papajoe222

Another informative video Glen. I’ve been fishing tubes for decades and echo your statements about that action they have when rigged with a jighead internally and your observation about stupid head jug hooks being too big. My solution has been to use an internal weight. Because the lne tie is in front of the tube rather than on top, you don’t get that spiral action, but the gliding action remains.

The majority of lakes in FL are natural lakes. With that in mind, you’re not going to find much in the way of off shore structure. Cover and changes in bottom composition are areas I’d focus on, especially those located in the depth you see baitfish activity on your electronics. Also, pay attention yo how deep the weeds grow. Weed edges in deeper water are a prime area to concentrate on. It’s difficult to recommend baits with little information to go on. As you’re fishing tournaments, i would base your choices on your own experience.

This is one of the reasons on-line purchasing became so popular. If you know what you want, not only can you find it on the web, you'll likely get it cheaper that at a brick and mortar store. The downside is, you can't hold it before buying it. With reels, it isn't as big a downside as with purchasing a rod. Many sites have a very forgiving return policy similar to buying a pair of boots that don't fit when you get them, but make sure you check it out prior to purchasing.

Which treble hook ends up in a fish's mouth is a good indication of its activity level. Bass will strike a bait head first and more often than not either get the whole bait in their mouth, or the front treble. A bass that inhales a bait from behind is normally hooked on the rear treble. This goes for any bait with multiple treble hooks, not just a WP. A Hula Popper, on the other hand, is a much smaller bait and as such is easily taken into the fish's mouth whether its from the front, or rear.

Frogs are great for summertime Bassin, but if the fish ignore yours, it’s time to switch to a different presentation. I fell in love with paddle tail swim baits and the bass love them too. You might try swimming one in a bluegill pattern just under the surface.

My family comes out to my club on a regular basis and many of the other members recognize them. My oldest met me there late last year and fished from shore while I took my grandson out in my boat. When I went to pay my membership dues this year, one of the board members told be he had something for me. It was my daughter's rod and reel that she'd left on shore. She didn't even know it was missing as that was the last time she'd used it.

Time flies by for everyone. I'm retired and summers don't last as long as they did when I was younger and working. Heck, years don't last as long! The only solution I've found to slow things down is to not sleep. If you're awake 24hrs, the day seems longer than if you're only awake 16hrs. The problem,for me, is I'm not 19 anymore and I don't have to worry about the VC trying to kill me.

It amazes me how may boaters/anglers don't carry essentials on their boat, or in their tow vehicle. Just this week-end I was approached by three different people. The first needed a tow, which I was glad to do, but they had nothing to tow them with, not even a cast off line. Luckily, I carry a 50ft. one on mine. The second was a major concern on my part as a skier was cut by floating debris and the boater didn't have a first-aid kit on board. The last one is a laugher as, at the launch a fellow asked if I had any TP. I keep a roll in my truck and told him to keep it. Now, two of the three, I can understand, but not having a first-aid kit on board is irresponsible. What situations make you wonder about people?

Glad that you lived to tell us about it.

Hair jigs are my go to presentation under post frontal conditions. I tie my own and will toss a 1/4oz. when conditions call for a deeper one. when most guys are throwing a Ned, I’m throwing a hair jig.

For the rare times that I actually finesse fish, If they're not taking a Ned while it's moving, I switch to a shakey head. Dead sticked in current, or just shaken in place, I feel it's the best, super slow presentation next to stitching a worm that there is.

One thing I've learned over decades of fishing is the effect of weather on bass behavior. Of all the things I research prior to hitting the water, weather is what I feel will help my success or failure the most. Current weather conditions can give you a general idea of what to expect, but past and future conditions, when combined with the current ones can greatly improve your success. Their importance can affect bass behavior more so than the current weather. Post frontal conditions can play havoc on bass fishing, but if that front passed a few days ago fish may very well have changed their mood from negative to neutral, or possibly to active. A high barometric pressure and mile high bluebird skies doesn't mean the fish won't bite today. Another weather history factor to watch is the wind, specifically its direction. If the wind has been blowing in one direction for a number of days, it can influence fish location tremendously. The weather's future is a great predictor of bass activity today. Everyone should know that bass become more active prior to a front moving in, but did you know that a falling barometer may proceed that front by a day or more? A change in cloud cover often proceeds a warm front. You could hit the water a day before a major front is scheduled to move in and do better than on the day of the front, if it's a slow moving system. Lastly, a stable weather history, or future, is a formula for summer success.For these reasons and more that you may discover, I urge you to become a 'Weather Watcher.'

I cut my teeth bass fishing well before the internet. All my information then was from the top magazines of the times. Fishing Facts, B.A.S.S. and others, along with the few TV programs of that were aired then.The remainder of my schooling was on the water trial and error and the information I remembered from reading. Sad to say, similar to my school studies, I didn't remember the majority of what I read. I did however remember enough from my on the water experiences to become a fairly proficient angler. My point is; some learn from books, some from others and some from experience.

For walking baits and most topwaters, I use a snap. The knot, IMO, is personal preference. On those that come with split rings, I remove them and either add an oval split ring, or use a snap. the Same goes for cranks. I have used loop knots in the past, but as mentioned, line wear at the knot turned me off using one. I have used loop knots in the past, but as mentioned, line wear at the knot turned me off using one.

There are two islands on the south end that have nice points. I’d start working them with crankbaits, either working deep to shallow, or shallow to deep. Cranks are excelent for finding both structure and cover and are great fish finders. once you find fish, keep at it until the bite dies, then switch to tubes before hitting the other point at that same depth.

Which launch site?

It depends on the cover you'll be fishing. The lightest I'd go would be 30lb. You could go up to 50.b and the combo could double for frog fishing. Power Pro has a lot of followers here and it isn't very pricey. While you're at it, pick up a pack of offset worm hooks. They have a lot more bite than EWGs

I agree with slonezp, anytime bass are not the top predator, their movements are determined by both forage and predator fish. If a spot has both, bass will shy away from the area.

Of everything you listed, equipment wise, the only thing I might change is your line choice, but only if you're making long casts. Braid may not be the answer, but something with a little less stretch would be my recommendation. On the bright side, if you've hooked and lost two fish in a month that woulda been your PB, you're doing something right. Keep at it.

Hmmmmm..............Have you given it a name?

that's the beauty of using circle hooks. A fish can take your bait deep and you still won't gut hook it. That circle hook will slide right out to its lip and then catch there on its way out. I use them almost exclusively when teaching novice anglers. I ended up using them myself, exclusively for wacky rigs and split-shotting.

I worked a job that demanded I be at a certain stop +or- 15min. My performance was based primarily on accomplishing that on a regular basis. I became, what my wife and kids call, the Schedule Master. Although I rarely early, I'm also rarely late. A 9:30 doctor appointment sees me walking in a t 9:29. I don't like to waste time waiting. If I tell my fishing partner that I'll pick him up at 5:30, he knows I'll be pulling in his driveway at 5:30. He also knows his butt better be coming out the door when I do.

New age electronics. Just the amount of information available has increased, not only my catch rate, but my confidence. I cut my teeth with depth finders using the old flasher units. For years, my Humminbird Super 60 was the only one I relied on. It worked just fine for reading depth, hard bottom/soft bottom and the presence of anything in between. It was up to the user to determine what that in between flash was. Then came paper graphs, I never owned or used one. Next on the scene was LCD graphs and technology marched on quickly from there. The current offering, even at the entry level, are true 'fish finders.' With options for everything from choice of display colors, split screen, zoom, down and side imaging, charts, and much more. The benefit has been twofold for many anglers. Locating fish has become much easier and as a byproduct, time management is more of a focal point than ever for the week-end angler.

I have similar experiences on the Apple river during the week. Week-ends, I try to avoid it or get on the water early.

I like a Terminator with a double Colorado blade. Although I prefer to use a black one, I've caught fish with an all white version, too