Will Wetline

Well told story, thank you. Care to estimate the weight of your hefty honey?

I'm guessing that everyone who uses a Do-It dropshot sinker mold has noticed that the specialized dropshot hardware can be turned end-for-end and that gives you a loop sticking out of the finished product rather than the pinched end that you would have to open up in order to attach a split ring. Here's a slightly fuzzy photo to illustrate: I'm fishing for smallmouth in clear water so I've made these rigs with Gamakatsu 584 EWG hooks which I had been previously TX rigging with small creatures and 5" hula grubs. Dressed with a Smallie Beaver, this innovative assemblage of hook, rings and weight received the seal of approval during yesterday's outing.

That is some fishery!

No. There really wasn't very much moving all day. What I will remember on future trips is to fish deeper and fish more rock. We were hoping for a better movement over sand/gravel/scattered weed flats that were 5' - 10' deep, thinking that the sun and the wind (10 - 15 MPH) would bring them up.

It was the first trip of the season to my favorite smallmouth water. Air temp. 36 degrees when we left the dock. Water temp. 50.1 - a good temp. for ripping hard jerk baits. I was very happy to be out on this big, clear lake but by noontime when my partner and I had boated only 4 smallies all under 2 lbs. I was ready for a big, pre spawn mama. And here she is! 5.8 lbs. I rubbed her belly for continued good luck and released her with the instruction to go make babies that would grow up just like her.

Beautiful, healthy fish. Well done.

Beside food and drink, sunscreen, bug repellent and my camera for CPR.

I use both round nose and lineman's pliers when forming the loop. First make the loop but don't close it entirely. Grip the open end of the loop and twist it just past the wire arm with the lineman's pliers. Place the loop vertically between the jaws and carefully compress it until the end is just past the bottom of the wire arm. Now gripping the bottom half of the loop twist it back until it's directly under the arm and snug. You can't have a gap or you'll lose your swivel. Be careful that you don't damage your split ring while doing this and yes - this procedure does take some patience and practice. Let me add the name of a component supplier I've used for the past 25 years: www.barlowstackle.com

Yup, season and water temps. dictate retrieve. Also my socks and the amount of caffeine in my system. Recently I was having a discussion about fishing tubes with a bassmaster of long experience. I said I just mosey them over the bottom. He, on the other hand, pops them which is the trigger for the time of season and location he's fishing. And how about hard jerkbaits? I fish them with a sweep and pause retrieve early season. Others twitch, twitch, twitch, pause. The only certainty is we should try different retrieves until we either get bit or decide to try a different bait,

Be sure to get some 5" Hula Grubs.

This concerns me as well. I'm using the lighter wire Gamakatsu 584 EWG hook. I attach a split ring to that and then to the weight. Then I add another split ring to the first and will tie off to that. This looks good to me:

My guess is that the "suits" decided on February for marketing reasons: it gets us weekend fishermen thinking about fishing in our off season, especially those of us whose lakes are frozen. When we're thinking about open water we just might inventory our tackle for the upcoming season, look through catalogs and place orders! Yes! This may be a very unpopular opinion, but I'll say the Classic extravaganza turns a once peaceful pastime into farce. Boats driven into a convention center . . . live fish onstage . . . a confetti blizzard for the winner! C'mon. I have nothing but admiration for the professionals who compete in this grueling competition, but hey, B.A.S.S., spare me the spectacle, will ya? I promise I'll buy the same amount of tackle if you ease up on the hoopla.

I had cast under the limbs of an overhanging branch. As soon as I started the retrieve I felt weight - heavy weight. But it wasn't fighting. I didn't know what it was but thought that a branch would have broken the surface. About halfway back to the boat this non-largemouth object revealed itself: a snapping turtle, about 20 lbs. worth. Let me ask you this - what are the odds that on a 500 acre lake you are going to make a cast so precise that you slide the hook just under the front edge of a snapper's shell? Alrighty then. I'm reeling slower now, doncha know, watching jaws wildly snap at air and thinking that I really don't want to share the boat with this enraged reptile . . . but on the other hand, I didn't want to leave a 5/0 hook in its shell. I brought the beast to the side of the boat, looked at my long nose pliers . . . would they be long enough? Yes, they were. I then decided to try some offshore spots I knew.

www.barlowstackle.com www.lurepartsonline.com www.jannsnetcraft.com

That's just a too-tough question! They slam spinnerbaits and jerkbaits, tap-tap a hula grub, imperceptibly inhale a slowly swum tube, suck down a popper, whack a crank . . . nah, I'm not gonna make a choice. I will note that some of these baits have a particular time in the season when it's their prime time. Other than that I'll say, " I love smallies!."

Welcome, je1946! Maybe we'll meet on the Q this season. Enjoy Bass Resource. Much to be learned here.

I've been fishing Stradics for about 15 years, mostly 4000s, and I love 'em.

This is too funny. Back in 1972 when I was a young bassmaster, there were not a lot of choices for plastic worms, or not in Massachusetts at any rate. These Mann's worms were available. With the tremendous number of brands and styles available nowadays, I hadn't wondered whether the classic Jelly worm was still available or not. I do remember that that the LM in a 300 acre pond did enjoy picking up the heavily-scented 9" Jelly worms in black and grape. I don't doubt that they still would.

I like this explanation of the difference between "ripping" and "jerking." Since the mid-'90s, I have been ripping Bombers Long A 15APS (S for suspending, of course) and have interested more than a few clear water smallies when the water temp. is between 47 and 55 degrees, 50 being optimum. I like a 6 1/2' medium action rod and 10 lb. Berkley Sensation. For some real good info on suspending jerkbaits, get a copy of Lindner's Angling Edge "Crankbait Strategies Hardbait Bass." The segment, "Spring Smallmouths on the Flats" is all about early season smallies and, yes, X-Raps. It's as transparent as good smallie water what companies Al Lindner represents, but still, the general knowledge you gain is well worth listening to what is partly infomercial. (And I love Lindner's great enthusiasm in the winter when mine is dormant at best.) One last comment on hard jerkbaits: I have been convinced from a number of reliable sources that the Pointer 100s and 78s are the best out of the package. I exercised my Mastercard and got a few for this season. However, for a relatively low priced bait, go for the Bomber 15APS.

In younger days, I used to get overly enthusiastic at times. Cruising from one spot to another, it suddenly occurred to me that if I tied on a spinnerbait, I'd hammer 'em! Yes! That's what conditions called for! I put the casting reel on free spool, pulled off some line, tied on the bait. Simple enough. My buddy in the driver's seat next to me looked over and said, "I usually string the line through the guides first . . . "

I bass fish in Massachusetts which, as you may already know, has banned lead jigs and sinkers that weigh less than one ounce. Therefore I am molding with a bismuth/tin alloy that melts at 281 degrees. This informs me that I cannot properly cure powder paint. So . . . drip . . . drip . . . drip . . . I will continue to use the vinyl, PITA process that it is.

You want a finish that doesn't chip? Use vinyl paint. I've seen a jig dipped in vinyl smashed with a hammer and the jig flattened and this paint conformed to the new shape without a chip. However, applying this paint may be the most tedious process you've ever done. I'll be using this procedure on bismuth/tin alloy jigs in a few weeks and try to put up a post with pics.

When I get too serious and hyper on the water I chill for a bit, remind myself I go fishing for the pleasure of being outdoors and away from everyday grievances for a while. Look at the clouds. Have a sip of coffee. I do understand that you're talking about tournament fishing and that time is money. I'm not suggesting that you sit on a meditation cushion and chant your bass fishing mantras. But in order to focus, you need to clarify what you want to do and, after nearly 50 years chasing one species or another, I am looking at the curious notion that catching a fish is the lesser part of the whole picture . . . I remind myself to smile and to be grateful for the opportunity to be out. And then, when I've relaxed for a couple of minutes, I'll have another look in my tacklebox and see what else I have to offer. While fishing with others, I don't have to be Top Rod. If you can maintain the attitude that you're a player, a participant, and be happy with that, you've freed up your mind to pay attention to the mechanics of formulating a new strategy. That's probably more than enough of a philosophical ramble. To sum up: Enjoy the day and be cool. You may catch more fish, too.

Here's a healthy fish from Massachusetts' waters: