Daniel Ambrose answers:

Good news it’s up again. What a great website.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

Calico (kelp) bass are only native to the west coast. Some people think they’re “talent” fish, but really they’re not that hard to catch.

I’ve got them on just about everything — anchovies, sardines, jacksmelt, queenfish, tomcod, lizardfish, shiner perch, butterfish, squid, mackerel, jack mackerel. Plastics: Scampi, Shabby Shrimp, Kelp Kritter, Worm King, Big Hammer, AA, Mister Twister. All sorts of iron jigs, from Tady 45s on down. Even got some on Sabiki rigs. You can get them flylining on the surface, casting off rocks in the surf, or 100 feet down with 6 ounces of weight. You can find them in open water (generally following bait), but they’re most often hanging around rocks (more so than kelp).

In general, I prefer 12-15 pound line (20 with big baits like squid or mackerel). I like conventional gear, but lots of people use baitcasters or spinning gear. You want tackle you’re comfortable with to flyline a sardine or cast a plastic, or of they’re not on the surface, work a bait on the bottom with a couple ounces of lead. But you have to be ready to adapt — if they’re keyed on one bait, or one color of artificial, or one depth, you have to find it and switch. But that goes for just about any kind of fishing.

Freshwater bass guys tend to enjoy fishing for them — you can use the same tackle and similar tactics, and the fish are pretty much the same size. And they’re tough enough to handle catch and release. As one of the few fish which have been protected from commercial fishing (for over 50 years now), there are plenty of them around.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

Hey Brandon. Thanks bro. Coming from you that is quite a compliment.
I have only posted here. Bass Fisherman get credit for turning me into a bassresource.com junkie. It really has some of the best info on the web.
I am working on my 360 page getting together good fishing sites and other interests (nothing can compete with bass fishing) I’d like to share and will soon have it ready for public viewing.
You keep up the excellent work. We need more people like you on Yahoo Q&A!

Edit:
Brandon, Injun,…any others maybe you can suggest a few good forums to me. Always open to suggestion.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

Ice fishing equipment if going alone:

Ice auger
Sled for auger or vehicle if the ice is thick enough.
Mouth spreader
Hook sharpener
Bait bucket
Small shovel-collapsable if possible
Ice picks-could be a lifesaver!
Preferred ice fishing equipment:

Vexilar/Fish Finder
Ice Fishing Shelter
Propane heater
Spud bar (for checking ice thickness)
Camera (disposable works best)
Ice cleats
Ice Anchoring System
Small flashlight. (I prefer one that you wear)
Lantern
Matches or Lighter (for propane heater)
Tip-ups-preferably the freeze-free type
Leaders for tip-ups
Quickstrike rigs for tip-ups
Bait for tip-ups-herring, smelt sardines, etc.
Cell-phone
GPS
“Glow-buster” glo-jig light. (They are new this year and pretty cool!)
Luxury Ice Fishing Equipment:

Underwater camera
Two-way radios to talk to your buddies
Ice Fishing House
Strike sensors for tip-ups
Optional Ice Fishing odds and ends:

Food
Drinks
Hand Towel
Gaff- to remove large fish
Sunglasses
If you take kids:

Extra gloves
Tissues (those noses run all the time!)
Lot’s of snacks
A small sled to entertain them

Daniel Ambrose answers:

Fish never stop feeding; therefore, you can catch them all year long. Many people (including myself) fish year round. Being out on the lake with sheets of ice isn’t out of the ordinary for me.

You have to be patient though. Their metabolism slows way down, which makes them very sluggish. In most cases, you’ll need to fish slow and deep in cold weather. Fish aren’t willing to chase down their prey in cold water like they are in warm water; they simply don’t have the energy to do it.

My favorite cold water lures are jig/pig combos, suspending jerkbaits, and deep diving crankbaits.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

Fishing Lesser Slave Lake, w/jigs tipped with a minnow, caught ling cod, walleye or pickrel & jacks or northern pike.
Seemed to be biting jigs with a red tail.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

Get Cabela’s Monster Bass. Great Game and will have you hooked all day if you love fishing.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

They all suck. Most of them are no where near being realistic.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

No, but I imagine that the only free ones would be flash or java games that aren’t fun anyways. Nothing is free.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

If you like trout check out the white river trout hatchery. They have great trout fishing most of the year, and that area has special regulations to allow for fishing year round. Trout are a cold water fish, and if the water is too warm they will suffocate and die. Check with eh arkansas dept of natural resources and see what they have listed for seasons and locations. If your not too far from the state line, missouri has several great trout farms and hatcheries.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

White river below bull shoals dam. Lots of great trout fishing and should be numerous campgrounds all through the area. Right on the river.

You’re talking about the last half of june. You had better hurry with your reservations.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

The Holston River in eastern Tenn. Is a great spot for early spring fishing. The bottom release dam at South Holston Lake keeps the water cold year ’round which really helps the trout. There are also many small streams that have trout that are near this area if you like to fish the in mountains. It’s a beautiful area with great trout fishing.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

The Clam line of portable ice shacks are pretty nice. Most can be set up within a few minutes. The metal poles have bungees connecting them so they just need to be put together and stood up to stretch the canvas. It usually takes longer to drill holes than put up the shack, even with a power auger.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

What happened to your clams? I’ve always wanted one of them. I’ve pondered this myself and I’ve never had any good ideas on how to build one though. I’ve seen people use two poles with a tarp in between but it’s just a wind block. I’ve seen people use tent’s but you have to anchor them down which makes them not as portable as a clam. If I can have one of your clams, I’ll fix the other one for you. There is another brand something like “fish trap” not sure exactly but maybe the other brand is more durable. I know how to make a nice permanent shanty but they’re not easily moved. I hope someone on here has a better answer. Good question.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

Bobbers right, no seat or no floor. This thing would scare me if it were windy.