Wayne P.

I'm still catching bass with a weedless wacky rigged finesse worm just like I have been since March. All but one of the 57 bass I caught today was with that presentation. One was caught using a Norman Crappie Crankbait.

When the bass are relating to the bottom in cold water, I use a Silver Buddy. For the past few years there has been very few days that lakes have ice on them. Anytime the air temp is warmer than the water temp, the downwind side of the body of water is the best area to try. This year I caught a total 131 bass in January and Feburary mostly with the 1/4oz Silver Buddy. In November and December 2007 I caught 207 bass mostly with the Silver Buddy or Hopkins Spoon. There were some very mild days last November and early December also where spinnerbaits were productive.

Most of my spinning gear is spooled with super lines. There is no such thing as zero line twist, its just the line is so limp that twist is not a problem.

The trolling motors are pretty much equal. Some people like one and not the other due to problems experienced. The MinnKota and Motor Guide models are the most popular with the largest number in service so personal preference pretty much dictates which one is purchased.

A 17' fiberglass bassboat should have a HP rating between 90 and 130 depending on the width. Ask what the boat is rated for. The best size motor for a boat is the maximum it is rated for. A max motor operated at 1/2 throttle compared to a small motor at max throttle going the same speed is a lot more fuel efficient.

I got one specifically for bed fishing, and haven't had the opportunity to apply it. It swims well though.

IPMY03, there are plenty of deer on the Briery Creek Wildlife Management area. You can hunt for awhile then go fishing.

http://www.signsus.com/allproduct/alumalite_brand_sign_info_page.php

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Dave if the manufacturer calls it a flipping switch, so do I. How it is activated or not activated varies with mfg. I have several reels from different mfg. and each has its own version of the flipping function. Most just limit the thumb release travel so the pinion gear is not completly locked away from the spool.

Gold, Amber, or Yellow works well for low light conditions. I have never heard of a clear polarized lense.

If you can't throw one of those heavy Senko's with your baitcasting gear, you have some serious setup problems.

Some baitcasters with a flipping switch: The Shimano Castaic SF $169.99 The Shimano Core FV $379.99 The Quantum Accurist PT $129.95 The Quantum Kevin VanDam Signature Series $99.99 If you have limited equipment to employ various presentations then a flipping switch reel wouldn't be your choice. Those that use multiple rigs with each dedicated for specific presentations will choose a flipping switch reel for flipping and pitching. Its all about having the right tool for the job.

It seems storing where the chance of freezing is possible is a good idea: "A discharged or partially charged battery will freeze much faster than a charged battery. Store the batteries in a cool dry place but not where they could freeze. Batteries in storage will lose a percentage of its charge. Check the state of charge every month and charge batteries that are at or below 70% state of charge."

Thanks, that statement caught my attention since I was just reading about battery maintenance a few weeks ago due to some discussion on another web site. I had heard of it before also. I came across this: Myth: The old myth about not storing batteries on concrete floors is just that - a myth. This story has been around for 100 years, and originated back when battery cases were made up of wood and asphalt. The acid would leak from them, and form a slow-discharging circuit through the now acid-soaked and conductive floor. I'll add to that with: 20 degree concrete is not any colder than 20 degree wood and rubber.

Muddy, is there some significance to your statement about batteries "I keep it off the floor"?

LBH, that list is the worms I have in my boats today. There are some colors that I have used and no longer have a package to refresh my memory, they worked great too since I used all of them.

sambrochill, I fish bodies of water in Virginia, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, and Texas. The same applies at every location. The particular body of water I referred to is Hunting Run Lake in Virginia. I use so many colors because I use up so many plastic worms catching lots of bass. I just buy whatever color a retailer has in stock when I need some. I like to carry some color that is a lot different than what is the "favorite" color when I am fishing with someone that swears by a particular color just to prove to them that it does not matter. These are the Zoom colors I have used so far this year: Baby Bass, Mardi Gras, Green Pumpkin, Watermelon Purple, Watermelon Red, Watermelon, Watermelon Candy, Red Shad, Cotton Candy, Pumpkin, June Bug, Limeaid, Bubble Gum, Smokin Blue, Green Pumpkin Green, Green Pumpkin Red, Bait Fish, Moccasin Blue, White, Seedless Watermelon, Seedless Pumpkin, Junebug Red, Red Bug, Yellow, Lemon, Lemon Shad, Red/ Black Core, Natural Blue, Cherry Seed, Icicle, Green Pumpkin Blue, Watermelon/ Chart. Tail I just add to this list as the opportunity presents itself and there are a lot more colors available. The list is just the colors of Trick and finesse worms. I use some other colors in other bait styles.

Do not use a battery box for permanent battery storage. They are fine for jon boat use when the battery is removed for charging. The battery gets warm/hot when charging and in use so they need to have air circulation. Also when charging is done in a closed box the gasses given off will be contained within the box and a slight spark will go KA-BOOM. Use a battery tray mounted to the boat with straps to keep the battery in place.

JF, you are right about the slot limit. Fisheries managers set the slot limits to develop an ideal population. The elitist attitude of bass fisherman condemning the keeping of bass for food has lead to many fisheries having out of balance populations and less than ideal catching results.

JG, go to the Yahoo website and join the Side Imaging group to learn from those that use that technology and get assistance if you need it.

No I don't. I haven't experienced any particular color being better than any other color unless it was for my ability to see it being taken. The fish have no preference. I have used 19 different colors on a particular clear water lake this year and all have produced equally well.

Sam has it right for the tide level, the time of day is unimportant, its the time of low tide, and that changes about 55 minutes later than the previous day's tide times. The amount of tide level change is affected by the positon the sun and moon in additon to the wind direction. I have fished the Chick during a storm period that had constant East winds of 30+ mph and the lowest tide level that day was about 3' higher than the highest normal high tide. The Potomac tides are affected just as much as the James/Chick by the wind. A hard South to East wind will keep the water level high all day which has been the case for a few days.

Deplete this: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/wat3350 Organic matter All substances of animal or plant origin contain carbon compounds and are, therefore, organic (USDA 1992). Animal wastes and dying vegetation produce organic material which is generally degraded or decayed by microorganisms (e.g. bacteria) to simpler compounds, either other forms of organic matter or nonorganic compounds such as nitrogen or phosphorus. These compounds can then be incorporated into the soil. Problems occur, however, if high concentrations of organic material on the soil surface are carried by runoff or deposited directly into receiving streams before the biodegradation process can take place. This can occur when heavy rains wash away fresh organic wastes, or during spring runoff when over-winter accumulations of organic material are flushed into receiving streams in runoff. Wastes accumulated over the wintering season can not biodegrade because of freezing temperatures. Further, wastes can be directly deposited into lakes and rivers if livestock have direct access to these water sources. Generally, water quality problems from organic material result from the decomposition process. Since bacteria require oxygen to decompose organic material, large quantities of dissolved oxygen can be consumed when organic material is added to streams. A rapid increase in bacterial populations results in a drastic reduction in dissolved oxygen in a stream. The point in a stream where the maximum oxygen depletion occurs can be considerable distance downstream from the point where pollutants enter the stream. The level of oxygen depletion depends primarily on: the amount of waste added; the size, velocity, and turbulence of the stream; the initial dissolved oxygen levels in the waste and in the stream; and the temperature of the water (USDA 1992). Dissolved oxygen is essential for the survival of aquatic organisms. Adding organic waste to a stream can lower oxygen levels so that fish and other aquatic life are forced to migrate from the polluted areas or die from a lack of oxygen. The decomposition of organic material can also create undesirable colour, taste and odour problems in lakes and rivers used for public water supplies (USDA 1992).