frogflogger

Both - but I put topwater in a category of its own -

First time I was on a lake of any size at all I was flummoxed until I realized it is just a big pond or a bunch of ponds - learned to hunt and to eliminate and bingo.

Not to start new year off on a negative note - but I was just watching a fishing show (won't go in to which one) they were fishing for big spots on Carters Lake, Ga. (I hope to be there this month for some float n fly time.) The host (tackle rep) constantly jacked the jaws on beautiful spots. We all know better than that.

My buddy caught a 10lber in Pelican cove on Okeechobee out of his jon boat

HOUND DOG - repeat HOUND DOG - $15 - saved more than that first trip out - of course fishing from the bank you may need a retriever on a long collapsible pole but they are worth every penny if you don't care to make one.

A lot of trophy bass have been caught on the musky-sized - they rubber band the side hooks so they are up and either cut one barb off the rear treble or a big single hook this can be fished over weed beds very effectively.

There have been a few dd's caught out of there but I only fished it once and didn't do that well.

Can we recommend guides on here?

I always believed winter fishing was best during midday but the bass at my local lake are shallow and munching at daybreak on a 29 degree morning. Decades down the bass fishing road I am still learning.

I fly fished for bonefish for several years - direction of sunlight was of critical importance - Since returning to bass fishing I pay sun light direction and intensity a lot more attention - it is important in various situations - most times I would rather be casting into the sun or using the sun to tell me which side of a piece of cover to work first. Of course water clarity, wind and depth of fish come into play; all things in their order of importance

Float n fly - yahoo

Whopper plopper is for real - very effective - from Johns lake in Fl to smallmouth streams in appalachia - it has been a very reliable producer. River2sea is a creative company with some excellent products - many of their products have been copied by the big dogs.

you'll be fine out in the glades - fished out of jon boat all over down there - I would take an extra battery - just in case

Bill Murphy's book is pretty detailed about structure - I still read my old Lucas on Bass Fishing - not so much for technique but a look into the way we approached the sport before technology and tournament fishing brought in so many changes. Knowing Bass is a good read I got it cheap - from Amazon I think.

Great thing about winter fishing is lots of places you can use float n fly and it is hard to have more fun catching bass than on a 10' fairy wand with a little hair jig.

The cool thing about the silver buddy is its thin blade - it vibrates more than any of the others I've tried. Don't overwork it is the secret.

For years I just wanted to catch a bunch of fish - I now enjoy "difficult lakes and times" the challenge to figure something out has its rewards - or as my old mentor said "When the fishing is easy anyone can catch fish, and that isn't a bad thing but it's more fun to catch when it's tough"

If you are confined to fishing small ponds and such - ned rig

calm day - any decent frog - windy day - furbit

Loathing - fishermen - hmm, for me the two aren't in the same sentence - I would probably do something else if I found myself "loathing" a bad fisherman.

big baits - in the general area look for some small spot - then throw a - big bait

yes

1948 - umm that's 68yrs. I reckon

They are the best.

This is like comparing apples to oranges - structure remains pretty constant over the years - how you catch them there one time is not necessarily how it will work next visit. But the area is still viable habitat.