------------------------------ Bass Pro Shops: The Strike | for Nintendo Wii | ------------------------------ Guide written by Black Willow V. 1.00 11-2-10 All original and intended for pulic use and display at Gamefaqs.com INDEX -------------------------------------------- | I. Controls and Game Mechanics | II. The Lakes | III. The Fish | IV. The Lures | V. Career Walkthrough | VI. Invitational Walkthrough | VII. Legendary Fish | VIII. Sidequests and Misc. Stuff | | -------------------------------------------- I. CONTROLS AND GAME MECHANICS ============================================================================= ============================================================================= A. Casting tips -the Wii controller motion DOES NOT mimic a real casting motion, so don't be confused - If you're having trouble figuring out the casting motions calmly follow these 4 steps 1. hold the B button to bring up the casting meter 2. tilt the cotroller up to move the meter back 3. when the meter gets back to green bar tilt the controller forward again 4. when the meter gets back up to the other green bar release the B button - Sidearm and Underarm (flipping) uses the same proces but you will move the controller in the appropriate direction - If your screwed up your cast and the lure went haywire, you can immediately hit the Z button to reset B. Catching tips -when a fish bites your lure, immediately yank the controller upwards to set the hook -stop reeling if the line tension goes into the red or your line will break -if the line tension is too lose and goes down to red, the fish will throw the lure -SIMPLY BRINGING A FISH TO THE BOAT WILL NOT LAND HIM... in other fishing games you need to bring the fish to the boat, but here you will need to wear the fish down so that it stops fighting, and then bring it to the boat. Continual reeling while the fish is at a distance of 0 can break the line -If you don't want the fish that hit your lure you can hit the z button reset... if you've set the hook already you'll cut the line and lose your lure -While reeling in a lure (with or without a fish) you can hit the 1 button to go to an over the shoulder view or back into the water view C. Snags -if you snag on a tree or the lake bottom simply wiggle the controller up and down to free your lure D. Boating -while in fishing mode you can use the trolling motor to move the boat by aiming your cast way out in the direction you want to move -if you get stuck in some trees or rocks you can try to go into fishing mode and use the trolling motor to free yourself -while boating use the 1 button to bring up your mini map or enlarge the map to full size -while boating use the 2 button to toggle your fish finder II. THE LAKES ============================================================================= ============================================================================= A. Lake Amistad, TX Fish: smallmouth, largemouth, striped bass, catfish, black crappie Reputation points to unlock tournament: 50 Description: This lake has a medium depth with about a 70ft deep point, quite heavy vegetation including areas with submerged tree stumps and logs, some nice coves and channels to fish in. There's also 2 bridges to fish around for some nice stripers. There's a 'dusk on the Texas prarie' feel here with nice butterflies and a few alligator to add to the scenery. B. Lake Ouachita, AR Fish: smallmouth, largemouth, striped bass, black crappie, white crappie, catfish, kentucky spotted bass Reputation to unlock tournament: 60 Description: Ouachita has much lighter vegetation and a shocking 90 ft deep point for such a mostly shallow lake. There are plenty of coves and inlets to fish in and even a dam. Some nice docks, flocks of birds, and nice rolling hills in the backdrop make a nice experience. C. Lake Fork, TX Fish: largemouth, catfish, white crappie, black crappie Reputation points to unlock tournament: 70 Description: Lake Fork has more vegetation including several trees for bass to find cover in, and is generally deeper than the previous lakes. There are also tons of coves and fingers to find your record breaking bass. This very large lake has a rainy old texas feel with some very old dilapidated docks and and old run down water mill. D. Lake Wylie, NC Fish: largemouth, striped bass, white crappie, black crappie, catfish Reputation points to unlock tournament: 80 Description: This like his huge and sports many coves and channels and even a spillway to fish in. The vegetation is lighter here and with a max depth of around 127 ft. the shorelines are more moderate depth. The mood is that of a nice early morning lake and a swimming beach, several dock styles, houses, silos, and a couple of bridges complete the scenery. E. Lake Guntersville, AL Fish: whilte crappie, black crappie, smallmouth, striped bass, catfish, spotted bass, largemouth Reputation points to unlock tournament: 90 Description: This lake is more shallow with about a 56 ft. deep point, light vegetation, and a large dam and spillway to fish. There are fewer coves and inlets to fish in so you'll have to make good use of your fishfinder. A couple of bridges, lighthouses, and an occasional eagle add to the ambience. F. Lake Champlain, NY Fish: smallmouth, largemouth, northern pike, muskie, trout, walleye (a note here- this is the only lake without catfish) Reputation points to unlock tournament: 100 Description: Champlain has a moderate depth with medium to heavy cover and few coves to fish. There are some bridges and several channels however and a few contain the game's first walleye. With a rocky shorline and several lighthouses this lake is quite distinct. G. Oneida Lake, NY Fish: smallmouth, largemouth, muskie, northern pike, catfish, walleye, trout Reputation points to unlock tournament: 110 Description: Oneida is a medium to shallow lake with light vegetation and virtually no coves channels or inlets to fish. The shape is just a big square basically. There are a couple of bridges, brick walls, and rock outcroppings to fish however. Try not to hook any bikini tops on the swimming beach and keep your eyes on the water. H. Pickwick Lake, TN Fish: largemouth, smallmouth, striped bass, catfish, black crappie Reputation points to unlock tournament: 120 Description: Pickwick is a HUGE lake with many coves and fingers to fish. It has a pretty medium depth and vegetation for the game. The scenery here is very green and plush and includes and array of houses and docks and even a sunken shipwreck to find. Catch yourself a nice striper at the damn or around the barge there. I. Lake Toho, FL Fish: largemouth, black crappie, white crappie, catfish Reputation points to unlock tournament: 130 Description: With a 50 ft. center toho is generally more shallow around the shoreline and has fewer coves and channels to fish. Enjoy the beautiful floridian skies and palm trees as you take in the tropical surroundings. J. Table Rock Lake, MO Fish: spotted bass, largemouth, black crappie, catfish, smallmouth Reputation points to unlock tournament: 140 Description: Table rock has very murky water and heavy vegetation so watch outh for snags. The two main branches of coves are rather shallow with the main channel more moderate depth at about a 53 ft. deep point. The scenery is a quite authentic fall look for southern missouri with a few cabins hidden amongst the colorful trees. III. THE FISH ============================================================================== ============================================================================== A. Largemouth Bass Size: 12-24 inches, 0.5 - 20 lbs Description: bassically a green fish (easy to identify) Lakes: ALL LAKES Tips on catching: Many lures work but the easiest is the plastic worm. I also use jerkbaits, drop shot worms, topwater poppers and frogs, but for tournament purposes, the most efficient technique is to pop one of the unlimited supplied worms along the floor. B. Smallmouth Bass Size: 12-21.5 inches, 0.5 - 5 lbs. Description: shorter and darker in color than the largmouth, can also be identified by vertical stiping Lakes: Amistad, Ouachita, Guntersville, Champlain, Onieda, Pickwick table rock Tips on catching: Basically excactly the same as the largemouth. For tournaments I recommend the unlimited plastic worm or a jerkbait. C. Spotted Bass (a.k.a. Kentucky Spotted Bass) Size: 6-24 inches, 0.5 - 8 lbs Description: This fish is the hardest one to recognize. It looks basically like a largemouth. The easiest way to tell the difference is the spotted bass has an extra row of spines in the middle of its' back, wheareas the laregemouth has only the fin towards the tail. The coloring along the sides is different too, but is harder to see in the water, and they are generally shorter and 'stocky' looking. Lakes: Ouachita, Guntersville, Talbe Rock Tips on catching: Again the same as the largemouth, but maybe topwaters are a little more usefull D. Striped Bass Size: 12-48 inches, 1 - 55 lbs. Description: Large silver fish with horizontal stripes Lakes: Amistad, Ouachita, Wylie, Guntersvile, pickwick Tips on catching: The plastic worm is again your friend here. My 2nd choice is a jerkbait. Other than that I've used topwater poppers, shad, and frogs, also spoons will work. Again for tournaments the worm works the fastest and easiest. Be careful and set your drag accordingly as these are quite large. Take your time and wear them down when you have a big boy. E. White Crappie Size: 3-11 inches, 0.25 - 4 lbs. Description: a small fish with tall fins along the top and bottom with a more silvery color than the black crappie Lakes: Ouachita, Fork, Wylie, Guntersville, Toho Tips on catching: The best lure is a single tail grub under the soft plastics menu. I reel it in a little quicker than the plastic worm as these fish strike with a lot of vigor. Other lures will work but take much more effort and patience. I've caught one on a jerkbait for instance. Spoons also work, but I mostly keep a stock of grubs. F. Black Crappie Size: 3-11 inches, 0.25 - 4 lbs. Description: a small fish with tall fins along the top and bottom and a darker color than the white crappie. Thhey can be easily confused in the water as when they school together. Lakes: Amistad, Ouachita, Fork, Wylie, Guntersville, Pickwick, Toho, Table Rock Tips on catching: Exactly the same as the white crappie G. Catfish Size: 12-45 inches, 2 - 20 lbs. Description: A large silvery fish with a wide open mouth and whiskers -very easy to identify in the water, even from an overhead view as they moves disctinctly slowly Lakes: Every lake but Champlain Tips on catching: The unlimited worm works perfectly. I also use a drop-shot worm. They also like grubs, and will occaisionally bite on another bait like jerkbaits or spoons. Cats are heavy and slow and often feel like you're draggin in a log, so take your time and set your drag accordingly and wear them down. H. Muskie Size: 12-42 inches, 5 - 30 lbs. Description: Long and slender with a yellow/orangish color sometimes hard to find, but easy to identify once you do Lakes: Champlain, Onieda Tips on catching: Worms are your best friend again, but I also use jerkbaits a lot. Crankbaits and spoons also work well. I. Northern Pike Size: 18-48 inches, 5 - 40 lbs. Description: Long and slender like the muskie, but a brown color and light brown spots Lakes: Champlain, Onieda Tips on catching: Worms and jerkbaits are my choice, but spinners, swim baits, spoons, and topwaters also work well. Both northern and muskies are heavy and fight quite hard so be mindful of your line tension and drag. J. Walleye Size: 12-21.5 inches, 1 - 17 lbs. Description: A white bottom blending into a dark green top, in this game they also have a spot of red around the gills and side fins. They also feature a prominent display of spines on their back. Lakes: Champlain, Oneida (A note, the game instructions and in game lake descriptions claim that they can be found in Ouachita and Guntersville, but I've yet to see one there and have heard other players make the same claim.) Tips on catching: My choice is jerkbaits. Spoons and swim baits also work well. K. Lake trout Size: 12-36 inches, 0.5 - 20 lbs. Description: Very similair coloring as the Norther Pike, but slightly different fin structure and a mouth shaped more like a salmon's (as opposed to the pike's longer alligator like mouth). They can be easily confused with pike while viewing underwater. Lakes: Champlain, Onieda Tips on catching: I like jerkbaits, but my 2nd choice is a spoon. Other baits like crankbaits and the plastic worm will work. IV. THE LURES ============================================================================== ============================================================================== Here I won't give a description of every one of the lures, I'll just point out a few that I make notes on. You can experiment with them any way you like. Squirmin worm- Very very versatile. Will catch most any fish and the best thing is that it has an unlimited supply in your tackle box. Just slowly bounce it on the bottom... it's an easy action to master. (soft plastics menu) Jerkbaits- These are my favourite lure. They catch about any fish and have the added benefit that they "hover" at about 6 ft. depth. Here you can get a good view of the fish in the area. The action is easy to master- Just slowly "jerk" the bait in increments- tap the trigger and pull to the side. Drop shot worms- Basically a worm that floats about a foot or so above the weight. Many fish love it and it gives a little extra room to view. Fish seem to hit this lure faster than the Squirmin worm so it adds a small advantage in tournaments. (soft plastics menu) Spinnerbaits- I don't really like these. In real life you reel these in rather slowly, but in this game the lure just sinks too quickly. You can catch fish by dragging it on the bottom, but it's wonky. Crankbaits- I don't recommend these either. The deeper you go, the harder it is to view the fish around you. They will catch bass and you have an unlimited supply, but in my opinion you're better off using the jerkbait if have them, but for unlimited free use the crankbait isn't too bad. Topwater poppers- Fish like em and the action is easy to master. The baits have a shape that is resistant to the direction you reel in so you "pop" it in the water is short bursts. Topwater Walkers- These look like little minnows. Slowly zigzag these on the surface and fish will go crazy. The advantage of topwaters is that you can use the above water view to see the fish in the area and easily distinguish where the larger fish are as this view really differentiates their size better than the water views. Grubs- The single tail grubs are the specialty for crappie. They eat em up big time. Be sure to keep 3 or 4 of these if you plan on catching any crappie. Just reel them in at a moderate speed- no need for excessive action. (soft plastics menu) V. CAREER MODE WALKTHROUGH ============================================================================== ============================================================================== Each lake has 2 phases- the exploration/reputation phase and the tournament. Each time you go to a new lake you must do the same things, so I'll describe both phases up front. 1. Exploration -Each lake has 5 areas that are bouyed off. These signify good fishing spots, but aren't always good spots for the actual tournaments. Find and enter each of the 5 areas and you will receive store credit i.e. $$$ -On each lake you must practice and get ready for the tournament. You can explore what kinds of fish the lake has and where they are located at your own pace. -To unlock the tournament you must obtain reputation points by catching fish. Larger fish earn more points than smaller ones. 2. Tournament -Each tournament is 20 minutes long. You must bring your catch back to the dock before the time runs out. If you're late you'll get a 1 lb per minute penalty, up to 10 minutes late, when you'll be disqualified. You can keep fishing past the time limit, but any fish you catch will not be counted. -You are allowed 5 fish per catch. So after you've caught your first five fish, you will automatically throw out the smallest one. -Only the exact species of fish will count... you can't bring a spotted bass, or smallmouth bass, to the weigh in for a largemouth bass tourny -Place in the top 3 (out of 4) to unlock the next lake -Placing 1st can unlock new bass boats or win BPS $$$ *before starting the 1st tournament I recommend buying 17 lb line and equipping it. *secondly I recommend buying 2 jerkbaits, although this much less important A. Lake Amistad, TX Goal: 5 largest largemouth, smallmouth, or striped bass Tips: Right off the bat the game throws you for a loop. Most fishing games want a total of largemouth bass, but here you can count 3 different species. Obviously you'll want 5 striped bass, as they are the biggest of the 3. My favorite spot is to head straight west from the starting dock and park facing the bridge. This spot is close and full of striped bass. I recommend using the unlimited crankbait or a jerkbait if you have one. If you use the plastic worm here you'll have to conted with the catfish. Catch 5 and you'll probably come in first... catch 1 or 2 40+ pounders and you'll win first for sure. Getting back to the dock in time isn't all that important as a 1 or 2 lb. penalty won't hurt as badly as with a smallmouth tournament. As an example I've won first with 75 lbs. of fish, but I have seen the competition go above 140 lbs. B. Lake Ouachita, AR Goal: 5 largest smallmouth bass Tips: Now you have to catch the smallest tournament fish right after you just caught the largest :-P If you exit the cove where the dock is, and head left (west) you'll come to a "corner" on your left. On the map you'll be just south of an island. Here you'll find a school of smallmouth. Use any bait you like to cath them ... I use the unlimited plastic worm and jerkbaits. Here you can set your drag up to 3 or 4 notches as these small guys won't break your 17 lb. line. Catch as many as you can as quickly as you can and hopefully you'll get enough weight. Don't worry if you hook a largemouth, just hit the Z button before you set the hook and recast the line. Don't be late to the weigh in this time as you won't have much wiggle room (the max weight of a smallmouth is 5 lbs as ooposed to the 55 lbs. striped bass.) Get an average of 3 lbs. a fish and you'll probably come in 1st. C. Lake Fork, TX Goal: 5 largest largemouth bass Tips: Finding a spot here is really easy seeing as there are only 3 kinds of fish in Lake Fork. For example There's one NW from the starting dock - along the bank where there are a few trees sticking out. The trick here is to find some good sized fish. I don't have much advice, just experiment however and wherever you think is best. The simple plastic worm will work just fine. This is one of the harder tournaments. You really need to land a big boy or two in order to win. Just getting 5 fish won't do it. There are plenty of trees here that might just have a trophy bass hiding around them. Good luck. D. Lake Wylie, NC Goal: 5 largest largemouth bass Tips: The closest spot to find a largemouth here is straight out from the starting dock and to the right. There's a corner on the north bank that has a school of them. Again, this is a tricky tourney. You really need to get 3-4 fish over 10 lbs. There's not much else to say here, just do your best and hopefully you'll have a little luck. 1st place unlocks a new boat!! - Tracker Pro Crappie 175 E. Lake Guntersville, AL Goal: 5 largest striped bass Tips: Near the starting dock there are 2 bridges. Under the northern bridge is a school of striped bass. There are also some catfish here to contend with, but that's not too difficult. You may need 130 or 140 lbs of fish depending on the competetion, so reel in 5 as quickly as you can and try to get at least 2 big boys. Fish right up to the timer if need be, as a 1 or 2 lbs. late penatly probably won't affect you much. F. Lake Champlain, NY Goal: 5 largest smallmouth bass Tips: Ah, once again a smallmouth tournament. Just north of the starting point is a short brige under which is a nice gob of smallmouth. They're easy and quick to catch so bring in a bunch of 'em. These smallmouth tourneys can be a lot of fun since it really depends on the quality of your catches. Placing 1st here shouldn't be too tough. p.s. --- Be sure to set your drag up to 3 or 4 to bring these guys in faster. You won't have to worry about your line breaking if you have a 17 lb. test equipped. G. Oneida Lake, NY Goal: 5 largest largemouth and smallmouth bass Tips: OK, this tournament can be tough. The largemouth here can be a little slow to catch. South from the starting point is a dock and house. Fish along the rock wall to the right of the dock (west). The school here is quite thin- maybe 1 or 2 bass in an area- so I use the jerk bait in in order to get a good view (the worm sinks too quickly and all you can see is weeds). Be patient and try different spots along the wall to find the big ones. There may be other spots that have a thicker school of bass so feel free to explore, but this is a large lake with very little distinguishing features so it'll take a lot of time to find a good spot and you'll likely have to retry the tournament, so it's up to you. H. Pickwick Lake, TN Goal: 5 laregest smallmouth bass Tips: Easy as pie. Head straight into the cove (with large rocks along the right bank) and fish out as many smallmouth as you can. Set your drag accordingly and use whatever techniques you've learned up to now. -actually not always easy... I did lose one tournament to a player that got 22.5 lbs (out of 25) but if you quickly drop anchor and don't dilly-dally, you'll usually keep them from going that high. I. Lake Toho, FL Goal: 5 largest largemouth bass Tips: Toho is stocked full of largemouth so finding some won't be a problem. The fastest is the northern tip of the map- there's a little cove full of em. As with the other largemouth tourneys it requires every second and a little luck to win. The bass seem to strike the plastic worm the fastest so I use that, although topwater poppers is a fun alternative in crystal clear waters like this- but strikes take a little longer so I recommend the worm. J. Table Rock Lake, MO Goal: 5 largest Kentucky Spotted Bass Tips: Head west along the southern bank and stop at the last cove before the the main river. The simplest way is to use the plastic worm and bob it on the bottom. Another tip is to set the drag up to 3 since these fish won't get up above 8 lbs. Fish fast and hard and you'll place 1st, but 2nd place will also unlock the invitational mode. VI. INVITATIONAL WALKTHROUGH ============================================================================== ============================================================================== The invitation is a series of 5 tournaments. You don't need to place high to get to the next tournament as each one gives you points depending on your finish. Here's the breakdown: Place: Points: Reward: 1st 10 $50 2nd 7 $25 3rd 5 $10 4th 0 $0 Unfortunately the invitational is always the same 5 lakes, insteading of picking random lakes. They also use the same fish. You will probably need to use different fishing spots as the starting docks is now in a different place then it was for the tournament. A. Lake Amistad, TX Goal: 5 largest striped bass Tips: Ok, since in invitational mode the starting dock has moved, the bridge is no longer the quickest spot. So head out of the cove and turn left (south) and stop next to a couple of trees on your right. There should be a school of stripers here. If you've gotten this far you shouldn't have any problem winning this tourney. Place 1st and you'll get a $50 gift card. B. Lake Fork, TX Goal: 5 largest largemouth bass Tips: Again, lake fork is loaded with largemouth. Head southwest and fish in the corner of the cove here (there are 2 trees sticking out). This is one of the harder tourneys. You'll need a couple good size bass to place 1st so good luck. C. Oneida Lake, NY Goal: 5 largest smallmouth bass Tips: Turn the boat around and head east. There's a school by the bouys on at the east end of the lake. There's a few catfish here too so you may want to use a jerkbait instead of the squirmin worm... by now you know how to do this either way :-D D. Lake Champlain, NY Goal: 5 biggest largemouth and smallmouth bass Tips: Obviously you want 5 laregemouth here. Just south of the starting dock along the east bank is the closest place to find them, but there's also smallmouth mixed in here. So if you'd rather have just a school of largemouth, head west under the bridge and stop and fish NW into the cove here on the west bank. If you've upgraded to a faster boat it shouldn't take more than 30-45 seconds to get here. I would recommend a jerkbait since the water is so deep here and the area is so large, you'll want a good view. You'll need a couple big ones, but this should be easier than the largemouth only tournaments, like at lake fork and lake toho. E. Table Rock Lake, MO Goal: 5 largest kentucky spotted bass Tips: Well for the final tournament of the game this one is suprisingly easy. Just head west along the southern bank and pull into the last cove before reaching the main channel. There's nothin but spotted bass here. Catch em any way you want (I recommend the worm) and catch em quick, and you'll have no problem finishing first. And if you win the whole invitational, you'll win a new boat! VII. LENGENDARY FISH ============================================================================== ============================================================================== I imagine this is the section most of you are looking for. I've personally caught each legendary fish and can verify that these locations are correct. When you hook the legendary fish a "sparkly" effect will show (similiar to catching a reward fish) and you will be congratulated accordingly when you land him. Sometimes when fishing in the area, a gold sparkle will appear over the water in the spot where the fish is located. It won't happen as soon as you drop anchor however, so be patient and keep fishing... also it will re-appear again later if you don't immediately catch the fish, but it may take some time. * note Oneida Lake has 2 legendary fish * note there is no legendary trout * note Lake Amistad has no (0, zero) legendary fish... I guess in Texas "the one that got away" never gets away ;-) * note I've listed the in-game description of each fish's weight (where one is given) and the weight of the fish I personally caught so feel free to compare yours to mine :-D * I recommend buying and equipping a baitcasting reel and a 7 foot rod (this lets you cast up to 150+ feet and is better when fighting The Monster). A. Name: "The Monster" Lake Ouachita striped bass estimated at 65 lbs, 4 feet long My catch: 62.0 lbs. Located: The far west end of the map where a creek empties into the lake. This is inside one of the bouyed exploration locations. The monster is towards the back and to the right (by the north bank) in some weeds and about 5-8 foot depth. Tips: Here's how I caught this guy - it took me quite a long time though, so maybe you guys have better suggestions - I used a topwater lure to fish out some good stripers by luring them in close to the boat. 1. this makes nabbing the legendary fish easier when the gold sparkles come and 2. you can nab a 55 pounder in the meantime using the topwater view to see where the big ones are. When you see the gold sparkle immediately switch to a drop-shot worm and cast in the exact spot where the sparkle was. Now just barely bounce the worm along the bottom so that you don't attract the other fish or any catfish. If the monster is still there he should strike and you'll see the sparkle effect when you hook him. If not, then go back to the topwater and keep catching big ones until the spot appears again and retry. Be sure to use 17 lb test line and your best lure and rod as this is the largest fish in the game. Keep your drag down to 1 notch, take your time luring him in, and slowly wear him down- believe me as long as it takes to hook this bad boy YOU DO NOT WANT TO LOSE HIM This fish took the longest time to lure out and the longest time to land. Have fun :-D B. Name: "Caspar" Lake Fork white crappie My catch: 5.8 Lbs Located: From the starting dock head south and around the bend until you go into the west half of the lake. Head north into the long channel (the end of which is the northernmost point on the lake) and find the buoyed off eploration challenge area. There's a school of bass here, south of this is a school of catfish, and finally the 3rd school south of the bouyed area is the crappie. He's about in the middle of the channel. Tips: I caught this one without seeing the gold sparkle above the water. I simply kept catching crappie until one of them lighted up with a sparkle when I hooked him, but the sparkle will appear above him eventually. I recommend the single tail grub, of course. C. Name "Leviathan" or "Levi" for short Lake Wylie catfish estimated at 40 lbs and 4 feet long My catch: 40.0 lbs Located: In the southeast corner of the lake is a spillway (an area with large cement walls and sluice gates). Levi is by the south wall, around the middle gate. Tips: Once you see the sparkle stick a drop shot worm in the spot (catfish really really love the drop shot- even more than the squirmin worm) and snag him. The squirmin worm will work too. Take your time and slowly wear him down. D. Name: "hubs" Lake Guntersville black crappie estimate at 7 lbs and feet long My catch 6.2 lbs Located: Go down the long channel south of the briges (the south end has 2 long fingers- we want the eastern, narrower one). Before you get to the bouyed of area, the southeastern bank juts out a litte. Off this point is a school of crappie... and also... Hubs!! Tips: Not to hard to land really as he's pretty light... as with any crappie I recommend a single tail grub. E. Name: "Wally" Lake Champlain walleye estimated at 25 lbs My catch 22.0 lbs. Located: Head towards the Northeastern cove. At the southern end of that channel is a large school of walleye (it's directly north of the island east of the bridge). Tips: I had a hard time singling out wally from the large number of walleye here. I used the jerkbait to both find him and catch him. In the underwater view you can pick him out of the bunch as his coloring is unique - he's much darker- and has bigger fins. You might try catching several walleye away from the sparkle or lure them in close to the boat to help split them up, and then cast to the spot. With 17 lbs test, landing him won't be too hard. F. Name: "Goliath" Onieda Lake muskie estimated at 4 feet long My catch: 35.0 lbs. Located: In the southeast corner of the lake, where the cement wall borders the lake (in one of the buoyed exploration areas). If memory serves me, the actual sparkle appears near the rocks up against the wall. Tips: Ah, the famous muskie- notoriously difficult to catch. I didn't find this guy too hard to catch... certainly easier than "the monster." Catch a couple muskie until the sparkle appears and then cast there. I recommend the jerkbait, the squirmin worm, or the dropshot worm. A jigging spoon sometimes works well too, but the previous ones are the prime choices. G. Name: "Striker" Onieda Lake Northern Pike Estimated at 50 lbs My catch: 50.0 lbs. Located: West of where Goliath was... next to the rock wall. The sparkle appears west of the middle small dock that stick out of the wall. Tips: Cast a worm, or drop-shot worm on the sparkle when it appears. You can also use any other bait you use to catch pike, but the worm you can bounce in the exact spot. He's a big boy now, so take your time and wear him down. Keep the drag down to one notch and real him carefully. It will take a while, but with patience he's no problem. H. Name: "The Captain" Pickwick Lake smallmouth bass estimated at 8 lbs and 2 feet long My catch: 8 lbs. Located: Go to the damn in the northwest of the lake. Now travel along the north bank to the east. You'll see a series of coves, the first of which has a buoyed area. Pass it and the next one and pull into the 3rd cove. Immediately to the right is a mini cove within the cove. There's a school of smallmouth here and "The Captain" is in with them. Tips: The squirmin worm works just fine. I can't think of much else to say. Just reel him in and enjoy some fish 'n chips captain style! I. Name: "The Mouth" Lake Taho largemouth bass estimated at 20 lbs. My catch: 22.0 lbs. Located: Head south then east. The area we want is the buoyed area that is located on the eastern most point of the map. The sparkle should appear on the north east corner. Tips: As with any bass, most every lure works fine. I just dropped a worm on the sparkle and got him. He's pretty big and fights well so take your time and carefully wear him down and you'll be fine. J. Name: "Tucky Blue" Table Rock Lake kentucky spotted bass My catch: 9.0 lbs. Located: Travel down the east wing all the way to the end, past the bouys on your left. There's a school of spotted bass here and the Tucky's sparkle will appear way back to the end and a little on the left. Tips: There's not much to say, he's not too tough. Use any lure you use to catch bass... the worm works just fine. VIII. SIDEQUESTS AND MISCELLANEOUS STUFF ============================================================================== ============================================================================== A. Trophy Room The trophy room shows the largest fish you have caught of each of the fish species. If you catch a larger one it will replace the current one. It also displays the legendary fish you've collected. B. Challenges The challenges menu gives you two possible mini-games; the bass boat challenge and the casting contest. Both will pay reward money for the BPS. The boat challenge is a race around the lake against an NPC boat. Navigate through the bouys around the course and beat the opponent. The casting challenges consist of a set of rings set in the water which you must cast your lure into. Cast into each ring before the clock runs out to collect the reward money. Bass boat challenges: Lake Amistad Lake Fork Lake Guntersville Lake Ouachita Lake Wylie Lake Champlain Casting contests: Lake Oneida Lake Pickwick Table Rock Lake Lake Toho C. Reward fish Every lake has random fish that will give rewards when caught. You can tell when a reward fish is hooked by the gold sparkle effect around its' mouth when you set the hook and the white sparkles that emit while reeling it in. There are 3 possibilities of a reward for landing the fish: 1. Reputation points 2. Bass pro shops gift card money $$$ 3. A randomly selected lure (you get 2 of them I think) *size has nothing to do with the reward fish- it's completely random as I've actually caught a 0.5 lb largemouth as a reward fish D. Angler challenges In every lake there are NPC fisherman on boats. When you approach them they will say "Hey, how's it going." or "Hey, watch it!" if you try to ram them. 30% of the time they will challenge you to a contest. If you accept you can win BPS reward money. There are a few different challenges... -be the first to make a perfect cast -catch the largest (selected fish species) - only the first one counts -be the first to catch a (selected fish species) -be the first to catch a (selected fish species) and a (selected fish species) E. Boat garage Boats are not bought but unlocked by winning tournaments. After the 3rd lake is when you can start unlocking them. Obviously you'll want to start using the faster boats once you get them in order to save time in your tournaments. Tracker ProTeam 170 Top Speed 34.0 Acceleration 9.7 Tracker Pro Crappie 175 Top Speed 38.0 Acceleration 8.9 Tracker ProTeam 175 TXW Top Speed 41.0 Acceleration 8.1 Tracker ProTeam190 TX Top Speed 51.0 Acceleration 9.7 Tracker Tournament V-18 Top Speed 57.0 Acceleration 7.3 Nitro 640 Top Speed 47.0 Acceleration 9.4 Nitro 898 Top Speed 70.0 Acceleration 5.7 Nitro Z6 Top Speed 52.0 Acceleration 8.1 Nitro Z9 Top Speed 79.0 Acceleration 6.0 Unlocked by winning the invitational F. MAKING MONEY! Need money for lures, rods, and reels? Here are the ways you can make money to buy more awesome BPS gear! 1. Completing casting challenges or boat challenges -casting challenges are the quickest way to make a small amount of money if you need to get a few lures. -the boat races are longer and they actually pay less than the casting contest even though they are harder. 2. Angler challenges -completing these challenges from random NPC's can net you $10 3. Reward fish -catching a random reward fish has a chance to net $10 -obviously this isn't a good way to make money quickly!!! 4. Winning tournaments -placing first in a tournament wins reward money 5. Winning invitational tournaments -placing 1st in an invitational tourney can win up to $50 6. Completing Exploration challenges on each lake -this is a one time event in each lake. Once all 5 areas have been entered you will recieve the reward. ============================================================================== ============================================================================== ============================================================================== The end -If you have any corrections, questions, or additions, contact me- black_willow00@yahoo.com or post your comments in the forums.