Marty

You can see the stock hook sizes here: http://www.basspro.com/Arbogast-Hula-Popper/product/15534/

Sorry Raul, I do remove the hook hangers. Into the holes go screw eyes to which the hooks are attached. I also unscrew every screw on the lure and put super glue in the hole before replacing the screws. I can tolerate losing any lure except the Jitterbug because it's time consuming and a pain in the butt to make the modifications.

Same here. I know that some anglers don't give storms the respect they should.

I haven't seen those shows, but it seems that telecasts of all sporting events cut away from time to time to show something that's not game-related. Maybe they feel variety keeps the program interesting?

I can't talk about muskie, but I've never had a problem catching pike and pickerel while using a wire leader. What I've frequently seen is a hammer handle toothy fish slice through all kinds of line like a hot knife through butter. I would not trust any filament with a member of the pike family. If you have no confidence in a wire leader, then use what you're comfortable with and expect to have some biteoffs.

I'd been fishing almost 40 years at the time and when they opened things up for C&R that was the best thing that ever happened as far as I was concerned. It started December 1, 2006 and in the spring of 2007 I was keeping track and counted 80 keepers that I wouldn't have had without the rule change and at least 75% of them were shore fishing.

If everyone did serious research beforehand you'd see a lot fewer posts. If that's what's wanted, fine. Otherwise expect repeat questions.

I was using a Sizmic Toad (topwater) when I caught my personal best. Numbers 2, 3 and 4 were also caught on topwaters.

Keep using them and you're bound to catch fish.

Most infomercials appeal to our deepest desires: lose weight fast, get rich quick, catch more fish and the like. I never used an infomercial lure, but many have and have reported success with them, and some of them have made their way into mainstream tackle retailers.

I have a different take. I've fished for hours in my canoe. Yes, it gets blown around easily (that's why I use a drag chain), but I never had a desire for a kayak. I have a pretty fair amount of stuff with me that's all laid out in front of me for immediate access. I realize that a lot more people fish from kayaks than canoes, but I guess they're not for everyone. P.S. I might add than in a moderate wind a lily pad bed or algae mat can act as an "anchor."

When I fished a lot from shore, I covered as much water as possible trying to find out where the good spots were. Some places I found had no consistent good spots and I had to move around a lot all the time. But regardless, my best advice is to fish where big bass are within casting distance. OK, easy for me to say, but my point is that you never know when you'll hook into a big one. I also believe big bass will take any lure type. One day nine years ago on the opening day of bass season I decided to try my brand-new Sizmic Toads. I was casting in an area I'd fished 100s of times and caught my personal best, which still stands to this day. The more you fish the better chance you have for a big one. Like the lottery ads say, "You never know."

CD1542 nailed it. It really doesn't matter. In many years of using backing I haven't gotten down to the knot, even when I've hooked hard-fighting carp.

Nice report Bill. Keep on improving.

Lure choice is most often an art, not a science. Conventional wisdom often says use certain lures under certain conditions, but the bass don't know that conventional wisdom. You can start off with the bait that seems right for the conditions, but if it doesn't work, try other stuff. More often than not it's a matter of trial and error since we can't predict what the fish will hit on any given day.

I think they'd work. I don't use black buzzbaits, but I've caught fish on black Jitterbugs and black soft plastic toads under bluebird skies as well as less bright conditions, so I see no reason why black buzzbaits wouldn't work as well.

I consider them to be. Ribbits have been my choice for years, while a friend does very well on Horny Toads. They can be fished in open water as well as among the weeds.

I never fished for cats, but have caught a number while using bass baits. At the Erie Canal, where I fished a lot some years ago, most of the guys targeting catfish used chicken livers. P.S. I'm talking just Channel Cats, not the others.

You can go over a rod's lure weight. Just don't do a hard snap on the back cast which could theoretically overload the rod tip.

Same.

I just use the ones ones that are labeled as trailer hooks. Most of my buzzbait fish have come on the main hook, but I've caught just enough on the trailer hook only that I have to use one to have any confidence.

Photoshop Elements has fewer options than the original, but costs less than $100. It's extremely easy these days to be suspicious of photographs because of the many ways that they can be manipulated. I'm interested in dragonflies and last week a guy posted a picture of one with an abnormal shade of blue. I was virtually positive it had been Photoshopped, but tried to be as tactful as possible and replied that for that particular species the blue looked different than the ones where I live. He came back and said he'd gone overboard with the color "enhancement." The moral of the story is to keep it looking real when you manipulate an image. Disclaimer: I never saw the picture that precipitated this thread.

I've never used clip-ons, so I can't help. You say you've tried some with "little success." What does that mean? Perhaps if you list the specific problems someone might be able to help.

I've always used small wire leaders, usually no more than 6" which were effective against pickerel and pike. I don't think they had a measurable effect on the fishing.

I don't see where he was belittling you at all. It's perfectly normal to wonder why a person who has an accountant is posting on a fishing forum with the subject line "Tax question." And I didn't see in your post a question about others having a similar experience. No need to be so defensive.