RoLo

In spite of the importance of sunscreens, they are grossly misunderstood by consumers. Most people focus on the Sun Protection Factor (SPF), which is leading with the wrong foot. The SPF deals essentially with UVB rays (ultraviolet-, and only helps to reduce acute photodamage characterized by sunburning and tanning. The worrisome rays in sunlight are the UVA rays (ultraviolet-A), the fraction that causes "chronic" photodamage associated with permanent discoloration, wrinkles & skin cancer. Instead of concentrating on the SPF, you need to read the ingredients label and look for UVA suppressants such as Zinc Oxide, Avobenzone (aka Parsol 1789) and/or Titanium Dioxide. Living in Florida, I need to use the best sunscreen available. I've been using Neutrogena Age Shield for years, which contains 3.0% Avobenzene, but today I'm using a superior sunscreen (available over the net): Anthelios L (La Roche-Posay) Avobenzene 3.5% Titanium Dioxide 4.0% SPF-60 (least important of the three) (Be reminded, the SPF is not known to protect against skin cancer) Roger

Bass will often follow a lure that is hopping and bouncing but without actually committing to a strike. Although they are fascinated by the hops and bounces, they're more likely to commit to the lure while it's in a vertical freefall or while it's gliding in a smooth pendulum arc. Roger

TWO PBs!! Congratulations Roger

I certainly *** any angler who's able to tote "ALL" his lures to the lake. But if the Bait Monkey is listening, you've been moved to the top of his attack list. In addition to about a dozen tackle boxes, I have a 9-drawer Credenza and 5-drawer Chest that are slap-full of fishing lures (more lures than most small tackle shops). If I attempted to take even half of ALL my lures to the lake, I'd have to begin with a much larger boat ;D Roger

I don't believe that the fattest bass are necessarily the healthiest bass (i.e. oxymoron). A fat bass says more about the health of the "forage base" than the health of the bass. If bass are anything like humans, overeating will come with a high price. Yeah, give me the svelte 13-pounder, instead of the 10-pound basketball 8-) Roger

Sure! Just PayPal that $1000 to snuffthemonkey@gmail.com. I'll get right on it. Now I'm so fired up, I decided to raise my pledge to Two Grand All YOU have to do is produce the head

x3 Roger

Though I've never actually counted them, it's as many lures as you could possibly stuff into a 1258 Plano. Since the majority of my lures are soft plastics, I'm probably toting around 400 lures (my wife totes another 400). Roger

There should be a "price" on that Monkey's Head. We'd all profit in the long run, if we each posted $1000 to RUB OUT that wicked primate > ;D Roger

Yep, that's about it. It begins with a good hook-set, and ends with a constantly taut line. I've submersed more than one water-resistant wristwatch, only to watch a bass take to the air : Roger

Thanx Kent :-[ And it's nice to be back Roger

In Florida, there are a few animals that will strike a bass lure, among them: > Bowfin > Chain Pickerel > Large Crappies > Large Bluegills > Florida Gar > Alligators > Turtles Roger

This is a tough question due to the difference in average weight between northern-strain and Florida-strain bass. I've found that long-term statistics can be useful for providing reasonable guideposts and to remove misconceptions. If you analyze a robust cross-section of bass weights (10s of thousands), you will likely find that Florida-strain bass weigh approximately 50% more than northern strain bass (at each weight plateau). As Roadwarrior pointed out, 5 pounds is a clear sticking point for northern-strain bass, where a 6 lb bass may be regarded a trophy. For Florida-strain bass however, "9 pounds" designates trophy-class, where bass weights tend to bunch up around 8 lbs. For this reason, the state of Florida set the benchmark weight at "8 lbs" for their Big-Catch citation program. Even though Florida produces more 9-lb bass than any state in the union setting the benchmark at 9 pounds would sharply reduce valuable input: Northern-strain Florida-strain First-Plateau: 3 lb (nice fish) 4.5 lb (nice fish) Trophy-Class: 6 lb 9 lb Record-Class: 8 lb 12 lb World-Class: 10 lb 15 lb Freak-Class: 12 lb 18 lb Roger

Kudos to you Russ, you have discovered a way to maximize the enjoyment of catching bass Roger

Hi Don, I would've replied much sooner but we just got back from Jersey tonight (celebrated my mom's 90th birthday). It's great to hear from you again ole buddy and I hope that all is well. In spite of their fondness for warm water, I was surprised to learn that largemouth bass are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Unfortunately, I don't know the source of the information but this is what I found in my Health report: OMEGA-3 FATS / SERVING Mackerel 2.2 g Herring (kippers) 1.7 g Sardines 1.7 g Bluefin Tuna 1.6 g Lake Trout 1.6 g Salmon 1.4 G Whitefish 1.3 g Bluefish 1.2 g Halibut 0.9 g Freshwater Bass 0.8 g Mullet 0.8 g Striped Bass 0.8 g Swordfish 0.7 g Oysters 0.6 g Rainbow Trout 0.6 g Squid 0.6 g Mussels 0.5 g Shark 0.5 g Pollack 0.5 g Crabs 0.4 g Shrimp 0.4 g Hake 0.4 g Seabass 0.4 g Cod 0.3 g Clams 0.3 g Flounder 0.2 g Scallops 0.2 g Lobster 0.2 g Haddock 0.1 g Pike 0.1 g Roger

Until our recent address change, I authored the local angling column for our home waters here in Florida. In view of the ole saw, "One picture is worth a thousand words", a photograph was often provided. Although the weight of the bass was normally omitted, I come to learn that the imagination of the audience was generally greater than my own Indeed, I still weigh and measure every "good" bass that my wife or I bring to the boat, but do so only for my own edification and not to bore the reader. Roger

Come on down! You live on Hatchineha? I live 10 minutes from the Hatchineha ramp, in Nature's Edge. The Hatch is often better fishing than the Big-K, but they're both about 10 mins from my home. Roger

You're observant. It'a Kistler Helium LTX (MH - 6'9) the reel of obviously a Stella. To be honest, I'm not choked up about the outfit. There is no doubt about that In fact, the only way I get to fish, is to rip the rod out of her hand ;D Roger

That's an ideal situation FR, Strap the colonel in a large open crate, and suspend him from the bow. Every time the bow dips down and the the colonel meets the drink, he provides a free chum line. An old mako technique ;D Roger

Powell 684CB $140 Len. Line Wgt Wgt Range Tip Power 6' 8" 8 to 17 lb 1/4oz - 3/4oz Mod-Fast Medium Look at the handle though, and be sure you like the length Roger

Lois and I will be headed north tomorrow for a family reunion in Hillside, NJ. I'm excited because I have cousins and nieces I haven't met in decades, you know how that goes. Mom will be 90 on June 14, and she's still the vibrant, feisty lady I remembered as a kid. It's funny, but I still learn from this great lady today. Oddly enough, I learn more from her today than I ever did before, about the larger things in life that I wasn't able to grasp as a snot-nosed kid. Of course, mom would tell you that her first born is still a snot-nosed kid. This reminds me of the old adage by Mark Twain, who I much admire, quote: "When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." Mark Twain Anyway gang, I'll be back to haunt ya'll on Tuesday of next week, so until then please hold down the fort, and don't depend on the posse because they are totally sozzled Chow Gang, Roger

Given the correct "location": 1) Lure Depth (highly criticial, more so in coldwater) 2) Lure Speed (highly critical, more so in coldwater) 3) Lure Action (need to experiment, including horizontal vs. vertical delivery) > Lure Size (smaller in clear water, larger in murky water) > Lure Profile (bass often prefer long slender lures even in a school of shiners - go figure) > Lure Sound (more sound in murky water, less in dingy water, no sound in clear water) > Lure Color (In dark water a dark lure absorbs more light for contrast, but fish need no help in clear water) > Lure Texture (soft is better for a comeback strike) Roger

Until an actual hatch is observed, I'll usually stick with a "wet Light Cahill" or a "dry Royal Coachman". But every now and then we get this big hatch of creatures in our lake! You know what I'm talking about, they're about 5" long with trailing tentacles like a squid, and they have a couple of whirlygigs that spin around on top. They come in all different colors but the most common on my lake is "watermelon candy with red & black spots" Sorry about that, just couldn't resist Roger

Minus RoLo I admire those who can, but I'm afraid once it became a living it would cramp my style and rob my pleasure of the sport. My fear is that bass and pike would begin to look like dollar bills, instead of the beautiful creatures they are. To each his own Roger

On balance, the longevity of crappie is 3 to 6 years with an 8-year maximum. In the South, 95% are within 5yrs of age due to overharvest & thermal burnout. (Thermal burnout is the same reason we won't see a world-record bass from Cuba or South Mexico). Crappie double their weight during 2nd & 3rd year but thereafter it's: Length cubed / 1725 Roger