senile1

I tie to the split ring on most baits. One just has to make sure, when tying the knot, that it is on the opposite side of where the ends come together. I also check periodically to make sure the knot hasn't slid around into the groove between the ends. And as WRB stated, oval split rings eliminate that issue. On some baits, such as Rapala Floaters, I use a loop knot.

You may have heard incorrectly. Evers finished second to Aaron Martens last year. I think he had the lead going into the last event and Martens pulled it out.

I saw it as well and recognized the same thing. There will always be mistakes and/or untruths when it comes to the weight of fish. This isn't the first one I've seen in Bassmaster. Time to fish is to short to allow something like that to occupy my time when I could be studying, learning, and getting out on the water to increase the number of lunkers I bring in. Still . . . . that picture could be an embarrassment for him in the future, if not already. I hope it was a mistake.

I grew up on a farm south of Bertrand, MO, which is about halfway between Charleston and Sikeston. I see you are 31 so my years in the area don't coincide with yours. I am 53.

Welcome to the forum, Kyle. I live in Kansas City but I grew up in southeast Missouri so I am a life-long Cardinals fan as well.

Nice winter catch, Blue.

One rarely gets the opportunity to say this but I think the weight provided by your scale is on the low side. I can't see the length due to the tail being cut off in the pic so I could be wrong. That is a nice fish no matter what she weighed. Congratulations!

That's a very nice looking spot.

I use both as well as some Rat-l-traps, and occasionally a Cordell Super Spot seems to be the ticket. I can't say one is better than another. It just depends on water conditions and what a bass wants on a particular day for me.

I haven't fished an ALX. I own both Dobyn's Champion Extremes and G.Loomis GLXs. I think the GLX is noticeably more sensitive than the Dobyns for t-rigs and jigs.

It's all fun or I wouldn't do it. There are times that are more fun than others. Taking family members and friends out on a trip is one kind of fun. Going out on your own, analyzing the situation, and landing a lunker or a number of chunky fish is another type of fun. Each of these has its place.

That is a beautiful smallmouth but that musky takes the cake as the fish of a lifetime! I would like to hear the story about that one.

That is a nice fish. Congratulations on the PB!

That's a nice chunky bass. It looks like you guys had some fun.

I think I signed up 7 years ago.

Regarding the Northern strain of bass . . . . Since a bass is cold-blooded and its metabolism is governed by the water temperature, I don't think one can take how a fish reacts to a bait in 50 - 60 degree water that is considered cold by an angler in the South, and then say it is the same as a northern fish's reaction in 35 - 40 degree water. That fish in 35 - 40 degree water will respond much more slowly and eat much less than the bass in the 60 degree water. That is a function of temperature and biology, and not of the angler's perception of cool temperatures in a specific region. Warm-blooded creatures can become used to specific temperatures and become acclimated to an area so that a southern warm-blooded creature might react to 55 degrees the same as a warm-blooded creature in the north reacts to 40 degrees. Cold-blooded creatures, on the other hand, are comfortable in any temperature but their metabolism is tied to whatever that temperature is. That's why southern bass grow larger. They eat more in the winter than northern bass and have a much longer growing season. Since the southern bass is more active at so-called cold temperatures in the south, the presentation has to account for that increased activity and will not be the same. Regarding the Florida strain of bass . . . . My understanding is that the Florida strain is much more affected by cooler temperatures so they would become much more inactive at a specific temperature compared to a northern bass in the same water. In this case, it is possible that a presentation for these bass in 55 degree water could be similar to the presentation to a northern bass in water that is much cooler. . . . . just my two cents, which is worth a fraction of a penny after inflation.

I speculate that Bill's statement was based on the use of worms made with the plastic composition of the time period and those worms were stiffer in colder temperatures. I think that is why we used to hear the recommendation to always use a pork rind in the winter for a jig trailer, rather than a plastic trailer. Some angler still swear by the pork rind.

I think that's an excellent point. There are different combinations of actions and powers that come in handy for particular techniques but I think I could narrow it down to four, at most, to accomplish what I need the vast majority of the time. That's not to say that I don't have more than four rods though. It is nice to grab a rod that already has a lure attached rather than cutting and tying different lures throughout the day.

I see the same areas as being good. I also see a deep hole in the east arm just north of four docks. That would be a good staging area before the bass move up to spawn under those docks or on the nearby points. (This may be the bench Tom is speaking of but I am not familiar with that term.)

KDW96, on 07 Jan 2014 - 09:52, said: The A-rig has proven to be a real fish catcher under the right conditions. I think the evidence speaks to it not being a gimmick. As for the bait ball, I'll wait to see how it produces but I won't close my mind or develop an opinion until then.

I agree with ww2farmer. The cold air will probably push the bass back to their deeper sanctuary, but by the third day of the warming trend they may be getting back to where they were before. If not they will work their way up to some point on the path in between. I would use a lipless crankbait in the areas mentioned by ww2farmer and the scrounger and slow-rolled spinnerbait mentioned by Dwight would be options I would consider as well. As always, I would have a jig/craw on a rod to pick apart any area that is promising. If the fish turn out to be active for the tournament, the A-rig could knock 'em dead once again.

I use 1/2 and 5/8ths the most in warmer months but occasionally a fast falling 3/4 or 1 oz jig is the ticket. I will also use 3/8s with larger or smaller trailers depending on what I am trying to do with the rate of fall. I use 1/4 and 5/16ths the most when water temperatures dip into the low 40s and on down into the 30s, though the trailer size can vary, again depending on what rate of fall appears to get bites.

In response to the OP's question, "Does the extended time they are in a slower metabolic state cause them to be hungrier in the early spring?," I believe the answer is no. The slower metabolic rate of bass is not the same as a bear's hibernation. A bear's metabolism is suppressed due to no activity but is still high enough to burn more calories in the Winter because they are a warm-blooded mammal. They are still burning a lot of calories while not eating. When they come out of hibernation they have lost weight and are extremely hungry. Due to the slower metabolic rate in the cold waters of Winter, the bass need far less food and eat what is needed to replace calories used. They do not stop eating in the Winter like a bear. They just eat much less, because as a cold-blooded creature they require much less. The increased appetite in the Spring is due to their increased metabolism as the water temperature warms, not because they are failing to obtain nourishment in the Winter.

SKUNKD

While I try to get better at some techniques every year, I am more into trying to become better at analyzing the water and structure to find the fish. I think this is an ongoing learning activity in which one can never reach perfection. I concentrate on getting better every year and it doesn't keep me from having a good time. As I get better I will catch more and bigger fish which translates to even more fun. Excluding those special moments when your child, family member, or some other friend is having a special day on the water, fishing is generally more fun when one is catching more and bigger fish.