RoLo

That’s good advice from our resident Frog Master Most writers will advice you to keep retrieving the frog until you feel the weight of the bass, Well...that is another approach, but I prefer the method that Lee outlined, which gives the bass the best opportunity to get it in. Reportedly, bass flat-out miss about 1/3 of the creatures they seize on the surface, so if you can hang 2 out of 3 bass that strike a topwater lure, you’re batting "1000". Roger

As always, to each his own, but my favorite rage tail by far is the Strike King Lobster (dynamite!) Rather than use it as a trailer though, I fish the Lobster as a standalone lure on a T-rig Jig . In effect, the Lobster is a heavy-duty Rage Craw with more presence, more vibration and more durability in heavy cover. Unfortunately the runts love it too, but if you feel that the Lobster is too big, just cut off 1 or 2 head ribs. This will shorten the overall length without any sacrifice in vibes or durability.. Roger

You might try this, it's a way of cutting to the quick, and the results can be very enlightening: The next time you're on a 'fluke bite', change the color of the fluke after every fish you bring to the boat. You're going to find that no pattern and no color is going to stifle the action until the action peters out naturally. Experimenting in that manner with all lures and colors, can raise angling interest to higher ground. On the flipside, the next time bass turn their noses up at the Fluke, see it you can initiate a fluke bite by changing the color (lots of luck). That said, my confidence colors for fluke fishing are Bubblegum, White Ice & Albino, but I realize that this is merely a personal predisposition (we all got'em).. More to the point, the subsurface strikes generated by a fluke are generally visible to the angler, and for this reason I prefer "Bubblegum", which is highly visible. I've boated more bass on Bubblegum flukes than all other colors combined, but that's simply because Bubblegum flukes have spent the most time on the end of my line, Roger

First of all, great catch Tom. Your trout is definitely a curiosity because vermiculations (worm tracks) on the back usually indicate a brook trout. On the other hand, brook trout don't display spots on their head and gill plates. If the leading edge of all lower fins are white (pecs, ventral, anal) it could only be a brookie or splake, otherwise I'm stumped. Roger

“Humble” cannot be declared by the writer, it's something that's decided by the reader. Roger

Creature Bait, I happened to notice the PB in your footnote. An 8-lb 15-oz bass is HUMONGOUS, but even more impressive to me is your honesty in waiving that one ounce I could easily suggest 4 or 5 lures, but I have a strong hunch that the best performing lure of the day, will be something other than what I suggested (just trying to be accurate, not evasive). Roger

The meat-&-potatoes of angling is Versatility & Adaptiblity. If you dare to paint yourself into a corner, you're dead at the gate. Don't take my word for it, ask Kevin VanDam Roger

The terms "lunacy" and "lunatic" allude to unstable mental conditions steeped in lunar underpinnings (reminiscent of Dracula) I personally don't subscribe to lunar influence, but it may be a big mistake to dismiss it entirely. . Although I've never been able to hang my hat on the 'Solunar Tables', lunar influence is well-documented in tidal waters and menstrual cycles. It might be presumptuous to think that the show stops there, nonetheless the moon's direct effect on fishing has yet to be defined Roger

I hear ya, fishing open holes that are free of spirogyra is one approach to avoidance. Peeling snotgrass off the lure after every retrieve tends to downgrade the fishing experience. Fortunately I have a choice, and try to avoid waters infested with that crap. Like an excerpt from 'Ghost Busters', I hate getting "Slimed" Roger

You’re correct. I use 30-lb braid and have broken the shank on more than one Owner hook. A hook under great pressure has two options, it will "bend" or it will "break". CAVEAT> The original Owner bullet head uses fine-wire which is rubbery and prone to straightening. The Owner Type-Z bullet head uses standard-wire and the shank is "forged". Swaging crystallizes the steel, what we toolmakers call 'work hardening', which is good & bad. Owner is quality, but getting the hardness of a hook just right is like walking a tightrope. In most cases though, the hook will have landed many bass before the Rockwell goes over the top. Roger

I think your right, but didn't they change their name to "Green Slime"?

Yes Owner 1/4 oz Type-Z Bullet Head [ The grub can be fished from the surface to the bottom. A bullet-head jig looks no different than a Texas-rigged plastic, but pegging is never necessary Roger

My first reaction to that question was: "Absolutely Nothing" I can't say that I fish to relax or unwind, because I'm more intent on the water than anywhere else.. In the grand scheme, fishing teaches me a little about myself, it will elate me today and humble me tomorrow. But since I'm addicted to all outdoor sports, "I'll be back" Roger

What you're referring to is a green algae called "Spirogyra". It's a MONSTER, and avoidance is the best solution I know. Roger

Okay, but only because you asked: "Wave Worm Tiki-Snake - white In spite of its name, it's what I would describe as a sickle-tail grub (Grubs are grossly overlooked by bassers, and so is the color white...Shhhh) Roger

You've turned an average day on the water into a Slam Dunk! I've become very conditioned to being outfished by the fairer sex. It's funny, we start out by giving them advice and end up asking them questions. (so what kind of retrieve were you using?) It just doesn't get any better Roger

Holy COW!

I've used both the mechanical method and the instinctive method for setting drag tension, so I guess no one can truly say they've never known anyone to use either one or the other Here's The Deal: once you make ONE drag adjusment in-the-field, you are left to your own resources. About 2 or 3 years ago, Fish Chris was the first member I heard mention setting the drag by feel. Since that time, it has become my method of choice, and like anything else, the more often you indulge, the better you become. Setting the drag instinctively allows me to back-off on a big fish that's lightly hooked, without fretting over the loss of some mechanically preset number. Consider also, that you always have the option to add or subtract drag tension throughout the fight, an option you do not have if your worried about losing your mechanical setting. Roger

Large billfish are the ultimate quarry. I’ve boated large sharks, mackerel, bluefin & yellowfin, but by the time I tried my hand at swordfishing in Jersey, it was the tail-end of the viable fishery. I’d run 30 miles offshore and soak whole squid, but come up empty every time (never did get into night fishing with lightsticks). Zane, Ernest and the longliners didn't leave us much of a sword fishery Among my dream targets is a 1000-lb Blue Marlin, which is still possible today Spinning gear need not apply, as this is one case where a revolving drum reel is required. Unfortunately, some of the best fishing for Atlantic blue marlin cannot be reached with less than a trans-Atlantic sportfisherman. In any case, I'd love a trip to “Madeira” during the last week in June. Madeira is a tiny Portuguese island off Morocco where trophy blue marlin aggregate every spring (Dream on, Mcduff) Hey Fletch, if you can turn back time so that I can celebrate another 40th birthday, I'd be more than happy to defray the cost of your dream vacation Roger

J Francho offered you two valuable pike tips 1) Big pike love cold water (they require more oxygen than muskies) 2) Titanium leader is the way to go. Pike under 30" are warmwater tolerant and can be found in shallow water all summer. but trophy pike behave more like lake trout. Unless you know the whereabouts of an onshore spring hole, most gator pike during the summertime will probably be offshore & unrelated to weeds (outside the deep weed-line). Roger

Very good advice. I learned that instead of trying to avoid the spines, it's actually better to grab the bull by the horns. Promptly surround the three spines with your fingers (both pectorals & dorsal). The spines will now be trapped between your fingers, and when the fish thrashes your hand is out of harm's way. Roger

Precisely

Unlike game fish with teeth (such as pike), bass typically swallow their food headfirst and in one fell swoop. Their gills flare explosively and the forage jumps into the vacuum created. Just as the saying goes: "The first tap you feel is the bass inhaling the bait, the second tap you feel is the bass regurgitating the bait” Roger

When I first began to use braided line, I included a fluorocarbon leader (don't ask me why). The joiner knot was an unnecessary nuisance, and I had trouble seeing the fine braided line. This gave me two good reasons to tie my lures direct to the braided line. . To this day I tie everything direct to the main line and if there's any difference in fishing action, I totally missed it. It goes without saying, if I'm fishing for northern pike, I'll incorporate a titanium leader, and if I'm fishing in rocks or shellbeds, I'll include a fluorocarbon leader. Roger