nwgabassmaster

I would try a suspending jerk bait, like the Mark Menendez Suspending Super Rogue. I would cast it past where I thought a bass was holding, twitch it twice, pause, twitch it 3 times, and pause, then go back to the 2 twitch and pause. Continue this cadence until you are up to the spot that you feel will hold the fish, and stop it. If it's a truly perfectly weighted suspender, it will sit there and not move up or down. If a bass does not plaster the paint off of the bait, with it just sitting in front of it's face, then, I would move to something a little less sporadic, such as a soft jerk bait. I would cast it past the holding spot, and once I got on it, I would let it go to the bottom, and then, let it sit for a while. After letting it sit, I would bring it up, and repeat.

I live in NW GA, and yes, winter time is a great time to fish for bass around here. They don't get the pressure that they receive from anglers the rest of the year, and also, you can try out different presentations that you don't normally use during the other seasons. This past winter, I caught several bass using a weedless jighead, almost a crappie jighead, and a Zoom Dead Ringer (4 in. version) in a pumkpin color. It's not something that I normally present, but it worked like a charm. Where you are in Florida, the temps will be a couple of degrees higher, on average, than it is up here, so, of course, I would be fishing for bass in the middle of winter.

Actually, I have used buzzbaits as a slow moving spinnerbait. They displace a lot of water, which is great in muddy water conditions, and if you have a metal blade, the flash is next to none. So, don't be afraid to switch up and use a buzzer as a spinnerbait. It's something that the fish have not seen or felt under the water, and it's something that will put a couple of extra bass in the livewell for ya.

I have been known to make a fly or two over the years. I don't do it much, cause I don't get to fly fish that much anymore. Give me an idea of what you are wanting by dropping me an e-mail at americanbasser@aol.com

Welcome! Hope that you enjoy your time here.

I am not sure that Glenn would like other sites to be promoted on here. I also feel that you could get a great deal of knowledge from this website. It's a great website to learn a lot of things from. However, in respect to Glenn, if you would like some information from other sites, drop me an e-mail at americanbasser@aol.com

I have often buzzed laydowns that extend from the bank, and head off into the channel. The end of the tree was sitting in close to 10 ft. of water. I would not go much deeper, unless the water is gin clear. There have been days where I have thrown nothing but a buzzbait, and caught 20-30 fish from it. Just something that you gotta experiment with. Most of the time, though, I fish them early in the mornings, and late in the evenings.

Well, for all of those that would like to fish G-ville, give me a ring. I am only 1 hour from it, and I have fished it a couple of times. HUGE bass in it, absolutely huge. I have the pleasure of fishing G-ville, so, that's off my list. ;D So, I would have to say Lake Toho, the sight for the 2006 Classic, Lake Fork, and Lake Norman, site of the 2004 Classic. Possibly Percy Priest for some smallmouths.

Since you are going to be visiting them face to face, my suggestion is that if you have tournament shirts, wear them, with whatever patches that you have. Be neat in your appearance and be clean shaven, if applicable. Thanks for the kind words, and I hope that you are able to land the sponsors that you are seeking to gain.

All I use is Zoom. I like how they are, and with a 1/0 hook, they are deadly. 2/0 is too big for them. I fish them almost anyplace I can throw. One thing that I do try to look for is scattered rocks, so that it seems like a crawdad making his escape to the nearest rock. However, I have watched crawdads that were buried into the bank, come out, and migrate over a clean bottom, probably sand or dirt. When I saw this, I knew that fishing a craw anywhere was a great idea. ;D

Or, just imagine that you are throwing your beloved dog, Rover, into the drink. ;D Ok, maybe that's a bad example. However, the same theory applies. You aren't going to want to chuck it with all your might, but rather, lob it as in a rainbow manner. I have got to the point where I can cast a C-rig almost like a T-rig, and that's even with a 3 ft. leader. Oh yeah, watch out on the first couple of tries with a heavier weight, that it doesn't come and peg you in the back of the head. ;D

Of course there would be a reason to make imitations. The price does not matter, when it comes to making a knock-off. Take a look at the Pop-R. I consider it a very reasonably priced lure, that catches fish, and lasts for a long, long time. However, Lucky Craft has made their own version of these lures, Matuzo (?) has made their own version, etc. The whole thing that got the Senko craze going was that it was the new bait on the block that was catching fish. If it catches fish, there will be at least another 15 companies that make it.

Either those bass are a) hungry stupid or c) a mixture of both. Unless he added some type of attractant, like MegaStrike, or Spike It, or something like that, I see no reason why a bass would hit a slice of a hotdog. ??? ??? ???

It's a mixture of both. I have caught everything from largemouths to smallmouths, from gills to crappies, and I even fought a nice 10 lb. channel cat, that I got to hit a home-tied fly. That was quite a battle. I set the hook by taking up any slack line, and while doing that, setting the rod back like I do with a normal rod. I would not recommend using the ferocity that you would use with a heavy action flipping stick, that would bust the rod. You will find the right strength of the hookset, I promise.

LBH, you are right.

It's a good thing. I have never used the Robo Worm, so, I do not know exactly what they look like. However, in the warmer water, the salt is going to disperse quicker than it would in cooler waters. When fishing a lure that has a scent dispersion system, I fish it just like any other worm. Somedays, the bass will like it fast, other days, they will like it slow, and yet, other days, they will only look at it if sits in their face for a long time. The scent dispersion will leave a trail that a fish can follow, as bass have several scent receptors throughout their body. I would think, that if you are having fish following the lure, that you are fishing it too fast. The best rule of thumb in bass fishing during the middle of the summer and the middle of winter is that if you think that you are fishing slow enough, SLOW DOWN MORE! ;D Just keep fishing them, and you will get fish on them.

Fly fishing for bass, in general, is fun! I have done this for about as long as I have fished. That's 16 years. Most of the streams around here in NW GA are clear, unless a major rain muddies them up, however, that's another story. I do not spend a lot money on the rod, as the ones at Wal-Mart are becoming better and better as times goes by. They are like $30. However, I use a fly line that floats, and I tie on a 8 lb. leader, that is about 2-3 ft. long. As for flies, use poppers, and also streamers, the long, flowing flies. If the smallies are small, as they are in our streams, use smaller versions of those flies. Also, turn over a few rocks in the shallows, and see what you see tucked under them. That will give you a great insight into what the fish will be feeding on. Also, take a look at the bugs that are flying around you while you are fishing. Those same bugs will sometimes get stuck on the surface of the water, and they provide a food source for the bass. Have fun, as fly fishing is supposed to be a relaxing way to catch fish. It's just you and the fish, and your time in mother nature.

No, you can not go wrong with crawfish. The majority of the Southern, Middle, and Western bodies of water have some form of crawfish in them. Some of the northern lakes have them as well, as the smallmouths are constantly eating them. Not to mention, they are the preferred bait forage for bass. You will catch a miriad of differenlty sized bass with them, along with a few other species of fish. A study done several years ago in BassMaster proved that what BASSMAN said is true. Pinch off one or both of the pincers. The study revealed that bass are more likely to hit a injured crawfish than a healthy one. However, a healthy crawfish is still a deadly lure to fish with. If you are just wanting to use livebaits, crawfish and shiners, along with shad, are great baits. Shad are hard to keep a live, though, as you will need a tank with O2 source, stabilizer, etc. Crawfish and shiners are more hearty and can stay alive in a lot of different situations. Another thing to try, especially if the bluegills abound, is to catch a small gill, hook it just in front of the eyes, in the eye socket, cut the tail about 1/4 in. and let her fly. Be careful that it is legal to do that in your area of the states. Gills, in Georgia, are considered a gamefish, so, you are allowed to keep like 35 of the beggers, and can use them as you see fit. I have only seen this not be the case at a State Park. If you are wanting to use artificial lures, the plastic worm is the best all around lure to use. Also, the inline spinner, small cranks, and small Pop-Rs are great. Jigs are also a great lure of choice. Welcome to the website, and I hope that you enjoy yourself while going to the various forums.

Put it on a T-rig, and I am sure that it will produce something. Why not? ;D

Yet, the Senko is not like anything else on the market. It has it's own formula, and that is why it is such a great lure to use. Derek is Gary's son, and Derek is the owner of Kinami Lures. The Kinami Lure's "senko" type bait is nothing like the Senko. Not even close. First off, the durability of the plastic is from the amount of salt that is in the products. The more salt that is in a particular lure, the less durable the lure becomes. Unless you add stabilizer, but that's a whole different story altogether. The Senkos are worth every penny that Gary charges for them, and it's for the simple fact that you can not top the original lure, and you can not defeat a lure that is constantly changing to meet the angler's needs. There are ways to make the lures more durable. If you are using them on a wacky rig, use a rubber band that is tight to the lure, and hook the band, not the lure. The same can be said about the wire split rings......hook under it, and not the lure. As for the T-rigging approach, althought there is not a sure-fire way, other than glue, to keep the head of the lure in place, I have found that my Senkos hold up well when I fish them on a T-rig (c-rig also). I am not knocking the other companies and their versions of a stickbait, but my choice is Yamamoto for the Senko, as well as the Fat Baby Craws.

Having a fishing resume is something that will help your career in fishing, there is no doubt about that. However, to answer your first question, I think that asking a company which they prefer, a cover letter or no cover letter, is a great way to start. You can never ask enough questions. I also believe that having a portfolio is a huge step in making a great presentation. Add that a portfolio is available, upon their request. I would have photos in it, small pieces from some of your fishing expeditions, lure reviews from those expeditions, etc. I think that having reviews from the company that you are trying to gain as a sponsor is a plus. It shows the company that you have used their products for sometime, and that you have fished in several conditions. I would not write a review on a lure that I have only used for 2 weeks. The minimum amount of time I feel that you can have a lure, and then write a review for it is 2 months. As for the face to face portion, how are you going to do that if the company you are trying to gain as a sponsor is 1000+ miles from you? If they are close, schedule a face to face meeting, at a time that you both mutually agree upon. Tournaments are a great way to show how well you can do against other anglers, but it is not always the most important thing to a potential sponsor. However, with that being said, fishing with a potential sponsor's products, and catching fish with them is a huge plus. Always write or record your catches, lures used, depth, etc., whenever possible. Do not let the first things that come out in a coversation be about what the sponsor can do for you. That will come up in due time, and I feel that it is best that the sponsor's representatives talk about that. Instead, let them know what you can do for them, and what you see yourself being able to do for them in the future. They are there to sell their products to the public, and they are only going to give those sponsorships to those people who represent their companies in a professional and respectable manner. I hope that this helps, and I hope that the others will plug in their opinions about this, so that you can get a broader picture of things.

All of you guys can choose not to pay the money for the Senko, and while I am bringing in the tournament winning weight, you will be wondering what exactly happened, when you are using those "cheaper" versions. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. The Senko and it's knock-offs ARE NOT the same lure. Gary Yamamoto and his team of designers and lure creators created a lure that is unique, has it's own potent formula, with salt amounts different from other lures, etc. There IS NOT another lure that is the Senko. So, I will pay what I have to pay to use Gary's products, because it is my choice, and I don't care if they go up to $20 a bag. As I said in another post, when it comes to placing in the money, there is not a cost that is too great, especially when it comes to lures. If they are ripping on you, use glue to stick the head of the worm to the hook, and also be willing to modify the lure. I have used Senkos for 3 years now, and the funny thing about their lure, that honestly differs from any other lure is that you can cut the head off of it, and it WILL NOT effect the "dance" of the lure. With others, you can't do that. Most others don't even have an action similiar to GYCB's Senko.

26 inches from nose to tail, it was 8 lbs. 6 oz.

The biggest mistake that I see other anglers doing is that they, like Ish said in the interview, ask too often what the sponsors can do for them. Instead, they should TELL the potential sponsor what they ARE going to do for them, and then, work on the sponsor contributions afterwards. Most of the companies that I have spoken with are not concerned with the number of tournament wins, and the number of Top 5 Finishes, etc.

Not to mash fingers, but that definition of the thermocline is not exactly correct. The thermocline is the area in the water column that has the MOST dissolved O2. It also the area in the lake where the bass will find the most comfort. I have used graphs, in the most sensitive mode, to find the thermocline. It will be a black band, that is right around 2-3 ft. in length. However, not all the bass will be above it. I wish that I would have saved some of the graph information that came from a buddy of mine, when he and I discussed this very topic. He is a tournament angler, and has done so for 35 years. It clearly showed the thermocline, and there were bass that were 2 ft. above, right in, and 4 ft. below the actual thermocline. Although bass will have the same general movements, each bass is different, just as each human is different. Two bass will have different comfort zones. As for the thermocline being 2-3 ft. below the surface, I believe that is not possible. As it was stated, the wind and rain will go that deep, and cause the top layer to have O2. However, in the summer and winter, while these layers have O2, the comfort levels are not there.