K_Mac

Your probably write, but I prefer the more Cajun, "Where you are?" I don't no nothing bout know dangling presuppositions!

I'm with you deaknh03, although this represents a level of stupidity that probably can't be slapped out. It would be worth trying though.

With all due respect, that is an opinion I do not share. There are some bad apples in any profession, but I have good friends who protect and serve with honor and pride, and most who do the job are the same in my experience. I will not stay quiet while you disparage the profession. As far as the NY incident is concerned I don't have enough information to know if there should have been less shots fired. Shooting till the bad guy stops his aggression is the standard as far as I know. It is easy to be critical sitting in the quiet safety of anonymity on the interweb. I will not second guess them.

You have been given 80 days notice that it is time to go. You have been given exactly what you paid for over the past year. This seems fair to me. What the owner did with his money or the circumstances of you having to move are really not your issue. Not paying for any additional time there seems less than honest to me. Just my opinion. Moving, and renting are two things I never intend to do again...good luck.

I agree. I am never going to be a real good "fast moving" bait guy. It is a style of fishing that doesn't suit me very well. Fortunately most of the time we can both fish our strengths and be successful doing it.

There are times when matching the hatch can be important. Watch BassResource's video on fishing a Spook and you see that what he is using on schooling fish is close enough to the bait to get bit. When it comes to plastics I am not sure that bass know or care what it looks like. They are programmed to eat and are opportunists. When something comes by that looks and moves like prey they just react. Why a Rage bait works well sometimes, and at others a Netbait, or Zoom, or one of a thousand other manufacturers works better is a function of the mood of the fish IMO. Sometimes a very slow presentation works well, other times something faster is better; sometimes a big profile is good, other times smaller is better; sometimes a subtle green or brown is better; sometimes bright and gaudy, or dark is the better choice. The real challenge is to identify what works on a given day. For me it is just that simple, and that complex. I was soundly out-fished by a friend last week from the back of my boat. We had maybe the best day of big fish either of us has ever had. I caught three very nice fish, broke off another and lost another at the boat. He caught seven, two of which were legitimate pigs. I was using jigs, brushhogs, and a variety of other plastics including a Trickworm on a shakyhead that produced my biggest fish. He was using RI beavers. All the good fish were caught in 15-20 feet of slightly stained water. The difference was not the bait or the color IMO. He was using a 1/2 oz tungsten weight and I was too stubborn to use that heavy because the rocks were hungry and I did not want to lose my tackle. I used 5/16 and 3/8 oz and did not lose much tackle, but the faster rate of fall and keeping it on the bottom was the secret of the day I believe. I understand that I have not really answered the question of why fish bite plastic worms, or Senkos, or plastics in general. I take for granted that most of the time they will. For me the question is where are the fish and what do they want today. Once you can answer that question you can start to refine your presentation to target the better fish, unless you are a little dense like I sometimes am and not paying close attention to details.

Kylek I view a lizard as just another creature bait. I think the fish do too. I have caught good fish on lizards throughout the year.

The last couple of weeks a Zoom Mag 2 in watermelon red has put some good fish in the boat. A Zoom lizard (6" or 8") or a Rage anaconda also work well. Let the fish decide...good luck!

I used Trilene XL for years. It is good cheap, soft, controllable line. As RW says, for about the same money you can get a good copolymer line that will give better sensitivity and abrasion resistance. I prefer P-Line CXX, going down one line size due to its increased strength. The trade-off is it is not quite as manageable as mono, but worth the extra attention needed in my opinion. With KVD Line and Lure it handles well.

When fishing weightless a little twist is not too unusual. Make sure you are centered and don't get in too much of a hurry during the retrieve. There are times when wacky will produce better than anything else. Enjoy! FWIW trolling the line only behind the boat or walking it out in the grass will remove the twist. Good luck.

A Guido Bug (both sizes) still gets some use, esp in clear water when subtlety is required. Black/blue and black/red have had a place in my bag for many years.

Well said SirSnook. Same for me.

I heard that PQs are made by Galadriel's elves who have not yet left for the West... When comparing Shimanoites to other "religious/political" groups, Zealotry is what often comes to mind-not the rank and file Shimano believers, just the more 'enthusiastic' ones.

I would try something weedless on top. I would start with a frog, changing speeds until i got bit. An unweighted plastic, maybe a ribbontail worm or creature of some sort might work...try working quickly and then killing it over pockets in the junk. Good luck!

Of all things collectible, women may be the costliest of the lot. One good one is plenty ...enjoy!

Nice job .ghoti. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

Barone is guy I would like to have on my boat or sit around a campfire with. I enjoy everything I have read of his. Catch twenty fish, catch bigger fish, score more points, win more games, make more birdies, all boil professional sports down to its essence. For some it's winning; for others it is competing against the best; for some it is just about hanging on to the ring. The answer is the same for all.

Interesting question and some great answers. I think LBH comes the closest to how I feel. Fishing is just a part of who I am. I have had a couple of trips with my wife this past week where we left home before 4 AM and returned after 8 and 10 PM respectively. We caught 2 decent fish, many dinks, and had a great time both days. Trying to explain that investment of time, money, and energy to someone who doesn't get it is a waste of words. For those of us who do, no words are necessary. For what it's worth, my wife is great fishing partner (among other things ). While there are times when she does those annoying things that wives do, when we go fishing we generally leave all that at home.

BB I now have "Sunrise, Sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof playing in my head. I have been down this road with a daughter and four grandbabies...enjoy the journey!

LBH it is good to hear from you. I hope all is well with you. Don't be a stranger...

I've worked for people who were quick to praise and for those who felt that doing the job well was what they paid me for. i have always felt that the first is better, but as slonezp said life is too short to expect positive strokes from someone who is not wired that way. My last boss only met with me when he had some sort of concern, or bad news from corporate. It is a poor way of dealing with people, but that is how some folks are. Good luck.

This is the time of year, as rangerjockey says, that bigger baits really shine in my experience. As others have said, location is always key, and using big worms, creatures, lizards, Senkos, etc will limit your numbers a bit most of the time, but will usually catch bigger fish. The Rage Anaconda, a Brushhog, or an 8" Zoom lizard are my favorite big plastics for working deep water structure. Sometimes a big paddle tail is a better choice. It all depends...good luck! Edit: I just re-read the OP. Big fish and lots of them, is a rare pleasure for most of us. Enjoy the pursuit!

TNBassin if the 7' rod is a Med power then you probably be better with a F or XF action rod for fishing weighted plastics IMO. The way I think of "speed" related to action is simple, but it works for me: The faster the action the faster you reach the backbone of the rod on a hook-set. On a lighter power rod this is important. On a heavier power rod with a much stiffer tip (a flipping stick for example) a MF action will give you a little more forgiveness keeping a fish buttoned , esp when working in close. These are just generalizations since I have not handled a Vendetta.

Extra Fast rods have a tendency to have a little softer tips than Fast rods in my experience. My Pro Qualifier is a 7' M-XF, and it is perfect for unweighted or slightly weighted Senko/knock-off's. It does not take much loading to get into the backbone of the rod and it loads quickly when casting or pitching.

Most of my fishing this year has been done using tungsten weights, in sizes from 1/8 -3/4. Whether or not it makes sense is open for debate. I was skeptical at first, but I like the increased feel of the bottom it gives me. It may cost me an extra $25 for the year compared to lead. With gas, energy, food, etc, going up I may not be able to afford it in the future, but for the cost of a few gallons of gas it is worth the extra to me.