RoLo

This bass was caught in Rodman Pool, Florida, it weighted 'only' 14-lb 1-oz It's plain to see that this bass is about 6 pounds lighter than the 20-lb Texas record New Texas Record Bass 20-lb 4-oz Roger

I've never met you farmer, but I feel that I know you. You've given me the sense that you're a clear thinker and a survivor, and really that's all it takes. In any event, I wish you the best of luck, though you probably won't need it Roger

A Tri-fluted river anchor was my anchor for many, many years. Mine weighed 12 pounds, but I toted 50-ft of rode. Roger

Holy 'COW', what a remarkable beast!! Was that today Tom?

A small pond can be fished 'down', but it cannot be fished 'out'. It's a self-fulfilling prophesy on the fish's end, because increased fishing pressure results in more highly conditioned and harder to catch bass. It's self-fulfilling on the angler's end as well, because when fishing production dries up, the number of anglers dries up in kind. Roger

Wow, you're in saltwater heaven! Between seatrout, redfish, tarpon & snook, I doubt you'll have any time for sweetwater bass Roger

Exactly, I call all the shots in "my pond"

I'd consider a 'fluorocarbon' weedguard which will never crystallize. I have Berkley Fusion 19 weedless wide-gap hooks, and the tension is excellent. Roger

For comfort and economy, I can't imagine footwear that will beat 'Crocs'. I recently bought a pair of Crocs at Rural King for $5. I wear them around the house, in the yard and on the boat. However, I don't wear them to funerals and black-tie events Roger

Two budget blanks I'd seriously consider are the Berkley Lightning Shock Rod & Bass Pro Shop Bionic Blade. Roger

I've never fished Lewis Smith Lake but know that it held the former world-record spotted bass for many years. Sadly, spots transplanted into California stripped Lewis Smith of the natural record. Within the spot's native range, I believe Lake Lanier, GA is the strongest contender of Lewis Smith, AL. Roger

Saved me some typing

If your goal is to land a trophy bass, and not partake in a runt fest, you should thank the landowner for a policy that plays into your hands. Roger

But don't forget, you're fishing in trees

There is no known cure for stockpiling angling tackle. Just so you know, if your buying stops you're out of the club! Roger

You only 'Need' one, but you may 'Want' more. When I first started, I fished with one spinning outfit for years. I never thought that retying a lure knot was any big deal. Today however, I carry '5' outfits on my boat, and my wife carries '7' Roger

The debate rages on, but I believe that changing light conditions are more important than barometric pressure. Pre-frontal conditions are typically accompanied by overcast skies and low-light, which tend to improve fishing On the other hand, post-frontal conditions are typically accompanied by bright sun and high blues skies, which tend to suppress fishing activity (needless to say, there are no hard rules in fishing). So even without a barometer, the light level gives the angler a heads up. Roger

How many outfits do you need? One

Pre-frontal conditions (ahead of high pressure) generally offer enhanced fishing activity. Post-frontal conditions (after the front arrives) generally offer depressed activity. Roger

'Aurora' refers to the light show in the northern night sky ('aurora borealis') However, the aurora borealis is dominated by reddish and greenish streamers, yet some lures dubbed aurora do not display green and red. One that comes to mind is the 'aurora black' Zoom Fluke, which is blueish on top, whitish on bottom, but no green and no red Roger

If your lakes aren't very weedy, you may get away with a Storm Swimbait, but in Florida a lure with a line-eye at 1 o'clock won't go very far without fouling up. A good way to go with soft swimbaits is to rig them on a weighted hook. A keel-weighted hook will prevent the swimbait from rolling over and is very weedless. A good swimbait hook is the Gamakatsu Weighted Superline Spring-lock Hook. Roger

Since it's a tournament and not recreational fishing, I'd probably opt for #1. You alluded to lots of fish, which suggests to me that you're familiar with this water. Since every contestant would be dealing with the size handicap, it's a level playing field, where culling may decide the winner. Roger

Sufix 832 Braid 20-lb = 0.009" diameter 10-lb = 0.008" diameter Roger

In 1992, Texas produced it's one and only bass over 18 lbs. Although Florida produced several bass that were officially weighed and documented over 18 lbs, none have been certified by the state of Florida. Florida's former state record was a 19-lb bass taping 31" taken from Tarpon Lake, Florida. All the same, the state saw fit to rescind this record, and in two other instances, certification was denied because a biologist never identified the species. To be sure, California "used to" turn out bass over 18 lbs, but their production of late has slowed to a crawl, and for all practical purposes has halted. There's never been any mystery about the gene pool of world-class bass; they are ALL Florida-strain bass. The normal longevity of a Florida-strain bass depends on its geographic latitude (water climate), not mystical genes. Too far north and you shorten their growing season, too far south and you shorten their lifespan, but in order to produce a world-record, both attributes must be present. The growth-rate of a Florida-strain bass hinges on the forage-base of the waterbody in which it dwells, where an abundance of high-fat prey is a must (No, not high-protein). When Florida-strain bass are transplanted into a foreign waterbody with ideal conditions, the population generally burgeons for the first 10 to 15 years. Over time however, a species living where nature has not intended will undergo a slow but sure process of genetic poop-out. In that regard, the Texas department of resources has done a far better job than California. Texans are excellent stewards of their Florida-strain resource and are determined to maximize the mileage, which is no easy task...Kudos to Texas! Every world-class bass on record has come from a relatively narrow latitudinal band that wraps around the globe. In that narrow world-class band, at least one 18-lb plus bass has been taken from Georgia, Florida, Texas, California and Japan. Waterbodies situated above and below the optimum latitude are highly unlikely to produce a world-class bass, let alone a world-record. Owing to their rapid growth rate, many tropical latitudes yield hordes of double-digit bass, yet world-class bass (18+) are conspicuously absent (World-class is 80% heavier than double-digit). On an old thread many years ago, I was the only member who offered 'Japan' as a possible candidate for a new world record. I based my prediction mostly on latitude, and the rest is history. In that same thread, most of the members choose tropical climes such as Cuba, Mexico & Puerto Rico. In my opinion at least, those countries are too far south of Florida to provide the long lifespan necessary for a Florida-strain bass to attain world-class. The problem being, bass living in tropical climes are destined to die young due to thermal burnout, the same as pushing plant growth with grow lights. No mystical gene pool can compensate for an animal living outside its natural range. It would be interesting if we could all reconvene 100 years from now, I believe we might all be somewhat surprised. The more things change, the more they stay the same Roger

I wouldn't think the weight of 1 buck bass has much bearing on the next world-record. World-records are set by female bass, and world-class weights begin at 18 pounds. Texas has produced very few bass over 18 pounds (I'm only aware of 1). Roger