Blue Streak

Paca Craws all day any day

Bandit Foot Loose has been a good one for me.

I think that is a pretty easy question. It is human nature, whatever you are confident about you will do better and you will stay at it longer. It is where we go when nothing else works.

I wonder what affect the disaster in Japan will have on the manufacture and shipping of baits ?

Look for a bent line tie or hook hanger, sometimes they are also twisted. Just bend them straight again. Other times it may be the bait is just out of balance, if so just keep bending the line tie in the opposite direction it is running. You might have to work with it a little , but you can usually fix the problem

I wish I could give you a better answer, but all I know from expierence is I do better when the barometer has been steady for a while or when it is falling just before a storm. The full moon thing is spot on. About three days before and after. I don't know why but it seems the full moon has an effect on everything including people.

This subject could get as complicated as What Triggers the Spawn.

This is the coldest, wettest spring I can remember. March was wiped out and there have only been a few decent days in April so far. The river has been high for a couple of months and the lake temps are barely in the 50's and there is no sign of change.

My tackle box is my boat. my garage, my shop, and several real tackleboxes. I could stock a bait shop. I am starting to think my old friend was right when he said we are all tackle collectors.

I think it would be neat to watch the wave of bass spawning from the south to the north. If you would please post the date that the spawn happens in your water, even if it has already happened. And feel free to make any comments about it. Tell us if it is a large or small lake or pond. We are talking largemouth in this topic but it would be interesting to do the same thing in the smallmouth forum.

One of the things we watch for in this area in the spring is when the night temperatures begin to stay warm. This is when the water starts to warm more rapidly and brings on that wonderful period of pre spawn and spawn fishing. I think Paul's comment about this whole thing being a combination of events and conditions and not any one in particular may be the most accurate remark. There may be a big difference in the southern lakes where the water stays warm enough to fish year round as opposed to the northern lakes where they freeze over with several inches of ice for an extended period. It seems that we are looking for different things here than you are in the south. This all has given me an idea to post a related topic. And you are right, Rolo does speak with a scientific tongue and his posts are always interesting.

Grey Wollf gave you good advice. Both are excellent baits I think either would be fine.

I have always believed that there are no hard, fast rules for bass fishing. There are certain things that should work under certain conditions, but not always. That is why it is so important to assess the situation and adjust accordingly. BUT Catt has posted an excellent topic here about the spawn which is a a complex and confusing subject and we were having a great discussion until I sort of steered this in a different direction. I think maybe it is time we get back on topic. I would love to hear from other members about their experience about the spawn in their area, and what they watch for as a trigger. One thing I am sure of is this whole thing varies greatly geographically. What happens in the south is certainly different from the north. I agree that bass would spawn in extreme conditions, they would have to adapt or they would perish. But I don't think you would have a good spawn or a hardy population. Rolo speaks of bass spawning over a six month period in Florida with a great deal of temperature fluctuation. I don't think that could ever possibly happen in the north or most other places in this country, yet I believe what Rolo says about his area. And I agree that it takes more than one thing to create a trigger for the spawn. I still believe that temperature is the most influential because bass are after all cold blooded creatures. I think The moon phase is a close second and can really make things pop when a full moon occurs at just the right time. The length of day light is not a big consideration as far as I am concerned because in all of the years I have fished, and all of the fishermen I know not one has told me that you need to be on the water when daylight reaches ten hours and forty seven minutes or so on. I believe that bass will spawn without a change in daylight hours as long as the temperature and moon phase are right.

Surface temp is easy to build into a transducer or add to a transom so I guess it is just convient but it will help get you to the best water temp to fish. I take the temp at 5 feet and 10 feet and the surface.

Just too many distractions now, raising a family and working does not ever let your mind clear enough so that you can forget everything else and just concentrate on fishing or whatever. It is a tough period in everyone's life.

You know if you give the old guys a glass of bourbon in front of a warm fireplace we would all be taking a senior nap in about an hour. I agree about the variables, we can go by what we have learned over the years but you have to be willing and sharp enough to make adjustments throughout the day. Should not get fenced in by too many rules, be flexible and creative I think that may be what seperates KVD from all the rest.

You are right Paul, that is what they called my Pro Craft in my old tournament days. It's blue and it would fly. And I have been around so many times I am now a dizzy old fart. Wouldn't it be great if we could all get together over a beer and have this discussion?

Paul I am impressed with your research and information, you have made this as understandable as one can. You have put scientific fact to things I have observed over many years on the water. I knew what to look for and when to expect them, but sometimes I did not fully understand why. Thanks and keep up the good work.

Paul in this area when the water hits about 65 and the May full moon occurs at that time the bass just pile up on the beds. It seems to happen over night. Fishing is outstanding when the two occur at the same time.

Might try a 4 inch Powewr Bait worm with a 1/0 hook or a small square bill crank bait.

You use a very good example of the photoperiod. I am curious however about the highest and lowest temp during that 25 to 30 degree swing that you speak of. And also, if that same photoperiod occured on a lake where the temp is a constant 45 degrees, would the bass still spawn?

Catt power plant lakes are a very special and isolated situation. Those bass have adapted over time, you can hardly compare that to normal situations. I know there are many factors that determine the spawn, but temp has a whole lot to do with when those eggs are ripe. And I have seen bass leave the bedding areas when a real hard cold front hits and the water drops a few degrees.

When it matters it really matters, and other days you could throw plaid.

I am not a big LC fan but Pointers are just way better than any other jerk bait for me and well worth the price.

You have the basic idea about color now. But remember some lakes or rivers will have their own "hot" color and you pretty much need to figure that out for your self. Don't be afraid to try something a little out of the norm, could be just what the bass want.