RoLo

The first “Superline” was developed for kite flying, a German kite-string made of non-stretch polyethylene braid dubbed "Spectra line”. One of the first Spectra lines used for fishing was “Gorilla Braid” introduced by Berkley. Spectra fishing lines rapidly flooded the market, to name a few: “TUF Line” (added Dacron for better color), Bagley Silver Braid, Fenwick braided polyethylene, Spiderwire Braid, PowerPro, Sufix, Ripcord, etc. Eventually Union Carbide would refine the spectra process by using gel-spun fibers, they called the new line “Micro-Dyneema”. “Dyneema” is debatatly the better process, but I’m aware of only two line manufacturers who use it: Berkley and Sufix. Though I'd be happy with either brand, I personally use Berkley Fireline Tracer Braid. Roger

> Gambler 7” Big Stick (Man-sized version of Giggy Stick) > Strike King 7” ElazTech Finesse worm (AKA: Cyberflexxx & 3x worm) There's lots of speak about "shaky heads" but in truth the worm is more critical than the head. Any worm that's heavier than water (sinking worm) can seriously downgrade the performance of the jighead. To my knowledge, the highest floating worms available are the Big Stick and 3x worm. Due to their inherent buoyancy, these two worms maintain an 'erect tail' that transmits every flick & shake without any help from the jighead. Roger

Thanx Tom THIS is a forum, not a body of water. We don't fish here on the forum,,and we don't hold forums on the waters we fish. Roger

By now Catt must be thinking, what the heck did I start Paul said: "But sun angle only works in a general geographic way". The angle that sunlight enters the atmosphere is an annual cycle and a major influence on our planet’s four seasons. It stands to reason that sun angle also plays a part in many of earth's jigsaw puzzles. In keeping with my above post, I believe that two anglers observing completely different phenomena may arrive at the same time. In Crystal River, Florida your water thermometer would not be a useful tool because the water temperature remains 72 degrees Year-Round. In waters such as this, it becomes clear that bass are receiving input that goes beyond water temperature. To my mind, "sun angle" is an adjunct to "photoperiod" and a worthy contribution. It's not inconceivable that the six-month period of lengthening daylight is limited (fine-tuned) by sun angle. Roger.

Before most lure purchases, I usually have a prepared list of features that I want. Normally I'm not able to find the exact lure I'm looking for and wind up settling. On the other hand, if I do find a lure that offers all the features I want, I don't mind paying more for that lure. Price becomes an object only when I find two or mores lures that fill the bill, which is not often. Roger

Henry Thoreau wrote:"Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing it's not the fish they're after". Henry was eluding of course to the 'challenge'. Speaking only for myself, studying the quarry, designing a strategy and ultimately landing my target is my very favorite part of fishing (The Only Part). If I were forced to give away that challenge, then someone else would be doing the part I love the most. Differently put, Bring On The Books Roger

Another good biological marker is the first brood of the red winged blackbird. Roger .

If you're referring to sun angle Pantera, I totally agree (otherwise I'm confused). For the cannabis grower it’s all about “photoperiod” because the grow lights are always perpendicular to the plant heads. With regard to our hydrosphere though, solar gain is dependent on the combination of “photoperiod” and “sun angle”. What better example is there than “winter”, the result of an oblique sun angle coupled with shortened days. This dynamic duo (period and angle) easily offsets the fact that the sun is closest to the earth during the winter. Roger

Few lures can equal the weedless performance of the Johnson spoon in matted vegees and pads. The magic of the J-spoon lies in the fact that it can be fished in low-pressured and virgin water, places that would bog down a buzzbait. Some of the largest bass I’ve ever boated fell for a 1/2oz J-spoon with a 5” Kalin grub. Roland Martin's personal-best stringer was a 10-bass limit from Santee Cooper, SC that weighed 87 pounds (8 lb 11oz average). Every bass was taken on a Johnson Silver Minnow. Roger

Typically, any creature that infringes on man's selfish interests is deemed a "bad" creature. Beavers are often beneficial to the fishery but sadly, they're also capable of maligning man's environment. When I lived in Georgia, a friend of ours granted my wife & I permission to fish several ponds on his tract. Mario complained bitterly about the destruction caused by beavers on his property. I thought to myself that he was being melodramatic and unsympathetic to the natural rights of beavers. Just before sunset we ended up fishing the pond behind Mario's house. I kid you not, the damage caused by beavers was unlike anything I've ever seen. It's well known that beavers relish aspen, but Mario's beavers felled anything you would dub "timber". They virtually denuded the shoreline of his home pond, where downed trees pointed in every direction After all is said and done, I adore beavers. They're highly industrious creatures, yet always conscious of your presence. It's kind of flattering when they betray your presence to all other beavers, by slapping that flat meaty tail on the water surface. Roger

I've gotta hand it to you guys, you ask some very provocative questions. You have forced me to confront myself, and a reality that’s less than pomp. My batting average is not 1000, so I need the fish in hand to be convinced that I’ve succeeded. Differently put, the Bite, the Hookset and the Fight, all preface my ability to physically "boat" the fish. Roger

You're favorite jighead would be fine, more important is the weight. I like the Owner 3/16oz Bullet Type-Z Head (3/0 owner hook) The grub is T-rigged of course, and 3/16oz is ample to activate the tail during freefall The topwater bite normally lasts from now till the end of May, I happen to like solid toads, but your favorite surface lure would be just as good or better. Absolutely. A good choice would be the 10" Berkley Power Worm, but there are many great worms. Again, every bit as important as the lure is finding submergent plant beds. The prevailing aquatic plants in Lake Toho are Hydrilla, Tapegrass and Coontail. Normally I won't wet a line until I've found submersed weeds in 4 to 6 ft of water.. Good Luck Roger

I used the Ish Phat frog last year, and they do not take on water. Well, maybe I should quality that statement. If after several bass the hook-chamber gets ruptured...need I say more? Yeah, I love the Stanley Floating Ribbit, (Caveat> "Floating" must be specified) My only wish is that the Ribbit created a little more disturbance. For more commotion, I'll opt for the Sizmic Pop'n Toad for "off-label" use. When the sizmic pop'n toad isn't fished as a popper, the flat plow-head is capable of making as much disturbance as you wish. Roger

In addition to the excellent advice offered on the forum, pay close attention to Kevin VanDam. Whenever you get the chance, watch his retrieves very closely, listen to everything he says and read everything he's ever written. (also read between the lines) Roger

Good read, Senkosam, Specifying “lake types” as you did is very helpful. Your correlation between 'pad size' and a 'topwater bite' has given me food for thought. I find it intriguing how the natural events of Mother Nature all tend to dovetail together. Though two anglers may be observing completely different phenomena, the odds are good that they’ll arrive at the station at the same time. Roger

BINGO! Do I hear "Ribbit"? Roger

When I first mentioned that silly name "Tatsu", it went over like a lead balloon (what a difference a year makes) Tatsu is not a hybrid line it's two fluoro resins. It has a hard resin core for maximal tensile strength, and a softer resin exterior for improved knot strength. Today, newer technology is already in the works, but for now Seaguar Tatsu is still the cream-of-the-crop . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TATSU FLUORO - - - - - - - NYLON MONO Refractive Index (water = 1.33) - - - - - - - 1.42 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1.57 Sink-Rate - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 ft = 15 sec - - - - - - - - - 1 ft = 40 sec Wet Strength (Loss) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5% - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20% Roger

I agree with Raul, keep it lean and mean, Heck, a bass can be caught with a cheap line tied to the end of a branch. If my bass fishing were restricted to a 6' 6" medium-heavy spinning rod for the rest of my life, I would feel no pain. The performance of ALL tackle is Limited, but the performance of the angler is Unlimited Roger

It's human nature to resist change, especially as one grows older. But if ole coots like Fishing Rhino and myself can acclimatize, I'm sure you'll be fine. Roger

We fished Toho both Saturday & Sunday, and live bait is not needed. Our most productive lures were the Deps 6” Deathadder Grub and Megabass 5” Counter Grub. There’s also a topwater bite happening now, and bass are whacking shad right on the surface, One bass I caught spewed a 6½“ shad. Your lure choice is wide open (normally is after April 10), the problem now is finding lush hydrilla beds. The dense weed-beds we had during the prespawn are now gone from most of Kissimmee and Toho. The spray program deliberately spared a few hydrilla beds, but not for anglers, for the snail kites. Best thing you can do is run the 5-ft contour line with your eyes glued to the depth sounder. Roger

K_Mac beat me to it. I have a dormant stash of stick worms (~50 lbs) including Senkos, Dingers, Tiki Sticks and Zeros. (I'll probably hang on to my Gambler Aces) Roger

Welcome aboard Bucky....wish I was 66 again Roger

I agree with the fellows above, 'white'' is a great color. In fact, it you carried nothing but White, Watermelon and Black, you'd be ready for anything. Two conditions come to mind that favor the color 'white': 1) When underwater visibility is excellent due to gin clear water especially under cloudless skies. Translucent white is tough to see and less likely to intimidate (e.g. phosphate pits). 2) Most aquatic creatures have a white underside, so white is very fashionable among advocates of matching the hatch, The closer the lure rides to the surface, the more visible the underside. This might explain why white & chartreuse skirts are most popular with spinnerbaits. Roger

In my heart, I'm only interested in the heaviest bass in the lake. Once the number of bass passes '5', I can't be bothered counting bass. I think it was Roadwarrior who said, "Go Big or Go Home" Roger

The “actual spawn” is the focal point of bedding, but from the angler's standpoint the entire “spawning season” is important: Pre-spawn, Spawn & Post-spawn. All 3 sub-seasons offer the angler a great opportunity for a PB, but for different reasons (another topic): In my view, the size of the lake doesn’t seem to make a material difference in timing. It's kind of self-compensating, the greater the water area, the greater the solar gain and vice versa. Too, there are big bays in some small lakes, and most large waters have small protected autonomous sloughs, On the other hand, bass living in lakes with a shallow basin supposedly spawn earlier than bass living in lakes with a deep basin. That's apparently true in some cases, but in other cases it appears to be mostly illusory. Since I don't place all emphasis on water temperature, that's really not contradictory. Florida is a large state and is best subdivided into three latitudes: North - Central - South. For instance, bass in Okeechobee are in “pre-spawn” stage as early as November, whereas December was cited by Roland Martin as his favorite pre-spawn month on the Big-O. The table below depicts my own experience in central Florida (1998 - 2011) CENTRAL FLORIDA Jan to Early Feb - - - - - - - - - Highest Trophy Potential - - - - - --- Very Slow Action Early Feb to Mid March - - - - Very Good Trophy Potential - - - - - Fair to Good Action Mid Mar to Late Apr - - - - - - - Good Trophy Potential - - - - - - - - Very Good Action (MAY = Late post-spawn - Topwater bite - Great Action! - BUT bass tend to plateau at 6 lbs) Roger