Mike G

Nice write up Jesse. There are a lot of things to consider, that's for sure. With all those choices it is interesting that in a BASS event most pros will have 6 rods all strung with 12# XT occasionally swapping out one for for a lighter 8# spinning rod or heavier 50# flipping rod adapted to specific local conditions. They stick with what they know works. (BTW if a pro has a sweet deal with a line Mfgr, he will be an exception to the above rule.) Dance with the one that brought you. In fishing this is where science meets religion. Lots of answers to the same question.

May the Great Bear give you strength.

Before I forget... Incorporating a section of this high vis mono into your leader gives you strike indicator without the addition of a "bobber" to the line. Yellow and orange fly lines can perform the same function. (Last summer on spinning gear, I began using fire green 8# Fireline with an 8# Flouro feader. Like fly fishing it gave me a line I could easily see with a leader to fool the fish. I wish I made the connection earlier.) BTW I suspect we miss some strikes that a float will detect. Fishing crappies a few days ago, I used a float part of the time. I noticed several instances when my float which normally was vertical suddenly tipped over on its side. I interpreted those as strikes and tightened the line on a fish. The fish had moved up after it took the bait. Without the float I would not have detected the bite. And even a bottom weighted float would have stayed upright giving no sign of a strike.

Thanks Jonn. That is a worth a lot more than the few seconds it takes to watch it.

Nice Fish. What is the Largemouth record for Shab.

Nice report.

I like mono on a baitcaster. Right now I use 12# Trilene XL because I have gotten so many free spools. I want to use them up. When I run out I will try 10# Big Game. On a Baitcaster Superlines seem to be more trouble for me though I use them when I want 30# or more breaking strength. Watch the diameters. For example 12# XL is .013 in. while 12 # XT (frequently the Pro's favorite) is .015 in. Big Game splits the difference at .014

Let's do the Bunny Swap. Da Da Da Da Da Da Dah Dah Dan...

Don't know. Heard there was a schlapen shortage.

It is a great event that promotes o sporting way to get rid of so called rough fish. It is also ironic to see the announcement on a site that promotes C&R so consistently even though that is only an apparent contradiction. Figure out how to explain that to an Aborigine. What makes a 2 pound bass worth more than a 20 pound Carp especially if you can't eat it? That is something I think about when I am out using a $$$ fly outfit and a $$ fly trying to catch bass that I could easily catch on live bait and a Zebco combo. It's a Jekyll and Hyde moment.

Nice work Rob. And thanks for reporting on your disappointment with superline for the loop. Lesser men would have done a coverup. Maybe it is too limp and does not hold a loop shape well enough. The null hypothesis is our friend even though what we tried did not work. Now I should report that In have tried single strand stainless wire and a couple of multistrand coated wires for that articulation loop. The solid wire does the job, but its stiffness makes it hard to work with. The multistrand coated SS wires like Surflon fishing wire and Beadalon beading wire are suspiciously similar. Both come in 7, 19, and 49 strand and the same diameters. They get more flexible and more expensive as the number of strands increase. I have used the extremes 7 and 49 strand. Both are like working with heavier mono. The wire is toothproof, however; so I prefer it over mono. The 7 is easy enough to work with, and the slightly extra stiffness may be an advantage in forming and holding the loop shape. I go the extra step of folding the ends of the loop wire back and tying it down since it will not show under a bulky body anyway.

The long winter gave me too much time to play on the computer. Thus I came across Kelly Galloup's videos on Youtube. Stay away. Very addictive. KG is like JB; only mature adults can handle it. #4 is still my favorite. It gives me an answer on where to locate the hook in the chain of segments. If you think you are ready for Woody's wisdom...

Sheephead AKA Drummer Boy known for taking well tied Bass Flies.

So a guy keeps a legal limit. C&R is a means to an end based on the fishery. Some lakes can sustain harvesting. Some even benefit from harvesting. Not knowing the details on the lake in question, I won't be picking up a stone. From the author's narration I get the sense that bass fishing is kind of a filler to have something to do before trout season opens. After the trout opener the bass probably get lonely. The fly is the point.

How's that for a creative title? In spite of the overworked language, you really "must read" about this "new and improved" version of a "cutting edge" fly. http://flyfoundry.com/wes-wadas-signature-flies/new-bass-fly-larrys-lizard-subsurface-pattern/ (My hidden agenda is to drive you away from reading this. I want the fly for myself.)

Did you ever notice dying fish struggling on their sides or belly up. If you were a fish and wanted an easy meal... When we get all bunched up about tuning baits to run true and upright, are we missing something?

Is there another Wheeling on the DuPage?

Phil, Thanks. That tape is 25 years old, but the Brewer slider jigs are still around. Fireline and Spiderwire were 5-10 away when this was made. It is a good review of a basic system.

A deplorable condition came to my attention recently. A Bugger (also an ISA officer) did not know how to tie Craig Reindeau's Hairy Fodder and did not know what a ringer was. Said officer has since submitted evidence of his proficiency in tying the Fodder but still has to add the ringer to his bag of tricks. (That is because I could not send him a link to how the ringer is tied on.) Since this is worth sharing anyway, I will put it here as a refresher for all. This video begins with Craig demonstrating method 1.0 for putting the Ringer on the hook. (See note.) Then you will see the Fodder Lite. You can order Ringers on Craig's new site. http://www.offthedeepedge.com/ Two notes: 1. A while back Steve R developed method 2.0 for mounting the Ringer. No cutting or needle is required. Poke the hook point through the Ringer and figure 8 it in place. (Be sure the point is centered on the band before pushing it through.) 2. Crawdad Craig's original instructions for tying the Fodder are still out there: http://www.warmfly.com/smf/index.php?topic=460.0 Enjoy!

If I read it correctly, the current (2013-2015) IL fishing booklet (p.6) says trot lines are generally legal. Site specific regulations may exclude an area. For example, on a site with a two pole limit, trot lines are not allowed. You are right that devices left unattended must be identified. As far as I can determine the number of hooks on a line is limited to 50 . (I suppose this is also the limit for dropper flies on a fly leader unless the site has a specific limit of 2 hooks per line.) Removing an unattended unidentified device would seem like the right thing to do. But if Wilbur has been fishin' the crick that way since he was five... Consider the risk.

Rob It is nice to see the fodder by our own Craig Riendeau. I like the thread color. Gretchen and Al Beatty developed "hot spot" flies a while back. The idea is to add a band of bright material to a traditional imitator as you did here. They even had research that showed certain colors produced better on specific rivers. For example, the Fox might be a red river while the Rock would be chartreuse. Make your fly fishing into an ISA science project.

I have still got mine.

http://www.intheriffle.com/fishing-videos/fly-tying/sbs-streamer/ Here's the video referred to on pilecast. It does a good job of telling the story. Right off the bat there is a negative lesson on what happens if you don't trim the butts of the fur first-trouble. It is lots easier to trim to length before it is tied down. After I got over that I enjoyed the rest. It seems to take a lot of fussing to get the head in shape. A tip of the hat to Dave for getting it on In the Rifle.

More thoughts for the measurement discussion. When you do your grip and grin, you can add a ruler. http://www.rapidmedia.com/kayak-fishing/categories/gear/item/2840-fresh-catch-hawgtape-t-shirt.html?utm_source=newsletter_265&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=video-devils-river-trip-exclusive-interview-tournament-masters-a-trophy-t-shirt-panama-city-classic-results-get-a-grip-sharkboy-attacks&utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email

The things we do for love... The speakers gave several beautiful testimonials to ISA during the seminar. Thanks to ISA, Paul catches more fish; Tim has learned an enormous amount; And Terry gets more job satisfaction. I would like to add my own testimonial. Thanks to ISA, I can tell this story: "I left home a little early to get to the seminar to help out with setup. Though it was raining steadily, radar indicated I could drive out of the rain since the first leg of my trip took me 10 miles due south. As I proceeded south the rain picked up. Then it changed to the steady click of hail which did not last long as the sound changed to clunks as the hail increased in diameter. I pulled off briefly to let it past. I thought it was letting up though maybe I was just getting used to the sound. I got back on the road and increased the windshield wiper speed to fast. As I approached the bridge at Pecatonica, I was engulfed in a whiteout of dime sized hail. It sounded like a steam shovel was dumping a full scoop on the car. After I managed to negotiate the bridge, I pulled off in Pecatonica and waited it out all the while wondering if State Farm would total my car because of excessive cost to repair dents. Could I drive a car with a finish that looked like a golf ball anyway? "Then it ended with about two inches of hail on the ground and street. I took these pictures in Pecatonica, IL at 9:55 AM, April 12, 2014. "No dents in the car, and all of this was melted when I came through on my way back after the seminar."