Sam

Try Academy H2O frogs. Outstanding!

Chris, do you go to the football games with her on fall weekends???

This is why you keep your eyes and ears open when gators are around. Sad story. https://www.yahoo.com/gma/body-missing-florida-woman-bitten-alligator-found-officials-162203739--abc-news-topstories.html

I hate when things like this happen to good people. So sorry for his passing. Makes you wonder what God has planned for the rest of us. RIP.

Have you considered carrying a .38 and shooting any gator that approaches you? Alligators are prehistoric animals that only want to kill and eat. They are extremely fast and can jump out of the water and run around 20 MPH+ on land. They are also sneaky, waiting for a meal to approach on the bank. And "man" is a meal to an alligator. Growing up in south Louisiana and fishing in the marsh has given me a very strong appreciation for an alligator and how they guard their territority. I will avoid them at all costs and even not go fishing if one is in the vicinity. Just my two cents. Glad you are OK.

The secret is how much pressure does it take to lift the bait up and down. Raise the worm up slowly and let it fall within a two-foot radius. That is all you need. A two-foot radius from where the worm hits the water using a spinning rig. You let the worm sit on the bottom for a few seconds and then you lift your rod tip about six inches and let the worm fall again. You do this twice or three times within a two-foot radius. Then reel in and do it again and again and again and again. Always keep a finger on the line coming off your spinning reel. A tungsten weight will transmit feelings back to your finger so be ready all the time for the tap tap. Braid will transmit what tis going on back to your finger. All line will transmit back to you but tungsten weights and braid line do it best. The worm is supposed to go up and down easily. If it feels "heavy" the bass has the bait. SET THE HOOK. Learn how the bait feels without a bass on it. If the bait feels "different or heavy" then it does without any fish on it, you SET THE HOOK. Concentrate on how the bait feels when you lift it or start your retrieve back to you. This is the secret to catching bass. Many times you may think a bream is pecking on your bait. Very lightly lift the rod tip and if it is heavy or feels different you SET THE HOOK. You could have a five pound bass that has inhaled your bait or holding it in their mouth and is just sitting there with it in their mouth as there are no other bass around for competition. 90% of the time the bass will hit the worm on the fall, be it on the initial fall or if you lift your rod tip to move it upwards so it can float down, like a wacky Senko or trick worm. If you feel a "tap tap" watch your line. If you feel a "tap tap" and your line starts to move right or left, the bass has your worm in their mouth and is swimming away with it. But if the bass grabs the bait and just sits there with it in their mouth you will not feel a "tap tap." You will fee the worm being heavy. When this happens, SET THE HOOK. I remember fishing a country club pond and I just flipped a Senko about 10 feet from the bank. What was different was that the bait landed on a stump and stopped falling. I then remembered there were no stumps in the pond. So I reeled in the slack and set the hook and landed a beautiful four pounder. Never felt a tap. Never felt any weight. The line never moved. She just inhaled it and was holding it in her mouth for whatever reason. As Hank Parker says, " it don't cost anything to set the hook." So set the hook. You may look funny but I would rather look funny setting the hook over my head with nothing on the other end than to miss a big one because I could not determine if the bass has taken the bait. If there is nothing on the other end of your line when you set the hook don't fall down on the ground if you are bank fishing or fall out of the boat in case there is no fish on the other end of the line. Keep your balance and get ready for the bait to sail past your head or hit you between your legs. If this happens, you are doing everything right. Now go to your favorite body of water; cast out; and learn the feel of the worm with nothing on it. And remember, if the bait feels "heavy" or "different" you SET THE HOOK.

Come to Louisiana as you are. Leave different. And do some fantastic fishing in the Biloxi Marsh and Venice areas.

Yes.

All until you find out the pattern.

And so do I but fluorocarbon line can be used successfully fishing frogs. Mono floats but it has stretch to it. No problem setting the hook with fluorocarbon, so far. Give me time!!!!!

Sorry, but never heard of the guy. I guess he was not into Cajun and Creole cooking. Sorry to hear on the radio today that we lost him.

Lake could be dirty so have baits for stained or dirty water.

8-pound fluorocarbon line on a spinning rig. 8-pound test braid on a spinning rig, with or without a fluorocarbon leader.

Change from braid to 17 pound fluorocarbon. Bend hooks out about an eighth to quarter inch with two pliers: one to hold the hook and the second to move it away from the frog's body. Do this on both sides of the frog. Smear some MegaStrike on the frog. Cut one leg about an inch to an inch and a quarter shorter than the other to make the frog walk. Consider adding a trailer hook to one of the hooks. Make sure the baitcaster reel's drag is tight. When you see and hear the strike, do all you can NOT to set the hook. Count to three or four or wait until you feel the weight of the fish on your line. Then set that hook by ramming the rod straight up and over your head as hard as you can. No slack in the line so you reel in as fast as you can with the rod tip up around 11 o'clock to Noon to take in the slack after you set the hook. Then play the fish with the rod tip up and the line always tight. Let us know how you do. P.S. You can go to Jo-Ann Fabrics or Hobby Lobby and the like and purchase a package of fake eyes. The ones that are white with the black dot in them that moves around inside the plastic. Glue the eyes on each side of the frog's head and see if that increases your strikes. It will either increase your strikes or scare the heck out of the bass!

Always use a trailer hook on spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits and buzzbaits plus toads. Even have added a trailer hook to a frog. Personal preference.

Just like why I don't care for wrestling or women's softball or quilting or art or yard work. Just not my interest. Everyone has their own interests and as long as my family leaves me alone with my fishing I am happy.

Yes. Remember, the "spawn" is not for one specific week. It is a series of weeks with bass hitting the beds at different times. So while some bass are guarding their beds, others are moving up while others are finished and are looking to rest and feed. The bass you catch on any baits before, during or after the "spawn" may be those that are on the way to the spawning areas that want to "fatten up" or have completed their task and are now ready to hit your topwaters as they are hungry. Go for it!

Yep, the good ole days.

Rahlow, would you believe my wife and I paid $35,000 for our first house in 1974???? And I almost croaked on that amount.

The new high end bass boats of today have the physics and power to provide you a wonderful day on the water, be it a Ranger, Bass Cat, Skeeter, Nitro, etc. However, I was thinking that if one day I decide to trade in my Ranger what would I want in a new boat. I suggest you do the same. Some of the items are: Ranger's dead battery charger that you can start your motor if your battery dies on the water by pressing a button. More space for rods. At least 8-feet for rod storage. A cup and bait holder for your front seat pedestal for your drink, pliers, MegaStrike, etc. More space for baits. A high powered spotlight built in. Where do you want the ice chest and how big? How about an Oxygenator for the live well? Safety lights (port and starboard) built into the hull so I will not have to fool around with the navigation lights when the sun comes up and you have to take them down and store them. And what about a lighting system in all compartments. A Grass Goat on a Minn Kota trolling motor so the shaft will bend, not like Motor Guide. The Grass Goat to blast through the pads and grass. A computerized Minn Kota to keep you on track while fishing. Automatic raise and lower system for the trolling motor with a push of a button by your shoe. Large screed GPSMAP systems with both side scan and down scan and a 16-inch screen for the dash and a 10-inch screen on the bow that is in sync with the large screen unit. The GPSMAP electronics system having a Blue Tooth. A radio for AM/FM and Sirius. A weather alert system via the GPSMAP electronics or independently built into the hull. Alarm system on all compartments. A "baby monitor" or "sound activated" system so that if any unknown person or animal is around or on the boat so you can pick it up inside your house. A HydroWave. A good place to store the net. A good place to store your ruler. A place to store your throw cushion and a place on the boat to store it so it is on the deck but out of the way. Retractable rod straps A built in Transom saver. An automatic jack plate. Power poles. A "dummy seat" to keep the cover in a "tent" position when in storage. A secret compartment somewhere on the boat or movable to different locations to store your wallet, licenses, car and house keys on the boat while on the water. Enough room in your passenger side console for your weapon. Enough space in the battery compartment to store jumper cables, tools, oil, etc. Easy access to your batteries to check the fluids and replace them easily. A "low tire pressure" alert system A simple temperature gauge for the motor to note if it is overheating. Where is the spare trailer tire stored on the trailer? Where is the jack, blocks of wood and other equipment stored in case you have a flat tire. If in the car, does the boat company give you a bag with the essentials in it to change a tire while on the road or at the dock? A prop locking system to prevent your prop from being stolen. A strong Is the boat cover user friendly. I mean can you secure it easy and then remove it without any problems? A strong trailer jack. A secret ladder in case you go swimming and want to climb back in the boat, easily. Four blade 'Fury prop. Miles Per Gallon gauge plus and alarm when you are down to 1/3 tank. A temperature gauge on the console for the well water. And of course, an umbrella for those hot and sunny days. This is a start. May I suggest you sit in your most comfortable chair with a beverage of your choice and do some brainstorming as to what are the little things that can drive you nuts while on the water. I bet you will have a long list. Good luck. P.S. No guarantee your boat will float if you put all of this on it.

Check out the rod's parameters for line test and bait weight limits. Your reel should be able to handle anything you want to throw as long as the reel's line test parameters match those of the rod's line test parameters.

Rahlow, there are some other factors that have to be thrown into the mix: Cheaper aluminum boats so we all can enjoy having our own boat. The introduction of the kayak into bass fishing and opening that industry to us all. BASS working the public like NASCAR and getting a lot of followers and new bass fishermen into the sport. FLW doing the same, magnifying the BASS results. The professional tournaments with pros who have followings. Less expensive rods and reels. Electronics for us to enjoy and break. Plastics that will not break the bank and produce some great results. Other baits that don't cost an arm and a leg and produce good fish. The challenge of the sport: man against a little green pea-brain animal that wins more than it loses. The enjoyment of the outdoors without your girlfriend, fiancé or wife, unless she really wants to join you. Time with the guys and making new friends and acquaintances. New places to visit with your loved ones throughout the country. Of course, everyone has their own reasons to enjoy the sport. Electronics is one reason that helps us find the bass so we can be successful. So would the bass fishermen back in the 60's and 70's do better with a GPS/Fishfinder/side imaging unit do better? Of course. But they did extremely well without the electronics of today using tackle, baits and techniques that we would not ever think of using. Good post. Looking forward to reading what the guys say.

Tick problem in Richmond, VA, too. So far I have grabbed two walking on me and flipped them away. Always looking for ticks after being outside on the deck, in the garden, in the shed, mowing the field, or working in the Ranger.

Good luck. Please let us know what happens.