VolFan

Looking at the fins I would guarantee you that that is a recently stocked rainbow. They're fun; you should release them into lemon pepper and/or hot grease. There's not going to be a comeback or a viable, sustainable population there. It's solely a put and take fishery for 'bows.

I meant to get it in up there but they have been flagging what should be legal hits, seemingly because they were so violent. I don't remember who the Stiller was that got another flag and then fine, but the second one was totally fine. But there are a LOT of guys (James Harrison and Ray Lewis included) that lead with that crown.

They're trying to keep those millionaires you pay to watch on the field and healthy, even past their playing. It has become practice for guys to hit with the top of their head to the head of the other guy, especially when we're talking about receivers. That's just not OK, and it's not the way the greatest hitter of all time, Ronnie Lott, did it. You still get the great hits when you lead with the shoulder and "see what you hit". The tackling lately has been going to crap, both in the NFL and in college, with people going for the highlight hit versus a sure tackle. You're the type of fan that watches Nascar for the crashes.

If running hills is fun, you're doing it wrong.

and in less comfortable areas...

Just more life experience

As with most of the time, Franco is right on. XL is great line, especially for the price. Mono is good on ultralights, because the stretch gives you some extra cushion with the usually tiny hooks. XL is like a 30-06; it may not be the best, but it does everything well, it's dependable, it's cheap, and you can find it anywhere that sells line.

You sound like you're on the right track. If you see bait breaking, don;t be afraid to try topwater (spooks/chuggers). I love inline spinners (roostertails) in smaller sizes early in the season and gradually larger as teh season progresses. Look for current, and fish breaks in the current. I like to start with a fast steady retrieve and adjust up or down from there. Jerkbaits, both soft and hard, are usually worth at least some small fish.

If a .410 is what you have, it's what you have. Interesting thing that Micro brought up that most people don't realize: At in-home distances (20 ft or less, and 20 ft is a big room or loooong hallway), it doesn't really much matter what comes out of a shotgun, that patterns going to be somewhere between a softball and volleyball at 20 ft, unless you use some sort of spreading load. So some 7's or 4's make about the same hole as most buckshot. The smaller shot is less likely to carry/kill through walls or windows and across the street however. Just something to think about. PS - The other thing about a shotgun: if you've ever been on the wrong end of one being fired in your direction without hearing protection, that in itself will stall you.

Yep, what BirdDog said. I've had one since I was 8 (I'm 33), and never cleaned it until I was 22ish. It worked flawlessly. Lots of rabbits and squirrels from that gun, and countless aluminum cans.

Bama's running game is going to split your D like a watermelon at a picnic. Go Vols.

No, it doesn't make you less of a fisherman. To address the sensitivity issue: it would depend on what the fish does with the bait or how she takes it. Think of braid as a wound cotton rope and flouro as surgical or plastic tubing. A move of the bait towards you, the structure/density of the tubing flouro and you will feel the bite better than the cotton rope, where the weave cushions the feel of something moving towards you. With a fish moving away or to the side, the low stretch of the rope/braid well have you feeling the bite better. Stiffer flouros actually should be more sensitive than less stiff, pending memory issues. With bottom-contact baits, many times the fish just sucks the bait up off the bottom, moving it incrementally towards the fisherman; these are the bites that make the argument for flouro. In the end, I like braid, sometimes with a leader, because that's what works for me and that's what counts.

I would do one of the Cabelas. The XMLTi is a fantastic rod, and the Mag Touch is no slouch for $100, even better on sale.

IBTL!!!

I want to get several baits painted this winter. Any suggestions on who would I contact to get this done? MOstly jerkbaits and square bills. Thanks for the help.

What it sounds like to me right now is that you don't want to do the essay... Write it, and ask either your english teacher at school or one of the good writers in your class to proof it, then fix it, and repeat. There's no reason you wouldn't get into any of the schools you stated with a 30 ACT and a 2.8 GPA. If your parents are willing to throw down, take it; you'll have your chance to repay them later in life. Sack up and put some effort in now and you'll be much happier out the other end. And you won't have to watch JSU play Delta State, you can watch the Tigers play the Vols. All that said, there is NOTHING wrong with going to a community college to get your base course work out of the way. My first two years at UTK were fun, but I could've gotten that coursework most anywhere. And college Calc is no joke; I had to take Engineering Calc for my BCMB degree; it took me a few weeks before I realized how much work I had.

It should ball them up, dunno if it'll be cold enough to shock/kill some of them. Water's so muddy right now on P-mac near me that they bass would have to work to find the schools.

I caught a 40+ lb blue on a spinnerbait a few springs ago. The Potomac catfish seem more inclined to take lures than others I've come across.

Salomon XA Pro 3D GTX. Not cheap, but wholly waterproof, great grip, and you can do anything in them from run to work to fish. And they last forever. I have three pairs right now of varying age up to 7 years. The grip is the only thing that eventually wears out on them.

Smallies were even picking up before the cold snap, so I'd think this'll really get them going. Stripers are in and busting too. It's a good time to fish.

Canned or fresh corn makes great carp bait. With doughballs, buy cheap white bread or hotdog buns, and squeeze it tight with just a little water on it. You kind of form the doughball to the hook. If you do it right, the sunnies have a hard time pecking away at it. A treble works better for this. You can also wrap thread semitightly around the doughball several times to help keep it on the hook. But I'd go with corn, especially if you're using a #6 hook. You could catch some sunnies and cut them up for catfish bait too. Then you'd need that 4/0 hook.

Nice job! Great fish!

The only problem, as you just found out, is once the hook is through the plastic and the bass's mouth, there's nothing keeping it from hanging cover as you try to get the fish out. Jigs with weedguards mitigate this somewhat...however, I like pitching plastics. I'm more accurate and I can change colors/baits easily. The hang-up has never been that big of a problem as long as you keep them coming to you until you get them out of the cover.

Board Run or Broad Run?

It'll come back. Just be glad everyone is ok.