OCdockskipper

Don't take it personally, often J Francho is just an angry elf...

While that is a generally accepted axiom, it really is lake dependent. Specifically, the kinds & size of forage available in the lake will typically determine how well different sizes of lures produce. I have fished many clear water lakes here in the West where smaller lures produce larger fish because they were a better representation of what a larger, more wary fish was eating. In these cases, the only bass that go after really large lures are the dinks, for they are more aggressive than wary. On these lakes, the larger lures give off negative cues, which the larger fish heed and the smaller fish ignore. For example, on my home lake, I will catch more & bigger fish with a Ned rig than with a 10" plastic worm. Change locations to say, Lake Toho in Florida or a farm pond in Alabama and the reverse will most likely be true.

Fishing pressure can make a big difference on a lake that size. If possible, pay attention to what methods others are using and then choose techniques & lures that are different. If everyone is throwing small crankbaits, use a more subtle, small swimbait. If everyone is dragging the bottom using slow moving baits, do something that doesn't give the fish a chance to look over the lure. Make your presentations different than others,

My lineup: Elam Martens Kennedy Lefebre Wheeler My wife's lineup: Defoe Ehrler Evers Swindle Tharp

I find it surprising that Hawaii hasn't kicked out a 10lb bass, even if they only have Northerns there. One would think the long growing season and moderate temperatures would lead to some really large fish. I can't imagine there being a lack of forage, a tropical environment should lead to lots of little critters for them to eat. The other thing I noticed is the size of the largest bass out of Lakes Mead (12 lbs) and Powell (10 lbs). I believe I heard Aaron Martens talk about how the striper populations there are detrimental to growing really big largemouth. I have no reason to doubt Aaron, but the Delta is full of stripers and grows some really big largemouth, so maybe it has more to do with those massive reservoirs being deep & clear instead of being loaded with vegetation and forage.

Some of the strongest memories burnt into my brain are when large (over 7 lbs) bass get their massive head out of the water & shake. Rarely do these fish completely breach, rather they just wallow. For me, there is something stunning seeing that huge mouth wide open and doing everything it can to throw the hook. If they don't jump, the memories are less.

You can simulate catching a carp by tying your line to an anchor and tossing it overboard. If you can reel in the anchor, you can reel in a carp that weighs 5 times the amount of the anchor weight. Please note that the anchor will give you a better fight...

I just had an experience that follows a few things Tom has said. While out today, I found that the last wave (probably) of spawners had moved up. Midday, I came across a large female positioned in front of a bed, with the male on the bed. I pitched a small jig between the two & the female noticed it. She turned and as she began to move towards the lure, a 2nd smaller female shot in & grabbed it. Since I was focused on the larger fish, I never noticed the smaller one until she inhaled the jig. So I set the hook and as I brought the hooked bass closer, the large female showed her curiosity and followed the hooked bass to the boat. I had the hooked bass boatside with the larger fish directly underneath her, just checking out what was going on. She was over 20" long, probably in the 5-6 lb range, calm and curious. I grabbed a second rod and dropped a plastic worm in front of her, but she was more interested in what was going on with her sister. She returned to her position in front of the bed, but knowing I was there, showed no interest in future offerings. I returned back two more times, but her focus was on her future boyfriend, so I'll just have to catch her sometime when she is done spawning & in an eating mood.

Not knowing the lake, its forage, etc, I would say it is not unusual for a post spawn fish to be that lean. She looks thin, but not sickly, she may have been one of the last to drop her eggs and just been a little slow to get back to feeding. However, the angler is definitely overdressed for the job at hand...

Not only does it make you a better fisherman, it defines you as a better person. Just like the guy driving $100K Tesla with the "Impeach Him Now" bumper sticker who cut me off today, buying more expensive things shows that you are a better person. Smarter, better looking, less suseptive to marketing plans & advertising gimmicks, just an overall higher quality person. A side benefit of buying the most expensive products available is that you no longer have to have respect for others or follow societies rules of etiquette. That is for all those other slubs...

Now I am really upset & depressed...

To paraphrase Austin Powers fahza, there are only two things I hate in this world: People who are intolerant of the colleges other folks went to... & the USC Trojans!!

This gets to the gist of your perspective. Everyone is free to act in the legal, lawful manner they choose. However, culture (not legal authority) also creates guidelines as to how people should interact in the presence of others, which is where etiquette comes from. One is not bound to etiquette, but usually the parameters of it make a lot of sense. For example, if I met you and your daughter, it would not be illegal for me to say "Ben, you better get that girl married off as soon as possible, with a face like that, she is not going to have many suitors". That would be very rude, but perfectly legal for me to state. Now etiquette dictates that your response would be to possibly tell me I'm out of line and to end it at that, but it would not be surprising if you instead popped me in the mouth. In other words, breaches of etiquette can easily and understandably lead to escalation of non-lawful activity.

Your writing is a little difficult to read, but from I get of it, I think you may have misunderstood what the OP actually wrote. He was in no way threatening other boaters, rather he was making the observation that there are folks within society who will take a breach of etiquette as an act of war and respond accordingly (and illegally). He did not intimate that he was such a person. Yes, it is just fishing and people shouldn't get irritated while out doing it. On the same hand, people should be polite when out in society, whether it be fishing, on the freeway or in a grocery store.

He did, he stated he reported the local coast guard. Just because someone stays within the rules of law doesn't mean they aren't acting like a jerk. Having the right to do something doesn't mean that you should do that something.

"And let me tell you, it was a little tricky to figure out. If you made your casts upwind or towards the tail of the deer, nothing. You had to be downwind and land the jig right next to the antlers. The smell was tough, but my new KVD non-stink buffs made it bearable."

Oh the irony!! You accuse the OP of being a hothead and then you make a statement that is the epitome of hotheadedness. To answer the OP's question, yes etiquette seems to be slipping especially in more densely populated areas. You get someone who has never spent much time on the water, they make enough money to buy a boat and off they go with no idea of the written & unwritten rules of the waterway. I believe it is the result of ignorance (not stupidity) combined with arrogance. One other comment to Ben Miller in response to his question of laws being broken. Etiquette is not about laws, rather it is "proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion.". Etiquette is passed down generation to generation as a guide, laws are prescriptions of punishment for doing certain activities that have been deemed to be against the written rules of society. For example, your responses were out of bounds when it comes to etiquette, but most likely didn't break any rules. You are more than welcome to act in the way that you did, but expect to be shunned by others for such words & actions.

I like Chris Lane a lot and respect the talent he has to win multiple Elite events and a Classic, but from a promotional side, something seems (to me) a bit off. When he is in the boat speaking, I get the feeling that every word has been rehearsed and has an ulterior motive. Kind of like in Roland Martin's shows where between casts, he reaches for an energy drink on camera (label out), a drink that I dare say no one else his age would ever touch. It just feels kind of fake. Who knows, maybe it is a Floridian kind of thing that doesn't translate to the other side of the country. Nonetheless, yesterday showcased his talent as well as reinforced the notion that Poche is a talented spaz...

For those of us unfamiliar with that area, what is the fishery like? Will it be a challenging tournament, like a US Open for golf or will limits be the norm? Being in Eastern Tennessee, will all 3 species come into play?

That is often the counter comment from anglers (not you Tom) who have been skunked 5 trips in a row but justify it by claiming they were trying to catch the largest fish in the lake. Also, I don't think that suggestion applies to lakes like El Salto...

I was fishing Oso Reservoir back in July of 1986 before it had any public access (which is another story). It was a hot morning and I was fishing from the bank. wearing a bathing suit so I could enter the water as need be. There was some dense brush on one part of the shore near a small pocket and the best way to fish it was to go to the other side of the pocket and wade in waist deep, casting to the deep side of the brush. I was using a plastic worm and caught a fish on my first cast. I made a second cast and as the line moved, I reeled down to set the hook. At the same time the fish moved away from me, deeper into the brush and since my hands were wet from catching the previous fish, he popped the rod right from my hands. Instinctively, I dove forward in the water looking for the rod. After a few moments underwater, I saw the Stren yellow florescent line, which I grabbed and hand-lined back to the rod. I stood up, now in chest deep water and began reeling. Amazingly, the fish was still on, he most likely hooked himself in his initial surge. The rod & reel, an old Diawa Millionaire combo, was no worse for the wear.

Go Ducks!! They survived the beginning of the season when injuries & surgery's nearly sunk them, got everyone back for the last 1/3 of the season and went 10-1-1 down the stretch to slip into 2nd in the Pacific. They are a great combination of playoff experience and youthful energy and their style of play fits the playoffs. Heck, the Kings tanked their last game against Dallas just to avoid having to play the Ducks in the first round

I have a 2 year old casting rod that is the 7 ft heavy. Since we only have vegetation for about 6 or so weeks in late summer, I use it in a dual role for both larger frogs & flippin'. I have it paired with a 4 year old Johnny Morris reel and have been very happy with it. The carbonlites that I have which get a lot more use are the 3 spinning rods. The 2 that are 4 years old have performed like champs, handling everything I hook while the Winn grips on the new models are sweet.

That is a nice counter, but I also like to keep track of how many bass each type of lure catches, so I have been using this one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.sleak.thingcounter It too has voice response, it is funny to hear it try to pronounce "Rapala" or "ZinkerZ"...

I grew up with and do both casting & spinning conventionally (cast with right for both, switch to reel for casting). For me, I have noticed a preference of using the dominant hand per technique. For example, when using the rod to impart action to a lure and just use the reel to pick up line (jerkbaits, Ned rigs, etc), I prefer spinning equipment. Using my dominant hand on the rod, I feel in complete control of the lure and am able to impart whatever twitches or motion I want. However, for most moving lures such as crankbaits, buzzbaits and the such, I impart more action to the lure using the reel. Having my dominant hand on the reel works better for me, especially since the rod is basically held in place and the hooksets are more of a sweep than a step back hammer. As a disclaimer, I am the most anti-ambidextrous person in the world. Using my right (dominant) hand, I have a very fluid golf swing, jump shot and bowling delivery. Using my left hand, attempting those same actions make me look like I have a physical disability. The preferences I have most likely don't apply to those who have skills with their less dominant side.