RoLo

I can't quite say that I was ever in the "Color doesn't matter" court, but unlike the lion's share of anglers, I only use color to maximize lure visibility, rather than try to mimic any particular forage (can change from minute-to-minute with opportunistic predators) I'm not finished learning though, so next year I might type something different I have lures in every color under the sun, but I have a nagging suspicion that I could easily get by with just three colors: "black", "white" & "watermelon" (dark, light & medium). Roger

Nonsense I'm glad you brought it up, because water is a truly remarkable substance. Roger

Most won't care about the following info, but I offer it to those who might be curious about water's unique behavior. Water reaches its greatest density and specific gravity at 39.2 degrees F. As a consequence, 39-degree water will displace water of all other temperatures as it pools in the lake basin. This coldwater store is known as the hypolimnion, a budget of heavy water that builds in thickness through the winter as more and more water is chilled to 39.3 deg F. A uniquely peculiar substance, water becomes progressively lighter in weight as its temperature departs In Either Direction from 39.2 deg. F. Consequently, 33-degree water and 45-degree water both possess similar weight and density because both are six degrees removed from 39 degrees. As an outgrowth of this phenomenon, water between 33 deg F. (near ice) and 38 degrees (near hypolimnion) undergo minor winter stratification. The solid water at the top is called ice, which is 32 deg F. or less. The liquid water just beneath the ice is a thin strata with rapid temperature change between 33 to 38 deg F. This thin layer of water beneath the ice floats on the hypolimnion, which is always 39.2 deg F. This layer of water with rapid temperature change resembles a mini summer thermocline, but is not a true metalimnion. The water just below the ice at the top of the water strata is 33-degrees, which rises quickly to 38-degrees where it contacts the top of the hypolimnion (39-degree store). Okay enough limnology Roger

Lake Types In the broadest sense, there are two major lake types: "Natural" and "Manmade". You're apparently accustomed to fishing natural lakes, which are formed by glaciers (Lake Hopatcong), sinkhole activity (Orange Lake), ocean depressions (Lake Okeechobee) and other natural events. By contrast, manmade lakes are impounded streams involving masonry or earthen dams. Very basically speaking, natural lakes are generally shallow rounded pools where vegetation abounds, because they were born at the hand of Mother Nature. In sharp contrast, artificial lakes typically display a serpentine shape with several entering creek arms. Not to be intimidated by semantics: "manmade lake" is synonymous to artificial lake, reservoir and impoundment. Because reservoirs are formed at the hand of man, suitable vegetation is rare or even non-existent. This is due to many reasons, not the least of which is unsuitable bottom composition and wild fluctuations in pool levels. All that said, there are two broad generalities that tend to separate natural lakes from manmade lakes. > In most natural lakes, "vegetation" is the key to bass location, followed by "bottom contour". > In most impoundments, "bottom contour" is the key to bass location, followed by "vegetation" (if it exists at all). The word "structure" has intentionally been omitted, because with regard to manmade reservoirs, the meaning has become convoluted and overlapping. Bass living in a reservoir (which is an unnatural situation) are forced to adapt and tend to use "bottom contour" as a substitute for "cover". They'll gravitate to any ridge, depression, submerged vehicle, submerged barn, submerged culvert and so on. Whenever an angler tells you that "wood" or timber is the key cover in his home lake, he has also told you that his home lake is a manmade reservoir. In a natural lake where they're given a choice, largemouth bass will naturally gravitate to soft cover in the form of lush natural weeds. Smallmouth bass fill the opposing natural niche, and tend to gravitate to hard cover in the form of ledgerock, boulders and pea-gravel. Roger

Concentrate on the worm more than the jig If you're using a high-floating soft-plastic worm, any jig may successfully be used. If you're using a neutrally buoyant or sinking plastic worm, no jighead will provide an outstanding shaky worm delivery. Find a pond with crystal-clear water and you will witness this for yourself. Roger

If you like fish, you'll love bass! Realistically though, there are many people like my own brother who do not enjoy the flavor of fish. George prefers fish that taste like chicken, and I tell him to stick with poultry (he does). As for me, I don't like fish that tastes like chicken, nor chicken that tastes like fish ;D The surest way to destroy the natural delicate flavor of freshwater bass is by smothering it in coatings, sauces and seasonings. Properly prepared, the delicious favor of largemouth and smallmouth bass will rival any $50 fish entr ée in New York's finest restaurant. To boot, freshwater bass are high in heart-healthy "omega-3 fats". Roger

Instead of T-rigging or using a belly-weighed hook, I rig the berkley hollow-belly swimbait on an Owner Sled Head Jig, which incorporates a screw-coil retainer and a strong 4/0 Owner hook. The 5" hollow-belly needs a 3/8 oz jighead to stabilize the bait, which tends to wobble around with less weight, thereby detracting from the target fuselage. Rather than rigging in the conventional manner, I thread the hook through the thickness of the body rather than vertically through the height. Most bass have never seen a horizontal delivery, but just as importantly, it provides a generous hook-bite for easy hook-ups Roger

In lakes that form a thermocline, the winter period begins after the fall-turnover, when water temperatures continue falling en masse below 55 degrees. By mid-winter there's usually a thin layer of water lying on the hypolimnion that "always" ranges in temperature between 38 and 33 deg F. Fish behavior is more stable in winter, but unless you live in Florida, you'd wish it were fall again. Bass in winter eat considerably less, are typically deeper that at any other time of year, and move considerably slower. Roger

My cockatiel, he cost me 50 bucks 9 years ago ;D Roger

I think it would be quit impossible to list EVERY frog : Isn't that the same point that Catt was making? Most members aren't even aware of the vast variety of available frogs, which doubles when you include toads. As Catt suggested, why not ask the members, which frog or toad we each prefer. That way, everyone gets to respond to the thread, and the poster discovers just how many effective brands there really are. Roger

x10 The Revo is a very popular reel, but my vote goes to Citica Who makes them anyway? : Roger

For Super Flukes (not the magnums), I use a Gamakatsu Super Line 4/0 Hook. Rigged centrally (not in the nose), the 4/0 hvy-wire gamee is perfectly balanced with the 5" fluke, and darts alternately to the left, and to the right without any nosediving. Roger

I would not want to be limited to one bait during any season, but if I were limited to one bait during the winter period, it would have to be "Notemigonus crysoleucas" Roger

Exactly. I'll take a solid toad over a hollow frog anyday, including the venerable bronze eye. My favorite toad is the Sizmic Pop'n Toad Floater, which can be chugged, walked, swum or buzzed. Hot on its heels is the Stanley Ribbit Floater (in both cases, be sure to specify "floater"). Roger

"Ditto" Roger

Jack Slough is a broad, heavily vegetated flat (3/4 mile wide). It's chockfull of water lilies, maidencane, spatterdock and lotus, and in addition has several different submergent weeds. Using the chart, select a spot that's fairly in line with the natural flow of Jackson Canal (hence the name Jack's Slough). It's also a good idea to create a waypoint marking your entry point. With a pivot waypoint, the next time you return to your internal waypoint, you won't have to weave through a quarter mile of heavy cover. Keep your eyes glued to the sounder, and look for any change in depth (1 foot is enough). As to time-of-day, I rarely begin fishing before 11am or noon, so I have no clue as to the morning action. It's well to the north of the lock near the Grape Hammock ramp...the lock area is too popular for my blood. The boat trails near Grape Hammock offer every plant species found in Lake Kissimmee, including hydrilla and pondweed (peppergrass). I prefer to stay close to the main river channel (Kissimmee River), but plenty of hawgs have been taken several hundred yards from the channel. Roger

Randall is still whack'n em! Roger

Way to go, Lee and Taylor That scenery sure looks familiar. Roger

A very good Winter Period synopsis Roger

Both Garmin and Navionics offer High-Definition maps for certain lakes, which are charted in one-foot increments. (I use both Garmin and Navionics). However, some of Navionics Hi-Def maps very misleading (useless). For instance, the Navionics Hi-Def chart of Lake Kissimmee begins with the "six-foot" contour line! The lion's share of bass habitat in Lake Kissimmee is between the shoreline and the 6-foot depth line, but this entire depth zone is uncharted on the Navionics HiDef map. In sharp contrast, the Garmin map of Lake Kissimmee displays the depth lines in 1-foot increments beginning with 1-foot (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc). Roger

By "class of their own" I was referring to their fully interactive maps which are downloaded from CD-ROMs and DVDs. The maps are physically loaded onto your resident drive, and not tethered to SD cards. Unfortunately, patchwork software does not forego the need to shuttle the SD cards, and cannot substitute for the freedom of working directly from your computer where it physically resides. Loaded on my computer are several Garmin CD-ROMs, and one is called "US Recreational Lakes with Fishing HotSpots". However, Garmin recently replaced that CD-ROM with a DVD named "Inland Lakes 2009". (By the way, I'd avoid the DVD called "Inland Lakes Vision", which is locked on an SD card). Roger

Say what? ;D I didn't offer ANY information regarding Lowrance mapping products. because this is a Garmin thread. The original poster owns a Garmin Etrex Vista C handheld GPS, not a Lowrance. Although it's off-topic, I own and operate both a Garmin GPS Map76Cx and a Lowrance iFinder H20c. Nevertheless, I didn't post anything that compares "charplotters" (hardware), instead my post compares the bathymetry software offered by Navionics versus Garmin. In my opinion, you should always begin by selecting the most useful software first, then select any chartplotter that supports that software (there are many). Roger

Garmin "offers" SD cards, but they also offer a lot more than SD cards. In addition to SD cards, Garmin is the only mapmaker that offers CD-ROMs and DVDs, placing Garmin in a class of its own. Just like your computer operating system, Garmin cartography is loaded directly onto your resident computer drive, where the user enjoys total interaction. Since it resides on your computer, the user is able to create waypoints instantly on the computer, make routes, type waypoints names, etc. You're also able to instantly transfer waypoints from computer to GPS unit or from GPS device to computer, without ever seeing or handling an SD card. On the contrary, with Navionics you need to remove the SD card from the unit, then reinstall it back into the unit for waypoint creation and revision. In my opinion, SD cards are a horror show. Every time a lake is visited, some waypoints will naturally be added, deleted and edited. Once you decide on the lake or lakes you're going to fish, in less than 60 seconds you can delete all waypoints currently residing on your GPS unit, and load only the newly edited waypoints for the lakes you're going to fish that day. Every waypoint for every lake is stored on your resident computer drive (no proprietary cards, it belongs to you). Did you know that Navionics used to be the cartographer for Garmin hydrography? This was because Garmin is the choice of the US military, and were preoccupied in government projects. Today however Garmin no longer uses Navionics, but all their maps are proprietary, including their hydrographic cartography. Both Garmin and Navionics produce accurate bathymetry, but over time the accuracy may be compromised by erosion, hurricanes, muck scraping and the like. Therefore, any difference in accuracy is not due to the mapmaker, but hinges on which company offers the "latest upgrade". Since upgrades are in random order, this depends on the lake in question, and keeps changing with new upgrades. Roger

Yeah, it'll take all map cards, but "ONLY" map cards produced by Navionics, and no cartography created by Garmin. Furthermore, Navionics (Lowrance) employs SD cards "only", which is a horror show compared to the CD-ROMs and DVDs utilized by Garmin. (I have both) Roger

The answers thus far are surprisingly accurate. On balance, a bass should not be kept in air, any longer than YOU'D want to be kept underwater. Uh huh, so is it any wonder why tournament mortality rates are much higher than stated. A fine restaurant on the shores of Lake Kissimmee went belly-up, simply because the customers lost their appetite ogling the rotting bass carcasses that gathered in the cove due to tournament releases. Roger