RoLo

Bomber 7A - citruse (dives: 8-10' | 1/2 oz | 2-5/8") Roger

The same to you, fella

"Convince Me I Need Them" First I'll need to know what you plan on doing with them Actually I didn't enjoy the free soap, it tasted lousy and I was blowing bubbles for hours.

THANX, but I'm ashamed to admit how much that spiffy hat set me back

Your post made me double-check the hooks on my Pointers. Geez, they must've screwed-up big time, because the hooks are all sticky sharp

The Pop-R certainly has a long and interesting history. It was discontinued for several years, then production was reinstated Probably due to its small size, few poppers can generate as many strikes as a Pop-R Roger "Senko" you say? HUMPH, that's one I've never heard of

SHEEZ, where do you find privacy anymore? I was wondering what the bright flash was Roger

"Greatest Lure Ever Made" It's a tossup between a 'Live Minnow' and a 'Hand Grenade'

I've owned several Motorguides and several Minn Kotas. When you're churning thru nasty maidencane & pondweed, you can't beat Minn Kota's "Weedless Wedge2 Prop". Another cool Minn Kota feature is the "Digital Maximizer", which extends battery life dramatically. I've bought my last Motorguide, and from now on it's Minn Kota. Roger

You're definitely on a roll Paul., Way To Go!! I envision your prototype resembling a Devils Spear Roger

That's what they said about Swimbaits in Florida, which were concocted in Californa, but today swimbaits are a mainstay in Florida. The Ned Rig was adapted to the Midwest, but a minor tweak is all that's needed to adapt it to the weedy lakes in Florida. By simply Texas-rigging the worm on a 1/16oz Z-bend jighead, it will catch runt bass all day, even when other lures aren't. Anglers in our local tournaments often use a similar setup just to fill a limit, then change their tactics for kicker fish. Roger

Strike King Rage Lobster or Zoom 5" Z-Craw If you'd prefer something shorter, they can be cut back. Roger

A windy day is Good and Bad. It's good because fish tend to feed more in a wind-generated current. It's good if you're casting downwind, but that presents the lure from the fish's rear (fish face into the current). Wind degrades angler sensitivity but holding the rod-tip next to the water surface is a good counter-measure. I don't fish directly in the brunt of the wind, nor do fish hold in the brunt of the wind (even trout prefer a back eddy). I try to find a neutral current adjacent to the edge of current, such as beside a jut of land. Roger

Congratulations on your catch It's fair to say that Virginia must be in the 'early' pre-spawn period. Here in central Florida (27th parallel) nests are still few and far between where the spawn is not in full swing until March. Roger

In years gone by, 'Helly Hansen' was the rain gear used by lobstermen along the Jersey shore. Today however, lightweight rain gear like 'Frogg Toggs' offers a better bang for the buck. If you're looking for heavy-duty raingear, 'Guidewear' is an excellent choice for the long haul. Roger

In truth, when fish in captivity do not receive ample food, that is the expected result. I know that from personal experience I've had with a small backyard pond in Georgia. Roger

In the natural lakes we fish, no exposed-hook jig is going very far without fouling (if fished properly). You might try a 'Brewer's 1/16oz Slider Head' where the worm is Texas-rigged and fully weedless. Roger

Yeah I'm off tomorrow, but since I'm retired does it count as scheduled? By the way, what day is tomorrow? Roger

"Should I leave it alone this year?" Absolutely not! The greater the challenge, the greater the motivation. I second the Ned Rig, but when you grow tired of that revolving-door of runts, you'll have more patience with a Magnum 7" Ultra-Vibe Worm Roger

"2017 Goals" More and larger bass Roger

When you ask for 'best time', you'll invariably receive answers regarding 'possible times' (nature of the beast) IMO, the answer to your question isn't directly tied to water temperatures, which are more coincidental than incidental. That said, I'd guess that the BEST water temperatures pivot around 70 deg for northern-strain bass, and around 80-deg for Florida-strain bass (in my experience). Roger

By no means a foolish question, because 'bottom contour' lies at the heart of fishing (catching). Even in possession of a hydrographic chart or topographic quadrangular, I'd still fire up "Google Earth". Google Earth will typically reveal surface vegetation, tributary streams (live coves), and possibly rapid depth change which is sometimes betrayed by a change in color tone. When you're physically on the water, study the shoreline terrain closely, because steep banks and flat banks tend to persist, thereby offering a clue to the terrain under the boat. Last but not least, I'd keep the depth sounder running constantly while watching for drop-offs, ridges, ditches, cover ~ ~ Roger

Just like any lure, there's no one set way to deliver a soft swimbait, the angler is the mystro. In weedy natural lakes, I keep the swimbait just beneath the surface 90% of the time. I'll deliberately cast the swimbait into heavy emergent cover, which bangs it around like a crankbait in a stump-field. I've lost too many Keitechs to bowfin, and now only throw the Big EZ (same performance, better durability) Roger

I really like that carving!

The 'Gambler Ace' is virtually indistinguishable from a Yamamoto Senko (in all respects). That may sound like a brash overstatement, but I've put both stickworms through the paces. Roger