RoLo

The "pre-spawn" period for virtually all game fish is a magic time of year when "trophy cows" are most aggressive. I believe that water temperatures are just coincidental, merely something we can easily monitor but serve as a coincidental symptom rather than the actual cause. It's generally accepted that the winter period embraces water temperatures from 33 to about 50 degrees F. (roughly 17-degree span). The early pre-spawn usually gets underway while water temperatures are still in the low 50s. The mid-pre-spawn takes place essentially with temperatures in the upper 50s, but varying. The late-pre-spawn (my favorite) is a nebulous period when water temperatures tend to sandwich the 60-degree benchmark. Spawning bass have been observed in water temperatures from 55 to 75 deg F., underscoring the unreliability of water temperature. (spawn timing seems to have a stronger basis in photoperiod). As you'd imagine, no two reservoirs are exactly the same, but all impoundments share several traits in common. During the "winter period", largemouth bass in reservoirs relate almost invariably to the "River Channel". During the bedding season however they normally relate to broad shallow expanses on 1 to 4-foot flats (The term "Flat" is self-explanatory, any flat bottom regardless of depth, with no or very slight depth change). During the pre-spawn season, bass are found essentially at holding sites that anglers call "staging sites", which are always somewhere between the winter grounds and spawning grounds. Depending on the weather, which is very unstable at this time of year, bass may be retreated in Creek Channels (not the river channel), but during stable warm-fronts bass won't hesitate to move all the way up onto the bedding flat during the late pre-spawn. If there's one time of year when "everything" seems to work, the pre-spawn period is that time. Among my pre-spawn favorites are the zoom super fluke, jig & plastic trailer, Rat-L-Trap and of course the venerable T-rigged plastic worm. Roger

"THERE He Is!" -or- "ARGH, She's Off!" Roger

You might try this, Don: 1) Tote the following gear to your boat: > 4-lb Ultra-Light Spinning Outfit rigged with a size-12 Hook (bring your bass tackle too) > Tiny Floats > Quaker Oats Oatmeal > Wal-Mart Pancake Mix in a small plastic container (1G more protein than Hungry Jack Pancake Mix) 2) Select about four baiting sites by focusing only on weedy flats in 1 to 3 ft of water (ideally, where you've seen baitfish cruising). 3) By hand, evenly distribute about 1-cup of Quaker Oats Oatmeal to each bait site. Then stake each site or memorize its exact location. The chum will usually attract chubs, dace, shiners and other minnows. 4) Fish for bass for a couple of hours, then return to the bait sites one-by-one like a paper route. 5) Even if you were pitching a cast net, you'd still be better off beginning with rod-and-reel to find out if shiners have in fact moved in. At 65, I'm not willing to waste too many empty pitches with an 8-ft cast net! Set the tiny float above the hook about 2/3 the water depth. Bait the hook with a 1/8" dough ball made from pancake mix (bread balls are OK). Any golden shiner or redfin chub over 4" long is bass-worthy bait, but of course 5 to 7" wild shiners are best 8-) Roger

When Tom Cruise verbally attacked Matt Laur, and straiffed Brook Shields in the process, I notched him down to "not wrapped too tight". Not surprisingly, his diatrob on the above link sounded like it was co-authored by Paula Abdul and Farrah Fawcett Roger

That's the spirit Roger

You probably know it muddy, but Black Lake used to give up some large muskies Roger

Nice work fellows I'm amazed that the weather was so different in Fellsmere today. I was going to sneak over to Crooked Lake today, but it was VERY windy in Lake Wales with on-and-off showers. All the same, I'm glad to see that you boys saved the day. Roger

I've never had the pleasure of meeting Ronnie in person, but I feel like I've known him for a long time. I was not aware of Alpster's generous undertakings, but was always aware of his quick wit, his non-judgmental contributions to the forum and his unique humility. I have to tell you, it also pleases me to see so many members who recognize and appreciate fine human traits, that in itself is very enlightening. Roger

Welcome to the forums, TNbassmom Roadwarrior will be dropping in eventually, he is our smallmouth bass guru. You'll know what I mean when you see his avatar Roger

Bassnleo, we used to pick up burbot in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, but I had no idea that got that large We'd pick them up while pike fishing, generally in the quietest, shallowest reaches of the bay (time to move). Here in Florida we have what I jokingly call 'southern burbot', I'm talking about bowfin of course Roger

Welcome aboard! Watertown Aye...you're surrounded by super bass fishing!! My favorite New York waters were the St Lawrence River (Lake of the Isles and vicinity), Black Lake and Lake Champlain. If you go through Canadian Customs you've got Cranberry Lake, Opinicon Lake, Rideau Lake and Georgian Bay (30,000 Islands) I'm getting homesick :'( Roger

I have a suggestion though if you run another experiment. When you place minnows on two different fishing outfits you're fishing in two different places (inches count). A good way to run a comparison is to place two minnows on the same rig (branch-rig). In this manner you'll be offering two minnows to the same location (almost), where one hook is tied to braided line and the other to a monofilament dropper. Even this test won't be bulletproof because the hooks are several inches apart, but if the experiment is repeated several times you may arrive at a reliable conclusion. Roger

I agree with flechero, it's better to pick the brand that best suits your personal wants and needs, rather than letting the brand pick you. Shopping from the bottom-up keeps the buyer in charge. All that said, the posse obligates me to vote for Shimano Curado ;D : Roger

Welcome to the forum If you're asking about sight-fishing for bass that you actually see on the bed, the lure is less important than the behavior of the lure. Spawning bass have almost no interest in food, but both parents detest creatures that dare to enter their claimed territory. I like the yum crawbug, but again "where" and "how" the lure spends its time is really the key. Roger

Doug, I believe the answer is yes, but I can't prove that. When we drop to a lighter line-test, I think the main advantage is reduced line-drag rather than reduced line-visibility. I remember when Fluorescent Yellow line was first introduced, and the whole angling community gulped! Oh wait a minute, Hi-Vis line is only highly visible above the water surface, because under the water it's practically invisible. Yah Right. I'm not suggesting that bass don't see the line, of course they do (even I can). But a creature that lives in a violent, rough-and-tumble world isn't likely to feel threatened by a fine thread streaming from its next meal. In fact, I'm sure a bass would seize a prey fish that had a snake streaming from its mouth. Not for nothing, I tie ALL my lures direct to moss-green braided line. Just think about all the foreign objects that bass routinely accept: > Multi-legged creature baits (what really are they?) > Large rotating metal blades > Chatterbait heads (yummy) > Fiber weedguards (?!?!) > 3 Treble hooks dangling from an ugly chunk of hard-plastic (that's okay?) BUT, once a bass gets a glimpse of that awe-inspiring filament called line, All Bets Are Off! (I don't think so) On the other hand, I used to fly-fish for trout using wet & dry flies, and the first thing I learned was the importance of a Natural Drift. Incredibly, brown and rainbow trout will ignore a presentation with only barely perceptible line-drag. Bass may not have the eyesight of trout, but they have the ability to sort out natural unfettered motion from stifled unnatural motion (that's their job). Dale Hollow Reservoir is a crystal-clear TVA impoundment that yielded the world-record SMB. Billy Westmoreland was a local guide on Dale Hollow who landed two smallmouth bass over 8 lbs (In Roadwarrior's caliber). Billy initiated what was almost a cult on Dale Hollow, the use of 4-lb test line. In that gin-clear water, bass aren't looking for line, what does a bass even know about line? When a bass is homing in on its prey, it's looking at one thing, "the prey". Among the fish with the keenest eyesight are tuna, billfish and trout, but all predatory fish are able to see minor unnatural nuances in motion that we cannot. Particularly in crystal-clear water, fish are able to detect minuscule violations of natural behavior. You and I can see the fishing line under the water (whoopee), but that's about it. If our lives depended on it, I doubt that we have the ability to perceive the same imperfections in delivery that turn bass off. Yes, definitely give braided polyethylene a shot. Moving from mono to braid was probably the single-most gratifying change in equipment I ever made. Incidentally, Fish-Chris would probably tell you the same thing, another braid lover. Whether you select TUF line, PowerPro or Sufix is small potatoes, because the difference between mono and braid is where it's at. I'm using the term "monofilament" in the true sense of the word, which includes nylon, fluorocarbon and copolymer line. Roger

Many moons ago I purchased a couple "rear drag" Daiwa Tournament SS spinning reels. I entertained the notion that I could adjust the rear drag during battle without touching the line. In no uncertain terms, I was wrong. Stick to the front-drag spinning reel, which is actually easier to adjust during battle. With a front-drag reel, you don't have to push the rod outward to access the rear drag, but more importantly, the front drag offers greater friction area., thus a more efficient drag. Roger

I can certainly relate to that remark. The difference between PowerPro, TUF Line and Sufix is debatable, but the difference between braided polyethylene and monofilament is enormous! Roger

The ONLY time I need my wife's permission to fish, is during those rare occasions when she's not included. Roger

That's easy...a Shimano Kidding aside, both companies make great reels today, but I go back to the time when pterodactyls were still roosting in live oak trees. Before the competition from shimano heated up, daiwa was mainly competing against pflueger, shakespeare, south bend and the like. When shimano gained a foothold in this country it seemed to force daiwa off its haunches. Today, the race between daiwa and shimano is as close to a dead-heat as you'll find, because neither company really has a choice. Nonetheless, I have to give shimano the nod because some of the early junk that daiwa once produced still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Roger

T-rig, I believe that's the same fish we also call a chub, but I must say that I've never seen one with carp-sized scales like yours Here in the states we use the umbrella term "minnow" to describe 3 baitfish: Chubs, Suckers and Shiners. The chub minnow is the most hook-fast (used them a lot in Canada), the sucker minnow lives forever but the shiner minnow is generally the most productive. Roger

I had a feeling that someone might ask that question...I like that You'll notice that I used the word "may", because I don't use always use a fluorcarbon leader. In any case, a fluoro leader may offer better abrasion-resistance than braid, but the main advantage is its stiffness. Braid is completely limp, while fluorocarbon has the body and memory to make good leader-material (especially in saltwater). If you're looking for maximum sensitivity and solid hook-sets, fluorocarbon can't touch braid. Roger

The horny toad is heavier than water, so I only use it for subsurface work (zigzag fall pattern). Among the "true" topwater toads my favorite has got to be the Gambler Cane Toad. The cane toad floats with a 4/0 super line hook, which is needed to prevent rollover caused by the strong kicking action. Even at very slow crank speeds the cane toad will cause quite a fuss and is pure dynamite during a topwater bite in any water clarity. The back ribs on the gambler cane toad are slanted forward like the gambler ugly otter. Rigging it upside-down may produce a little more vibration with no noticeable loss of foot action. Another excellent "true" topwater toad is the Sizmic Toad, the "4.25" high floater" (likewise floats with a 4/0 super line hook). I've tried every imaginable retrieve, but in the main the most productive retrieve is usually a rock steady speed that makes it easy for bass to draw a bead. I'll typically use the slowest speed that keeps the lure on top and keeps the feet active. Needless to say, during a red-hot surface bite you can burn the cane toad over the surface Roger

First, let me applaud your honesty 8-) The next time, try placing your manmade reef on the top ledge of a depth drop-off, where the ledge occurs at the optimal catch-depth. In a northern impoundment that might be 15 feet deep or more, but in a natural Floridian lake it may only be 4 ft deep (during low water). Roger

The most popular line trait of fluorocarbon monofilament is "low visibility". Oddly enough, it has yet to be proven that low-visibility line will catch more bass (thinner diameter line, definitely). In addition, the difference in the refractive index of fluorocarbon and copolymer is inappreciable. REFRACTIVE INDEX (mean values) Water: 1.30 Fluorocarbon Mono: 1.42 Copolymer Mono: 1.47 Nylon Mono: 1.52 The second reason for using fluorocarbon is "abrasion-resistance". According to an extensive study conducted by TackleTour, the difference in abrasion-resistance is greater between fluoro brands than it is between fluoro and nylon! Here's the lineup: ABRASION-RESISTANCE (DRY TEST) BEST FIVE Toray Solaroam ll 45% greater abrasion-resistant than Trilene XL Nylon Bass Pro XPS 30% greater abrasion-resistant than Trilene XL Nylon P-Line Halo 25% greater abrasion-resistant than Trilene XL Nylon Sugoi 5% greater abrasion-resistant than Trilene XL Nylon Maxima 7% LESS abrasion-resistant than Trilene XL Nylon WORST THREE Seaguar Invisx 35% LESS abrasion-resistance than Trilene XL Nylon Yo-Zuri H20 35% LESS abrasion-resistance than Trilene XL Nylon Triplefish 35% LESS abrasion-resistance than Trilene XL Nylon STRETCH-RESISTANCE BEST FIVE Sunline Shooter 50% less line stretch than Trilene XL Nylon Maxima 25% less line stretch than Trilene XL Nylon Toray Solaroam ll 23% less line stretch than Trilene XL Nylon P-Line Halo 12% MORE line stretch than Trilene XL Nylon P-Line 12% MORE line stretch than Trilene XL Nylon WORST THREE Seaguar Invisx 38% MORE line stretch than Trilene XL Nylon Gamma Edge 22% MORE line stretch than Trilene XL Nylon Cabelas No-Vis 20% MORE line stretch than Trilene XL Nylon I may be wrong, but it seems to me that I've used titanium leaders that were no stiffer than some fluorocarbon I've used. Ironically, some of the worst performing fluorocarbon lines are the most popular simply because they behave most like nylon. As for me, I have no fishing outfit spooled with fluorocarbon line, but may use fluorocarbon for leader material when fishing live shiners with braid. Many fluoro brands are not available in heavy line tests over 30-lb test, but among the brands that are, my favorite fluorocarbon line (leader material) is "Maxima". Roger

No problem http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=24137-124-HDPLI040100&lpage=none Roger