RoLo

i've owned both.the supreme is lighter and smoother.the 4000 size shimano weighs 14.1 oz. the supreme weighs 9.6 in the same size.that's 4.5 oz of weight. You make a good point Dodge, but you'll notice that the balance-point of most fishing outfits is forward of the reel center. Very recently, I attached an expensive lightweight reel to one of my rods, and the outfit became disturbingly top-heavy and the balance-point was about 6" forward of perfect balance! Though I place great importance on a lightweight rod, too much reel levity can disrupt overall balance and feel. Roger

Feeding laterally at a fixed depth level requires less effort and alertness, than rising to the water surface. Rising to the surface requires more effort, because rapid depth change is involved, and the greater the depth change the greater the effort. In addition, anglers must appreciate the fact that any fish that rises to the surface has made a daring commitment. Speed and vigil are needed because fish instinctively know that breaking the surface reveals their position to unseen predators such as ospreys, eagles and alligators. Baitfish daringly take to the air in the hope that their pursuer will not make the same commitment, and give up the chase. Fish are cold-blooded creatures, so they're most likely to strike a topwater lure when water temperatures support the energy and alertness required. Though far from an exact science, 75 degrees F. is the popularly accepted optimum for topwater activity. Water temperatures below 70 degrees may not provide enough thermal support, while water temperatures above 80 degrees may not provide enough dissolved oxygen support. For this reason, we generally experience the best surface activity in spring, when temps are rising between 70 and 80 degrees, and again in fall when temps are falling between 80 and 70 degrees. (Yes, exceptions are commonplace) Roger

What's a Flooger?

Ahh...an old man with no lips?

The highest floating worm I've ever encountered has been discontinued a couple years ago. It was the "Strike King Super Floating Worm" (still have a few bags left). Today, the three plastic worms mentioned below are the most buoyant to my knowledge: Strike King 3x Finesse Worm You can catch bass all day long on the same worm. Rerig it 50 times and you won't find one hook hole! Roboworm Zipper A tremendous worm! I stopped using it though, because the zipper slices leave too little core plastic for the hook. Gambler Big Stick Despite its 7.0" length, I use this worm most often for finessing. The tubular body is highly buoyant, and the tentacles are a real asset when deadsticking. Roger

WOW, talk about follow through I can certainly empathize with your love for archery, in fact, deer with bow-&-arrow is one sport I'd consider reentering, even at my brittle age. Good luck fishing, and remember it doesn't have to be bass, nearly every month of the year offers peak fishing for some species. Roger

Great question Jack During my budding years as an angler, Buck Elwood Perry offered several new theories to the fishing community, but one stood head-and-shoulders above all the others. Buck theorized that largemouth bass spent the majority of their lives in 30 to 35 ft of water, a zone he dubbed the sanctuary. Buck explained that bass in the sanctuary are not actively feeding and only borderline catchable. According to his hypothesis, bass migrate from their deepwater sanctuary onto the food-shelf where they are active and catchable, generally twice every day. Buck defined the food-shelf as water that's 8 to 10 ft deep or less. For several years, "Fishing Facts" magazine also subscribed to Perry's migration theory. I learned in retrospect that Buck's theories, however intuitive were geared mainly toward manmade impoundments and were not applicable to natural lakes. Furthermore, a telemetry study subsequently conducted by the In-Fisherman staff, flew in the face of the daily migration" theory. Transmitter results revealed that the lion's share of bass are residential, and minor movements within their home range resisted depth change as they typically held steadfast to the same contour line (compliant with swim bladder function). The study also found that a few renegade bass would migrate long distances, usually across the entire lake for no explicable reason. However, these rogue bass also resisted depth change by moving in suspension rather than following the bottom contour. Telemetry studies that followed these groundbreaking findings only reaffirmed In-Fisherman's findings. The migration theory involving depth change is also rebutted by the purpose and function of the bass's 'swim bladder' (not all fish have swim bladders). Due to the time required for the gas sacs to attain neutral buoyancy, a twice-daily depth change from 35 ft to 8ft would either be physically challenging or highly time-consuming (i.e. absurd). On a personal note, the twice-daily migration theory involving depth change has offered disappointing results in New Jersey, New York, Canada, Georgia and more recently, Florida. To my mind, there's a significant distinction between "daily" migrations and "seasonal" shifts. I do not visualize cold-blooded fish seeking ideal conditions, but believe that ideal conditions for "catching bass" ultimately come to all bass at all depths. When bass residing in 8 ft of water are catchable today, and bass in 3 ft of water are catchable tomorrow, that will surely create the illusion that the bass have migrated from 8-ft to 3-ft of water. Though I personally rebuff the existence of daily migration, there's no doubt in my mind that bass do undergo "seasonal migration" which take place more slowly over time. Roger

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

I'll drink to that. I normally start with a "twitch-twitch-pause" retrieve, but there's really no telling which retrieve is going to work best. What's more, sometimes the winning retrieve will only last about 20 minutes Roger

I don't know about North Carolina, but right now in central Florida, most of the bass are in very skinny water, about 1 to 3 ft deep. Roger

Although I have no concrete explanation as to why, nearly all my Personal Best fish in both fresh and saltwater have fallen between the hours of 10am and 3pm. As it happens, many anglers on the forums have experienced much the same. Roger

I'm not so sure that anyone "over-thought" the matter of dead pads, which seems more like a kneejerk reaction supported by under-thinking. As I mentioned above, the thinking on this matter has recently turned the corner, and I believe rightly so. Dead or alive, pads offer several advantages to game fish: (1) They continue to harbor forage fish (look for them, and you will see them) (2) They still offer broad overhead cover (3) In the case of water lilies, a bottom of firm sand is virtually guaranteed. In truth, that's how I normally find bottoms of firm sand, because those that support vegetation are almost invariably blanketed in a thin layer of black humus. Last but not least, Lois & I have boated many bass from a backdrop of rusty-brown pads, which is proof enough for me. In the broadest sense, pads not only applies to Waterlilies, but also to Spatterdock, American Lotus and to a lesser extent Watershield. Oxygen loss in winter caused by vegetable decay is a very slooow process. In fact, the loss of dissolved oxygen over several days can be quickly reversed by a fresh breeze or moderate rainfall. As I pointed out above, oxygen deprivation is basically a summertime issue, when the saturation point of dissolved oxygen is sharply reduced. Paradoxically, summertime is also when the greenery is at its peak growth, when carbon dioxide is most efficiently removed from water and oxygen is most efficiently released. In lakes where water temperatures exceed 90 degs F., low levels of dissolved oxygen drive largemouth bass into shallow water where the plant life is heaviest and healthiest. Bass that remain in deeper water become casualties of the summer kill. Roger

To each his own of course, but it's my opinion that spinning gear and fluorocarbon make odd bedfellows. I agree with Uncle Bill (Dance) who stated: fluoro on baitcasting gear and braid on spinning tackle. Roger

WD40 smells nice, but that's about it. It's as much a solvent as a lubricant, but unfortunately they're opposed. Working like penetrating oil, WD40 reduces the viscosity of lubricants in the long run. Roger

Fact is, KVD is sponsored by Strike King so it's not too likely that he'll ever tout a Bill Lewis or Aruku Shad ;D During a typical tournament day, KVD changes rods and lures more often than three average fishermen. By his own admission, Kevin said in a recent tournament that nearly every bass came on a different lure. At the end of the day, it's must be difficult to say which one lure was responsible for the win. One thing is for sure, Kevin is peerless...I believe he's part fish. That reminds me of his win in the 2005 Classic. He credited his win to the Smithwick RB1200 Rattlin Rogue, a lure that had been discontinued for several years. Suddenly the Rattlin Rogue enjoyed a resurgence in popularity but it was short-lived. Roger

By sheer coincidence, we had to move the trip to 3/25 and 26th so maybe this is a good thing Trends tend to persist, and we are currently experiencing our "6th" cold front. I believe you're timing is perfect...Best of Luck! Roger

When I first tried the 7" Magnum Fluke, I wasn't able to get the same crisp darting action I got with the Super Fluke. Now I rig them a little differently, and no longer throw the tiny 5" fluke. > Zoom Magum Fluke (7") > Gamakatsu 5/0 Superline hook (26 grains) > Color doesn't seem to matter (but 'Bubblegum' is easy to see) Roger

I like the scent of coffee very much, especially in the morning. In the afternoon though, I prefer the smell of garlic. With regard to the olfactory preference of bass....I have not a clue Roger

That's a good question, and the answer has recently inspired reconsideration. It's common knowledge that decaying vegetation consumes oxygen and emits carbon dioxide. On the other hand however, decaying vegetation also produces heat. Cool water has a higher saturation point for dissolved oxygen than warm water, therefore "heat" may be a more legitimate concern during the early spring. All the above is personal hypothesis, but this much I can state without reservation, Lois and I have boated several sloppy-fat bass from rusty-brown pads in early spring. Roger

By post summer do you mean "fall", Roger? I know we don't really have a fall but if so then that is the very best time for me for topwaters when that water first starts to cool down and before we get any massive fronts rolling through every 2 days. I would have to say post spawn is second for me since the majority of the fish seem to be hungry little wolfpack dink males coming off of beds. In fall I get much better size as it seems the females start to get real fat around that time. Yes. I've seen this seasonal period variously referred to as the "post-summer", "fall prime" and "pre-turnover" ('pre-turnover' in the north). Just as you pointed out, it comes right on the heels of the summer, and in central Florida is typically triggered by the first cool nights in October. It's a great topwater flurry, but in our experience it doesn't last as long as the post-spawn bite, which sometimes remains in high gear up to two months. Roger

In overview, the preferred line-test for mid-depth cranks ranges from 8lb to 20lb test (nylon or fluoro). That's quite a disparity, because 20 lb line is 60% fatter in diameter than 8 lb line and 150% stronger. Where do I sign? Roger

I see no resemblance between a fluke and a senko, but every lure can be fished in a number of ways, it's entirely up to the angler. It's usually a mistake to confine any lure to a rigid niche, because some of the most successful techniques are off-label, so to speak. All that said, I work a zoom fluke in darts between the water surface and about two-feet deep. In contrast, I allow stick worms to shimmy all the way to the bottom, then hoist the worm rapidly back to the surface to repeat the vertical delivery (Yamamoto-style). Roger

Okay...you didn't ask when bass "can" be caught on top, you asked when is the "best" time. In central Florida, there are 2 seasonal periods that offer the 'best' topwater bite: > Post-Spawn (70 to 80-deg F.) mid-April to mid-May (very best period) > Post Summer (80 to 70-deg F.) October (2nd best period) Roger

Anglers aren't stupid, and would never tolerate any knot that slipped or failed. The Uni-knot, Albright and Alberto are all perfectly acceptable knots or they'd be loooong gone. The Best knot to tie, is the knot you tie Best. Roger

I use 30-lb Braid for everything with full satisfaction (diameter equal to 8-lb mono) Roger