Sam

As stated above, no problem. If there is a good ripple on the water surface time for the good ole spinnerbait. Since you brought up the topic we now expect you to add to it telling us what you caught, etc. Us guys who have to stay home and keep momma happy will appreciate your story.

A number of years ago Consumer Reports magazine had an article on this topic and the statistics they showed supported the premises of throwing away and buying new a number of items, including TVs. The cost to have an item repaired vs. the cost of a new replacement item was not economically supported. Some products are built with planned obsolesce so we will purchase a new version. Take Lowrance for instance. When I tried calling Lowrance to get support for an old unit that was not working properly the Lowrance guy told me they no longer support that unit and for me to go out and spend $3,000 to get a new one. Or Shimano. When my buddy who repairs reels called Shimano for some parts to repair old Shimano reels he was told Shimano no longer carriers the parts. So he will buy any old Shimano reels he can find for parts. Auto manufacturers used to build planed obsolesce into their vehicles so we would want to get a newer version. Those days are gone and we have cars on the road that are over 10 years old; but it did happen and us old guys remember it well. I take my Cub Cadet riding tractor and my Sears gasoline grass mower to a guy in Powhatan County who worked repairing Sears' motors and equipment for over 30-years and he does great work at a much lower price than the lawn and garden tractor store. Note the definition of planned obsolesce and you will understand what we all are facing: "a method of stimulating consumer demand by designing products that wear out or become outmoded after limited use." Sounds like an ad for a bass boat. Or a reel. Or line. Or baits. Or whatever the Bait Monkey likes.

As what Roadwarrior posted above. Make sure the hook is large, sharp, and strong. I use a strong line, like braid or a heavy test fluorocarbon tied directly to the hook, for Fat Ikas and still hope to make the hook set. You can rig the Fat Ika backwards, too. I use a heavy bait casting rod for the presentation. Missed more than I have caught on a Fat Ika but it is fun to throw.

As stated above, it boils down to confidence. If you have confidence in using a scent then go for it. I use Megastrike and JJ's Magic. Do they work? I have no idea but at least I have confidence in my bait presentation when I add these scents. In his book, Knowing Bass, The Scientific Approach to Catching More Fish, Dr. Keith Jones of Berkeley research has a chapter on Chemoreception, or taste. It is a fantastic read and Dr. Jones tells us what his research has proven in a controlled environment. Check this out and you can then decide if using scents is a good idea: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-011-2332-7_14 Good luck.

Welcome to the Forum and to Maryland, where you can find a traffic jam anywhere you look. As for bass fishing in the greater Bethesda area, I have no idea. I know some of the country clubs have golf course ponds but they are off limits. If you have a boat and can trailer it, head down to Leesylvania State Park and go out on the Potomac. Or, if you want to drive farther down into Virginia you can go to Willow or Hope Springs Marinas east of Stafford. https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/leesylvania https://www.facebook.com/pages/Willow-Landing-Marina/196116560433585 https://hopespringsmarina.com/ In any case, go to this site and find maps of the Potomac,Tidal Potomac, Virginia and Maryland fisheries: http://www.gmcomaps.com/ You will need paper maps to find the ramps and places to fish. Virginia has some nice rivers you can fish plus One Fish Anna west of Fredericksburg. Get a copy of the 2020 Virginia Freshwater Fishing and Boating booklet (its free) and note the places you can go fishing. Now your next challenge is to find a double secret pathway to and from work to avoid the beltway. Good luck and welcome to the Forum.

Thanks .ghoti. Please say hello to Long Mike for me and tell him I miss his wit and great insight into bass fishing. Sincerely appreciate the feedback. I think other oldies on this site would like to read what the old mods are up to these days and you nailed it very well. Or is it very good. Or nicely. Or hit it out of the park. Better ask Long Mike! ?

To me it does not matter. I love being on the water; seeing the Ospreys, hawks, eagles, ducks and geese. Seeing the beautiful shoreline, especially in the fall when the leaves change color to create a beautiful pallet of fall colors. Fishing with a buddy and enjoying his company. Loving the peacefulness of being on the water and seeing all of Mother Nature's wonders. And yes, if I catch a few bass, catfish, bowfin or snakeheads that is OK, too.

Keep up that positive attitude and lets beat this thing.

A scam? Darn. I still have some Uncle Josh's pork in their original jars. Have not used them for sentimental reasons. Thanks to everyone for the information.

Glenn, we have had some wonderful guys as mods on the Forum over the years and these guys have seemed to quit posting and moderating. Can you bring us up to date on the guys who were once mods and what they are doing, etc.? It would be interesting to find out about them. Thanks for considering this request. Stay home and be safe.

Go with braid with a mono backing to stop it from slipping. You can add a leader if you want but it is not necessary.

Great having you with us. Ask your questions and chime in with your replies to the questions of others. Thank you for your service, too.

In many ponds that are not managed correctly you will find many dinks and one big mommy. It is easy to catch the dinks but the big mommy will be very difficult since she rules the pond. As stated above, you can go big, live, or small for your baits. If she is in the area and is either hungry or just wants to kill your bait you will get lucky. Just let me warn you: it will not be easy to coax her to hit your baits. A live bluegill is your best bet as stated above. After that, who knows? If you do catch her, please post pics and be sure to release her.

No, what is it?

Ever tried Lowrance for help? Just asking. I have no comment on the subject.

X2

And to think, I used to keep my crankbaits in a glass jar and was always worried the lid would rust on the jar.

Great question. I also wonder about your query when it comes to vehicles. Seems the car manufacturers will pick out some colors for their vehicles for a specific year and you get to choose what color you want that is available. Sliver, white and black are the winners so far. But the colors will change each year to make the vehicles more salable and not look like older models. As for bass boats, the manufacturers either will pick the color patterns themselves or hire an advertising firm to do some research to find the color combinations that will present the boats in the best light as possible. I mean a black and red bass boat hauling fanny down a lake for a photo shoot looks better than a yellow and pink bass boat doing the same thing. Black and red denote power. Black and red show you that the guys in the boat mean business. Black and red means the guys are excellent bass fishermen and unless you get the newest black and red bass boat you will never catch another bass in your life. Black and red is speed. Colors appeal to everyone in different ways. Usually advertisers see colors like this: Red is a bold color. Black is a stealth color. Silver is a speeding/fast color. Pink is a girly color. Check out the background colors for car commercials and also the colors of the vehicles. You will note what the advertising execs think is the best combination to showcase their products which includes boats. My beef is with black. When it gets really hot you can burn your self by touching the areas of a bass boat that are black. I mentioned this to the Tracker people at my last Bassmaster Classic in South Carolina a few years ago and they had no idea that black got that hot. Did they change anything? Yes they did. You can now get a totally black Tracker if you wish. Just watch where you sit down. ? One other observation. When you go grocery shopping look at the washing machine soap powders. Advertisers are masters of using colors to attract you to look at and consider their products. The soap power aisle is the most attractive aisle in the entire grocery store. For years I bought Contadina tomato paste with the lady on the label. Why? Because that is what my grandmother and mother used when they cooked and I had no idea of the actual product name until I was in my 40's and my wife asked me why I always got that brand. And it was easy to locate due to its color and that lady. Now go out and get one of those red and black Rangers and have some fun.

Went to the small lake behind the old Ukrops grocery store in Bon Air, Virginia but the wind was blowing and it was in the 50's which meant it was cold so I went home after five casts. I hate cold weather. Anything under 70* is like freezing. Now bring on the 90's and I am in seventh-heaven. Maybe next week if it warms up. At least I got to cast into some water!!!

Mike, my wife had to go to Duke Medical Center to have her spine rebuilt due to the many back surgeries and different materials used to fuse the levels together over the years. Only one surgeon east of the Mississippi could do the surgery which included removing all of the old hardware, cutting a pie shaped slice out of the bottom of her spine so she would stand up straight and then screwing the state of the art hardware into her spine plus bolting the new hardware to her pelvis. She has been seeing the leading pain management doctor in Virginia who wrote the Opiod and prescription drug laws in Virginia for our General Assembly and he has been mixing and matching pain meds for 9 months. You name it and she has had or is on it now. So all the best for a fast recovery and eliminating the pain and being back on the water this summer.

No such thing as a dumb question. You can do this to see how your bait will move over the branches and stumps and then think about the probability of getting your baits hung up. The practice can help you understand how the bait will move through the branches and then how to get it unsnagged. You will also see how the branches interact with your line and if you need to consider braid, fluorocarbon, mono or copoly to help with the presentation and technique.

Confidence. Condifience in the baits and techniques in addition to using the electronics more to locate the fish. Throw in patience; map studying; reading books and articles; and time on the water to expand and support my confidence.

Thanks. I just noticed they were gone. Stay safe up your way.

Glenn, did you remove the list of bass clubs that used to be on the top ribbon? I can't seem to find them. Thanks.

First 8+ = Senko Second 8+ = Bandit blue with chartreuse back crankbait