RoLo

Steve, you must be working out, most anglers need two arms to hoist that hippo Roger

Small bass will often strike a large lure, we've caught runts on muskie lures. Large bass will often strike a small lure, KVD landed an 11-lb bass on a 4" fry worm. On balance though, a smaller lure will generate more strikes, while a larger lure will produce a higher average weight per bass. Whether large lures attract larger bass or intimidate smaller bass is left to conjecture. Roger

By Jove, I think we've got a winner ;-)

Not to change the topic, but I've always found it odd that the Mirrolure is so popular in saltwater (esp. seatrout & redfish), yet the freshies rarely give them a tumble. Roger

Welcome to the forum ;-) I don't know what lure that is, but gave me a flashback of an old 'Mirrolure'. Roger

This fall we traveled from Florida to Lake Superior. In our opinion at least, the two most beautiful states we traversed were Wisconsin followed by Kentucky. As for Florida, it has a charm all its own that compares to no other state. To avoid urbanity, high prices and congestion, get away from both coasts (Gulf & Atlantic) and head to Florida's interior peninsula, (plenty of podunk towns). You say you like fishing? Pick your poison, freshwater or saltwater. Roger

When I lived in New Jersey the bass fishing there was very good (northern-strain bass are suicidal). On the down side though, the bass were very small. I'll cite 3 Jersey facts that should give you an idea just how small: > When I lived there, 9" was a legal bass > For many years, the New Jersey state record largemouth bass was 8 lb & small change > During a statewide survey, the 'Eastern Chain Pickerel' was voted No.1 game fish In Jersey, I considered 3 pounds (17.5") as the first-plateau, about 1 bass in 30 :-( I considered a 6 lb bigmouth as a New England trophy (often rumored, but rarely seen) Roger

I'll try again. The Big K and Big O have always enjoyed a year-round bass season, and have always allowed live bait. In spite of that fact, both waters are producing more trophy-class bass today than any time in memory. It's a mistake to compare specimens in their native habitat with non-native transplants, because a species is most prolific within its natural range, where pruning a renewable resource lends to robust growth. Florida-strain bass are indigenous to Florida, a subspecies provided by Big Mama to endure the rigors of perennially high water temperatures. Although California has similarly high water temperatures, Florida-strain bass are not indigenous to California (you can't fool Mother Nature, only for awhile). Biologists call it 'waning genetic vigor'. Maintaining a non-native species typically requires TLC and nursemaiding that's not needed within its natural range. Spotted bass provide another example of same. Lewis Smith Lake, Alabama held the world-record Spotted Bass, a 8-lb 15-oz brute. Smith Lake gifted Lake Perris, California with spotted bass transplants, and California subsequently broke the native spotted bass record. Smith Lake today is still an outstanding fish factory for spotted bass, and largemouth bass. Sadly, due to waning genetic vigor, you would be hard pressed today to catch a single spotted bass of any size from Lake Perris, California. Roger

If at all possible, give deer archery a try, I'll bet you'll get hooked. In most states the archery season has many benefits: the woods are alive with game: grouse drumming, geese honking overhead, the climate is pleasant, the season is long and the bucks are in the rut. The deadliness of an arrow is remarkable, which has a broader lethal pocket than a bullet. Roger

Yeah I read about them. They're sedimentary rocks comprised of metamorphic silt, the scientific name is 'Micropterus dolomieu' Roger

Lived in Jersey the first 50 years of my life. Hillside, Elizabeth, Sayreville, New Brunswick & East Brunswick. Some of our favored waters: Farrington Lake (the best bass stretch was an old pig farm near Davidson's Mill Pond) Spruce Run (hunted there when it was "Clinton Public Shooting Grounds") Round Valley (hunted woodchucks there before it was inundated) Assunpink Lake (my favorite upland covert before it was flooded) Roger

It's possible, but I've never heard that stressing the female can be lethal to the roe (nature usually favors the health of the embyro over the mother) On the other hand, it's well-known that cow bass develop more roe than they need and more than they'll deposit in one spawning cycle. This is what spawns the rumors we hear every year about ripe bass caught in midsummer (simply undeposited roe). It goes without saying, lakes with inadequate bedding flats are more vulnerable to overharvest then lakes with a wealth of sand substrate and wind-protected shallows. It's been said that 10% of the anglers catch 90% of the fish, but it's not likely that 10 percent would target a lake with a marginal bass population. Roger

A lucid analogy that. This topic has been covered thoroughly and thoughtfully, and I can only reiterate what's already been implicated. Telemetric studies performed in the wild differ from tank studies in two major ways: > Tank studies are conducted in a controlled environment (microcosm). > Bass in the wild have more available options than captive subjects (macrocosm). This doesn't mean that we can't learn from tank studies, because we can and do. But it also means that the results are suspect and require intense cross-examination. Roger

Thanks for the nice words ;-)

>> In smaller clear water natural lakes it can have an effect. You can cruise the bank and see just about every bed made. Yes, you'll see lots of bed sites and you'll catch lots of bucks, but angler catch-rates for 'cow bass' on the bed are embarrassingly low. >> Bad thing is they are pretty hard to catch. Well actually, that's the good thing. Though my wife and I practice C & R, we no longer sight-fish. We didn't stop sight-fishing because we're so noble, but realized that we can boat those same cows far more effectively during the pre-spawn and post-spawn seasons. Roger

I wish there was some magical lure, but I'd be a bald-faced liar if I claimed to always get the skunk out of my boat ;-) On balance, the trusty plastic worm and the jig & craw have had the best batting average. Roger

Those are some beauties. We've been to the Hollow (celina) and miss that serpentine gem. Roger

Lake Kissimmee, Lake Okeechobee and Lake Tohopekaliga (Lake Toho) have always enjoyed a year-round open season allowing artificial lures and natural bait. Nevertheless, in 2001 Lake Toho set and still holds the all-time B.A.S.S. stringer record, heavier than any one-day B.A.S.S. stringer ever boated in California or Texas. More importantly, Lake Kissimmee and Lake Okeechobee are stupendous trophy factories that are both producing more double-digit bass today than they did in the so-called 'good old days'. In 2012, Ish Monroe won the 4-day Elite on the Big 'O' with 108-5. In spite of being strictly a catch-&-release fishery, the same cannot be said of the Stick Marsh. Roger

I'm in the 'location' camp, rather than the 'presentation' camp WATERBODY You can't get blood from a stone. Perform in-depth statistical research based on DNR stats, Internet searches, citations issued, tourney results ~ ~ TIMING Concentrate your efforts on the 'pre-spawn' season LOCATION No lure presentation ever caught a trophy where there was no trophy. With respect to trophy fish, I believe the 'rifle approach' far outperforms the shotgun approach. That is not to say a slow retrieve, but to concentrate your game on high-percentage sweet spots. Finding sweet spots isn't a cakewalk, but it is possible using 'contour analysis' well in advance of your outing, then fine-tune your location on-the-water based on 'cover analysis'. Roger

Fish egg mortality can reach 30% in one day. To compensate for high mortality rates, Mother Nature provides a generous oversupply of roe. In fact, if 50% of the fish eggs actually survived, your lake would be in trouble. Moreover, the fish and game commission studies every waterbody at great length to form a blueprint for the fishing seasons, daily limits and slot limits. When a cow bass is locked on a bed, she's dialed into the role of reproduction and is not interested in food. She is also tough to infuriate, because the role of protectorate belongs to the buck. In short, it's difficult and time-consuming to coerce a bedding cow. It's pretty safe to say that the lion's share of trophy bass taken during the spawning season are cow bass in the pre-spawn or post-spawn stage. Roger

Same ole places Gary, but don't tell my wife

Clear to Tinged Water: Double Willow-leaf blades (1 silver / 1 gold) . Murky to Muddy Water: Single #5 Gold Colorado blade . Mean Weight: 3/8 oz . Skirt Color: White & Chartreuse (darker in low light levels) Roger

Not Theif but Thief.....as in 'Theeph' ;-))

That's not only a switch from Dale Hollow to Chickamauga, that's a target switch from smallmouth bass to largemouth bass (Ouch!) Roger

> Heddon Sonic..................(my first lipless plug - early 50s) > Evans Shyster.................(similar to CP Swing & ABU Reflex) > Depose Eelet..................(popular in the 60s) > Hawaiian Wiggler............(comical looking in-line spinner) > Heddon River Runt.........(great trolling lures) > Sizmic Pop'n Toad..........(outstanding!) > Weed Sneek Jig.............(Denny Brauer swim jig before its time) > Zipbaits Calibra..............(lipless plug with tungsten rattles) > Deps Deathadder Grub..(outstanding!) > Deps Twin-Tail Grub.......(still listed as a site magnet, but not available) Roger