Paul Roberts

Thanks guys. Zel, I've heard of that too, but want my pork to last -I'm a cheapskate. Raul, that's what I do now. But I end up cutting into the dye -looks bad. Maybe I need to take more time at it. I've tried bending and pulling by hand. I may have to do the rock tumbler thing -I can borrow one. Thanks

I'm in northern Colorado, and our fish are northern largemouths. I measure almost every fish, and over time have weighed enough that I can estimate pretty well. In the waters I fish, most mature males run 13-15inches (1.25 to 1.75lbs), and most mature females run 14 to 20 inches (1.4 to 4.9 lbs). A very few fish will dip into the 7lb range. I hear rumors of larger but have never seen such an animal. I have also had numerous people tell me thier 5lbers were 18 inches long! Possible, but I haven't seen such an animal either. The most outlandish weight for length I took last year was a 19.25 inch that was an ounce shy of 5lbs. A internet buddy took a 21.5 inch that broke 7lbs. And the CO state record was 22.5" and 11lbs 6oz.

How do you go about softening your pork frogs?

Varies. I'm self employed, and often flexible -but busy! At least once a week. I like to go all day, so I can feel connected. Problem is, the earth turns over so darn fast!

I can only take some guesses. Rising water can be good, unless its new muddy water. Avoid the mud. Dropping water temps I'm still trying to get a real handle on. I've begun to fear them less than I used to -an irrational fear. With plenty of forage bass should not be too put off by 5 degree changes. 10 degrees can put 'em off. Also, I've noticed that post-spawn females love heat, which makes me think they'll dislike dropping temps more than at other times. But that's only a supposition. One nice thing about post cold fronts is that within a day or so you often end up with rapidly warming temps. This is a really good thing. So, with rising water and the potential for heating you are set to cook. I'd look for shallow back creeks and coves that will heat well -like, I believe what WayneP mentions. I'd target good shoreline cover like flooded bushes, or wood, or the inside weed edge. Move in quietly and present quietly -warming conditions often mean bright conditions.

Really good stuff here. You don't have to know a lake inside and out to find bass. Pick an area with the most diverse cover types, the more diverse and convoluted the better, preferably a shallow flat or cove (remember I'm a natural lake guy) with some deep water nearby. Or, as mentioned, a point, channel, or hump (if in a reservoir). If it's a good lake there will almost certainly be some bass in such a location. They may or may not be the biggest fish in the lake, but they'll teach you a lot. Then get busy. Start whittling things down as mentioned above.

Yes, I hear those comments too. But it's not all in the cities. Urbanization of our culture is happening everywhere. Often what I hear is fear based stuff, like: Snakes!!!! Or pollution comments -they see mud and weeds and think "Yuck!" Too many urbanites have lost touch with nature. I actually overheard a group of teenagers in a McDonald's in NYC debating what a chicken was. One insisted it was a bird. The others scoffed. Sad, and scary. Worries me, the kind of constituency for nature we are rapidly becoming.

Catt and fishfordollars offer really good advice for shad based reservoirs, or deep natural lakes with pelagic (open water) forage. Which brings up a really good point. Different lake types with different prey types offer different requirements, and affect the way you begin to narrow your initial search. In natural lakes, and ponds, sometimes bluegills will behave pelagically (but not in tight schools like pelagic prey species), and perch do too, and often tightly, (but perch tend to be bottom oriented rather than up in the water column -except at night and very low light). For the most part both these prey types are more cover oriented. How deep you need to look (to get started in your search) depends on the lake type, water clarity (the murkier the shallower the fish are likely to be), and forage type. Then you start to narrow your search further by divining where in the water column your bass are.

We look at each thing you mentioned and a whole lot more. There just isn't one answer to that question -we look at a million things. But the bass only tend to look at a few in each circumstance, and it won't likely be the same all over the lake. And you can expect it will change every hour, and with every change in conditions. Fishing is all about dealing with a huge amount of variables. It is impossible to understand it all, but you can over time learn to discern what's important, recognize these, and capitalize. Decision making is key. What things to be thinking about, what decisions to make, come from experience, and a whole lot of reading helps enormously in knowing the pertinent questions to ask when you're on the water. To get to the answers you've got to ask good questions -very specific questions, then you test them. That's what everyone means when they say, "Find out what the fish want." The better your questions the quicker you'll get onto fish. Bites tend to be pretty specific to an area or type of area, and there are often key spots within. From your seat in the boat, it can a pretty specific combination of variables: Calendar period, temperature, conditions (sky and water), line, lure, and retrieve. This list is a great set of headings to formulate questions from -in that order. Look for active bass -provided conditions are adequate. To do so, choose a relatively fast technique to cover water (actual speed will vary with season, temperature, and conditions) such as a SB, buzzbait, crankbait, swimming jig, Carolina rig, etc... and go look for fish that will bite. Get to know your lake. If you don't find active bass and you know the lake, or have good advice, get yourself into an area that you know holds fish and try different sub-locations within, at various speeds, and triggers (this is where the devil lies -in the details of the retrieve). Don't know what triggers are? I'll give you the starting point: Vary you're retrieve -there's LOTS of ways to do that. Don't get down if you fail. We all do at times. But eventually these times will become more and more rare. Realize, that under almost every set of conditions there are fish to be caught, you just have to put together the right string of decisions. And that's no small task.

Ahh...did you say the hook was only 1 to 2mm deep in the worm? Do not bury the hook point inside the worm. The point should stick out or come out and then be skin hooked as in the photo offered by another siteatick.

Fish High or Low? Not a stupid question at all. But, there really aren't pat answers. I'll try to offer some generalities, as I understand them, that hopefully will help you make decisions when fishing. Bass relate to structure/cover so they are usually somewhat close to one or the other. In general, actively hunting bass are above bottom. Unless they are keying on crayfish, bass tend to be piscivorous and are oriented to food above them. People catch bass on bottom often because bass, being mostly shallow water fish (usually <15ft in most waters), prefer to stay below the level in which they can be seen from the surface, which puts them relatively close to the bottom. Slow bottom presentations can be very attractive to bass, and trigger strikes as they drag or bang bottom. This doesn't necessarily mean the bass were "on bottom". In general, resting bass (called neutral/negative) tend to be on bottom, usually near or in cover. These fish are often catchable if you can find and get to them. Some bottom caught bass are these guys. (Of course, ithere are always exceptions -In some waters, (usually deep, clear, heavily fished waters) bass may suspend away from bottom when resting. Bass almost always relate to cover objects, and more than one diver has described bass as "acting as though the top of the cover (especially weeds and wood) is the "bottom". Not the actual bottom! Understand and make use of "ambush points". "Ambush points" are something physical that obscures the falsity of the lure, makes the lure look as though it might escape, and/or offers a corral to contain the lure (making it appear catchable). Presentations up in the water column, in open water, are often more difficult to trigger strikes in. Easier to get follows, but without something to bang off of, hide behind, and appear to "corral/contain" the prey, it's tougher to trigger fish. Bass know when something is vulnerable -in fact that's what they are looking for when hunting. This is why topwaters can be so effective, if you can get them to come all the way to the surface (conditions dependent) -the surface film is a great "ambush point"-something that obscures the falseness inherent in lures and acts as a corral for bass to trap prey against. Cover, and the bottom, can act as ambush points too. So, when fishing: First determine where your bass are, shallow or deep: by season, water clarity, sky conditions, surface conditions, and available cover. You do that by experimenting and experience. When to switch or move? Think about targeting active bass first, then neutral bass. I tend to start shallow and work deeper and lower. It's easier to fish shallow, you can cover more water, and if there are active bass it's easier to catch 'em when they are high and chasing. If I fail I begin looking deeper (closer to bottom first, then move out deeper) Some generalities, starting places: Fish high in darker conditions, and lower in brighter conditions. Fish cover first the top to see if they are there, then the deeper outside edges, then inside it if you have to. Target Ambush Points regardless of where in the water column they are. Hope this helps some.

The 2/0 is fine, although I'd probably use a 3/0. I could ask for more particulars (like line weight and type, hook point exposure, rod particulars,...), but I'll take a shot at it already. Fish on a short line (close to hand) you should be a little more careful with -not to pull too hard. I know you see pros lifting fish into the boat, and this'll work, provided the fish is well hooked, the fish is oriented correctly (facing you -coming in toward you or the rod tip, and not still thrashing). As I fight a fish, when I finally get a look at it, I try to judge how well it's hooked. But, in general, I go easier with them when they get close. A short line provides less stretch and the rod angle is steeper so mistakes are more critical. I'd venture that most fish lost are done so on a short line at boatside -the hooks popping free. The trick is to keep the rod bent enough to keep the hooks in, not pull too hard, be ready for sudden bolts. You should also lead or guide the fish's direction with the rod. When he's moving smoothly and calmly at the surface, guide him to your thumb, net, or swing him aboard. You'll also see people grab the line above the fish, and this works fine, but if your new to fighting fish I'd land them from the rod until you are used to leading and landing on a short line. Other things to think about: Rod stiffness -a very fast rod is more critical, a soft rod can be too forgiving. Check hook sharpness on your thumbnail. It should stick, not slide. Get a hook file. My guess though is that it's the short line thing.

Likely too early in the season for an oxygen issue. Maybe a spill?

Anyone up on the Berkley Series One rods? I loved them years ago, but wonder where they stack up now?

Males protecting beds or fry was may immediate thought.

Agree with fanatic very much. Somehow trash left behind steps on my sense of reverence I hold for the places I fish -nature in general. As to plastics, if the item is large enough than it could impact (block) the stomach or intestines, then that bass will die. Likely smaller baits are passed as mentioned above. I don't think this is a big problem, but coupled with the general trashing of our natural places we all love, and share, there's no good reason for it, but sloth.

Some ideas: -I've noticed from photos that a lot of bass in FL can be really thin like that. I always assumed it was due to heavy competition for prey. -In my ponds (in CO) as bass start to run out of appropriate food for their size. They hit 16 or 18 inches, get skinny, and disappear. -She could be old. -Could also be water temps being too high and individual bass not catching enough food to keep up. -The last option, her stomach might be impacted with a plastic bait she swallowed. Search "skinny bass" and look for the thread about this, from a couple months back. In fact, there might be an article in the articles section on this.

27-3/4???? Do they come any longer??? Was that a TN fish? Congratulations!

From my experience with northern largemouths (in CO and NY) in small waters: At 45, it's very slow a crawl. Simply takes patience. At 50 options increase, and fish are much more willing, or at least able to meet you part way. At 55 I start picking up the pace. The bass can chase well by then. I may speed test small fish when I start. A thermometer is faster though. Topwaters are a possibility. Above 60 bass can really chase and at 65 or better you physically cannot reel too fast if a bass really wants that bait. Not that that's the best tact, but if the fish are willing you can sure cover water and catch a lot of bass. Realize, though, that these are surface temperatures. They don't represent the temps where the bass are likely holding. Until early summer, surface temp readings are only skin deep inches early on, then penetrating deeper as the season wears on. For example, in early spring, water 3 feet deep will likely be 10 degrees colder than the surface. When bass are beginning to spawn, in ~65F surface temps, water at 3 feet is likely 5 degrees colder. So, if the bass are holding just below where one can see them (the common security zone for bass) they are likely in colder water than I'm measuring. The bass are responding to lures well at actual temperatures colder than my list shows. WRB might chime in here, he had said he'd taken actual body temperatures of bass at one time. So, my temps above represent surface temps and serve as a general guide I use as I fish. But, more important than the actual temperatures on an hour by hour basis are temperature trends whether the temperatures are rising or falling and how quickly. To see how I use this in practice find my post, Two Interesting Days on Boulder Colorado Pond in the Western Reports section of this site (It's back a page or so now, or search it.). A really important part of all this in terms of presentation is what I call chase speed: What are the bass willing to commit to? They seem to judge whether they can catch a bait or not whether they are willing to expend the energy to capture it. I believe this is more important to larger bass and is, in part, why large bass can be harder to catch. Thus, how much horizontal (forward) movement matters this is the crux of speed control. When the water is cold, bass generally are less willing to commit to the chase. This doesn't mean bass CANNOT chase at cold temps they can, but from what I read it's more energetically costly. Whether this is truly physiological or in relation to availability of prey in winter, I dunno. There certainly ARE circumstances where bass will chase in cold water. Shad die-offs in the winter are a classic example. Actively feeding bass, with prey in front of them, and their target screen set, are more willing to chase at any temperature. As are bass in high competition with their cohorts. But, I'd venture to say that in most circumstances, you're better off slowing down in colder water -way down in very cold water. Your job is to ferret this stuff out. Start with an appropriate lure type for the metabolic requirements of the day (or better, the hour) at hand, and divine and refine the appropriate presentation. This is where versatility shines, and beats the "GoTo" nearly every time. There's a reply further down the above mentioned thread ("Two Fascinating Days...") where I describe some of this presentation stuff in more detail. Is this helpful, or confusing?

Not likely. That fish was just "confused", for lack of a better word. Once he came to, he took off.

In-Fisherman Handbook of Strategies: Largemouth Bass.

Versatility is a key skill. The confidence to fish different lures comes down to having good days with a new lures -the fish really are the best teachers in this regard.

Joel, Great report. A lot of people look at those conditions and psyche themselves out -confidence is huge! Dropping temps and high skies can be more difficult, but it's not all about numbers. Sounds like you rose to the challenge really well, and put together a good day. I'd be pretty pleased with myself.

Those are breaching carp. They do it A LOT during their spawn. I've never seen bass leap clear unless hooked, occasionally when attacking a topwater, or chasing dragonflies (little bass, come summer). Bass chasing preyfish may break top but this is usually a boil or surge, sometimes with preyfish leaping clear. Breaching carp jump clear, and often repeatedly. I have seen a number of anglers over the years mistaking breaching carp for bass -me included, once upon a time. Why do carp leap? I call it "breaching" because it's likely a communication thing (like with whales). Carp are ostariophysids -they've got special ossified (bone) chambers in their skulls that act to amplify sound. My guess is they communicate size, or intent, by breaching. I once got to watch breaching carp through clear water and it looked like this: An egg-laden female cruised quickly with a group of male suitors following tightly. These males breached repeatedly above her. Whether this is the typical thing I don't know, but likely it is.

Rarely a waste of time. Drops in temp seem to bother anglers more than bass -I didn't always believe that. But, bright sun can make getting close to fish without spooking them really tough. Plus, your going to have 60's. That'll likely warm the water some through the day from overnight lows. That's good! Some possibilities: Fish from further away, fish lighter lines, fish deeper, fish thicker cover, fish translucent finishes and chromes, do not let the fish get a good look at your lure (speed, erratic). Obviously, not all at the same time! Pick and choose for the water in front of you. Also, look for water that will help disguise your casting disturbances and lures: wind rippled surface, slightly turbid waters. Don't stay home! Go find some magic you can share with the rest of us.