RoLo

Like every other angler, I have 'go-to' lures, but there are no "search baits" in my arsenal. All my stuff revolves around catching, and when that isn't happening, I either change my presentation or move to another location. Roger

Who still uses a Non-Slip Loop Knot? My uncle Jake.

Bear in mind, the greater the length of your topping, the more line you must replace with each respooling. I try to keep my topshots short, and my respoolings frequent. Roger

As always, your first consideration is mean 'size of water'. The Great Lakes or millponds? The next critical factor is storage space. Will it fit in your garage, or will your driveway do (my favorite spot). The names Phoenix & Ranger are both highly respected, so not much of a deciding factor. Finally, "Hull Specifications", such as max HP, beam, deadrise, freeboard, livewell cap, gas tank cap ~ ~ Better you than me, because I've been confronted with this decision 15 times over the years Roger

As a kid in Jersey, I accompanied my dad on carp fishing jaunts. Dad would gather up all our bait-casting rods, conventional saltwater rods and fly-fishing rods (split-bamboo). He'd beach the boat, then set up all the outfits along the bank (slingshot branches for rod rests). Nothing happened for about a half-hour, but after that, every fishing outfit got its turn fighting carp. Paulinskill Lake, NJ | circa 1950

That's best case scenario..in the meantime, we won't get ahead of ourselves

Well stated. The Columbia River is also top-shelf for trophy walleyes. Roger

Right you are. But you & I will keep that a secret...right? Roger

I have a hunch the above script was written by the bass. Perhaps it's we fishermen who can't read bass script Kidding aside, it turns out that some of my best fish were taken in midsummer, around midday on a Johnson spoon skating on top. Roger

I would only reiterate the obvious. Graphite is harder than fiberglass, it rebounds faster and transmits vibration better then fiberglass. The action of fiberglass is sometimes described as 'mushy', but mushy is often the goal, such as with treble hooks or braided line. When it comes down to power, it really depends on how you measure power. For sheer torque, graphite wins, but for long-term durability, fiberglass wins. The biggest downfall of graphite is 'brittleness'. Over time, graphite fibers crystallize and ultimately rupture. For this reason, bluewater anglers (tuna, shark, billfish) typically prefer E-glass blanks over graphite blanks. Roger

If you reread my post, you'll see that I only use ElaZtach in 'open water' with an 'exposed hook'. If you put an exposed hook in a weedy lake, you'd be lucky to move the lure 10 feet. To penetrate vegetation, the best option is a T-rigged bait made of tough plastic (not Elaztech). ElaZtech is a soft, jelly-like plastic that I only use in open water with an exposed hook. Roger

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Okay, you're referring to Navionic's free website, but I'm referring to the Navionics SD card. Looking at Navionic's website, I see the same image you posted; a lone 10-ft depth line. However, on the Navionics SD card, Black Lake is an HD chart plotted in 1-foot increments. I'm running a Lowrance chartplotter, so I can only assume that the Navionics "US & Canada" card is compatible with your Humminbird. Roger

I'm happy when they fly over my head...then I don't have to duck

Species that have gone extinct (with or without human intervention) were essentially ill-adapted to planet earth. A few examples include the dinosaur, ivory-billed woodpecker, pterodactyl and dodo bird. Bass are highly adaptable animals, and not likely to go extinct before humans (meek shall inherit the earth). Many waters that have been declared a "dead sea", have made a dramatic comeback (e.g. Lake Erie). Roger

In short, the 'Hook' is a budget version of the 'Elite'. I upgraded from a button-faced Lowrance Hook to an Elite Touchscreen. After decades of button-punching, the touchscreen was a breath of fresh air. Waypoints are created and navigated-to with the tip of my index finger (Tap...Done). Roger

When I'm not physically on the water, my Lowrance Elite chartplotter sits right alongside my desktop computer (AC converter). On the Navionics+ "US/Canada" microSD, Black Lake is an HD lake (1-ft increments). If you have any bathymetric questions, just fire away. Roger

Whether they're Home or Away; I prefer "GO AWAY"

I wouldn't over-invest in any color or any pattern, but a boot-tail (aka paddle-tail) is definitely a highly productive tail action. Yeah, I think bass can discern overall profile, faster than we can retrieve any lure (i.e. Regardless of reel ratio) ? Roger

Nevermind...I thought "Yellow Line" was about too many Diet Cokes

I'll drink to that Roger

For better or worse, I used the point of the scale hook to puncture the lower lip of the fish. When it was difficult to penetrate the skin, I summoned the assistance of my Rapala fillet knife. I never felt comfortable making that slot, but we were guaranteed that it caused no harm. Then one day, after releasing a 'then' trophy bass, I noticed bubbles coming from the fish as it descended. That raised a big red flag that I've never forgotten (broken pulmonary seal) Roger

Would've made more sense to drop "Washington" from the name, and keep "Redskins" (get it?)

When properly performed, this hook-set involves a gentle push-pull movement. There is no whipping, snapping, eye-crossing or jaw-breaking, and that's the best part. No matter what hookset is used, anyone breaking off big bass has much bigger issues. Roger

That brought a tear to my eye Roger