RoLo

Well actually, this is really not about fishing, but is more about the fish itself. The countless variables that enter into angling itself, tend to shroud the true underlying causes. By doing our "homework" while we're not on the water, we can make the best use of our time on the water. By the same token, I wouldn't want a surgeon who gained his knowledge by time on the job Roger

Studies by Mepps have taken the color scheme one step farther. They claim that during winter and early spring when the metabolism of fish is low, "bright" colors are better for triggering a strike. Oppositely, bass in mid-summer have a very high metabolism, when Mepps claims that it's better to tone down the color-saturation and brightness. At the least, it's food for thought The concept of bright lures in dark water however, may not work so well. A color is only as bright as the existing light. Once the light source is reduced (by depth, clouds or murky water) the light goes out, so to speak. For this same reason, "black" is usually regarded as the best of all colors in low-light conditions. Using black is giving up on luminosity, and pulling the other way. The thinking is that black stands the best chance of contrasting against its background which will usually harbor a trace amount of available light (e.g. a moonlit night). In other words, it's all about "contrast". One thing is sure, it's a fascintating subject Roger

You might try a "Swim Jig" like an Outkast Swim Jig or Nichols Mango. They're spire-pointed and use a nose-mounted line-eye (0-degree offset). Also, be sure you really "Fan-Out" the bristles on the fiber weedguard. The jig will come through nicely, but it's Game-Time when the line lassos a branch > Roger

Very True. I let the neighbors kid in my pool. Couldn't go near it without sunglasses 8-) You left out the nose-clip

1. Clear Lake, CA 2. California Delta 3. Dixon Lake, CA Roger

That's a good addition Raul, and it's certainly true. I often use the example below to explain what might be called "subjective color identity". Someone is born with a visual defect, we'll call that someone Mr. X When Mr. X looks at any "green" object, to him the object appears "BLUE". One day Mr. X is standing alongside you and I and a "green" car rides past. You make the statement, "Hey, I know that guy in the "green" car" and Mr. X is listening to you. For the rest of his life, Mr. X may describe "blue" objects using the term "GREEN". Although he's sees a different color than you and I, he uses the correct term to describe that color. This means that Mr. X may live and die without anyone ever knowing about his visual defect, including Mr. X himself! Wild isn't it? Roger

This question has been raised a few times in our forum. Although man will never be able to see through the eyes of a bass, scientific evidence (anatomical dissection) sheds a great deal of light on the answer. In the past, I've briefly mentioned "rod and cone vision" and the "color spectrum", but for the benefit of our science-oriented members, I think the subject deserves more than a flippant mention: Rod & Cone Vision The eyes of vertebrates are constituted by two different cell-types: rod cells and cone cells. Some animals possess only rod vision, while others possess both rod and cone vision. Rod cells cannot perceive color but are better light collectors than cone cells. Inversely, cone cells are able to perceive color but are poor gatherers of light. Animals that see in shades of gray (achromatic) possess only rod cells while lacking cone cells. In contrast, vertebrates that see in color (chromatic) possess both rod and cone vision. Furthermore, animals that feed mostly during the day (diurnal) possess a majority of cone cells. Not surprisingly, those that feed mostly at night (nocturnal) possess more rod cells. Color Spectrum Walleyes possess both rod and cone vision, so based on circumstantial evidence, walleyes have color perception. However, walleyes possess more rod cells than cone cells, therefore they are gifted with excellent night vision, but have poor color perception. Due to their poor color perception, fluorescent orange and fluorescent chartreuse have become two of the most popular colors for walleye jigs. Black bass also possess rod-and-cone vision, and are likewise deemed to have color perception. Contrary to walleyes though, bass possess more cone cells than rod cells. Consequently, bass are classified as diurnal predators with excellent color perception. Fluorescent orange and chartreuse are not necessary for bass, but have they're place in murky water and during overcast skies. Hues that are situated in the center of the 'color spectrum' appear to be the most visible to bass under the widest range of lighting conditions. As the light source is reduced, certain colors will disappear before others which is based on the frequency of their light wave. The order of color disappearance is as follows (from first to last to disappear): > Red (The largest and most easily diffused light wave) "Infrared" is the invisible border beside red, and is used for night vision > Orange (Second sloppiest wave, a combination of red and yellow) > Yellow > Green (Midpoint in the color spectrum - A combination of yellow and blue) > Blue > Indigo (Essentially the purple family) > Violet (The finest, most penetrating light wave) "Ultraviolet" is the invisible border beside violet and is the most destructive wave You will notice that "Green" is situated in the center of the color spectrum. Green is also the most prevalent color used by Mother Nature (grass, foliage, algae, etc). Not unexpectedly, "green" is probably the most popular color among bass fisherman too, but it hides behind the name "Watermelon" Roger

We get in about 45 minutes about every forth day. We fish right off our community dock & wharf (my boats are rotting). Not to worry, this work nonsense has got to end, at which time I intend to give it hell. Roger

I haven't lived in Florida as long as some of the fellows. Just a few days ago I spoke with Mickie at Hoppy's Marine and he promised me that he has never seen a windier year in Florida in his entire life. I was glad to hear that, because if this doesn't quit soon I'm off to Belize in the horse latitudes : Roger

There's no doubt that bass have keen eyesight and possess highly developed vibration sensors (can be said of most fish). It's also true that if you see a bass, the chances are better than even that the bass also see's you. Though Mother Nature did a fine job on black bass, she did short-change them in one area. The memory bank of large and smallmouth bass is extremely short-lived. I've made serious mistakes over known holding spots. That is, I've slid in too close and accidentally seen my quarry (that's bad). Occasionally, one of us has dropped a heavy object (like a pair of scissors) on an aluminum deck. Rather than waste time by pretending that all is well, I'll close-up shop on that spot, fish the next holding site on the intinerary, and then return about a half-hour later. A 30-minute wait is typically sufficient for bass amnesia to kick in, where all is well again. Roger

I'd venture to add that Roadwarrior's method assumes that you are unfamiliar with the bottom contour and bass cover, as is usually the case when bank-fishing. There is no one set depth or distance from shore where bass fishing will be best, because that varies immensely according to bottom content, cover (weeds & wood) and natural channels. FatBoy, I think you reaffirmed that "COVER" is the key to largemouth bass in natural lakes and ponds, especially WEEDS. Speaking for myself, if weeds continue growing down to a depth of 15 feet (ultra-clear water) that's where I'll be fishing, parallel to the 15 ft depth-line along the "outer weed line". If weeds stop growing at a depth of 2-ft (very murky water), that's where I'll be fishing, parallel to the 2 ft depth-line, along the "outer weed line". As for fishing the stick worm, that's a mixed bag. I personally would rather fish a paddletail worm than a stick worm, and for me a stick worm is usually a W-rigged Tiki Stick. In my own experience, the great majority of strikes occur on the fall, but my wife fishes with far more patience than me and about half of her strikes occur while the tiki stick is resting on the bottom...go figure! We probably have more control over "when" we get our strikes than we might imagine Roger

Thanks for your reply Dan. I was afraid I'd hear that, it's only May and already I've got my Christmas list started Roger

Why do you make it sound like punishment. You have given Berkley Fireline a much longer trial period than most fishermen. Roger

NOW do you understand why I only buy South Bend reels? Roger

To my mind, the best plan of action would be to find another body of water to fish, and believe me, I'm not trying to be a smart alec. It's pretty obvious that this lake's natural balance is broke, and overpopulation is only one cause of starvation, there are others. Roger

Thanks a bunch RW, that's extremely helpful information. I keep musing about a trip to the Pickwick Tailrace (you've got two big reasons in your avatar). Okay, so it sounds like the 3rd week in January should pretty much nail it. > Do you pay much attention to moon phases? > Out of curiosity, what is your favorite length shiner? > Do you ever work suspended bass, or is it mostly on the bottom? Roger

I'm certainly no expert on rapid hook-removal (wish I was), but I keep trying to do better. Most of the time the hook can be removed quite easily, but there are times when I get serious pangs of conscience. There are two methods for avoiding or for handling life-threatening hook-ups. > The obvious is to use "barbless" hooks or "flatten" the barb with a pliers, prior to fishing > For life-threatening hookups, I carry a pair of diagonal wire-cutters. Just snip the hook-shank right behind the barb, and push it through the hole. Sometimes I may have to snip the hook-shank in a couple places, but it saves a lot of time and abuse on the fish. Generally speaking, it's not okay to leave the hook in the fish. In saltwater, the hook will oxidize much sooner than in freshwater, provided that is, the angler isn't using stainless-steel hooks. In freshwater, it's always better to remove the hook. Roger

Welcome aboard dgquail Roadwarrior is the house expert on smallmouth bass. Now that you've got him on the phone, I have a couple questions of my own > Would early February be prime time for trophy brown bass in the Pickwick Tailrace? > In winter, what depth range do you mostly focus on? > Is there a shiner you prefer (emerald - golden - spottail~)? > Is there a data source that publishes the generation schedule of the Pickwick Dam? Thanks in Advance, Roger

Am I the only the one who's annoyed by TV bass handling? First we see the proud angler holding the bass up for camera....that part is fine, then he rolls it over for a starboard shot, then he flips around for a back shot, then a belly shot...Okay, no problem. After That...he stands there holding the bass while telling the viewers some long-winded story. That kind of inconsiderate fish-handling sometimes finds me talking to the television set: "RELEASE that fish...THEN tell us your story!". Roger

I foul-hooked a Mermaid once! But my net wasn't large enough, so I had to use the gaff. Man, they sure have a nasty disposition! Roger

I don't wish to hijack Blade's thread, but I'm intrigued by the Kistler Helium blanks. Do we have a Kistler Helium owner out there, who also owns another premium rod? For instance a St Croix tournament series, Loomis, Daiwa Steez or Daiwa Cielo. If so, how does the Kistler Helium compare to the other premium rod with respect to weight, sensitivity and overall performance? Thanx Roger

With regard to leaking &/or popped rivets, I'm not only referring to my own experience, but also to what others have experienced and from boat dealers and mechanics that I spoke with. This is the first time that I heard about a Triton leaking around faulty welds, but you can be sure that I'll bear your experience in mind. Roger

During the mid 70s, when Charlie was still alive, I used his jigs, worms and grubs. Actually Mr. Brewer was the founder of the "Do Nothing" delivery, long before Gary Y. His book called "Charlie Brewer On Slider Fishin'" is a very good read (copyright 1978). Roger

Please do not bad-mouth fluorocarbon. It makes a tremendous bed spring ;D Roger

I tried throwing a "pink" worm once, but the darned bass threw it right back in my boat It's funny, but bubblegum was introduced for its visibility to the "angler", when working a floating worm or fluke. But now it's beginning to look like the best reason for using bubblegum is because it's popular with bass. And as Catt pointed out, a "merthiolate" trick worm is deadly! Roger