RoLo

That's terrific Rhino Boy...It don't take you long to look at a horseshoe Roger

Yes, I frequently take bass home for table fare, but never remove trophy fish. It's my opinion, that removing smaller bass can only enhance the ecosystem. If I believed otherwise, I would release every runt. BTW: I've never eaten any fish in any restaurant (including swordfish & grouper) that were any more flavorful than fresh Florida bass! Roger

Your best first step is to forget all about color. Ponder instead, all the many things that REALLY make a difference. Site selection, furtive approach, lure type, lure placement, lure speed, lure cadence ~~~ Roger

Yes

For many decades, the fall turnover has been ballyhooed as a time when fish are highly negative and unresponsive. According to research of late however, the troublemaker is not fish disposition but fish location. Once fish are located during the fall-turnover, they appear no more difficult to catch than at any other time. During the fall-turnover however, the water temperature, water density and dissolved oxygen level are similar throughout the entire lake. Without the constraints of a thermocline and oxycline, fish of all species are free to scatter hither-and-yon, not only across the entire lake, but anywhere between the surface and the bottom. Paul, as a special favor to me, do not take away my "cold-front" alibi...it's all I've got left ;D Roger

Mustad is a brand, not a specific hook. Mustad probably makes more different styles and grades of hooks than any hook-maker in the world. Every Mustad hook is not the cat's meow, but the "Mustad Ultra Point" hook ranks right alongside Gamakatsu, Owner and Daiichi. Roger

When I began reading this post, I came across "mid-70's" and thought to myself, Rhino has got to be kidding! Then I come across: "The above is not correct, it's not even close". Ahhh, now that's the lobsterman I know 8-) Yep, just like it was yesterday (but sadly, it was not yesterday) It was during the 50s for me as well, and in addition to tautog, which Jerseyites call "blackfish", we also used "dropper rigs" for porgies, seabass, kingfish, mackerel & flounder (both winter & summer flounder). Just like Rhino described, blackfish (tautog) live on a shellfish diet and loathe movement. I parallel blackfishing to angling for redear sunfish, another mollusc-eater that strongly prefers immobile forage. Depending on the species sought, our hooks were either smaller or larger than the hooks used for largemouth bass, but due to tidal currents, our sinker had to be heavier. I never purchase fishing rigs, but tie all my own. To tie a dropper rig, I first form a dropper loop, then snip the loop adjacent to the knot to create a single long dropper-line jutting squarely from the main line. The hooks are then snelled to the end of the dropper line(s). I tied Christmas tree rigs for Boston Mackerel in the same manner, where many hooks are added to the tree. Just keep jigging up-&-down until the rig gets REAL heavy, and at times you'll boat a half-dozen mackerel on the same lift. Roger

Ghoti nailed it. To each his own. I've used baitcasting gear extensively (both fresh & saltwater), but have evolved to where it's almost all spinning gear now. For instance, both stripers in my avatar weighed more than the world-record largemouth, but both were taken on spinning tackle. Roger

You show that box one more time, and I'm switching back to PowerPro Roger

3/8oz = 164 grains 5" Senko = 163 grains (without a hook) First question to myself would be, can I cast it farther with spinning gear? Second question to myself would be, then why am I using baitcasting tackle? Roger

An "unweighted" Gamakatsu 4/0 Superline hook weighs 21 grains. That's perfect for the decent rate I prefer (about 2 ft in 5 secs). I hook the fluke centrally in the length, so it darts and falls horizontally. Roger

Eurasian watermilfoil (milfoil) might be confused with coontail, but should never be confused with hydrilla. Hydrilla grows in whorls of tiny leaflets, while milfoil has delicate feather-like foliage. The surest way to differentiate hydrilla from milfoil is to simply ****** a piece out of the water. Hydrilla will hold its form unchanged, whereas milfoil collapses out of the water, like a sprayed spider. Hydrilla can be further confirmed by running a finger along the underside of a leaflet. The underside of hydrilla has a uniquely rough feeling, due to those tiny prongs pictured in the diagram. Water clarity permitting, both milfoil and hydrilla are capable of growing in water over 15 ft deep (milfoil can grow 20 ft deep in clear water) and both plants are very capable of forming surface mats. Roger

I've been a Tool & Die Maker for 32 years. I served my apprenticeship in a job shop run by my father and I, later working with multi-slide machines & tubing fabrication. I retired in 1992, but was pulled from retirement by my younger brother. I'm now a Market Analyst working from my Florida home for my brother's software firm in New Jersey. Roger

The damage that man is inflicting on planet Earth is growing progressively more serious. The road ahead doesn't look too pretty. Roger

We were wondering when you and Gene would be getting off the water. Was Lonnie able to join you guys today? Roger Last I heard Lonnie is not doing well health wise I'm sorry to learn that. Roger

To each his own. If you are right-handed, and I am left-handed, would you let me talk you into being left handed? Roger

I wish I could help you, but I never have any professional overruns, mine are all "dufus" overruns Roger

Agreed. Unless one is comfortable coexisting with falsehoods, it's generally wise to give Darwinism the benefit of the doubt Roger

There are only two times when I will use spinning gear, at night, and during the daytime. Roger

A Topwater Explosion, especially close to the boat, really buries the needle on my Thrill Meter! Roger

And that 1 to 2% of the population is actively feeding only a small percentage of the time.

My "favorite" fall pike lure, and my "most successful" fall pike lure are not one and the same. Our most successful fall lure is not on the poll list, which by a long shot is a Jig & Dead Minnow. Roger

We were wondering when you and Gene would be getting off the water. Was Lonnie able to join you guys today? Roger

To my mind, "finesse" refers to delivery more than size, where both the lure and retrieve are passive and non-aggressive. My favorite finesse technique uses a 7" worm, and frankly, I don't know of a better way to get the skunk out of the boat Gambler 7" Big Stick (shadow blue glitter) rigged on 3/16oz Owner Type-Z Bullet Head Await bottom contact - Twitch "lightly" in place 2 or 3 times - Pause about 5 secs while mending the slack - Repeat (During each pause, the worm stands vertically erect [come hither] while the skirt-tail rocks seductively back-&-forth) Roger

Nice report Mr. Roberts, as usual I'm glad that you (a former fisheries technician) posted the above passage. You can't imagine how many times this came up on the forums, long before you came aboard. Roger