Paul Roberts

I have a suggestion here. The American diet is likely a big part of the problem. Our reliance on carbs (sugars and starch) and fatty meats have literally created a culture in which, at this point, will see the first generations with a shorter life expectancy than their seniors. Yeah, that's Team Pampers. To eat that kind of diet most would have to exercise an insane amount to maintain a healthy weight. A friend told me about some native South American Indians who visited NYC as part of an international convention. They saw people in Central Park running (in spandex) and were baffled. "What are they running from??" they asked. They thought that one ran because you were chasing something, or it was chasing you! Our culture is so dis-connected with nature, and our "normal" diet so contrived by industry, that we've developed some strange and unhealthy habits. The answer is to eat a diet we evolved to eat -lean meat (chicken turkey, fish and very lean (or wild) red meats), with whole vegetables and fruits. It's the easiest diet ever, except for losing the sugar and grains that's tough, in terms of eating habits and expense (grain is cheap -that was the idea). Moderate exercise is good, but an appropriate diet and some walking will do the trick. Here's a book title for you: The Paleo-Diet, by Loren Cordaine.

Well..if there Is a God, KVD ain't him/her. Is that a surprise? Maybe he fooled himself? Sexy shad was just another fad? Hmmmm... Bad cup of Ovaltine? No Wheatie's?? More seriously, my guess is he made a bad call, went for broke on something and it didn't pan out. Fishing is bit like gambling -we just don't control how the cards fall (back to the God reference). One thing's impressive: He adjusted and made up for things afterwards; -His second day bag was right up there with the top bags. Interesting, to look at other anglers in this way. How well did they adjust through the tournament?

Welcome to BassResource Lauren.

Not too sensitive here. Not angry and no shed tears. But, I'm not insensitive either. If they were talking about the top of the chart, that would work. But they're not, the coverage compared KVDs "dismal" showing to "a woman", not Byron Velvick, or Gary Klein, or Peter T, ... .

I've noticed too. I thought the Bassmaster comment was especially so. Doubt any heads will roll. Just unfortunate I think. That's the point. Pointing out that VanDam is only one slot ahead of a woman is an obvious slight, whether the author recognized it or not. What if he'd said KVD was one slot behind Peter-T? Or only two slots ahead of Gary Klein? Or... Nope, he had to single out Bain-Moore to reference how "dismal" KVD's position was.

Very cool. Nice to see some smiling faces there. Thanks for sharing.

Well...there are trout, and then there are TROUT! This is a 9wt flyrod -for scale. I don't remember this steelies length, but it approached 30". These are a pair of 30" browns. They didn't get this big sipping bugs. And some trout eat trout! This is a 23.5" small stream brown. He terrorized a lot of brookies in his day. Trout are predacious and most species have greater growth potential than bass. Taking "bass-type" lures is not odd at all, except that we rarely apply them. Conversely, bass anglers are discovering "trout-type" lures are effective for bass.

I took this quote from the Bassmaster site Classic coverage: Does this sound bigoted to anyone else? She's near the bottom, with some pretty good company. Why single her out?

Here's the set-up: Tarzan lure wacky-rigged on a jighead under a Snoopy float. Put Roland with the rig on a never fished pond with the camera rolling. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Tuckman, Great post. Thanks for sharing. And welcome!

It's the right box to be in. Those questions are the starting point. Also, I bet that lake stratifies in summer. This will reduce your fishing grounds substantially. You MIGHT be able to write off anything over 20 feet for much of the summer.

Here's one along similar lines. I worked in a tackle shop and some Snoopy bobbers came in. I was float fishing for steelhead a lot at the time and decided to fish one instead of a regular quill float, just for grins. On the particular day I used it, I found a pod of nice fish and caught 9. Several other anglers stopped to inquire what I was using. I showed them ol' Snoopy and a few actually said, "I'll have to try one. where'd you get it?

Interesting range of responses! Dance's Eel: Never tried one, but somehow I'm not surprised. I've caught bass on the Banjo Minnow, and have a friend that LOVES them for chain pickeral. Just another soft jerk I think. Heddon 's Cousin II: I have two of those! And they've never seen water. Not sure where they fit. A lip-less made to bottom crawl. Hmmmm... I look at 'em every year, and they've yet to make it into my working box. One of these years.... Keep trying. When they are willing to take a buzzer, nothing will fill the boat faster and easier. Never tried that one...but I once found a pond so full of stunted bass that the first time I fished it I stopped counting at 130. I later went back with a lure I made from a "Creepy Crawler" mold, using melted plastic worms. It was a Tarzan mold, and made a little ~5" soft plastic human. I T-rigged it and fished as a topwater, humming the Jaws theme song all the way. It even worked as just a torso, after the arms, legs and head were torn off. Jigs work so darn well that I'm now not sure why I feel compelled to pull the weeds an scum off them! ;D

Ah! Love those browns. Very pretty fish.

WRB makes a really good point. Your electronics are used to develop an understanding of your lake bottom. You don't necessarily have to fish those surprises immediately, but document where they are, and what they might have to offer. Then return to fish them regularly, or at appropriate times. Also, the boat may not spook fish. But how well you understand the structure, cover and current present will influence how you present your lures.

Not a dummy. Took me a short bit to get used to the proper shelves here. BTW, welcome! Great site.

Seems we get a lot of posts that ask if this lure or that are any good. Most of the time I could chime in, "Yeah, great lure!" It seems LOTS of things can catch bass. So...can you think of lures that DON"T work? I'll offer a couple, and what I did to fix the "problem", or not. I had a cheap prop-bait (topwater). The props wouldn't turn, or the body would turn instead! I took off the props to make a Spook type bait and found that (with light line) it would walk, but just beneath the surface rather than on top -like a Rapala Subwalk. Turned out to be a great lure. Fished with a young guy who hadn't fished artificials before. For our outing he bought some of those Burke Erthworms (natural colored 6" plastic worms) and while I worked the pond he fished away without a bite. I finally came around and checked in. He had two hooks on the line about 15" apart and a worm all balled up on each hook. I re-rigged his worms straight and he caught several good bass and was darned pleased. I'm often real picky about how my lures look or are rigged. I make sure my tubes and soft jerks swim right, and my cranks are properly tuned. But one day... I met a kid who invited me to fish his neighbor's pond. I brought quite an assortment of (well crafted and tuned) goodies. He had ONE lure. It was a cheap knock-off crankbait that was so badly out of tune it spun tight circles on the retrieve! Before I could offer to tune it for him, he had a good bass. Then another, and another. He and that "ridiculous" plug accounted for the most bass that morning! Needless to say I didn't fix the problem, even though I couldn't stand the sight of that plug, nor have I de-tuned any of my own plugs since.

I paint mine (sinkers that is) with nail polish and it works surprisingly well. The one I'm using for worm weights I get at Target for 99cents a bottle. It's called NYC (for New York City I assume -how chic). It covers well and doesn't chip, but then I'm fishing mostly in soft bottomed vegetated waters. I do drag some around on a c-rig and over mud and rubble and they've held up too.

Welcome! I'm near Boulder and there is plenty of bass fishing on the plains, as you are discovering.

Good post. Bet there's big'ns down there!

Or ducking behind the boat seat when fishing downwind of a partner who had beans for breakfast.

Great, forgotten, lure. I used the original beetle spin in 1/8oz for smallies, and the 1/4 for LM. I lipped a 22" LM for a friend once, taken on the 1/4 ounce. Clip-on overhead spinners are a standard component in my jig box, and I use them with almost any jig body. They serve several good purposes: They slow the retrieve, add flash, add vibration, and can add profile with a painted blade.

Must be a sailing term? This, as fishizzle mentions, is the key point. A longer period of wind can do lots of things, good to bad. But a short window of wind rippling the surface can be a big advantage to an angler because it cuts and distorts lighting, making lures harder for bass to make out as 'not food' or something dangerous (lures). The surface film has this effect by itself, but a rippled surface is even better. Further, a rippled surface covers other angler effects that can put bass off like casting disturbances and the sight or motion of the angler. Wind roughed water gives lots of lures an edge, but buzzbaits shine. I have a buzzer ready and waiting for wind, no matter how short in duration.

Very sweet.

I'm all ears on this one too.