RoLo

Beetle spins are killers, but the line tends to foul in the looped wire eyelet I prefer Worden's 1/24oz Rooster Tail (No. 11 - Black w/green body) Actually, some of our largest bluegills & crappies fall to lures meant for bass Roger

How bout that...and I thought it was only me ;D Roger

Nice photo Chris...and I like that dropback. Roger

WTG Dwight, that's a real fine bronzeback Roger

Without a doubt, we bass anglers LOVE hydrilla, but hydrilla is a double-edge sword. Hydrilla is a weed by the truest sense of the word, (a plant out of place). When hydrilla coverage reaches about 25%, the state needs to initiate control because once coverage reaches 50%, they're usually fighting an expensive but losing battle. The hurricane-trio of 2004 did more to control hydrilla than 1000 megatons of herbicide. Hurricane Charley put the FWC ahead of the curve, and that's where they've stayed for 6 years. As much as I love the stuff, matted hydrilla is a horror show, and can bring watercraft navigation to a virtual standstill. From what I understand, Lake Varner Georgia is currently dealing with hydrilla issues, where coverage is approaching 75%! My heart goes out to boaters with less than 50 hp mills, because in matted hydrilla they'll have to tilt their motor shaft every 25 yards to clear the prop > Roger

Snippets from "Think Like A Bass" website: I wouldn't invest too much in that study. Conclusions cannot be drawn based on a single study, unless that study were long-term, professionally supervised and double blind, which I seriously doubt. There have been uncountable studies of this nature, but none have ever suggested that bass prefer crayfish to baitfish, about 5 to 1. The first hurdle is differentiating between "Preference and Availability, which can only be achieved by enforcing equal availability. (BTW: It doesn't take a carcinologist to know that the animal in question is a crayfish, and that crawfish is a nickname. Of course that's no big deal, but words are the only tools we have for communication, and poor semantics only downgrades credibility.) : Crayfish are omnivores that eat both animals and vegetables. It has always been common knowledge that crayfish can thrive anywhere they find cover; they hide in vegetation, burrow in loam & clay, and slide into crevices in rocky bottoms. (BTW: Riprap is not a synonym for rocky bottom, but is chunk-rock deposited by man to combat erosion). "Think like a bass??" In my opinion, the moment we stop thinking, we will be thinking like a bass. Kevin VanDam stated it well: <quote> "I don't believe that bass target critters because they taste good, they eat them because they moved. Roger

One angler is using a 7.0" worm and bags (two) 1-lbers, (one) 2-lber and (one) 5-lber. Another angler is using a 12.0" worm, and bags (one) 5-lber. Now you can see how much better the large worm is? The average bass-weight using the 7" worm was a paltry 2¼ lbs but the average bass-weight on the 12" worm was 5 lbs, more than TWICE the weight! : All kidding aside, anglers generally agree that we should always let the fish tell us what they want, but if you're not catching fish, the door to communication is closed. Roger

To avoid the two tourneys on Saturday (16th) I went out of Camp Mack on Sunday (17th). The proprietor at Camp Mack told me that there were all light bags during both Saturday tournaments, and that 4 lbs took Big Fish. We fished Sunday afternoon for a few hours, and the fishing was mediocre at best. I motored nonstop past Eagle's Nest and Schoolbus and thru the Pig Trail before stopping. The water temperature in the North Cove was 78 F. and the vegetation was in great shape. One exception was "Seven Palms" where the FWC were obviously working thier toxic spray guns. With all the dead and dying weed-beds, I decided to pass up that whole area. We mostly worked the hydrilla patches along the west shore of North Cove, that lie just outside of maidencane. Lois caught the best fish at 3 lbs; I bagged 2 bass on a Spro Aruku Shad, 1 on a Deps Deathadder Grub and 1 on a Stanley Ribbit, along with a couple fiesty gar > Roger

It's always been my belief that barometric pressure is not a myth, but is a misunderstanding. Air is highly compressible, whereas water is 'incompressible'. As a result, changes in atmospheric pressure exert an inappreciable effect on water pressure. (Like pushing an air-filled balloon against a rock, and expecting a reaction from the rock) On the other hand, the power of water pressure is significant and highly visible. Over the years, we've taken hundreds of silver hake (whiting) and red hake (ling) off the Ambrose Tower in New York Harbor. The water there averages 110 ft deep, and as each fish reached topside its gullet was turned inside-out and pushed into the fish's mouth. (Needless to say this was catch-&-keep food-fishing) In a garden variety thunderstorm, the change in barometric pressure at fish level equates to less than a 1-foot change in water depth. There's no scientific basis to support why such a mild change in water pressure would exert a profound effect on fish disposition. Without a doubt, fishing success often improves during 'prefrontal conditions', and sometimes dramatically. But this only begs the question: what are the prefrontal conditions that cause the dispositional change? In my own opinion, any change in fish behavior that coincides with barometric pressure, is due to reduced light-level, where barometric pressure goes along for the ride. Goldenrod and ragweed both bloom coincidentally in the fall. Ragweed is the culprit for hayfever, nevertheless, for more than a hundred years, goldenrod took the rap. Roger

It's always been my belief that barometric pressure is not a myth, but is a misunderstanding. Air is highly compressible, whereas water is 'incompressible'. As a result, changes in atmospheric pressure exert an inappreciable effect on water pressure. (Like pushing an air-filled balloon against a rock, and expecting a reaction from the rock) On the other hand, the power of water pressure is significant and highly visible. Over the years, we've taken hundreds of silver hake (whiting) and red hake (ling) off the Ambrose Tower in New York Harbor. The water there averages 110 ft deep, and as each fish reached topside its gullet was turned inside-out and pushed into the fish's mouth. (Needless to say this was catch-&-keep food-fishing) In a garden variety thunderstorm, the change in barometric pressure at fish level equates to less than a 1-foot change in water depth. There's no scientific basis to support why such a mild change in water pressure would exert a profound effect on fish disposition. Without a doubt, fishing success often improves during 'prefrontal conditions', and sometimes dramatically. But this only begs the question: what are the prefrontal conditions that cause the dispositional change? In my own opinion, any change in fish behavior that coincides with barometric pressure, is due to reduced light-level, where barometric pressure goes along for the ride. Goldenrod and ragweed both bloom coincidentally in the fall. Ragweed is the culprit for hayfever, nevertheless, for more than a hundred years, goldenrod took the rap. Roger

It's always been my belief that barometric pressure is not a myth, but is a misunderstanding. Air is highly compressible, whereas water is 'incompressible'. As a result, changes in atmospheric pressure exert an inappreciable effect on water pressure. (Like pushing an air-filled balloon against a rock, and expecting a reaction from the rock) On the other hand, the power of water pressure is significant and highly visible. Over the years, we've taken hundreds of silver hake (whiting) and red hake (ling) off the Ambrose Tower in New York Harbor. The water there averages 110 ft deep, and as each fish reached topside its gullet was turned inside-out and pushed into the fish's mouth. (Needless to say this was catch-&-keep food-fishing) In a garden variety thunderstorm, the change in barometric pressure at fish level equates to less than a 1-foot change in water depth. There's no scientific basis to support why such a mild change in water pressure would exert a profound effect on fish disposition. Without a doubt, fishing success often improves during 'prefrontal conditions', and sometimes dramatically. But this only begs the question: what are the prefrontal conditions that cause the dispositional change? In my own opinion, any change in fish behavior that coincides with barometric pressure, is due to reduced light-level, where barometric pressure goes along for the ride. Goldenrod and ragweed both bloom coincidentally in the fall. Ragweed is the culprit for hayfever, nevertheless, for more than a hundred years, goldenrod took the rap. Roger

Even if I were a bass, I doubt that I could answer that question without first living in the lake. If the lake were teeming with golden shiners, I seriously doubt that I'd be looking for crayfish, even if I actually knew what a crayfish was. And vice versa of course. Long story short, game fish are opportunistic predators; else their name is mud. Roger

I enjoyed reading through this thread, and can certainly relate. Perhaps it's due to my upbringing, but I've always had a short fuse for inconsideration. If a fellow angler exhibits just a shred of consideration, there will NEVER be a problem. On the other hand, when inconsideration dominates the scene, I'll feel the same adrenaline rush I did when I was in my early 20s. Isn't it amazing how little our basic nature changes? As a benefit of advanced age though, I always remind myself that getting through a negative confrontation without responding in kind, puts me On Top of the situation. Sometimes, I can actually do that, 'sometimes' Roger

Excellent advice! I've been doing this for so many years that I forgot to clarify that point. In fact, purging the GPS unit is part of my routine Prep" list prior to hitching: > "Apply Sunscreen" > "Check Winds" > "Reinstall Camera Card" > "Erase / Load Waypoints". I've created a separate file for every lake I've ever fished from Florida to Canada. Even so, each waypoint is prefixed by a two-letter lake-code, in case the waypoints ever get jumbled and so the same names can be used on different lakes. For example: Ro_NE-410 is a waypoint on Lake Rosalie that pinpoints the best 4 to 10 ft compression in the lake's northeast section. To Erase / Load waypoints, the Garmin GPS unit is plugged into a USB computer port, and all existing waypoints are erased in an instant. The lake or lakes I wish to fish that day are then downloaded into the GPS unit. Under the "Transfer" tab, select "Send to device". Since my maps are already loaded onto the unit, I uncheck "Maps", "Tracks" and "Routes". Only the "Waypoints" checkbox has a check, which jump into the GPS device in less than a second. Roger

Most of my waypoints are topographical in nature, which is to say, they pinpoint spots of most rapid depth change. I take great pains in establishing each waypoint, which usually involves tossing marker buoys and averaging several onsite saves. Topographical coordinates are generally good for life because bottom gradient is not subject to appreciable change. (the exception being sand bottoms in strong tidal flow). I may tweak the coordinates over the years for greater accuracy, but rarely would I delete a waypoint (unless I stumble onto a better grade nearby). Waypoints that mark "cover" are a different matter entirely because soft waypoints are far more disposable. Particularly in fertile natural lakes, weed-lines, growth patterns, and mergers of different plants are all subject to change from year-to-year. Roger

I would not want the job of finding a plastic worm that doesn't catch bass ;D It seems that every plastic worm is a good bass producer, but there are a few I tend to favor: Midwater Worm: > Deps 6.0" Deathadder Grub (Not the pintail but the sickletail worm) > Zoom 7.5" Mag Ultra-Vibe worm (a slitted paddletail worm) Near-Bottom Worm (cranking & gliding): > Berkley 10 Power Worm (shortened 1.5") Bottom Worm: > Gambler Big Stick (high-floating tube-tail worm) I've drifted away from worms that are mostly ribbontail with a small body target (e.g. anaconda) Roger

Though it flies in the face of conventional wisdom, I don't believe that bass target any food item any time. I believe that their feeding behavior is purely opportunistic. Thanks to Mother Nature, game fish and baitfish both seek the same basic habitat, so their paths are in constant mesh. Oh Wait a Minute...there are lakes where bass definitely target Spinnerbaits, and other lakes where they definitely target Zoom Ultra Vibe speed worms ;D ;D Roger

Chris is obviously familiar with Floridian bass ;-) Cold" is a relative term, and swapping yarns about whose winters are colder is of zero significance, because the behavior of subspecies is retrofitted to their respective climate. I've lived in New Jersey most of my life, but my first winter in Florida was a rude awakening. If you're fishing south of Ocala Florida, you are most likely dealing with Florida-strain bass. These puppies are the pansies of the bass world, and during the winter months they have no problem ignoring a live golden shiner, much less an artfully presented artificial ;-) Roger

I've been a year-round resident of central Florida since 1998. If I were asked to name the slowest bass fishing month in central Florida, I'd name January without hesitation. Florida-strain bass react more negatively to cold water than northern-strain bass, where cold is a relative term. (I also lived 50 years in New Jersey). In January, it's not unusual to strikeout with hard baits, soft-plastics and live shiners, all on the same day. Kissimmee / Toho the Best Bet?? I live just minutes away from Camp Mack and Grape Hammock. We've caught our fair share of lunkers from these waters, but there are many smaller lakes in central Florida that blow-the-doors off these over-hyped, overworked waters. Even the FWC admits that the Big-K ain't what she used to be, and that Toho is ready for another muck-scraping. As for the Stick Marsh, the Florida Wildlife Commission eliminated this water from Florida's Top Bass Waters. Roger

When you get to be my age, the reach between the gunwale and the water seems to grow with the passing years. If it isn't a 'good bass', I'm always happy when a runt comes unbuttoned next to the boat. When I lose a good bass, there's no denying that I feel highly disappointed, but try to remind myself that sometimes the bass have to win. Roger

You're wise. Species cork is by far the most popular grip material, but the blood & slime of saltwater fishing is where I learned the benefits of EVA foam & Hypalon. I heard that Steez ;-) Nah, it was just a GL3...nothing exciting. Roger

The Damiki has remarkable latitude and I use for just about everything (1/8 to 1 oz). It's paired with a Shimano Stradic 2500 FI (a bit tip-heavy with the Stradic C14) Roger

The Loomis was a spinning rod, which I replaced with a Damiki spinning rod. To be exact: Damiki Dark Angel - 6' 6, Med Hvy, Extra-Fast, 1/4 to 1 oz, 12 to 20 lb, Fuji Alconite, EVA Foam, ~$170 In its price range, it's become my favorite spinning rod. Roger

What can I say Dwight, you ARE the "Gator Master"! Not to mention those lake trout to die for, which most likely were your primary target. Your uncanny success on Athabaska has got me seriously revamping my pike vacation. Thanks for sharing Dwight, and you can bet I'm taking notes. Roger

Six pounds is a behemoth pickerel, were you fishing in tidal water? Roger