A-Jay

Yup - but when I'm purposely bouncing a bait off logs & stumps looking for a reaction bite, I don't expect the bait to "stay tuned" for long - Just stay together. A-Jay

And the SK baits are less the $6. A-Jay

WAY TO GO ! What a TOAD ! Man you have been tearing them up. You may want to consider entering that beauty in The Tennessee Angler Recognition Program ~ http://www.tn.gov/twra/fish/tarp/tarp.html Congrats ! A-Jay

I think that was Aaron's wife... she definitely didn't look happy. Can you blame her - we are talking about $500,000 ! That's some big coin . . . . . A-Jay

Capitalism at it's best ! Admit it Dwight - you put an order in didn't you . . . . . A-Jay

Sam, Thanks you're correct. I had posted the wrong link - I just fixed it. A-Jay

Strike King® Kevin VanDam Rattling Square Bill Crankbaits KVD just identified this as the bait (3/8 oz) he used to win. Get them while supplies last . . . . A-Jay http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10209675_100005001_100000000_100005000?cmCat=CROSSSELL_THUMBNAIL

We'll hear more about this after it appears of TV next week. Voice is just about gone now. :-? A-Jay

And if he continues to scream like that - his voice will be GONE well before the event is over. Not very professional. :-? A-Jay

Yup - a low fat hug. A-Jay

I'm trying to like the guy and I realize that the Classic is not exactly the way to ease into it, but it's the final weigh in and he keeps jacking things up ! He seems more of a distraction than a compliment. A-Jay

you've got that right. A-Jay

Been following several updates and one them said he was throwing a Charteuse SK Pro Model Spinnerbait and a 1.5 and 2.5 crankbait. Of course this is heresay at this point. What ever it turns out to be - once word gets out, they will be FLYING off the shelves in whole sale fashion. A-Jay

I would like to say, that darn Ground Hog must be smoking something good . . . . > A-Jay SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD MUCH OF NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN THROUGH THE EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT. A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO POTENTIALLY HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED THIS EVENING AND EARLY TONIGHT. STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW THAT FALLS.

Nice job guys ! btw, your Honey Hole does not appear to be at Full Pool. A-Jay

This post from Bassmaster Classic live blog today might shed some light on the subject : A-Jay Last year at the Kentucky Lake Elite Series event, we put a small test camera on KVD's chest to see what we might be able to come up with in terms of a new look. The test didn't create the things that television producers want to see. But as an angler I watched it mesmerized. The whole shot was nothing more than KVD's hands reeling the crankbait he was throwing all day. I say "reeling" in loose terms. KVD doesn't reel anything. He works it all the way back by twisting and turning his wrists like he's fighting a controller on an X-Box. Fascinating stuff to look at, even though without seeing the crankbait at the same time you have no idea why he does it and what the bait is doing. Earlier in the day, Overstreet and Russow mentioned some of that in a blog. KVD obviously does something different. He's in the middle of the best anglers in the country and was able to distance himself once again. I remember Rick Clunn used to talk about visualizing yourself as if you were the crankbait banging off the logs and tearing through grass. I thought at the time he was crazy. KVD, though, undoubtedly has something like that going on in his head and he transfers movement to those baits in ways that can't be seen by anything but those green fish. Unless you really pay attention to him while he's in a boat, you can't see what he's doing. He'll probably kill me for even bringing it up. But when you sit here in this little war room for four days, you have to start thinking about the things that set him apart. Usually you can just say he's better at finding them. But everyone found them, everyone was in his back pocket and he was still able to produce in ways that were simply awe-inspiring. One of these days the book "The Real Secrets of KVD" will be a best-seller. But he's obviously not giving anything up until at least AARP starts calling. -- Steve Bowman

Looks like KVD ~ Again. Yup - it's official A-Jay

There is NO chance I can come close to answering that one. Additionally, I'm betting there are 49 other Classic contenders asking themselves the very same thing, again. But what I do know and really like a lot, is that he's doing it with rods, reels, lures and line that, for the most part, the average Bass fishing Joe can afford. As for that Nitro he runs, I don't see myself in one of those anytime soon. A-Jay

Here we go. . . . Remitz's cameraman Brian Mason just confirmed that his big fish was a 10-pounder. That gives him close to 25 pounds. Ridiculous. And the final day plot thickens. A-Jay

Bud, you do have one very bad case of Bait Monkey-itus ! Sounds like it could be critical. You may want to consider seeking professional help. Bad news is some say there's no cure. I've heard that a decent first step to recovery is to cut holes for eyes and put a BPS bag over your head for 2 weeks . . . . A-Jay

Nice fish Big O ~ You are killing me ! You and the 8'4" "push pole" rod are a Hot Stick ! I'm getting 8-12 " of snow tonight - I have to seriously consider a winter home in your area. . . A-Jay

I would if it were legal . . . . . :'( A-Jay

The live weigh in was so-so. I'm holding my vote on the new emcee but his first day was nothing to write home about. After the weigh in concluded BASS held a Q and A session. The top 5 angler's sat up front panel style and took turns answering questions from the press. It was a little sappy. Despite the auspicious 1st day coverage, that tournament itself is setting up to be a good one. :-/ A-Jay

Flipping small timber on 25 fluoro hybrid, 1/2 oz tungsten with weight stop (bobber stop) in 14 ft of water... They were on the edge of the drops in creek channels in front of spawning flats Big O www.ragetail.com Wow, you really have it down. Mind if I ask what rod/reel you were using? Fat-G, The Rod I built myself from 2 rods... An old Quantum Handle and a 7' Lumas heavy action Blank put together to make it 8'4" overall length. The reel is either a KVD or a Shimano Curado... don't remember which is on it right now but I like'em both. Big O www.ragetail.com 8' 4" - Man, you're not messing around ! So does that stick double as a push pole ? A-Jay

Right on. I switched to the sled head like mid season last year and was instantly impressed with the results. I'll be picking up a few packs of the split tail baits to try myself. Thanks A-Jay