RoLo

Generally speaking, most "grasses" are emergent weeds and not submergent plants. For example, torpedograss and panicgrass both grow in wet soil or very shallow water, but most of the plant is above the water. Maidencane is a grassy weed, but it too is an emergent weed. Most of the submergent plants do not consist of grass blades but sport compound foliage that resembles an underwater forest of trees, nothing like grass. The only exception that comes to mind is eelgrass (valisneria), but the blades are 1" wide and 4-ft long. Submergent vegetation can be seen on any high-end depth sounder, but exactly how it appears depends on many things: 1. Whether the sonar monitor is LCD, CRT, Digital or Graph. 2. The depth of the water, and how high the "gain" is set (sensitivity). 3. What species of plant (sparse or dense). 4. Whether or not the unit has a 'Grayline' feature. Weeds such as cabbage, cabomba and hydrilla will typically produce light-colored, nebulous clouds that indicate the presence and height of the weedbed. In addition, the 'Grayline' itself will be exceedingly slender or non-existent, because plant life is soft and absorbs the lion's share of the signal. Roger

Way to go! I still have a lot to learn, so as long as there's money left, I'll feed that voracious monkey If the day ever came when I resisted change, that would be the day I hang up my rod :'( Roger

Welcome to the forum, Dugout Air temperature is not a problem until it affects the water temperature, then it's everything. A 5 to 10-degree short-term drop in air temperature shouldn't affect more than the first foot or two of shallow water. At worst, it may mean that bass in a positive mood are in water that's a foot or two deeper. Roger

For largemouth bass, the ultimate pattern is a DEEP WEEDLINE THAT MERGES WITH A DROP-OFF. In reality, the drop-off creates the sharp weedline. Every species of aquatic plant has a minimum light requirement, and beyond a certain depth (hinging on water clarity) photosynthesis can no longer take place. In spite of hypothesis to the contrary, largemouth bass are perfectly designed to fill the vital "shallow-water niche" in the weeds. The weeds may leave the bass, but a bass will never leave the weeds. Deceptively, largemouth bass instinctively align themselves in close proximity to deep water. In a future post I'll attempt to explain the reasons why largemouth bass seek deep water that they never actually enter. Roger

Here are a couple of URLs: http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/index.htm http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/about.asp Roger

Avid, you can probably find "Neutrogena UVA/UVB Sunblock Lotion - SPF 45" at Walgreens, it's waterproof and contains avobenzone (parsol 1789), which offers UVA protection. If you're looking for "zinc oxide" (or titanium oxide) you might want to browse the URL below: http://www.nextag.com/sunscreen-zinc-oxide/search-html Roger

So I gather you don't believe my little story :-/

I'd like to see more bread-and-butter posts like this one. Thanks KU_Bassmaster Roger

I realize my reply is off-topic, so I'll be concise. When I lived in NJ where pickerel abound, I switched from a rapala original floater to a cordell red fin - 4" x 3/8oz (a highly under-rated lure). It's made of plastic, casts like a rocket, pickerel can't hurt it and bass love it (faint twitch - long pause) 8-) Roger

As most people know, there are two fractions of ultraviolet light that are implicated in photo-damage: 'ultraviolet-A' abbreviated UVA, and 'ultraviolet-B' abbreviated UVB. UVB radiation is less serious than UVA, and causes "acute" skin damage such as sunburn and tanning. UVA however is the BAD BOY, which causes "permanent" photo-damage such as discoloration, wrinkles and skin cancer. What most people don't realize is that the SPF (sun protection factor) refers "only" to UVB and has no bearing at all on UVA, the Killer Ray. What's more, there's no number on a sunscreen container that offers a clue as to UVA protection. The best I've ever seen is the sketchy phrase, "UVA/UVB protection", which could be said of lard oil. As always, it behooves the consumer to do his homework. There are only three sunscreen agents that are useful against UVA which protect against photo-damage, wrinkles and skin cancer. The three agents, in descending order: Zinc Oxide, Avobenzone (parsol 1789) and Titanium Dioxide. Those unsightly white blobs we used to see on the noses of lifeguards were zinc oxide. Today we have transparent metallic oxides variously referred to as microfine, micronized and ultrafine that cost about $12 per ounce. Don't leave home without it. Roger

I can't think of any freshwater species I haven't eaten (even carp). As for bass, my wife and I agree that bass are far superior to any catfish we've eaten. Though walleyes are very good, the most flavorful freshwater gamefish I've ever eaten were smallmouth bass from Lake Erie. If I were to include panfish, it would probably be a draw between yellow perch and bluegills, followed closely by crappies, but it's strictly a matter of taste. Roger

Above all else, gamefish gravitate to bottom contours with the most rapid change in depth (FL to Canada). With respect to cover thereat, "weeds" are the first love of the largemouth bass (not smallmouth though). Where weeds are absent or in short supply, 'wood' is the second choice of cover (stumps, brush, docks). 'Rocks' bring up the rear, but in some lake sections they're the best available cover (e.g. rip-rap). The hierarchy among plant species is a little more involved, because the predominant weed species vary from region-to-region. In Florida it goes something like this: 1. Hydrilla (grows dense and deep, but is a problematic weed costing millions of dollars) 2. Pondweed (called "cabbage" in the north, "peppergrass" in the south - superb stuff!) 3. Eelgrass (grows deep in still water and in current - never a problem weed) 4. Watermilfoil (a problem weed growing to 15' deep) 5. Reeds/Rushes (probably the deepest growing emergent plants) Though they are loaded with bass, most emergent weeds rarely grow deeper than 4-feet, for example: bulrushes, water lilies, maidencane, cattails, etc. Roger

Whenever fishing, I'm always listening to the natural sounds around me. I really enjoy identifying birds unseen just by their song or note. A little more climactic, I also thrill to the deep gutteral bellowing made by the male alligator (particularly awesome at close quarters)! More to the sport, I get an adrenalin rush whenever I hear that telltale splash of a feeding bass. When actively foraging in the shallows, bass are literally suicidal. Roger

OH YES, I always "Match The Hatch" Whenever I see those creatures, you know, the ones that look exactly like chartreuse spinnerbaits, I'll start throwing a chartreuse spinnerbait. Last night my lake was teeming with those roach-shaped creatures, you know, the ones with 2 lobed arms and a large beaver tail. Naturally, I quickly tied on an Ugly Otter. Unfortunately, I didn't do any good because the creatures in the lake had red flakes and all I had was green flakes Roger

There are 3 jighead criteria that make a jig WEEDLESS: 1. Position Of the Eyelet (Best = nose-mounted or recessed line eye <> Worst = top-mounted eyelet) 2. Angle of Weedguard in Relation to Top of Jighead (Best = obtuse angle <> Worst = 90 deg angle) 3. Shape of Jighead (Best = spire-pointed <> Worst = blunt head) Actually, the shape of the jighead is the least important, because if numbers 1 and 2 are satisfied, even a ballhead jig will come through without weeds. In contrast, a jig with a top-mounted eyelet or a jig whose weedguard forms a right-angle corner with the jighead will be a BUST in soft weeds. After every retrieve the angler will be plucking salad off his jig. The best I've ever seen was Denny Brauer's Weed Sneek, which was discontinued years ago (I've still got about 20). Today however, the Nichols Mango Jig and Monsoor Swim Jig do pretty well in soft slimy weeds Roger

T-rig your favorite plastic worm, a black one about 8" long with a 1/16 oz bullet sinker. Work the worm very slowly over the bottom and TIGHT to cover. Then right before you and your wife head back to the dock, both tie on a chartreuse brush hog Roger

Many species of fish are known as "free-spawners", a good example is the northern pike. During the pre-spawn (usually under the ice) they migrate into shallow marshlands where their eggs are set adrift over a mud bottom without any nest and without any parenting. The marvel of Mother Nature is unfathomable; wherever she finds a niche, she finds a way to fill it. Roger

I've always suspected that Osprey and Kingfishers are responsible for the natural redistribution of fish. Since these piscivorous birds habitually dive under water, any fish eggs that may adhere to their legs, bills or plumage would be kept moist long enough to be deposited in another body of water. Roger

Slow down and scale down. For instance, a T-rigged Zoom Finesse Worm with a 1/16oz bullet sinker. Roger

I've lived in New Jersey most of my life, and 'now' is a great time to be bass fishing. May is the spawning peak, but many of the biggest bass of the year are taken in April. Roger

During a warming trend, it's possible to catch bass on top even in mid-winter. It really boils down to the percentage of time that topwaters might be effective. When water temperatures top 60 degrees, topwater opportunities begin to increase. Water temperatures between 70 & 80 degrees are usually best, which we now have in central Florida. Roger

Quote from Senko77

There is no lure that I use that resembles a crayfish to me, not even a jig & pig. As a result, I feel no compunction whatsoever to mimic crayfish colors. I choose colors to serve one purpose only: to "Maximize Visibility" (that's all she wrote). In my wildest dreams, I cannot visualize a bass willing to reject a "desired morsel" because it was waiting for something in Green Pumpkin with Red Flakes. I blame that silly notion on the Bait Monkey Roger

It looks at least 8 lbs, a JUMBO by any standards Roger

Boat control during a snotty wind can be a real pain, especially when the suntop is up (always in Florida) On the other hand, bass can be really active wherever there's a windblown bank with a plankton buildup. Wind => Plankton => Baitfish => <BASS>< <BASS>< <BASS>< Maybe due to its noise and flash, the Rat-L-Trap with a metallic finish (silver or gold) has been one of the best producers during turbulent water. Roger