IMO. A bass doesn't swallow a waterdog. They grab it and "chump" down on it to break it's back and kill it. Then they run off as fast and as far as they can to get rid of it and get it away from the nest. Usually it's Big Momma that does that. They are the bass's worst enemy. I have never hooked a bass any deeper than their upper lip. I dont like to use live dogs cause they are hard to get and cost too much. Waterdogs are native to Texas and most southern states, maybe more? There are plastic dogs out there that work great and I use them. Don't dog my cause I use the dogs! LOL

So what if the bass sucks them down all the way to the anus? How is that any different than punching wholes in karp and chuckin' em on the bank? Its legal and its fishun. Reel them in legally and let the game warden sort them out. The crawdads will eat them just fine if you don't fillet them and treat them right in cornmeal.

The waterdogs that we get in Texas in the spring are generally the juvenile stage of the Tiger Salamander. They are not native to Texas. Anyone who has seen waterdogs in the wild in Texas might speak up, but I doubt if anyone will. These large salamanders live in the northern part of North America, and that is why they are so expensive here. As far as spreading LMBV, as was said earlier, thousands of waterdogs have been used to catch bass (and catfish!) in Monticello, and I haven't heard of a LMBV outbreak at that lake.

I have used waterdogs a few times for bass (not in the last 6 or 7 years), but I wasn't throwing them on beds. I am generally fishing in slightly deeper water looking for staging fish. I don't see any difference in hooking mortality between them and a Power lizard on a C rig, personally.

RoadTrip, if you hook a bass deep, cut your line close to the hook. Take some needlenose pliers and carefully reach in through the gills and grab the hook shank. Rotate the hook around until the shank is pointing through the gills, and push the hook forward, toward the bass' mouth. Most times, this will dislodge the hook with minimal damage. It is much better for the bass than simply cutting the hook off and leaving it in the fish. Only once have I not been able to remove a hook this way, and once you get the hang of it, it is a relatively simple operation. I was reluctant to do it the first time, but like I said, it only takes a few more moments. If you fish with good hooks, that's another reason to use this technique.

Artie

Huh?

Here is a link to the hook removal technique mentioned earlier-

http://www.in-fisherman.com/magazine/articles/if2806_HookRemoval/index.html

It has a few illustrations. This is a very good technique for removing a deep hook. I've done it many times, mostly on windy days when it is hard to detect the initial strike. Face it, guys, if you fish much for bass and use slow moving techniques (anything with soft plastics), you are going to deep hook some bass. I've read 2 reports on studies that definitely show higher mortality rates for fish with hooks left in them than with the hook removed this way. If I can find them, I will post them, also.

Artie

Thanks Bass Art.

I fish with artificials 95% of the time, but sometimes when the bite is real tough and I can net shad or perch, on it goes. Catching fish is fun no matter what you use for bait. People that use live bait for bass are having just as much fun as I am using artificials. If they can pull up big bass doing it, more power to them. After watching the way some of these tournament anglers treat thier catch before and after the weigh-in, I can't see why anyone would get on people using live bait of any kind.

SO EVERYBODIES OUTTA STEP BUT JOHNNIE everyone is the same if they use a WaterDog huh you are and always will be able to make people stupider just by opening your mouth,..

It is so slow over on THF so I was excited when I ran across the Waterdog post on TTF... Here is my waterdog Jessie. We fish together all the time and last time I checked, Labs are still readily available...



I shot this portrait of Jessie this year and while I really like it, she did have a duck mark on her left eye from a kicking duck that a friend had wounded. She has such a soft mouth that the duck kicked her at least a hundred times during this retrieve and she got a slight bruise around her eye as a result that has since healed.




To stay on the original topic - I've never cast a fly that looks like a waterdog but perhaps I should tie one up as you all seem to think they work so well...

Blue Moon

Blue Moon, that is a fantastic looking dog. You should get her a pair of "doggles" to protect from those vicious duck kicks. I imagine you've seen them but for those that haven't,
http://www.doggles.com/doggles.html

Good idea on the waterdog pattern, just be sure to use all natural materials and of course it goes with out saying to only fish it dry. LOL

BTW, you run that camera exceptionally well.

Jon

Jessie and I both appreciate the kudos. Jessie is the progeny of JIV from Go West Retrievers, owned by the president of the Big D HRC and a wonderful female that hailed from Canada that was sired by the world�s highest point Lab. She has dozens of hall of fame retrievers in her blood line. Not sure if that has anything to do with it, but is the best family pet that I�ve ever had.

With a pedigree like that it is no wonder that we are in contract negotiations with Doggles as well as other world beater companies that are bidding for the right to use Jessie's likeness to promote their wares... I doubt that Doggles could find a better series of images that would resonate with waterfowl conservationists and enlighten them to the hazards that await their waterdogs as they go afield...

I have an entire image series of sharp clawed web feet in Jessie's eye not to mention multiple beak attacks from every imaginable form of waterfowl. Marketed properly, these images would undoubtedly cause new legislation to be passed that would require all waterdog owners to protect their Lab�s eyes while afield with said products...

In the meantime while we maintain our strong position and back away from the negotiations that are underway in the mahogany row board room, we will ponder our strategy for Jessie�s career as the rhythm of a natural horsehair waterdog sings through the crisp spring air...

Blue Moon