MIbassyaker

Really interesting article. In a weird sort of way, it's a relief to never have been remotely good enough at any sport to consider going pro, having to weigh the prospects of such major benefits and sacrifices against each other.

I have lived in MN, ND, CA, NJ, and MI, and visited every other state in the lower 48 at least once. Some I like better than others, to be sure, but every state I think has something to recommend it to outdoorsmen (even the small crowded ones, on occasion)...but I haven't seen any place that quite compares to CA, just in terms of the sheer magnitude and variety of outdoor recreation opportunities.

I have to admit, I'm with zeth on this. And I don't think the Serious or Committed qualifier helps as much as it might seem -- there are a great many outdoors and wildlife enthusiasts who do not hunt or fish who certainly care as much for the environment and, virtually by definition, leave a smaller footprint than a hunter or fisherman because they are not taking or handling wildlife. The hawk anecdote is a great story of making the time and effort to do the right thing, but lets be clear: there would be no hawk to save in this instance if there was no fishing line being cast. I don't mean to pile on, but I hear the comment that "the people who care the most for the environment are hunters & fishermen" by earnest and well-meaning sportsmen all the time, and it always bothers me. I don't think they realize how it comes across most often, which is as a sort of unnecessary and self-flattering defensiveness. I don't apologize for my own angling activities, and I try hard to mimimize and compensate for my impact... but I also don't think that means I need to congratulate myself for having an impact to minimize in the first place, or that I'm somehow a better environmentalist than somebody who doesn't.

So, essentially, give the jig a bladed, dressed, treble stinger hook.

Yeah, I'm a big Powerbait fan too. I'm not really convinced scented/flavored bait works so much as attractant for bass, but Berkley claims they'll hold onto it a little longer before spitting it out, which seems reasonable (or they'll swallow it, as Jeff H says above). Presumably, the same is true (or is supposed to be true, at least) of salted plastics.

Trick worm (Pumpkin or watermeon with some kind of flake) Senko (Green pumpkin) Torpedo (chrome) Spinnerbait (white/chart) Frog

"New" is relative, and it doesn't mean the same thing as "advanced" anyway. At the bait shop I go to most often, it still happens pretty frequently that while I'm in there, I'll see one of the clerks (or someone else) showing a package of senko-style baits to someone who's never used them, explaining how a basic wacky rig works. Nothing "advanced" about that particular advice, but it's still new to someone.

Angling kayaks are a lot more stable than they look, and you get used to the motion quickly. I can stand on mine (I have a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120), but it's a little awkward to fish that way, so I don't bother since I typically don't have any need to. I don't use spooks much, but I've never had problems with hooksets on jigs, t-rigs, whatever while sitting. And I've never flipped except on purpose. I can get places in a kayak I could never go on foot, and I can get to hidden, underfished backwaters through narrow/shallow channels that no bass boat can go. I can launch anywhere I can carry down or cart from my car. I can float smallmouth and trout streams too shallow for anything with a motor, and I can maneuver much better than in a canoe or jon boat or rowboat. And, of course, I can just go kayaking too if I want, without the fishing. What I can't do is carry every lure and rod I own, or cover a lot of water on a big lake. I tend to stay off really big water (I live 40 min. from Lake Michigan) because i'm not well-equipped for it, and I avoid busy recreational lakes because people on vacation and constant wakes are annoying (though not dangerous, really). If a kayak will open up a lot of water for you, it can be a great investment...the only really "tough" part is figuring out how you're going to pimp it out...

I doubt the stress response is greater from a snag than from normal hooking in the mouth. I'd guess the most likely sort of extra harm from a snag is that there is an increased chance of infection.

And, of course, you're only waiting 20-40 seconds every cast if the bass aren't suspending. If my goal is to get down TO 20 feet as fast as possible, I'm not going to use a weightless senko; but I've certainly found them efficient at times IN 20 feet of water.

I always have trouble with buzzbaits for some reason...I actually can't remember whether I've ever caught anything on one or not. Usually I just lose patience after several casts and switch to something else.

First outing of the season: today I stopped at a little river bayou on my way home from work to toss a few baits from shore for about 20min. Was not really expecting to catch anything, but ended up with this chunky 4lb-er as my first fish of the year. It took a little 4" pumpkinseed power worm on a finesse head.