deep

Points, humps, creek channels, ridges, and flats. These are the 5 things (structures) Bill Siemantel says to look for. A hump is just an underwater island. Structures are good, cover on the structure is even better. I've said it before, but some of you might want to read and re-read Bill Murphy's and Bill Siemantel's books; not just for catching trophy bass either. buzzfrog, you seem to be luckier than me in that lake maps are readily available. I have to rely on USGS maps, google earth, low water pics and such. And dragging big jigs.

I read something about "positive correlation" once. A bass eats a bait either because it may be/ looks like food, or it's a reaction strike. Something about the way a worm or a jig looks and moves make the bass think it might be food, due to the fact that it seems to be "like" other stuff it had eaten before, and they had turned out to be food. A bass doesn't really have the brains of a dog, but it's "learning" all the time; and the bigger a bass gets, the more it "knows". Which is why I believe jigs, worms, and realistic looking AND moving baits catch a lot of really big fish. A worm doesn't really have to look/ move like exactly something that the fish had ate before, but it evidently has enough positive correlation with some natural food to fool bigger bass time and time again. Wow, that wasn't a very lucid post, and it doesn't really answer the original question. Thought it was worth a try anyway.

I'd read about structure, and cover; and try to understand how fish (bass) use them depending on seasonal patterns. Hint: most recreational fishermen at least in this part of the country is used to fishing shallow visible cover, which may not be the best way to catch quality or quantity all 12 months. JM 2 cents. Here's the minimum I'd expect from a "lake map" (contour changes).

Do you have a 1/2 oz rattletrap? They are very aerodynamic; should fly well and give you some confidence.

Hey man, I was just messing around. Had a long and tiring day. my mistake. EDIT: I meant to say that the Sufix I buy costs the same (per yard) as the EZ mono, so the latter isn't any cheaper.

I won't worry about that too much. My Calcutta TE outcasts my Curado E while throwing baits that aren't quite meant to be thrown on that big a reel. Large and round doesn't mean inferior/ old-fashioned.

I don't want to burst your bubble , and I have no experience with the EZ-mono. But I buy 330 yard spools of Sufix Siege/ Elite for $9; and that is retail in my DSG/ Walmart. (My Walmart doesn't usually carry Siege, DSG has both.)

Daiwa Samurai is all you need. Retail is around $27.50/ 150 yards, and I buy during sales or from ebay. You can get a spool of 55 lb test for $22.50 shipped from Ebay right now...

I'd use a paddletail or a single/ double-tail grub as a trailer.

1/2 oz brush/ grass jig with rage lobster; I like the jigs backwater4 makes ROF5 8" huddleston deluxe Mattlures hardgill, slow-sink EDIT: Colors: brown-green with a few strands of other colors rainbow trout albino (The one I have already has quite a bit of mojo. So I'll keep using that one until I lose it.)

Good luck with that then. That's what I thought too. Once not so long ago.

If you really want to spoil yourself, go get a GGR. These are made by Greg Ross. You can contact him through Facebook; or you can PM me for his email/ cell number. http://www.swimbaitnation.com/nationtalk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=30451

I hope you're not talking about hollow-bellies. I don't think you are, from the reel; just making sure! If you're thinking of 6" hudds, Matt's baits, ospreys and the like, I'd recommend the Okuma Big Bait MH rod. The 7'11" is softer than the 7'6" and the latter might be more suitable for soft baits. I use 8 footers (or 8' minus an inch anyway); I like the extra length. Medium/ medium-fast seems to be the general concensus.

Experience plays a good part. A good rod helps of course. Even with mono, I can differentiate (at least I believe so) between mud, grass, wood, rocks and bass. I fish a wide spectrum of rods too. $275 GGRs (phenix blanks I think, pretty much a top of the line rod anyway), $170 Powells, down to $100 Okumas and Shimano Compres. The difference between the rods are in the crispness- for lack of a better word- of detecting the cover/structure/bite. Almost always, I have a finger on the blank too. P.S. I had a memorable bite two weeks back. I casted out a little 3/16 oz jig on 30 lb braid, and I let it sink on slack line (I watch the line, and prefer the bait to fall straight down vertically). I didn't even have a finger on the blank since I had just casted it out. I FELT a tick (braid has very little sensitivity on slack line), reeled up, and set the hook on a 6" (inch) bass. The rod was a Powell Max 733 spinning.

Depends on your skills, I'd think. I usually use nailpolish for painting hardbaits. By painting, I mean touch-up jobs, Sometimes, I use sharpies, and coat it with clear nail polish/ nail hardener to seal it in.

Butch Brown uses 20 lb Seaguar Fluoro. The recommendation on the huddleston website is to use 20-30 lb mono.

Even big old 'skies fear the beard!

Since I posted on the original thread too; I'm glad it worked out well for you. I'm also glad that they all swim straight; and I must confess that that was one of the primary concerns I had about these. I hope you stick a ton of fish on these, and report back. My favorite small jigs I get from the dollar bin at Walmart, so if something doesn't break the bank AND catches fish, sure I'll try them out! Good luck,

2X4 Not very expensive as far as hand-made hand-painted and hand-tested baits go, but fairly difficult to acquire! Rago Tool; this is the "baby" version, and the floater. Also, the "inspiration" behind the Spro BBZ. Doesn't seem to be as popular with the swimbait crowd as it once was. Castaic Wood Trout. The bait that started it all. I doubt how many owners of this bait actually fish it! I do.

What RW said. I like to have a specific setup for jigs too.

Post on the Ohio Fishing Forum about the Roman Made Mother: "Can you just imagine the sound that thing makes when it hits the water??? I'd almost be afraid of any fish that sticks around after a splash like that."

This. But who knows, maybe one of the four will smash fish left and right! Or maybe all 4 of them. I wish you luck, and do report back.

Jigs; I love jigs.

Hell yeah Speed!

I assume by fishing, you imply bass-fishing. This is a really difficult question to answer, for me, even hypothetically. It'd be a toss-up between the following two. Setup #1: Rod: GGR medium, extra-heavy big bait rod, fast action Casting Length: 8 ft Reel: Brand/Model: Shimano Calcutta Size: 401TE Line: Berkley Big Game 30 lb test Setup #2: Rod: Powell Max 753 football jig rod, medium-heavy power, extra-fast action Casting Length: 7 ft 5 inches Reel: Brand/Model: Shimano Citica Size: 201D Line: Daiwa Samurai 55 lb test with 14-15 lb mono/ copoly/ fluoro leader