Conference wahoo::fishing

    Rather than start a new note, a reply to this one is probably more
    appropriate.  Just a quick comment regarding live bait fishing vs
    using artificials...(I know some of you bassers are probably "purists"
    and wouldn't consider using live bait, but...)
    
    Yesterday (Sunday), I drove up along the Merrimack River north of
    Hookset to the Bow power plant and found some guys fishing at the
    warm water discharge.  I spoke to one guy who was fishing from a
    Ranger equipped with the whole 9 yards (bow elec. motor, LCR, etc)
    and he only caught one 2 lb. bass using a spinnerbait.  Meanwhile, 
    5-6 other guys were using shiners and were SLAUGHTERING the fish...
    smallmouth bass up to 4-5 lbs, pickerel up to 24-30" and a lot of 
    large yellow perch.

    Now...I simply can't understand why one wouldn't switch to a bait
    that works, even if it is live.  Hell, even Roland Martin uses shiners
    and nails some of the biggest bass you can imagine.  
    
    -Joe- (guess_where_i'm_goin_next_weekend!) 

    RE: .0
    
    According to ?? March 1986, Field & Stream ?? it really does work
    to spit on your bait.  But what really counts here is the fact that
    in the old days when this practice became popular, the old timers
    chewed licorice flavored chewin' tobacky.  The same effect can be
    had by simply chewing licorice, and its much safer.  The fish like
    the licorice.  You can buy licorice flavored/scented worms.  Anyway,
    the key is licorice, not just plain, unflavored spit.
    
    Spence
    

    re: .1
    There is a adage in trout fishing that I guess I have heard all
    my life....."match the hatch". Simply stated it means offer the
    fish what they are feeding on. It also applies to bass and other
    fish.
    
    Now your ranger fisherman, throwing a spinner bait when everyone
    else was catching them on shinners could have profited by that old
    expression. All he would have had to do was switch to a silver and
    black crank bait. Adapt to the fish, they won't adapt to you......
    
    While I personally don't use live bait as a rule, Joe is right that
    there are times it is the right thing to do. Roland and others use
    big shinners in the south because that is how you catch those "big"
    bass down there (but not all the time). They use them mainly in
    the summer when the fish are deep in cover. A lot of others use
    10" worms and are just about as successful. Here (New England) they 
    don't quite get that big and you can use artificals for most of 
    the times a live bait would work. 

    The "purist" point of view is that it is easy to catch any fish
    when you offer him what he naturally would eat and make it easy
    for him to catch it. Therefore the "sporting" thing to do is use
    something not natural but work it in such a way so as to "fool"
    the fish into thinking that it is his natural bait. Or some such
    thing. I'm not all that much a "purist", but if you fish tournaments
    you will find that no live bait can be used and hence the purist
    attitude is more a "pro" attitude. Hey, whatever works for you and
    is "fun"................

    Tight lines, Ron (a_switch_in_time_catches_a_fish)

    While I was down south this past weekend, a bunch of us got to  
    talking, mostly about fishing. One of the guys pointed out something
    that I think bears repeating. 
    
    Bass can and do adapt to seeing various lures and become turned
    off to them. This doesn't take all that long to happen. Hence, the
    "new" hot lures that come out every year and become all the rage
    sink into oblivion quickly. While there are some tryed and tested
    lures that continue to catch fish, the amounts and size seem to
    be reduced as time goes by. Okay, that's one thing.
    
    There are two lures that don't fall into this catagory. One is live
    bait. Fish can't resist their natural food and so they never turn
    off to it. The second is the plastic worm. For some reason this
    bait is also so natural that the fish can not resist it or "learn"
    to avoid it. So, if you fish with worms, you never have to worry
    that your "bait" will ever become an "also ran" in the lure derby.

    Tight lines, Ron (wishing_he_could_wet_a_worm)

    I just read an article this past weekend in a bass magazine that
    has some real merit to it.  It concerns sharp hooks.  The author
    did some research regarding fish hook sharpness vs setting power
    (in ft. lbs.) required to set the hook.
    
    First, let me say that he found that the average new hook, although
    appearing "sharp", when examined under a microscope, revealed ragged
    edges and a point that ...well...just wasn't pointed.  He further
    examined a surgical suture needle and found that, not only was it
    sharp and highly polished, but that it was eliptical in shape with
    both edges razor sharp and it came to a real point.
    
    The author then continued by saying that the "average" fisherman
    exerts between 1-2 pounds of hook-setting force when a fish stikes,
    whereas the majority of bass pros exert between 5-6 lbs. !!!  After
    some experimentation, he found that by taking the time to sharpen
    your hook one of those diamond sharpeners, the amount of hook-setting
    force required was REDUCED BY 50 PERCENT!
    
    Incidentally, he stated that it requires about 1 lb. of force to
    set the hook in the side of a bass' mouth, while 4 or more pounds
    of force are required to set the hook in the upper (boney) part
    of the mouth.  NOW...I understand why the pros haul back hard to
    set the hook!
    
    I think I can attest to that fact.  This past weekend I did some
    fishing using minnows for bait.  Although I got skunked, I did notice
    a VERY PERCEPTIBLE improvement while hooking the minnow in the back
    with a sharpened hook vs a new hook right out of the box.  The
    sharpened hook penetrated very easily and did less damage to the
    minnow. 
    
    -Joe-
    

    	I am just starting to seriously get into my Bass fishing this
    year and I am taking the lessons from painful experiences last season
    into the arena with me this year. I would like to comment on the
    "tried and true" lures mentioned in a lot of articles this year.
    I too feel that there is too much made of new "breakthrough lures"
    on the market today - I am going to learn to fish the "standards"
    Jigs,worms,Uncle Josh anything. So far at my local resevoir I have
    had good luck with a jig(white!) and an Uncle josh Flippin Frog.
    As a matter of fact this is the only lure combination that has netted
    me anything so far!
    	I would like to hear what some of you veterans have found to
    be the best lures for Bass you have used and in what kinds of waters?
    Also how about these different rigs for worms (Texas, Carolina,
    Jacks do Nothin). Are they workin for you guys?
    
    Brian (Hope_to_have_a_good_season)
    
    

RE:.6    
     
Well, I'm no old pro, but I did OK last year.  No monsters, but LOTS of 2-3
pounders... 

The weightless/weedless worm worked real well for me last year.  I spent just 
about all of my time in a small stream, and the pond that fed it, this setup 
was perfect for where I was fishing.  I didn't need a weight to pull the rig 
down through heavy cover or down to the bottom, since I was fishing shallow 
water.  Also, some worms have great action w/o weights, while others don't 
have any action w/o them.  Worms were THE thing for me last year, but... 

This year I'm going to do a lot more experimenting, I've been building 
up my box over the winter, and can't "weight" to use all my new toys!
    
-Don Mac

    

    Well now Brian, I just couldn't pass this up. You've given me a
    chance to put in my two cents worth on my all time favorite lures
    since they are all "standards" from a bygone time.
    
    To my mind, any serious Bass fisherman has to have fished these
    lures before and should have at least one of them in his tackle
    box. Before I list them let me add that the plastic worm is my 
    very favorite fishing lure. I think that learning how to use this
    bait is one of the most important things that a serious bassman
    has to do. Various times of the year call for different lures and
    as you have mentioned, the jig and pig you are now using is one
    of the best early spring baits there is. It looses some of its 
    effectiveness at or shortly after spawning however I have found.
    So, other lures have to come to the fore if you want to continue
    to catch. Besides the worm, these are some of them.
    
    Top water: Probably the most fun you can have bass fishing is top
    water plugging. Having a bass come out of the water to snatch your
    lure is one of the most pulse raising events in fishing. There are
    really three great lures to use in this area. The Hoola Popper,
    the Jitterbug and the Zara Spook. The Spook is my favorite. It is
    a stick bait, which means that you have to impart all the action
    to the lure as it has none of its own. "Walking the Dog" is the
    best way to work this bait and its an action that seems to drive
    the bass crazy. I like to use this lure in the spring and summer
    mostly in the evening hours when the bass are in a feeding mood.
    Another great little lure that I didn't mention is the Heddon Torpedo.
    This lure is also basically a stick bait, but has a little propeller
    attached that gives it a very noisy action when "stripped" along
    the water. Since its a smaller lure, you will catch more smaller
    fish with it, but get great action. My favorite is the frog colored
    one.
    
    Medium Diving Lure: There are hundreds of lures that fall into this
    catogory. There are more crank baits made, with the widest variety
    of colors and actions than anyother. Most tackle boxes contain more
    of these lures than anyother. The best medium diver around has to
    be the Rapala 3" in the floater model. This bait can be used as
    a stick bait would, by just twitching it, or as a slow to medium
    retrieve lure at about 18" down with a wide wobble, or at a fast
    retrieve about 24" down. It is a great late morning early afternoon
    lure worked along weed beds and rocks. The River Runt is another
    great all time lure that goes about 3-4' deep and has great action
    to be used over the tops of submerged weed beds or rock piles.
    
    As far as the deep divers go, I think of only one that has really
    stood the test of time. The Johnson Silver Minnow. Worked by itself
    or with a pork trailer has to be one of the best all around deep
    lures ever made. There are others such as the Dardevil and the Hawaiian
    Wiggler that are also great deep baits. I have found that spoons
    are the best when you have to go deep. There are crank baits that
    will get down there, but not like the spoons. The Paul Bunyon is
    another great bottom bumper. It has an inline spinner blade with
    a lead head and hackle, but does hang up on occasion, so it's
    popularity is much like the Rooster Tail lures, and it's use is
    more aimed at rocky bottoms than weedy ones. Of course these spoons
    can also be used near the top with a skirt over bedding bass to
    great effect. I've used this method in Fla. to catch some really
    nice 6-8lb spawers years ago. It also works real well on smallmouths.
    
    To try and answer your last question about worm rigs, I would say
    that all these rigs have something going for them. If you know enough
    about the way these are rigged you can tell why you would use them.
    The Texas rig basically keeps the worm on the bottom since the weight
    is right up to the worm head. The body of the worm will try to float,
    so the combination of weight and buoyancy will keep the tail in
    the air (so to speak) and the slight movement imparted by the water
    will attrach the bass into striking. If fish are suspended, the
    Carolina rig, where the weight is pegged 18-24" above the hook,
    allows the worm to float higher and get to where the bass are. Both
    of these rigs (and the Eufala rig) bury the hook point in the body
    of the worm for weedless action. The do-nothing rig can be put together
    with the weight either way, but the hook is exposed, or no weight
    at all. The do-nothing is really a type of worm more than a rig.
    
    There are other rigs such as the "swimming" worm, which is
    a straight forward no weight worm used on the top, the "skimmer" worm,
    in which the cone head sinker is turned around and used as a bubbler
    on the top of the water and the "wacky" worm where you insert a
    small weight in the nose of the worm and then hook the mid section
    of the worm and pull it through the water sort of bent in half. There
    are probably more that I don't know about, but the real thing here
    is the fact that worms catch fish and the rigs are only for different
    conditions. 
    
    The final area to touch on, in this long winded note (I didn't expect
    to write this much), is spinner baits. These are some of the best
    lures to use under certain conditions. They can be run deep or shallow
    and the choice of colors and blade styles and length and weight
    and and and and ..... makes them a great all around lure. You can
    use them in the spring, summer and fall and they will work all day
    long. About the only time, I've found, they don't work to well is in 
    rough water. I'm speaking here of the safteypin type, not the in-line
    Mepps type. These are good too, but I think they are better for
    other types of fish than bass (no matter what the ads say).
    
    I hope that some of this helps you.
    
    Tight lines, Ron (boat_ready_and_on_the_car)
    
    
    
     

    There hasn't been to much action here lately, so I thought I'd put
    something in and see if anyone can use it.
    
    I think that this may be just a tad early, but none-the-less, the weed
    season will shortly be on us and so I thought to share what little info
    I have on the subject. Maybe some of the experts can add to it. 

    Weeds have always had the "allure" for bassmen being that they house
    the vast majority of the fish during the late spring and summer months.
    I wonder though how many of us truly understand the actual relationship
    that bass and weeds have together. You look at the weed patch and think
    that there must be bass there, it "looks so bassy." Then we spend hours
    throwing everything in our tackle box at them and end up with empty
    hooks, wondering why, or coming to the conclusion that they weren't
    there. Welllll, maybe, but more than likely they were there, but you
    missed them for some reason. The reason(s) may be as simple  as they
    weren't feeding, as is the case usually after a cold front passage, to
    the color of the water or how close you got to the fish. I'll try to go
    into this a little more later, but first lets get some idea of what we
    are dealing with. 

    Weeds everywhere, but which ones do we fish? Lets take a look at the
    weed to start. There are many varieties and they come in all shapes and
    sizes. Lets take an easy one, color. They come in green, brown and
    purple(ish). The green ones make more oxygen and this is a key for the
    bass. We all know that plants use sunlight to grow and give off oxygen
    as a buy-product. This is one major reason fish relate to weeds - air
    to breath. Since the green ones give off more oxygen, bass hang around
    these more than the others. At night this process reverses, so guess
    what, the bass move away from the weeds and the green ones which absorb
    more oxygen to other richer water. Just like you move out of a smoke
    filled room. Bottom line - fish the green stuff during the day and move
    off to the edges and rip rap at night. 

    Sometime we'll look at the mat of weeds in front of us and see them as
    one solid mass. Now they maybe solid on top, but they are not solid
    underneath. Water lilies are the easiest example to use, but all weeds
    are somewhat like this. 

    Weeds are just like most plants in that they grow a crown to get the
    maximum amount of sunlight. So, just like other plants they have a
    trunk or stalk. The fish can easily get around in this environment and
    this provides the bass with another major reason they relate to weeds,
    shade. Bass are cold blooded and as such assume a body temperature of
    the water around them. But, like us, they want to get out of the direct
    sunlight on hot days, and weeds provide this for them. Of course, other
    things such as wood, rocks and piers also do this, but that's for
    another article. Here we'll stick to weeds. So, having covered two
    areas, color and composition we come to the third. 
    
    Weeds provide for "hiddy holes" for bass to ambush their prey from. Now
    when bass are in this mode, eg. not cruising or suspended, they will
    hold tight to the weeds and not move more than two to three feet to get
    their meal. For us that means getting our lures close to them. Dropping
    them in front of the bass' nose so to speak. Since the bait fish like
    to get back into the weeds for maximum protection, the bass also get
    back into the weeds to feed. This can mean they are in one foot of
    water or even less. When you come across big weed patches and don't
    catch anything, one of the reasons may well be that you aren't into the
    weeds deep enough and are not getting the lure to where the bass are
    waiting. As an aside, I fish several lakes in this area that have very
    large amounts of weed. I have literally taken a running start at these
    and just run my boat way into them to get close to land side. It's fun
    getting out though and I've had to "pole" my way on occasion. To me
    it's worth it though, as I've caught some nice fish this way. When it's
    real thick, one trick that Billy Westmoreland taught me (notice the
    name dropping) was to take my rod or a paddle and make a hole to fish
    though. He called this "meat fishing" and something that you would only
    do when totally frustrated, but it works. 

    Some more on fishing weeds would start with the type of lures that you
    use. I guess just about everyone would yell, worms. I know that I would
    be in the front and yelling the loudest. Spinner baits work well, as a
    friend of mine uses nothing else and does okay with them. A spoon
    (weedless type of course) with a pork trailer is another that can get
    great results sometimes. You can also use a crank bait, like the
    Rapalla or Rebel floating models, if you don't mind getting hung up at
    times. The trick here is to throw the lure into an opening in the weed
    patch and "twitch" it. Drives the bass crazy, but then you really have
    to horse the fish out of there. If you don't get a bite, then you have
    to sort of take a big pull at the lure and watch it as it flies over
    your head (I hope).. :^) 

    But when it comes down to it, I would go with the worm. It can be
    worked on top, in the middle and off the bottom. You can let it lay or
    work it by ripping. To my way of thinking it is the best overall and
    most versatile of the lures available. I just love to work a worm over
    the top of lilypads and let it drop into the little holes between the
    plants. When you do it right, you can see a bass coming for your lure
    parting the pads as it moves. The more the pads move the bigger the
    fish is going to be is what I always think. Great way to live part of
    this life......... 

    Heavy line in the 12 - 14 lb area is just about a must to fish weeds. I
    think I mentioned earlier that a "flat" cast will help you keep from
    getting your line tangled in the weeds. And if and when you catch one,
    horse him out of there to keep it from wrapping your line around the
    stalks. Lot of fishermen lose their "hawg" because of this. 

    Finally, I'll mention something again that I put into another note. For
    some reason bass like to hang around the different or odd structure. So
    if you're in a mess of weeds, look for the small patch that is of a
    different variety. It will more than likely be here that the big bass
    is hanging out, especially if its "green". 

    Tight lines, Ron (looking_at_a_new_boat)
    

    
    RE:.9
    
    Very informative note Ron, thanks for the info.
    
    You mention a couple of times the term "horse them out"...
    Can you explain what you mean by that...?
    
    
    	Thanks for the interesting and informative notes.
    
    		Gene

    
    re: .10 Thanks Gene. To answer the question, "horse them out of there"
    means to literally pull them across the water as fast you can reel. The
    easiest way to do this is with heavy line and a stiff, medium heavy or
    heavy rod. The idea is not to "jerk" the fish around but too control it
    so it's outside of the weeds as quickly as possible. A reasonably tight
    line and fairly tight drag setting is required. When you set the hook
    and feel the fish on, keep the tension on the fish and reel till the
    fish is clear of the weeds or other structure. In very thick settings,
    this offen means dragging the fish over the top of the weeds. Hope that
    answers the question. 
    
    Tight lines, Ron (wish'n_the_weather_would_get_better) 

    I don't think that I've ever come across an article on drag adjustment.
    
    While hawg'n, I normally just keep my drag REAL tight, so that I
    have to really yank on it, for it to give.  I know that this is
    the correct setup for flip'n - as in .-2 where you have to literally
    drag the fish out, w/o having him get caught up in cover... BUT,
    for normal fishing, say, fishing underwater structure in open water,
    HOW should the drag be set???
    
    don mac                       

    
    don,
    
    I'll give you a rule of thumb for casting reels and one for spinning
    reels. On a casting reel "normal" settings would be about 1/2 the
    line weight. i.e. set the drag at 4 lbs for 8 lb line. You can check
    this out with a scale (de-liar type) attached to the lure. It's
    rough, but works. Mostly it's just feel. Your right about cover
    fishing.......as tight as you can without breaking the line.  You
    can set the  drag lighter on casting reels because of the "star
    drag" which is very easy to adjust as your playing the fish. This
    is not as true or easy with spinning reels or casting reels without
    the star drag feature.
    
    For spinning reels it will vary a bit with the style of reel, but
    a good point is about 3/4 of the line weight. To light a drag on
    a spinner can cause a bunch of line to come off at once and give
    the fish to much slack and allow it to throw the hook. Again this
    is a feel thing. You have to "feel" good about the way the drag
    is set. Just so long as it doesn't just fall off and as long as
    it will pull off. 
    
    As an aside to the question, we  have to keep the line itself in
    mind. No drag setting is going to save you if the line is nicked
    or frayed. Some pros say change your line every time you go out
    and others say at least every weekend. I just check it and change
    it when it feels nicked or frayed. I do take off the first 6 feet
    or so every time I change lures. Since I tie directly to the line
    this is easy. For those that use snap sivels I'd make sure the line
    is in good shape and when changing lures is the best time.
    
    tight lines, Ron (with the weather looking up)

    Last weekend I decided to try my texas rigged rubber worm again.
    It's been just the past two years where I've fished w/lures.
    I've never caught anything on a rubber worm.
    
    Well last week drove me crazy, nothing was hitting so I used the
    rubber worm.  With the worm I got many hits, but no fish.
    I tried everything and couldn't bag a fish.  I followed the previous
    advise on rubber worm fishing.  I couldn't have bought a fish !!!!
                                   
    I know there are big bass where I fish but just no luck.
    
    I was using a weedless hook,texas rigged on a 6" rubber worm.
    
    any suggestions.
    
    mike

    One thing about worms is that smaller fish (like little perch) tend
    to grab the end of it and pull it around - if you try and set the
    hook, you'll just pull it away from them and it'll come up empty,
    I noticed this in clear water when the worm was near the boat...
    
    Most of the bass that I've caught have TAKEN the worm, you KNOW
    that they're on there, the rod bends in half, etc... So, I try to
    ignore the bites, until the big one hits... OR the line is taken
    away slowly and steadily.  
    
    I'm sure that some of the more experienced basser's out there will
    add to this...  
    
    don mac

    Okay Mike, 
    
    I'll take a crack at this. But, not knowing some details of what
    you've "tryed to do" it maybe a little hard to find the "thing."
    
    You may be setting the hook to quickly. Spring bass are slower than
    summer fish and you need to give them more time to "take" the worm.
    If you aren't already, I would suggest that you dip the rod to nine
    o'clock, real in the slack, say 1001, and set it by bringing the
    rod/reel to your chest, not over your head as I've seen others do.
    For summer bass, forget the 1001.
    
    Now, it could also be that you are waiting to long to set the hook,
    so the above should handle that too.
    
    If the above doesn't sound right, give a few more details on how
    you are trying to do it, and maybe we can find that little "thing".
    
    Tight lines, Ron
    ps. practice practice practice....:^)
    pps. I wish I had your problem, I haven't seen a fish yet, let alone
         lost any. Even that would make me feel better. :^)
    

    
    	Hi guys, I won't offer any info on the rubber worm as I don't
    use them this early in the year. I do have a suggestion for another
    lure you may wish to try right now and thats the original Rapala
    with the black back. I used on of the smallest ones the other day
    and had a great time. In about 1 hour I caught 8 bass...3 lg mouth
    and 5 crappie or calico. This was during the middle of the day with
    a nice hot sun coming down. Give this lure a shot any time of day
    in the shallows along any point or along the shore of any cove.
    
    Denny

    
        Yup, the Rapala's have been good to me this year also.  I use
    the larger broken back ones.  Last week I laughed by XXXX's off,
    when I caught a bass that was as big as my Rapala.  Never saw
    anything like it.
                                                          
        I fished this Saturday, it was cold and windy.  I didn't catch
    nothing but a couple of calico bass.  I guess this supports the
    previous note that states fish don't bite during a change to a cold
    weather 'cause normally this place produces.
    
       1. Anybody have any more info. on what weather to look for.
         
       2. Fishing during,before and after rain
    
       3. Full moons fact or fiction
    
       4. What shorelines to fish due to sun,shade and direction wind
          is blowing
    
    These questions are with respect to weather only, a previous note
    explained advantages of weeds etc.
    
    Gone Fishin'
    Mike
       

    Okay Mike, since I happen to be in here and this just showed up,
    I'll take a crack at answering your questions.
        
       >1. Anybody have any more info. on what weather to look for.
	
    	Best thing I can do here is include a little poem that I think
    	is one the best all time fishing odes I've come across (must
    	be a lot of years old)
    		"Wind from the West, fish bite best,
    		"Wind from the East, fish bite least,
    		"Wind from the North, fisherman don't go forth,
    		"Wind from the South, blows the bait to the fishes mouth."

        I don't know if that's exactly the way it was first written, but
        that's how I remember it. So, we look for a southwest wind......
             
       >2. Fishing during,before and after rain
	
    	My answer here is "always" before a front, and during its passage,
    	but never after. That usually means in the rain. Lot of
    	fisherpersons don't like this, because they and all their equip-
    	ment get soaked. 
    
    	If you mean storms not linked with a frontal passage, then before
    	and after and durning. However the caution that always goes
    	with LIGHTNING applies. I get off the water, since I know I'm
    	the highest thing around.
    
       >3. Full moons fact or fiction
	
    	FACT.........I believe that fishing is best just "before" a
    	full moon. And then it declines with the full moon. Worst is
    	just before the new moon and then it starts to pick up.
    	Before I get a nasty-gram, let me say that this is an opinion.
	I don't doubt that we have all caught a few nice fish at other
    	times.        

    	>4. What shorelines to fish due to sun,shade and direction wind
          is blowing
	
    	Sun and shade, not as much as wind direction. The shore that
    	is the warmest in the spring (N.W.), provided the wind is not in the
    	opposite direction. Summer time I like the shore that the wind
    	is blowing toward. Bait fish are blown that way and it follows
    	that the preditors will join them.
    
	Hope this helps. Tight lines, Ron        

    There was some discussion at one point regarding the use and
    effectiveness of imitation salamander/lizards on bass beds.  Well,
    here's a little tip I picked up from Coonass Bob during my cajun
    adventure down in the bayous.  Unfortunately, the bass were already
    off their beds so we didn't have a chance to try it...but it sure
    makes sense.
    
    Coonass rigs his lizards in the standard Texas rig fashion with
    one slight modification.  He makes a small slit in the bottom side
    beneath the head and puts a small piece of an Alka Seltzer tablet
    in there.  Then, while dragging the lizard thru the bed and then
    just leaving it there, the fizzling seems to iritate the bass into
    striking.  The bubbles also provide some bouyancy that gives a bobbing
    action.  Seems like a neat trick, huh?
    
    Even if you don't get them...they won't have an upset stomach!
    
    -Joe-
    

    Well, that is one way to fight acid rain...............
    
    TL,Ron

    
Bet it works GREAT with live salamander too!!
    
                                         Ed
        
    
    

For whatever the reason, bad luck probably, these past weeks (months??) seem
to have a cold front moving through every Thursday or Friday and just in
time for the weekend. Like most Bass fishermen, I hate these things as they 
shut down the fishing just when I'm able to do it. The worst are the Friday
Night Specials. They come through late at night and when I get out there
Sat. morning.....nothing. Well, almost nothing. Since I do get a few now and
then, I thought I'd share what I know about fishing cold fronts. They affect
summer fishing more than anything else except spring and for us weekend guys
we have to take whatever Mother Nature dishes out, or don't go fishing (horrors)

First, what the heck am I talking about?? A cold front is basically, the 
front edge of a cool air mass moving into an area of warmer air. The Barometer
"drops", the sky clouds over and there may be rain and thunder storms with
the real serve ones. An approaching cold front will put the bass on the feed.
The more serve the front the more the fish feed (or active they get). Perhaps
the change in pressure alerts them that they had better stock up in preparation
for a period of inactivity. Many anglers claim the bass feed well right 
through the storms, but dodging lightning bolts is not my idea of fun, or safe.
(I have boron rods...greatest lightning rods in the world, so's graphite)

The feeding spree often continues for a brief period after the storms and 
front passes. Maybe thirty minutes or so, but then they just shut down like
someone turned a switch. Fast moving baits like spinners, crank baits and
buzzbaits are the ticket before and just after the front. Once they stop
feeding though, things get tough. Put those mentioned away. The bass move
deep into heavy cover or drop into deeper water. They become lethargic and
are no longer willing to chase for their food. You must practically drop your
lures right into their mouths to get strikes.

Why lethargic?? There are probably as many theories on all this as fishermen.
One is the change in atmospheric pressure. We know that this affects bass.
It goes down with the front and back up after it passes and this possibly
curbs the bass's natural aggressive feeding nature. One that I think makes
even more sense is the wind and rain break up the water and the microscopic
food supply that small fish feed on. Since these stop eating, their preditors
stop and thus the bass stop. The insects are blown away etc. The food chain
is disrupted and since a fish has to expend energy to catch its food, that
food must be enough to replace, at least, what the fish expended. Instinct
would say stop feeding,,,,no food available,,,,save your energy. Hence they
go to cover and wait till things are back to normal. Another is that the clear
skys that follow a front allow more IR & UV though and that the fish hide from
this. Lower humidity also helps this happen (less water vapor to block it). 

Whatever the reason, we know what happens. They go tight to cover and don't
move EXCEPT for a very apparent free lunch, that over comes their instinct to
conserve energy. So, how do we handle this mess?? Maybe late in the season
I'd stay home, but not now. I have a ways to go before I'm fished out to that
point. 

The first thing I'd suggest is "know" you can catch fish after a front and
go at with a positive attitude. If you have a bad attitude, you'll be beat
before you ever start. The next step is to locate the bass. Where they go
after a front depends quite a bit on the lake itself and what it offers the
fish (and also on how serve the front was). A lot of guys think that they
just go "deep." This is reinforced by casting the shallows and not catching
anything. Chances are the fish are still shallow but the fishermen didn't
change his lure presentation. Bass will remain in the shallows if they have
enough cover in weeds or wood to protect themselves. They burrow under the
thickest cover available and rest near the bottom. If the cover is scattered
the fish will be too, if its dense they will be jammed in there. To fish
these, move around for the first example and stay around for the second.

They won't chase lures so you have to get into them. Since the cover will be
in the thickest part you have to use heavy weights to get down to the fish.
Jig-'n-pig and weedless rigged worms are the tools to use. Half ounce worm
or jig weights are needed to get down into this stuff. Since they are hidden
you can almost get right over them and flip. Work very slowly with heavy line
and you will get your reward. Cold front bass are also spooky bass, so try
for quite lure entires and work from 15 to 20 ft away. This is a time that
boat noise and dropped equipment will hurt you more than other times. In deep
water the same baits are used but here you can work almost vertical. A depth
finder is great here, but don't expect it to show you the fish as they are
hidding "under" the stuff. Find the patches of dense weeds or wood and work
them.

To finish it off, Cold Front Bass can be caught, but you will have to work.

Hope you find this interesting, tight lines, Ron

    This isn't exactly a bass fishing tip, but what the heck, some of
    you might find this interesting or even amusing. I'll put a tip
    in the next reply.
    
    Ever think about the names we use today for bass. Most all of us know
    about Small and Large, some know about Spotted and Stripper and some
    even know about White and Hybrid. Was a time that there were more names
    for these that you would shake a stick at. 
 
    Even when I was a kid, there were Black bass and Green "trout." Some of
    other names from that time are even more of a stumper. There were Swago
    bass, and Tiger bass and in Ontario there were Achigan. Why even next
    store to me in Michigan there were Black perch. 

    Some other local names were Gold bass, Brown bass, and Redeye. I even
    fished for Redeye, thinking they were something special. Smallmouth
    were even called "little bass" probably because they didn't grow as big
    as largemouth. 

    The bass got its name (official that is) in the early 1800s. A French
    naturalist named Lacepede gave the large mouth its first scientific
    name. He had a specimen with a broken dorsal fin that had come from
    some southern river. He gave it the name Micropterus Salmoides. Keep in
    mind that southerns for years called largemouth bass, "green trout."
    So, the Frenchman had heard this and was influenced to name the black
    bass a trout, or salmon like fish with a narrow fin. 

    In 1926 an ichthyologist named Hubbs compounded the confusion. He
    removed the largemouth from the genus in which it and the smallmouth
    had long resided, and placed it in a new genus, Huro, separating it
    from its cousin the Smallmouth. The American Fisheries Society refused
    to recognize this change, so the largemouth still carries its inept
    scientific name from almost 200 years ago. 

    Today of course, we use the standard names, but there are still a few
    places that continue to call bass by the local name. One that I know
    hangs on is the Redeye in Kentucky. (Actually a species of largemouth) 

    New Yorkers use to call largemouth "Oswego bass" and some parts of the
    south called them "Slough bass" and "Moss bass" and "Lake bass." The
    difference between moss and lake was only where you caught them. This
    was in Florida where if you took the fish from shore weeds and such
    they were "moss bass" and if you caught them in the clear water of the
    lake, they were, of course, "lake bass." 

    Oh well, whats in a name. A bass by another name, catches as sweet.
    Couldn't resist....Forgive that please........:^) 

    Just to make sure we all in sync, the bass is member of the panfish
    family and it's largest one. Salmons and trout aside. 
    
    Tight lines, Ron

    Here is the tip I promised in my last note. It is from "THE" magazine and
    is titled Yo-Yo for Bass, by Paul G. Breitfeld 

    He wrote it much better than I could, so I just copied it. Without
    permission. But I don't think he'll mind to much.....;^)
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    

    If you're already accomplished at deep water jigging, you shouldn't
    have any problem feeling the 'non-sensation' of a bass inhaling a
    spinner bait as it drops toward the treetops 30 feet beneath the boat. 

    If not, then maybe you'd better not try yo-yoing for bass. (I don't
    agree, this is a great way to learn that 'non-sensation' and you need
    it for worm fishing and jig fishing at times too - Ron) 

    The technique is simple enough: you drop a spinnerbait straight down
    until it reaches whatever structure you think bass are holding on. Then
    you raise the rod tip with a quick, smooth motion, and the let the bail
    drop again. Repeat this action until the bass strikes - or rather,
    until you detect a strike. (this is not that much different than
    jigging, except for the rate of fall. Ice fishermen should know this
    one "cold" :^) 

    Best baits are heavy, 1/2 or 3/4 ounce, short arm spinnerbaits with
    single blades. An oversized Colorado, or Indian blade will slow the
    descent and the bait a throbbing, pulsating action. (I use at least a
    number 5 Colorado) Because the blade must spin freely as the bait
    falls, ball bearing swivels are imperative. 

    The big blade serves two purposes: it attracts bass through flash and
    vibration and it lets you know the blade is turning as the bait falls.
    (you can feel it) 

    When you don't feel that vibration, it's time to set the hook. 

    Winter or summer, yo-yoing is especially productive along steep, rock
    walls. Move the boat close to the bluff and jig the bait up and down
    over the out cropings and ledges. Let the spinner bait drop with only
    the lightest of tension on the line. When you feel it hit something
    solid, engage the reel and let the bait rest. 

    As the boat drifts, it will drag the bait across the rock, stirring up
    the algae and mud. Lift the rod 3 or 4 feet and it still for a second,
    and that will make the bait appear to be a frighten baitfish or
    crawfish. It's movement bass have a touch time resisting. 

    Use the technique on suspended bass, too. Locate a school and determine
    its depth with your depthfinder, and then mark the spot with a buoy.
    Circle upwind of the school and drift over it with using the trolling
    motor. Drop the spinnerbait to the proper depth, yo-yoing it in 4 to 6
    foot lifts when you're over the fish. 

    Suspended bass can be difficult to catch, so if a few drifts over the
    school fail to pay off, drop the bait about 10 feet below their level,
    crank it quickly to just above them, then stop and let it fall back
    down a couple of feet. They should hit on the drop. Repeat that one and
    other yo-yoing techniques until the fish turn on or you've determined
    that they won't cooperate. (this is excellent advice for jigging too) 

    In especially cold water where bass are lethargic, yo-yoing can speed
    things up. But whether you're using the above fishing methods or simply
    bouncing the bait along the bottom in deep holes, you've got to move
    the spinnerbait slowly, and only a couple of feet at a time. 

    When its extra cold (read New England here) and when weather fronts
    have made bass quit feeding, it will be extremely difficult to feel a
    bite. Bass under these conditions typically mouth the bait for a moment
    or two. If you feel anything peculiar about the way the bait is
    working, set the hook. 

    Although it's not well suited to spring and fall and other times bass
    are shallow and active, the yo-yo method can be productive in summer.
    When lakes are stratified and bass are hovering at the thermocline,
    where oxygen levels are high enough to satisfy their needs, work the
    short arm spinnerbait up and down at the proper depth. Since bass will
    be a bit more active then than during the winter, you can move the rod
    tip father and faster. 

    Yo-yoing, you will find, transforms the already versatile spinnerbait
    into a real fish-getter, under even the most difficult of deep water
    situations. 

    	I happened to be reading an article on bass and pH in the last
    issue of Bassin magazine. I'll try to recall from memory the
    highlights that seemed interesting.
    	
    	It was stated that the optimum pH for bass was between 7.4 and
    7.9. Since neutral pH is 7.0, and above that is considered alkaline, 
    then this seems to tie a few things together.
    
    	First of all, from what I heard, rain in this area tends to be
    acidic. This may be one of the factors affecting the bass, i.e. the
    rain may lower the pH to less than optimum.
    
    	Secondly, plants raise the pH. So this is another reason bass
    will tend to be around weedy area's. This is also one way temperature
    and sunlight tend to affect bass. If it's cold or hasn't been sunny
    for awhile, the plants don't grow (photosythesize). The article claims
    that this is what causes plants to raise the pH. The article also
    goes so far as to say the reason that bass aren't as active in winter
    has more to do with pH than temperature.          
    
    	Another interesting point about pH is the pH in regards to water
    depth. It only changes about 1/10 point per foot in the first 1-4
    feet of water. However, from 4 to 5 feet, the pH will change four
    to five tenths of a point. This is known as the pH breakline. It
    was claimed that bass will tend to stay in this range, especially
    during the spawning period. It also said that the bass will tend
    to be around area's of rock/gravel at spawning time that has the
    closest to optimum pH.             
    
    	One thing that seemed to contradict itself in the article was
    that it stated in summer, the ideal pH will be in the shallows in
    the morning, and tend to move deeper during the daytime. At night
    it returns to the shallows. In the fall, the reverse is supposed
    to happen. Maybe the plants raise the pH to high in the shallows
    causing the fish to run deeper ? The article didn't explain this
    thoroughly. Maybe Ron can answer that one.
                           
    	At any rate, you will need some way of determining pH in order
    to use some of this. It is not to suprising that the person who wrote
    the article had something to do will introducing pH meters for bass
    boats about 10 years ago.
                            
    RAYJ

    I don't know if I have the answer Ray, but in the fall the plants
    start to decay. Now that causes an abundance of oxygen to be released.
    It probably would combine with free elements to drive the ph up
    or down as the case maybe. The sunlight would of course, aid in
    the decay process. Now, if the decay is occuring at greater depths
    the fish seem to go there and hang on the edge.
    
    You're right about one thing, the fish will follow the ph before
    they follow the oxygen levels. They will "sit" in low oxygen water
    if the ph is right. You won't catch them, but they will be there.
        
    While the plants are growing they make oxygen at a fairly even rate
    durning the day, and that would attrach the fish, since the ph won't
    shift as badly as in the fall. 
    
    The entire process and relation between, ph, oxygen, temperature,
    and sunlight, the world of the fish, are still not completely
    understood. We only know they all have an effect on the fish. Oh.
    I forgot wind and current and pressure.....just to make it more
    confusing.
    
    Dr. Lorin Hill is doing a lot of research on this, and I still haven't
    read anything by him that ties it all together. Maybe we will never
    have all the answers. If we ever do, fishing might not be as much
    fun.......
    
    One other thing though. Every lake is different. I have fished in
    very alkaline water and very acidic water. The fish are there and
    they can adapt, just not overnight. Bass are very hardy...its trout
    and salmon that have the hardest time with ph changes, even over
    time. Cold water fish seem, in general to have a harder time of
    it, than warm water species when it comes to ph changes......
    
    Tight lines, Ron
    
    ps. there is somemore info in an earlier reply to this note on ph.

    Here is a tip that I just came across I had to enter. It is just
    to good to pass up.
    
    Wounded minnows are much more attractive to a bass than heathly
    ones. Easier to catch for one thing. Bearing this in mind, most
    of our crank baits immitate healthly minnows, or bait fish, so a
    bass might not be turned on by one. But if it saw a wounded bait fish
    it would attack. Okay, now how do we do this?
    
    Tie a shallow running crank bait on BACKWARDS. Fish it in a slow
    pattern, jerking or twitching it on the retieve. Tie your line to
    the trailing hook eye and for added effect, add a small string of
    read yarn to the middle (if a three hook) or the back hook (if a
    two hook bait). Wounded fish generally will have their intestines
    hanging out the (you know what) and that is what the red yarn will
    look like. The jerky backward motion seems like a fish that is trying
    to get away but can't. At least, thats how the bass will see it.
    
    This trick is over 50 yrs old................try it, you may be
    surprised by the results. Especially when nothing else is working.
    
    Tight lines, Ron (I_hereby_repeat_every_comment_I_made_last_YEAR_in
    			this_space_about_spring)
    			This space is now, offically for rent........

    I realize some of you folks frown upon the use of live bait, i.e.
    minnows, but here's a little tip I'll pass on.  If you use LARGE
    minnows, 6" and larger, often the little critter will swim off,
    stripping a lot of line off your reel, and usually headed for heavy
    cover like weeds or brush.  And this usually hangs you up.
    
    I will cut about half the tail off, being careful not to cut so
    much off that the minnow bleeds.  This will make it much harder
    for the minnow to swim off, but more importantly, he still tries
    to seek cover.  Having lost most of his tail, the minnow struggles
    all that much harder to swim, thus sending out crippled minnow
    vibrations.
    
    -Joe-

    
    re: 82.29
    
    
    yep, nice guy joe
    
    :')
    
    Garry
    

    re:29
    	
    	Is that before or after you take the little fillet off them :-)
                                                                 
    RAYJ

    Joe:  Tell us how you hook the live minnow on.  I usually hook them
    through the nostril from the top.  It doesn't seem to bother them.
    What do you do?
    
    
    Thanks in advance.
    --Chris

    RE: .29
    
    Joe, I found that tip in a Tap's Tips column last summer and tried
    it.  I forgot my clippers that day and had to bite the tails off. 
    I cleaned up on pickerel that day.  Taps explanation was that
    cutting the bottom half of the tail fin off caused the minnow to
    have to work his tail (what was left of it) twice as hard to remain
    horizontal.  The constant motion sends out a lot of vibrations that
    attract predator fish.  I now carry scissors in my tackle box. 
    It works just as well as my teeth but has less impact on my breath.
    ;-)
    
    Steve

    WHERE DO I HOOK THE MINNOW???
    
    IN THE PIECE OF THE TAIL I CUT OFF!
    
    
    No...actually it depends on the size of the minnow/shiner.  If it's
    a large shiner, I carefully slip the hook into the skin and back
    out on the side of the shiner up near the dorsal fin.  If it's smaller,
    I generally hook him thru the back, just in front of the dorsal being
    carefull not to go down so far as to break his backbone.
    
    -Joe-
    

    From the south, where I wish I was right now, the prescribed method
    to hook a shiner on is to run the hook UP through its mouth. Reasoning
    behind this is the hook will not hand up as bad as when it is below
    the fishs mouth and the bass hit fish from the front. Therefore
    the hook has a better chance to be in the basses mouth when you
    set the hook. Having it up also allows you more of a chance to hook
    the bass in the top part of the mouth. Here you have a slightly
    better chance of keeping it on, and less of a chance of hurting
    it.
    
    Tight lines, Ron

    Ron...
    
    I was always under the impression that a bass hit a shiner from
    the side first, then, when it was crippled and unable to escape,
    it would then swallow it head first.  I guess there's some merit
    to what you say about hooking it from the mouth although I can't
    say that I haven't been successful hooking from the back.  To each
    his own, I guess.
    
    One thing I will say though is that I have found that when a bass
    first grabs the shiner, it makes a run with it in its mouth and
    then stops to swallow it.  I've found that you need to let it make
    that run with the bail open (or free-spooling) without any resistance.
    Then, when it stops or slows down its run, take up the slack and
    haul back hard to set the hook.  I've found that if I don't wait
    long enough, I end up pulling the minnow out without setting the
    hook.
    
    -Joe-

    	Since there is so much talk in the equipment review note about
    line, I thought I'd pass on a couple of tips.
    	The first one was told to me by Tony Waitkevich and involves
    worm fishing. When you put a plastic worm on a hook, make sure that
    the part of the worm that has the hook in it is perfectly straight.
    If it isn't, this will cause a lot more twist in your line than
    you would normally get. This applies both to the Texas rig, and
    the weed guard type hooks.
    	The second is one that I heard on Mark Sosin's Salt Water Journal
    show but it applies to all types of fishing. If you have a fish
    that is taking out line, do not try to reel at the same time. Not
    only is this not doing the drag any good, it will also twist your
    line like you wouldn't believe.
	If using expensive lures and/or tournament fishing, retie the
    line to the lure after every fish after removing the first 6-8' of 
    line. 
    	As mentioned previously, NEVER throw excess line in the water. 
    Someone doing that caused me to eat a lower unit one day to the tune 
    of about $300. Fishing line can destroy the lower unit by wrapping 
    around the prop shaft and sucking right into the rubber seal which 
    seals the lower unit. Remember this next time someone trolls over 
    your line. You may have lost a lure and some line, but they may have 
    lost their lower unit.

    RAYJ
    
    P.S. Fishing line has supposedly been know to get tangled around
    and kill ducks. If you kill these poor helpless innocent little
    creatures with fishing line, that leaves less of them for me to
    blast during duck season :-)

    Hey Ray...do you practice catch 'n release while duck hunting???
    
    er...as Coonass says,  "blast 'n release"

From:	ANYWAY::WAITKEVICH   "The BASS Doctor" 12-MAR-1987 09:38
To:	TPLVAX::DODIER
Subj:	

Ray,

	I think this 'drawing' will help explain what part to keep straight.


     
		        /0
		       //|
		      // |
		     //	 |
------------->	    //	 |
		   //	 |
		  //	 |
		 //\	 |
		//  \___/

                                 

-tony

    
    
    
    Was that a picture of a "crane" or a Texas rigged worm???
    
    
    				Jim
    

    This is not a bass-specific tip but I didn't see the need to start
    a separate note.
    
    For a couple years I have used 35 milimeter film canisters to hold
    misc. small fishing items; swivels, hooks, sinkers, ice flies and
    the like that came in flimsy disposable packages, weren't consumed
    in one fishing trip and couldn't be found among the other clutter
    in my larger tackle boxes.  
    
    The problem with the Kodak cans is they are black and grey and you
    have to open them to see what's in them or (I'm too lazy) label
    them.  I recently discovered that Fotomat film comes in a transparent
    caninster.  Problem solved.
    
    Steve

    re .41:
    	Also, if you know someone who uses FUJI film, they use the clear
    canisters with a SCREW ON lid.  (Now all I need is a bigger belly
    boat to keep my tackle box afloat.)

Here's a tip from Doug Hannon for those of you who are concerned about line 
visibility, especially in clear water.

On one of Doug's videos, he demonstrated this simple, yet, amazing little 
tip.  After you spool your reel with new line, take a green magic marker 
(it's gotta be the indelible type, not water soluble) and draw 4-5 lines 
across the line.  As funny as it sounds, the green color interrupts the 
continuous visibility of the line to the point where it becomes totally
invisible.  He demonstrated this by doing it to one line, and then held it 
underwater next to several other so-called lo-vis lines.  You couldn't even 
see it!

-HSJ-

    re -1
    
    Joe, do you mean draw the lines of green after it is on the spool?
    ...or should you do it at intervals when in the process of spooling
    the line?
    I know you said "after"....but wouldn't that only account for the
    top layer of line on the spool?...or doesn't it matter because the
    fish doesn't see all the line in the water....just the line relatively
    close to bait/lure?

Draw your lines AFTER the line has been spooled.  If the magic marker is 
fresh, the green ink will soak down a number of layers and provide the 
mottled effect for quite a distance.  A simple but effective tip!

-Joe-

Joe,
	I saw the same video (Catching Big Bass), but I had to wonder what 
effect the chemicals in the marker had on the strength of my line?  Would
different lines react differently?  Maybe I'm just skeptical.  I agree though
the demo Hannon gave was impressive...

						Al

	I'd be a little skeptical also. The reason that the markers
    are indelible is that they etch into the surface of the material.
    Mono is probably pretty inert but some change to the surface will
    undoubtably occur. I blackened some dacron line once with a marker
    and I noticed that the line got stiffer. The material seemed to
    pucker up. I fished with the line with no problems but I discontinued
    using the process.  

    
    
    I just came from the tackle store in Hudson, Ma.
    
    They sell a line called "TC".  Made in Korea.
    
    It is red and clear (mono).  A six or so inch length is red and then
    the next 6 or so is clear.  It alledgedly has no memory and is "good"
    line.  I bought some 4# test and will report on monday.
    
    TBDW
    

re .48

	Remember when you tie TC that you ALWAYS tie your bait to the clear
section.  This is supposed to be an invisible leader or something (I saw the ad
for it on FISHING TEXAS or some other late night fishin' show)...  Let us know
how well it works...

				Al

    Y'all think the plastic worm is something!!!!  Try jigs rigged
    with plastic craworms, anytime during the year, they're the best
    thing a BASS (usually large) ever put his mouth on....
    crawfish  #1 food in the BASS food chain. Put one near a BASS and 
    they will hit it every time. These tidbits come to you compliments
    of the CHAMPIONMAN in Louisiana....

    re:-1
    
    	Does plastic craworm = platic crawfish ???
    
    	RAYJ

    Yeap, more or less.  One end of the spectrum would resemble a plastic
    worm with a split tail - where the other end would resemble an actual
    crawfish more closely.  Most of the new baits have a longer body segment 
    than many of the original plastic crawfish imitators, which gives them a 
    larger profile, and allows the pinchers to standup (and out) behind a jig.
    
    -donmac

     I hit a few tackle stores while I was in Texas, and was told that the
    craw worm was HOT !!! in Choke Canyon.
    
    --Jack

    The craw worm is a bass getter all over the South.  If y'all can
    find them the brand name BIGCLAW is a good one... 3/16 oz. jig
    use 3"  5/16 oz. and up use 4 or 6 inchers..
    TIDINGS from the south!!!  CHAMPIONMAN