RoLo

Tom, for a guy in southern California, you have a good handle on my stomping grounds ? Roger

1/2 oz War Eagle - Colorado/Willow-leaf (used sparingly) Roger

I try to tinker as little as possible My high-use soft plastics are fully exposed and quick-grab ready, in their respective tackle box trays. My spare soft-plastics supply is out of sight, and stored in plastic bags in the bottom compartment of my tackle box. Roger

Topwater baits work year-round, but the ‘post-spawn’ is probably my favorite season. Current conditions are usually more important than time-of-day. A moderate breeze is a welcome condition, which causes surface diffraction. One of my favorite topwaters is a Booyah 'Popping' Pad Crasher. Roger

If we had time & space to kill, I'd tell you about the many times my wife & I outfished the local guides ? Roger

Large, unfamiliar lakes are the most exciting, they offer the greatest challenge and reward. Roger

The main thing is that you got out there, and you gave it your best shot (case-closed). During our last 2 pike outings, Lois & I also had trouble getting past snot rockets (mid Manitoba). Not to worry, next year we're going to give them Heck ? Roger

To be sure. By the same token, anyone claiming he doesn't carry, provides only a false sense of security. More than one way to skin a cat Roger

As long as you stay within state regulations, do whatever you see fit with your 'legal' catch. Those who look down their nose at not releasing every bass caught, are living in the dark. Removing 2 to 3 lb eaters is a service to the bass population and to the fishing community. Fresh-caught bass will likely be more delicious than any fish served in a high-priced restaurant. Roger

Thanks Adam. Roger

If your husband is anything like me, he might not relish a guided trip (my wife would perish the thought). A gift certificate for Tackle Warehouse is a relatively risk-free route. Roger

Frankly, whether I'm pitching or casting, my bait choice may be unaffected. By the way, what's a Senko? Roger

I prefer a martini or gin & tonic to beer, but when conceding to a brewsky, I'll go with (low-carb) Michelob Ultra Roger

Nicely put

I'm no stranger to broken blanks, but what impresses me most is that no one called a bowfin a 'mudfish' This Jurassic creature will strike any lure meant for bass, and pound for pound, tow a bass around the boat Roger

"How To Shorten A Rod Handle?" I got a band saw in my workshop doing nothing ? Roger

In reality, every waterbody simultaneously experiences pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn periods. That's Mother Nature's way of assuring ongoing survival. Differently put, when you see bass on the bed, you can bet the ranch that other bass are in the pre-spawn and post-spawn stages. Trophy bass are more cold-tolerant than immature bass, as a result, large bass normally spawn earlier than smaller bass. Roger

I mainly fish shallow, weedy waters where weedlessness is a 'must'. Regardless of all other jig features, if it can't navigate aquatic vegetation it's basically useless Back in the 70s (When Stanley jigs ruled), finding a jig with a line-eye on the nose, was next to impossible. When I discovered "Denny Brauer's Weed Sneek" I was ecstatic, and bought so many Weed Sneeks, I still have a bunch today. Soon thereafter the 'swim jig' was born, a jig with a line-eye on the nose of the jighead (30-deg hook). As far as I'm concerned, whether a swim jig is swimmed or not, the main feature is a line-eye on the nose of the jig. Roger

The Chick is da Man! Roger

Lake George Roger

Most of my fishing years have been spent with Berkley nylon monofilament (great line). Today I use polyethylene braid almost exclusively (spinning & casting). In the 1990s, a new "Monofilament Leader" material was introduced called 'fluorocarbon'. Yes, fluorocarbon is monofilament, and yes, fluorocarbon made its debut as leader material Early on, fluoro was sold in small packets which I used for tying saltwater leaders (tough, wiry, fat). Over time, anglers began filling their entire line spools with fluorocarbon. No big deal, after all: I had reel spools filled with monel and lead-core line, but never thought it would come to this. In the final analysis, every angler's experience is unique. If your happy with your line of choice, keep your doctor. Roger

On countless occasions, backing off on drag tension allowed me to boat thinly hooked fish, and heavy fish on light light. This is especially true with braided polyethylene. Roger

Right you are, Kingsley is a sinkhole lake with a max depth around 90 feet. Its perimeter is a near-perfect circle, which doesn't keep that a secret. Since I've known Kingsley, it's been restricted to landowners and the military. You're fortunate to have fished there, I've never had that opportunity. With respect to hall-of-famers (bass 13 lbs & up), Kingsley has no equal. It produced several over 15 lbs in the past 5 yrs alone. Roger

On balance, Florida's rainy season is June, July & August (in descending order) In any event, lake levels change a whole lot faster than trophy status. From Venice (bottom of Lake Wales Ridge) it might take you 2 hours, at the most. Yes, it's a flipping & pitching paradise, and plastic worms are high on the list (As they are on any waterbody) I might add, 'maidencane' (Kissimmee grass) is the favorite plant of the pro guides. Nonetheless, my favorite weed is 'spatterdock', the lily pads suspended above the water surface. Good luck

Based on FWC tabulation (about 12 mos old), the number of double-digit bass were as follows: Lake Kissimmee: 145 Kingsley Lake 134 (Florida’s top trophy lake, but restricted) Rodman Reservoir 83 Lake Istokpoga 81 Lake Okeechobee 61 Lake Tohopekaliga (Lake Toho) 51 (Retains the B.A.S.S. 1-day stringer record) The Big-K comprises 35,000 acres, whereas the Big-O comprises 450,000 acres. Okeechobee is not even close to Kissimmee (Too far south) Roger