RoLo

Despite the few line-colors listed in the poll, you will notice that nearly every color in the rainbow has been mentioned. This only reaffirms the fact that line color is the fisherman's choice, and has little to do with line invisibility or fish preference. Roger

That's true enough. And on another note, bass and bluegills are both in the same taxonomical genus. So in effect, a bass is just a large sunfish (which may explain why they both taste so darn good) Roger

I'm a far cry from a cook, but when comparing the natural flavor of different fish species, I think it's important to only compare fish that have been 'sauteed', 'broiled' or 'grilled'. In other words, No deep-frying, No heavy coatings, No spice-drenching and No blackening. Otherwise you're really not comparing 'fish flesh', you're comparing Coatings, Spices, Oils and stuff. Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips fooled the public for many years with his heavy batter-coated Alaskan hake. One day I peeled all the coating off the fillet and the flesh underneath tasted like parboiled wallpaper paste (zero flavor). In our opinion at least, among the most naturally flavorful fish are Bluegills (but they're small), Yellow Perch (but they're small), Walleyes (perfect), Largemouth Bass (perfect), Smallmouth Bass (perfect), White Bass (perfect), Northern Pike (but they're bony), Chain Pickerel (but they're bony), Blackfish (saltwater), Summer Flounder (saltwater) and Orange Roughy (depleted). Roger

That's funny stuff right there. You are definitely a HOOT Roger

Does anyone recall OuachitaBassAngler, he was a learned fellow from Arkansas who worked for the Game & Fish Comm. He was a catch-&-release fisherman, but advocated keeping a stash of legal bass in the freezer at all times. My wife & I are C&R anglers too, but also enjoy eating bass, so you'll always find bass around 2 lbs in our freezer. About a month ago while retrieving my boat at the ramp, an angler strolled over and asked: "Well, did ya hammer'em today?". I replied, 'No, but we got a couple bass'. On the word 'bass' his face seemed to drop, so I surmised he was a crappie fisherman. Sure enough, he came back out of the blue with: "Crappies are the best eating fish in the world". As it happens, my wife has given me several taste tests at home comparing crappie to Florida bass. I tested each sample with my eyes closed, and in every case I'd always point to bass as the most flavorful fish. But rather than share any of that with this fellow, I just nodded yes, while tightening my tie-down straps Roger

Switching from mono line to braided line is like switching from a fiberglass rod to a graphite rod. In addition, braid provides solid hook-sets and the power to horse big bass out of stalks and pads. We've tried several brands of braid for bassing in central Florida, but now strictly use Berkley 30-lb Fireline Braid. Fireline braid offers excellent abrasion-resistance in spatterdock, maidencane and even in bulrushes. Whenever I see fuzzy line near the lure, I'll always retie the lure, so breaking off in cover is extremely rare. I began with 20-lb Fireline without incident, but switching to 30-lb totally eliminated all 'line-burrowing', and now 'luff knots' are a scarcity. The move from Fireline 20 to Fireline 30 is equal to moving from 6lb mono to 8lb mono. We tie everything direct and never use a fluoro, nylon or copolymer leader, not even in gin-clear Lake Winterset. The exception is dropshotting of course, when stiff fluorocarbon is needed to hold the hooks away from the rig line. Roger

I replaced a Motorguide electric motor with a Minn Kota on 3 different boats I owned. With the MotorGuide that came stocked on my last boat, I was lucky to move 10-ft in maidencane (K-grass) without bogging down. Also really nice is the Minn Kota 'Spot-Lock' that holds the boat on spot in water too deep for the Minn Kota Talon (E-anchor). Roger

Good point. On one outfit I'm running braid on a Dobyns and the sensitivity is almost too much (if there is such a thing). A pebbled bottom feels like a steady stream of strikes. Roger

I keep my soft plastics in their original bags as long as possible. At home, they're stored in the drawers of my den cabinet (everything is labeled). On the water, I store surplus bags in the bottom of the tackle box (Plano 1150), and fill the open trays in the top of the tackle box with loose baits. This way, every bait is free to grab without fiddling with bags or containers. Roger

Little bass don't like hanging with big bass, but the feeling isn't mutual It's possible that your lake supports a population of stunted bass, where the best move might be to another body of water. Roger

Holy Cow, he's at it again! Roger

When it comes to crank plugs and treble hooks, the consensus is a fiberglass blank &/or monofilament line but don't you think a lot of this is herd-instinct? We've all read conflicting views on how best to set the hook on crankbaits tied to monofilament line, but with braided line the fish often hooks itself. Tear-offs are a real concern with braided line, but they're very easy to prevent. If she's a good fish, and you've finally got her out of heavy cover, simply back-off on the reel drag as you winch her close to the boat. This makes tear-offs on a short line, virtually impossible. If you do experience a tears-off, you didn't backoff enough (don't forget to re-set the drag tension after every hog) Roger

I missed that picture, but the magazine was lying right on my kitchen table. Either that bass weighs around 5 pounds, or Michael has the largest hands of any man in Massachusetts Roger

Vinny, long time no see. A 4.8" Keitech Swing Impact costs a buck & a half, a 5" Gambler Big EZ costs 80 cents. If the price points were reversed, I'd still opt for the Gambler Big EZ. Roger

Welcome to the forum That's purely a personal decision that only you can make. The size of the waterbody has nothing to do with it (e.g. Atlantic Ocean). Locating fish and determining a successful presentation is my very favorite part of fishing. I really don't care whether you or I crank the sucker to the boat. Frankly, I'd sooner pay money to retain that privilege than forfeit my favorite part of fishing. Roger

DARN IT !! I was willing to throw in a couple 6-packs of Bud Light (I'm the unluckiest guy I know)

Irreproachable assessment Roger

(Losing the 4-lb line-class record on a technicality had to hurt) I had no idea that the Pacific coast rallies around Ande 'PINK' just like the Atlantic coast. Is it 'Monkey See/Monkey Do', or is there really something about 10 parts Red, 8 parts Green & 10 parts Blue, than I need to know? Roger

More than welcome my friend. The roboworm is definitely an angler-friendly handpour that bottom fishers and drop-shotters hold in high regard. Roger

When we worry about fading worm color, we may be overlooking more important worm features. In any event, 'no' they don't lose their color, but in itself makes them no better than worms that do fade. Roger

Finding the right gal has little or nothing to with hunting and fishing. Finding the right gal has everything to do with her interest in you and the things that you do. All the rest falls naturally in line. Roger

Not surprisingly, Dwight is right on the snot. When I fished saltwater (done a bunch), the line I used was Ande Tournament - clear For reasons unknown to me, Ande 'pink' dominated the east coast, similar to the 'green' blind-following in freshwater. Roger

To disagree with that statement, is to defend a weak position. Roger

Presently my 1/2 oz Jig & Craw is on the combo below: ROD Dobyns Champion 705C [7' 0" - Mag Heavy - Fast - 3/8 to 1-1/2 oz - 12 to 25 lb] REEL Shimano Core - 101Mg [Left-hand - 6.0 oz - 11 lb max drag] Roger

Beginning in 1965 (2nd year of our marriage), every vacation that Lois & I took was a fishing vacation (without exception). During the first couple of decades, Lois would ask a million questions but really didn't add much to the fish stringer. Well, the tables have turned, and during the past several years she routinely outfishes me. It was cute in the beginning, but now I'm just the captain who puts her on fish. She will tell you that she owes it all to me, because she also knows how to protect a man's ego. I think I liked it better when she was asking questions Roger