Welcome to our forums!  Here you will find a rather robust message board system designed to give you the ease and flexibility of communicating with others at any time, as often as you wish!  And there are plenty of ways to communicate: Posting on the boards, Instant Messaging, E-mail, ICQ, AIM, YIM and more.  

So, with that said, dive in!  But please read the following Policies and FAQ's first. We have implemented the following policies for using our community forums. These policies are designed to strike a balance between the main goal of our forums, providing information, and keeping the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere of our community which has made our site so popular.

• DO NOT POST ADVERTISEMENTS OR PROMOTIONS FOR YOUR SITE, YOUR COMPANY, YOUR PRODUCT, OR TOURNAMENT! YOUR POST WILL BE DELETED AND YOU WILL BE BANNED!!
  Exceptions are made for bass clubs that are 1) Non-profit AND 2) local (no state, regional, or national "clubs") AND are 3) posting about their club or club activities for members (e.g. postings for "Open" tournaments and other large-scale tournaments are not allowed).
  
  Do not send an e-mail, PM, or post about it to challenge or question this rule. It is not open to debate.  
  
  If you are banned, you are not entitled to an explanation.  All decisions are final.
  
  
  Any posts deemed promotional are subject to this rule
  .
  
  For example.
  Don’t change your screen name to reflect your business.
  Don't make your avatar your company logo.
  Don't use promotional language in your personal text (beneath your avatar).
  Don't put your company's logo in your signature.
  Don’t put a link to your own website in your signature.
  Don't link to your own articles, podcasts, videos, etc, regardless of where they're hosted (exception given to personal videos and photos of fish catches, as well as posts in the Flea Market).
  Don't link to your own website.
  Don’t promote your company in posts.
  Don’t send PM’s to our other members promoting your company or asking them to promote your company. This will get back to us and we will send you packing.
  Don’t try to get around the spirit of this rule.
  
  Again, anything deemed promotional in nature is subject to scrutiny.  This is in response to the heavy spamming you see on other message boards.
  
  Our advertising prices are some of the lowest in the business. Even the newest company can afford them.
  
  In addition, we delete inflammatory, political, religious, derogatory, hateful and unsportsmanlike comments.  Anyone posting such comments is subject to banishment.
  
  
  TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT!!
    We set a higher standard of conduct for our members than other sites.  We expect you to treat others with respect.  We ban anyone who is disrespectful, disruptive, caustic, or is otherwise rude and confrontational.  We also reserve the right to ban anyone without warning or explanation.  
  
  This IS your warning.
  
  If you are banned, you are not entitled to an explanation.  You will not be allowed back. All decisions are final.

No religious or political posts, screennames, etc.  Please Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or for further information.

Before posting a question Please click Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or and try searching for your answer first.  You'll get your answer faster, or get enough information to formulate a more refined question.

How do I add pictures?
We have several tutorials to help you out:

• Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or
• Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or
• Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Also note anyone can easily resize images using this free website: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Why was my post deleted?
Before assuming your post was deleted, assume it was moved (even if you don't see a "moved" notice - we often remove those notices after moving a post).  So, please click around the different boards and look for your post.

If, after checking through the different forums and you're absolutely certain your post was deleted, it was removed for one of these reasons:

1. Please read through Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or , and then select the appropriate forum

before

  posting.

  Otherwise, your post will be moved and/or deleted

2.  We delete inflammatory, political, religious, derogatory, hateful and unsportsmanlike comments.  Anyone posting such comments is subject to banishment.  Political and religious comments in any form are prohibited.  Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or .

3.  We are absolutely against any form of illegal fishing, and will not allow any such threads or posts advocating such activity.

My username/password doesn't work!

I need help logging on!!

Please read this information here: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Why can't I use my Gmail/Yahoo!/Hotmail/etc account to register?

I need help logging on!!

You must use an email account that's not provided by a free service.

That moderator was WRONG!  Users may not argue a moderators decision publicly. Any and all complaints directed at a moderator must first address the moderator in question via PM. If the problem can not be resolved, then the moderator and user must send their positions to the forum admin. The forum admin will make or change any and/or all final decisions.

How do I set up alerts and e-mail notifications?
If you want to be notified of new posts, please go to  User CP >> Profile >> Options >> Confirm Password.  Then scroll down to "Post and Board Notifications:" and ensure that it says "yes" next to "Notify me of new Notifications by eMail?" If not, select "yes" and then click the "save changes" button at the bottom.

If you want to be notified of new PMs, Please go to  User CP >> Profile >> PM Preferences >> Confirm Password.  Then ensure that it says "yes" next to "Notify me of new PMs by eMail:" If not, select "yes" and then click the "save changes" button at the bottom.

How do I remove a hook a bass has swallowed?
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Who or What is The Bait Monkey?
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

How do I submit my article to this site?
We gladly accept article submissions from our readers. If you are interested, please review our Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or , which explains how to send us your article(s).

Can I post about my/our tournament?
Small bass clubs that are local AND non-profit may post tournament announcements and results in the Bass Club forum only.  Any other tournaments must be non-profit AND have the permission of the mods or Admin in order to post.  Exceptions can only be made by the admin.

Ack!  I can't figure out how to use this thing!
That's ok, don't worry.  Simply click the "Help" link at the top of the page (it's on every page).  There you will find a tutorial that will take you through the functions of using the forums.  Many of your questions can be quickly answered by reading the help pages.

How do I change my password/email/personal quote/ etc?
Click "User CP" at the top of the screen.  There, you will see everything about you - password, personal quote, email, etc. - all of which you can change/alter.  Just make the changes and click "Change Profile" at the bottom of the page to save your changes.  More detailed information can be found in the "Help" section.

Can Glenn send me, or change my password?
I'm sorry, I have no access to your password.  It's a security measure for your protection.  To learn how to retrieve your password, please see Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or .  Information on how to change your password is in the help section.

Why can't my username be the same as my display name?
Due to the increased security of the forums, your username and display name cannot be the same.  

If you were a member prior to the redesign, you were grandfathered in, meaning you do not have to change your display name UNLESS you change your profile or use the "forgot password" feature.

Please read the Help section for instructions on how to change your "Name" in your profile if you are asked to do so.

Why is the clock wrong?
The forum clock isn't wrong.  It's set for GMT time.  You will need to go into your profile and adjust the time for your timezone.  The "Help" section will tell you how to do this.

Why don't I see any images?  All I see are red X's
Please see this thread: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Why does it say "Message Board Newbie" under my name?
Those names are referring to the number of posts you've made on the forums.  It breaks down like this:
0-25 = Newbie
26-250 = Junior
250-500= Full
500-1000= Senior
over 1000 = Been posting for a long time

These are simply references for you to help identify how often a member posts messages.  They are NOT status symbols.  Frivolous posts designed to add to one's post count will be removed.

Are you going to use my e-mail address for anything?
Nope. Never.  Your e-mail address is strictly used for registration purposes.  You have the option to allow others to see your e-mail address...or not.  It's all in your control.  We will never sell or use your e-mail address for anything!

The main page is so long.  I hate all that scrolling.
By default, all the categories are "expanded" to show you what's inside.  To "collapse" a category, thus shortening the page length, just click on the Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or symbol.  To expand the category again, just click the Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or symbol.

I want to become a pro fisherman.  How do I start my career?
The following articles will get you started down the right path.  Follow the links at the bottom of each page for even more information.

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

How do I get sponsors?
Being a good tournament angler simply isn't enough. Good tournament anglers are a dime a dozen, and most sponsors receive dozens of resumes from them every week.  However, if you keep in mind the bass fishing industry is a business in need of salesmen, you'll go far.  Companies are not just looking for patch-wearing tournament anglers anymore-they are looking for consultants-anglers who can act as a liaison between customer and company.  Forget the resume and focus on getting their attention in other ways.  The following articles will tell you how:

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Can I promote my products or website?
These forums are commercial and spam free.  If you are a website or product owner, or run a tournament circuit and want to advertise on BassResource.com, please Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or .  We have a variety of options available for nearly every budget.  We appreciate your participation and advice on the message boards.  But please,

these forums are not the place to post advertisements or promotions.

 The avatar area is not free advertising space either.  Please do not post your logo, branding, etc. there.  It will be deleted and you will be banned.  

Please do not send an IM or e-mail to the admin or moderators to challenge these rules.  It is not open to debate.

That said, you may have noticed a promotion or two in the forums and wondered why they haven’t been deleted.  These are posts made by businesses who currently advertise on BassResource.com, or by writers who regularly contribute to BassResource.com.  In order to keep the forums clean of spam, we need to limit those who can post promotions in the forums. Limiting it to these cases accomplishes this. We feel they deserve the privilege since they are supporting this site.

Why does the site name I posted show up as "another site"?
First it has nothing to do with competition.  In most cases, it has something to do with the bullet point above - site owners not abiding by the rules of the forum.  In some cases, however, the site owner specifically requested that we do not link to their site.

How do I remove a hook from a gut-hooked bass?
Here's step-by-step instructions: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

I have a question about the Kicktail, Banjo Minnow, Doug Hannon Snake, Walking Worm lures, or the North American Fishing club
Do a Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or on the name.  There's plenty of posts about it, which will answer your question.

I have a dispute with 'company X'.  Can I post about it here?
While we can empathise with your frustration, the best course of action is deal directly with the company.  Escalate it up the ladder, file a grievance with PayPal or Ebay (if they were involved with the transaction).  File a mail fraud complaint with the post office.  There are other options, but attacking the company in a public forum is not appropriate nor allowed.  Such posts will be removed.

The "rules"
I should probably post "The Rules", but I'd rather believe people have enough integrity that they don't need "rules" to tell them what's right and what's wrong.  Suffice to say, flame wars, derogatory remarks and the like are not tolerated here.  Such posts are promptly removed.  If necessary, a warning will be given to the offender, and if it continues, he will be banned.

Ok, enough dribble.  Go forth and enjoy the forums!  But please remember - this is a family site.  Keep it clean please!  

If you're looking for the site FAQ's, Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or .