RoLo

Dwight's advise is spot-on, a little etiquette goes a long way. Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, but better yet, leave the premises in better condition than when you arrived. There's no reason to be intimidated by approaching a landowner or Homeowners Association. The worst that can happen is that you are refused, in which case everything remains the same (how bad is that?). Roger

That's one beautiful bass Roger

A terminal disease with no known cure PATHETIC! Roger

Good point Flyfisher. When I wrote the program, I intentionally omitted peripheral influences like opportunities, age, injuries and accolades such as AOY, Classics, Megabucks, et al. I was only interested in documented performance based on raw statistics. Roger

Good point and something I should've mentioned. When mat-punching, a hooked bass quickly collects weeds that in many cases will weigh more than the fish itself. All the same, we still have to apply firm & steady pressure. Unfortunately, a lure lodged in vegetation is like being held in a vise, a time when head-thrashing makes it very easy for a big fish to tear free. Bar none, I've lost more big bass in this situation than all other situations combined. For run-of-the-mill bass, I'll use the lazy-man approach and pump the boat over to the bass (easily done with heavy braid and a light boat), but if it's an old sow, I always move the boat quickly to the bass Roger

Several years back I wrote an arithmetically weighted program that ranked the pro bass anglers. Separate weights were given to 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th place finishes plus a secondary weighting for finishes in the top-10. Also factored in was length of career (number of events), but no special weight was given for AOY, Classics, Elites or Megabucks, which I felt were redunduncies that would skew the raw achievement score. In this manner, Bill Dance and Hank Parker did not fare as well as expected. Firstly, Dance & Parker were pioneers of organized tourney fishing (particularly Bill Dance), an era when comparisons were much easier. Just for example, the record multi-day stringer went from Preston Clark, to Dean Rojas to Paul Elias in a matter of a few years. Secondly, Bill Dance had a brief 12-year career, while Hank Parker had a brief 13-year career (his TV show lasted far longer than his fishing career). On the other hand, there are some top-flight pro bass anglers who are rarely mentioned today, such as Larry Nixon (the worm king) and Bobby Murray. Roger

With respect to channel bends, the adjectives 'inside' & 'outside' can be confusing, which technically depend on your vantage point. For the sake of clarification, an 'inside turn' in a stream (river, creek or brook) refers to the lesser radius, while an 'outside turn' refers to the greater radius. 'Outside turns' have faster water current that typically results in a faster bottom taper due to substrate carved out over the centuries. The best rock bluffs are generally found on outside bends. In contrast, 'inside turns' which have slower water currrent, are typically accompanied by a slower bottom gradient. In addition to lower current velocity, inside turns normally include a 'back eddy', which includes a rotary low-pressure cell. Back eddies provide an area of neutral current where eroded sediment is deposited, what we refer to as a 'delta'. Though I've encountered conflicting scenarios, the following is the rule-of-thumb: > During the warmwater seasons when bass are most active (higher metabolism), 'inside bends' (deltas) are generally favored. > During the coldwater seasons when bass are least active (lower metabolism), 'outside bends' (drop-offs) are generally favored. Roger

Your setup sounds fine to me. On balance, a lure in a freefall will generate an impulse strike, so you really can't strike too soon. One thing you might try is omitting the punch skirt. For one reason or another I seem to get a better hookup ratio on a standalone craw or beavertail. Roger

Now that's funny

All excellent contenders Actually, what I really miss the most in Florida is smallmouth bass, northern pike & muskellunge. Goes to show ya, there ain't no utopia Roger

Good question Amarley: I give top priority to 'location', but can't offer an intelligent opinion on pre-spawn holding sites in Guntersville, without spending a couple hours on Chart Analysis. Realistically, you can't pick a lure at home before you are physically on the lake. Whenever I try doing this, water clarity, current lighting conditions, wind velocity or the presence or absence of vegetation usually insult my lure choice. Guntersville is not without vegetation and for the benefit of the youngsters, Guntersville was the home of the 'Rat'. Anyway, the lures below would probably be on my short-list: > Jerkbait Hard & Soft (exposed hook & weedless hook) > Swimbait Gambler Big EZ (weedless) > Crank Plug Jackall TN/70 (open water) > Mat Punch 1-1/4oz Sinker & Plastic Craw (weedless) > Jig & Craw Jig & Plastic Craw (weedless) Roger

I lived in both the north and the south, and there is one thing I miss in the north. ..uh.....um.........I'm sure it'll come back to me (jk) Roger

My handle is real simple: 'RoLo' stands for Roger & Lois Lois has been my faithful fishing companion since 1964. Roger

Pro Anglers My 3 favorite pro anglers of all-time are Kevin VanDam, Roland Martin & Rick Clunn (in that order). Unfortunately though, it's not possible to compare champions from different eras, just as we'll never see a fight between George Foreman and Joe Louis. Mount Rushmore With respect to contributing valuable knowledge as to the Where, When & How for all freshwater species, I don't know of any angler who brought more to the table than Al Lindner. Roger

I concur. I've fished early oligotrophic lakes in Ontario & Quebec, mesotrophic lakes in NJ, NY, PA & GA and late eutrophic lakes in FL On slow days, when bass are few and far between, I can lay blame on any one of a long list of variables. Although line color and lure color are most obvious to humans, they're the last variables that I'll suspect or change. The solution typically comes from a lure change, a change in location, an adjustment in lure depth or a change in retrieve speed. Sometimes it's the simple matter of bass going on the feed, when all lure colors & line colors automagically work Bottom Line: If you believe that 'line color' matters, than it does Roger

Is 'line color' and 'line visibility' the same thing, or are they two separate issues? Do humans overestimate the cognizance of small-brained, cold-blooded creatures? It's well-known that the thinner the 'line diameter', the greater the 'lure action'. Therefore, a fair comparison of line color can only be made between fishing lines of like diameter. Florida-strain bass are tough customers which makes them a good proving ground (KVD stated a similar comment). That said, I've yet to experience an instance where I can confidently say that 'line color' by itself had any effect on the size or number of bass. Bottom Line: If you believe that 'line color' matters, than it does Roger

Lake Toho is north of Lake Kissimmee, and is still frozen over (Tip-ups are sold at Big Toho Marina). Not to worry, Lake Kissimmee has lots of open water Roger

Lake Lochloosa is a historic trophy water, during the heyday of the Withlacoochie Backwaters and Salt Run Springs, Lake George. Since that time however, Orange Lake has stolen the show from Lake Lochloosa. Unfortunately, sinkhole activity put a big hurt on the Orange Lake bass fishery, where lake levels have yet to return to normal. Lake Lochloosa remains a fair to good bass lake, but as far as I know it's better known today for its crappie fishing. Roger

I've been a tool-&-die maker from 1959 to 1992 (Kleiner Metal Specialties). I'm now a systems analyst for an IT software firm (Objective Concepts). Roger .

We've got it bad Goose. You've inspired me to unearth my shameless pile of reel boxes

I listen to pro anglers, but only to help me make my own decision. Though it goes against popular opinion, I use braided polyethylene for jerkbaits. (I specify 'polyethylene' because I've also fished with braided nylon, braided dacron & braided kevlar) When fishing a jerkbait, I believe that braid offers 2 Advantages over mono, but has 1 Disadvantage: Advantages: 1) Braided polyethylene is ultra low-stretch line which makes it easier to set the hook home beyond the barb, especially when there's a lot of line in the water (Braid is also more sensitive). 2) Polyethylene floats and fluorocarbon sinks. Even so, braid is a fine diameter line that will dive deeper than fluorocarbon line, which is fatter line that generates more water resistance. Disadvantege: Oddly it wasn't mentioned, but the stretchiness of monofilament line (be it Nylon, Fluoro or Copoly) provides a more natural glide than braided line. Braided line produces more side flash but creates a more spastic darting action. To help compensate for this disadvantage I use more of a tug than a sharp jerk Roger

I'm lucky because I prepare the boat and tackle, while my wife prepares the lunches. She'll usually bring some combination of meatball sandwiches, baked chicken, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, hard boiled eggs and a small cooler filled with drinks. Roger

The fishing rods I own are strewn throughout my house, but the shipping tubes are all stashed in my garage. Yesterday while walking past my rod tube jungle, I thought about this BR post and snapped a picture. You'd be hard pressed to name one rod brand that I don't own ('13 ***' being the latest addition). On the upside, at least you know the tackle opinions I voice are not flavored by brand loyality Roger

Ten years ago I would've recommended West Toho, but things are a little different today. As a result of a major muck scraping project, Lake Kissimmee has become a real trophy factory. It's an enormous vegetable prairie that supports hydrilla, coontail, maidencane (kissimmeegrass), spatterdock, waterlilies, lotus, eelgrass, bulrushes, pondweed and more (It's an easy choice). Roger

I put the "B" on Bufferin tablets Roger