George Welcome

One the questions I hear frequently is this very one about lightening. Better to leave the lake to return for another period of fishing than to leave the lake in a body bag. However, that being said those that fish on with a storm impending, will never change until the lightening hits closer to home.

I'll say okay Matt to your right to opinion, but the discussion was centered around the question of intelligence. Tracking proves they move around, not that they will reject a bait through some method of learning. I would think that a good deal of the big bass caught in Texas are never reported just as they aren't here, so the chart is cute but not of tremendous value. Who is ets-systems? I don't watch the Jerry McKinnis show so I have no idea what they were building. However, if it was a lake that will support open fishing and they can get the population up to the levels of a Lake Fork or a Stick Marsh then they need to contact all of the fisheries departments in the country a teach them what they don't know. Remember, most of us are interested in fishable lakes, not 3 acre back lot ponds. The concern is with bass in their natural enviornment. They are going to act quite differently than those in Ray Scott's private 55 acre pet pool as an example.

Some facts: We catch the majority of our big fish post spawn and in the summer We catch the majority of our big fish with artificial bait: the same bait over and over What it takes to catch a big bass: location and the right cast - other than sight fishing which there is very little of down here One could wish that genetics were an important factor because if it was one would only have to add sunshine and food to get big bass - unfortunately, it is far more complicated a soup mixture than that. How a bass reacts in a tank and how they react in the wild can only be compared through assumption and conjecture. Obviously there is no way to rate the brain power of a bass without wild conjecture - until one talks to a bass it is wild conjecture. Bass in the wild are pretty much impossible to study with anything more than some very primitive guesswork. Repetitive shocking will show a hint of the population but does nothing to answer the whys. If there were any answers that had any kind of a footing they would be able to replicate bodies of water such as the Stick Marsh. The reality is, and any good biologist will tell you, they can't because they just don't know. In the meantime, until the come up with something substantial, keep casting, because if it falls in the right place you just might have that lunker you sought. Our customer did yesterday.

Rolo, It's not a contour map, however even with a contour map one would need to spend a lot of time playing, but hey if that's your game, what's wrong with it? If I was going to Rayburn I would definitely book a day with Jeff Buchanan, because for the next few days I would rather be catching than looking. I'll save my looking for when I am home.

As long as there be one on the line, largemouth or smallie; suits me just fine. The fight is so different but, and I have to search in my memory because we don't have smallies here, but I think - ah, does it really matter as long as they bite?

Just a simple question: what line, rod, and reel to you use to catch smallies? What do you use for LMs?

Well I guess I just plain as good as some of ya. If I go off on a multi day, long drive to get to, trip to a new lake I hire a guide for my first day. Since I didn't come the month before and spend a week pre-fishing and discovering the lake, then I think it money well spent. Even the best pro's pre-fish a lake, so since I am not in a tournament, I use the guide's experience as my pre-fishing time. Rayburn has a surface of approximately 114,500 acres in five counties. All the topo studying you want to do and location marking would still leave you in the need for an awful lot of time to figure it out. Heck, the Marsh is only 6700 acres, and lots of people come here for a week and never figure it out. As for following other boats: They probably know less than you do. Heck, look at the map and tell me which one of the few hundred points you might suggest starting at.

A: We will try, but it's awful hard to ignore them as they are just laying there. B: Thanks for the words: I really appreciate it.

It's a very good idea, however the 1/2 day idea isn't good. Go the full day in order to benefit. With a 1/2 day you will just about see the areas, and will barely have any time to prove that the guide is correct.

90% of my clients are from areas north of Florida. The comment made on every trip: "Man, these fish fight way harder that the ones at home!" Who really knows? I doubt if anyone has ever scaled the fish while fighting to see who fights the hardest. However, based on the comments of a few thousand people I would have to side with the Florida strain.

Absolutely agree with the spillway structures being fantastic when the water is moving. Ditch 7 is the divider ditch and areas in the Marsh, and the point of the levee going into the Farm can be fantastic on certain occasions. It is rare that the east end of ditch 7, (again it is the adjoing area of the marsh and not the ditch itself) is very productive. The SW area was historically the nursery for the Farm side, however the last few years the fish have moved to areas more to the east on the south end Ditch 7 is highly productive for crappie most years. This year the crappie are around the corner on the north end of the Farm. The most productive areas are in the open lake which keeps me hopping trying to stay with the fish. The rewards can be quite good as evidenced by one of my pets.

Opposite end of the spectrum:

High pressure - bluebird sky - in the middle of a cold front

How to handle a high front: go fishing and ignore it How to handle a low front: go fishing and ignore it How to handle wind: get drift socks, go fishing and ignore it how to handle all the excuses you can think of for not catching: go fishing and forget them, because they are nothing more than excuses. You can't catch when you are not fishing - it's that simple. This bass fishing thingy is just not all that complicated. Sometimes they just aren't going to bite, but until one comes up and talks to us, all this guess work is just so much superflous gibberish. I hope no one takes offense at this but you are putting far to much emphasis on total unknown stuff. A biologist's answer to all of this theory: "well er, hmmm; I'll get back to you on that.

Rolo, Steve Miller built the Marsh: Steven J. Miller 5bsjmiller@sjrwmd.com The Stick Marsh was first flooded in 1987 however water levels did not exceed 3 feet until 1988. At this time the area was contained entirely by remnant farm levees and inflow to the area occurred only from rainfall and runoff from Fellsmere Farms. In April-May 1990, construction of the northernmost levee and Structure S-96B was completed. S-96B allows discharge from the Stick Marsh to occur to the north. (Exit gate in the NW corner) Prior to completion of this structure discharge had occurred through a privately owned culvert structure. In Aug 1993 the levee that borders the east side of the Stick Marsh was completed along with Structure S-96D. S-96D allows for discharge into the Stick Marsh from the Blue Cypress Water Management Area. (Spillway in the SE Corner of the Farm) In 1988 the FGFWC (FGFWC = Fish & Game Fresh Water Commission) stocked the Stick Marsh with 20,000 largemouth bass and 50,000 bluegill-red-ear sunfish. This stocking simply supplemented an existing fish population which was already present in the internal canal system that was flooded. To protect over harvest of the largemouth bass the FGFWC implemented a "no harvest" regulation in Jan 1990. The area was open to public fishing in 1992, prior to the completion of S-96D. I hope this answers all your questions. Please don't hesitate to contact me if I can provide any further information. Steven J. Miller

Light penetration on a clear lake with a full moon: 3 Inches Atmospheric pressure affecting the air (gas) bladder of a fish: Nil - Atmospheric pressure is a measurement that relates to above the surface of the earth. Hydro pressure is basically unaffected by atmospheric pressure and fish are hydro related creatures. Lots of research in these areas guys, and all available to the interested. The affect that the moon has on saltwater and activity is well documented and in general common sense. With a full moon tidal movement is normally greater, hence fish are able to access what they yesterday couldn't. These areas are generally rich in food, so when the moon is full, the tide is higher and you can find fish in very fruitful areas.

From Kenansville lake: even the youngsters get the big gals if taken to the right spot.

The Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is 11 square miles of water. It is one lake with a levee that goes approximately 3/4 of it's width to force water flow through more of the lake. Its developement started in 1987 when 1 foot of water was added to the area using the existing farm levees for containment. In 1988 the water level had reached 3 feet. It took from 1988 to 1993 to complete the lake. It officially opened in 1992 however the locals were fishing it right after its beginning by humping various kinds of boats over the levee. Initially Farm 13, (named so because prior to flooding it was an active (radish), farm field designated as Farm 13 of Fellsmere Farms, was not accessible. A shallow access was cut in the eastern end of the levee to provide access and many a time I had to get out and push the boat to get into the Farm. In 1998 major improvements were made including a paved parking lot and a rebuilding of the levee to its present configuration, which has the west 25% open from one side to the other. The lake has always been catch and release, with the exception of one year allowing 1 fish kept, and then the return to catch and release. Shocking surveys and creel counts have shown this lake to improve every year since it opening both in numbers and quality in both bass and crappie, (specs). Fish over 10 pounds are very common, however it is a lake that can humble you if you don't know its character. We fish this lake more than 320 days per year and the number of client trips will range from a low of 250 to as high as 450 per year. Both my son Scott and I work this lake and that was Scott holding the lady of today. My second favorite lake is Kenansville Lake which is part of this same water conservation area. For those trying to locate these areas, you will find skeletal maps on the pages of St Johns Water Management. Just last week this 10 pound gal was caught.

Stick Marsh/Farm 13: Rolo, The lake didn't open to the public until 1992! 2005 creel count was the highest since the opening. Someone fed you the wrong information. One of the little ones we caught today. Christian, we marked the locaton on the side of the boat so that we could take you to her when you get here.

Hyacinth

Live bait method: hook the shiner just in front of the anal fin. Flip the shiner to the edge of the mat - (no float). The shiner will swim down and forward. Hold on because it won't be long before a bass smashes that shiner.

Check out these pages for NJ Information. http://njbassanglers.com/index.php

http://www.floridabassfederation.com/clubs above link: Contains contacts - emails - phones 8719 Central Fl. B.A.S.S. Anglers Neal Lazarus (407) 328-4223 nlazarus@juno.com

not very.

1.5 hours to go. Thanks to all the respondees and your well wishes. Have a fantastic day tomorrow.