GreenTrout

I sure do still use one. Got a great one from BPS year end out the door sale years ago. It's a great spinnerbait tool and, ahem, put your favorite spincast reel on it to skip under tree limbs and boat docks.. One of my biggest was using it. Good Fishing.

I once had the pleasure to make many trips to the MS and MS/La border and fish the marshes. There were times when Reds, Specks and Bass were all together in the marshes. We would throw Baby Torpedos, Dying Flutter and Devils Horse for Bass but sometimes get vicious strikes from Reds. A Bull Red on your line can flat wear you out...

Sounds like a fun place to go after the bass. I'd also choose a single gold Colorado blade with a chartreuse skirt spinnerbait and work it slow to moderate speed making contact with the cover. Any faster and they tend to want to helicopter. Would also throw a tandem Colorado Indiana blades in chartreuse in a 3/8 ounce size. For me, I always have a Texas rigged worm ready to go. The worm ain't dead with me. Good luck.

It's A Humdinger story. I like the small Colorado and Indiana blades model in white and white and chartreuse. I fish it at moderate speed in stumps , brush and anything I can bump off and run by close. I think it would be difficult to helicopter the Willowleaf model. Yep, they sometimes are mangled but that's because they are so enticing to the bass. I can live with that. http://www.louisianasportsman.com/printer_friendly.php?id=1707

It's A Humdinger spinnerbait made in Baton Rouge, La is not expensive and puts bass in the boat. Put a smile on my face a few times.

It's tried and true and nothing new. I go to the Berkley Red Shad Power Worm and dead worm it.

Larry Nixon, the master with the worm.

Zebco One High Speed Spincast/Diamond My Dad gave me this years ago. He could no longer fish. Never had a problem with it. Like anything else, if you clean it and take care of it, it will last a lifetime. Good fishing.

The spincaster still has a place in my arsenal. I like them in tight quarters around boat docks and canals. Great for skipping under docks and tree limbs. I use Zebco and Johnson. Woo Daves once won a tournament with the Zebco 808. He stated the fall of the worm is better than with a baitcaster. The fish doesn't know it's a spincast in your hands. Good fishing.

There's nothing wrong with critical thinking. When I see a photo of a LMB in the teens held with only the index finger and thumb, I have my doubts. For me, I love catching Large Mouth Bass and if it's a pound, I love it. I've had a few much bigger but a picture for others to see never was my goal to validate my love for the sport.

Even the Pros have days when they don't catch anything or even get a strike. That's bass fishing. Mix your presentations up. Change lures often if need be. Downsize to small lures and light lines. Don't be embarrassed to pull out a Beetle Spin or Road Runner. Try a four inch worm. 1/8 ounce spinnerbait and so. Still, you can come up empty. Go get 'em the next time. Good fishing.

When it's windy and very windy, the spinnerbait for me is king. Cast into the wind or cross wind. Not down wind. If you're on the bank at a pond or other small body of water, use your baitcaster with at least 1/4 of an once and up. I like white with gold Indiana blades. Mann's old Hank Parker Classic still works for me. Terminator, too. And Academy Sports has some good ones at a good price. Good fishing.

You are so right. And not just the bass will be there.

Where I live, we have just had a lot of rain resulting in high water. Today, I fished a flood retention lake of about 25 acres that holds Largemouth Bass up to 6 pounds. Also, there are many other species. It's wild. That's ok and it's located in a very large metropolitan city. Pulled out my 3/8 ounce chartreuse large single gold Colorado blade spinner bait and caught three large Crappies. No Largemouths. That's fishin'...enjoyed the Crappies.

Berkley Power Worm Red Shad -- Culprit June Bug -- Wal-Mart's Old Renegade Tequila Sunrise still got plenty of 'em.

I consider it unethical to fish for bass on their spawning beds. They are locked into their nests; they will not leave unless driven off by a larger predator (usually man or a drastic, sudden change in water temperature). A big bass is highly vulnerable while spawning. Often spawners are easily seen...and easily taken. I've seen fishermen throw heavy lines rigged with grab hooks to snag big females on their spawning beds. While most would never resort to a such a lowly method of gathering a trophy, many believe it's okay to catch bass on their beds with artificial lures or live bait. I'm a fisherman and a researcher, not a preacher. All I can say is that once you really get to know the bass, bed fishing simply becomes out of the question. Doug Hannon -- The Bass Professor

Not a tournament basser. But I'm with Aaron Martens and Doug Hannon, don't fish for bass during the spawn. Pick up your Crappie or Sac-a-lait gear and fish for a wonderful fish and let the old girls do their thing.

Use a wide gap hook 3.0 or 4.0. Greatly reduces gut hooking. I hate so see a beautiful bass gut hooked.

The trick worm is especially good during the spring but works all year round. We just had a lot of rain and the water will be higher than usual. A great time to pull one out. Another one I love which has produced great bass is the Bass Assassin. I'll use it, too.

Blast from the past: Baseball Great Ted Williams, an avid fisherman.

I've thrown a Devil's Horse, Baby/Tiny Torpedo, Heddon Dying Flutter, Jitterbug, Buzzbaits, Frogs, Chug Bugs with success in the morning or at sunset but the only top water I had limited success on in the middle of the day, with a blue bird sky, was/is the Zara Spook or Puppy walking the dog. Good fishing.

Mono: Cabela's Pro Line and Cajun Red Line. Durable, soft and supple at a great price. Braided: Berkley Fireline on spinning gear, never on a baitcaster.

If down to one bait, it would be the Berkley Red Shad power worm. I'd catch fish.

I owned the Sea Eagle 8 years ago. I liked the boat but did not love it. I never had a problem with tears or deflating and I took it into some nasty areas. I had the wooden floors so I could stand up and cast. I got tired of the inflating and putting together the boat. Plus, it was not too good in very windy conditions. But all in all, it's a good boat to fish ponds and small waters. Small waters: I used it on a 600 acres lake and even put a small outboard on it, too. My fishing gravitated to very small waters and I went to The Briefcase Boat promoted by Ken Cook. It's a one man boat that can be kept in the trunk of the car and is very easy to assemble and put a trolling motor on. Sea Eagle seems to be making some refinements and this is one many might find tempting. Sea Eagle claims it can be assembled in about four minutes. Good fishing.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the Berkley Lighting Rods. Save your money and get several of 'em and then get the Mitchell 300 spinning reel. You're good to go.