RoLo

How Many Fish Have You Caught So Far? I topped '2000' today, but now I'm going to lose some time patching the hole in my seine net Roger

In waterbodies that are naturally clear most of the time, bass are accustomed to sight feeding and suddenly muddied water is a distinct hardship. A slow-rolled spinnerbait with a single Colorado blade is a good lure choice. A double-bladed Colorado might seem like a better choice but when two blades are used, one tends to dampen the throb of the other, but one large Colorado blade delivers a clean steady thump. Roger

I'm sure you recall, about 3 years back KVD took 1st place in a Toho tourney by fishing a shallow hydrilla bed about a half-mile offshore. Why did this come as a surprise to anyone, are anglers really that dense? Do exactly what bass do, stay focused on Contour & Cover and pay NO attention to how near or far from the shoreline. Roger

Whether you're a vegetarian, carnivore, piscivore or omnivore, removing a legal limit of bass from a lake is generally beneficial to the fishery. On the other hand, if you have evidence that a fisherman is violating the law, feel free to contact the local authorities who are paid to legislate the laws and to enforce the laws. Roger

Gee, no mention of the Elizabeth River and Weequahic Lake Roger

HOLY COW! It must be May

You'll notice that Paul did not give 'Deep Water' the key to the city. Instead, he pointed out several factors that influence the depth of bass in given lakes and at given times. Such as: > Natural lakes versus artificial lakes (always start here) > Clear lakes vs. murky lakes > Estuarine prey vs. pelagic prey > Lakes containing northern pike or muskellunge (dominant predators 'force' largemouth bass to adhere to the littoral zone) > Depth of thermocline > Last but not least: depth of "Oxycline" In the summertime, the oxycline can 'force' bass to live close to the surface, a season when anglers expect bass to be deep. Fishing only in deep water, or only in shallow water is fishing without versatility and adaptability. In short, there is no free lunch. Roger

Never forget, It rains on fishermen, it doesn't rain on fish. Depending on tropospheric temperatures, there are 'cool rains' and there are 'warm rains'. Needless to say, warm rain is beneficial to the angler. In addition, heavy rainfall causes accelerated water flow at every tributary stream, flume and wash, and water current stimulates feeding Roger

With respect to largemouth bass in natural lakes, I never invest any time in water depths greater than 20 feet. The reason is quite simple, I've never found it necessary nor advantageous, and this is coming from an old salt who's acclimated to fishing in water depths measured in fathoms (100 to 300 feet). On the other hand, I've caught smallmouth bass as deep as 40 ft, but those fish were no larger than smallies I've taken from the 15 to 25-foot depth zone, which I find to be more productive on balance. Roger

Kind Response: My esteem for the Solunar Theory parallels that of a state lottery (benefiting from its intricate vagaries is highly elusive) Harsh Response: Man has proven himself unfit to manage his own affairs, like balancing the fiscal budget; and predicting tomorrow's weather. Why would this same buffoon fancy the notion that he's capable of timing natural events under the auspices of Mother Nature? Roger

A nasty auto accident took place, but in spite of the impact no one was injured and blame for the accident was highly disputable. Oddly enough, both cars were driven by men of the cloth, one was a Priest and the other was a Rabbi. Both gentlemen maintained total composure and professional respect for one another. Feeling terrible about the whole ordeal, the rabbi suggested that they share a little wine to break the tension. The priest accepted the rabbi's cordial offer, and the rabbi filled the priest's glass with Manischewitz wine. About 10 minutes later, the rabbi offered to top-off the priest's wine glass, again the priest accepted the rabbi's congeniality. The priest then said to the rabbi: "This is the best wine I've ever had the pleasure of drinking, but when are YOU going to drink some wine?. The rabbi replied: "Not before the troopers get here". Roger

I'm sure an archival search would disclose the fact that I have touted 100% DEET repellents for many years. I used 100% DEET for fishing, deer hunting, small game hunting, waterfowling and nature photography. Regrettably, the most effective insect repellent is not necessarily the safest insect repellent for human use. The older I get, the more I covet and protect my remaining stay on planet Earth (I'm sure the ole codgers can relate). Today I use "Sawyer 20% Picaridin", but not because it's more effective that DEET but because it's been shown to be 'non-neurotoxic', which is something that cannot be said of DEET. In the final analysis, it might be better to tolerate a few more bugs and bug bites than to apply a toxic topical. As a bonus, Picaridin is less odorous than the strident, long-lasting stench of DEET. Roger

For what it's worth, my last 3 tow cars were Jeep, Suburu and Toyota Rav4. Just recently I purchased a Honda lease-return which is already my favorite tow-car. She's a 2011 Honda 4WD Pilot ($23.3k with no trade-in) 250 hp - 16 ft overall length (under 17 ft including hitch) Averages 19 mpg when towing - 21 gal fuel tank - 4,500-lb tow capacity - bed accommodates 7.5 ft rods. Roger

SPINNING: Dobyns Champion Shimano Stella Trilene Braid CASTING: St Croix Legend Shimano Core Trilene Braid Roger

Yeah, that pretty much 'COVERS IT', but the original poster might be more interested in 'EXPOSING IT'. SHALLOW CRANKS > Bomber Square A > Rapala DT - 4 > Rapala Crankin' Rap 3 > SK KVD Squarebills > Rapala Shad Rap 5 > Norman Mad N > Norman Fat Boy > Rapala Fat Rap X > Calibur XCS Squarebills > SK Series One > Bandit 100 > Rapala Scatter Rap > Shallow Scatter Rap MEDIUM CRANKS > Bomber Model 5A > Bomber Model 6A > Bomber Model 7A > Excalibur Fat Free Fry > Bandit Series 200 > Storm Wiggle Wart > Rapala DT - 6 > Rapala Crankin' Rap 8 > Spro Fat Papa 55 > SK KVD Flat side crank > Norman Middle N DEEP CRANKS > Excalibur Fat Free Shad > Excalibur Fat Free Shad Jr. > Spro Little John DD > Baby Little John DD > Damiki DC Series 300 > Damiki DC Series 400 > Rapala DT 10 and higher > Rapala Crankin' Rap 10 > Rapala Crankin' Rap 14, > Strike King Series 3 XD > Strike King Series 5 XD > Strike King Series 6 XD > Bandit Series 300 > Ledgebuster 250 > Koppers Live Target Deep Crawfish > ABT Lures Mini X2 > Norman DD series > Norman XCS > Rapala Scatter Rap Deep > Luhr Jensen Hot Lips Is a 44-lure arsenal really necessary to motivate a novice crankbaiter ? ? ? Assuming he only purchases one lure of each, his entry-level outlay would range between $400 & $500. Can we cut him a break, and be a tad more specific? Roger

Brands and colors are the caboose, mastering depth and speed is where crankbaiting begins Roger

It's interesting to note that Rick Clunn (voted all-time best pro-angler) said that fishing something different was his most important deal-maker.When we lived on Lake Weohyakapka, FL (lake walk-in-water) I had access to a 100-acre long fishing pier. I experimented almost daily with as many outfits as I could tote to the pier. Odd but true, any new lure was often the only lure to catch a bass, and this happened on countless occasions. Roger

Back in the day I reloaded all my own rife cartridges (including full-length resizing). I did my sighting-in and pet load experimenting on the same farms where I hunted woodchucks. Though I never paid a range fee, I did pay in another way. I never wore headgear and my right ear rings 24/7 Anyway, I spent many fun hours tailoring pet loads for my 222 Rem Mag, 270 Win and 300 H&H. Today, I still use my RCBS powder scale for quickly sorting hooks, split-shot, jigs, etc. Roger

A late co-angler and fellow toolmaker used to own a little piece of heaven on the shore of the Delaware River near the Delaware Gap, NJ. Les and his family visited their chalet every weekend. Unfortunately, Les would leave his gear in the cabin under lock-&-key and became complacent doing so. One day Les came to work, and it was obvious that something was very wrong. His cabin had been thoroughly ransacked and he lost everything of value. What bothered Les most was losing his lifelong collection of vintage lures which included lures from his father and grandfather. This took place in the early 70s so you can image the retro jewels involved. This experience cut his heart out, and Les sold the land and cabin as-is, and never wanted another cabin. Do yourself a big favor, go the extra mile and pack out your valuables every time you leave your shangri-la. With a little forethought you can transport your shuttle gear with just a few grabs (e.g. dry box, wet box, tackle box ~). You've been living on a wing and a prayer, but when your luck ultimately runs out, it's going to be extremely painful! Roger

I enjoy fishing with a companion and also enjoy fishing alone, but to answer your question: the best days of my life have occurred when I was fishing by myself. I would imagine that fishing alone allows me to be more selfishly focused. Roger

It's not supposed to be fun. A couple shark fishing trips will sharpen your game

Ralph: God, How long is a million years to you? God: To me, a million years is like one second. Ralph: God, how much is a million dollars to you? God: To me, a million dollars is like one penny. Ralph: God, can you find it in your heart to give me one penny? God: Why certainly, just give me a second Roger

Sawyer 20% Picaridin (non-neurotoxic) Roger

Big - Black - Noisy (that's all she wrote) Roger

I've posted this several times in the past, nearly all our best fish have come during the midday hours, basically between 10 am and 4 pm. I've found this to apply in saltwater too, where most of our personal best fish were also taken under a high sun. Roger