WHETHER REPORT

[TubeDude]

[cool][font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Hey AZBassMan...just checkin' in to see whether you braved the weather and played fish hooky today? If so, Arizona thanks you for bringing on the rain. If not, I guess I'm to blame, for washing my car.[/size][/font]

[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]If you haven't been out, do you have any secondhand info worth posting here? I haven't heard much of anything going on.[/size][/font]
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[lonehunter]

i've got one for you thats gonna have davet druleing ! so far we had us a blizzard up here , darn near almost close to a whole half a inch of the white stuff , snow they call it , though i haven't seen much of it this year . everything up till now has been just brown , er , exceptin the lakes , there just covered with ice and fishin' shanties ! i had to shovel my driveway with a spatchula because there just wasen't enough snow for a respectible snowshovel . poor dave has all that snow and just the wrong amount of ice , too much to cast over and not enough to walk on . i can just picture him sitting over a bucket just practising !
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[TubeDude]

[cool] [font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Nothing drives an icefisherman crazier than waitin' for safe ice. Mother nature can be perverse. She puts skim ice on the ponds early, to shut down the float tubers and other fishermen. Then she teases the ice fishermen with "on again off again" ice. I saw a bit on TV news about some ice fishermen losing their ice fishing shacks to thawing ice. Mama Nature must be bustin' a gut.[/size][/font]

[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Haven't had much snow and ice here in Arizona either. Oh yeah, we got enough in the mountains for the kamikaze snowboarders to make a few runs, but nothing serious. Down in the lowlands, you still hear leafblowers...not snowblowers. And about the only ice is in our glasses...around the pool.[/size][/font]

[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]But, I gotta warn ya. You start getting too smug about no snow and you are liable to need more than a spatula to shovel your driveway. You might need a front end loader to find your car. It could happen.[/size][/font]
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[lonehunter]

oh don't you know it , and i'll deserve it . i got to tell you sitting around a pool sounds good after a day on the ice . cought two undersize northerns in eight hours . maybe next weekend . what kind of fishing is going on near you at this time of year ?
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[TubeDude]

[cool] First, just remember that fishing is always good...even if the catching ain't. Those two puppy norhterns had to be a darn sight better than numbing your mind watching weekend drivel on TV.

We do get some hard water on our higher altitude lakes in Arizona, but they are at least a three hour drive, and the ice is often iffy at best. Most of our winter fishing is for winter pattern largemouths, smallmouths, walleyes and crappies. We also have both yellow bass and their larger cousins the white bass in different lakes around the Phoenix area.

Depending on a variety of factors, the bass can be anywhere from right on shore to sixty feet deep. In the lakes where they plant hatchery pets (trout) in the cold weather months, big largemouth move in to intercept any that try to make a break for the open water. Skilled swimbait fishermen hang some of their biggest fish of the year...up to 12 - 14 pounds. Other Arizona anglers are spooning deep water structure or drop shotting right now. some find occasional spinner bait bites along steep banks.

We have a couple of lakes in the Salt River chain that have both smallmouths and walleyes. The walleyes are all stocked, since the water never gets cold enough to trigger a natural spawn. Both species are sometimes more active in the cooler waters of winter than the largies.

Crappies usually stratify at middepth, over deeper water this time of year. Those who know crappies well, and how to use a good sonar system, can sometimes score well on the suspended fish with vertical presentations.

Both white bass and yellow bass feed on threadfin shad, and will usually be found near concentrations of this food source. This time of year, that might be very deep. About the end of February, most years, these cousins of the striped bass move closer to shore for the annual spawning ritual. Find a school at that time and it is more difficult to find something they won't hit than something they will.

No ice fishing here right now, but a good time to tinker with tackle and plan the spring assault. But, by next weekend, I plan to have my new license and my lake permits...just in cast the 75 degree temps forecast for this week set off a case of "fishing pox" that I need to doctor on the water.

Hey, AZBassMan. Have you been out?
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[AZBassman]

Tube dude,

My friend I may be dumb but I aint stupid hehe. I woke up and had it pouring so instead of hooking up the ole Stratos I drugg myself into work, maybe planning to escape the next day which would of been our Pea Soup Fog. So again I was shut down and had to go back to the ole job. So on attempt three Friday....

Friday I got out to a most beautiful day out to Saguaro (looked for a Tube) Started spooning just outside the bouy line around Ramp #2 and picked up quite a few Yellow bass and one largemouth that was about the size of my spoon. Around 8:30 we moved off to a Island in the middle of the river channel and was trowing deep Cranks like the Norman D22 and picked up a 4lb,and a couple of nice 3lbers. At that point my Graph just lit up with shad and I thought this is gonna be a day to remember...well when the shad showed I spooned,Cranked,Rigged,Dropshott, and no luck, I guess those fish just gorged themselves with the abundance of shad. Moved up to around the snags where the water temp was in the high 50's! So to make a long not so good story short I was tossing this drop up real shallow and working it back to the boat. BAM!!! I got slammed set the hook and a nice 10+ largemouth showed herself, and I knew I was in trouble it was about 6 feet from the boat and I had my dropshot rod with 6lb test. Well I am sure that you guessed it SNAP!!! After I said a few expletives I just couldnt stay on the water much longer so I came off the water to return another day. So I personally think that the fish are real scattered from 30feet to shallow. Maybe prepareing for prespawn? with the weather like this. Oh one more thing I fried the trolling motor. Great day ha ha.

Anyway TubeDude you been out? Do you ever go on to the Azbasspro website? If you do I am RattleBack. I have seen some post that looked like they might of come from the ole Tube dude himself.

Talk to you soon my friend.

Fish on
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[TubeDude]

[cool] That was quite a saga. Don't know whether to chalk it up as a bad day of good luck or a good day of bad luck. At least you got out on the water, even if you lost a big fish and burned up a trolling motor. About that big bass...didn't anyone ever tell you about using good line and setting your drag? But then again, opportunities to practice some of the more esoteric words in our fisherman's vocabulary are always needed. I think I would have invented a couple of new words in that situation.

Interesting about the range of depths and conditions you found fish. The mild temps have got the baitfish disoriented and the predators along with them. I've heard some masochists are chunkin' heavy swimbaits shallow all day and taking fish, while others are dredging the depths with the spoons and dropshots to take some deep fish.

Historically, the middle of February is a time when you can count on seeing some big mamas wandering along the shoreline, scoping out the potential for marital bliss. Sometimes it seems to be more a matter of the total hours of daylight that makes them nervous, more than the actual temps...although temps are what determine the actual spawning activities.

Anyway, I never look a gift bass in the mouth. If they wanna play in the shallows, I'll play their silly little game. I have no pride at all. I fish according to what the fish are telling me...not by the calendar. CHECK?

Man, I have worse luck than you do. I have had a steady procession of friends and relatives from the north country moving in and out of my guest room. Actually, I think most of them are coming to see my Dad for the last time. He's not likely to be around much longer, so people are putting in their appearances. Whatever the reason, it is messing up my fishing schedule. Aunt Minnie just doesn't understand when I load up my gear and disappear for the day, instead of taking her shopping at the mall. No concept of priorities.

I'm still working on my new batch of deep jigging goodies. Should have them ready to test by the end of the month. Hope the advance word doesn't get out to the bass, so they have an antidote ready.

I'll check out that website. How about you putting out the word about our little sideshow over here. We are going to be getting heavier into contests, free tackle, tackle testing, etc. As you probably noticed, we have online sources of stuff...and you can even set up your own website...free...and upload your pics, for posting on message boards.

Let's start planning a blastoff sometime around the end of the month.
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[lonehunter]

did you say seventy five degrees ? well it's only ninteen here , with the wind chill it's about five , only one thing to do .[url "http://preview.ecomplanet.com/MyPhotoAlbum/album.asp?display=PageAlbum&action=FullView&Pic=3&did=HOLL7787&PageNumber=1&Title=fishing"][/url]
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[TubeDude]

[cool] Looking good, man. But I gotta tell ya, we just had an Arctic blast come through here. You better put some more clothes on. See the pic below.



[font "Times New Roman"][size 2]The northern and the bucket of walleyes actually came out of Yuba Reservoir in Utah, several years ago. The forecast still holds...except it is supposed to be almost 80 tomorrow.[/size][/font]

[font "Times New Roman"][size 2]Do I have to alert the media to your intended arrival, or are you planning to sneak into the state unnoticed? Actually, with those pretty white legs you look enough like a "snowbird" that you could probably pull it off.[/size][/font]
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[lonehunter]

had to put the trip on hold , i got picked up by some people that gave me a long sleeved coat to ware , with lots of buckels on it , then they gave me free room and board at the ha-ha-hotel , they cut me loose after i did some name dropping , seems they know that b.f.t. guys aren't crazy , were dedicated ! only problem was that the ol'lady picked me up and made me go back to work ! well maybe next time i'll get across the border !
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[TubeDude]

[cool] Be sure to give us enough warning that we can turn the water tap on for you. With our drought conditions we can't leave it on. Current rules are that the last one off the water turns it off.

Also need to know when you are headed this way so I can put on my shades. Don't think my eyes could take the glare off that white skin on your legs.

P.S. 78 degrees yesterday. 75 degrees today. Terminal spring fever is setting in. And here I am with a twisted back and more relatives staying here from the north country.. I'm about to move and leave no forwarding address. Then I'll have to set up a "tube top" computer alongside my sonar.
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[lonehunter]

at the time of this post it is -2 degrees the wight chicken legs now look like blue freese pops . anti laughing pills are what you will be needing . wrenched back ? well a trip to the bahamas is in order i think , without the house guests !

i can remember that spring fever used to mean the girl next door grew up , now it has a new meaning . the spring line of rods and reels are out on display . i guess for you it'll be the new line of float tube accesories , have you got doppler on that yet ?

hey with a tube top computer and satelite hook-up you could do articles from your " office " on the ocean ,
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[TubeDude]

[cool] Nah. I am on a "kick" to simplifiy my craft. Some of those things on my float tube were interfering with my concentration...not to mention adding too much weight. It gets to be a bear carrying all that gear down to the water and getting launched.

First to go was the big screen TV. It was great to watch while the fishing was slow, but took up a lotta space and could be distracting when I was getting a bite. That big satellite dish was a bit cumbersome too. I'll just have to stay home to watch the Super Bowl this year.

The portable refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave ovens were really handy, but having to listen to that noisy portable generator all day was a real drag (reel drag???). It was either that or a half mile of extension cord, but running a power cord out over the water can be dangerous.

If I don't add the computer, I guess I shouldn't even think about the combination printer and fax machine. When I'm fishing, I don't care who wants to reach me. I'm gonna draw the line on that.

Yes, from now on it's the simple float tubing life for me.
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[lonehunter]

your a riot ! i haven't laughed that hard in a looooong time ! thanks for making my day , that was nothing less than great !
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[AZBassman]

Lone Hunter,

Do us all a favor here in Arizona....

Quit giving Tube Dude a big head saying he is a funny guy when in reality we all know that actually its just a severe mental problem from being in that tube for so long in that cold water it actually made his blood run cold like ice and his ave. body heat is now comeing in at a whopping 78 degrees. (haha)J/K.

Tube,

hey went to Bartlett had a great day...I will be a postin later when I get the morning rituals outa the way.

Fish On
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[TubeDude]

[cool] Everybody picks on us little guys. And, I got news for ya. There are times when I wish my "lower extremities" could warm UP to 78 degrees.

But, when I see a wild boater person rocketing up the lake...with a windchill factor of minus dumb degrees...I kinda suspect that I am warmer in the water, with my thermo undies and my neoprenes.

And, in the summer, I don't wear waders. So I am continuously water-cooled, while the guys who can stand to stay out at over a hundred degrees are approaching meltdown.

So, I ask you, which is worse...hypothermia or heat stroke? Don't make much difference to idiot fishermen. Any excuse to hit the water is just fine.
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