going fishing tomorrow for the first time

[Aznavalanche]

well...not my first first time...but my first time ACTUALLY fishing (like...not at a small pond and getting whatever i can get). i'll be fishing either at the Fox Chapel Yacht Club, or the Highland Park Dam (if i can find where it is haha) in the morning sometime...i'll specifically be fishing for bass. any pointers for a beginner?
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[Aznavalanche]

ok...well unfortuanately i didn't catch any fish [frown]...but anyways, i had a tough time trying to find a place to fish near the highland park dam. some guy told me to go through tunnel towards the Silky Crow's Nest...so i went there, but didn't know where to go next. so then i just wondered around a bit, and decided to go the yacht club and give it a try....i found a small place next to the river (i didn't know if i could fish there or not hehe) and started fishing...but again, i caught no fish
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[Aznavalanche]

so i went fishing again today at north park. for some reason every couple of times i'd cast out my line, i'd notice a knot in the middle of it. now..i don't know if this is because i was using to much force to cast out, or if i was reeling back in too fast. but it sure got on my nerves...i spent most of my time cutting, retying things, untangling instead of enjoying my time. so...unfortunately i didn't catch any fish again,but i there was a small fish (i don't know what it...) that kept me company
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[bigpikeguy]

Did you ever try Raccoon Creak State Park? Its not that far from you.
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[Aznavalanche]

i've heard about it and really want to go. but i still haven't found time yet. So until then it's just fishing on the Allegheny, and North Park
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[JeffGorecki]

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/community/community.cgi?do=user_page;pg=user_profile_view.html;username=Aznavalanche"]Aznavalanche[/url] If your useing a spinning reel . When you cast out flip the bail over by hand not with the turn of the reel handle. This will help with line twist and knots. If your useing flurocarbon line after you cast out it help to pull line out with your hand and then start to reel this will also help with line twist and line knots.[]. Hope this help you out and good luck
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[vashe]

If you dont mind driving alittle you could try yellow creek state park. Its a big bass program there and i usually catch some decent size bass there. Here are a couple i caught when i remember to bring my camera lol.

Enjoy[fishin]




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[Aznavalanche]

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/community/community.cgi?do=user_page;pg=user_profile_view.html;username=JeffGorecki"][#000000]JeffGorecki[/#000000][/url] : Thanks for the tip! I'll have to try that. And right now I think i have to put more string on my spool because it's been tangled so much, and cut so much that there's barely any line left!

And I think I'll go and try out yellow creek. Just curious, though, which lures and/or bait did you use to catch those bass? And how did you rig them?
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[JeffGorecki]

Your welcome [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/community/community.cgi?do=user_page;pg=user_profile_view.html;username=Aznavalanche"]Aznavalanche[/url] I hope it helps ya out . Good luck on the water
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[vashe]

[quote Aznavalanche]
And I think I'll go and try out yellow creek. Just curious, though, which lures and/or bait did you use to catch those bass? And how did you rig them?[/quote]


hmm in the order of the pics if i remember correctly

Night crawler 1st pic
Chub 2nd pic
Wax Worm 3rd pic

Its hit or miss on the bait Its really whatever they feel like I guess lol. Ive done spinner baits and caught some. Ive used medium minnows and caught stuff. I mainly bring 2 rods when shore fishing. One rod i set up and want to try for pike.(Ive caught my first one sunday but no camera ly) 2nd rod i just fish for whatever. Stuff in those waters will pretty much hit any live bait There are walleye,pike,pickerel,musky,bass ,catfish,carp,crappie, yellow perch, lots of different sunfish/bluegill that i can think of that i have seen or caught there. Hmm softbaits and spinners seem to work good out there.

Rig i set up hmm.....1st and 3rd in the picture were caught with a normal single hook and shot. the 2nd one in the pictures was kawartha musky rig. Guess he was just hungry for some big guys lol.

Well good luck to you out there. Everytime I have gone out there I have caught a bass or 3. range from 13 to 17 inches.

caught some other nice stuff as well like this 12 3/4 inch yellow perch.



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[Aznavalanche]

^^ok thanks. I've been fishing the Allegheny River and been using mainly crainkbaits and jerkbaits, but no real luck...I don't know if it's because I'm using them wrong (yes, I am trying to make it look like a struggling fishg). And I used shiners once...i caught a smallmouth, I believe it was. I caught one because someone saw that I was struggling and was friendly enough to give me the shiner []...I think I should try out the good ol worm for now haha.

just seeing if I'm correct.

Using a bobber: basically, just a split shot, hook, and the worm right?

no bobber: ...i don't even know...I'm guessing I use a small splitshot, and let it float off the bottom?
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[vashe]

[quote Aznavalanche].. And I used shiners once...i caught a smallmouth, I believe it was.

just seeing if I'm correct.

Using a bobber: basically, just a split shot, hook, and the worm right?

no bobber: ...i don't even know...I'm guessing I use a small splitshot, and let it float off the bottom?[/quote]


If you give me a few ill go take pictures of some of the rigs. also here is a pic of a smallmouth I caught in the stream for your viewing pleasure while i take and load up those rigs. Also yellow creek has alot of places to fish and can easily blow a whole day looking for a good spot ill give you a few on my next post[]


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[Aznavalanche]

well that clears it up! it was a small mouth haha! By the way, thank you so much for helping me, sorry if I'm causing any trouble or anything...
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[vashe]

[quote Aznavalanche]By the way, thank you so much for helping me, sorry if I'm causing any trouble or anything...[/quote]

not a problem really

first pic i like to add alot of shot for some reason u can see the bobber dance around better and if they take it you will know instead of just bobbing up and down.
Bobberless same concept as 1st pic leave a couple shot on and just a single hook on the bottom and just slowly raise it up to feel if your in heavy with the weeds and just slightly jig it.

2nd pic is what i use for chubs. take the front hook and hook it on the bottom lip and the other hook in the middle on the back and usually keeps it alive for awhile and lets it swim around. Just stick a huge bobber and some weight to keep it from floating in to fast and there u go.

If you know how to string a mini just use that with the open end treble and some shot.
I always have luck with spinner baits and i know alot have luck with soft baits if you dont want to mess with live bait.
I like live bait cause its cheap and easy to hook.

Well if you go and want some company can always pick me up and ill go with you lol. I would meet u there but my women is the only one with the drivers license so im at the mercy of her work schedule.[:/] But let me know and we can exchange PH# I live in indiana by the way.




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[Aznavalanche]

Thank you again for your help!

If I ever go there, which i probably won't be able to do until next spring/summer because of school, I'll give you a call or something. And by Indiana, do you mean the town? or the state? And I know how you feel, I don't have a lisence yet so I can't drive anywhere.

Tomorrow I'm going fishing again (in the evening too...I normally do it in the morning). I'll be sure to try out the first rig, but if I use baitfish it will probably only be a small 2"-3" shiner...will it still work?
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[vashe]

[quote AznavalancheAnd by Indiana, do you mean the town? or the state?
Tomorrow I'm going fishing again (in the evening too...I normally do it in the morning). I'll be sure to try out the first rig, but if I use baitfish it will probably only be a small 2"-3" shiner...will it still work?[/quote]


yah the town. I wouldnt drive from indiana state to fish yellow creek lol. But yah the shinners will work.
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[Aznavalanche]

haha, i figured that (Indiana the county) out after I posted...
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[bigpikeguy]

I fish Yellow Creek all the time, but never from shore and never with live bait. There is nothing wrong with live bait, i just get frustrated with it cause i never catch crap with it. Then again i fish hard and fast with my lures so thats what im used to. Sitting there looking at a bobber drives me bonkers lol. Well if im night fishing for cats and got a cooler full of beer thats different lol.

Anyway i like yellow Creek and its great for bass and pike. I like to swim tubes and work drop offs with a craw bug rigged texas style. I dont know how you get to the shore back by the breast, but i will take my boat back there and jig on the bottom and do well for walleye during the day. the only thing i dont like about the place is it seems to be windy as hell all the time! o well cant have everything.

Wanna go for some big smallmouth go to erie in the spring thats a blast!
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[vashe]

[quote bigpikeguy] I fish Yellow Creek all the time,[/quote]
Yah i like yellow creek. Do you launch from the North Shore,South Shore in the park or outside of the Park. Maybe I have seen you.

[quote bigpikeguy] Then again i fish hard and fast with my lures so thats what im used to.[/quote]
I dont mind lures at times but there are many times I dont feel like tossing my lure or bait in 1000 to 2000 plus cast a day. lol Many times I just want to just relax jig a worm with or without a bobber and heck maybe take a nap and hope someone screams " Hey Mister your bobber is going" lol


[quote bigpikeguy] Sitting there looking at a bobber drives me bonkers lol. [/quote]
Yah it drives me nuts to at times but its pretty cool when you see your bobber danceing around the water cause a fish is playing with it.

[quote bigpikeguy] the only thing i dont like about the place is it seems to be windy as hell all the time! o well cant have everything. [/quote]
Yah, Agreed with that statement right there. Many times its super windy. I hate going there when its windy.

[quote bigpikeguy] Wanna go for some big smallmouth go to erie in the spring thats a blast![/quote]

Yes they have really nice smallmouth there. We go up to visit my womens parents there. We went to fish off the docks over at Presque Isle Bay North Beach and seen alot of people pull some fatties out of those waters useing Goby they catch. lol Seen one that day that had to been over 8 pounds. ITs though her pops has a boat but he never uses it. I think he used it once in over 5 years. But it was kinda a last min thing to fish off the docks. I usually like fishing in the streams/ creeks.
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[Aznavalanche]

[quote bigpikeguy]ISitting there looking at a bobber drives me bonkers lol.[/quote]

yea haha, i'm patient, but just not patient enough to watch a bobber so i only used lures. But then the guy that gave me the shiner told me that I'm never gonna catch anything with them so I'm trying live bait now...

[quote bigpikeguy]Wanna go for some big smallmouth go to erie in the spring thats a blast![/quote]

hmm..i'll see if i can get one of my parents to drive me up there sometime.
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