RoLo

As evidenced by this post (1:04am EST), Lois & I retire late, around 2 AM on average. As a result, we normally launch at our destination lake between 11 am & noon. But since we normally fish till after sunset, we spend an average of 8 hrs on the water per outing. Roger

I'm proud of you fellows, you both provided an educated response. Marketing hype refers to them as 'fish finders', but anglers in the know think of them as "Depth Sounders" When we hone our 'depth-sounding' skills, 'fish finding' is a foregone conclusion. Roger

In waters noted for big bass, the chug bug will take its fair share, but I agree with you, there are other surface lures that seem to be more attractive to portly cows. An in-house survey about three years back found the buzzbait to be the clear winner for catching big bass on top. Though I've caught some slobs on buzzbaits, my two best came on the Original Floating Rapala during the pre-spawn. I'm probably going a tad off-topic here, but I believe that the biggest bass are more vulnerable to lures that run a couple inches "below" the surface. To that end, we've never found anything more weedless than a Johnson Spoon dressed with a Kalin 5.0 single-tail grub (double-tails tend to dampen the spoon's rocking action). During the post spawn, a J-spoon & grub can be hog dynamite when 'bulged' through the salad bowl Roger

As the replies to this post clearly show, rod-length is a matter of personal preference. Rod lengths run the gamut from 5-1/2 to 7-1/2 feet, however based on physics (not opinion), the shorter rod offers more benefits than the longer rod. In my opinion, the ideal compromise is a 6' 6" rod which will serve all bases and leave no cause for regret. Roger

The most outstanding thing I've learned from night-fishing, is how much more I prefer day-fishing Roger

My favorite: > Lindner's Angling Edge (Al & Jim Lindner) > Hunt For Big Fish (Larry Dahlberg) Also Interesting: > Bill Dance > Scott Martin Challenge Roger

Yep, "freshwater drum" Though it could be mistaken for a white perch, it doesn't resemble a white bass, which display more than one lateral bar and have an undershot lower jaw. Roger

I would hesitate to label any knot as best, but we all have our favorites. I've been using the uni-to uni connection since the 1960s (fresh & saltwater) and I'm a satisfied customer. If a uni-knot slips, you can bet-the-ranch it's due to operator failure, and not due to knot-failure. Not surprisingly, the uni-to-uni connection is the favorite of many pro anglers. Roger

Kudos to you and your dad Anyone catching sails & kings would never be thinking about largemouth bass Right now I'd be more than happy with a blacktip shark. I've got a Kunnan Hot Rail in my den that's just collecting dust : Roger

The magic is not in the wand, it's in the magician. Roger

Like most angling equipment, it really boils down to personal preference. I purchased two Okuma Concept C3 rods, one for my wife and one for myself. We both agree that the C3 is a "great" all-purpose spinning blank, however, my wife found the carbon grip to be uncomfortable, so now I have two Okumas..LOL In my opinion though, the only rival of the Okuma Concept C3 "in that price range", is the Damiki Dark Angel, both are superb general-purpose spinning blanks. Roger

Black & Blue isn't popular for imitating anything, it's popular for its underwater visibility, especially where luminosity is scant. (if they don't see it, they won't strike it) Roger

Spro Aruku Shad Colors? Roger

BLACK (Absorbs most ambient light = Produces best contrast) Roger

Not all bed-sites are active. For instance, if the lake level changes after the bed has been swept, the nest might be abandoned if the depth is unsuitable for incubation (improper photosynthesis). Furthermore, there's always a generous overlap between spawning stages (pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn). If the parents are in the "post-spawn" period (done spawning), the nest will be deserted but until it becomes silted over, it may still appear to be active. In the absence of parent bass, the depth and diameter of the nest will usually divulge the maker. In a natural lake with moderate water clarity, most beds formed by "largemouth" bass will be 1 to 3 feet deep, about 2½ ft in diameter and close to the protection of a shoreline. On the other hand, bluegill nests are normally 1½ ft in diameter or less, and because bluegills tend to nest in tight colonies, the bed spacing will be tighter. Roger

I think Glenn summed it up in his opening statement: While Glenn might be targeting smallmouth bass in deep, clear water, we're generally dealing with shallow, murky water laden with heavy vegetation. When living in New Jersey, I rarely used spinning line heavier than 8-lb Trilene XL (save saltwater), but our mainstay in Florida is 30-lb Fireline braid (no leader). Power / Action: Medium Heavy / Fast to Extra-Fast LureWgt / Line Wgt: 1/8oz to 1oz / 10 to 20-lb Line Rod Length: 6' 6 to 6' 9 Rod Brands: Kistler Helium LTX - Damiki Dark Angel - Okuma Concept C3 Fenwick Techna AV Johnny Morris Elite Series Roger

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see where this topic is worthy of four pages. All of Mother Nature's creatures are built tough, there are no exceptions and no bad designs. When I was young and naïve, I thought that flowers were delicate, and went out of my way to handle them with great care, as if they'd break and die. But after watching professional florists handle their bread-and-butter, I learned a great deal. They roughly manhandle plants and flowers as if they were indestructible, and with no ill-effects. The internal organs of all animals are well supported, and from every concievable angle of centripetal force (gravity). We primates walk vertically all day long, and then we lie down horizontally all night long. Our internal organs probably benefit from different angles of circulation. Fish have evolved over the millenium to be adaptable in both the hydrosphere and atmosphere. Fish instinctively know that their body movements are much faster in air than underwater. For this reason, a hooked bass will leap out of the water and into the air, then shake its head violently to rid itself of the foriegn object. With no help from man, the fish is out of its natural medium and in a "vertical" position. When they're sedated, elephants and rhinos can suffer from respiratory insufficiency, but this is due to their enormous bodyweight, which can stifle their ability to breath. However, this only takes place when the animal is sedated, lying on the ground, and "horizontal". Roger

Uh Oh, the misses is back in action! Roger

Have you actually used Titanium Wire leaders? Don't let the price scare you away because the cost of not using the best leader can be much higher. Toothy fish can and will bite through ANY non-metallic leader, and often with lightning speed. If the fishing line is outside the fish's mouth than naturally it cannot contact the teeth or mouth and will not result in a bite-off, but your luck will not last forever. If you're serious about eliminating bite-offs, a metal leader is a must (no polymers). I've used Malin piano wire for bluefish because tobacco-colored piano wire is thin and unnoticeable, and the leaders can be tied on the spot without crimp-on sleeves. On the downside, single-strand stainless is stiff, easily kinked and once kinked the breaking strength is sharply degraded. Braided stainless wire that's coated in nylon (Sevenstrand) is not quite as stiff or kink prone as piano wire, but is thicker and normally requires crimping pliers and sleeves. Titanium wire is the thinnest and most pliable metal leader and consequently has the least dampening effect on lure action. In addition, titanium leader is knotable, which precludes the use of sleeves, and as a bonus, titanium stretches like fluorocarbon and is just as shock-resistant. Roger

Well put. I would add one thing though. The biggest advantage of a long handle is that allows the angler to rest the butt section on the bottom of the forearm. In heavy cover and with very large fish, this takes the lion's share of pressure off the wrist, allowing the angler to lever small buildings to the boat Roger

Yes, braid and a lipless plug is a good combination along the tops of weed beds. Braid also provides an excellent hook-up ratio, but due to its lack of foregivenss, braid will likely result in more hook rip-outs (can't have it both ways). Roger

With a "T-rigged" worm, you'd be very hard put to beat the action of a Yamamoto Senko. With a "wacky" rigged worm though, nearly any stick worm is going to generate plenty of action. W-rigged worms are most effective with passive fish because they provide poor lateral coverage and fall very slowly. The horizontal position of a W-rigged worm creates far more water resistance than a T-rigged worm, so they fall much slower and waggle much more. However, the worm with the most action isn't "always" the best worm for bass in a negative mood. All that said, I use the Gambler Ace for wacky worming (shadow blue glitter). Roger

DARN...does this mean I have to turn in my "Bass Card"? :'( Seriously Kent, I really don't have much choice. I never know in advance which technique will be the "Technique Du Jour", and since I must buy "2" outfits for every technique, we need to stay 'versatile'. Roger

IMO, that's a wise response. I too avoid technique-specific outfits, and do so out of necessity. I have to buy equipment for two separate anglers that must serve every aspect of bass fishing. If I thought it were necessary to buy technique-specific outfits, I'd have to tote about 30 fishing outfits, and that wouldn't leave much room for the motor ;D Roger

Muddy would've replied, "Within 24-hrs of losing their shell"