RoLo

As much as I enjoy kidding around, there comes a time to be serious When my wife & I were land-hunting in Georgia, we trampled many acres of wild fields. Well, we eventually got torn-up by chiggers, which was a totally new experience for us Yankees. Nothing short of a doctor's script had any effect at all on our ugly, itchy chigger rashes. I talked to a farmer in Palmetto, GA, named Clovis, who swore to me that he's never had one chigger bite in his life. That left me in a big quandary, but guess what, after living in Georgia about a year, Lois & I couldn't get a chigger bite if we tried (Wonders of the human immune system). With regard to fire ants, they still attack my wife with a vengeance, and still have no use for me. A nonprescription antifungal soap that I would recommend is "Original DEFENSE Bar Soap". That failing, I would turn to "Hibiclens" (chlorhexidine gluconate) in a pump bottle. Roger

New or old, it boils down to...What have you done for me lately? Established holding sites tend to cycle in hierarchy according to current cover. Roger

You kiddin? I don't even want to be fishing Upstream of this guy, particularly if we're traveling in the same vehicle Roger

Welcome to the forum FL_Angler. I agree, snook are tough to beat, but if you adhere to West Toho (not East Toho) you're good to go ? Roger

What Determines C-Rig Leader Length? I do Roger

Whether a 1-pound weight is in the air or underwater, it will weigh 1 pound. On the other hand, objects of the same weight may behave very differently underwater due to differences in "buoyancy". Buoyancy is the difference between an object’s weight and the weight of the water the object displaces. Although buoyancy doesn’t alter the weight of an object, it alters the force necessary to raise an underwater object. In spite of having the same weight, a 1-pound rock will beeline to the bottom, while a 1-pound block of Styrofoam will languish indefinitely on the surface. Roger

I don’t like that word either In fact, I only use it to describe something infinitesimally small Roger

Fishing since the 1950s, I’ve had plenty of time to try lots of different stuff. Done my fair share of 'back-reeling', thanks to "Fishing Facts" magazine in the 1960s, and "In-Fisherman" magazine in the 1970s (Lindner fame), To be fair though, the reel drags of yesteryear released line in fits & starts, compared to today’s velvety-smooth drags For many years (In both fresh & saltwater), I used a fish scale to set my reel drags around 30% of breaking strength. That practice served me very well, but I eventually grew weary of resetting the drag every time I tweaked it in the field. Today, I set & reset my drags by FEEL, with full satisfaction. Let's face it, if I haven’t developed the appropriate feel by now, I never will ? Roger

Heck Yeah, who isn't attracted to a Monetary Windfall ?? Regrettably though, the odds of success are remarkably infinitesimal, where losing is the BIG winner. Maybe I’ve been in the equity trenches too long, but I can honestly say, I've never purchased '1' lottery ticket in my entire life (Honest Engine). ODDS OF WINNING Lottery Participant: = 0.000000000001 Non-Participant: = 0. 00000000000 As a non-participant, I’m okay with those odds ? Roger

Sorry for the delayed response. No, the tail isn't as buoyant as a Z-man 10x worm, but more neutrally buoyant (no upward or downward influence) coupled with the pliability of a handpour (albeit robotically poured). Roger

For blade baits (3/4 oz), I like a MH–F blank, be it a casting or spinning rod. Yeah, at times I’d wish the action were moderate, and other times I’d wish it were extra-fast On balance though, I feel that a ‘Fast’ action blank serves best across all scenarios. Blank length is typically stated first, but I personally believe it belongs in last place. Regardless of application, most anglers are going to reach for a 7 to 7½ foot blank. In contrast, my favorite blank length for most applications falls in the 6½ to 7 ft range. Particularly in regard to blade baits, a shorter rod offers a couple nice advantages: > It gives the angler better control over the Speed & Length of the bottom hops. > It gives the angler more power, so a full day of bottom-hopping won't cause fatigue. Roger

My wife cooked Christmas dinner for an average of 8 house guests for 27 consecutive years. She’s a terrific cook and her dinners are delectable, but Christmas was always about company, and little to do with food. My recollection of our family gatherings is crystal clear, but my recollection of stuff we ate is hazy at best ☺️ Roger

Dirty Jigs No-Jack Swim Jig Roger

In Florida, most bass will be found in 3 to 6 ft of water, even in the dead of winter. In this scenario, a jerkbait that dependably dives to 6 feet is my choice (Lucky Craft Pointer 110SP). In very shallow water, the jerking may begin after splashdown. I throw one color pattern exclusively, because it gives me a false sense of confidence, Realistically, I’m not aware of any colors or patterns that would give me a tangible edge. Roger

There's no question that world-class heavyweights are the most cold-tolerant fish. This might explain why world-class red drum hail from North Carolina and not Florida, why the largest bluefin tuna are caught in Nova Scotia, Canada, and why George Perry's historic 22-lb 4-oz bass was produced in Georgia rather than Florida or Texas. When I lived in New Jersey (1942 to 1992), the best time-of-year to catch a respectable bass was April and May (Realistically, a respectable Jersey bass is 3-pounds). Oddly enough, the best months in Florida for boating a trophy bass is likewise April & May. How So? I can only speculate, but it's my belief that you're looking at the superb work of Mother Nature. In New Jersey I was dealing with northern-strain bass, but in central Florida (27th parallel) I'm dealing with Florida-strain bass. Roger

That's for sure In fact, you can't expect guys in Florida to catch a DD every year, let alone every week. Roger

Radio-tracking is always fascinating, especially when it’s able to replace conjecture. Trouble being, when telemetry studies only 'challenge' conjecture, it simply raises new questions. There were a couple things I did find a little puzzling. For instance, 100% mortality rate to me is staggering, unprecedented and needs closure. The natural niche of Micropterus salmoides is the shallow flats of natural lakes (Something that's impervious to change). Lake Kissimmee, Istokpoga, Tohopekalega and Okeechobee may all be described as a maze of "Nondescript Flats”. Largemouth bass have been transplanted into manmade impoundments throughout the world, but apples don’t fall far from the tree. I guess what I’m saying is: I’m surprised that they are surprised. Threadfin shad feed exclusively on plankton, which is carried by water currents. It doesn’t seem all that puzzling why threadfin shad would suspend over a creek channel. Roger

NOPE, you're just too darn good. Roger

When bank fishing (I've done a bunch), I focused mainly on a T-rigged worm and jig-&-trailer for bottom work. For working the surface zone, I have a strong affection for Johnson spoons (Grub trailer being optional). Roger

In truth, there's no serious bass angler in existence, who doesn't waste money on his sport. As for me, I never employ fish scents, and never intend to until black bass develop barbells. In the final analysis, it's really not up to me at all, but is up to the bass itself: Roger

PORTA POTTY? More affectionately referred to as a "Jobsite Johnny" or "Johnny On-The-Spot" Roger

> WHERE (Location) > WHEN (Timing) > HOW (Presentation) The above trio is the backbone of every fishing system, something carved in stone before we were born. No one doubts the importance of ‘Location’, which would also appear as the logical place to begin, but Location hinges directly on 'Timing'. This brings us to 'How" (presentation), which rests solidly on the combination of 'Where' & 'When'. Although "Presentation" may be the last addressed, it represents the most complex and most telling factor. All that said, I personally treat all 3 components as equal, because none of them can stand alone. Rather than look for a hierarchy, my first step always is to create a framework based on a 3-part query: Species – Waterbody – Season. (e.g. Blackfish - Long Branch, New Jersey - Early fall) Once the framework is established, I’m free to knock myself out regarding Where, When & How. At this stage of the game, “WHEN” relates to Time-of-day, Weather and Water conditions. How all this data is gathered and how it's applied, separates the dinks from the toads ? Roger

Long gators don't impress me anymore than tall men. Nuff said Roger

With regard to trophy-class fish in weedy, subtropical lakes, a solid, long-term performer has been the Soft Paddletail Swimbait' (Ample bulk...totally weedless). Examples include but are not limited to: > Gambler Big-EZ > Keitech Fat Swing > Jackall Rhythm Wave > Basstrix Paddletail > ~ ~ ~ Roger

To envision game fish in relentless pursuit of baitfish would be a mistake: In accordance with mother nature’s master plan, the preferred habitat of every game-fish, coincides perfectly with the preferred habitat of their primary prey. Moreover, it's this basal relationship that assures the ongoing survival of the predator (In other words, don’t sweat small stuff). If you believe that finding baitfish is the same as finding gamefish, that would be a big mistake: The population of organisms toward the base of the ecological pyramid grossly overwhelms the organisms toward the top of the pyramid. It naturally follows: protozoa grossly outnumber insects, and the biomass of baitfish grossly exceeds the biomass of game-fish (producers vs. consumers). As a result, it's hard to find game-fish where there are no baitfish, but it’s easy to find baitfish where there are no game-fish Roger