RoLo

In no uncertain terms, the state of Florida has done a shabby job of documenting world-class largemouth bass in the past. One could argue that attention to freshwater bass has been hijacked by Florida being the most popular retirement state. In addition, Florida is littered with legendary saltwater fishing destinations such as Mosquito Lagoon, Sailfish Alley, Islamorado, Marathon, Key West and Destin, where the big bucks are garnered. Sad but true, Florida's historic records for freshwater bass have been more astutely maintained by out-of-state organizations like the IGFA, Field and Stream, Int'l Spin Fishing Association and others. Below is a list of "certified" bass taken in Florida that were not recognized by the state, in many cases simply because the fish wasn't visited and identified by a state biologist, or because a second witness wasn't present at the weigh-in. The list below expires on year 2011 and only includes world-class bass 17.5 pounds and up. 20-lb 2-oz Big Fish Lake - May 1923 - Fritz Friebel (fully documented, but not Florida certified) 19-lb 15-oz Keystone Lake - 1927 - R. E. Lucas 19-lb 11-oz (29" L x 23.25" G) - Stick Marsh - Jul 1994 - Doug Thompson 19-lb 8-oz (29” L 23” G) – Stick Marsh – May 1994 – Ed Johnson 19-lb 4-oz Taylor Creek Reservoir – Jun 1974 – Phil Jay 19-lb 0-oz (31”L) – Lake Tarpon – Jun 1961 – Riley Witt (former Florida state record later rescinded) 18-lb 13-oz (29.5”L x 26.5”G) St Johns River - Apr 1987 - Buddy Wright (fully documented & certified) 18-lb 8-oz Orange Grove Lake – Jan 2008 – Jeffrey Smith 18-lb 4-oz St. Johns River – Dec 1948 - J.W. Smith 18-lb 2-oz Taylor Creek Reservoir - Jun 1974 – Phil Jay 18-lb 2-oz Lake Brooklyn – Mar 1966 – Hugh Paul 18-lb 1-oz Stick Marsh – Apr 1994 – Robert Bloom 18-lb 0-oz Orange Grove Lake – Steve Smith (IGFA documented) 18-lb 0-oz (30”L) – Tucker Lake – 1964 – L.L. Petty 18-lb 0-oz Lake George (St Johns River) – May 1958 – Marlin Coston 18-lb 0-oz Ashley Lake – Mar 1951 – Carl Swisher 17-lb 15-oz Undisclosed waters – Mar 1988 – Donald Brunson 17-lb 12-oz West Lake Tohopekaliga (West Toho) – Jul 1986 – John Faircloth 17-lb 9-oz Lake George (St. Johns River) – Babette Morgan 17-lb 8-oz (28”Lx25”G) Lake Rose – 1985 – Mike Paule 17-lb 8-oz (28”Lx25”G) Hurricane Lake – Mar 1983 – Robert Earl 17-lb 8-oz Lake George (St. Johns River) – Justin Morgan On a high note, in 2012 the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) launched a new and comprehensive 'TrophyCatch' program. The program is subdivided into 3 classes: "Lunker" (8 lb threshold), "Trophy" (10 lb threshold) and "Hall of Fame" (13 lb threshold). Each division dispenses a monetary reward, but needless to say, refusing the reward is a donation to Florida's fish & wildlife management. Roger

Tom, you certainly know Florida, and you inspire me to bone-up on Louisiana, the next bastion. About 25 years ago, a guy named Roland Martin hired a bush pilot to fly-spy the "Big Scrub", that's what the locals call the Ocala National Forest. About 25 years ago, your's truly played the clown. Lois & I tore up the Old Scrub with our 4x4 Subaru. No, we didn't land any record-class bass, but the xeric underbrush cost me a new paint job for the Subaru. We had fun though, and I'm sure I'd do it again. Roger

To attain world-class status, a largemouth bass must have the best of all worlds. It must live at a latitude that's far enough south to provide the solar energy needed for a fast 'growth rate' and prolonged growing season. But it must also live far enough north to provide a prolonged 'life span'. Bass living at the southern extremity of their range tend to die prematurely due to thermal burnout (like pushing a plant with grow lights). When either growth rate or longevity is lacking, you can still have a bounty of trophy-class bass, but not world-class bass. The former world-record held by Georgia was apparently a very old bass, because its latitude flirted with the northerly extreme of Floridanus lineage. The effect of thermal burnout can be seen even within the state of Florida. A high percentage of Florida's heaviest bass hail from northern Florida waters like Rodman, Kingsley and the upper St Johns River near Green Cove Springs (Two 18 pounders). Lake Okeechobee in south Florida is fabled for its trophy-bass, but if you're looking for a Teener, you're odds are much higher in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes and northern Florida. Roger

I have a hunch that the angling world may be blindsided again by the next world-record bass. No matter where it's caught, world-class bass have one thing in common, they're all Florida-strain bass. Oddly enough though, therein lies the rub. Back in the day of yore, Florida was virtually the only destination for trophy bass hunters. Nevertheless, the applecart was upset when the world-record bass came from Montgomery Lake in Georgia! Florida-strain bass were then transplanted in California, and though it took several years, the bass fishing scenario made a remarkable transition. California began cranking out world-class bass, and everyone was expecting a new world record. I made a friendly bet with my buddy that California would not set a new world-record. It came down to ounces but I never lost that bet...LOL Before the barnburner in Lake Biwa, I stated here on the forum that I thought Japan was a sleeper, but that went over like a lead balloon :-)) Today I'm placing my bet on Mother Nature. And speaking of lead balloons, I believe that Florida is silently becoming a strong contender, which once again would boycott expectations. There's something magical & unique about a species living within its natural range. When I was growing up in the 50s, the town of Hillside, NJ was blanketed by countless flocks of European starlings & English sparrows (aka house sparrows). Everyone was predicting that they'd wipe out our native birds. Indeed, starlings & English sparrows made serious inroads, but today they've all but vanished from the landscape. I see a few English sparrows now and then in Walmart's open-air roof, but haven't seen one starling in years. The 'genetic vigor' of any transplanted species wanes over time, which is especially true for bass. Within the natural range of Micropterus salmoides 'floridanus' there is no genetic reversion, where the species will remain unchanged forever. Without stocking or help from man, any pond in Florida can produce a double-digit bass. Floridanus has been around Robin's barn a few times, and the next world-record may ultimately be decided by the last man standing (we'll see). Roger

A fish that bites my lure then brings it back to the boat: that's a 'good' fish. A fish that doesn't bite my lure, or only brings it halfway back to the boat: that's a 'bad' fish. Roger

Your reason for dumping Power Pro is more honorable than mine, my reason was more selfish Like most anglers, I entered the braid arena using Power Pro Braid (monkey see - monkey do). Then one day about 6 years ago, my wife lost a couple of good fish on 30-lb Power Pro. I scolded her for not monitoring her line more closely for frays and hairy line. Then later that same day, I lost a good bass of my own. This continued for the next couple of outings until we finally realized that we were dealing with a bad batch of braid. I must say, Power Pro was aboveboard and admitted to distributing a bad batch of 30-lb braid in their bulk spools, which it was. Power Pro also offered me a free replacement bulk spool, but I declined the free spool, and replaced all my braid spools with another brand of braid. I know I've told this story before, but I also know that there's a couple thousand new members since then ;-)) Roger

Exactly Gary! Your response supports the "light level" theory I suggested above, while denouncing the barometric theory. If a fish moves deeper during a high-pressure system, it will 'increase' rather than decrease its overall pressure. On the other hand, if a fish moves deeper during high bluebird skies, it is moving into darker water with reduced light-intensity, regardless of the barometric pressure. Furthermore, the average change in barometric pressure during a warm front or cold front is handily offset by a 5.4" change in water depth. Roger

A really fat girl was dancing on a tabletop. I said, "Wow, those are some legs!". She said: "Ya really think so?" I said "Yup, most tables would've collapsed by now". Roger

In my initial reply, I left out graphic detail that tends to bore the reader, but I guess that wasn't meant to be Not surprisingly, discussions that revolve around barometric pressure are bound to clash, because they're dealing with the onerous task of separating “Cause and Effect”. Passing cold-fronts and warm fronts are accompanied by sharp fluctuations in light level that run the gamut from heavy overcast to bright sunlight. To my mind at least, this supports the strong possibility that barometric pressure is a coincidental and laggard indicator, like driving a car while looking in the rear-view mirror. Be that as it may, rather than champion any premise, I think it's better to provide a few valid facts and figures then let the angler arrive at his own conclusion. ========================================================================================== It's all pretty basic stuff and very interesting to boot. As you might recall from science class, the earth’s atmospheric pressure is 14.7 lb per square inch, which will vary slightly with the passing of a weather front (CW high cell or CCW low cell). At sea level, the mean barometric pressure forces mercury 29.92 inches upward in a pressure test tube, which represents the barometric baseline. This is written as “29.92 inHg” (inHg = inches of mercury), which as it were represents 'One Atmosphere'. During an average high-pressure system (clockwise cell) the barometric pressure will climb to around 30.32 inHg, a mean rise of 1-1/3% above normal. During an average low-pressure system (counterclockwise cell), the barometric pressure will fall to around 29.52 inHg, a mean drop of 1-1/3% below normal. Unlike air which is highly compressible, water is virtually incompressible. Consequently, when a fish swims downward in the water column, it can easily create an overall pressure equivalent to “two” atmospheres. This is not attainable during any meteorological event in earth’s troposphere, including hurricanes & tornadoes. A fish at the surface of the water is unaffected by water pressure, and is only subjected to air pressure, which is quantified as "barometric pressure". However, at a depth of 34 feet, the water pressure on the same fish is equal to the pressure exerted by our entire 100-mile high atmosphere. In other words, in addition to atmospheric pressure (barometric pressure), the water pressure on a fish 34 ft deep (29.4 lb psi) exerts the combined equivalent of 'Two Atmospheres'. Due to water's density and high specific gravity, when a fish moves just 5.4 inches downward in the water column, the increase in pressure on that fish is equal to the pressure increase during an average high-pressure system. Conversely, when a fish moves 5.4 inches upward in the water column, the drop in overall pressure on the fish is equivalent to the average low-pressure system. Roger

Sacandaga Reservoir holds the North American record northern pike: 46-2, and once held the New York record largemouth bass. Since the pike quality is so high, their density is quite low (typically the case). On the other hand, Sacandaga is a very good bronzeback fishery, where LMB & SMB would probably make the best target fish. Roger

It's my opinion that low light levels during the pre-frontal stage trigger heavy feeding activity. When the cold-front finally arrives, it's met with well-fed game fish combined with bright sunny skies. IMO, barometric pressure is purely coincidental, which pales in comparison to the pressure change caused by a fish moving Up 1-foot or Down 1-foot. Roger

Gamakatsu EWG hooks are available in both standard wire and heavy wire, which Gamee calls 'Superline'. Even a standard wire 2/0 EWG is pushing the envelope with a light or medium power 8-lb spinning outfit. Roger

Welcome to the forum. Fairburn, GA wow, I used to live next-door in Palmetto, GA. Roger

No, I don't But now that you mentioned 'trail boss' Gill Favor, he was my favorite. When he got fired up, his voice would rise in volume and pitch to a crescendo. In truth, I found Favor more interesting than Eastwood. From what I've heard, instead of using a stuntman, Gill drowned doing his own scene, but that's only hearsay. Roger

Sure, you can frog with nylon line, in fact, not all that many years ago we didn't have much choice. But if you frog with nylon today, you’re just placing yourself at a disadvantage. Increasing the breaking test of nylon doesn’t limit the stretch percentage, but it does increase the force necessary to attain the same stretch percentage. As a rule of thumb, high-grade nylon stretches about 25% of its length under a force of ‘half’ its breaking strength. As the load tension is increased however, nylon continues to stretch, eventually breaking after the stretch exceeds 40%. Do yourself a favor, spool up with 60-lb Sunline FX2 Braid Roger

Reminds me of a drifter named Rowdy Yates.

Though I rarely use live shiners, there are 3 professional guides living in my community who encourage their clients to use wild golden shiners (the ends justifies the means): As Per Professional Shiner Netter => Obtain "Quaker Oats Oatmeal" for chum => Find a Shallow Weedy Shoal in 'dingy' water => Select 3 separate chum sites in 2-ft of water (1.5 to 2.5 ft) => Broadcast 1 cup of oatmeal per 15-ft area => Mark each bait site with a Styrofoam marker, but to prevent divulging your operation, position each marker offsite (e.g. 20 yd north of the site nucleus) => Wait at least two hours then return to the site gingerly and quietly => Toss a cast net into the nucleus of the bait site A good haul might snare two dozen shiners, a bad haul...'zero') At a buck a shiner the price of a golden roach seems exorbitant, but if you try your hand at netting your own shiners, you might begin to realize that the netters earn their money Roger

For the benefit of the youngsters, that's non-other than Clint Eastwood ("Make my day, punk").

Verifying the 'breaking strength' of a line is pretty difficult, but all you need is a micrometer to confirm the line diameter. The thinner the line diameter, the lower the water-resistance, the more natural the delivery, and the less weight is needed to work at a given depth. On a low note, the thinner diameter line provides lower abrasion-resistance. Manageable and durable braid: Berkley Trilene Braid "Tracer" braid for line-watching Thin-diameter braid: Seaguar Smackdown 30-lb Smackdown is the same diameter as 20-lb PP & 832 Abrasion-resistance (Frogging/Punching) Sunline FX2 60-lb = 0.014" i.e ROPE Roger

I lose a lot of anchors doing that! Mostly in the trees. Roger

If you're in the market for a Swimbait rod, first determine all the features you want (length, power, action, handle, guides ~ ~) Also look at the Musky rod lines, because the angler decides how a rod will be used, not the vendor Roger

I was wondering the same thing; it may be they have an inherent immunity.

I know you've done very well on those ponds, you've posted the photos right here. Since it's residential property, I wonder if it's possible that the groundskeepers overshot the pond perimeter with herbicides or insecticides. Roger

Papa nailed it. When dealing with bullet sinkers under 1/2 ounce, I'll always opt for lead or steel. The broader beam of a lead or steel bullet sinker provides a nice weed deflector. This is especially important in tandem with a wide-bodied lure that creates a step-down shoulder to the tungsten weight. In Florida, a shouldered rig would snag weeds every 5 feet Roger

I agree, color can absolutely make a difference. My point is that 'lure visibility' is more likely the deciding factor rather than how closely the color matches some creature. An opportunistic predator doesn't have the luxury to be selective, they'll change prey in the blink of an eye, just like fish in an aquarium, or like the bass I had in my backyard pond. The color of forage is whatever is served up, be it shad, bluegills, shiners, dace, gobies, frogs, blackbirds, snakes, crayfish ~ (crayfish alone come in every color). Within the same lake and without any change in the staple prey, the most productive colors will continue to change with changes in light level, which hinge on water clarity, sky clarity, sun angle, surface turbulence, etc. Roger