tholmes

1. Bandit 200 series in Tennessee Shad. 1A. Rapala DT-10 in Shad. 2. 7" Ribbon-tail worm in Tequila Sunrise or Red Shad. 3. Jigs in either black/blue of green pumpkin with some sort of craw trailer. Tom

+1 ^ I'm positive that lure will produce. Great work! Tom

Just reel slower. Tom

For ultralight crankin',I like to throw 1/8 oz. Ratl-Traps, Mann's Baby 1-, original Rapalas (in the smaller sizes), Rebel Wee Craws and Crickhoppers, etc. Tom

I won't dispute that, Raul. It's a confidence thing. I get skunked a couple of times on a lure and I quit throwing it. I catch plenty of bass on other topwater baits, but the Torpedo (in any size) ain't one of them. Tom

I have three and, I've never caught a fish on 'em. Tom

Yeah, the 'gills drive me crazy this time of year. They'll peck at a T-rigged worm, even pick it up and move it and sometimes bite the tail off of it. And I set the hook on nothing. But I always set the hook because, as J Francho said, you never know what's messin' with your bait. Tom

I prefer a full cork grip, but high quality EVA is OK. Split grips aren't my first choice, but they're not a deal-breaker either. As long as there's at least some foregrip there. Tom

Me too. I'm pretty tough on sunglasses. When (not if, when) I break a pair or drop 'em in the lake, I can replace them without spending the price of a good baitcasting outfit. Tom

I fish almost exclusively from the bank (or from a dock), and there are days when I feel the same way. Just the other day, when fishing from a dock, I wound up to throw a crankbait and, on the back cast, I caught the rail on the oppisite side of the dock. The backlash in your picture looks mild compared to the mess I ended up with. And to top it all off, I broke my favorite Bandit crankbait right in half. Some days just suck. Tom

And turn off that thing that blocks pop-up ads. Tom

IF I had to choose one color (and I'm glad that I don't) it would be shad. Tom

Whatever is workin'. Lately, with the extreme heat, it's been T-rigged plastics and deep cranks. Tom

Yep. Old school, but it still works. tom

Not anymore. I used to be an avid hunter, waterfowl, pheasant, quail, deer and small game. I've had to give it up for the most part due to an accident that left me with a bum back and some problems with maintaining my balance. Tom

There were a couple. My first good baitcaster, an Ambassadeur 5000 in 1968. Mann's Jelly Worm. Tom

Right for both. I'm left handed, so it just feels natural for me to cast with my left, reel with my right. Tom

108 here in central Kansas yesterday. It's predicted to be over 100 for the next week or so. Early mornings and late evenings are the only times that it's even worth going out. But I've still been catchin' some bass. Tom

Those all look great! That pumpkinseed is almost to pretty to fish! Exceptional! Tom

Yep. I usually use 3/16 or 1/4, but when the Kansas wind starts up, I will go as heavy as 1 oz. to maintain bottom contact. Tom

Yep, he got a steal. That old reel, while heavy and slow as molasses by today's standards (3.8:1 gear ratio, IIRC), is built like a tank and should provide reliable service for years with a yearly clean and lube. Parts and service are readily available, too. I'd pick up a spare line guide pawl to have on hand just in case. Tom

Way to give away my "secret" deep-water bass bait! I also use the 3.5" LFT Live Magic Shad rigged the same way on a 1/2 oz. spinnerbait. Tom

15-30 ft. bass?? Something really, really big. sorry, I just couldn't leave it alone. Tom

"Basically im asking will bigger bass sometimes eat smaller worms?" Yes. Tom

I don't know about Florida specifically, but you should be good with: Shad-imitating colors Bluegill-imitating colors Crawdad-imitating colors Add some chartreuse patterns and you should be good to go. Tom