RoLo

Yes...fish always look heavier than they are, that's why they always weigh less than we think Roger

The prognosis isn't good

On balance (excuse the pun), a 24.5" bass will weigh around 8-1/2 pounds. Roger

7 ft A shorter rod will generate more power, but a 7-ft rod moves the bass more quickly out of cover (Haul Stroke) Heavy Medium-heavy power is adequate for frogging, but the weight of the weeds added to the weight of the bass is when a heavy power blank is appreciated. Fast With a med-hvy blank I'd go with an extra-fast taper for better hook-setting. But with a 'heavy' rod, a 'fast' action tip offers more fighting tension, whereas an extra-fast taper isn't as effective at preventing an instant of slack line. As for blank brand, that's your baby ;-) Roger

Based on what I've read and seen, solar energy seems to be what deepens the scale pigmentation of fish. For this reason, the more sunlight that reaches the fish the darker and more pronounced its pigmentation. Inversely, the less sunlight that reaches the fish the lighter and more washed-out its pigment. What Dwight said makes sense because rock tends to reflect more sunlight than a soft darker mud bottom. The other monkey wrench is having two fish on the same waypoint that came from a different depth level. Presumably, the fish that moved up from 'deeper' water will be paler than a fish that moved down from 'shallower' water. As an aside, the darkest, most defined largemouth bass I've caught came from a crystal-clear, spring-fed lake. The most silvery, washed-out bass I caught came from Mercer Lake, NJ, a perennially muddy lake. Roger

Jackall 4" Crosstail Shad (nose-hook; flat-side on top) Roboworm 4.5" Straight Tail Worm (wacky rig) Roger

Frankly, I don’t understand your question. Do I Like Bill Dance? Yes, ever since the late 1960s (Green & Murski era). There's no one in my circles deriding Bill, in fact he's one of the most universally respected bass pros Does Bill Dance Fish Privately Managed Ponds? Yes, it’s pretty obvious that he does Is That Cheating? On the contrary, if Bill filmed infomercials on well-worn public waters, he'd be cheating his audience by forcing them to watch paint dry ;-) Double-Standard? That sails over my head, like a piece from another puzzle Roger

Although 'weed-probing' can be done with a 3/8 oz sinker, true "mat-punching" normally requires a punch sinker between 3/4 oz & 2 oz. I keep a 1-1/4 oz punch sinker on my mat-punching outfit which is very rarely changed. IMO, too much weight is better than too little weight, as it tends to trigger more strikes out of impulse. Roger

Bass that enjoy spaghetti will just slop it down (who said there's no free lunch?)

I was immediately attracted to the shape of the "Strike King Structure Bug", but it turned out to be a disappointment. More important to me than shape is reliable 'tail action' at very slow forward speeds. The structure bug failed in that area, which I replaced with the 'Zoom Z-Craw', which has a larger profile and far more reliable action. Roger

Based on the broad spectrum of replies, looks like you're on your own

Congratulations! Ain't no stopping now Roger

Welcome to the forums Bay of Quinte 'Walleye heaven' Roger

When we fish for keen-eyed species in crystal-clear water, a thin diameter line is very important, but the reason is more covert than 'line visibility' (fish aren't interested in eating your line, their eyes are fixed on the lure). For example, brook trout, tuna of all species and smallmouth bass in Dale Hollow, are all quick to reject an offering that displays just a tad of 'unnatural motion'. The fatter the line diameter the greater the water resistance, and 'line drag' is the leading cause of unnatural drift (e.g. fly fishing with a wet nymph). Roger

Every time we land a bass on a crankbait, we reaffirm the fact that bass are 'not' hook-shy. Then why would this same reckless creature be frightened by the sight of a filament in the water? Differently said, how can a fish become conditioned to danger if it lacks the ability to identify danger? If bass can't figure out that it's the hook that bites and not the line, then they're not even on first base. It's probably a good thing when a fish sees your line, then she almost certainly sees your lure Who knows, maybe it's good to use high-visibility line, so bass can follow the line all the way to your lure Roger

I hesitated to reply only because you're looking for someone with warranty experience during the last year or so. My experience with Kistler was more than a year ago, but I feel that I owe it to Trey to respond. Around 5 years back I had a Loomis rod that snapped near the butt. Although I've broken several rods, this was the first rod failure that I felt sure was not due to fault of my own. As a result, it was the first rod in which I actually pursued the warranty. Long story short, I sent the blank to Loomis who told me it was MY fault. They even added fake stress marks to my blank to support their claim (that's stooping mighty low). Since that time I've purchased maybe 15 rods, and though I came close, I never bought another Loomis rod. Then about a year later, (about 4 years ago) I was fishing with a Kistler Helium rod that snapped. Out of curiosity, I phoned Kistler regarding the warranty, and about 3 days later I had a brand new Kistler rod. That's the big difference in companies, and none of this is hearsay. Roger

Rather than running-&-gunning I normally anchor-down on known holding sites along my paper route, then fan-cast each spot with at least 3 different lures (on many days the electric motor is never plugged in). A small spot with no activity might only take 10 or 15 min cover, but if the activity is hectic or the bass are running large I might spend an hour or two on that structure. In other words, it's something that I play by ear. Roger

| | BANK SINKERS | CUSHION SINKERS | CANNONBALL SINKERS (left tray) | (center tray) | (right tray) Roger

14.5 hours per millimeter

The slime coat on a fish not only serves as a lubricant to reduce swimming friction, but is also an antiseptic that staves off bacteria and fungi, similar to the saliva in your mouth. Most lakes support turtles and ospreys, and some also support otter and eagles. Not surprisingly, your window of opportunity to view a buoyant fish carcass is remarkably brief. Roger

Boy, the economy is in rough shape! Last week I got a letter from an unknown bank informing me that I was "pre-declined" for a credit card. Today I got a check back marked "Insufficient Funds". Tomorrow I've got to find out whether that means Me or Them Roger

Frank Gifford who played for the NY Giants from 1952 to 1964, passes at age 84

You might be overthinking the pattern thingy (which good ole Roland introduced about 50 years ago). With the bass's help, the angler soon learns to distinguish a valid pattern from an illusory pattern. Roger

I figure by now, everyone's tired of my drill Very basically: use a good-sized hook (5/0 or 6/0), a light weight (3/16 oz is ample), keep the lure working in the slop (spatterdock is my favorite) and crank the swimbait just fast enough to maintain reliable tail action. If all goes well, micropterus will do the rest Roger

The fish can't touch the deck, it cannot be 'tossed' into the lake, and all the while you're getting a running update to-the-ounce of the top competitors on the lake. Stress City! Roger