RoLo

On The Money, Tom In a past post it was actually stated that having Power Poles mounted on your boat creates the impression that you know what you’re doing. Well..that was the day I learned two things I never knew before: 1) Impression is more important than Performance 2) A boat that resembles a grasshopper makes other anglers drool :D Rest assured the Power Pole I use will never arouse any jealousy, but it works in all water depths and my battery rarely goes below a 90% charge (12-lb River Anchor) Roger

Josh, I believe you're now hooked In a bass forum I should say this in hush tones, but I enjoy targeting gator pike more than targeting sow bass. . I'm not talking about the snot-rockets found in every weedy bay but the big Gators that make the drag of a spinning reel squeal like no bass can. Needless to say, when you're actually targeting gator pike, you'll be using wire leader (titanium), so cut-offs will not be an issue. Roger

Right you are, and therein lies the joke I never fish Summit but always head straight for the canal to Eloise. Maybe I should rethink that strategy. You're certainly deadly with the frog, even in that vodka-clear water Roger

With a needle-point hook (conical point), the pressure builds during penetration because the point is actually compressing tissue as the diameter increases. In contrast, with a knife-edge hook (cut-edge point) the pressure falls off during penetration, because in theory at least, the tissue is sliced rather than compressed. Consequently I believe your theory is valid because it is conceivable that a knife-edge point might promote "keyholing", which is what we're talking about. Of course, this doesn't diminish more important causes of a thrown hook such as line tension, drag tension, barb height and wire diameter (thin wire keyholes more easily than heavy wire). Roger

I use Rosco Coastlock Snaps (strong but easy to work). It is said that a snap may inhibit the action of some lures, while enhancing the action of others (i.e. those that benefit from a loop-knot). My feeling is that a snap doesn't make an appreciable difference either way, and I only use them when I'm involved in excessive lure changing. Roger

Lee, all you and I need is 12-lb 9-oz, but those last few ounces are going to be Killer :bounce: :bounce:

Now THAT'S a sow!

We moved to Florida in 1998, and since that time "airboats" have become my pet peeve. In Florida we lived on lakeshore property and on nearshore property, but in both homes the noise pollution from airboats could be heard throughout the year, both day and night. From a distance they sound like cows with bad indigestion, but as they approach they sound like giant leaf blowers. One airboat can shatter the natural rapport for all boaters and lakeshore residents within a thousand acres (is that fair?). Most of all, I empathize with the wildlife. Their ecosystem is rudely invaded on a daily basis, and the only home they know becomes man’s playground. To cite one case among many: my wife and I were in a distant bay in one of Polk County’s wildest lakes.. Roaring into that same bay were two fellows in an airboat chasing alligators and intentionally causing longhorn steer to stampede. Sadly, our marshlands are thrashed year-round by airboats, right through the breeding season of reed-nesting birds such as limpkins, red winged blackbirds, yellowthroat warblers, bitterns and so on. Roger

Chest Waders

The first bass I ever took on a plastic worm fell for a Crème Scoundrel, but the "most" bass by far were taken with the Original Culprit Worm. That was circa 60s and 70s, but since that time I’ve used other ribbon-tail worms that I like as much or more. Needless to say, if a Culprit worm were still tied to the end of my line, no other worm would get the chance to show its stuff. To my mind, the Original Culprit Worm simply underscores the superiority of the plastic worm per se I don't think bass ever met a plastic worm that they didn't like. Roger

I can't think of a single "good" reason why a right-handed angler should settle for a right-handed casting reel. On the other hand, a couple reasons come to mind why a right-handed angler would benefit from a left-handed casting reel. It wouldn't surprise me if the first baitcasting reel was designed by a left-handed angler Roger

Simply incredible Dwight, you definitely have momentum on your side!

Rod length can be compared to an internal combustion engine. A short stroke and low-ratio differential (rear-end) provide more power but a lower top speed A long stroke and high-ratio rear (lower number) provide a higher top speed, but at the cost of power. Though it flies in the face of conventional wisdom, a "shorter" rod provides greater power than a longer rod, but the longer rod offers greater circumferential speed. Sportsfishermen in pursuit of giant tuna and billfish to 1000 lbs have a choice of fighting tactics. They may employ a Fighting Chair or may elect to go toe-to-toe with the monster using Standup Tackle. Standup tackle consists of a gimbal belt, shoulder harness and stroker rod. "Strokers" run around 5 to 6 ft long, and provide the same advantage as a short-stroke engine or low ratio rear, but instead of additional revolutions, the power comes from additional strokes. A short rod has many other advantages as well. Roger

Berkley Split-Belly Swimbait The Basstrix is probably the most stable of the bunch (least amount of "tail-wagging-the-dog").. However the paddle-tail of the Berkley Split-Belly is activated at slightly lower speeds. I guess the choice between the two would depend on which attribute you deem more important. As for realistic finish, I'd have to give the nod to the Split-Belly Roger

I've seen them within a few yards of my boat, they're eerily huge and kind of celestial in appearance. There was an incident in New Jersey when an ocean sunfish became wedged at the Manasquan Bridge. Sorry for going off topic. Roger

Close, but no cigar As noted above, “bathymetry” is the study of underwater depths, but that term has its roots in saltwater (marine cartography). I’m sure most are familiar with a “bathysphere”, a submersible vehicle for plying the abyss. The commercial term for mapmaking regarding underwater depths is "cartography”, a universal term with no freshwater or saltwater connotation. In any case, ‘bathymetry’ and ‘cartography’ are commercial terms rarely used by sportsmen. The lay terms in popular use among sportsman are “topographic” and “hydrographic”. “Topographic” maps display terrestrial elevations, while “hydrographic” maps display water depths. With respect to reservoirs (manmade impoundments) Topo maps exhibit elevations “before” inundation, whereas Hydro maps display water depths "after" inundation. Before the age of GPS cartography, I had to purchase so-called topographic quadrangulars, then calculate the water depths based on the elevation at normal pool (i.e. shoreline). Roger

I've honestly never heard of Fish Oil Capsules used in any angling application, but those high in Omega-3s (EPA & DHA) can be beneficial to **** sapiens. Roger

That's funny right there! Now I'm torn between MegaStrike and getting my nails done.

Coontail Moss (usually called just "coontail") is found in nearly every state east of the Mississippi R. It's a free-drifting plant with no true root system, so it normally colonizes in backwaters and places with low water exchange. As with any submergent weed, coontail calls for a 'highly' weedless lure like a swim jig. If your jig is too light though, it'll ride up and over every coontail clump. Roger

If you were fishing a wreck, or at least on the bottom, my guess would be a greater amberjack If you were fishing offshore it definitely sounds like a wahoo, But if you were fishing nearshore, my guess would be a king mackerel (smoker). Now then, if you were drifting live jellyfish and the runoff was slow and steady, it almost certainly was an ocean sunfish Roger

That’s true, which not only makes them "different answers", but also makes them Odd Bedfellows Exactly Rather than adding to the litany of lures. we tried to shed some light on the why-fors, ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By the way, any angler who’s never experienced a brief post-spawn lull, has only to spend a vacation in central Florida to experience a new learning curve. Our spawning season encompasses many months and many sub-seasons. Roger

You can barely see the hidden hook Does that come in Firetiger?

Earlier in this thread, I suggested that if you ask 10 anglers what lures to use, you will likely get 10 different answers. Hmm, it looks like we’ve met our quota: 1 Slow on top 2 Wacky rigged senko 3 Soft plastic flukes in baby bass 4 Jointed J13 perch floating Rapala 5 Plastic worms 6 Jigworms and Wacky'd worms 7 Weedless jig, T-rigged creature, SB or fish a Spook 8 Senko 9 Spinnerbait, a square bill crankbait, and a Jig 10 Try a spook Roger

Now there's a nice chunk! Your effort was well rewarded. Roger

Solid toads like the Cane Toad, Horny Toad and Rage Toad 'sink' when they are paused, but not ALL toads sink. The "Stanley Floating Ribbit" and the "Sizmic Floating Toad" can be fished with a stop-&-go retrieve like a hollow frog, or with a nonstop retrieve, whatever the operator desires. Roger