RoLo

Is that unchopped liver in the lower right? .

I'm a poor reference for Loomis rods, because I divorced that brand after a warranty dispute (post Gary Loomis). On the contrary, I'm fully onboard with Shimano rods and Shimano reels. The Shimano Expride is by no means cheap, but rivals the Poison Adrena Roger

A discarded 5 ft 6 in spinning rod? Which day is 'garbage day'?

Today, 'finesse' is anything you want it to be (Don't take my word for it, read the responses). Roger

WARNING: Long-Winded ? Ever since the Senko was introduced, anglers having been looking for an affordable knockoff. Around 2005, I bought one bag of almost every available stickworm; names like Strike King Zero, Bass Pro Stik-O, Gambler Ace, Wave Worm Tiki Stick, Yum Dinger, Netbait Salt Lick and Manns Freefall Worm (I believe this was before the Strike King Ocho). I had no intentions of comparing those worms based on ‘fishing performance’, because that would take more than one lifetime (not to mention a horde of uncontrollable variables). Instead, I compared them based on their own “natural action” during an unweighted freefall. At that time, I had access to a private wharf on a clearwater canal. From the canal wharf, my wife and I were each rigged up with a different brand of stickworm. We’d plop the worms down simultaneously, about one foot apart, then scrutinize their descent, side-by-side. We’d each vote as to which worm displayed the more seductive wriggle. Tests were repeated as necessary to arrive at a winner. We ran the gamut of comparisons to establish a hierarchy. That day I learned, among many things, that stickworms rarely become active upon splashdown, but only after they descend an appreciable distance. Long story short, Netbait Salt Lick, Yum Dinger and Mann’s Freefall Worm demonstrated the 'least' body shimmy during an unweighted freefall. Again, this was not a ‘fishing performance’ comparison, but a mechanical comparison of inherent worm action. On days when bass are in a negative temperament, subdued action can be the ticket. Based on this shootout, the wriggling action of the Wave Worm Tiki Stick and Bass Pro Stik-O were middle of the road, while the Senko was still the clear winner. In the final analysis, the only stickworm that rivaled the Senko’s viral renown, was the Gambler Ace. (FYI: Since that shootout, I'm pretty sure the Netbait Salt Lick and Mann’s Freefall Worm have bitten the dust). This caused me to put the Gambler Ace under the microscope, and I was surprised by what I learned. The Senko and Ace both have identical length, identical diameter and surface pattern. Both worms are also heavily salted, but the Senko at 165 grains contains more salt than the Ace at 141 grains. Due to its small shortfall in salt, the life of an Ace is about 1 more fish, at a price that's roughly 30% lower. The only visual cue I found that sets them apart is the “GYB” logo on Senko’s smooth band. Roger

I can't even read this, the print is so small! I'll be right back, I need my glasses. Roger

A good time to find lost lures is during a lake drawdown, when it's possible to walk on the lake floor. Truthfully though, lures I stumble into always end up in the trashcan (Have more than I'll ever use in a lifetime). Who can forget Avid's slogan: "So many lures, so little time". A lake drawdown that permits foot traffic on the lake floor, offers anglers a far greater opportunity. With a handheld GPS, you can quickly & accurately obtain waypoints of bottom structure (e.g. Garmin 78s). Roger

Why not call it the VUE Rig?

For several years my only source of spinnerbaits was "Heavy Cover", where custom orders were made. On their website, you simply checked the checkboxes: Weight, Blade Style, Blade Color, skirt color ~ ~. The founder became ill and they are now history. Today, I find myself dealing with only 2 spinner brands: War Eagle & Booyah (Take it from where it comes, spinners have never been my heartthrob). Roger

How many main setups do you have? Far too many! But admitting that you have a problem, is the first step to a cure. Roger

Yup, that's happened to us multiple times. One incident stands out in my memory. Lois & I were in a local tourney on Lake Easy, Florida. I was tossing an unweighted Senko, and for 2 to 3 hours I could not generate a single bite. Then my bait got snagged on the bottom (Takes a special talent to get hung on a perfectly clean bottom). When the bait popped free of the snag, a bass promptly swallowed the worm. That provided an important cue, and I immediately switched from an unfettered descent to a fall with twitches and jerks. We limited out that day, but were out of the money. Why? Because my opponents figured it out sooner than I did. Roger

Okay, that might explain the flat tire I had that evening.

With the possible exception of exotic transplants, natural occurring species all coexist very well. Roger

Excellent suggestion The lost art of trolling has often bailed me out Roger

A Tom doing an impersonation of my Honda wheel cover (Pictured in the background)

Frankly, my first choice as always would be 'straight braid'. 15-lb Sufix 832 (which doesn't float) offers an ideal descent rate with an unweighted Senko. If a leader were warranted, I’d go with an 8-lb nylon leader. A nice rod would be a 6’9” spinning rod (+– couple inches) Med power | Fast action Roger

Maybe I can help: Crestliner – K_Mac - Hootie – Fishing Rhino - Lund Explorer – Avid - Lightninrod Roger

As mentioned above, we all learn from each other’s personal experiences. Above all, we have Glenn May to thank for providing a debate & forum, that we all call home. Roger

“Why so many rods?”, I ask myself that question on every outing. Before tournament angling (Pre-1967), two practices were very widespread: 1) The use of ‘one’ fishing outfit 2) The use of ‘snap-swivels’ Back then, I was complacent with one outfit, after all, I only caught one fish at a time. Today of course, both practices are highly unusual. In sharp contrast, I've been working hard during the last several years, trying to whittle the number of carry-on outfits from 10 to 5. Talk about an onerous task. Roger

My uncle was a painter, and he lived to 92. Uncle Emil was self-employed, a one man show with an Old Chevy van. He used the exterior panels on his truck to view-test mixed paints. His Chevy van was a multicolored easel on wheels, the only one of its kind

I might add, the duration of the spawn depends heavily on latitude (Very brief in the boreal stretches). Here in central Florida, the spawning season spans 'at least' 5 months, from mid-Jan to mid-Jun. Not fishing during the spawn not only spares the bass, but spares the bass fisherman as well. Most bass caught during the so-called "Spawning Season" are bass in pre-spawn or post-spawn mode. Roger

I've crossed the I-85 causeway on numerous occasions. The next time I'll be looking for an angler in an orange polo.

Favorites have a way varying from outing to outing ? Stickworms aside, my overall favorite straight-tail worm is probably the Roboworm Fat Straight-Tail. Other exceptional straight-tail are Upton's Straight-Tail Worm and the Zoom Trick Worm (anyone heard of that one?) Roger

Turning 30, hittn me hard!! Hopefully, you're just kidding, because that's a damaging mindset that doesn't bode well. In my 30s, I was so busy with so many things, I never had one second to give age any thought. As a result, my 30s flew by in a wink, but I knew that I wasn't even close to running out of decades. The first time I actually stopped long enough to give age a thought, was my 70th birthday. Now that I'm crowding 80, I confess that I can't backdown a launch ramp with 1 finger anymore. I guess I'm a has-been...Oh to be 65 again. ? Roger

Buzzbait running on its side That's known as a buzzed bait.