RoLo

I'm beginning to salivate! where's my fishing rod? Roger

That's brilliant Roger

Independent thinking is not a bad habit. Why should a right-handed angler, force himself to learn how to cast with his left hand, and fight fish with his weak arm, while using his dominant arm to crank the reel handle? Roger

1) If the fiberguard tension feels too stiff, I'll remove some bristles until the tension is acceptable. If the tension is acceptable out-of-package, I'll leave the weedguard as is. The worst scenario is a weedguard out-of-package that has inadequate deflection tension. 2) With regard to deflection pressure, shortening the bristles is probably a wash. On the one hand, shortened fibers don't have to move as far to get past the point. But on the other hand, shorter fibers provide less leverage and are therefore stiffer. Nevertheless, I often shorten the fibers but for an entirely different reason. After mashing the fiberguard into the hook-point several times, I do not want to feel a sticking point. Any clash felt between the fiberguard and hook-point only deducts from the hook-setting pressure. If I feel any raspy clashing, I'll shorten the fibers until they are just shy of reaching the hook-point. (I've even seen instances where the fibers hung-up on the hook-point, which would prevent a hook-set) 3) Finally, I'll fan-out the bristles laterally, so they form about a half inch wide fan. Fanning the fibers distributes the deflection tension over a wider area, but does not reduce the overall tension. The reason for fanning the fibers is to widen the weedless zone. The fan causes the lure to deflect or cant to the side, instead of lumbering into a branch or weed stalk. Roger

Terrific, and I'm sure you'll be glad you did. Thread the crawler over the keeper barb. Since no abrupt movement is involved ('do nothing' style), the worm stays pretty well in place. If the worm rides around the hook bend, I just replace it. Crawlers instinctively contract when being cut, so a 4" crawler will likely unfurl to a 5 or 6" crawler with inimitable action. One other thing: "Minnows" normally work better during coldwater periods, whereas "worms" work best during warm-water periods. Best of Luck Roger

I am right-handed, therefore all my casting reels are left-handed. In this manner, I am able to crank with the same hand I use when spinning, but more importantly, I am casting and fighting fish with my dominant arm. I have no idea how tradition got it turned around, but I will not purchase any casting reel that is not available in a "left-hand" version. Roger

1) Yellow Perch 2) Walleye 3) Bluegill 4) Bass 5) Crappie I realize that this is a bass forum, but I'm baffled by the unpopularity of largemouth bass. Just last week I was eating fresh-caught walleye, but I can honestly say that I've eaten largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and white bass that rivaled the flavor of yellow perch. If commercial fish were included, I'd give the nod to "Orange Roughy" :o Roger

As everyone knows, Dawn and Dusk are both prime fishing times. The reason is supposedly due to an inherent advantage enjoyed by predatory fish. The day vision (cone vision) of predators adjusts more rapidly to night vision (rod vision), and vice versa. As a result, predatory fish are instinctively more aggressive during periods of light level transition, as before a storm. Although dawn and dusk both experience the same range of light transition, there's an overt difference that involves shadowing. At dawn, treed shorelines that are "west-facing" will cast long shadows on the water, but at dusk, it is "east-facing" shorelines that cast shadows on the water. Roger

Roadwarrior and Deuceu72 covered the ground thoroughly. I would only add what I consider one of my most successful methods for bronzebacks, but since I've mentioned this before it's no longer my secret. RIG Use a 6-lb spinning outfit and 1/8 oz chartreuse ballhead jig. Thread a live 4" nightcrawler over the length of the hook, as though it were a plastic worm. (I pinch the crawler to the desired length then thread the torn end over the entire hook) DELIVERY Cast the jig and wait for bottom contact (when the line goes limp). Hold the rod diagonal to the waterline and crank the reel twice, then stop. "Do nothing" while the lure is gliding in an arc toward the bottom. That is to say, do not move the reel handle and do not move the rod. Since the rod is never moved, you remain in constant contact with the lure. When the jig reaches bottom, repeat the two cranks, then stop until the jig reaches bottom...etc. While the jig is gliding in a lazy arc, the worm end is writhing seductively. Though I've never heard anyone else use this approach, I have used it with excellent success from Dale Hollow Res, Tennessee, north to Lake Huron, Ontario (Parry Sound, Georgian Bay). Roger

Topwater lures peg the needle on my "Fun Meter", but that doesn't answer Dustin's question. I've always believed that the fatter and older the bass, the less energy he's likely to expend. For this reason, I personally will never choose a topwater lure in the quest for a trophy fish, be it a bass, pike, striper, bluefish, you name it. Paradoxically, I've caught several lunker fish of various species on topwater lures. It may well be that the angler himself and not trophy fish determines the best lure to use. Quite naturally, the lure that we fish the most has the best chance of catching our largest bass. In answer to the question posed by FiveBassLimit: The largest bass I caught on top fell for a Rapala Original Floater while sitting completely motionless. The bass sucked it in silently with remarkable gentleness. If my eyes were not fixed on the lure I would never have known I had a strike. Roger

I really don't know. Perhaps full pigmentation requires maximal sunlight. Lending to that theory, the most gorgeous bass I've caught all come from crystal-clear water, where the white is whiter and the dark colors are darker. Roger

As previously stated, on most depth sounders you'll have to set the Gain near maximum sensitivity to display the thermocline. On CRT and LCD units, the thermocline will appear as an obscure horizontal band across the entire screen, like submerged surface clutter. One other thing, all lakes do not stratify, thus some will not display a thermocline. After the fall turnover, when the water is homogenous, no lake will display a thermocline. Roger

No need to quit George, I'd be glad to lend you my ice auger. Roger

Yes, many times, but almost always in perennially murky water. Roger

I agree with Deuceu72, if you see a bass, the bass most likely sees you too. If you drop your fishing pliers on the bottom of an aluminum boat, it's not likely that bass will be in a feeding mood, even if they don't see you. All the same, bass have very short memory spans and do not stay in alarm-mode for too long. Roger

Thanx!

It's called "Duckweed" For the scientific oriented, duckweed is a floating, unrooted plant. Since it's not rooted in the bottom duckweed has no depth constraints but prefers stagnant, fertile water where floating mats can completely shutout the sunlight. There are three forms of duckweed: GREATER DUCKWEED (Spirodela polyrhiza) Shaped like tiny seashells up to 1/8 diameter Each plant has several dangling roots LESSER DUCKWEED (Lemna minor) Leaves shaped like tiny insoles averaging 3/32 inch across Each plant has a single dangling root WATERMEAL (Wolffia columbiana) Appears like floating green grain about 1/32 in diameter, has no roots When I lived in Georgia, I had a backyard pond that was infested with greater duckweed. I never bothered to eradicate the duckweed only because emergent vegetation along the shoreline had a head start on the duckweed. Eventually, I believe the duckweed would have overtaken my pond. Roger

Nothing comes to mind, that can louse up a fishing trip more effectively than the fall-turnover. Fortunately, not all lakes stratify, and all lakes that stratify do not experience a fall-turnover. (e.g. lakes in Florida and southern Georgia rarely turnover). Tomorrow, my wife and I will be leaving on a pike trip, and driving from Florida up to western Ontario. On our target lake, the mean date for the start of the fall turnover is September 20th. Unfortunately, the timing of the turnover varies from year-to-year depending on prevailing air temperatures and the hypolimnion budget (i.e. the volume of 39-degree water pooled on the lake's floor). I choose the time frame from September 11 to September 18, but my fingers are crossed. If there is one situation that is worse than a cold front it's got to be the fall turnover. During the turnover, dead weeds and dead fish are usually in evidence, and fishing is typically extremely s-l-o-w! I am unaware of any fishermen or angling tactics that are reliably successful during the fall turnover. Fortunately the turnover is mercifully short, typically lasting between 5 and 10 days. Roger

With respect to the summer period, which of the following statements are true? 1. As water temperatures exceed 80 degrees, bass become uncomfortable. 2. During the hot summer months, bass move and feed more slowly 3. During the dog days of summer, bass lose their appetite. 4. During the summer period, bass are deeper than any other time-of-year. All the above statements are "FALSE". 1. Bass are cold-blooded animals and they do not feel "hot" and "cold" as people do. On the other hand, their body functions are dictated by water temperatures. 2. During the summertime, the fast-twitch muscles of bass react quicker than any other time-of-year. 3. Bass feed more heavily during the summer than any other season (highest metabolism). 4. Bass are in the deepest water during the winter months, rather than during the summer months. Given ample dissolved oxygen, a bass will freely enter 3 ft of water during the dog days of summer In spite of the heavy feeding that takes place during the summertime, bass are typically more difficult to catch. The reason is actually quite basal: summer is a "Time of Plenty" when the fry-of-the-year are large and abundant and forage is readily available. Roger

Like all facets of fishing, there's more than one factor at work. When the sun is high in the sky the shadows are short, and this tends to position bass predictably "tight to cover". During twilight hours however the long wedge of shade allows bass to scatter more freely. Roger

A lake chart without depth lines is like a book without words. Roger

Just to be sure we're both on the same page, the scientific name for coontail is "Ceratophyllum demersum". It's a very widespread weed, for example, I've fished it extensively in the Thousand Islands district of the St Lawrence River, New York, and have also seen coontail in Lake Okeechobee, Florida. It's considered to be a beneficial plant, but as you suggest, it can be tough to fish. The problem being, coontail is an "unrooted" plant and when it gets fouled on the lure, the whole stem is coming back to the boat. I've retrieved stalks of coontail from the St Lawrence River that measured 16 feet in length! It's usually better to bypass areas where it grows to the surface, and find open water. Although coontail is unrooted, it will stop aggregating at a given depth, and the "deep weed line" is typically pay dirt. Wherever coontail falls short of the surface, subsurface lures can be worked in the corridor between the top of the weed bed and the water's surface. Actually, gamefish are not particularly fond of the heaviest weed thickets but prefer patchy weed growth with an irregular weed line and variable height. In my opinion, the best lure for working smack in the coontail is a 1/2 oz swim jig, for instance the Outkast Swim Jig with the trailer of your choice. When you feel the added resistance of coontail, snapping the lure sharply will usually rip the weeds off the jig. It's really worth the effort because bass, pike and muskellunge all love coontail. Roger

Though I've spent most of my fishing years chasing "northern-strain" bass (New Jersey to Ontario), I've also lived 6 yrs in Georgia and the past 8 yrs in Florida. In my experience, 3 pounds has represented the first weight-plateau, and this has been true whether I'm fishing in Florida or Ontario. Needless to say, the ceiling weight of bass from northerly climes is significantly lower than "Florida-strain" bass from Georgia & Florida. Based on a smorgasbord of input, the table below designates the mean weight-classes of the largemouth bass. This is a proprietary table however, so you won't find these numbers elsewhere: LENGTH WEIGHT CLASS 10.0-in 1/2-lb 11.0-in 3/4-lb 12.5-in 1.0-lb 14.0-in 1.5-lb 15.5-in 2.0-lb 16.5-in 2.5-lb 17.5-in 3.0-lb Adult-Class (good fish) 18.5-in 3.5-lb 19.5-in 4.0-lb 20.5-in 4.5-lb 21.0-in 5.0-lb 22.0-in 6.0-lb Male Ceiling (most 6 lbers are cows) 23.0-in 7.0-lb 24.0-in 8.0-lb 25.0-in 9.0-lb Trophy-Class 26.0-in 10-lb 27.0-in 11-lb 28.0-in 12-lb Record-Class 29.0-in 13-lb 29.5-in 14-lb 30.0-in 15-lb World-Class 30.5-in 16-lb 31.0-in 17-lb 31.5-in 18-lb Freak-Class 32.0-in 19-lb 32.5-in 20-lb 33.0-in 21-lb Roger

MY SUMMERTIME FAVORITES BPS Paddle Stik Worm (5.5" paddletail worm) 3/0 T-Rig <> 1/16 oz Weight Yum Ribbontail Worm (7.5" ribbontail worm) 3/0 T-Rig <> 1/16 oz Weight Waveworm Tiki Stick (5.0" stick worm) 3/0 T-Rig <> 1/16 oz Weight Yamamoto Kut-tail Worm (6.5" straight worm) 3/0 T-Rig <> 1/8 oz Weight FYI: Though it's rarely publicized, the ledgers at the fishing camps in Florida reveal that plastic worms routinely outperform live minnows during the "summertime", both on a quantitative and qualitative basis. Roger

On my boat, whenever I encounter a "jump fishing" situation, I like to see that at least one angler is fishing a topwater lure and at least one angler is fishing a subsurface lure. Given my choice, I'll always elect to work the subsurface zone with a Rat-L-Trap or Hopkins Spoon. When birds are working and fish are breaking, they only mark the tip of the iceberg. Like a bouncing ball, the jump is typically a pinpointed and highly mobile spot, where young, energetic bass are charging into a baitfish school, called "balling the bait". Under attack, the frightened baitfish soon decide that the atmosphere is now a safer element than the hydrosphere, so they try to fly. Almost without exception however, there'll be larger bass and less pressured forage lying beneath the ruckus on the surface. Usually (not always) the angler using a subsurface lure will catch more larger bass. Roger