RoLo

Nothing that I've accomplished in the past has diminished my desire to do better in the future. 'No', I am not okay where I'm at, and all doors to improvement remain wide open. Roger

Roger

I like 'em over 7, then you can fillet the fillets. Roger

No. The Ranger is hand-laid while the Triton is chopper-gunned. The Ranger is considerably more expensive, but arguably has a softer ride and greater durability, and unarguably better resale value. Again, it depends on the boat-buyer's priorities. Roger

There are two major layering methods for constructing fiberglass hulls: Chop-gun and Hand-laid. A chop-gun uses hard fiberglass strips fed into the gun which chops them into epoxy particles. A separate input line that enters the chop-gun supplies a liquid resin hardener that's blended with the epoxy particles. The chop-gun pans back-&-forth while spraying epoxy resins into the hull mold until the desired thickness is attained. In contrast, 'hand-laid' hulls are laid by hand, where several sheets of fiberglass mesh are laid right in the hull mold which are separated by hardener. In a perfect world, a hand-laid hull would compare to a plywood board, while a chop-gun hull would compare to particleboard. In the real world though , it's really not that cut-and-dried. Both epoxy layup methods have their pros and cons, in fact, the best hulls incorporate "both" methods. Chop-gun layup is automated, and so it's more cost-effective. but hand-laid hulls are 'generally' stronger and more durable than a chop-gun hull. One reason for superior strength is uniform thickness, something that's difficult to achieve while panning a spray-gun back-and-forth. On the other hand, chopper-gunning is superior in tight corners where there are air pockets. For this reason, the best hand-laid hulls use a chopper-gun in tight corners to eliminate weak open pockets. Back in the 1960s, chopper-gun hulls were a horror show, but today they're far superior than they used to be. That would depend on which boat features are most important to you. The Triton Explorer I just bought is my 14th boat, so I've got a pretty good idea what features I must have and those I can live without. Roger

If I were looking for a brand new bass boat (I might be a little too old for that), it would have to be a Phoenix or Bass Cat. Based on your restricted selection, the Ranger and Triton are both excellent hulls but for different reasons. Ranger is a quality boat with a hand laid-up hull and excellent resale value. The Triton is a fine little chopper-gun hull that offers big bang for the buck. In fact, I just purchased a 2011 Triton 17 Explorer a few weeks ago. Roger

It's been decades since I've been a co-angler, but I haven't forgotten how to handle the situation. After offering to defray the cost, the captain flatly refuses and tells you that you're insulting him. Very well, there's more than one way to skin a cat. When he's not looking, you stuff the money in the crevice of a boat seat. At day's end, you're in your car bidding farewell through your car window. "Oh by the way skipper, you might find a couple bucks behind your starboard seat" Roger

Clovis lived in a small mountain town, and one afternoon while checking his mailbox, Clovis observed a very peculiar sight. A mountain man was pushing a pine casket that was straddled across a wheel-barrel. There were about a dozen men walking single-file behind the mountain man, and a pit-bull terrier was strolling right alongside the wheel-barrel. Curiosity got the best of Clovis, and he approached the mountain man and asked: “What’s going on?” The mountain man replied: “I’m going to bury my mother-in-law, she’s inside the box”. Clovis asked solemnly, “I don’t mean to impose on your grief, but what took your mother-in-law?” The mountain man grinned and replied: “She was killed by my pit-bull terrier, this big fellow right here”. Sheepishly Clovis asked: “Tell me”, do you suppose I can borrow your dog for a couple days”? The mountain man replied: “Get In Line!” Roger

I don't believe there's any mix up, by the way Catt's name is also Tom Here's the deal: The original poster is looking for a fun family vacation during the Feb/Mar time-slot. Based on nationwide statistics (not mine), if FrogFreak is fishing in Florida during that period, his odds of a 10-lb plus bass are better than anywhere else in the world. We all have our favorite Utopia but no place is the Holy Grail, not California, not Texas, not Mexico & not Florida. So what do we do? We turn to recent history which is an excellent tool for predicting the future, the same way we would invest our money. With all due respect to California, it stands head-&-shoulders above all other states for producing the all-time heaviest Florida-strain transplants, no state comes close. On the other hand, historic all-time weights may not necessarily lend to a fun family vacation: Bassmaster Top-25 Bass (all-time): California 20 Florida 2 Japan 2 Georgia 1 Texas 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 1998, BassMaster Magazine introduced the “Lunker Club”, a national register for largemouth bass with an official weight of 10 lb or more (double-digit bass). Below are the Lunker Club results during its first 12 years of existence: Lunker Club (1998 to 2010) Florida 514 entries Texas 300 entries California 3rd ranked (unpublished total) Roger

Tom, the lakes listed above have nothing to do with 10-pound bass, that's a list of World-Class bass taken in Florida 'beginning' at 17.5 lb and up (published 2011). Realistically, a list of 17.5 lb plus bass from ANY state, would necessarily delve back in time. Last year (2013), Florida finally introduced the "Hall-of-Fame Club", which observes a minimum qualifying weight of 13 lb+, the same as the Texas "Share-Lunker" program. This year (2014), one man submitted two "state certified" entries (13-12 & 14-9). 10-Pounders (Back On-topic) The waters mentioned above and hundreds of other Floridian waters are teeming with 10-lb bass today. Bass between 10 and 12 pounds are reported virtually every weekend in Florida throughout the entire year. If you attend a major weigh-in in Polk County, Florida, you'll generally see one or more double-digit bass and the occasional Teener. Florida is irrefutably the only place on earth where any small pond or any retention pool can produce a 10-lb bass, and typically does. Bassmasters is comprised of the world’s best professional anglers whose livelihood depends on bass fishing. The Classic and Elite tourneys takes them to all the best bass waters in continental United States. Since the *** of B.A.S.S. in the 1960s, the all-time heaviest one-day stringer was taken from Lake Toho in 2001 (45-lb 2-oz). Lake Toho is in Florida...not Texas and not California. This is a direct quote from Dean: "I couldn't believe what I saw," Rojas said. "I saw 10 pounders, 9 pounders, 8 pounders everywhere I looked." During that same Bassmaster Top-150 Tournament, 21 double-digit bass were brought to the scales in '2' days! Roger

Bursting with pride, a young man just got his driver’s license. He decided to visit his favorite grandmother and phoned her for the directions to her apartment. After giving her grandson directions, his grandmother said “I'm apartment '26' in the Stokes Plaza. When you reach the plaza entry, just push “26” with your elbow and I will buzz you in. She continued: "Then board the elevator on your right, and push “Floor 2” with your elbow." Her grandson replied, “That’s sounds easy enough grandma, but why should I use my elbow?" His grandma snapped back: “So what are you trying to say...You’re coming empty-handed?? Roger

Based on nationwide statistics, no place on earth produces more 10-pound bass than Florida, USA. This should come as no surprise, as Florida is the home of Florida-stain largemouth bass Florida has additionally yielded its fair share of world-class bass over 17.5 pounds, but unfortunately, the state's biggest obstacle is 'bureaucracy'. Florida's heaviest bass on record are documented & certified by the "IGFA", "Field & Stream", “International Spin Fishing Association" and others, but not by the state. Listed below are certified bass taken in Florida that are not recognized by the state (up to 2011): 1) 20-lb 2-oz - Big Fish Lake - May 1923 - Fritz Friebel (fully documented but not FL certified) 2) 19-lb 15-oz - Keystone Lake - 1927 - R. E. Lucas 3) 19-lb 11-oz (29" L x 23.25" G) - Stick Marsh - Jul 1994 - Doug Thompson 4) 19-lb 8-oz (29” L 23” G) – Stick Marsh – May 1994 – Ed Johnson 5) 19-lb 4-oz – Taylor Creek Reservoir – Jun 1974 – Phil Jay 6) 19-lb 0-oz (31”L) – Lake Tarpon – Jun 1961 – Riley Witt (former Florida state record) 7) 18-lb 13-oz (29.5”L x 26.5”G) St Johns River - Apr 1987 - Buddy Wright (fully documented & certified) 8) 18-lb 8-oz – Orange Grove Lake – Jan 2008 – Jeffrey Smith 9) 18-lb 4-oz – St. Johns River – Dec 1948 - J.W. Smith 10) 18-lb 2-oz – Taylor Creek Reservoir - Jun 1974 – Phil Jay 10) 18-lb 2-oz – Lake Brooklyn – Mar 1966 – Hugh Paul 11) 18-lb 1-oz – Stick Marsh – Apr 1994 – Robert Bloom 12) 18-lb 0-oz – Orange Grove Lake – Steve Smith (IGFA documented) 12) 18-lb 0-oz (30”L) – Tucker Lake – 1964 – L.L. Petty 12) 18-lb 0-oz – Lake George (St Johns River) – May 1958 – Marlin Coston 12) 18-lb 0-oz – Ashley Lake – Mar 1951 – Carl Swisher 13) 17-lb 15-oz – Undisclosed waters – Mar 1988 – Donald Brunson 14) 17-lb 12-oz – West Lake Tohopekaliga (West Toho) – Jul 1986 – John Faircloth 15) 17-lb 9-oz – Lake George (St. Johns River) – Babette Morgan 16) 17-lb 8-oz (28”Lx25”G) Lake Rose – 1985 – Mike Paule 16) 17-lb 8-oz (28”Lx25”G) Hurricane Lake – Mar 1983 – Robert Earl 16) 17-lb 8-oz – Lake George (St. Johns River) – Justin Morgan Under a weight of 17-1/2 pounds, the entries are piled up at every ounce, far too numerous to bother listing. Owning up to feeble recordkeeping, the state of Florida finally incepted a Hall-of-Fame Club (13-lb+ only), now in its 2nd year. This year, Joe Morrell submitted two "state certified" teeners, a 13-lb 12-oz & 14-lb 9-oz. Be reminded that for every 13-3/4 lb bass landed in Florida, there are thousands of double-digit bass. This isn't the case anywhere else, where catching a double-digit bass is like watching paint dry or grass grow. The future of Florida-strain transplants is speculative, but the Florida-strain bass in Florida are forever. http://m.myfwc.com/news/news-releases/2014/march/11/trophycatch/ Roger

Whether there is 'cork' or 'air' between my hands, I wouldn't even know without looking down to see. All other things equal, the Split-Grip rod is going to weigh less (no excess baggage). Aesthetically speaking, a split-grip rod doesn't have that pool-cue look. Roger

Hmmm, that's sounds like July in Great Slave Lake

Several years back, TackleTour conducted an ambitious line study. Based on their findings, the difference in elasticity between fluorocarbon and nylon was a wash. The winner in fact, hinged on the brands in the comparison. In several shootouts, fluorocarbon stretched significantly more than nylon. Roger

That's very interesting Dwight, I didn't know that about lake trout. We've experienced this mainly with silver hake (whiting) and red hake (ling) in New York Harbor (Scotland & Ambrose lightships). My guess would be that the annual cycle of hake never finds them in shallow water, whereas lake trout are shallow for a very brief period after ice-out. In water as shallow as 90 feet, ling and whiting are pretty much beyond fizzing, and in 150 ft of water their eyes are hanging on by the optic nerves. Needless to say, it was all catch-&-keep. Roger

For largemouth bass: Berkley 30 lb Trilene Braid (tied direct)

At sea level, the mean barometric pressure forces mercury 29.92 inches up the test tube, which is expressed as 29.92 inHg (inches of mercury) or 'One Atmosphere' (i.e. barometric baseline). During an average cold-front (clockwise high-pressure cell) the barometric pressure climbs to around 30.32 inHg, a mean rise of 1-1/3% above normal. During an average warm-front (counterclockwise low-pressure cell) the barometric pressure will fall to around 29.52 inHg, a mean drop of 1-1/3% below normal. Water has a much higher specific gravity than air. At a depth of 34 feet, water exerts the same pressure per sq. in. as our entire atmosphere, which is estimated to be around 100 miles high. So the total pressure at a depth of 34 ft is 29.4 lb psi or 'Two Atmospheres'. Due to water's high specific gravity, when a fish moves just 5.4 inches downward in the water column, the increase in pressure on the fish is equivalent to the pressure change during an average high-pressure system (cold front). Conversely, when the same fish swims 5.4 inches higher in the water column, the drop in pressure is equivalent to an average low-pressure system (warm front). (You might want to do your own calculations: 1-foot column of water = 0.433 lb / sq. in. <> 1-foot cube of water = 62.35 lb) Deep-sea fishing gives us the most graphic portrayal of water pressure as compared to barometric pressure. When fish are winched from water depths over 100 ft (as I often have), there is no Catch-and-Release. Due the dramatic drop in pressure, when the fish reaches topside its eyes are bulging out of its head and its bladder is turned inside out and protruding from the fish's mouth. Roger

I was obviously very wrong, my picture was followed by another 1000 words Roger

I have to respectfully disagree, as my opinion is quite the opposite. If there could ever be a broad swing in barometric pressure without an accompanying change in Light Level, I wouldn't expect a discernible effect on fishing. To my mind, barometric pressure is actually a lagging indicator, like driving your car while looking in the rear-view mirror. I believe that a more timely reference is the “Current Light Level” which is causal rather than coincidental. A passing cold-front or warm-front without any corresponding change in light level is unheard-of, but should it ever take place, I would not expect to see a perceptible effect on fishing. Atmospheric pressure is 14.7 lb per square inch, which varies ‘somewhat’ with each passing front (be it a High or Low). Unlike air which is highly compressible, water is virtually incompressible. When a fish swims down and increases its depth by a few feet, it can create an overall pressure equivalent to 2 atmospheres; pressures never attained by meteorological events Roger

A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words (Yes...I've owned them all) St Croix Legend Tournament Dobyns Champion <> St Croix Avid Loomis GL2 Roger

Welcome to the forum: It's true that good fishing generally precedes a cold-front, and may continue 'into' the front, but of course, the angler is usually routed out by lightning, high winds & rain. Two days after a cold-front 'might' be a good time to fish if you're dealing with northern-strain bass. If you're dealing with Florida-strain bass (your location isn't displayed), the 2nd day after a major cold-front is very rarely a barn-burner. Roger

In my opinion, the GL2 is out, but it's a dead heat between Champion and Avid. Move up to St Croix Legend Tournament and we've got a clear winner (only $10 more than Champion 7' 3") Roger

In my reply above, I intentionally substituted the word 'mono' with "Nylon". I only do this for the benefit of newcomers to our sport. You might say, I'm clinging to the hope that they may not perpetuate misnomers. Why not? It costs me nothing to use proper terminology. John said that 99.92% of the time, the generic reference to nylon is "mono", but I believe the percentage is closer to 99.94% While we're discussing semantics, be careful of the difference between P-line CXX and P-line CX. The former is 'monofilament', while the latter is 'cofilament'. Roger

The fishing line industry has never been more technological and competitive. Any 'bad' fishing line today, would go the way of braided linen and braided kevlar. I actually remember when my dad dried out his braided linen after every fishing trip. He wrapped it on a loom he fashioned in our backyard (as a kid, I was puzzled by this ritual). Today’s anglers are spoiled rotten, and of course that includes me, someone whe grew up with Cuttyhunk & catgut..LOL. Every line material has its Pros and Cons, and every angler has his own individual tolerances and intolerances for different line properties. The upshot of course, is an eclectic mix of opinions. Differences of opinion notwithstanding, is the fabric of debate and forum. As you stated Kirby: "This topic always makes for an interesting discussion”. Roger