RoLo

I'll drink to that Roger

What a difference a day makes. Kent, I can still picture Al Lindner talking about the fantastic smallmouth fishing in Pickwick Lake, a man who lives in the far north. It was during the 80s and Al was virtually dribbling with excitement. You're a man who lives in the south, and the Tennessee River practically runs through your backyard, yet you're sending us up north. That speaks volumes to me, and the same sea-change is reflected by recent statistics. In Pickwick Lake, the ratio of largemouth bass to smallmouth bass has 'doubled' in two short years (2003 to 2005)! Roger

Local Jaunt: Within an hour Annual Vacation: About a year (Chart analysis - Bone-up - Brain-Picking) Roger

Just 1-pound shy of Florida's certified record (Remarkable!) From what I'm reading, big bass are showing up again on Panasoffkee (low for years). Roger

I don't believe it's a question of veracity, but a question of chronological order It reminds me of the advent of "Bunker Dunking" along the Jersey coast. This method wreaked such havoc on Striped Bass that a moratorium was imposed. Fortunately, I got into Bunker Dunking during its infancy, but already there were no less than a dozen captains, guides and Giglio hotshots who swore that "HE" was the inventor of "Bunker Dunking". Darn, if I had just gotten there a week sooner, I could've added my name to the list > : Roger

Carolina Rig The so-called Carolina-rig is a remote-sinker rig used by saltwater anglers since the early 1900s. Exactly where the term Carolina appeared on the scene escapes me. However in 1973, Bill Dance placed second in a tournament on Clarks Hill Reservoir. It was published by the chronicles that Bill was using a Carolina rig, something few anglers ever heard of before that event. Texas Rig The Texas rig also had its roots in Nick Crème's rubber worm, who melted the plastic on his kitchen stove in Tyler, Texas. I'm sure that Texas is the rightful origin of this rig, but something puzzles me to this day. I was living in New Jersey when we were first exposed to this rigging, and it was widely known then as the Self-Weedless rig. The self-weedless moniker lasted about a year or two then gave way to the name Texas rig. By any name, the T-rig is here to stay. Roger

Wacky Rig The first plastic worms made by Nick Creme were made of such tough plastic that we all referred to them as "rubber worms". Shortly after their introduction (1949), some anglers in New Jersey would rig those nasty worms by hooking them through the midriff, leaving both ends to dangle free. For many years this was known as the Jersey Rig, and still is in certain circles. Then about 25 years later the Jersey Rig gained national prominence, but would go down in history as the Wacky Rig. Roger

There are many ways to evaluate professional anglers. For example, you could base it on monetary earnings, total stringer weights, prestigious awards like Angler of the Year and so on. I've devised my own pro ranking system, which is based on the following: # of 1st place , # of 2nd place, # of 3rd place, # of Top-10 and # of Top-20. Based on cumulative scoring, the top tourney pros during 80s decade would look something like this: EARLY 80s 1> Larry Nixon Score 64 2> Roland Martin Score 56 3> Rick Clunn Score 46 LATE 80s 1> Rick Clunn Score 41 2> Guido Hibdon Score 40 3> Larry Nixon Score 35 Although Roland Martin literally dominated the 70s, no tourney pro dominated the 80s, but I'd definitely give the nod to Larry Nixon (aggregate score: 99) Roger

Boy, the lure sophistication today has left me in the dust :-/ Roger, I know its not the classiest name in the bunch. Just quoting one that I have seen. Actually it's rather descriptive. If someone can't visualize that lure...well, they've never seen an Upton's

I believe that's correct (I used to put-in at the public launch behind the Lochloosa Post Office). There were several fish camps at Cross Creek, but the extended drought on Orange and Lochloosa forced them under. I'm sure most of the younger anglers aren't aware of Lake Lochloosa's unique history. During the 1940s and 50s, Lake Lochloosa and the Withlacoochee River were the two best trophy bass waters in the state of Florida (Jackson and Rodman came much later). I have a gut-feeling that Lake Lochloosa may be posturing for a comeback. The crappie fishery has already taken off, and I'm keeping my eye on the bass fishery. Roger

43" Northern Pike <> Jig & Strip Roger

Boy, the lure sophistication today has left me in the dust :-/

Where is Zell when you need him?

Realistically, a jig is simply a delivery system, a unitized hook & sinker. You'd really need to tell us a little more about the cover you'll be fishing and the "lure" you wish to use. The choices are many and include but are not limited to: Silicone Skirts, Bucktail Hair, Marabou Feathers, Plastic Craws, Plastic Grubs, Plastic Worms, Plastic Creatures, Swimbaits, Pork Rind, Strip Bait, Live Bait ~ ~ Roger

Right you are RW, I forgot all about white bass For anyone fishing Lake Erie during the opening weeks of smallmouth bass, just keep an eye peeled for working birds. We'd run up within casting distance of every busting school, then just drift and cast like a bluefish blitz on the ocean Eventually we ran out of 3 white grubs :-[ Believe me, you'll soon tire of counting fish. Roger

We use the same colors for hair jigs, tube lures and plastic grubs. On balance, we seem to do best with Black, Brown and Dark Green (e.g. Lake Erie & Lake Huron). A notable exception was Dale Hollow Reservoir, where Chartreuse (and yellow) seemed to do better than dark colors. Things that make you go Hmmmm. Roger

Your plan is right on the money! Nylon and fluoro would serve no useful purpose for trophy pike fishing, but as all things, that's a matter of opinion. I would tie a titanium wire leader direct to 40-lb polyethylene braid (e.g. PowerPro). While titanium has a bit of sticker shock, the cost of titanium leader is cheaper in the long run than any other metallic leader. Titanium is very kink-resistant, and if it does become kinked the breaking strength doesn't fall off a cliff like braided stainless steel and piano wire. In addition, 30-lb Terminator titanium wire is only 0.014" in diameter. Furthermore, titanium leader forgoes the need for metal sleeves and crimping pliers, and can be attached using a two-twist Figure-8 knot and end loops may be formed with plain double-wrap end loops. Based on gullet to lip measurements, a 6.5" trace is long enough for pike to 30", 9.5" is safe to 40" and a foot long metal leader will land the next world record ;-) Roger

I resemble that remark > ;D Bill Dance zoomed to stardom right out of the box (1967), but Roland Martin absolutely dominated the entire 1970s decade, and he got my vote too (darn Clunn). I'm just grateful to have lived during the era when Ray Scott incepted BASS and witness all Roland's remarkable feats. Roger

Kudos George, I couldn't have said it better myself. I'm pushing 70, but I have today the same burning passion that I had in my 30s and 40s. Today, I'm a far better fisherman than I ever was before, and have stayed abreast with every new lure and fishing technique. What I don't have today however is the same indefatigable stamina. Just like George, I was sure that I would definitely be the exception, but age is inevitable and age is humbling. The only way to avoid old age is to die young, and that option never appealed to me. In his 60s, Roland Martin emerged from denial and announced his retirement from professional angling. Roland said that he was no longer able to compete against youngsters like Mike Iaconnelli. He picked the right guy, because Jersey Ike has enough electricity to light two cities, and he makes more money with TV programs than most tourney anglers make on the water. Though Roland may not have the same endurance, he still has more enthusiasm than most anglers half his age. Roger

Exactly The mandible of a longnose gar is at least twice the distance between the eye and pectoral fin (partially blocked by your hand). On a spotted gar, the mandible is about 1-1/2 times that distance. Gar are usually difficult to hook, and in Florida which is lousy with alligator gar, we bring the occasional gar to the boat by unintentionally lassoing the mandible. Roger

Have I been doing it wrong?? Sorry, couldn't resist. : ;D ;D ;D ;D

Oh yeah, I remember that Avid-day thread (where is he anyway?) Like Catt in Texas, I too use a lot to vertical deliveries in Florida, where weed-punching weight is needed. It's tough to beat a T-rigged trailer, but like any other presentation, the T-rig is not without flaws. Flaw 1: This would not apply to fishermen who work their lure using the reel rather than the rod. Every time the rod is lowered the bullet sinker is allowed to drag the slack line below the lure, where it may be in harm's way (particularly in brush). Flaw 2: During the time the sinker and lure are separated, all angler-imparted action may not reach the lure, but some or all may be absorbed by the bullet sinker. Since I flatly refuse to peg sinkers with a toothpick, I find myself using an Owner Sled Head Jig more-and-more. The screw-coil keeper provides a good grip on the trailer in the toughest of cover. And since the weight and hook is one fixed unit, the sled head jig behaves the same as a pegged bullet sinker. It'll work with the trailer of your choice, but I'm partial to the Gambler 5" Flapp'n Tail Worm (tough plastic, no appendages). Roger

In order to answer that question you would have to 'Count Fish'. Thank goodness, that's one bad habit I don't have ;D When your timing is right, there are many places on Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) where you will catch smallmouth bass on countless back-to-back casts. Places where an unproductive retrieve is usually due to a lost fish. Roger

Are you sure you're dealing with grass carp? Grass carp are Chinese carp stocked in American waters for weed control. It's my guess that you're probably dealing with common carp, a larger and stronger fish than grass carp. In any case, all carp are herbivorous and not likely to strike lures. When I was kid my dad used to concoct his own cornmeal doughballs for carp fishing (Paulinskill N.J.). If he were alive today he'd probably concede to the fact that whole kernel niblets strung on a small hook are just as good or better than doughballs. Though many anglers look down their noses at carp, they're far more cunning than bass and a sheer blast to catch. Roger

I concur Paul, I too have never seen any cow bass involved in nest building, nor have I ever read anything to that effect. From a human perspective, the spawning ritual is a violent event with much ramming and thrashing. I can almost understand how courtship and nidification might be confused. Roger