frogflogger

I would think one of the lakes would be doing good right now unless they are solid mud Why avoiding Summersville?

I like to throw a furbit on a breezy day - 20+ over 7# - lost count of the over 5's - if the wind is blowing throw a furbit - even after moving back north I find it is still very effective - it has worked on deep clear lakes for me at times. Fragile buggers though - I end up tie wrapping and gluing them together and replacing the rabbit strip tails as they get eaten off - if the wind isn't blowing many other frogs will get bit but if it is windy I'll always have "furby" tied on.

Bass know/sense everything in their environment - how far away I don't know but even in dirty water I've caught many fish on hair jigs and grubs - they displace water as they move and I always figured the bass sense even the most subtle pressure waves - all of this is my own opinion/experience - I have a copy of Knowing Bass and I enjoy and learn from it - if you look at the shape of the most effective crawfish imitation in their experiments it resembles a grub (ned rig) bait which makes little if any noise but it does displace water.

jig of course, black or white

When in doubt - set the hook

As my old mentor told me when I would pester him about lures "If it has a hook it will catch a fish"

Years ago (50+) a 26" bass caught from a strip pit was brought into the tackle shop we hung out at - I don't think it weighed quite 7lbs if I remember correctly - the pits in eastern Kansas in those days were famous for skinny bass.

leverage - no trailer needed - just about out of them and I don't think they are still in production

good idea - often paid farmers in 1960's to fish in ponds that were full of bass

many pros retie after every fish - I do know smallmouth chew up a line more than largemouths - as for time - some rigs take a few minutes but I can clip line and retie most baits in less than 60 seconds.

I prefer smaller hooks with the rig as the length of larger hook sizes detracts from the action of the lure - this seems a small thing but I have found it to be critical at times.

egoscue - Travis Perrett (sp) has exercises especially for fishermen - Pete Egoscue's Pain Free book keeps this old body with 4 herniated discs going - use it or lose it.

Small bait on light jighead - 1/16 for starter - glide it through water shallow or deep - you develop a sense of what the little bugger is doing and you can fish suspenders or bottom huggers - the 1/16 oz beetle wandered off center because of its head shape - the concept is and has been very effective - new lure technology and design has only made the deal more effective. Relax and catch a bunch of fish.

lgemouth, smallmouth, spots, crappie, walleye, northern pike, rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, lake trout, whitefish, white bass, redfish, bonefish, tarpon, many varieties of snappers, hogfish, different groupers, mahi mahi, black fin tuna and a few catfish and carp - I've caught all these and others on home tied hair jigs.

hair jigs, sebile vibrato and ned rig

Bass Buster maribou jigs opened my eyes years ago - I still tie and use all sorts of hair jigs - we use to bump black hair jigs on the bottom in dirty water and caught plenty of fish - If you can only fish one lure from the deep blue sea to bass lakes - rivers - to mtn. trout streams -a hair jig will catch fish.

Bass can and do use deep water for their security and feeding - in every lake I've been on there are fish shallow and there are fish deep - if there are schools of pelagic bait fish many bass will spend their time following these schools - they provide perfect cover - alert to danger and a source of food. These bass can be tricky to find except when they corner the bait against the surface. I guess I'm trying to say deep fish do not necessarily relate to cover or structure the depths are their comfort zone.

nan-o-fil for spinning has worked better than braid for me in icy conditions.

flipping and traps but I've done well in Florida on jerkbaits - usually not suspending

I have a short video I made at everglades holiday park of a catamaran bass boat going past me in the 68 canal - he was within 30' of my boat - I had a client with me - when we got back in I was told he was going between 90 and a 100 mph - It is a personal decision/responsibility to be safe on the water never depend on tournament directors or other boaters.

US Powerboating.com will get you headed there.

I do not know the details of the disaster this past Friday but it is heart breaking and it has happened before on this lake. Many of us on this forum love to fish the big O - many dream of it - at 30 miles wide it is a shallow inland sea - it can get dangerous in a heart beat - if you go there be a weather watcher and know something of handling a boat in rough water and of course wear a good life jacket - You can get disoriented easier than on most lakes. I feel if you fish big water you should consider a boat handling course it is easy to be so into the moment when fishing that one can forget boating basics. Don't stay away from the lake just respect it and know you and your boats limitations.

flippin' and froggin' will do you good also I'd do a whopper plopper where I could and some kind of vibrator (red eye shad, rattle trap, etc. in open water.

youtube ? just go fishing - when I was guiding the people that had the most fun were those that just fished the moment and didn't worry or go on about pros or lures or techniques - if it has a hook in it it can catch a fish. Don't let the technical stuff get in the way of the pure joy of catching a fish on your own. Not criticizing you tube or go pro cameras if that makes you happy - but there is a simple joy in bass fishing that I fear some miss out on due to the confusing mass of info out there.

Reaction Innovations innovates and bps copies - rampant copying is part of the lure business - kind of bugs me.