Captain Phil

Bass are very territorial, especially large fish. Many times an otherwise inactive bass can be made to strike a lure just because it's moving fast. Some anglers call this a reaction strike. This is one reason fast cranking a Rattle Trap works so well. When you throw a buzz bait, you are doing the same thing only on the surface. Buzz baits are normally thrown in cover where the fish are, so that is an additional benefit. Buzz bait bass are normally larger than worm caught fish. Buzz baits make great search lures because they cover water. Personally, my hookup ratio with a buzz bait is much better than when frog fishing.

I don't remember ever seeing that particular Smithwick lure. However, many of us modify the Devil's Horse similarly. We remove the rear hook and swap it out with a 4/0 hook. This tilts the lure slightly downward in the rear and provides more holding power for large fish. At the same time, the front spinner can be removed. This makes the lure similar to the old Heddon Dying Quiver and Flutter. Personally, I prefer to leave both spinners intact.

There is no wrong way to fish a Devil's Horse. I fish it faster than most. Most strikes are explosive. There is something about this lure than makes big bass want to kill it. It's more than a food thing, it's a big dog in the yard thing. ?

Gambler Flapp'n Shad

My experience is that chrome is the best all around color for top water lures. Here in Florida, top water fishing works best in clear water. You can throw a top water lure all day in dingy turbid water and all you will get is a sore arm. If the water is clear enough, top water is a great option. Top water lures mimic frogs, insects, wounded bait fish and the like. It's the splash and action that draw the most aggressive strikes. The less of the lure that is visible the better. Chrome reflects everything around it, making it the most invisible color. Bass don't know what it is, they only know they want it. I have two top water lures that have won me more money than all the rest put together. One is a chrome Devil's Horse and the other is a chrome Tiny Torpedo. I wouldn't trade those two lures for a truck load of Whopper Ploppers. In dingy water or on dark days, green and black is my color of choice. As far as Shad are concerned, they are just another bass food on the menu.

My wife is a fair skinned Irish gal. Growing up in Miami, she spent many years in the sun. Back then, sun screen was known as "tanning solution". She was fishing with her father when I met her, so it was natural that she fished with me. When she does, she gets freckles. I think they're cute, she doesn't. I have Italian ancestry and my skin darkens in the sun. In the summer my customers frequently asked me if I work or just play golf all day? I told them I fish. When my wife was in her 40s, she started having skin cancers removed. I never knew what she was going to look like when she came home from the dermatologist. She had one removed from her nose and it took a plastic surgeon to fix it. After that, she quit fishing. She still goes with me, but it's only for a few hours at a time. I never thought I would get skin cancer. I was wrong. I had one removed from the top of my head. This is not something you want to experience.

You have never experienced hot and humid until you fish a Florida fishing tournament in the heat of summer. It's ridiculous! Our bass club had numerous close calls where anglers would pass out on the decks of their boats. Luckily, we were close by and they didn't fall in the water. After all those years, I can tell you a few things that will help. Long pants and shirts are your best protection, but not just any material. What you want is light breathable material with air flow. I buy mine from Bass Pro Shop. You should experiment until you find what works for you. Fishing in jeans is out. Cotton doesn't breath like these new synthetics. You also want some sun protection. A good hat is a must. Not a baseball cap. You want wide sun protection and some holes or mesh on the top. Forget about how it looks, it's not about fashion. Obviously you want to drink a lot of water. You can fish in the hottest conditions if you dress right.

Hooks dull for all kinds of reasons. Do you want to spend fishing time replacing hooks when a small file will fix the problem in a few seconds? What you need is the right tool for the job. This is the file that I use. It will cut all metal hooks and it's handy enough to sharped the small trebles on a Rapala or Devil's Horse. I used it for years in salt water fishing and it will sharpen a 9/0 forged hook.

3/0 Gamakatsu or Owner

There is no reason to keep bass. Catch, photo and release has been the standard in salt water fishing tournaments for some time. At the least, bag limits should be reduced to three fish per angler. This would significantly reduce deaths and injury to the fish and concentrate anglers more on catching big fish. In my mind, there is no pride in bringing five 12" bass to the scales. I would rather weigh one 6 pounder.

If all you ever carried were all black Trick worms, you would have all the bass bait you ever need. ?

Arbogast Hawaiian Wiggler with aftermarket skirt. Back in the day we would take the front spinner off these lures and put them in front of a Johnson's spoon. Made a great buzz bait.

The fish are really getting beat up. Our boat ramps are maxed out most every weekend with tournament after tournament. Tournament anglers carry their fish around in the live wells all day, then dump them in the marina. I see dead floating bass every Monday morning. If we are going to have good fishing and tournaments, we need to school these anglers how to take better care of the fish.

I have never owned a spin casting reel. I bought my first fishing reel when I was about 14 years old. The man who taught me how to bass fish used a Pflueger Supreme casting reel. I couldn't afford one, so I bought a Pflueger Acron with my paper route money. As I remember, I paid less than $5 for that reel. When plastic worms came out, they were hard to cast with the casting reels of the day. To cast them, we switched to Mitchell Spinning reels. Back then we were walking the bank to fish. With 4 pound mono, a Mitchell 300 could cast across the canals we were fishing allowing us to fish the other bank. Those old Mitchell 300s were great fishing reels. We used them for both salt and fresh water fishing. I still have one of the first reels I bought.

The bite has been slow recently. Too many tournaments. Two things are working for me, soft plastic toads fished back in the pads and spinnerbaiting the same. When the sun gets high, flip heavy grass around lake points. With all the rain, Haines Creek should be running. If it is, try below the spillway on the Griffin side.

Our lakes are that color most of the year. Black/Blue, June Bug or all Black.

If we did, it would be more like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddy Shack. ?

One of the main struggles many older people have is balance. Falls are a major problem. If you fall off a treadmill, bad things happen. Broken wrists are common. The problem when you get older is you think you can do the things you did easily when you were younger. Your brain remembers, but your body is not the same.

Summer rains fill the Kissimmee Chain and the current runs south toward Okeechobee. Fish the current.

Keeping fit is a good thing. At 53, you are still a relatively young man. Going to a gym is not a good idea when you are getting up in years. I have many 70 plus friends that have broken wrists, messed up their shoulders and otherwise made their life worse at a gym. The best exercise for an older person is walking. Stay off of treadmills, they are the worst. Don't go on a crash diet. If you have been 20 pounds overweight your whole life, you are not going to be svelte now. If you start losing weight for no reason, get to a doctor fast.

A good day for me is when I wake up without some new ache or pain. I feel good and it's not cold, hot, windy or raining. When I get to the boat ramp, no one is there but me. I remember to take the tie downs off my boat trailer and launch the boat without drama. I run to my favorite spot and do not find anyone sitting on it. I catch a nice bass on my spinnerbait. The sun gets higher in the sky and I switch to flipping. I watch my line as it slips down around the pads. The pads around my bait jump a little and I check my bait. I set the hook and a six pound bass starts rearranging the area. I lip her, take a selfie and head back to the house for lunch with my wife. ?

This is when I pull out my flipping stick. You could say all shallow bass are active. They aren't until you put a bait on their nose. ?

Spend some time on YouTube looking at the Toledo Bend & Lake Fork bass tracking telemetry study where many common assumptions about bass behavior have been proven wrong. It's pretty eye-opening.

Tournament fishing is not the same as fun fishing. You are there to bring more fish to the scales than your competitors, not necessarily have a good time. The fact is unless you win or place, you probably won't have a good time. You do what you have to do.

Today's tournament waters are pounded to death. Get your limit first, then pull out the power stuff.