RoLo

When it comes to working the bottom with a jig & craw, I've never known a better jig fisher than my wife. Watching her rod-tip, I see a series of rapid twitches & quivering, but nothing you'd describe as a hop. Though I plainly see the action she uses, my wrist simply doesn't move that fast. Roger

That's funny. In some northern waters, leeches are not only plentiful but large. The owner of a lodge in Manitoba, routinely wades in shorts to assist his guests with rental boats. He should really wear pants though, if for no other reason, to cover up his unsightly leech scars Roger

I've fished with Berkley's 'The General', and I agree, it's a great stickworm. Just wondering if you've ever tried a 'Gambler Ace'. The dimensions are identical to a Senko, and more importantly, it has the identical seductive shimmy (about 28% cheaper than a Senko). Roger

Hook-set 'timing' is second to nothing. A hook-set that's a fraction of a second early or late, cannot be corrected by a jaw-breaking hook-set Roger

That's going work great, and should last forever. Couldn't help but notice your rod holders Roger

The OP is probably referring to what's often called “sunken points”. They elicit low fishing pressure, because there’s no shoreline projection to advertise their presence, and they're commonly bypassed by shotgunners, Roger

RED FOX This pair of reds visited our backyard every day. Sadly, sarcoptic mange wiped out our local fox population, now we see 1 or 2 a year. Roger

I believe in 'live and let live'; as long you stay within the law and don't infringe on the rights of others. As I've mentioned in the past, my pet peeve is littering. Given the opportunity, my wife & I have often hauled litter out of fishing & hunting grounds. Roger

I tried skip-gap hooks to prevent flukes from riding back in cover They didn't work...and it's tough getting past that unsexy shape Roger

Nearly every lake we fish has vegetation from top to bottom (not a bad thing). The weedlessness of a swim jig is unrivaled, so I use swim jigs for soft swimbaits, punching and jigs-&-craws, so the trailers run the gamut. Roger

In Florida, the sound of a solitary feeding bass is far more common than a breaking school of bass. Solitary feeders are detected with your ears, rather than your eyes. The sound is fairly unmistakable, with the possible exception of a small alligator. When a solitary bass is heard breaking the surface, the odds of boating a bass go thru the ceiling. Roger

Wade-fishing is a great way to access low-pressure areas. When necessary, I'll use the chest waders used for duck hunting. It's most exciting in the backwaters of tributary arms, during the spawn (bass & bluegills). Roger

That's true about a hard bottom. In the absence of vegetation, the value of docks, timber and rocks goes thru the roof. If you can find weeds and wood together, so much the better. Aside from cover though, a step in the bottom is always gold (Structure). A hard bottom is preferred, because a bottom of muck or silt can't maintain a bottom step. Most lakes in Florida are basically flat saucers, and I well remember when Ish Monroe won on Okeechobee. He concentrated on a 1-ft wrinkle in the bottom that he found. Roger

You've had some good action, sounds like they might be post-spawn bucks. I know what you mean about nothing banks. One of the best spots on a local lake is virtually barren. On closer inspection it supports nitella, which is a very short-growing grass like sandgrass. Roger

I think you’ve got something there! You’re now the 2nd fellow to propose that possibility, so I’m going to accept that theory. You’re right about their carbohydrate intake, proven by their love for cornmeal doughballs and corn niblets. By the way, their average size was similar to the one you're holding. Geez, only took 25 years to solve that mystery. Roger

I was hoping you'd say yes, because runoff can certainly cause this, but it may be more involved. Roger

30-lb Sufix braid If I were using copolymer mono, I'd go with 15 or 17 lb test like you. Roger

Have you had an unusual amount of rainfall lately? Roger

I used to do a fair amount of night fishing, but not so much lately. Fishing at night gives off a nice feeling, almost as exciting as sitting on a deer stand before daybreak. I'm not as agile as I used to be, so that bump you hear in the night, is probably me tripping on my tackle box. Roger

As long as you keep the bait coming, you're dealing with a taut line and strikes should be easily detected. The only exception is when the fish is swimming directly at the boat, which is the exception not the rule. Roger

I can't imagine what the upgrade might be. My Minn Kota Talon anchors my boat in 15 ft of water. If they extend the range any more, they can't call it a "shallow-water anchor." Roger

Aquatic herbicides used by your DNR are registered & approved, and will not kill fish or contaminate their flesh. Plant life withers and dies, long before decomposition causes oxygen deprivation. All the same, baitfish lose their interest in wilted and off-color vegetation, and gamefish soon follow suit. This is why we're always told to look for the 'greenest' vegetation. Roger

That's true, but I caught a carp on 'every' cast. It wasn't until I caught about a half dozen consecutively when it dawned on me: these fish are not being foul-hooked. There's lots of open space between the mouth of each carp, but every time I snapped the jig, it was surrounded by rubber lips. Several years ago, I related this same story here on BR, and it only generated one theory. One member said that carp sometimes eat berries that fall from fruit trees, and probably mistaken my orange ballhead jig for a fallen berry. That's news to me, and I've never heard of that scenario. In fact, I've never even figured out why a school of immature carp would be tightly swarmed in shallow water Things that make you go Hmmm. Roger

I can picture that. In remote reaches of Canada, I’ve always envied canoeists on trails with portage access only. Roger

Great day on the water, and real nice pike! That private approach to your gravel launch is too kool. Roger