it should run til the end of April. I know I wrote the article about the moon phase does not effect the fish, but I still go by the moon phases and it has always worked for me.

The best times to hit the lake let it warm up a little and then about 9:30AM hit the water, the bite should be good at least until 12 NOON.

Getting some report about HORSE SHOE Lake In Arkansas, but let me tell you what I have seen about this lake. You need to be there at daylight because the CRAPPIE will shut down about 9:30AM. The ramp fee at Camp Carefree is $7.00, and when backing into the lake stay to the left. There is a stump and big rock to the right and no since in tearing up your lower unit before you get to start fishing.

Don’t forget the Bass they will also be moving up from the deep and look for them on the points and moving into the coves looking for a meal. Lure Choice: SPINNER BAIT, BUZZ BAIT, RATTLE TRAPS (Crawdad color), and do not forget the frogs….Stop and think the Bass are very hungry and will almost go after anything this but these are my first lures that I will be throwing. 

Keep The HOOKS WET

Steve

One thing you do not want to forget is check that Fishing License, because I know the end of Feb your Tennessee went out and you better have the new one on-board if you get stopped. I just renewed my boat tags that ran out March 10Th, and it is alright to carry what they call the trans number until you get your new sticker. You want to check all regs they might have changed from last year on the size I can keep and weigh.

I cleaned out the boat before I carried it to the service center, so I can look so forward in getting everything back in my boat that should take about a week. It might be a good idea to break out the article I wrote about things not to forget and let that help me in loading up the boat again.

I have sat down on three different occasions talking about the trees that we put out at the lake on which ones to fish first….I know what you are thinking (fish the ones that have fish on them). We have to take into considerations on what the weather will be doing 27Th of March, the water Temperature, Wind, sunny or cloudy day, and how many other boats will be watching us very close. A lot of my readers are fishing that Tournament not to mention 250 boats that might be coming up from Wilson Dam that same day.

Some how I know that it will all fall into place and I will be going over to the lake a day or two in advance mainly to maybe catch some Crappie… but be sure that I will check out some of the spots provided I am not watched that hard. You can be sure that if I am put in a situation where they are watching me like a hawk, I will not even go to the trees, sorry guys but I will spill the beans after the tournament with even a map on where every tree is.

Most of all I will not let my readers down on answering all questions that are fired at me, Example: I had someone ask me the other day about what lures, colors that I thought would be good for the tournament, and yes I told him straight up and would not tell them to throw something that I did not intend to throw. I even went so far to predict that the bass should be moving up to the spawning beds and what they should look for. Maybe I should have held back, but most of my readers know I will not do that, it is still my goal to get everyone on the fish and maybe the fish of a lifetime. I did ask that if he wins the other tournament he will let me know so I know I steered him in the right direction.

Keep The Hooks Wet

Steve

Keep The Hooks Wet

Steve

Everyone knows I write a lot of things that happen to me and that is what this article is about. I wrote awhile back if anyone knew what could be causing my tilt to kick up the big motor without touching anything. Well after I took my boat in for a spring check up they found out up front where I had a tilt switch put in by the trolling motor. They discovered water or condensation was getting in the switch and casing a short. They removed the switch and replaced it and this time coated it with a rubber coating. Now got that fixed and wanted the lower unit oil changed and this should be done at least every season. You do not want to see any silver shaving’s in the old oil, this could be signs that need attention right away so it does not come back and haunt you at the lake. Some folks like to do it themselves, but I elected to have a professional do mine. While they are doing this it would not hurt to have that water pump looked at.

The other thing that I was having problems with was every time I started the big motor and let it warm up, and when I hit it the motor would choke out. I discovered that the spark plugs were not that tight. What I mean is when I replaced them I would tighten them down to what I thought was tight and it was allowing compression to come back out and was told I was lucky that I did not blow the plug out of it hole. To solve this problem I was showed after the plug feels tight to you give it another 1/4 turn, there is a small washer on the bottom of the spark plug and this must be compressed to seal that port. Now the motor runs great and no more choke outs.

I am ready to hit the lakes this spring are you??????

Keep The Hooks Wet

Steve

We have just brought on-board SecretWeaponLures and for right now until June 1, 2010 if you enter the code BASSHOG in the Coupon Code Box at the Checkout section of Secret Weapon Lure’s on-line store you get an additional 15% off your order. Note: The basshogfishing.com fishing site makes a small commission that helps keep the lights on and you get to enjoy saving moneyat SecretWeaponLures.com due to the volume of our traffic. We both win.

I know for a fact you will not be able to beat that deal, and believe me I have started loading up so I will have what ever MR. BASSHOG might want this spring. I can not wait to try out the Twin Vee Frame with dual in-line blades, and the PRO ASSASSINATOR Spinner Bait which you will notice the noise the clacking blades makes and that should draw a lot of attention to the lure.

We are proud of Secret Weapon Lures for giving us some samples that was won by a lucky reader of my sight, and I said they have to send some pictures of the Hogs that they catch this spring.

This is just one of the many deals that can be had on my site, if you have not checked it out in the past month ….check it out there is so many new items and deals, and I am working my web guy to death and he is doing such a great job on getting everything up on the sites, and helping me make this the best fishing site.

The affiliate link to buy the Bill Dance Complete Bass Fishing Course where a copy was donated as a prize in a previous contest is now on the main page and it is a collection that should be in your DVD collection. I am trying to get with my buddy Bill that lives so close to me about getting some scoop on the Florida Lakes and maybe a small interview for my sites.

I have two other items that I am working hard on and that is Take a Kid Fishing in the Memphis area. Would like to form a chapter here in Memphis so all my readers can see I care so much about keeping our youth involved in Fishing and the outdoors. The second item that I thought would take off was the Guide service page that we have come up with, and I thought there were guides out there that would jump on-board and have there Guide Service listed on my pages. I have started a notebook with guides all over the United States and of course the local lakes.

So if you have not stopped by my sites do not miss out on the specials that my Web Guy and I come up with to help keep you informed and most of all put you on some great fishing.

Last Thanks to my readers that have contacted me and talked about fishing, I enjoy talking to each and every one of you.

Keep The Hooks Wet

Steve

Would like to thank everyone that came up to me at the Memphis Show and told me how much they enjoyed the articles I have written and how it has helped them. I hooked a lot of folks up with the Crappi Candles and they are ready to attack the Crappie.

I know everyone is like me chomping it to bits to hit the lakes and get the Season going and if Mother Nature will play ball with us we will have a great spring.

If you have not looked at your tackle all winter it is past time to re-check everything and make sure everything is in working order. You do not want to get on the water then find out your reel is not casting right or your hooks are dull and you can not stick the fish.

One thing that a lot of my readers will enjoy this year is we are going to try and video some of the tips and trips that I make and I will talk you through this. The first few might be a little raw but it is me trying to get use to the camera.

Look forward to maybe seeing some of you on the water and please if you see me come up and say HI, be safe and let’s have a great Year.

Keep The Hooks Wet

Steve

Most of the studies of Moon Phases had a lot to do with Salt Water fishing and the tides, and how the fish react to the tides.

 There was a Doctor down in Florida that discovered the Bass did not spawn with the Full Moon at every lake, some of them spawned on the dark moon. He studied this for two years and said that most of the fish that he had tagged spawned if the Temperature of the water was suitable instead. He did show that the Bass was more active on the First Quarter, Full Moon, Last Quarter, and the smallest amount was on the New Moon. Fish spawned when water temperature were suitable and continued to spawn for two to six months.

When I was working at Bass Pro the tank that was in the store where we showed customers how the fish react to different baits. I discovered if we kept the water at about 72 degrees the bass would spawn all the time no matter what the moon was doing.

Now I have got to admit that I have caught some of my biggest bass on a night with a Full Moon, or a day that falls in the Full Moon Phase. I guess if this is the way that you think it is right in your mind to get out there and get the hogs no matter what the moon is doing. I am convinced on nights that I fish with a Full Moon, it just might be that the Bass can see the bait a lot better and that might be the key. Other times that I have caught some nice Bass when the lake has current, or they are pulling (moving) water.

The bottom line is any angler should go fishing at every chance they can and not worry about the Moon Phase. The best way to put this is what ever you think works for you go with your thoughts and see. It is like I say when I go and come up empty handed ” Boy I sure had a great day out”. Beats any day at work. I have always used the Moon Phases when I was going fishing and I do not intend to change my thoughts no matter what studies are done to try and disprove this theory. I grew up with the Moon Phases and that is what my grandfather always taught me, he also added if the cows are up and moving or wildlife is moving the fish are biting.

Keep The Hooks Wet

Steve

They are reporting catching some crappie at different lakes like Horseshoe In Arkansas,  Smith Lake and Weiss Lake in Alabama. Do not be fooled into thinking this means it is hot all over, because it is not. The folks that are catching crappie have to work real hard just for a few.

I am looking at the last week of March and the hottest will be the first week to two weeks in April. March’s full moon is the last week of March like the 29th and if we can get at least one week of 70 degree temp it just might turn the crappie on, and they will move up for the spring spawn.

I even will go so far to say that I feel like we will not see a spring time it will jump from winter to summer all in one week. Look for at least 4 to 5 days of real warm weather and then hit the lakes after the Crappie.

Keep The Hooks Wet

Steve

I will be there showing everyone the Crappi Candle in booth 19 right across from the  seminar room.

Another thing that I wanted to mention is we now have the COMPLETE BASS FISHING COURSE up on both the basshogfishing and the crappieslabfishing sites, so if you think that angler has everything and you can not think what to get him or her for their birthday I can take some of the guess work out. Do not forget Fathers Day in June, you want to make sure that you get it order to arrive in time.

Still looking for guides to check out the site we have created for them to list their service so my readers will have a go to place if they want to hire a guide. A lot of folks do not have time to spend hours/days trying to find the fish and that is where the guide comes in. He knows what will make you happy and he will put you on the fish.

Have placed the new article on Making your Honey Hole that you need to check out, and let me tell you it was some kind of cold that weekend getting the trees out…but boy am I going to have fun this spring and summer.

KEEP THE HOOKS WET

STEVE

 Dave Precht Editor and  Chief wrote a article stating that ethanol became a enemy of a fishing trip. He stated that you must keep your gas tank full and most of all you have got to use a gas fuel stabilizer in the tank, this will combat the ethanol that is in most of our gas stations. Try and find one that does not contain ethanol and you could spend all summer looking for that special station.

Dave found out the inside of his gas line  a plastic tubing had disintegrated and was told that the ethanol gas that was in the tank had caused this. One thing that he did bring out is when filling your tank up make sure that it is fresh fuel from busy gas stations and install a fuel filter. I have got to add, never fill your boat up when a station is getting fresh fuel. This is the time that will stir up all the dirt in the stations tank and you will transfer it to your baby. Always pick a station that gets constant traffic and this might help from picking up any dirt in the stations tank.

I can not believe there has been so many complaints about this ethanol additive from not just boat owners but cars also. This is just 10% right now and they wanted to move it up to 15%, but was shot down for the time being. I guess we will all see the effects of what this ethanol and how it will keep the mechanics working and our back pockets empty.

I think istead of printing reports about ethanol, like in Bass-Masters putting it on  some of the last pages they need to make it cover story and save some of the heart ache that will come sooner or later. I can not see them taking the ethanol back out of the gas and we should have never allowed it in the first place. I guess it was something that got sneaked into our gas and it will take more than a act of congress to get it out. To bad we can not send some of these costly bills to our government and let them pay for the damages that they have caused.

I just saw another article in the Feb 2010 Bass-Masters where Lacy Jones from Arkansas was saying about the same about this ethanol and the damage it causes. He said maybe we could start a drive against this additive.

Lacy they might get the message when folks stop buying the bass boats with the big engines. Knowing that down the road this ethanol will hit them when they least expect it, or during a high paying tournament and loose big bucks because they engine running their boat just died due to the ethanol in their gas.

O.K. they say put in a fuel stabilizer to correct the ethanol this is just the beginning of spending extra bucks just to keep from killing your baby. Now we will have to stash some money to the side for the costly bill that will come further down the road when you finally do start having trouble. I know a lot of you say this will not happen to me and my baby, but it is a proven fact that ethanol is bad for our boats and it is like a snake just waiting to strike. I just hope that you are not ten miles from the ramp that would be along way to have to paddle back to the ramp, but I bet when you do have to paddle back to the ramp you will have a few choice words to the guy that cam up with this ethanol and how it was going to save us money when it cam to gas.

Sorry this guy does not buy that, if so why is our gas prices still high and no relief in sight. Granted they will drop it a few pennies one week just to raise it the next week as much as 20 cents. The math does not add up and I see no benefit where ethanol has saved us any money, instead just cause us more problems.

Keep The Hooks Wet

Steve