James Niggemeyer

Hey Mr. Aquarium, sorry for the long delay in my response. I am actually not familiar with the term "bycatches"? By the looks of it your referring to non-targeted species...I have caught several different fish over the years like: snakehead, mudfish (dogfish), needle nose gar, alligator gar, Needle fish, rainbow trout, etc., etc. but none really stick out to me as super memorable.

Looks like you already have lots of great suggestions, but I will add this if its not too late. Utilize what ever is most comfortable for you to use. If the right hand retrieve seems weird then go with the lefty. There truly isn't any right or wrong answer to which one to use. There are some great Lew's baitcast rod and reel Combos out there that will serve you well. The Lew's American Hero or Lazer MG will be a nice combo to do everything you will need.

I apologize for the delay in my response, though it seems like your doing the right kind of things. Usually the summer and anytime for that matter bass fishing is about eliminating unproductive water, so it could be a matter of covering water until you get to an area they are using. Couple of additional things to consider: While I've never fished Florida in the summer proper (June, July, August), however my initial instinct would be to head to the main lake grass (hydrilla or milfoil) if its available. Clumps or main lake grass edges would be my go to with a 10" Texas Rigged worm or try a light carolina rigged 4-6" finesse worm. Also, look for areas with current. Perhaps the lake has an area where there is a feeder stream or river, lock and dam system that generates current? A lot of times the current will create additional oxygen and will draw baitfish and bass to those areas. Its difficult to know what the "right" thing to do is in this situation without laying eyes on the water to get a better feel for cover types and options. Hope some of this helps.

Been a super busy year...sorry for long delay in response. Appreciate your patience. Appreciate the kind words Mike. Hi there Kicker...sorry for the long delay in response here. Do you have a specific question in particular that you'd like me to respond to?

thank you... sorry for the delay in response. appreciate the kind words...sorry for the LONG delay in response.

Great tip thanks for sharing!

Hey BR, Sharing a little trick that can help you save some money when rigging soft plastic baits. Thanks, James N

No I was trying something different in both instances not related to each other and it happened over a period of time as well.

The start of my competition at the front of the boat in pro level tournaments was around ‘95. Over the years I have heard of anglers working together like that but to my knowledge it is something that happens frequently. Maybe for a specific event or one season? Because the larger checks in the payout are for top 5 your not really increasing your chances of getting part of the larger payout within a field of 100 to 150. At the highest level of competition they pay approximately 1/2 the field and the checks outside the top 10 or so are somewhat the same so it doesn’t really seem to make much sense outside of that. Actually, because the cost to compete is expensive it makes more sense not to have to split winnings when you finish in the money. I maybe wrong but that is what I know personally.

Hey BR, Quick video on how I store and spool spare fishing line in my boat. Thanks, James N

Hi Bass Rescource, Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Recently I did I video on my approach to grass lakes (lakes with aquatic vegetation). It includes the baits that work well in those types of waters and the ways fish position in that type of cover. Thanks for watching... let me know what you think.

Hey Bass Resource, Here is a new video on Punching Heavy or Thick Vegetation. Hope you all like it and Merry Christmas!

The old drop shot is tough to beat, but I don't typically throw it in shallow water during the winter!

Hey BR Hope your all getting some time on the water in between trips to shop for gifts! New Video on Shallow baits for Winter bass fishing, which includes where to throw and fish em. Hope you like it! James N

Hi Bass Resource, Here are My Top 4 Most Productive Winter Time Bass Baits for Deep Water. Hope you all like it! Thanks for Watching - James N.