RoLo

The quietest and smoothest braid is the "roundest" braid. And the roundest braid is the braid that consists of the most strands (if that's what you're after). When I was using PowerPro braid (2006, 2007, 2008) it was 4-strand braided polyethylene. It was my understanding that Powerpro planned on upping their strand-count, but I don't know if that ever came to pass. Now I use nothing but "Berkley Fireline Braid" which is 8-strand polyethylene braid (maybe higher today). I never hear any line-noise but then again, when I'm busy fishing my mind is far under the water ;D Roger

To each his own of course, but I'd have to be bored senseless to sit through five minutes : Nor did I care for the movie "Spartacus" starring Tony Curtis, which was a rinky-dink bloodlust extravaganza Roger

Great capture Chris. I love the way that bulrush stalk skewers the neck of the great blue heron. It just amazes me how fish-eating birds know about dorsal and pectoral spines. You can bet the ranch that she swallowed that bullhead head-first. Roger

The items listed below may be counterproductive to other goals, but all serve to improve the hook-up ratio with a jig: > Finer Wire Hook > Smaller Hook Size > Reduced Bristle-Count (weedguard) > Higher-Modulus Rod > Braided Fishing Line > Instant Strike Response Though I once believed the opposite, I now refrain from trimming the length of the fiberguard, which stiffens the bristles. Leaving the fiberguard at full length gives the fish more leverage for bending the bristles. A jig pickup will often feel "mushy", like a little extra weight or just the opposite, like an eerie weightlessness. In either case, the time to strike is NOW. I can't say that I've ever felt three taps, but I consider myself lucky when I feel one tap, then strike immediately if not sooner Roger

Without a doubt, Falcon makes a good rod (popular with Florida guides), but I personally place St Croix in a higher category. Roger

I suffer from the same malady as Fish Chris. Chris & I both feel that trophy value is relative to fish species, and would much rather catch a 3-lb redear sunfish than a 10-lb largemouth bass Roger

Well put Roger

I have yet to see any prefabricated Harvest Log that even comes close to addressing the factors that interest me most. For example, they'll include "Lure Color", then leave out "Water Depth" or "Lure Speed". If you want the best Harvest Log possible you must construct your own (e.g. Word - Excel - Access). Roger

Well, there's run-of-the-mill 'weed-penetrating' and there's serious 'mat-punching'. Milfoil or hydrilla that's loosely matted on the surface can be fished in the usual manner. Just use an up-and-down sawing motion that encourages the lure to drop to a lower-and-lower tier in the vegetation. When confronted with tight rafts of hyacinths and alligatorweed, then serious mat-punching is in order. I prefer slender plastics like the zoom big critter craw rigged directly on a heavyweight T-rig jig. I don't feel that a silicon skirt is needed because the plastic craw has appendages of its own. Roger

There's nearly as many different lure brands mentioned as there are responders, which sends a pretty clear message. In any case, my favorite lipless crank is the Spro Aruku Shad. When dragged along the bottom, the aruku shad can be stopped completely but remains upright. They're particularly effective in early spring. Roger

Thanks for sharing that with us...it takes a man Roger

I heard that. I lived 50 years in New Jersey where any bass over 3 pounds was a dandy. Come on down Roger

Tom Mann's plastic worm had an interesting history. Nick Creme introduced the first plastic worm in 1949, which he called the "Creme Scoundrel". The original Creme worm was a hideous looking affair pre-rigged on heavy gut with red plastic beads and online propellers. The plastic was so tough that the first worms were referred to as "rubber" worms. In 1967, Tommy Mann took us out of our misery by introducing "Manns Jelly Worm. The plastic was indeed jelly-like and much softer and more pliable than its forerunners. The introduction of the Original Culprit worm did not dethrone Manns Jelly Worm, because Mann's straight-tail worm proved to be superior to the Culprit ribbontail worm in cool water and with passive bass. Back in the day, the most popular worm color was purple, which Mann called "grape". I still have about 20 pounds of Manns Jelly Worms but no longer use them. Roger

I often fished Lake Lanier when I lived in Georgia (92 to 98) . The clear water is not easy to fish, but Lanier is a lake worth learning. I mainly targeted Spots in Lanier (fished West Point for bigmouths). Lanier is chockful of drop-offs, structure and large spots (not to mention 'stripers'). Roger

Bear in mind, a 30-inch chain pickerel is equivalent to a 28-inch largemouth bass. Though I have caught 28" largemouth bass, my next 30" pickerel will be my first. Roger

I'm willing to bet that crayfish inhabit your lake. I'm also willing to bet that none of those crayfish travel through the water like a crankbait. Roger

Ditto There has never been one plastic worm made that can't catch lots of bass. However, some worms are consistently buoyant, but I've recently learned that some roboworms sink when all the air-bubbles are removed from between the zipper ribs. Be that as it may, my biggest beef with roboworms is their lack of durability in heavy cover, which is no small matter in central Florida. Roger

Unfortunately, not enough has been written about the eastern chain pickerel, a predator that I extensively targeted when I lived in New Jersey. Northern pike are clearly dominant to largemouth bass, however chain pickerel and largemouth bass devour similar prey and share predatory equality. When pickerel are small (snakes) they inhabit depths even shallower than largemouth bass, but when pickerel attain trophy proportions they commonly frequent water depths greater than the mean depth of largemouth bass. Roger

Russ, I was sorry to learn that you're dealing with coronary occlusion, but on the upside, the medical profession today has come a loooong way in this area. I live in a retirement community where bypass surgery is a very commonplace event. It goes without saying, you have my very best wishes at heart, but I'm confident that they won't be needed. You're going to be just fine my friend Roger

You're observant as usual Paul I normally fish the Big Stick on a 3/16 oz Owner Type-Z Bullet head, but fishing was so lousy today I opted for a 1/8oz Brewer Slider Head. The color btw is "Shadow Blue Glitter". Roger

Thanks Big O. By the way, the Rage Lobster has been an exceptional performer throughout our unusually cold Florida winter. Roger

Lois and I got our usual midday start (12:50 pm to be exact), a day that started out slow and got even slower. Consistent with Florida's weather pattern of late, the afternoon was breezy and cool. A couple bowfin quickly destroyed two of my keitech swing impacts by nipping off the paddletails. I only managed to get one runt bass to the boat, then as the afternoon wore on the weather grew cooler and windier and neither Lois nor I could raise a bass. Only moments before I decided to pull the plug on the day, I got a pickup on the Gambler 7.0 Big Stick, a lure I confess to over-touting on the boards. She wasn't the sow I was hoping for, but she was the gal that saved the day. Roger

Hmmph...I didn't know that bass have teeth ;D Roger

You too? They sure appeal to anglers though ;) Roger

Braid