RoLo

In my view, the very fact that you are seeking reassurance, should lend to your answer. Roger

Thanks for posting those former threads Paul, I'm sorry I missed them. I found them all highly informative and very interesting. Roger

Aside from being low in saturated fat, the largemouth bass is unusually high in "Omega-3" fatty acids, a very heart-healthy lipid. I don't understand why this is so, because high Omega-3s are normally associated with fish living in coldwater like salmon and cod. Though most anglers seem to prefer crappies to bass, I much prefer bass to crappies. Maybe it's the difference in cooks Roger

You don't see that posted enough, but FR is right on the money. Roger

So ya, I dress for comfort AND fashion.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to exchange saltwater experiences with Hector. In addition to freshwater angling, Hector was an accomplished striped bass fisherman. My condolences to his family, and may my friend rest in peace. Roger

Unlike air which is highly compressible, water is highly incompressible. As a result, sound waves travel "through" the fish's body. For this reason, bass do not have ear holes (auriculars) but have internal ears instead. It stands to reason that the lateral lines of the bass are designed to detect low-frequency vibration. Low-frequency waves are most dependable at close range, because they dissipate sooner than high-frequency waves. I'm sure we have all been amazed by a bass's ability to locate a lure in muddy water. Even soft plastic lures without any rattlebox will catch bass in muddy water, so it appears as though they have some tracking device. It is also suggested that the lateral sensors of fry fish, enable them to stay in a unitized school even in muddy water. Roger

As Translated: Slow Retrieve For Active Bass & Neutral Bass Fast Retrieve For Active Bass Correct me if I'm wrong, so you're suggesting that Neutral bass cannot be triggered by a Fast retrieve (impulse strike). Roger

I don't think of bass as selectivists, but as aggressive opportunists with a short memory. Roger

Real nice haul T-rig! (long time no see). If you don't mind me asking, what water yielded that gator pike? Looks like a Baltic Giant from the Gulf of Bothnia Roger

Good advice. On more than one occasion I've been caught in an electrical storm, and they were extremely anxious moments. The highest point is generally the most vulnerable, but you can get lucky if the imbalance in protons to electrons is greater in another object, though that object may be slightly lower or slightly farther away than your position. All the same, hoping that the proton count in your boat is balanced with the electron count in an overhead cloud, is a dangerous place to hang your hat! Roger

There you go Should I get caught in a rogue flash storm, I just erect a 20 ft pole to serve as a Lightning Rod Roger

X2 We're all still waiting for someone to post that equation. But in the mean time, it makes a great scapegoat Roger

Actually, maximum weight and weight plateau is not the same thing. Let me use a tall mountain as an analogy. The upslope of the mountain represents the weight gain of a bass. At birth the weight of the bass is represented by the base of the mountain. As the bass matures, its weight climbs up the mountain slope toward the crest. The crest of the mountain designates the maximum weight of the bass, but has nothing to do with the weight plateaus along the way. A weight plateau is analogous to a flat stairstep encountered as you ascend a mountain. The first flat bench we encounter nearest to the base of the mountain represents the first plateau. With respect to bass weight, let's label the first plateau "3 pounds" (that actually IS the first plateau). This glass ceiling is the byproduct of growth rate, mortality rate, gender and age constraints. When the weight of a bass exceeds the first plateau (3 lbs), it tends to vary more randomly until flattening out again at the second plateau, for instance 6 pounds. There are several plateaus along the way before a bass reaches maximum weight (the mountain crest). Most weight plateau have a political handle, that is to say: Trophy-class, Record-class, World-class and Freak-class. If 'weight plateau' is still unclear to you, feel free to shoot me a PM and we'll knock it down. Roger

Okay, you have a sample of 50,000 boated bass, their length, girth & weight. You can analyze that sample in three different manners: Average - Mode - Median. Without complicating the explanation, "weight plateau" refers to the mode. In other words, weight points where the weights bunch up (sticking points). Once you surpass a plateau (like a stock resistance level), the weight is likely to spurt. You may spend 10 years of your life reaching the 9-lb plateau, then the very next bass you boat over 9 lbs may weigh 11lb, 3oz, because the next weight plateau in most waterbodies is 12 pounds. To use buck bass as an example, the weight plateau of male bass is 4 lbs, while the ceiling weight is 6 lbs. This is purely statistical of course, and exceptions are rampant. Hope that helps. Roger

Ain't that the truth? In Florida, there are few days on the water when you won't hear bass busting in the bulrushes or spatterdock. It's a unique sound, and you know instantly that it's either a bass or an alligator. Roger

Turn the radio off

Hey Muddy, I wonder what line this guy uses when he gets skunked

Natural lakes aside, this segment discusses the terrestrial classifications of Artificial Lakes. (Incidentally, artificial lake is synonymous to reservoir' and impoundment'.) By using the shotgun approach, this post attempts to involve everyone in the United States, without any regional bias. As noted below, there are six basic terrestrial classes of artificial lakes: Reservoir Class Mean Clarity Impoundment Weight Plateau > Lowland Murky to Clear Concrete 18 lb > Flatland Mostly Dingy Earthen (concrete spillways) 15 lb > Hill-Land Clear but Stained Earthen (concrete spillways) 9 lb > Highland Mostly Clear Earthen OR Concrete 12 lb > Plateau Clear to Stained Earthen (concrete spillways) 6 lb > Canyon Crystal-Clear Concrete 9 lb A weight plateau is simply a sticking point where many bass of similar weight tend to crop up, the most pervasive being 9 pounds. Plateaus are normally the product of forage base, year-class success, gender and age constraints. Weight plateaus are remarkably repetitive, and are readily disclosed using historic records such as state citation programs, biggest fish per tournament, electroshocking, annual contests sponsored by beer and magazine companies, etc. Roger

I like 30-lb braid because it's less prone to burrowing than 20-lb. I fish spinning tackle only, and love everything about braided polyethylene. Closing the bail by hand supposedly reduces wind-knots, but frankly I haven't experienced any problems either way. Thirty-pound braid is only 0.011" in diameter (equivalent to 8lb nylon mono). What Brand? I was hoping you wouldn't ask me that question. I've been touting the virtues of PowerPro on the forum, and though all the virtues of braid remain intact, PowerPro has let us down :-[ During our last few outings, both my wife and myself have lost several LUNKER bass due to inexplicable breakage. Most of the breaks were midway between the rod-tip and lure. On the Internet I found two places where PowerPro themselves admitted to having QA problems. As far as I'm concerned, one strike and your out. I'm now looking at TUFline and have Fireline Braid on order. Roger

Absolutely! But the meso areas will hold more smallmouth and walleyes.

I'm pretty sure that spooling up with "braided line" will solve any hook-set issue. Roger

The impounding dam is typically situated at the tail of the lake's basin. As a result, the upper-end or headwaters is typically a riverine environment whose sediment will ultimately end up in the lake basin near the dam (tailwaters). Perhaps more importantly, the rate of erosion and sedimentation will depend on the resident substrate. For this same reason, the eutrophication rate in each creek arm can vary broadly based on the substrate thereat, whether it's predominantly rock, sand, clay, mire, etc, and its relative location with regard to water exchange rate. There are two approaches to evaluating trophic status, one is scientific and the other if for you and I. The scientific approach uses a complex formula to determine the Carlson's Index, by factoring in three variables > Water Transparency (secchi disk readings) > Chlorophyll Level (suspended algae) > Total Phosphorus The results are then calculated to determine the Carlson Value (below): Carlson's Index 20 to 35 = Oligotrophic 35 to 55 = Mesotrophic 55 to 70 = Eutrophic Over 70 = Hypereutrophic Obviously, you and I are not going to be bothered with any Carlson Index. Furthermore, it's a very poor tool in the field. Most large lakes simultaneously possess different trophic states within the same waterbody. For example, most mesotrophic lakes have one or more eutrophic bays. For the fisherman, lake classificiation is not an exact science, nevertheless, we must be able to distinguish between Natural and Artificial, and between Young and Old: Again, if the waterbody is old, it will be shallower, dingier and weedier than its meso and oligo counterparts. If you break out the electronics, it will also be warmer and contain less dissolved oxygen. The dissolved oxygen in a late-stage eutrophic lake (early-stage cornfield) ultimately flirts with zero, when the population of bullheads and carp finally cash out. The lake is now dead, which will ultimately dry up and generate lush drifts of dog fennel ;-) Roger

Chris, the aging process of a lake is a combination of erosion, sedimentation, increasing algae, increasing fertility, diminishing depth and diminishing water clarity. Although that may sound bad, it is very good to a point, and furthermore depends on the species of fish in question (e.g. lake trout or catfish?). When we see a picture-perfect postcard of a pristine Canadian lake, we're looking at a young lake where the glacier was last to recede. The lake in the picture is crystal-clear with bold shield rock shores, peppered with white birch trees. A gorgeous portrait, Yes!a fertile lake, No! What's not so visible is that those clear, cool, deep waters are infertile, and in some cases borderline sterile. Oligotrophic ecosystems are fragile and easily skimmed by intelligent angling, but such is not the case with eutrophic waters. As a lake ages, rock is ultimately turned to sand, sedimentation gradually fills in the basin thereby reducing the depth. As the area of soft sedimentary bottom increases, the more sediment there is in suspension, which progressively degrades water clarity. Let's take a look at your own Kentucky Lake. Several years ago, Rick Clunn weighed in two smallmouth bass at a Kentucky Lake tourney. Both smallmouth bass weighed exactly 5 lbs, 10 oz! I seriously doubt that he or anyone else might repeat that feat today. Why would I say such a thing? In a word eutrophication. As Kentucky Lake ages, it becomes progressively more suited to largemouth bass and progressively less suited to smallmouth bass. The Department of Natural Resources will fight it, but as always, Big Mama will win. Roger

It was suggested in another thread that "lake classification" should be explained. I think that's an idea with merit, so I decided to kick off such a thread. The lion's share of dissension within our forum is due to geographical differences. While a question may be posed by an angler who fishes a mesotrophic impoundment, he's going to receive many replies from anglers who fish eutrophic natural lakes, and vice versa. Like anything else, once understand, it's a piece of cake: By far, the most important lake classification is whether you're dealing with a Natural lake or Artificial lake. Beyond that, you can build it out to nine trophic states if you so desire. The three major trophic states are as follows: > Oligotrophic = Young (usually glacial) > Mesotrophic = Mid-aged (said of natural and artificial waters) > Eutrophic = Old (may be glacial, seabed, sinkhole, et al) We arrive at a total nine by subdividing each of the three major trophic states into three stages: > Early-Stage (oligo, meso & eutro) > Mid-Stage (oligo, meso & eutro) > Late-Stage (oligo, meso & eutro) By the way, "late-stage eutrophic" lakes are comically referred to as Early Cornfield. If I forgot to mention that, I'll bet Muddy would've filled you in ;D Because eutrophic lakes are old, they're characterized by advanced sedimentation, lowered water clarity and high fertility (greatest fish-pounds per acre). If you're fishing a eutrophic natural lake, weeds are the key, as bass will live-and-die between the shoreline and the outer weed-line. The overwhelming majority of natural lakes in the United States are eutrophic. When living in New Jersey we were surrounded by eutrophic natural lakes such as Paulinskill, Carnegie Lake and Lake Muscenetcong to name a few. The eutrophic zone of natural lakes begins at the bottom of Florida and runs northward to New Jersey. The northern border of eutrophic natural waters runs westward past the bottom of Lake Michigan to the Canadian border in Montana. They are however, conspicuously absent west of the Rocky Mountains. Artificial impoundments typically lack lush vegetation, either due to marginal bottom content or pool level fluctuations. Therefore, bass holding features in a manmade lake have no depth bounds, where bass depth is limited only by the oxycline. If your lake is a mesotrophic impoundment, pay particular attention to what Catt posts. Oligotrophic natural lakes are typically deep, clear and infertile waters (low biomass per acre). Unless you're fishing in Canada, it's not likely that you'll encounter many oligotrophic natural lakes. On the othe hand, "artificial" oligotrophic lakes are a whole other animal. Since artificial oligo lakes are manmade, their population is growing. In contrast, the population of natural lakes tends to shrink (early cornfield). Roger