RoLo

Before the name 'spinjig ' gave way to the name 'spinnerbait' (before your time) all we seen were closed looped-wire eyelets. However, when casting in an adverse wind the fishing line was able to wrap around the closed wire-loop in mid-flight. The advent of the open R-bend eyelets totally solved that problem. Tie your fishing line directly to your spinnerbait, it'll give you a warm, cozy feeling Roger

I'd work the whole dock of course, but would start about a cast-length away, while the area is still unmolested. My most anticipated cast (high-confidence cast) would be standing at the foot of the dock, and casting parallel to the dock, missing the edge by inches. Before leaving, I'd pitch underneath the dock as far as possible, this is when lures are lost Roger

I've only caught common carp (European carp) on doughballs and kernel corn, so I really can't answer from experience. From what I've read though, corn is a very popular bait for grass carp. Roger

I've never viewed bass as mobile creatures, but regard them as residential homebodies. Without a doubt, bass undergo regular seasonal shifts, which are gradual, short range movements. This applies of course to natural lakes, but in man-made reservoirs their movements may be greater. In any case, radio-tracking has not been able to verify any daily migrations by bass. On the other hand, telemetry studies seem to agree on one thing, that largemouth bass have a very small home range. In one study conducted in a natural lake, 83% of largemouth bass occupied a home range in a 200-ft radius. In that same study, no bass moved farther than 2,000-ft (4/10 mile). Those results would not necessarily apply to bass in reservoirs, but if nothing else, they corroborate the point that bass live in the smallest feasible home range. Radio-tracking has also shown that when bass do move (immature bass move more than adults), they move laterally to maintain the same distance from the surface. It’s believed that bass resist depth change because swim bladder readjustments are not instantaneous. Regardless of the reason, when bass move laterally at the same distance from the surface, they eventually become "suspended bass". Depending on the water depth, suspended bass may or may not be able to see or follow the bottom cleavage, even if they wanted to. Roger

My wife likes wine, her favorite is Merlot. Wine doesn't do it for me, I'd just as soon have a glass of Concord Grape Juice from New York (high in Resveratrol) Oh wait a minute, I forgot about my martinis....that's a lot of Pinot Noir right there. Roger

I used to make doughballs using Quaker Oats Cornmeal with vanilla extract added. To toughen the doughballs, I kneaded the dough in a rag so the balls stayed better on the hook. Although cornmeal doughballs work 'great', I have since gotten lazy. I've found that 'Whole Kernel Sweet Corn' is just as good or maybe even better than cornmeal doughballs. Pre-chum the day before, then thread about four corn niblets, side-by-side on a No.6 short-shank hook. Roger

Jimmy Buffs was one door off the Boulevard, next door to the Treasure Trove. As it happened, the Treasure Trove is where Lois & I bought our first furniture (two broke kids). I understand that later there were 3 Jimmy Buffs, but we never patronized any other. Roger

I can't say I remember 'Jimmy's', but I do remember "Jimmy Buffs" in Kenilworth, the originator of the Italian Hot Dog <Out-Of-Sight!!> Deep-fried potatoes, onions and peppers, stuffed into pizza bread on top a deep-fried hot dog and Italian sausage. My fondest memories on Route 22 were the carhops: the "Garden of Eatin" Carhop (later the Bigtop) and the "Adventure Carhop". Scarcely a night went by that I wasn't drag racing the Wild Canary on Rt 22. Roger

Buck Perry advanced many theories that still hold water today, but that was not one of them In the first place, Perry's hypotheses applied chiefly and almost exclusively to man-made lakes, theories that have limited application in natural lakes. Moreover, bottom objects and bottom cover are in constant transition. Old laydowns are rotting away, while new blowdowns are added every year, To believe that fish rely on visible paths, in my opinion, dishonors their innate capabilities. In freshwater, the DNR routinely installs new man-made reefs without adding a visible path. In saltwater, old shipwrecks are silted over, while new shipwrecks are added every year, and each one is found and occupied by fish without the aid of visible path-markers. Further, there are many perennially muddy waters where visibility is measured in inches rather than feet. Following any semblance of a trail in chocolate milk at night would be arduous and time-consuming to say the least. Furthermore, there are thousands upon thousands of flat, shallow, saucer lakes that have no ridges, no ditches, no islands and no holes anywhere, they're just an eclectic mix of aquatic vegetation, but bass require nothing more. Given a visible path, of course any fish would gleefully follow along. Among the most followed visible paths are shallow inside weedlines, and deep outside weedlines. However, these paths are also under constant transition, and every winter the deciduous weeds die down to the ground. In an underwater world typified by perpetual transition, bass don't have the luxury to rely solely on visible paths. It has furthermore been shown that fish of most species (probably all species) require no visible path to return to their birthplace, which is imprinted in their brain at birth. Roger

Just keep the backing short, so it's never exposed after a long cast Roger

We never soak fish fillets, just rinse them under the faucet and pat dry (retain the natural juices). Before pan frying, they're lightly floured in Italian breadcrumbs, egg & lemon-pepper (voila!) Roger

I wouldn't say any rod is the best, but take a look at: Dobyns 7'3" Savvy - med hvy / fast $180 Roger

In the distant past, the "Coney Island Foot-Long" was touted as the world's best hotdog (Coney Island Park, NY) During that same era, there used to be two hotdog concessions located side-by-side on Elizabeth Ave, Newark just outside of Weequahic Park. One was "Sabins" and the store right next door was"Millmans". Both were known nationwide for their franks, and distributed tons of franks to the pushcart vendors in the tri-state area, mainly in New York and New Jersey. Frankfurters were big business back then, but today hotdogs have fallen out of bed. As the hotdog craze was fading, Texas Wiener joints popped up everywhere to salvage profit margins. Ultimately though, the dog and wiener joints were ruthlessly displaced by today's hamburger chains. For my money, the best store-bought dog you can buy today is a "Kayem Frank", I like them better than Sabrett, Hebrew National or Nathans (not better than a Coney Island Foot-long). Roger

"After the spawn, do bass turn around & follow the same path back to their deep water summer location?" No they don't. During the spawning cycle, bass are shallower than at any other time of year. Fall patterns, on the other end of summer, are very similar to many springtime patterns. Nevertheless, the summer season that separates spring and fall is a long, stable season when bass tend to be deeper than spring or fall, but NOT deeper than winter. Bass in summer relate to lush vegetation found on weedy flats and slow tapering slopes. In winter though, bass are typically deeper than any other time of year. The deciduous foliage has died back to the ground, and bass are gravitating to the steepest gradients with the most rapid depth change. Roger

Your carpet job looks gorgeous, and it goes swimmingly well with a candy-apple hull. When it comes to keeping beige clean though, not sure I envy you Roger

In most lakes in USA, if you find an expansive, wind-protected flat in 1 to 4 ft of water, you have found a spawning flat (it's that simple). Roger

First of all Al, congratulations on hammering out a groundbreaking familial decision Among the aluminum hulls I've owned or have been closely associated with are Tracker, Starcraft, Crestliner, Lund, Princecraft and others. If I ever decide to purchase another aluminum boat, it will definitely be a 'Lund' Roger

The spelling tells it all. The word went from defiantly to definitely, and I take everything at face value Roger

Some like'm phat!

Depends on the cover and the lure you're pitching. Roger

Rumor has it that they're going on a fishing honeymoon in June

N Florida Mike should be along, I'm sure he can fill you in Roger

I wouldn't devote too much thought to lure type and no thought to lure color. Begin by creating waypoints on your contour chart that pinpoint the most appropriate seasonal habitats. At each trial site, drill-down to find the most fruitful 'fish depth' and the most fruitful 'lure delivery' (that is time well spent). Roger

The most conspicuous identifier of a spinning rod is the 'large diameter' Stripper Guide (guide nearest the reel) Roger

Was the nature of the recall mentioned? Roger