CyBasser

And the story continues.... Nov17. Day 3. Dhipotamos reservoir. As usual the start is at 9am from the Dam Wall. This reservoir is smaller than the others and in the last few weeks before being off-limits it had a strong crankbait and spinnerbait bite. Almost all competitors headed to the same general area, near the main feeder creek, known in this forum from previous posts as as "Science Fiction Movie Canal". Vyron and Dmitri, both younger than me, moved quicker and they reached the general area in 25 minutes, while it took me about 32 minutes. Within minutes of his arrival Dmitri nailed a 2 1/2lber on spinerbait . Vyron moved to the complete end of the creek which has some bushes hoping for a flipping bite. To my surprise my usual spot was unoccupied - a point with a submerged road and some deep water near the opposite shore. But my "seclusion" didn't last long - within 10 minutes five more competitors including the leader and second guy in the standings were next to me. I moved to an alternate spot near Dmitri. As I walked, Dmitri got another 2lber. I tried some of the crankbaits that have worked recently with no luck, tied on a spinnerbait and hung up. I tied up a new spinnerbait, but I was too lazy to add a trailer hook (Mistake 4 - HUGE!!). Within minutes I saw a flash, got a strike, but the bass (estimated around 2lb) was not hooked. Minutes later I had another missed strike on spinnerbait :'(. The bass were not active. Vyron returned, and on his second or third cast got a nice 2 1/2lber on his trailer hook-equipped spinnerbait. Huge lesson learned here ! Vyron also reported catching a 26.5cm-long fish (0.5cm below minimum size). The bite died off completely. It's almost noon. With four more hours to go, E. Komov comes near me, ties a hula grub, and proceeds to catch a 0.561Kg keeper. No-one else was using soft plastics. I tried a bit with the hula grub myself, no takers. I needed some minutes of rest, so I tied on a 5"senko for deadsticking while I would grab a quick bite. I indeed grabbed a bite - on the senko! But the bass was only 26cm long >! I fish this lake at least weekly, and have not caught such a small bass in the whole of 2006! What the... With less than three hours to go, and with the area getting even more crowded, I decided to move to my alternate location - the eastern end of the rip-rap on the dam wall, which has provided me with good action in the past. After a 50-minute walk I reached my spot. Alone. With less than one hour to go I tried some spinnerbaiting and crankbaiting, hoping for a reaction bite, but nothing happenned. No bites on texas worms, or weighless or unweighted or wacky senkos either. I tried again the hula grub - a 24cm bass smacks it - useless. I suddenly saw a 3lber cruising nearby. I flipped the grub to the fish - he saw it, moved to it, and then disappeared in the depths. @#$%!! > > > With 20 minutes to go I only managed two more non-keepers.... The end of the tournament found E. Constantinov, the guy who caught the huge limit on the first day as the winner. He got two keepers with a total weight of 1.100Kg, which proved more than enough for securing the top spot. V. Gidin who had the lead on day 3 caught nothing and dropped to third place, while A. Bobrov, who was 7th at the start of day 3 nailed a 3.015Kg limit and finished second. Vyron got another keeper and ended up 4th overall, while Dmitri with the heaviest limit of day 3 at 3.054Kg got 5th place. I ended up at a miserable 16th place as I had no keepers on days 2 and 3 :-[! But this tournament - the first for all three of us was a great experience, a real eye-opener. I would like to congratulate the winners, but also Vyron and Dmitri, for the great performance, being firstimers as well. Job well done guys Vyron proved that he is a fighter and certainly an expert in getting decent fish to bite even under the most difficult conditions, and I believe that had he realized how close he got to winning on day 3 he might have tried even harder and secured a top finish. Dmitri also showed determination and confidence in his locations and techniques, especially on days two and three, and it really paid off for him. As for me, I have made my self-critique and I know what my mistakes were. I have already outlined the mistakes of days 1 and 2. Also, on day 2, I should not had allowed my confidence to plummet. I knew there were keeper fish in that area, but with my confidence below zero I screwed up. On the last day, had I spend that one minute to attach a trailer hook to my spinnerbait, things could have been different. But beyond that, on day 3 I know I did things correctly, and I was maybe a bit unlucky. On day 3 my confidence never left me, even when that decent fish at the end refused to get my grub. I did concentrate hard, but the big fish bite I hoped for never materialized. Something to look forward for the next tournament I guess!!! Thanks to all for reading this loooooong story! Photo: The four winners of the tournament. The first three places got cups, while a plate was given for the biggest fish of the tournament. Vyron, at 4th place won a nice illustrated journal of the previous RBL tournaments. Again, Congratulations buddy!

Here is the missing photo, taken at the beginning of the first day...

The Russian Bass League Fall 06 tournament was held on Cyprus between Nov 13 and 17. This tournament is unusual as it is held from the shore, since no boats are allowed on Cyprus' reservoirs. Three BR members (Vyron, Dmitri, and myself) participated, along with 17 others competitors. The winner would be determined by a three day total catch (limit was 3 bass per day, minimum size 27cm). Here is the loooong story of it... Nov 13 and 14: Practice days. Both me and Vyron do not have a chance for practicing. With the dams off-limits since Oct 31st, we hope that the two weeks away from the lakes will not cause problems (yeah... right...) : Nov 15. Day 1. Kourris Reservoir. A cold front has swept during the night. At 8.30 all is ready to begin under clear, bluebird skies. 9am Start. From Dam Wall. All three BR members choose to fish on the east shore, known as "Dark side of moon" due to the very restricted accesibility (Mistake1). Surprise: The usual stained water has become clear - visibility now 10-12ft (was 2ft!) . Vyron curses aloud as his usual shoreline flipping techniques are thrown out of the window >. Vyron and Dmitri both end up at a bay with access to both shallow and deep water with brushes. Another 4 or 5 competitors in the area. I first choose to try an area near the dam wall. No bites at all on any lure for 45 minutes. I move on to a small cove, which has been surprisingly left alone. It has brushy edges with deep water in the middle. Lots of tries with spinnerbaits, crankbaits, spooks, lipless cranks, texas worms. Nothing. Vyron and Dmitri are also biteless. I try a 5" chartrause senko on weighted (3/8oz) texas rig. First two bites of the day - and I missed them. Third bite - a 0.699Kg bass is my first keeper of the day . At the same time the cellphone rings. Vyron has simultaneously nailed a 0.959Kg keeper on spinnerbait . Spirits go up. I try in the cove for another half hour, and have a couple more unhooked bites. I decide to give the area some rest (mistake 2), and I move to the bigger bay, while Dmitri gets his first keeper - 0.540Kg . They are smaller than what we are used at Kourris, but welcome nevertheless. Time passes. We try everything we know that works at Kourris. No takers. The combination of post cold front conditions and clear water is killing us. I try again the weighted chartrause senko rig and another keeper is mine - the twin of Dmitri's fish at 0.540Kg. I realize I am running out of chartr senkos, so I save two and with two hours remaining I return to my cove. Surprise, surprise, no bites at all - even on the senko. What the... I try hard for 1 hour. Nothing. Back to the main bay. Nothing. We have 40 minutes to walk back. Last casts. Vyron looses one on spinnerbait, then hooks one of 0.682Kg 8-)- and I get hung up . Back at the start with three minutes to spare. Well... The guys who chose the western shore had struck gold. E. Constantinov has first place, with a limit (3 bass) of 7.327Kg, (16.1lb), including the day's big fish at 3.057Kg . The second place lad, Y. Todorov has a limit of 5.620Kg, including a 2.822 whopper. But the great surprise is elsewhere... S. Titov, and E. Komov, whom we considered among the top favorites, return almost empty handed... At the end of day 1, Vyron holds 10th place with 1.641Kg, I am at 12th with 1.239Kg, and Dmitri is 17th with 0.540Kg... Nov 16. Day 2. Asprokremmos reservoir. Start is again at 9am from the Dam Wall. Water here is stained, even muddy at places. Again, all three BR members head to the east shore. Vyron and Dmitri have done some fishing at Asprokremmos in the last few days before it was off-limits so they immediately head to an area they know. I used to fish a lot this reservoir in 2003 and 2004, but with much lower water levels now it is almost a new lake for me. For one hour I check a cove which has provided me with plentiful bass in the past. No takers. I decide to move to the area where my friends have moved. As I walk, Vyron calls me that he has got a bass of 1.733Kg. Great! Before I even reach the area, Vyron has another keeper, while Dmitri has a three fish limit 8-). My spirits soar. I reach the area and I like it. But it seems I arrived too late. The bite has stopped. Vyron had found a sunken tree and his flipping prowess had rewarded him, while Dmitri caught his limit near two small bushes. I spot a good looking spot with some more bushes. No takers on soft plastics or crankbaits. I tie on a Terminator s/b (that has worked for me in the past in this lake) but I lose it on the second cast . Vadim Gidin, another of the favorites, casts to the same bushes with a s/b and he gets a 3lber!! My self confidence sinks :-/. Vyron, in contrast, is highly excited, and with two fish he walks on to try to get a lunker to help his overall weight. Dmitri stays focused on his bushes and hopes for some better fish. I check the whole bay there. I hook a keeper on another s/b but it comes unbuttonned - not good for confidence boosting :'(. With 2.5 hours remaining, I decide to move back, cross the dam wall, and explore a bit the western shore (mistake 3). I hope the 45 minute walk will reward me. My hope is in vain. I end up empty handed for the day . At the end of the day, both Vyron and Dmitri have 3-fish limits, and as it turns out Vyron's 1.733Kg bass is the heaviest of the day 8-). Dmitri was able to cull two fish as well. The heaviest limit is scored though by S. Titov with 3.678Kg. Sergei has also lost a bass estimated around 4Kg right at lipping it, as he got stuck in the shoreline mud (three more competitors saw the fish and were awed by its size). The two guys leading after day 1 both return with zero fish, and Vadim Gidin takes a lead of only 82grams (less than 3oz) with a two-day total of 7.409Kg (and he is now considered the top favorite). With their limits Vyron climbs to the 5th place (5.209Kg) and Dmitri to the 12th place (3.500Kg), while I sink to the 15th place with 1.239Kg... The results of the 2nd day gave a new excitement for the final day. Only 2Kg separated Vyron at the 5th place from Vadim Gidin at 1st, and everybody from 13th place up have had even a chance (however remote) to turn things over. As for me, I really paid my mistakes :'(. First, I should had gone to practice - then I would know that Kourris had become very clear, and I would have located new fish-holding areas at Asprokremmos. And, I would have known immediately that the western shore of Kourris near the dam wall had again become a prime area. Secondly, once I found that cove at Kourris with fish biting (even barely) I should had stayed there. For whatever reason, when I returned to that cove two hours later the bite had completely died. Had I insisted I might have hit one or two more keepers. Thirdly, on the second day, I should had stayed in the area that gave off a few fish. Being in a "desperation" mode, I moved to an area that I was completely unfamiliar with, and this was a big gamble that didn't pay off. But there was still one more day to go... To be continued - shortly! Photos: People get ready to start on Day 1, while I proudly show what I caught on day 2...

I totally agree! I have used jitterbugs extensively, and I consider them as one of the most reliable, if not THE most reliable, topwaters. I fish them only for largemouths, so I don't know if there is any difference on how smallmouths hit it. Nevertheless, I did have similar situations myself when I first started using them back in 2002. What helped me a lot was that I started using them at dawn and dusk, when i couldn't notice if a fish was approaching, and the "explosion" was the clue that I had a bite. Since then, my bite/hook up ratio has been more than 90%. A few things I have found (that have already been mentioned by other people): 1. When you cast the jitterbug, let it sit still at the very least until all ripples on the water have disappeared. I don't remember a fish hitting it without moving, but I had a lot of strikes in the first few seconds of retrieve after I let it sit still. I believe the splash draws their attention, and as soon as the lure starts moving, they attack it because they are afraid it will gone (sort of reaction bite). 2. Play a bit with retrieve speeds, but not during the same cast. What I mean, make one cast and retrieve it rather fast, then another cast rather slow, then one ultra snow (fast enough just to make the gurgling sound), then a medium speed - until you find the retrieve they like. But for some reason they don't seem to bite when the retrieve spped varies within the same cast. 3. If you see a bass hitting it stop your retrieve for one or two seconds - there is a general tendency with topwater lures to strike a second too fast and miss the fish. 4. I have found that the ideal time to use a jitterbug is when there is a slight ripple on the water during the day. With a heavy ripple they don't work well, and with a glassy surface they rarely get attacked. But perhaps the best time to use them is just after sunset until dark, and from darkness until sunrise. 5. If you have missed strikes, try to observe what happens to the lure after the missed strike. Oftentimes (and this is true for most topwaters but especially poppers and jitterbugs) after a missed attack you will see your lure being thrown a few inches away. What happens in this case is that you have irritated a non-feeding bass which just kicked your lure away from its area. If that happens then this very same bass is readily catchable with a plastic lure thrown where the boil occured. If though the bass just miss the lure without actually hitting it then it might be something in the general image provided. Usually it's either a too large lure (ie downsize a bit) or retrieve speed. I doubt that a color change would be needed, just a size or speed change. 6. Finally, be persistent, don't hurry, and you will be eventually rewarded!

Same here. Absolutely agree! On a tournament I participated last week I was too lazy to add a trailer hook to a new s/b and it costed me dearly.... Regarding plastic trailers, my personal experience is that they work best during spring. I usually add a Berkley powerbait twintail bungee in a color that agrees well with the skirt. For some strange reason though I very rarely caught bass on spinnerbaits after April or before January on s/bs with trailers, though I have tried extensively. But things could be different at the lakes you regularly fish. I would suggest that you give them a try. Just keep in mind not to put a trailer that is too long or you might end up getting short strikes. And of course, first you add a trailer and then the trailer hook! As for buzzbaits, I have not seen any marked differences with or without trailers independently of season. But always add a trailer hook - even more so than with spinnerbaits!

Well, shopping sprees are part of the female character! At least if she spends on fishing equipment then it's acceptable! But, I hate it when I look say into the BPS site and she goes "c'mon, you don't really need anything from them, you have everything", and then we go out and she buys yet another pair of $200 shoes to add to the so many she already has! And on a side note, if you are trying to get a non-fishing-related girl with you at the water, avoid taking her somewhere where a large catfish may show up! It took forever to persuade my ex-gf to come bass fishing with me, and by the third time she started sort of liking it, especially after catching a couple of two pounders. And then someone nearby caught a 4-kilo (10lb) channel cat. As soon as she saw it she said "you didn't tell me that these ugly scary creatures live in here" and it took months before she decided to come with me again....

There is really not a single lure that I would say I fish most often - it really depends on the situation I have to face. I would use anything, finesse T-rig worms, cranks, spinnerbaits, topwaters, jigs, you name it. BUT: If I was restricted to only three lures to use, based on my past experience they would be 1. Spinnerbait 1/2oz with colorado and willow gold blades and chartrause/white skirt. 2. Yamamoto 6" Senko Black/Blue Flake (weightless). 3. Rapala Flat-sided, square-lipped DT7 (I'm not sure if it's the correct name) with blue back and chartrause sides.

For the last four years I have been using Trilene XL in the clear blue color in 10lb, 12lb, and 14lb. This line has never betrayed me, not once. It is very smooth casting, quite visible above the water (ie helping on spotting line mov when using soft plastics) and, I must admit to my surprise, very resistant to abrasion. A large percentage of my fishing is in heavy cover situations (submerged bushes and trees, oftentimes amongst slab rocks) and the line takes a lot of beating. In one memorable occasion, I caught a 4lber within a thich bush, it took for ever to get it out of the branches. During the fight I was quite worried as I could feel the line going through the limps, but it held - though the 14lb line was quite frayed for more than 3 yards and looked more like 2lb line. I have switched to braid since last January, but on some occasions where I might still use mono I depend on XL. I have tried Yo-Zuri hybrid as well and it was OK, but my mainstay is still XL.

Finally got around to see the new "Nate" video - Another GREAT piece from LBH productions!!!! 8-) And, of course, WELCOME NATHAN

WOW - THAT'S A BEAUTY F.C.!!!!! Now I just got an exttra reason to persuade the Cyprus Fisheries Dept people to release in the reservoirs some of 20lb+ sturgeons they keep in their hatchery... (They keep saying they will release some "next year" for the last three years...)

Hi FourBizzle, Since Gameover brought up the subject of Storm Swimbaits, I remembered that after one or two days without an answer to my question I sort of forgot that I even posted the topic - and went on and ordered the 6" version instead (only the 4" version is available in stores here). One of the reasons I did not order the 10" is their weight, I currently don't have a suitable rod to cast 5oz lures. But I do believe they could be succesful. The largest bass caught in my presence was a 6lb 14oz baby by my buddy Vyron, and the biggest 100% confirmed I know of was a 7lb 4oz fish - But both me and Vyron have seen bass in the water we estimated to be at least 10lb (we regularly catch 5 to 6lb fish so we have a sense of their size). I don't believe a 10" swimbait would be too big for them - I recently caught a 3lb 10oz bass which regurgitated a 21cm (8") roach as I was unhooking it - so I believe a 5 or 7 or even a 10lb bass should have no trouble getting such a lure. Our main problem is that we are restricted to shore fishing only, but I am sure that if I decide to take the plunge, get an X-Heavy rod, and spent one day only throwing 10" swimbaits, then maybe a real monster will show up. It's only a matter of taking the decision... PS - Both Vyron and I have posted some photos of bass from Cyprus (for example, check Vyron's posts "What a day" and "Another one" in the tournament / outing section)....

I have been using the newer Storm swimbaits with mixed results. I tried quite a bit their "European" baitfish designs, especially the "Roach", which is a very realistic imitation of the actual thing (European Roach, Rutilus rutilus), which happens to be the dominant prey for LMB here in Cyprus. Have yet had to have a strike, in either the 3" or 4" versions. Had a single strike on their "Bluegill" design (which sort of looks like Tilapia, another prey for LMB over here) in maybe 50 casts - and missed it. On the other hand, I am very happy with their Kickin'Minnow series. Their 4" model has worked well for me in several colors, and recently I obtained some 6" ones but didn't really have a serious chance to try them hard. A friend though who also obtained the 6" models has already had a 5 lber on the 6" Firetiger Kickin'Minnow - on his first attempt using them. I also have yet to try the Crawfish imitation from the same series. I've got some, and I believe they should produce - the thing looks almost real. Of course no complaint about that old reliable, the Chuckbug... I've got several (from before the Rapala takeover) in various colors and sizes and they have all caught their share for me...

Hi everybody, Over the last few days two friends of mine have been arguing on the pros and cons of using a split ring on poppers. One guy has been insisting that since manufacturers provide poppers without split rings, that's how they are designed to work - the split ring would cause extra action. The second guy has been using a split ring throughout the summer, and as a result his poppers move side to side instead of only forward. He likes this extra action and the fact is that he caught quite a few (if small, 1-2lb) bass using the split ring. The first (non-split ring) guy believes that it was a coincidence. I personally believe though that indeed the extra action provided by the split ring may have resulted in the fish, as such a presentation was new to our waters. Poppers (of all brands but mostly Skitterpops) are frequently used in our reservoirs, though I have to admit that this past summer and fall very few bass came on them - the only person I know who had been catching bass consistently on poppers was the "split-ring" guy. I believe that the guy who has been using split rings might be right - the fact that manufacturers don't put a split ring doesn't mean that poppers can't be used with one (most spook-type lures come without split rings as well yet they work better with them). And as I see it, it is quite probable that the different action provided by the split ring may have been the key for the guys' better results. What is your opinion on this?

And it certainly works!!!! Just ask Vyron

GREAT FISH RANDALL!!!!!! 8-) You prove me right - I just started getting swimbaits for some big babies! What swimbait did you use?

It all comes down to how you really see the presence of these "toys" in the sport. As most people said, it's quite one thing to locate the bass and yet a totally different story to make them bite! Here in Cyprus we are restricted by law to fishing from the shores of the reservoirs. During low water periods I often take photos of the exposed lake bed so I know (more or less) where there is interesting structure for me to fish when the water level goes up. During March 2005, a Greek friend who came over for some bass fishing (no bass in Greece, he makes an annual pilgrimage here) brought with him that depthfinder that you can actually cast a sensor and retrieve while looking at a screen. Initially I got excited using it, because I could get a very clear idea of the bottom. But at the end of the day, I realized that we ended up spending most time casting the depthfinder sensor and trying to locate fish (which could be bass or carp or anything else - we weren't really sure) instead of actually fishing to our strengths. Sure enough, we got a pretty clear picture of the bottom, but we would no longer fish as concentrated and determined like we did before. We again tried it a couple of days later with some more friends, same thing. Halfway during that outing I and another person stopped using it, we started fishing without paying any attention to whether the sensor indicated the presence of fish, and we ended up with much better results than the other guys. Next day we again did the same thing, again we both caught about double the amount of bass that all others caught combined. He hasn't brought it ever since. But to put things straight, we didn't think it was "unsporty" - rather we felt it distracted us and detracted from the pleasure we got in our particular way of fishing. Obviously, I can't tell if my reaction to this otherwise neat gadget would be the same if I fished from a boat. But I felt that it distracted me from concentrating into the actual bussiness of catching the fish. Regarding attractants on lures, I'm very positive about them, but mainly due to the fact that they cover the odors emanating from my hands, rather than because of their success in attracting bites. Actually, the most positive thing I found regarding attractants is that bass tend to hold on on lures with attractant for a split moment more, allowing better strike/hooking ratios. But, as far as actually attracting bass in a given area by artificial means, I personally believe it sort of becomes unsporty. Bass are creatures with a very strong character - they eat what they like, when they decide they want to eat, in the color they decide they prefer at the particular moment. With my lures I am trying to figure out where they hang out, what sort of "meal" they want, what properties (size, color, texture, etc) they want - and if they don't want to eat it, then I will still try to persuade them to attack it for reasons they (the bass) only understand. To attract several bass in a concentrated area by artificial means, and try to change their moods by changing (in a sense) their environment, then it becomes unfair to the bass - that's how I feel of course. All of the above of course are strictly my personal opinions - it is up to each individual to decide how much - or little - challenge he/she wants with his/her fishing. And as far as no laws are broken, then if someone feels happy to catch bass by attracting them / seeing them via aquaview / locating them via depthfinders / finding them via knowledge and intuition - fair enough!

Well FB, possibly sort of! The color of the eyes in fish (and all animals including humans) is determined genetically. Unlike us though, the color of the eyes of bass seem to be determined by a very dominant allele. It is possible that there are occasions where the inferior alleles may have the possibility to express as well. This may well be the result of certain environmental factors in a particular body of water (especially an isolated one), and, according to the process of natural selection, the inferior alleles may end up giving an advantage to the specimens carrying it in that particular environment. As a result, the strangely-tinted eyes end up in a considerable percentage (or even all!) of the specific population. We do have a similar example over here in Cyprus. On a particular highland reservoir, a significant part (possibly more than 30%) of the population has eyes very similar in color to the ones shown in your photos. Yet, during more than 5 years of fishing almost totally for bass, I have only once encountered such eyes in bass from the remaining 15 or so reservoirs of the island that have bass. I did try to locate a photo or two that I believe I have from bass from the orange-eyed bass reservoir, but I can't find them (the reservoir has been closed to fishing for some years now due to other non-relevant issues and thus I don't have recent digital photos from those bass - the cypriot members of the forum know which reservoir I am referring to!). I'm sorry for using the evolutionary biology terms for explaining what I believe happens with bass eyes' color, but I can't really think of easier terms! I have to tell you that although I have a biology degree, I never thought of checking the genetics of bass eyes, so I am just expanding on the information I have for the genetics of eyes in general!

Herons are very cool birds - and possibly one of the best fish indicators around! Whenever I go to my usual reservoirs and I see herons on the shore, I go straight there. Their presence indicates that baitfish are around, and bass can't be far behind! In the "science fiction movie canal" mentioned in some posts of mine and Vyron, we have been steadily catching nice bass ever since two herons showed up this season! FC and LBH: GREAT PHOTOS 8-)!

Laggyman, You mention carp swimming around, those are not a good indicator of what really happens as they are amongst the hardiest fish and can oftentimes survive in extremely bad situations. I once came upon an incident where some fools spilled no less than twenty 1-lt bottles of beer in a small (3x3yards) garden pond. Several small catfish, a few small perch, a large (1.2m) eel, and two small (15cm) bass that lived in the garden pond were killed. But three 7lb carp continued bussiness as usual! Now, you mention that smaller bass seemed ok, and this indicates that the bass you saw dead were the older specimens, that are naturally weaker when it comes to something affecting them. But what causes more concern for me is that you mention that stocked rainbow trout were not affected. Well, keep in mind that trout - especially stocked ones - are among the most sensitive fish to any disasters (low oxygen levels, toxins, silt in the water, sudden pH changes all will kill trout first, and then other species). Also, it is not necessary that baitfish will die off first - many species, especially cyprinids, are more tolerant to adverse conditions than bass or trout. What you describe seems to be specifically affecting largemouth bass. My suggestion is to try and get one of the dead fish, as well as one or two of the live bass, and take them to your local govermental Fisheries or Veterinary department and have them checked for possible parasites / nematodes / viruses. It could be a species - specific disease that could easily spread to other waters and affect seriously the bass populations of your area. Hope all works well...

Exactly. The Northern subspecies is capable of growing to about 15-16lb (7Kg), while the Florida subspecies can exceed 25lb (12Kg). In situations where the climate allows uninterrupted feeding, both subspecies can grow to the maximum of their potential. A significant genetic difference though between the two subspecies is that the Florida subspecies can grow in weight at a faster rate (all others factors being equal) than the Northern subspecies, and it is believed that this is the reason it can attain much heavier overall weights. The main restrictive factor for the Northern subspecies in the northern half of the US, as well as in many parts of Europe, is the fact that during winter the water temperatures fall significantly below 10C (50F) for prolonged periods, causing a very slow metabolism and thus zero or negative growth rates during this period. Here in Cyprus we have only the Northern subspecies, and the difference in growth between specimens that live in the large lowland reservoirs, with water temperatures staying well above 65F for most of the year and practically never dropping below 55F, and specimens living in small highland (above 3000ft) impoundments with a winter period of 2 months or so with temperatures below 55F, is very evident. A two year old bass from lowlands usually is about 25-30cm in length while those from mountain reservoirs are barely 15-20cm - and in both cases they have the same forage base... I have also heard that the European record is a 4+Kg specimen from Spain. But I am pretty sure that in certain areas of Spain, Portugal, possibly Italy, and of course Cyprus, there must be much larger specimens. At least for Cyprus I have seen (but not caught ) bass that I estimated to be in the 4.5-5Kg range, and having seen a fair share of bass up to 3.3Kg coming out of the water, I know I am not overestimating them! In any case, if anybody on this list knows of any official record keeping authority for European Bass, please let us know!

A severe cold front is expected to pass over Cyprus on the wee hours of Sunday with the temperatures plummeting into the 60s... Predicted high for Sunday is expected to be 17 Celsius = 67 F.... I guess we should get ready for winter too 8-)!!! Can't wait to see the new show from LBH productions....

NOW YOU ARE TALKING BUDDY!!!!

Ditto...

As Vyron said, I have been using a Sahara 2500 for a few months - excellent reel in all respects, but then either the drag setting given by the company is wrong, or Cyprus' largemouth are ultra-powerful - the biggest I caught on it was 5lb 5oz and it pulled line (20lb powerpro) out of a completely closed drag like crazy, as did practically any bass above 5lb...

You can fish a T-rig practically anywhere, except perhaps in very thick grass or very windy conditions, as long as you believe that there are bass where you throw it. It is just a matter that a lot of people (myself included) would rather throw a faster, or rather more "active", presentation if bass are willing to hit it (spinnerbait, topwater, crankbait, swimbait, jerkbait). But a T-rig will often catch you a bass or two when everything else fails. Plus, it will catch you some nice fish when all techniques work! I do know of some people who practically throw only a t-rig with a 4-6 inch worm, and they are quite succesful... But as I said, given that other more active techniques work, I would give an emphasis on them.