RoLo

The water levels in the Winter Haven Chain are very low, in fact 'many' tournaments have been cancelled. Out of Shipp you're confined to Shipp, because the canal to Lulu and the canal to Howard are basically unpassable. You can still launch in Summit and fish Eloise, but I'd forget about Winterset and Little Winterset. I do a rain dance every evening, but it has not been working Roger

Yes, adhere to the deep outer edge of weedbeds where photosynthesis ends and where plant life is shrinking away (that's pay dirt). The weight added to a soft swimbait depends on the depth you wish to probe. When used as a topwater bait, a 3/16 oz weight will provide ample stability and cast distance. Pitch the swimbait smack into the salad and crank it right thru the pads & maidencane. Jigs are the hardest baits for detecting a strike, and are not well-suited to the novice angler. I'd put the jig on the backburner for now. Roger

I'll bet you're right, Al, I really don't know. If Gander Mountain is in fact under reorganization, it would seem that a non-compete clause would only prolong the inevitable. Furthermore, I was told that Cabelas has issues of its own, so let's hope they don't bite off more than they can chew. In any event, I hope it all works out for the better, because the more distributors out there the better for us consumers. That little thing called competition. Roger

As a beginner you should adhere strictly to a high-percentage strategy. Fish only where weeds are displaying on your sonar screen (pass-up open water) Move your boat to the deep edge of the weedbed, where the weeds begin to disappear. Now work along the outer weedline while keeping an eye out for hydrilla (favor hydrilla to other plants) The lures you choose will depend on many things that I can't predict here. All the same, you'll need at least one for the surface, one for midwater and one for the bottom. A soft swimbait is an excellent topwater because it's totally weedless and covers ground quickly. A spinnerbait would be handy for midwater coverage and a jig-&-craw to rake the bottom. Roger

Baitfish swim effortlessly through the water, and lures with exaggerated head-faking appear unnatural. Many paddle-tail swimbaits display excessive "tail wagging the dog", but ideally you want most of the action in the tail, not in the head. The following soft swimbaits provide a strong throb with minimum head waddle: > Gambler Big EZ > Keitech Swim Impact Fat > Basstrix Paddletail Roger

Surely You Jest Roger

During the 1970s and 80s I was heavy into saltwater fishing and was using both Daiwa and Shimano reels (plus Penn & Newell). I started out totally unbiased, but now it's many years and many reels later, and now I'm biased in favor of Shimano (after the fact, not before the fact). Roger

I've used the Big Hammer for bass & pike and know what you're referring to. The expression "Nose-Hunting" is generally applied to hard baits and is not a negative trait. However, with respect to soft baits like the Big Hammer, lateral waddle is often referred to as the 'Tail Wagging The Dog', which is a negative trait. The most desirable property of the Big Hammer is its perceptible throbbing, the trade-off being some lateral thrust (the deal-breaker for me though, was separation between Big Hammer laminations). "Rollover" is very different than lateral waddle, it's more serious and it's not tolerable (it twists line). The easiest way to eliminate rollover is to use a keel-weighted hook, and increase the weight until 'rollover' is prevented. You can lower the weight necessary to squelch rollover, by increasing the size of the hook. A larger hook increases the distance between the keel weight and rigged bait, which takes more centrifugal force to rollover the weight. Roger

If I were spooled with Berkley Big Game mono line, those are 'precisely' the parameters I'd choose, right down to the 6' 10" length (my pet length, but I usually have to settle). Roger

I just holler: "Retrieve" fetch "Retrieve". I can do that, because I never take her fishing

Always match the colors of the losing team, it creates the illusion of an easy meal. If nothing else, this may help to downgrade preoccupation with lure color Roger

Back in the 80s, Gander Mountain was one of the Big-3, the other 2 being Bass Pro Shops & Cabelas. After visiting one of their stores in Florida, it was plain to see they were struggling (clues were everywhere) Gander Mountain took waaay too long to launch online shopping, which IMO sounded their death knell. If Gander Mountain filed Chapter 11, another distributor could possibly support reorganization, but if they filed Chapter 7, it's over. Roger

Pretty obvious where the color names originated. For instance, 'sexy shad' is the color of a female threadfin shad during the mating season. The color 'pumpkin' is the same color as the dirt where pumpkins grow. 'Junebug' is the color of the Bolivian Yak Bug during the month of June. The only one that's got me stumped is 'Bubblegum' Roger

Catching a Personal Best is a piece of cake! Just catch a bass bigger than any you've caught before

I'm guessing 5 lb 4 oz!

It would be a mistake to select blank “action” based strictly around the lure. Tip action should also consider the line material, the cover you intend to work and the missions you have in mind, they're ALL equally important. The three most common blank actions: > Moderate Fast (the softest action, but not offered in all models) > Fast (hands-down the most versatile and popular action) > Extra-Fast (expounded below) I use braided line, therefore I prefer "fast" action blanks for virtually all lures, in all cover and for all chores. On the other hand, the angler who uses monofilament line (nylon, copoly or fluoro), might well prefer an 'extra-fast' action. Extra-fast action provides better hook-setting with mono line because it accesses the rod’s spine more quickly. In addition, an 'extra-fast' tip is also useful for moving fish quickly out of heavy cover. 'Moderate fast action' may be selected to extend the cast distance of lightweight lures (load factor). Moderate fast action is also useful for lures with treble hooks, but bear in mind that mono line and a composite blank also cushion shock, and it's never necessary to have all 3 shock absorbers. Roger

"Any suggestions?" Get out there and give it hell

In saltwater I've always used about thrice as much conventional tackle as spinning tackle, but in freshwater I fished exclusively with spinning tackle for many, many years. Today notwithstanding, I own twice as many casting outfits as spinning outfits, so I'm probably using spinning gear roughly a third of the time. Roger

As many times as I've seen that skit, it still Cracks Me Up! Roger

The 'Berkley Split-Belly' was a soft swimbait that provided what you're looking for, but it was not well-received by anglers and has been discontinued. Rather than an open split, a few soft swimbaits come with a top slot where you can hide an exposed point. One such swimbait is the Gambler Big EZ, which I throw. I use braided line so I bury the point in plastic for maximum weedlessness, and ignore the top slot. Roger

WOW, you left me a slew of openings, but my best choice is the exit Kidding aside, that bluegill is a humpback and a half! Roger

Good job young man I've learned from uncomplimentary hands-on experience, the sport of wrestling involves more than what meets the eye. Roger

HAND-SIZED SLABS, that's what I'm talking about! Roger

Tom, in a very recent post, you & I agreed that there are no reliable field marks that corroborate a bass's sex, that 'size' was one of the most reliable indicators. The original poster offered the following: "Sure enough, I found a big bass within a few minutes guarding a nearby bed" Roger

Years ago, I've been ruthlessly banned from the "Fish Attractant Guild"! I've been furthermore informed that I am never welcome back. Right you are, those are crocodile tears. Roger