I'm warning you--these are stupid questions. Feel free to laugh at my expense. Or someone, please, post your stupid questions too. (Someone has to be as clueless as I am, right....?) 
1) What exactly is a "lunker"?
I was looking at the kayak tournament posting, and wondering why the lunker was what it was. I thought it was just a big fish-- so why isn't the lunker the biggest fish?
2) Is a "larry" a largemouth bass? It is, right?
3) How do you avoid getting your hooks/lines/lures hopelessly snagged on trees, rocks, bushes, friends, the Loch Ness Monster, the mysterious extra-dimensional hole that seems to always be 6-15 meters off shore?
1) What exactly is a "lunker"?
I was looking at the kayak tournament posting, and wondering why the lunker was what it was. I thought it was just a big fish-- so why isn't the lunker the biggest fish?
2) Is a "larry" a largemouth bass? It is, right?
3) How do you avoid getting your hooks/lines/lures hopelessly snagged on trees, rocks, bushes, friends, the Loch Ness Monster, the mysterious extra-dimensional hole that seems to always be 6-15 meters off shore?
1) I would define a lunker as a big fish as u said. Don't know if there may be other definitions. As for the hook goblins either use a bobber when using live bait or when using soft plastics such as a senko, texas rig it. Google texas rigging a rubber worm. Easy set up and deadly for the Larrys(yes that is what we call large mouth bass. Smallmouths called Sallys or just plain smallie.
I'm warning you--these are stupid questions. Feel free to laugh at my expense. Or someone, please, post your stupid questions too. (Someone has to be as clueless as I am, right....?)
1) What exactly is a "lunker"?
I was looking at the kayak tournament posting, and wondering why the lunker was what it was. I thought it was just a big fish-- so why isn't the lunker the biggest fish?
2) Is a "larry" a largemouth bass? It is, right?
3) How do you avoid getting your hooks/lines/lures hopelessly snagged on trees, rocks, bushes, friends, the Loch Ness Monster, the mysterious extra-dimensional hole that seems to always be 6-15 meters off shore?
Kara, it's not stupid questions, I once had the same one's...long after I got into the sport. The term came about over a decade ago. "Lunker" is the biggest fish caught, technically in this sport a lunker is 10lbs or more, but in our tourneys the angler who lands the biggest LMB earns a reward. "Larry" is referred to LMB, but I'm not quite sure when or how that name came about. And, the common technique to prevent snagging is to use weedless hooks, or texas rigging your baits. In all honesty, its impossible to not deal with all the undesirable snagging when fishing, it happens to everyone...even the pro's!
My fishing buddies know that if they are going shore fishing in a spot that has a tree within 50 yards of it that I will some how get my lure stuck in it. Even from a boat casting to shore I'll some how loft a baitcaster over a limb 40 feet off the water. I think i'm just attracted to wood....... that sounds bad.
Things I've done to help my disability:
Cast side arm, assuming you are using a spinning reel it is really easy to release a little to soon and have your cast sail very high doing an overhand cast. Distance seems good, but the splash and ammount of slack make catching fish difficult.
Use 30+lb braid, if your hook digs into something you can hold your rod straight out and pull as hard as you can on just the line and the hook will bend and release before the line breaks. This is not a good thing to do but I was getting pissed losing lures.
Don't try to use lures that are to light or too heavy for your rod. Accuracy goes out the window and you develop bad casting habits. I'm still trying to break mine. The lower and max range of a rod rating is probably pusing it for that matter. My crankbait rod says I can cast 1/4 oz lures..... I'm sure some one can just not me.
I've just bought http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Ultimate_SmartLink_Titanium_Rings_6pk/descpage-ULSR.html
for my more expensive lures, but if you are just starting out spending 2 dollars a lure on split rings hurts. For that matter I ordered two packs and realized that barely covered 12% of my lures. I have yet to actually use the feature though so I'm not sure how they work yet.
Also are you canadian/euro or just spent too much time in the scientific community. I don't think I've ever seen any one refer to meters fishing before. Although maybe more people do than I think, I was using newtons figuring out casting forces last night and I have no science degree.
Things I've done to help my disability:
Cast side arm, assuming you are using a spinning reel it is really easy to release a little to soon and have your cast sail very high doing an overhand cast. Distance seems good, but the splash and ammount of slack make catching fish difficult.
Use 30+lb braid, if your hook digs into something you can hold your rod straight out and pull as hard as you can on just the line and the hook will bend and release before the line breaks. This is not a good thing to do but I was getting pissed losing lures.
Don't try to use lures that are to light or too heavy for your rod. Accuracy goes out the window and you develop bad casting habits. I'm still trying to break mine. The lower and max range of a rod rating is probably pusing it for that matter. My crankbait rod says I can cast 1/4 oz lures..... I'm sure some one can just not me.
I've just bought http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Ultimate_SmartLink_Titanium_Rings_6pk/descpage-ULSR.html
for my more expensive lures, but if you are just starting out spending 2 dollars a lure on split rings hurts. For that matter I ordered two packs and realized that barely covered 12% of my lures. I have yet to actually use the feature though so I'm not sure how they work yet.
Also are you canadian/euro or just spent too much time in the scientific community. I don't think I've ever seen any one refer to meters fishing before. Although maybe more people do than I think, I was using newtons figuring out casting forces last night and I have no science degree.
Just the other day I was fishing from shore, set the hook a little too soon and ended up catching a tree branch that I was closer to then I thought....thankfully nobody was around to see, so why not tell everybody on here! haha
Weedless setups will reduce snags, but even so, they happen. I use it as an opportunity to learn where not to cast again
The people on this site are great! Any question will be answered respectfully!
Weedless setups will reduce snags, but even so, they happen. I use it as an opportunity to learn where not to cast again
The people on this site are great! Any question will be answered respectfully!
Also are you canadian/euro or just spent too much time in the scientific community. I don't think I've ever seen any one refer to meters fishing before. Although maybe more people do than I think, I was using newtons figuring out casting forces last night and I have no science degree.
swill, you are hilarious! Thanks for all of the tips--I'm definitely going to use them. And no, I'm from the US. I just reckon better in metric. (Blame the science). Newtons for the win!