mjseverson24

I am not sure who Dr. Keith Jones is, but he is probably not as smart as he thinks he is... there is a huge flaw in his line of reasoning on this one... Bass have different eyes than humans, but they also have different brains. dr jones is assuming that there is only one way to perceive blue visually, and that is to have the exact same eye structure as humans... while we do "know" that the way humans have the ability to see different colors is through the rod and cone configurations in our eyes, to assume that there is only one type of eye structure that can detect certain colors is just stupid... the only thing we know is this---> We know the spectrum of colors that humans are able to see, because we can look at things and report what we see... Dr. Jones may in fact be correct with his statement, but the true answer should be we don't know for sure but we believe based on our limited understanding of this subject that bass can best see colors in this region, and have a very difficult time seeing the others... this statement leaves room to be incorrect, and any decent scientist does not make a statement of fact based on a theory, it is just that, a theory... I think the physical evidence that bass seem to prefer certain colors outside their so called spectrum under certain conditions, suggests that they can distinctly distinguish these colors, even if they do not see them the same way you or I do... Mitch

Bill Dance, Rowland Martin, and hank parker are the bass equivalent to golfs Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary player... They are legends of the sport, they paved the way for future generations to grow and enjoy the sport... they also do a great job of promoting and teaching... I enjoy all of them, and would rather watch re runs of bill dance than a new episode of real housewives of atlanta... Mitch

Daiwa tatula for bottom contact, and shimano compre for reaction baits... or mojo, or ***... Mitch

OP i dont think you are quite understanding how colors get filtered out by water, and what happens to them when they do... two of the most successful colors for bass fishing across the country are red and blue, especially a black and blue jig... to think that bass do not notice or see these colors seems kind of foolish... they do or will change to a certain shade of grey, but for the bass now that shade effectively is the color blue or the color red... if you are looking for a line that does offer superior invisibility then floro is the best option (and there is sound science to back it up) especially in moderately stained water to clear water... in dark water braid in what ever color will work just fine... if you want hi vis line that will make ine watching easier then go with whatever line you can see the best... Mitch

I love my T3-B's they are probably the best bang for your buck reel right now with the 110.00 price tag... i have both the 8:1 for pitching light t-rigs and jigs, and the 6:1 for casting reaction baits... they both perform very well, the cast control system is in my opinion the best on the market... hanlde sucks on the 6 and 7 ratios, but the 8 has a good handle... Mitch

if they are biting well i doubt it matters much, but if they are neutral to negative mood i think it will definitely not help your chances... Mitch

if you want to fish them up off the bottom, the scatter rap is the better choice ( more cost effective) if you want them on the bottom i would go the wart they are much more durable... Mitch

i like to use the popping type, when i am in cover with small openings or when i am fishing "holes" in weed cover. I use the regular walking type frogs pretty much every other time... size.. well i start with the larger sizes and go smaller if i am getting short strikes... (or i change color or cadence)... Mitch

I only put about 100 ft on each spinning reel, i then use a 10-20 ft floro leader. i dont make long casts since they are just used for finesse tactics for me... Mitch

I would look into a T3-B for like 110.00, or a bps carbon lite on sale now for 110.00 higher priced options are the shimano 50 series, or the daiwa T3, maybe a quantum exo, or tour mg... lighter the better... maybe even the new ardent models, as they are reasonably priced and very light... Mitch

I used the same knot that you are using (clinch knot) for most of my life, it does have a tendency to slip, but if you tie it correctly it wont, but that may take a few times before it seats properly... the improved clinch is just as easy and will definately hold better, and is a great choice for mono and floro... I have now switched to the palomar knot pretty much whenever I can use it, i still use the improved clinch every now and again, but i tie three knots 99% of the time... line to lure---> palomar, line to hook---> palomar or snell, line to line---> double uni... Mitch

oh man that is awesome... I am hoping to get the boat out this weekend. i dont think the lakes around st. cloud are open yet, i may have to go south a bit, but who knows after the rain today... Mitch

i am with the guys who said just switch to something similar if you loose or run out of a certain bait... i do often get the itch to try other things when the bite is hot, and it almost always pays off... if it doesn't i can always grab the other rod that was working before... Mitch

I personally use three flipin sticks, two have floro, and the other has braid... 20 lb floro is pretty strong stuff, i have never had any kind of issue with it other than the manageability is not great ( a little kvd helps) but using the heavier t-rigs and jigs it is not an issue... up here in mn braid gets cut too easy by pike, and i am one of the people who think fish can see lines in the water so i choose floro and mono much more often... Mitch

I am with you bud, i have made it one of my life's goals to try and reduce the impact of human stupidity on the planet... good post and thanks for caring... Mitch

i use floro almost exclusively on my bottom contact rigs, and i have done both touch the line with my finger and be in contact with just the rod... I personally prefer the rod only approach... i grew up fishing ultra finesse tactics for walleye, so i have a pretty good feel of what is going on with my bait, and i like the way the rod only approach transmits what my bait is doing... I am not saying my way is the right way, it is purely my preference... saying one way is the right way is just foolish, if it works for you thats great keep doing it... Mitch

i haven't had any issue i use it both in higher and lower test than your 15#... there are better options out there like abrasx... Mitch

I like the mighty bug, great bait, and pretty durable... Mitch

I do like a ton of baits on the market, but if i look at the ones that i most often grab and have confidence in it would probably go... 1) berkley havoc, specifically the pitboss, crawfatty, bottom hopper, sick fish, and slop craw... 2) strike king, specifically the rodent, dreamshot, rage craw, rage chunk, and the shimmy stick... 3) yum, specifically the mighty bug, dinger, wooley bully, and the shakelicious... i use other brands as well like net bait, LFT, BYCB, big bites, zoom, and missile, but the ones up top get the most love from me... Mitch

I would suggest two different routs... 1) if you are going to use braid, go with a 7'2"-7'6" MH/MF... the MF action will allow for a little bit more forgiveness in the set up, especially since it will be used for close quarter combat... 2) if you plan on using mono or floro i would go with a 7'2"-7'6" MH/F-XF... the F-XF action allows the whole set up to be more responsive since the floro or mono will stretch but the rod will be nice and crisp... either way you go is great... the rods specifically that i would suggest are the daiwa Tatula, the falcon bucoo micro, or the quantum smoke... all of these are super light and have great balance which is perfect for pitching type presentations... Mitch

when you pitch or any other cast you should stop the cast by using your thumb to stop the spool... the problem you are having is that the bait has already hit the water, thus not pulling out any more line, and your spool is continuing to rotate causing the overrun... learning how to pitch takes time, but getting a backlash every time doesnt have to be a part of that learning process... I typically have all of my breaks off and the spool tension loose... if i am skipping docks i will have the spool loose and breaks on just a bit... just remember you need to determine when the cast ends, not the bait hitting the water... good luck Mitch

i have put some fish in the well, before, but it is mainly when i am fishing a spot, and i get 1, i will keep it until i am sure there is nothing else there... not very often though... Mitch

Thank you for serving... Mitch

it stays in the boat in the garage... the more expensive gear is locked in the storage compartments... it takes some large balls to try and steal fishing gear out of a mans garage, especially when the penalty for getting caught is 00 buckshot... plus if anything goes missing i get to go shopping for fishing gear... oh darn... Mitch

I would say its is either you line or the hookset... best advise when using floro, is to make sure you reel down far enough to feel the weight of the fish before setting the hook... it sound like you are slack line setting, and the no stretch feature of braid and only a short section of floro is recipe for breakoffs... Mitch