RoLo

That's a good question. In casting situations I prefer spinning tackle, but that puts me at a disadvantage because I can't add any thumb-pressure. But if I know I'll be fishing in really heavy stuff, I'll bring along my MH 6ft spinning rod spooled with 40-lb braid. The drag is slap-down to the max, so a large enough bass would have to tow my boat around, but that's never happened. I figure that horsing them out of the cover is a little better than hauling in 30 lbs of salad with every 2 pound bass Roger

Dale Hollow is noted for two things: "large smallmouth bass" and "clear water". In spite of the large bronzebacks there, most anglers on Dale Hollow use very light line, as low as 4-lb test if you can stand it. If I'm not mistaken, March is a very good month, although my favorite is right around Thanksgiving (especially if snow is flying). At least in the springtime the bronzebacks are much shallower than at any other time of year. Good Luck! Roger

This might be a great time to give PowerPro Braid a college try, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. You'll be giving up an elastic band with wiry memory for a non-stretch line with no memory at all. The reduced line-stretch gives you enhanced sensitivity and greater hook-setting power. Also, spinning line with no memory will virtually eliminate bird nests. As though that weren't enough, 20-lb PowerPro braid has the same line-diameter as 8-lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid (0.009"). Roger

Garmin was originally licensed with Navionics, at that time they were called "G-charts". Today Garmin owns their own bathymetry which they call "MapSource" (Hot Spots). Other than Garmin and Magellan, most of your GPS brands like Lowrance and Humminbird are licensed with Navionics (HotMaps). I'm currently running Garmin MapSource on my boat, while a neighbor on the same lake is running Lowrance Navionics. I'd love to say that my Garmin software is right on the snot, but that is not the case. On the other hand, my friend's Navionics are also skewed over certain lake features. In my opinion, MapSource (Hot Spots) is better on some lakes, while Navionics (HotMaps) is better on others. Incidentally, working between your GPS and your PC has always been possible, with both Garmin MapSource and Navionics. Although the chipmakers love to sell cartridges for your GPS unit, the cartridges do not communicate with your PC. When you purchase the DVD or CD disk however, you have the ability to download, upload, add, delete and edit, back-and-forth between your PC and GPS. Roger

I just make it up ;D

I don't know the age of the boat in question, but I would like to offer one caveat (since no else has): Before sanding off any old paint, be absolutely certain that no "lead-based" paint is involved. Al Gable was the skipper of the Kingfisher, a head boat out of Atlantic Highlands, NJ (circa 1960s). A little fellow, Al was as tough as nails. Like many boat owners he routinely chocked his rig on dry dock and power sanded the hull. Al was very sick during his last year of life and the cause of his death was identified as lead poisoning. Roger

I'm real happy for you Ryan, but somehow I'm not all that surprised. I noticed how much attention you paid to detail, and how you loved your fishing. Hey, if you get a chance, put that beer keg up on your avatar. A lot of the new fellows never seen that elephant . Roger

That's the funniest thing I ever seen I watched a couple guys in a boat who were fishing behind Magic Kingdom. After you've watched them for about 10 minutes you'd know that Cinderella with a blindfold would need no guidance Disney World: A man trap devised by a mouse ;D Roger

Very Interesting! When you mull this whole thing over, you begin to realize how really unnatural those circumstances were. I'm sure the cows in those mid-lake haunts were ripe with eggs, but how do we know that those bass were spawning, or more to the point, how do we know that the bass spawned "successfully"? In some lakes, a severe drought will erase all shallow flats and bays, but some cows still become ripe with eggs. However the cows will randomly loose thier eggs, and since bass are nesters and not free-spawners the success rate will be abysmal. This is one of the causes of those missing year-classes that nearly every lake seems to have. The reason I ask is because in order for bass eggs to hatch successfully, there "must" be adequate photosynthesis (sunlight). According to fish biologists, the mean depth for optimal photosynthesis (largemouth bass) is approximately 27 inches. Of course, this will vary signficantly based on water clarity, but it's generally between 6 inches (murky) and 4 ft (very clear). Roger

A good place to start is to decide on a "Display Mode", there are four basic technologies: > DIGITAL The digital display is unexcelled for "Rapid Data Processing" but bottom readings & fish signals are not well defined. In spite of their matchless speed, digital sounders violate the most critical attribute: "Resoluton". I would avoid digital. > GRAPH Graph is the inverse of Digital, it offers the Most Resolute Detail but has the Slowest Transmission of any display mode Except for a few ole salts and commercial work, there aren't many anglers willing to change paper reels and styluses. > CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) CRT is the same technology used in the television tube (pre-HD), and offers excellent graphic detail. The CRT display provides the best low-contrast signal, but unfortunately the display washes out in direct sunlight. > LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) LCD is the same technology used in watch faces and offers excellent graphic detail. LCD sounders are available in Black & White (achromatic / monochromatic) or Color (chromatic). On balance, the LCD display provides the most advantages and the fewest disadvantages. The choice between "Color" (chromatic) and "Black & White (achromatic or monochromatic) is not of monumental importance. There are situations when a colored display may discriminate between minute signal nuances, even better than a 16-level grayscale (black & white). On the downside, the Color display is generally not as visible as a monochrome screen in direct sunlight and in strong glare, and of course, the monochrome unit is also less expensive. I've had poor luck with a Columbia flasher (now defunct), Texas Instruments, Ray Jeff and Humminbird (Super 60). I strongly recommend "Lowrance". As noted above, I've given them all a chance (brand loyality follows, it doesn't lead). I have one final suggestion: Turn off that silly "Fish Symbol" toy and LEAVE IT OFF We pay good bucks for the best technology, but when we superimpose a Fish Icon on top of that technology, we'll never learn how to interpret the remarkable high-tech signals being produced by our own sounder. Roger

Without hands-on experience with both Stradic and Symetre, I would never dare to make that post. I realize that just like love, there are other reel properties than cannot be put into words. In retrospect, I feel a little silly owning so many Stradics because they feel no different than my Symetres (both are great) If anything I'd give Symetre the edge. To give you an idea how similar these reels are, my wife "slightly" prefers the Stradic to the Symetre, but in fairness to symetre she's comparing the 2500 to the 4000 which gets into a balance issue, another ballgame. Roger

She sure is a "HOTTIE"...but that bass looks scared to death!! ;D

In the stock market, when everyone likes the same company, it means the buy-side is exhausted. When there is no one left to buy, then selling is the only game in town. If fishing were anything like Wall St., "Black & Blue" would make one heck of a short-sale ;D Roger

In my view, the best value in the Shimano house is the Symetre. Shimano had no choice but to upgrade the Stradic They must have read my earlier critique Stradic used to weigh 0.2 oz more than the cheaper Symetre Stradic had a maximum drag (12lb) that was 20% less than the cheaper Symetre (15lb) But Shimano didn't have to raise the price, because that only widens the disparity. Here's what we're looking at: > Symetre weighs exactly the same as the New Stradic 9.5 oz > Symetre has the same number of ball bearings 4 > Symetre has the same maximum drag as the New Stradic 15 lb > Symetre costs HALF the price $80 vs. $160 Roger

I'd probably never have heard of the "Revo" were it not for Scott Martin, a Florida guide (Roland's boy). Scott praises the Revo to the point of sounding ridiculous, but after checking it out, I can see his point. I'm not a Garcia fan, and most of my reels are Shimano, still and all, I'd have a tough time deciding between those two reels. Assuming the durability of the Revo is equal to the Curado, I'd probably give Revo the nod. "Lightness" means a lot to me and the Shimano Curado weighs 9.8 oz, while the Garcia Revo weighs 8.75 oz. Roger

Based on catches recorded by musky clubs in Wisconsin, the most productive method was trolling In-line Bucktail Spinners. oddly enough, the most popular color combination was and continues to be the Halloween duo: Orange & Black. Also popular are jerkbaits like the "Suick Thriller" but working a suick all day long is an awful lot of work (add weights for best action) http://www.suick.com/photos.htm Crankbaits like the "Grandma Lure" are very good in fall (For better coverage you would troll the Grandma) http://www.whitecapstackleco.com/crankbait6.html If you can possibly swing it, planning a "fall" trip will improve your chances exponentially. During summer the muskies in most lakes are on a ciscoe or whitefish diet and very deep (muskies are almost a cold-water fish). Roger

Beautiful trout Wayne! You know, I too have never seen a brookie with that pattern, brookies I've caught were always speckled rather than marbled. For curiosity sake, you might want to check to see if they ever stocked those waters with "SPLAKE" A splake is a cross between a "brook trout" (speckled trout) and "lake trout", with a similar pattern to your fish. Roger

Matt nailed it. Fish with a central strip of dark flesh are typically "migratory" fish. The dark strip is actually bloodshot meat where the blood transports oxygen for long distance travel, thus the gamy flavor For example, a dark strip is seen in bluefish, which are migratory fish, but tautog are residential bottom fish with white flaky flesh The same is true of birds, where woodcock that migrate from Maine to Louisiana have dark reddish-brown flesh but grouse and pheasants are stay-at-home birds with white flesh, like the flesh of a domestic chicken. Roger

Right On, Catt What's more, I wouldn't be surprised if 90% of the trophy bass that were believed to be taken during the spawn were actually pre-spawn bass. Taking a cow bass off the bed is rarely an accident, it's an art that requires a concerted effort. As Catt pointed out, Pre-spawn is King because during the spawn and post-spawn periods the cows are in a negative disposition. In the same vein, rather than subdivide the spawning season into three subdivisions (pre-spawn - spawn - post-spawn) the angler would be better served if he put the "pre-spawn" period under a microscope and broke it up into three subdivisions: Early Pre-Spawn Typically coincides with water temperatures in the lower 50s, but varying. Both cow and buck bass are emerging from their winter torpor, and would be best described as agitated and spooky yet quite catchable. Mid Pre-Spawn Typically coincides with water temperatures in the upper 50s, but varying. Both cow and buck bass are noticeably active and more aggressive. Bass are highly mobile during the middle pre-spawn, and trade freely back-and-forth between relatively deep and relatively shallow water. Late Pre-Spawn Typically coincides with water temperatures that sandwich 60 degrees, but varying. During the "late" pre-spawn, both cow and buck bass are less mobile and more aggressive...it's Party Time! Weather permitting, bass now adhere mostly to the spawning flats in 1 to 3 ft of water. This is a very brief period, but since all bass do not spawn at once there's usually a generous overlap of sub-seasons that provide the angler with a few weeks of late pre-spawn activity. The one bugbear during this time of year are the frequent cold-fronts which quickly dampen the activity on the shallow spawning flats. In any event, the late pre-spawn is trophy time (60 deg area), when the savvy angler puts in max hours on the water. Roger

Funny you should ask, I live practically across-the-street from the Big-K (13 min from Camp Mack). As you probably know, the spawning season on Kissimmee can last as long as six months, and that's almost half a year ;D Due to central Florida's windy winters and unstable springs, spawning activity is generally a roller-coaster ride. Unfortunately every year seems to be different from the last. I personally prefer the February/March period, especially during a warm front right after a sharp cold-snap :o The hydrilla was coming back quite nicely on Lake Kissimmee, but then they launched a brutal spray program. Finding hydrilla today is like it was after Hurricane Charley, like finding hen's teeth. Roger

I've never heard that one, but apparently someone believes that the morning sun favors spawning activity Leeh, I never visualize bass in pursuit of a set of conditions, instead I believe that bass react in a predictable way when those conditions come to the bass. Over the course of an annual cycle, all conditions come to all parts of the lake. Roger

On any lake or stream the spawning ritual is never a simultaneous event. During the heart of the spawning season, there'll be bass in the pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn stages, at the "same" time and in the "same" lake section. Humans are warm-blooded animals, and if our bodies can't maintain a core temperature of 98.6 deg F we die. Fish are cold-blooded creatures whose core temperature can run the gamut without causing any harm to the fish. For that matter, there's no evidence to suggest that fish feel discomfort in "any" water temperature, cold or hot. Although bass may not be uncomfortable in icy water, the cold water lowers their metabolism which causes a change in behavior. Cold water suppresses their speed of movement, their appetite, their digestion and so on. But none of these things cause pain. During the dog-days of summer, bass are wide-eyed and bushy tailed, they move faster, digest their food more quickly, eat more often and gain the most weight. On the downside, the warmer the water the less dissolved oxygen it can hold. Oxygen deprivation causes altered behavior in fish but this is a separate phenomenon and not the result of thermal discomfort. Roger

I also agree with Roadwarrior, it would be very tough to beat a jig & pig or swimbait during the cold water period. However, if you're willing to pull-out all the stops to land your winter trophy, I would suggest live minnows. Roger

The lure on the bottom right appears to be a Lazy Ike, In their day, the lazy ike was a knockoff for the Helin Flatfish. Roger

Catt, that's an unpopular view, but I fully agree. In my opinion at least, water temperature is little more than a coincident symptom (a handy yardstick). For example, goldenrod is blamed for hayfever that's caused by ragweed, simply because they both bloom together. Bass are known to spawn in water temperatures between 55 and 75 deg F, which is not exactly sticking-a-landing. I've always believed that the spawn is innately tied to "photoperiod", no different than the vegetable kingdom. That is to say, as long as the trend of day-length is rising, spawning is possible, but ends when the days grow shorter in length If that were true, the potential spawning range would extend from December 21 (Winter Solstice) to June 21 (Summer Solstice). States like Florida seem to support this theory, where the bass spawning period commonly extends from December to May. Also in Florida, there are some lakes and rivers with underground springs that maintain "year-round" water temperatures of 72 degrees F. Regardless of year-round 72 deg temperatures, bass living in these waters spawn unerringly once a year. Roger