Floridalargemouth

I'm not certain that tying another bait onto a leader tied to a spoon equals erattic action for that other bait...never tried it though, so I could be wrong. Capt. Dalton

Awesome perspective from a pro. I've yet to tie on the bama rig...never been much for swimbaits, much less 5 of them at once. The idea, however, seems reasonable. Kinda makes me wish I'd have thought of it. Capt. Dalton

Unfortunately I can't disagree more. Particularly in low light conditions and around heavy cover, I know that how that frog's painted really does not have much of an effect on a bass. It could be painted to look any way you wanted - and still do just as well. It's just a shame that they're dang near 10 bucks a pop when most of that is going towards the graphics. Capt. Dalton

Thats an interesting point. I hold the belief that matching the hatch is only productive if the lure you're fishing resembles what you're trying to match. For example, if bass in a particular body of water are keying in on crawfish, I dont really think that tying on a crawfish colored worm or fluke is worth the time. Match your lure to the forage and then worry about color...sometimes color just isnt important and othertimes it can be the difference between getting skunked or loading the boat. Capt. Dalton

I typically fish whatever I'm throwing when its not raining. I've never really noticed a difference in the number of strikes I get in the rain or out. The same pattern should work just as well. Capt. Dalton

It definately looks good topside, but the fish only see the bottom. I own a few, but at the price their going for, I think it catches more fisherman than fish compared to other designs. The fancy graphicwork is not seen by a bass, and that (along with it's mold) is what makes it so appealing, not it's remarkable abilities. Personally, I haven't caught any more or any less fish on it compared to other frogs, but I do like the soft plastic - makes for easier hooksets. Capt. Dalton

x2 on giving other manufacturers a try. Unless it is a company specific bait, this can save you A LOT of moolah. The stickworm is an excellent example. Gary Yamamoto has probably made a fortune selling senkos for astronomical prices. Plus, their soft plastic almost never lasts past one fish. There are SO many others on the market that produce just as well and cost a bunch less. Capt. Dalton

I never get why people still get into that water...you'd think that between gators and viruses people would figure out not to. It may be an extreme, but I never advise anyone to eat fish caught in most of the smaller water in Florida. In my neck of the woods most of the lakes and ponds are fed through a drainage pipe and most of the fish aren't very pleasant on your digestive track. Capt. Dalton

If you didn't even see bass in the second one and caught fish in the first one, I would just stick to the first one. Even though I guide on Florida's large natural lakes, I love fishing smaller bodies of untouched water. Over time, I've learned that some ponds just aren't productive, especially compared to others, and so I usually avoid them. If you were determined to catch fish at the second pond, I would throw anything that mimics a bluegill - if that's all you saw there, the bass in the pond must prey on them to some degree, and that gives you a place to start. Alternatively, catching bluegill is pretty fun in it's own right, and here in Florida, we can even use them as live bait. Best of luck, Capt. Dalton

Catt is right on target. Bass are pretty finicky about your presentation. I've taken clients out and had to change how we were fishing a specific lure on a day to day basis otherwise we wouldn't get bit. A slow drag might work well today or even for the next few weeks, but that'll eventually change as the fish move into the spawn and later into the postspawn. On a side note, the bass in Florida are usually pretty active right before they spawn and reaction baits can be deadly. Interesting that you fished a prespawn situation with a slow drag and killed em. Might have to try that next year... Capt. Dalton

Well, it depends. Like you said, I wouldn't change if what you have tied on is working. Usually, If I don't get a bite in an area I know has fish, I'll change after I feel as though I've worked the area thoroughly with one bait and it hasn't produced. It's kinda hard to describe it in terms of time, just go until you feel you've worked the area and haven't gotten hits. Before you change lures, however, make sure there are fish there. You might have the right lure tied on, but the wrong spot. Capt. Dalton

I would give any body of water more than an hour before completely switching locations, but unless I'm fishing in an area that I know is holding fish, I'm usually throwing a reaction bait. I don't spend very long on one particular spot until I get some activity: either a strike on the reaction bait (I usually use topwater, but spinners and cranks are deadly as well) or bass busting on baitfish or dragonflies. Once I get that, I'll fish the area as I see fit, using whatever lure I'm confident will catch fish there. To sum it up, don't give up on a spot too quickly, but don't miss anything either. An excellent resource to learn this from is Bassmaster's Day on the Lake series. These pros fish entire banks in 10 minutes or less when they're trying to dial in on a pattern. As soon as they get a bite, however, they typically slow it down and develop a pattern for the rest of the day. Hope this helps, Capt. Dalton

Well, the title says it all. Not some junky boat, probably a jon bass boat, any thing for less than 800 (200-500 is IDEAL) dollars is in my budget.