RoLo

X4

Ideal Conditions: Post-spawn period during a light ripple. Roger

Hollow frogs do not enjoy the same high hookup ratio as solid toads. For this reason, I generally use solid toads except for walking-the-dog when I prefer the Spro Bronzeye Frog. Out of the package however, the bronzeye makes a poor walker, but this is easily rectified with two simple modifications: 1) On both frog legs, trim the length of the leg strands so they're only 2 inches long (reduces lateral drag) 2) On each frog leg, grab the 8 innermost leg-strands then cut off all the other strands flush to the leg-socket. Have At It Roger

As already pointed out, if the proper components are used the brand of spinnerbait is immaterial. Look for the following features: > Ball-Bearing Swivel (mandatory) > R-Bend Eyelet (with a looped eyelet, the line is prone to fouling in the line-eye during the cast) > Long Arm (end of arm should reach or surpass the hook-point) > Silicone or Latex Skirt (avoid vinyl like the plague) > Bullet Nosed Head My favorite spinnerbait is the HeavyCover Spinnerbait, but I've noticed that their website is presently down (doesn't look good). They use top-flight components and let the customer custom-design his own spinnerbait from soup-to-nuts (hope they get back-up and running). Roger

Pursuant to an ancient quip, "Never play with a fish until after it's in the boat". With a really large fish, believe it or not, turning the head around can be the hardest part of the fight. You'll have to wait for the fish to complete at least one runoff, before you get the first opportunity. Once you've turned that bad girl around, keep the pressure on so she can only swim in your direction. This is also the best way to reduce the odds of a jumping fish, but a bass bent on jumping is going to jump even though your rod-tip may be buried underwater. Roger

Going against the consensus, my favorite knot is the Uni-Knot because true to its name, the uni-knot is truly a universal knot. I use it to tie direct to a T-rigged hook, to join two lines of different materials and to tie direct to a lure with 3 treble hooks. Roger

I once bought a rear-drag spinning reel believing that I could adjust the drag tension while my fingers stayed clear of the fishing line. In hindsight that was a bad decision, because I soon learned that in order to see and adjust the rear-drag, I had to push the rod awkwardly forward. As it turns out, a front-drag system is much easier to reach and see without any wrist contortions. From a mechanical standpoint, the front-drag employs greater clutch area, which makes it a smoother drag, a drag that's easier to adjust and one with a greater lifespan. Lose the rear-drag Roger

By the by, hybrid line and copolymer line are one and the same, any blend of nylon and fluorocarbon.

What constitutes the best cover varies from one lake to the next. As an example, we can use the state of Florida. As a rule of thumb, "lily pads" are deemed the most important cover in north Florida, "hydrilla" in central Florida and "emergent" plants in south Florida (sawgrass, bulrushes, spikerush, etc). In the St Johns River, which flows from south to north Florida, "eelgrass" is the most important cover...and so it goes. Roger

Team Daiwa Light-and-Tough 6-ft - MH - $120 Incredible latitude - Very sensitive - Great backbone - Attractive (True casting range: 1/8 to 1 oz - Finesse fishing to Stump-rocking) Everything. I prefer short rods in general, as they offer more advantages than a long rod. However, I'm afraid that bank-fishing is not one of the advantages of a short rod. With a longer rod you can retrieve the lure more parallel to the vegee line (for example, black willows overhanging the water). Roger

The extraction method posted by RW is probably the best way to remove the hook from a "gut-hooked" fish. However, this is not a very common incident, but between gullet-hooked bass the diagonal cutting-pliers pictured by LKN may be used many times over. That is, for hooks lodged in the roof of the mouth, in the corner gristle, deep in the tongue, etcetera. In my opinion, every fishing boat should carry at least one pair of cutting pliers. BTW: opt for the thinnest pair available. It seems that the older I get the more sympathetic I become, something to do with mortality I suppose. When unhooking a bass, after about a half minute has elapsed I begin to have increasing pangs of guilt. Unfortunately, the combination of Gamakatsu EWG hooks and braided line often results in a hook that's real tough to disgorge. During the unhooking process, if my sympathy needle runs off the meter I'll just reach for the diagonal cutting-pliers. I'll cut the hook just behind the point to eliminate the point and barb from the equation. If the point is not exposed, just push the hook until the point emerges through the flesh (as you would if you accidentally hooked yourself). Once you can fit the diagonal cutters between the hook-barb and the flesh, there's enough exposed point. As soon as the shank is snipped, the hook may be readily extracted 8-) Roger

I tie everything to PowerPro braid...I live on the edge! : Roger

I've never tried Baby Bass because that pattern somehow lands flat on me. However, I'd certainly recommend "Nishiki". The success of plugs with a redhead pattern dates back over 50 years. In murky water I strictly use "Aurora Green Perch". The black bars against the light hologram really show up well in dingy water (important with a quiet plug). Roger

Isn't that Avid's cane?

I believe that color is important inasmuch as it enhances lure visibility, but beyond that I think color becomes angler-intensive. The best color to use varies constantly throughout the day and may even vary from one cast to the next if the cover is different (e.g. in the weeds - outside the weeds). Ironically, matching the color of the prevalent prey may not only be unnecessary, but may actually work against the angler. Creatures are colored by Mother Nature to be difficult for predators to detect. Copying Big Mama might be playing into her hands, because a bass won't strike a lure it can't see. Roger

To my mind, fishing & hunting are THEE traditional American sports. I well remember when Thanksgiving morning found most nimrods in their favorite coverts gunning for pheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit & woodcock. It was a powerful tradition even in New Jersey, the most populated state in the union. Speaking for myself, I have very little interest in the couch-potato sports. I suppose that makes me an egoist, because I'd rather be IN the game than WATCHING the game. More eloquently put, I prefer participant sports to spectator sports Roger

In Reply-91 of this thread, I mentioned that "the FWC is still well ahead of the curve on hydrilla control (less Toho)" I had a hunch they'd fix that soon after the National Tournament. Roger

You're on the ball, JT Roger

Right you are, the Zoom Trick worm sinks like a stone. Then you've got the Z-Too, which strike king refers to as a "slow sinker", but it floats like a kite. Let's face it, the manufacturer has a different agenda than the angler, so we need to do our own homework. Roger

During a hot fluke bite, I'll intentionally change the color of my fluke after every couple of bass, just to see if that might change the action. Although I'm always looking for the Holy Grail, changing the color of the fluke has never helped or hurt my success...not really. Even so, I reach for "albino" more than any other fluke pattern because I like its translucent shiner-like appearance and soft outline I also have many bags of flukes in White Ice, Baby Bass and Bubblegum, which I'll continue to use for experimenting. Bubblegum is easier to see in murky water but I'm comfortable working the fluke without seeing it all the time. Roger

A "standup jig" with a flattened head is not necessary with a Strike King 3x Finesse Worm, because they stand vertically upright not matter what jig is used. The traditional "ballhead shaky jig" isn't needed either, because the vertically erect tail of the 3x worm offers plenty of shake. Instead I'd be looking for a 1/8 oz jig that provides a large, strong, round-bend hook (a tall order). The Bagley 1/8oz Shaky Head uses a small rubbery 2/0 Hook (avoid). The Tru-Tungsten Weed Wacker isn't bad, but the hook is 2/0, a bit rubbery and doesn't have a round-bend (LOP bend). The Luck "E" Strike Perfect Worm Rig uses a long rubbery 2/0 hook and the long shank doesn't leave enough free worm tail. The Picasso Shakedown Jighead is a tough little jig but unfortunately the tiny spring-retainer is not suitable for 3x plastic! The jig I'm currently using for Strike King 3x worms is the Slider 1/8oz Spider Classic Head (SPCH8B-U) which uses a 3/0 hook. I buy them direct from Charlie Brewer's Slider Company, but their website is a mess so the model numbers is important. Roger

I realize that this thread has been done to death, but opinions do keep changing. The senko is softer than a tiki stick and offers a little more tail waddle. This begs the question, "Is more action necessarily better"? I think the answer is sometimes, but other times less action may be better. In fact, that's probably the main reason why the zoom trick worm stole the lead position from the culprit ribbontail worm (more subtle action). I like all the stick worms, but my personal favorite (right now) is the wave worm Tiki Stick. Price aside, I prefer the tiki stick to the senko in heavy cover because they hold up a little longer. In addition, Florida lakes are essentially shallow, and the tiki stick has a slower fall rate than the senko. Last but not least, I really haven't noticed any meaningful difference in the success between the two (admittedly hard to measure). BTW: I usually rig the tiki stick wacky-style, but bury a short-shank hook in the center of the worm so it's completely weedless. Roger

Of course you can, but I'm not sure why you'd want to. The beauty of the C-rig is the "remote sinker" that gives the trailer its own head and an unfettered delivery. Tying a jig to a carolina-rig is fishing a rig with TWO weights :-? :-/ Roger

The first thing that impresses me most about really big bass is their shear strength, somehow they always make me feel under-tackled (maybe I am). I find it intriguing that every bass, regardless of size, instinctively knows that it can shake its head back-&-forth faster in the air than it can underwater (so they take to the air). I'm sure that really big bass are just as eager to sling-off the lure, but from what I've seen, they usually don't have the athletic ability of medium-size bass. The gorgeous jumping hawg described by Fish Chris is a treasured moment and an exceptional specimen. I've also encountered outstanding specimens, once with a northern pike and once with a striped bass, but not so far with a largemouth bass. From what I've seen in Florida, most of the jumps made by the largest bass are almost laughable. It goes something like this: During the fight you'll notice the line moving upward in the water as she swims toward the surface, but instead of breaking water on cue, there seems to be a slight hesitation. Just when you're wondering what she's up to, a large head suddenly rises out of the water almost in slow motion. She's prying downward on the water with her broad tail, but rather than an actual leap, it's more of a tail-stand. While holding her big head high out of the water and almost in place, she'll rattle her gills for all she's worth (good time to be wearing safety glasses). In short, I would say that the tail-stand from the largest bass is more technical than athletic. Roger

That is true, but it's easy to avoid. "Line-burrowing" is generally not an issue unless at least one of two conditions exist (usually both conditions exist): 1) When casting a lightweight lure (the line will spool loosely on the arbor) 2) After heavy pressure has been placed on the line (e.g. pulling on a snagged lure). When casting a lightweight lure (spinning> 1/8 oz or less), the line doesn't wrap as firmly around the arbor, leaving a spongy base. In this condition, if heavy pressure is applied to the line (e.g. yanking on a fouled lure) the last wrap of super-thin braid may burrow into the loose wraps below. To prevent line-burrowing after heavy pressure has been applied to the line, simply pull a few yards of line off the spool to undo the burrow. If you can't remember to do this or you just can't be bothered (like me), spooling-up with 30 lb braid (or higher) will virtually eliminate all line-burrowing, even when the above conditions exist. BTW: 30-lb PowerPro is only 0.011" in diameter, equal to 8-lb Triline XL. Roger