Over many years of fishing, I have had numerous people ask me about some of my fishin' methods. Here is a list of some of those questions along with their answers. If at any time you would like to know more or you would like to entertain a discussion about a particular method, feel free to E-MAIL CHUCK.

QUESTION: WHAT IS THE #1 SUGGESTION YOU CAN SHARE WITH ME THAT WILL GREATLY ENHANCE MY CHANCES OF CATCHING A BIG FISH?

ANSWER: Wear polarized sunglasses. I spend an enormous amount of time on the lake or on the local ponds and it is amazing how people walk right by a big fish and never see it. Polarized glasses allow you to see further into the water and to see movement that a person would not normally see. You can pick up a pair at Wal-Mart for about $10.

QUESTION: WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO FISH?

ANSWER: My dad. Since I was four-years-old, he always took the time to take me out fishing in the ocean off Southern California and, every once in a while, we fished Irvine Lake. Dad had me tying my own knots by the age of four. I am so thankful for the time and effort he gave me with this gift called fishin'. It kept me out of trouble in my later years. Ever since he caught his 24-pounder back in March of 1997, Paul Duclos has been a fishin' mentor for me. He has been exemplary in teaching and coaching me on big fish - Paul got me to think "outside the box", from the small fish "box" - to the big one!

QUESTION: WHAT IS THE BEST METHOD I CAN USE TO HELP A SMALL CHILD CATCH A FISH?

ANSWER: The good news is, all you really need is a simple pole, with a simple method of operation. The bad news is that I see many dads complicating this. They buy too much at the fishing store and take too much gear.

This is ALL you need:

• A very basic pole
• A few small hooks
• A few live nightcrawlers
• A pair of needlenose pliers
• A 1/16 ounce split-shot weight
• A pair of fingernail clippers

At your local sporting goods store, this is about a $25.00 investment.

For a basic pole, a Zebco rod and reel is all you need. A spin-cast is the best type of reel to get a small child started (they are so cheap, if you break one, throw it away and buy a new one). For small hooks, find the smallest gold-colored treble hook you can find, usually manufactured by Eagle Claw. Take a night crawler and cut off the ever so smallest piece and attach it to the hook, preferably over all three hooks. This method is a killer for catching bluegill or perch of all sizes. If you find that the bluegill are deeper and you need to add some weight, add a small split shot about 18-inches above the hook and that will allow you to go into deeper water.

Once in the water, watch the line right at the place where it goes into the water. If a bluegill is on or hitting the small piece of worm, the line will start moving; even, in some cases, dancing. Then, set the hook with a gentle pull. That's really all it takes and this one method will pull in a lot of fish.

The needle-nose pliers are for extracting the hook out of the bluegill's mouth. Most of the time, especially if you are new to catching bluegill, that hook is going to be down in the bluegill's throat. The needle-nose pliers will allow you to get that hook out without causing permanent damage to the fish.

The key here is the size of the worm you put on the hook. Again, make the piece the very SMALLEST (EXAMPLE: 1/4"?) you can possibly put on the treble hook. Most people place too big of a piece of worm on a big hook. When this happens, the bluegill just tap the worm and never take the hook. Remember, release what you don't keep or use.

QUESTION: BESIDES THIS EQUIPMENT, WHAT ELSE SHOULD I CARRY WITH ME?

ANSWER: You should always carry the following:

• a scale (to weigh the fish)
• a tape measure (to measure the length and girth)
• a pen and paper (to record the information)
• a camera (to take your picture holding that big fish)

I also recommend that if you are going to be serious about catching fish, start with an organized plan of storing your photos.

QUESTION: I HAVE BEEN TOLD YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME AT FISHIN' PONDS - WHY?

ANSWER: This is one of the ways that keeps me on the water at least 150 days per year. Going to the lake requires time, such as hooking up the boat and trailering it to the lake which, for the most part, encompasses two hours. So, on those days that I am short on time, local ponds are the next best bet. And, yes, there are big fish in some of my local ponds. Most people will look at a pond and say "nah, there's nothin' in there." You don't know until you work the pond and dial it in.

QUESTION: WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE POND BAITS?

ANSWER:

• Gitzits - rubber tube baits that imitate a crawfish
• Buzzbaits - topwater baits that creates reactionary strikes
• Live bait - bluegill, waterdogs, goldfish, baby carp & crawfish.

QUESTION: IS COLOR OF CLOTHING A BIG PART OF FISHIN' FOR YOU?

ANSWER: Yes, especially during the spawning season and when I am working the ponds. Once you start using your glasses, walk the banks of local ponds. You will be amazed at what you see. By wearing shirts that blend with the sky or the natural surroundings of the lake or pond, you fit into the landscape. This one critical item is KEY, it gives you an advantage, and quite possibly, a few more seconds before the fish sees you.

QUESTION: WHEN FISHIN' AT THE LAKE, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO UTILIZE "STEATH"?

ANSWER: This secret or "sneaky" action is only important if you want to "bang" big fish. Any noise or movement not natural to the bass will send up its defense shields. There's a reason why big bass grow to be big, and it's usually because they sense danger and take appropriate action. Now, here are some examples of what to do:

Chuck's Top 10 Stealth Pointers

• Shut off the big engine 30-feet to 50-feet from your spot and use the trolling motor the rest of the way in
  
• Gently place the anchor in the water and release it slowly
  
• When closing compartments, close them gently so they will not make noise
  
• Be respectful of other people's water
  
• Drop marker buoy's quietly in the water
  
• Use a "quiet" trolling motor. I use a Minn Kota autopilot and it's very "stealthy"
  
• When dumping the trolling motor into the water, be quiet. Don't just release it in and splash it.
  
• Be patient at each spot. Running and gunning is not the proven way to catch "big" fish. Sometimes I might work a spot for two hours before I get a "hit."
  
• Be aware of boat traffic. I have two spots on Ray Roberts where (unfortunately) there is a huge amount of boat traffic. I know this slows down the process of catching big fish so I try to pick areas that are out of the way of fellow boaters.
  
• Keep the radio off and turn off the sonar when you have arrived at a location. The vibration of the radio speakers will echo through the water and the sonar "clicks." Yes, I have heard that sonar doesn't make any difference to the fish, yet I know that when mine is tuned off there is no question about it -- there is a difference.

QUESTION: WHAT KIND OF POLE, REEL, AND LINE DO YOU USE?

ANSWER: First off, let me share with you that 95-percent of my time on the water, I am "hunting" for a big fish. So, my main equipment requirements are very different than most.

• G. Loomis 8-foot HSR1025C Salmon Rod
  
• Shimano Calais Reel
  
• 12-pound Triple Fish Mono

A salmon rod you ask? Again, when hunting big fish, you need "hook setting power" behind your equipment. Many people are amazed when I tell them I usually use 12-pound test, yet I make up for the "power" difference in my pole and reel. The Shimano Calais Reel is the ticket. With 11 ball-bearings, it has the "umph" to put you in control with those larger fish. Couple the Loomis Rod with the Shimano Reel and you have a combination that keeps you in the driver's seat versus the fish driving you. Even in heavy brush or trees, I still use the 12-pound test most of the time.

In May of 2001, I banged a 9.1-pound bass at Lake Ray Roberts. Not a huge feat, yet what most people don't know is that the fish was hooked about 35 yards from the boat. The 8-foot Loomis rod gives me the long "cast" and, more importantly, allows me to have a more powerful "hook set"- even far away from the boat. A standard five-foot bass rod has no hook-setting "power" even at 20 yards.

QUESTION: HOW OFTEN DO YOU USE LIVE BAIT?

ANSWER: Not as often as you think. Many fishermen ridicule and oppose people who use "live bait." On a yearly average, I use live bait about 50% of the time.

My favorite, all-time, live bait are waterdogs, followed by bluegill, baby carp, goldfish, and crawfish. Know this, there have been times, especially recently, where artificials out-fished live bait. One year on my home water, which is Lake Ray Roberts, the water level went down 20 feet because of drought conditions. The following spring, we had a two-week period where the lake level rose about 20 feet. It threw everything out of whack. Consistent patterns over the years now completely failed. It was wild.

Now here is the interesting thing: I could not get a "bite" on live bait if my life depended on it, even on fish that I had a visual on. They wouldn't bite; waterdog, huge goldfish, crawdads - it didn't matter, no live bait would work. I would "adapt," change to a fluke, carolina rigged fry, or even a buzzbait and they would bite that. Both Paul Duclos and Paul Crupi told me, "If you had the choice between a rubber steak and a real steak, which would you eat?" Well, of course, I said the "real" steak. Well, after what I saw at Lake Ray Roberts during the aforementioned time-period, that is not necessarily true for me anymore.

QUESTION: WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR LIVE BAIT?

ANSWER: I catch my own bluegills both at my pond and at the lake. For goldfish, baby carp, waterdogs, and crawfish, I give my business to Gary over at Fisherman's Supply which is located off I-30, the Bobtown exit, in Garland near Lake Ray Hubbard. Gary's number is: 1-972-226-1616.

QUESTION: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE METHOD OF FISHING?

ANSWER: No question about it, that would be carolina riggin'. I utilize this method about 80% of my time on the lake, and I even use it with live bait and big plugs. One of my out-of-the-box methods is to carolina rig a Castaic Trout or an A.C. Plug, even at depths of 20-feet plus. Many times, when using a big plug with a carolina rig, I will use a four-ounce weight to keep the big plug down. I always use a longer leader if I am carolina riggin' a big plug. Try this...carolina rig a live bluegill and watch out!!!!!

QUESTION: DO YOU EVER DRIFT?

ANSWER: Yes, often. I have certain areas on my home lake that I have "established" drift patterns. In fact, one of them is a mile drift that ranges from seven-feet at the lowest depth to 25-feet at the deepest part. Yes, there is structure and, yes, there are trees. Yet, I know the exact areas to be in so I don't get hung up or lose an expensive plug.

Recently, I took Charlie, a friend of mine, to the lake and put him on this technique. His lifetime background in bass fishin' was to always fish from zero-feet to seven-feet and nothing more. I took him to deeper water and put him on a "drift." Now, just imagine his cussing and yelling at me, things like, "I can't believe I'm doing this," to "Trolling a worm? My friends would laugh at me if they ever saw this," to "I'm so far away from the bank!" to "This is never going to work!" As you can guess, the story ends with him catching the biggest bass of his life, which was a six-pounder, off a ledge from 10-feet to 12-feet, on a drift. My friend Charlie has never questioned me again.

QUESTION: DO YOU FISH SHALLOW WATER?

ANSWER: Rarely, and when I do it's usually with a buzzbait at first light or at day's end when the sun is heading down. Recently, I was on a very popular main lake point at Ray Roberts. I was out in 20+ feet. Looking back towards the shallow water, I counted 19 boats, all of them positioned in the three-foot to seven-foot area. Very few were catching anything and those who did, caught very small fish. Now, that ought to tell you something.

QUESTION: DO YOU SPEND MOST OF YOUR FISHIN' TIME IN DEEP WATER?

ANSWER: Before I answer that, let's define deep water. Most "small box" fishermen think that anything past a seven-foot depth is deep. Yet, think about deep water this way: take your boat, be it 16-foot, 18-foot, or 20-foot, and imagine in your mind that you are sticking your boat vertically down into the water. One entire boat length is not very deep, is it? Now, my answer to the question is, yes, I do spend most of my time in deep water. Remember, larger bass feel more safe in that deep water, plus they have ready-made escape routes wherever they may venture. Big fish get big because they avoid danger. Nineteen boats on a main lake point in shallow water would be titled "dangerous" by any big bass.

QUESTION: WHAT TYPE OF SONAR AND GPS DO YOU USE?

ANSWER: I use a Lowrance XT-15 gps/sonar. I believe that this is one of the finest combination units available on the market today. From getting a very clear picture of what the bottom looks like to using the GPS to mark exact spots, including marking spots where you are throwing marker buoys, this is the very best unit on the market today.

QUESTION: WHEN YOU GO TO THE FISHIN' STORE, WHAT AREA DO YOU CHECK OUT FIRST?

ANSWER: The first place I head off to is the salt water section. Again, big baits = big fish. Most of the time, you will not find big baits in the regular bass fishin' aisles. When I am in the salt water section, I look for plugs that resemble trout, bluegill, and even bass. Yes, bass. You'd be surprised how many "unique" baits that you will find in that salt water area. Who ever said you couldn't get creative? And who ever said you couldn't ever use salt water plugs for freshwater bass?

QUESTION: DO YOU EVER GET DISCOURAGED WHEN YOU'RE NOT CATCHING FISH?

ANSWER: Get discouraged? You bet...and often. I spend many days on the lake where I don't put a fish in the boat. Yet, when your purpose of why you are on the lake is so clear, then the discouragement becomes just part of the process. It's part of fishin', I know it and I deal with it.

I remember a few years back when I phoned Bob Crupi (over 100 10-pound+ bass in the I.G.F.A. 10-Pound Plus Club and 2nd Biggest Bass in the world). It was late at night and Bob took about two hours out of his schedule to speak with me. One of the biggest gifts he gave me was sharing all the times he had fished on Lake Castaic and never caught anything. He said most people would have given up and went to another spot. Yet, he looked upon each trip without a fish as a learning experience. As time went on, he still continues to have days where he doesn't bang a big fish, yet those days are now few and far between. When Bob caught his #2 Bass in the world, he caught it on a small crawdad that he sat on his cast for over an hour, without moving his pole or line, before the big bass hit it. Talk about patience... patience will help us get through the discouragement, patience will help us catch BIG fish. So here is a suggestion...take 500 mg. of patience before every fishin' trip.

QUESTION: WHO IS IN THE BEST POSITION TO BREAK THE LONG-STANDING WORLD'S RECORD BASS AND WHY?

ANSWER: That's easy, Mike Long of Poway, CA. I have been watching Mike for over three years. He has developed a consistent record of catching bass in the 14-pound to 18-pound range. He has many Southern California lakes "dialed in." His "dialing in" was evident in May, 2001, when Mike caught, certified, & released a bass just over 20 pounds.

Mike not only has "out-of-the-box" knowledge, he is in Southern California which has an aggressive trout stocking program in their lakes. Bass that grow to epic sizes are "freaks of nature" because they gorge on trout. It would be like me living in a bakery, can you imagine what I'd look like after gorging on chocolate chip cookies for 8-10 years straight?

QUESTION: HAVE YOU DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP WITH MIKE?

ANSWER: Yes. After hearing of Mike's incredible 20-pound catch, I sent him a message of congratulations. Since then we have e-mailed back and forth and I look forward to making a new friend and just maybe learning some more "out-of-the-box" techniques.

Bauer's Best Bets:

• Study the BIG fish pros, build a relationship and friendship with them.
  
• Use top quality equipment.
  
• Use "ready, aim, fire", instead of "ready, fire, then aim."
  
• Double anchor your boat and dye your anchor rope.
  
• Always apply stealth principles.
  
• Always use scent.
  
• Use color line such as "Triple Fish"; or, if the water you are fishin in is clear, use a green colored line. If the water is green, use a blue colored line.
  
• Always check your line, especially above your knot. Retie often.
  
• Use sharp hooks -- always double hook-set big fish.
  
• Utilize natural presentations; if it's not natural, try not to use it. Is a bobber natural?
  
• Be patient, go slow.
  
• Release every bass, if not every fish.
  
• Be "Focused" and "In Zone."