Team9nine

I personally think it is one of the best bass books out there. A "must read" as far as I'm concerned. -T9

Like others have mentioned, it's best to have a routine down and have everything at hand to make the process go as smooth and as quick as possible. Setting some size guidelines as some have suggested is also a good idea. That said, bass aren't trout and can survive a lot longer than many would think in most cases. -T9

Caught quite a few on hair jigs today even though our water temps are still well above "ideal." Slow works, obviously, but don't be afraid to try speeds somewhat above "coma" to keep 'em honest. Some days they'll surprise you. -T9

That has the influence of Major League Fishing (MLF) written all over it, IMHO -T9

You can catch a bass on anything, but I think you kind of answered your own question LOL. Such a cool class with so much application to fishing!!! -T9

1 - You can use half a Senko, but you better be independently wealthy. One ZinkerZ bait cut in half (2 baits) will last longer than a whole package of Senkos. Ned just reported over 200 bass on one single Finesse WormZ this week. 2 - 1/16-oz is the "standard" of original MF anglers, but you'll find a variety of answers as more people use the bait in more diverse situations. Personally, I use 1/16-oz 80% of the time. 3 - Traditional tactic is to achieve a "no feel" retrieve. As such, while some will "slam it," most times bites will be pressure bites or line movement. "Ticks" are also a distinct possibility depending upon setup. 4 - Anytime/all the time for devotees. -T9

They'll eat about any lure you can put in front of their face long enough for them to grab it. Have caught them on spoonplugs, jigs, worms, tubes, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Picked up two nice channels just this week bass fishing. This one came on a #6 Shad Rap and 8# line

Keep following the Facebook Page for the site instead. Same material posted regularly, just in smaller bites. Today they covered turnover graphs from some of the major reservoirs and explained what was happening. Should be lots more science and news to come...and a bit more interactive than the website.

^^ Pretty much this ^^ It happens, but not as commonly as you might think. Bass tend to focus their attacks on the center of mass of an object. The head/skirt/trailer and such are usually a much better silhouette than flashing blades. The one exception is limited visibility waters where you might use solid colored blades which show up much more distinctly, and there it is still unknown whether bass interpret the two (blades & body) as separate objects/prey or view them as one large mass. -T9

The little guy is a juvenile bluegill. White bass around my parts will absolutely gorge themselves on those things to the point that they'll start to puke them all back up when you catch one. -T9

One way to judge if the thermocline is still present is by how deep you are marking fish on your depthfinder. Once the thermocline is completely gone, fish have the option of using the entire water column, and some fish will. When you start graphing fish along the bottom in the deepest water, you can generally assume the lake has completed turnover. As surface waters cool and start mixing with the deeper waters, the thermocline drops deeper and deeper until it eventually is completely removed. It wouldn't be unusual to also have a weaker temperature gradient and somewhat more disbursed organic matter, thereby making the thermocline not quite as distinct on some units as in the peak of late summer. The actual surface temperature will vary from lake to lake depending upon what the temperature of the anoxic zone underneath the thermocline was. Water depth and lake type can play a role in determining this. However, a general guideline on my local reservoirs (Indiana) is that when surface temps are in the mid to low 50s, the lake is usually pretty close to having completed turnover. -T9

Most likely Myzobdella. Here's a link: http://www.bigindianabass.com/big_indiana_bass/2012/01/largemouth-bass-and-fish-leeches-a-story.html -T9

They use a regular sized #2 hook in all sizes/weights of ShroomZ heads to my knowledge, so I don't find the need to alter the existing hook/gap. Closet thing I've found are the VMC half moon jigheads, but they only have a single barb. That double barb version might be a custom pour, or if not, no longer made. -T9

General rule of thumb is to use #6 with 1/32 oz., #4 with 1/16 oz., and #2 with 3/32 oz. I get the Gophers poured with the light wire Gammis, and go with #2s on 1/16s because the Gammis run a bit smaller than normal, but I still go #4s with the traditional bronze EC hooks. Everybody has their preferences though. One little trick with the smaller hooks is to take your thumbnail or a pair of pliers and slightly bend the point out just a smidge to open the gap a bit. Seems to help with hooking. -T9

THIS ^^ The only "standard" I know of, developed for fly rods, but you'll find very little of it in the bass fishing world. Many years back a few guys ran a whole slew of popular bass rods through the paces and got Common Cents ratings for most of them. Of course, rod makers continued to come out with new models every year, so the effort became futile after just a season or two. Now I just test/rate my own as needed using the system so I know exactly what I'm dealing with if I never need to replace or duplicate a rod. The whole thing is a lot like line ratings. No universal standardization across companies whatsoever. -T9

Have not broke a single ShroomZ hook yet, but have had the wire welded on keeper fall off of every one I've used at some point. Just pulled out the super glue and kept going after that. Not as convenient, but just as effective. Also, don't forget about the original Ned head, the Gopher mushroom. You can get custom pours around higher quality hooks from them, too. I still use Gophers more than I use ShroomZ since I can get the smaller finesse hooks in them, plus a much better variety of colors. Several of the custom pourers mentioned, and a couple that aren't, are also a good option. -T9

Never paid more than $9 over the past 7 years, but finally upgraded the boat this spring and now it's not unusual to pay as much as $12-$13 for a full tank, and a little more often, too. -T9

Five pound braid - 6 pound fluorocarbon leader - 35" buffalo - 40 minute fight... One FG knot holding everything together through it all. Took a while to consistently get the knot down right, but it is strong when you do. Still using Alberto if I need an on-the-water quick retie, but more and more going to the FG first when setting up outfits before a trip. -T9

Fish are slightly more dense than the water in which they swim. Unless they die rather suddenly, most dead fish end up on the bottom of the lake to begin with. There, anything from turtles to crayfish can start feeding on the dead body. As such, most dead fish never make it to the surface because they have sit on the bottom for a while until the gases from decomposition build up in the swim bladder or body cavity which will then eventually float the fish. -T9

A 2007 study that looked at agency guidelines or recommendations in this area (including all 50 states as well as 13 Canadian Provinces) found that "of the 25 agencies that discussed the importance of slime or scales, 19 also recommended handling a fish with wet hands, wet gloves, or a version thereof. Specifically, 59% recommended wet hands, 16% recommended wet gloves, and 25% recommended either." However, as of the study's publication date, there were not any published experiments that specifically dealt with slime removal or handling in a catch-and-release context. However, in aquaculture facilities it is a well known "best practice" that fish should be handled with wet hands and as minimally as possible. As such, that is likely a good guideline to go by. -T9

Denali S883MTM, Mark Tyler Multipurpose, 7' 4", Med-Hvy, Mod-Fast Shimano 6.2:1 reel Toray 16# SHU fluorocarbon -T9

Reminds me of a good George Thorogood And The Destroyers song... I fish alone, yeah / With nobody else I fish alone, yeah / With nobody else Yeah, you know when I fish alone / I prefer to be by myself

Bait specifics just depend on what you like. Caught a bunch on buzzbait just yesterday. One of my favorite ways to fish. I use the Accent "Game Changer" which is designed to be used with either a skirt or a soft toad bait. -T9

Several of these already mentioned, but Live Target, Spro Bronzeye Shad and Booyah Pad Crasher are three of the better ones. Seen good reviews on the Ish Poppin Phattie Frog though I haven't tried one. Same with the Nories NF60. I also like the R2S Bully Wa (originals), though I've read the newer "Version II" ones are junk. -T9

I've never heard any questioning on whether the catch was legit or not in the more than 2 decades since it was caught. The lake is private but is 120 acres in size with 128 lots. It is perfect for the state record in regards to being almost within a stones throw of the Ohio River, about as far south as you can go in Indiana meaning the fish would have one of the longest possible growing seasons available in the state. Not surprisingly, the record fish it beat was also caught in neighboring (Perry) county from a 2 acre private pond. Here's the story and pic: http://griffinsguide.com/content/2014/02/07/landing-the-big-one/