RoLo

Based on the photo it looks like a white crappie, but any crappie from dingy water would also appear lighter in color. This is how to positively distinguish between a white or black crappie: BLACK CRAPPIE > Flanked with irregular black "blotches" > 7 or more dorsal spines > Length of dorsal fin about equal to distance between dorsal fin and eye > Same average size as white crappie (Habitat> Black crappie generally prefer clear water) WHITE CRAPPIE > Flanked with indistinct vertical "bars" > 6 or less dorsal spines > Length of dorsal fin is less than distance between dorsal fin and eye > Same average size as black crappie (Habitat> White crappie generally prefer murky water) Roger

I agree Ceph, the zeros are very effective and practically indestructible. I'm also crazy about their 7" Finesse worm, but are you following the goings-on at Strike King? First there was a 3x Floating worm (fortunately I stocked up), then in spite of high demand it was abruptly dropped! Then it was Cyberflexxx finesse worms, zeros, etc, which they dubbed "3x" plastic in honor of 3M the founder. Now 3x (cyberflexxx) has suddenly been dropped and renamed "ElaZtech" What's up with all that? My guess is that it's due to some legal entanglement. Roger

You bet, and the result of a long coldwater period is a short growing season. On your end of the bass's range, the ultimate weight of bass is limited by growing season, while the ultimate weight of bass that live near the equator is limited by a shortened life span. To break the world-record a bass needs both, a prolonged growing season AND a prolonged life span. Incidentally, a 4-lb bass in Michigan certainly has Bragging Rights! 8-) Roger

Well thaaanks a million! > Now that everyone will be loading onto my Free Meal Ticket, I'll have to start paying for my lures :'( :'(

The sound of feeding bass is pretty unique and pretty unforgettable. When bass are actively feeding on top, about once every minute or less you'll hear that unmistakable "Blash", like a flat rock hitting the water. Here in the canebrakes of Florida, it's either a bass or an alligator, but usually a bass. Just place your next cast beyond the splash and the bass will usually respond to whatever you might have tied to the end, like it was exactly what he was looking for ;D Roger

Ignore that old wives tale about the dog-days of summer. Largemouth bass are deepest in 'winter'. In central Florida, mid-summer can be great for throwing topwater lures in shallow water. Roger

Since "cover" wasn't mentioned, I'll confine my reply to "structure". My favorite bottom contour could not be any simpler, it's any spot that provides "Rapid Depth Change". Fishermen have lots of names for such spots, we call them drop-offs, holes, ridges, channels, sunken islands, bars, points, humps, yada yada. To a predatory fish though, it's just a rapid change in depth. Roger

Absolutely! Although they may be home all day, they don't always answer the door Roger

That is true, climates may vary within the same latitude. A Mediterranean climate, globally referred to as a "maritime climate", is definitely different from a "continental climate" also known as a terrestrial climate. Though microclimates have a substantial influence on water climate, I'd hesitate to say that they supercede "latitude". Without getting too much into microclimates and macroclimates, I'd like to sew in one point as it applies to different climates within the same continent. A large part of California's magic is her "maritime climate", which I believe is more important than the stocked trout that take the bow. In California, the prevailing westerlies are coming off the Pacific Ocean. Incidentally, Japan also enjoys a maritime climate Roger

No I don't. But it was taken by a fellow named Shimado on an Optimum Swimbait Roger

19.15 lbs (larger than any "certified" bass taken from Florida)

Switzerland straddles Latitude 47.00, which parallels Cabonga Reservoir in Quebec, Canada. In North America, the 47th parallel roughly demarcates the northern limit of largemouth bass distribution. With such a short growing-season, it would take a superb forage base AND a long-lived bass to reach 8 pounds. As an aside, a bass weighing 8 lbs and change held the New Jersey record for over fifty years, and that was Latitude 40, significantly south of Switzerland. I feel the same about South Africa as I do about Cuba and Mexicotoo far south. If the sweet spot is in fact between Latitude 30 and 35, I think we could be blindsided by Japan. Bass fishing is big in Japan, and though their waters are even more heavily pressured than American waters, it can happen on a private lake. Japan has already broken 19 lbs, larger than any "certified" bass taken in Florida. Roger

Why? Don't rule out Cuba! A southerly latitude offers a longer growing season than a northerly latitude, BUT all goods things come to an end. Largemouth bass living in the equatorial reaches of their range die prematurely of thermal burnout. In my view, Mexico and Cuba are both too far south to produce the next world-record. The official 22lb 4oz world-record largemouth bass was produced in Lake Montgomery, Georgia (Oxbow in the Ocmulgee R.) Last spring, Mac Weakley caught a 25-lb 1 oz uncertified world-record bass in Lake Dixon, California. Neither of these elephants were the product of one fuzzy video, or the product of 10,000 rumors, but are part of our world history. Although the Perry Bass and the Weakley Bass were boated on opposite ends of the North American continent, both specimens sprang from very similar latitudes: Lake Montgomery, Georgia: Latitude 31.50 Lake Dixon, California: Latitude 33.00 This is not a hair-raising coincidence, but simply underscores the importance of "optimal latitude". Based on statistics enumerating world-class bass (over 15-lbs), production falls off sharply as you move south of Latitude 29.00. For example, Lake Okeechobee, FL straddles Latitude 26.50, which is "Too Far South. The Big-O has yielded literally tons of bass between 6 and 9-pounds, but in my opinion, poses no threat to the world-record bass. In fact, until the lake-record at Lake Okeechobee was finally broken, it stood for decades at 13.5 lbs. In contrast, the lake-record for virtually every major lake in central and northern Florida is over 15 pounds (i.e. world-class). Getting back on track, El Salto, Mexico lies at Latitude 23.50, and Cuba straddles Latitude 21.50. Not surprisingly, at those southerly latitudes you will find bodies of water that are fountains for beautiful trophy-class bass. Cuba and Mexico are very similar to the Okeechobee of yore, but can they break the next world-record...I don't think so. Roger

I don't recall the original rat, but it looked the same as the Snag Proof Boss Rat Roger

Exactly! (unweighted - 4/0 hook - T-rigged) But I'd go with a standard wire Gammy (series 54) rather than a super line Gammy (series 74). With the lighter hook the toad floats higher with better foot-action What's a casting reel? Never mind, I'm just being a wise guy. Yes, I use spinning gear for everything. Sometimes you can, especially when bass are feeding actively on top. Most of the time though, I'll hold the rod-tip high and crank the reel Slowly & Steadily, just fast enough for reliable foot-action That makes it easier for lazy bass to home-in on the lure. One other thing, be sure to choose a Sizmic Toad designated as "High-Floater", which only come in three colors. I use White, but I'm sure the other colors are equally effective. http://www.unclejosh.com/sizmiclure/modules/cart/navigate.php/nav_id/49 Roger

I use Power Pro Braid but unfortunately I have never used Spiderwire Stealth Braid. Stealth is one of the newer braids (I believe it replaces 'Whiplash') and one that I'm interested in myself. Both braids are gel-spun polyethylene, but Power Pro is made of "Spectra" fibers, whereas Spiderwire Stealth is "Micro Dyneema". PowerPro is a round line, unlike ripcord and others that are flat ovals. PowerPro has a slippery texture like Teflon and casts great! Spiderwire Stealth is also a round line, but is actually impregnated with Teflon, so it won't wear off like a Teflon coating. The diameter of 30-lb PowerPro and 30-lb Spiderwire Stealth are both equivalent to 8-lb monofilament line. Spiderwire Stealth is allegedly the tightest braid on the market, which is conducive to abrasion-resistance and casting distance. Well, it's 2:30 AM and about time to hit the hay. Roger

For example Matt, most anglers who add scent to their lures are looking for an extra few microseconds of mouthability. The soft plastic lure does the same thing, but instead of using the sense of taste and smell, it uses the sense of touch and feel. A hard buzzbait consists of a whirling metal blade, a hard body, a hard wire-arm and a hard hook. The only hard component on a soft plastic toad is the hook, the one component we can't eliminate. How much difference does this really make? Most of the time it probably makes no difference at all. But during those few fence-cases, a few microseconds could spell the difference between a hookup and a missed fish. By the way, your Booyah is a real nice buzzbait, in fact they remind me of the Lunker City buzzbait, which I believe was the very first buzzbait and still one of the best. 1) Technically speaking Matt, a frog is generally a "hollow plastic" lure, while a toad (like the cane toad) is "solid plastic". Being solid plastic is the toad's first big advantage. Hollow frogs have an opening around the line-eye and around the hook, therefore no hollow-bodied frog is totally immune to taking on water. As soon as a little water gets in the fuselage, the frog sits lower on the surface, which destroys the action, and if left untended it'll ultimately sink. It's a real drag having to stop fishing in order to wring the water out of the hollow frog, but that's never a concern with a solid toad. 2) The horny toad is a hoot, but I like it better as a subsurface lure and not as a topwater lure. The horny toad sinks rather quickly therefore a brisk pace is needed to keep it on the surface. When bass are actively aggressive the brisk pace is not a problem, but bass spend most of their time in a passive disposition. The cane toad, on the other hand, can be slowed down nearly to a standstill before it begins to sink. 3) In addition to staying on the water surface at slow speeds, it's important that the feet remain active at low speeds. I compared the low-speed action of many toad brands, using a partner who simultaneously retrieved another brand of toad. Toads whose feet remained active at the slowest forward speeds were the Cane Toad and the Sizmic Toad (virtually a dead heat). 4) As for noise, I don't know any soft topwater that produces as much water disturbance as the cane toad. This is important during twilight hours and in murky water. When you burn the sucker it makes almost as much commotion as a Cavitron buzzbait 5) The cane toad is shaped like a surfboard, with a wide beam and thin fuselage. The broad beam helps to skate the toad on the surface and during the hook-set the wafer-like body doesn't clog the hook throat with plastic. 6) Since the rat won at Guntersville, there haven't been very many tournament wins on toads and frogs, that is until the cane toad. In local tournaments where I live (central Florida) the cane toad has been making a lot of money. I noticed that Gambler's testimonials revealed the same thing at state and national levels. Here are a few: Ron Fabiszak wins the Okeechobee FLW. On the final day Ron caught his two best fish on the Gambler Cane Toad and took home the $25,000 check. Christopher McCall fished the Gambler Cane Toad in bullfrog to seal the deal in the Central Division Championship and take second place in the Sam Rayburn Stren Tournament. In Moonshine Bay Okeechobee, Chris Lane wins the Southern Open on a black Cane Toad with a overall weight of 54 lbs. Chris buzzed heavy grass, pads and reeds, and credits the Cane Toad's ability to stay on top of the water at a slow pace. Ron Shuffield took third at the Classic using the Gambler Cane Toad with 47-14 on Lake Kissimmee. Chris Lane was the first rookie ever to win the Champlain Bassmaster Elite Series. During the fourth day Chris said he went through five bags of Cane Toads during a 2-hour period, it was crazy. The camera guy had all he needed in 30 minutes, and said he'd never seen anything like it before. Roger

Fish Chris, I'm real glad you brought up braided line. I wanted to mention braid in my post, but figured the guys are tired of me sounding like a broken record, so I left it out against my better judgment. Anyway, I'm glad that you provided that sound advice. I can't imagine anyone trying braided polyethylene and then going back to monofilament line. I've got more monofilament and copolymer line in my den then most Ma-and-Pa Sport Shops, all brands, all line-tests just sitting there growing old. Roger

Too far south for a world-record. Roger

I know you'll be VERY happy with your choice 8-) I'd like to add just one thing with regard to maintanence. After every saltwater exposure be sure to flush your rod and reel with fresh water, as soon as possible. There's normally a spigot near most saltwater ramps, but their hoses are generally badly beaten or missing. For this reason, I always carry my own short garden hose. The only drawback to being self-sufficient, is that the guy next to you is sure to ask to borrow your hose, and then you'll have to wait until he's finished I've never found it necessary to dismantle my reels after every saltwater exposure, however, when I flush the rod and reel I use gentle to moderate water pressure. Cranking down on the nozzle for maximum water pressure can blow saltwater deep into the reel housing where it becomes trapped (In that fashion, it might be necessary to dismantle the reel after each use) Roger

No, that is not true. I've owned about 6 to 8 Lowrance/Eagle depth sounders, 2 Humminbirds, 1 Texas Instruments and 1 Columbia Flasher (my first). About 15 yrs ago. I owned both a Lowrance and Humminbird on different boats, and both had moderate exposure to saltwater. One early spring the Humminbird failed to operate, but the Lowrance performed as usual. After disassembling the Humminbird and seeing all the corroded components, I simply tossed the Humminbird into the dumpster. Humminbird may have cleaned-up their act since since (let's hope so), but too little, too late, they're already on my Black List. In contrast, the next time I have a problem with Lowrance Sonar will be my first time. By the way, the "Maximum Depth" of a sounder is only offered as a measurement of "Signal Power", Lowrance knows that you won't be fishing 1,000 feet deep. Regardless of the depth you may be sounding, greater signal power means a brighter signal with better contrast, in other words, better grayscale separation, more legible fish arches, weed beds, etc. For average conditions the sensitivity on my X135 is set at 50%, but whenever I need more power for any reason, it's right there. Roger

One day on the forum, I made the comment that there'll be plenty of days when an X-Rap will outperform a $17 Lucky Craft Pointer. Someone immediately fired back, "In Your Dreams!". Well, I must have a sleep-disorder then, because it's a "recurring dream" ;D If you're looking for the best bang for the buck, I don't know of any way you're going to beat Rapala. Rapala offers a broad array of cranks, they produce quality lures and there's very little sticker-shock. Roger

Mattm, I've had loads of fun fishing with buzzbaits, but lately I've been moving more-and-more to soft baits. If you haven't already, try buzzing a Cane Toad in the same manner and places as your buzzbait. They're more mouthable than the Cavitron I used to throw, but more importantly, they're even more weedless. Roger

That's some classy humor Roger

That's a tough question because the topwaters I've used for decades have caught a higher number of bass, but some of today's lures seem to generate more strikes per hour and provide better hook-ups: All-Time Rapala Original Floater Rebel 65 Pop-R Heddon Super Spook Jr. New Breed Gambler Cane Toad Sizmic Toad Snag Proof Weed Demon Strike King Zulu (W-rigged & twitched on top) Roger