RoLo

It depends on the waterbody you're fishing. They call it 'short-striking', but I'm not sure what it really is, but a trailer hook can make a significant difference. Roger

That's an excellent plan ? I envy you, a 1/4 acre farm pond is a highly fascinating possession, and a great learning experience. I had a small backyard pond excavated in Georgia. Although you could throw a stone across that puddle, I witnessed stuff that I've never read about. For instance, hungry bass will eagerly swallow a toad, but about 10 seconds later, the toad usually reappears on the surface (same for most snakes). Best of luck Roger

The species you mentioned all prefer a firm bottom of sand with or without gravel. The worst substrate is muck and silt, where eggs may suffocate from lack of ventilation. Roger

A 'Fast' action blank offers the best compromise, therefore it's by far the most popular action. Nevertheless, it all depends on the task at hand, and where you place your priorities. Barring discrepancies between rod brands, an X-fast tip is going to offer faster spine access, which translates to greater sensitivity and quicker hook-set response. Roger

Whether I'm bass fishing in FL, GA, NJ, PA, NY or Ontario, "3 LBS" is the first weight plateau, the benchmark that nullifies disappointment Roger

All predatory animals are opportunistic binge feeders, it's a necessary survival tactic. Nevertheless, opportunistic feeding is typically brief, and is always subject to instant change without notice. This is graphically illustrated by finding 4 different forms of prey in the stomach of one fish (Very common). Match any one of the 4 prey items, and the next bait will likely be something entirely different. You know, like a spinnerbait, wacky-rigged Senko or Ecogear Shrimp Blade . Roger

Precisely. The last time we fished Manitoba, we used 1/2 & 3/4 oz Revenge jigs with a Jackall 5.8” Rhythm Wave, along cabbage weedlines 12 to 15 ft deep. Roger

My wife & I often vacation in the outback, where the only person you're likely to see is a native indian. Over the years, we've seen a goodly number of bear, deer and moose, both from our boat and on land. All without incident, but not without anecdotes. When I was a kid, I remember my dad telling me never to fear any animal (in NJ). He said that they're more afraid of you, than you are of them. That was good advice, and served me well. However, since he passed in the 60s, predatory animals have been losing their fear & respect of man. When I was a kid, bear attacks only involved grizzlies and polar bears, but today the black bear has stepped up to the 'plate' (Not to mention cougars). As a result, I now pack Counter Assault Bear Spray when we vacation in Canada Roger

For years, I've used Dirty Jigs almost exclusively, and touted them right here in Bass Resource. Dirty Jigs make a jig for every occasion, from their Shakey head jig to their No-jack Punchin jig. Though I didn't include it in my Jig Shootout table, another thing that's nice about the Revenge Jig is the weedguard tension. A soft, easily deflected fiber guard is not as weedless, whereas a stiff weedguard can result in missed hooksets. Also important is the range of available weights. Though a 1/2 oz jig & trailer is the most often used, sometimes you'll want a 3/4 oz jig, but not every company offers 3/4 ounce. Roger

It never ceases to amaze me, but every stage of life has something special and unique to offer. It doesn't get any better than sharing your boat with a youngster. You happily abandon your game plan, and give them your undivided attention, it becomes the new trophy. "25 bluegills" Frankly, it's been a long time since I earned that badge Roger

I've never once played the lottery in my life, and considered that a wise move. Now that you've lumped angling in with the lottery, I need to rethink my sanity Roger

May also be W-rigged

"American Bass Club" you are amazing. After submitting your first post, you still have "0 Posts". Even BigFred scored "1 post"

Reminds me of a day on Lake Toho several years ago. Two wardens in a tiller rowboat came to rest beside our craft (Never a fun sandwich). Neither my wife nor I were donning our float vest, however, our craft was not under power. I showed them my kapok vest, but my wife held up a cartridge inflatable. One of the wardens wanted to cite my wife for not wearing her vest, while the other warden did not. After brief infighting on the FWC boat, we were in fact pardoned. In any case, your point is well taken. Roger

With respect to pandemic epidemics, avoidance has a way of prolonging the inevitable. The only long-term solution for a pandemic is 'herd-immunity', which is only possible thru exposure. Don't rely on the media to provide you with facts, because good news is not as profitable as bad news. The media touts inane total numbers of cases and useless benchmarks and milestones. Vital information is harder to come, such as the difference between last week's hospital admissions and this week's hospital admissions. The current trend is all that matters, not historical totals & benchmarks. Obviously, increased testing is going to result in a higher number of positive cases (duh). But a higher number of sars2 cases also lowers the fatality rate (They forgot to mention that). It's now beginning to look like the mortality rate may be less than 1%, and that's good news. Roger

Cheap too, but airboat-access only

Daiwa Tatula 6'10" MH/F In short, that nails it! Roger

I plead ignorance regarding the Lee Bailey Buzzbait. I'm familiar with 'F. Lee Bailey'; does that count for anything? Roger

How Do You Store Your Jerkbaits? I store my jerkbaits pretty much like Roland Martin. When I lift one out of the box, 5 or 6 others go along for the ride Roger

If fish could read, they'd get a hearty belly-laugh out of this thread. Roger

Doesn't sound like you would enjoy ocean game-fishing. Off South Carolina you have barracuda, white sharks & tiger sharks that can make mincemeat out of Jeremy's personal best It's all relative of course, when we pursue mean & heavy fish, we use mean & heavy gear. For example, sportfisherman in pursuit of swordfish and blue marlin concede to a fighting chair, fly gaff, wire man, transom door and gin-pole. All the comforts of home Roger

SR-60 Lake Wales, Florida So-called Florida panthers are actually an isolated population of cougars The crossing sign marks the north/south migration route of cats during the breeding season Roger

Yes, it's big enough for a bass-boat. When you're at the bottom of the gap, it makes a mere mortal feel rather diminutive. Roger

You're on a roll buddy It just gets better. Roger

Important to note, the Fat Ika is meant to be rigged tentacles forward, the inverse of a tube lure. Roger