RoLo

Darren's honesty is refreshing When I hear an angler say that bass taste terrible, my first thought is maybe he doesn't like fish. Frankly, fish is not my favorite item on the menu either (prime rib? Now you're talking) All the same, after devouring around 50 different species of fish from fresh and saltwater, freshwater bass are definitely among my favorite. Roger

If I was restricted to nothing but a jig & Kalin Lunker Grub, I'd be as happy as a pig in <?>, whatever it is they like. Roger

That was the line I used for many, many years before the advent of braided polyethylene. Trilene XL (XL=extra limp) is the limpest, most manageable nylon line I've ever used on spinning gear. Roger

Well, not quite Rich. In your example, the reel drag would release line 33% ahead of the line's breaking strength. My point was to emphasize the tremendous amount of pressure that 10 lbs exerts on your rod and the fish. In 95% of freshwater encounters (except for some of Bluebasser's fish), a 10-lb drag will get you home safely. Roger

Noisy, big and black

Drag tension is traditionally set between 25 & 30 percent of the line's breaking test, so let's split the difference and say 27% of line strength. Accordingly, 10 pounds of drag tension would be appropriate for 37-lb line, which is ample drag to pump a spent 75-lb bluefin tuna to the boat. Roger

My wife doesn't like golf.

I do own a few crappy rods, but that wasn't my original intent

Thanks for your recipe Lonnie. My wife & I have always rated freshwater bass among the most flavorful fish in fresh and saltwater (High in Omega-3 to boot). Roger

Any brand of rod or reel that is worthy of hate, would likely disappear from the landscape. Lews is not a brand that I normally consider, but it's probably safe to say that they dominate specific niches within their price range. Roger

If you're referring to largemouth bass, the 'pre-spawn' is one season I wouldn't employ drop-shotting. During the actual spawn...Absolutely. During the pre-spawn however, big trophy females are actively feeding before the ensuing spawn. It's a time when big lures and big live minnows are most popular (unless you're targeting buck bass). Now then, if you're referring to smallmouth bass, there are drop-shot baits I'll use year-round: > Jackall 4" Crosstail Shad - green pumpkin pepper > Roboworm 4.5" Straight-tail Worm - new ayu > Live European Nightcrawler - 3-5" long Roger

Coincidentally, I also lived in Georgia before moving to Florida. Side-imaging can be useful in lakes like Lanier & West Point, but in the frying pans of Florida, I rely far more on 3D down-imaging. It's only natural to head directly to the tallest, densest cover, but every other angler has done the same. Placing equal or greater emphasis on the bottom contour first, can often pay dividends Roger

She's a nice chunk! Your other photo brings new meaning to the word 'tandem'

Frankly, I don't always follow the same coverage pattern, but usually begin with a surface or subsurface lure to promptly skim any highly active fish. This is particularly important during a period of stable weather. I'll then work the mid-depth zone then finally and most importantly the 'bottom'. As to specific lures, that's hard to know in advance. I should add, that it's very possible and even likely to be dealing with pre-spawn, spawning and post-spawn bass simultaneously (the biggest cows spawn first). Roger

Is the nearest golf course within walking distance?

You also want to scrutinize the terrain beneath the mats. Ish Monroe won the 2012 Bassmaster Elite in Pelican Bay. Supposedly, he found a small wrinkle in the bottom of just a few inches that held his winning fish. It's important to keep one eye on the 3D down-scanner Roger

Break out the bladed jig or overhead spinner Roger

During lulls in the pheasant & grouse hunting, I used to devote a couple Saturdays to gray squirrels. I would only spend about an hour on stand at day's end, when the squirrels fed the heaviest. I'd wait until I had about 3 or 4 squirrels spotted in the canopies of the white oak trees. I'd memorize the position of each squirrel which continually shifted, then picked the right moment to launch a blitzkrieg. Since the first shot would route all the squirrels, the salvo had to pan quickly from left to right. Time couldn't be wasted marking them down, which made retrieving the squirrels the toughest part. Roger

Very Impressive! I really enjoyed both videos Paul; thanks for sharing. I'll be viewing them both again more thoroughly, and likely follow up with a PM. Thanx again. Roger

I have no idea what the fish scents smell like, but the caffeine-scented worms made me drink more coffee. If I started using garlic-simulated scent, I'd probably lay up a few pounds Roger

Among those you've mentioned, I'd go with the Dobyns Fury. Roger

For buck bass, a lipless crank is tough to beat, but for cow bass I prefer a jig & craw or suspending jerkbait. The swimbait is okay, but really shines during the 'post-spawn'. Roger

When I was a kid, my dad used to cook-up a concoction of cornmeal including vanilla extract and other ingredients. On the way to Paulinskill Lake, NJ, I would knead the cornmeal in a handkerchief to toughen the consistency. Since that time though, I've gotten away from cornmeal and found that 'Whole Kernel Sweet Corn' was just as good or better than cornmeal. Thread about four corn niblets, side-to-side on a No.6 short-shank hook. Once you've found an area where departing carp have left telltale mud puffs, chum the area with stale break or biscuit mix. The next day, cast your bait or baits into the baited area and allow it to sit absolutely still on the bottom with the reel in free-spool. Carp are more intelligent than bass, in fact many believe they're the most intelligent of fish. Carp seem to sense our presence, as a result, you'll often have to wait 30 minutes or more before the game is on. All the while, you're waiting for your line to begin snaking thru the guides. Carp often test a bait with a suck-&-blow action, so you'll have to ignore false starts and wait for a meaningful run-off before engaging the reel and setting the hook. You've got the rest Roger

I totally agree, Big Game is a wiry line, but that tends to be true for all the toughest lines like Trilene Big Game, Original Stren & Trilene XT. I can still picture the day I was bank-fishing with Original Stren on my spinning reel. I believe there was more Bill Dance Original Stren around my ankles than on my reel In a line shootout conducted several years back, Original Stren demonstrated higher abrasion-resistance than the expensive Japanese lines. 'IF' manageability ruled the roost, Trilene XL would be king. Roger

I've owned a dumpster full GPS units, sonar units, paper graphs, 2D & 3D down-scanners, side-imaging units (Humminbird Onix), ad nauseam I've never been happier with any chartplotter as I am with the "Lowrance Elite 7Ti" The "Ti" stands for 'Touchscreen Interface', which IMO is a must have Roger