RoLo

I wish I could be more specific Lonnie, but it was over 50 years ago and I only remember that it was air-cooled. Though it only set me back $100, it never gave me any trouble so I never tore her down. Though points & plugs wouldn't be a problem, I'm sure that all the proprietary electronics have been off the market for years. Roger

My very first outboard motor was a blue & white Eska (I loved it). Back in the 60s I bought a 5 HP Eska for $100, they're air-cooled motors and VERY noisy. Roger

I'm more impressed by the fish than the fisherman. What I find most remarkable is the southerly latitude of that catch. The former world-record bass caught in Georgia came from the 31st parallel. "Dottie" who was caught in Lake Dixon, CA came from the 33rd parallel The new world-record caught in Lake Biwa, Japan came from the 35th parallel Dominic's bass caught in a private pond in Estero, FL came from the 26th parallel where the lifespan of bass is truncated by thermal burnout. Roger

Congratulations on a great day! That 'Wiper' wants to be a striped bass, not a white bass Roger

The difference in line diameter between 10-lb braid and 20-lb braid is 1/1000th inch (0.001"), which is 1/3 the thickness of a human hair. Slashing your breaking strength in half (by 50%) to reduce line-diameter by 11% is not an appealing tradeoff. Roger

Makes two of us..lol We're talking here about a moving target. Beyond what I offered above, I'd place the emphasis on honing my location and lure presentation, rather than lure nuances. Roger

The point was made by Dominic Montalto, not me. He landed a 16-lb 12-oz from "shore".

A couple of finesse trailers I like: Fish-shaped: Zoom 4" Fluke Jr. - aurora black Craw-shaped: Netbait 3" Paca Chunk - black shadow Roger

Good job, Crypt! When we lived in Orlando I came 'very close' to fishing Alligator Lake, in fact even that long canal leading to the lake looked promising. I ended up fishing Lake Hart with modest results, but the next time I'll follow your lead Roger

Not quite sure what you mean by 'craw-worm'. In any case, the difference between a T-rigged Rage Craw and a Jig & Rage Craw is the weighting system (subtleties therein are founded on personal preference) I've seen no real evidence that realism is a valid criteria, for instance the highly realistic 'Yum Crawbug' has been soundly trounced by the 'Paca Craw' which flaps like a dead sea turtle. On the contrary, I've seen plenty of evidence that big baits catch bass of a higher mean weight. That's not to say that a large bass won't strike a small bait nor vice versa. Roger

In pursuit of largemouth bass, which of the following 2 penalties would you choose for the rest of your life?: > Fishing 'only' in water Less than 15 ft deep > Fishing 'only' in water Greater than 15 ft deep Yup, the plight of the 'bank-beater' is overstated Roger

With young kids, you'd be hard pressed to beat a can of live red worms Roger

Yes

Your shiner piqued my curiosity ORANGEFIN SHINER It's not an 'Orangefin Shiner' (A shiner I've used in the St Lawrence River) SPOTFIN SHINER (Notropis ammophilus) You might be right, it may be a 'Spotfin Shiner' (Notropis ammophilus) Roger

I've never checked its accuracy, but water thermometers are typically within one degree. The only ones with questionable accuracy were those stapled to a background card, but I believe they're history. Roger

Bass Pro Shops offers a water thermometer ($15) that's about the size of a ballpoint pen. I use it when I'm on vacation and don't have my boat. Roger

That's an enormous northern-strain bass Roger

My wife told me about that fish yesterday, which was taken from a private pond in Estero, FL. From all accounts this bass is totally legit. I must say though, it's one of the heaviest bass I'm aware of from such a southerly latitude (i.e. N 26.5). The long-growing season in such a southerly clime produces a lot of double-digit bass, but due to a shortened lifespan caused by thermal burnout, bass over 15 pounds are 'very rare' at a latitude that far south. Most Florida bass weighing in the high teens were taken from latitude 27 and north, and of course the former world-record was taken in south Georgia. Roger

Gambler Big EZ = Size RI Skinny Dipper = numbers Roger

Largemouth Bass -> Lake Kissimmee, FL | Toledo Bend Reservoir, TX Smallmouth Bass -> Lake Erie (eastern basin) | Lake Huron (Les Cheneaux Islands) Roger

Slicker than Slick

When it comes to spare line-spools, I'm the World's Worst! I started out with good intentions but have yet to deploy 'one' spare spool in the field. Finally, that charade is history Roger

I liked your idea of using braided line with a fluorocarbon leader. In fact, I would make only one small change, I'd ditch the fluorocarbon leader! Roger

For starters, be sure to use a streamlined jig with a spire-point jighead (swim-jig) and low-swept weedguard (avoid weedguards that form a square corner with the jighead). When your jig stalls in cover, instead of bulling it thru the sticking point, coax it gently by applying and releasing pressure until the jig makes it to a clearing. In addition, drop down to a 1/4 oz jig or less to negotiate a troubled bottom. Roger

There are two kinds of drifts, a "Wind drift" and a "Current drift". A "WIND sock" as the name suggests, is only useful for WIND drifts. Imagine what would happen to your wind-drift speed if you tied a garbage can to your stern cleat. Well, the drift sock as it were, replaces the garbage can Roger