flyboy

By far the strike...it is the reward for all the preparation for that moment. But without the hookset and the landing of the fish the reward of the strike is cancelled.

I have a crawfish whistle around somewhere, but I can't find it. Wife says it's probably out in the shed with my snipe hunting gear.

At a seminar, Gerald recapped those events and how he is regathering in front of a room full of bass fishermen. It took a great deal of courage.

While fishing a tournament once I arrived at my spot where I was going to win the tournament and found four boats already on the spot. I was so ticked that I made a tight right hand turn to head to another spot and launched my partner at least twenty feet into the air. Nobody got hurt but I learned a lot.

Anybody know anything about crayfish in Central Florida lakes? I used to see them in lakes up in Georgia, Texas and Louisiana but I have never seen any in Florida. They have to be here if they live way up in the Louisiana swamps.

Check out the first aid section in any drug store for New Skin. Fish part of the day without it and when your thumb begins to feel a little tender put a very thin coat on it. It will prevent a true contusion and allow a callous to eventually form. Be sure to use only a thin coat because a thick layer may cause spontaneous human combustion, turning your boat into an instant funeral urn (just kidding). The thin coat will afford you sensitivity for thumbing while protecting your thumb.

Parcall Try Angie Douthett. She has great credentials, is the wife of ex Miami Dolphin, Chet Douthett and her total commitment is to you. She will teach you any technique you want to learn and make certain you catch fish. You can google her or Chet and find out a ton of information on her and contact numbers. She is guiding on the north end of the lake out of Okeechobee, but will meet you at any launch around the lake. You can't find anyone better for what you want. She will amaze you.

But those are the times for my Dr. Pepper and Moonpie Bob

I did a search on Google, "Used Bass Fishing Books," and got a hit for biblio.com. They have hundreds of bass fishing books for prices starting around a dollar. I just spent my allowance and will probably need my own truck for the delivery. I'm not advertising or advocating this site, but I did find a book there I thought I would never find.

I was excited about the show at the Orlando BPS until I saw the lineup. That BPS is in the heart of Central Florida bass fishing and there was only one bass pro on the agenda, Roland Martin. Ralph Delph is there from Key West. If any of you are interested in light tackle salt water fishing, Ralph is the guy; it usually takes about a year to get a day with him, so they did get the very best in that area, I just expected a lineup of bass pros at that store.

I have never had a chance to thank him but I would thank a really great guy from North Carolina by the name of Buddy Norris. Buddy took me fishing the first time in an aluminum boat with a C-clamped on trolling motor and put me on my first bass that weighed 9# in Winnie's Cove near Belle Glade, FL. We spent many other productive days fishing together and even won a tournament together. He put me on fish one day when I caught not one, two, but three nine pounders on an old Hot Spot on three consecutive casts. I lost track of Buddy in 1979 and don't know whether to thank him or curse him for this obsession he cultured within me.

Baiz That lure should cast like a rocket with your spinning outfit. If is not your line may be too heavy. 10# test should be plenty heavy for that outfit and allow you to cast a long distance. Good Luck

I can see where you are coming from. I had a conversation with Iaconelli about my side imaging depth-finder. He stressed the importance of feeling the bottom terrain with crank-baits or other discovery type lures and to keep in mind that electronics are just a tool; you still need to do the grunt work.

Please don't think I am prying, but what type of rig did you park beside your cabin. My wife and I plan to go to Camp Mack soon, have scoped it out already and were a little concerned and surprised to hear about the earlier break-ins. We will most likely stay in one of the hotel rooms and love those sixty foot long parking spaces. I felt it was a very remote chance that you could encounter any problems with your boat right by the door. I have an alarm so I feel fairly safe. Thanks

Ditto on the lakes on the south side of MIA. The area is called Blue Lagoon and is known as the hot spot for peacocks. Go to the Dade County website and you can find a list of public boat docks. Be careful of launching you boat from any of the hotel or office complex property around the lakes, they look at it as trespassing, but you can go anywhere you want once you are in the canals. You will see a little lake on the southeast side of the approach of runway 12 that is notorious for peacocks. It connects to Blue Lagoon via a canal that goes under Hwy 836. Talk to the guys around your construction projects, you'll find someone that knows of a good place to launch. Be sure to have a camera. There are a ton of largemouth there as well, but as soon as you catch a peacock even the 8 pounders you are going to catch are going to annoy you.

It's great your are thinking about this; that is the first and most important thing you must do. I just came back to bass fishing after a 20 hiatus offshore. I bought a boat and took my wife shopping when I was outfitting the boat. I told her we needed to get equipment for her also. I let her pick it out--most of it had pink on it--and she soon started demanding manly type tackle. She now has six Shimano rods with left hand Chronarch reels that are hers. She is obsessed and can fish with most men; and in only about eight months. She is a business professional approaching retirement and she has astonished me with her prowess for the sport. Be sure to let your wife try a left hand bait caster if she progresses from spinning gear. For some reason it worked for us. My wife has turned into my best fishing buddie and frankly I prefer to fish with her than most anyone else. Hope this gives you some ideas.

NO BANNANAS

I saw him playing around with a rod at a seminar. He was pitching in the center aisle. Is that the average distance he pitches when doing it for real? Tell him I am eating mo pie, but can't find any RC Cola.

Keri Ask him what he does when he is fishing an area where a jig constantly is fouled by debris; muck from the bottom, grass etc. Bob

I'm new to the Chain myself. I'm building a house up there now and will start fishing the area full time in a month or so when the house is done. I was talking to my landscaper the other day--he fishes a tournament out of buzzard beach every Sunday and other tournaments as well. He said on the last moon the fish were trying to spawn in the mouths of canals, but the cold set them back a bit. They should be staging outside those areas is my guess. He also recommended the northwest side of Lake Dora; said a few guys have done well there. He told me of another spot that I want to reserve for now, but think that pattern of staging areas near canals where spawning takes place. Good Luck and let me know if you come up with any patterns.

So what has made "Beat Charlie Moore" successful? I hate that show.

Man, those are both nice fish and they are both more than a Henway!

I saw Shaw Grigsby driving up the Florida Turnpike this afternoon just north of Orlando. I honked and waved but he looked at me like was a potential road rage maniac.

During these cold winter months, especially after the groundhog has seen his shadow, I put little harnesses on my frogs and parade them around the den in front of the fireplace and that way I can tell which will do well when the weeds start to grow.