senile1

I've been a big Zara Spook man for years. Over the last year or so, I've started to try out other walk the dog lures, because I've had great success with the Spook. I guess I've kind of been stuck in the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" groove.

I disagree but then again, I am somewhat biased when it comes to Albert. Have you heard how Albert practices? I hear he is extremely intense with his concentration in batting practice. I think Albert would handle the pressure better than ARod. I guess we'll never know until he is in New York, which I hope never happens.

Good points from Catt and the others who have shown some understanding for this rule. If you work for an organization and they are the ones providing you with a paycheck, they are going to tell you what you have to do in exchange for that paycheck, within reason. It is that simple. Also, look at the NFL, Major League Baseball, etc. Athletes aren't allowed to bash referees and officials of the league. If you become a member of any organization you are subject to that organization's rules. If the rules are too big of an issue for you, then you leave that organization.

It has been stated many times on this forum before that the most important thing is location, location, location. Once you locate bass, based on the structure/cover they are relating to, the water temperature, the weather, and the seasonal pattern that should be in play, you narrow down your lure selection to the few that should work under those conditions. Of the lures that I narrow my selection down to I tend to start with the ones that will work best as search baits and then work down to the slower more subtle baits. I know these are general statements, but if you're fishing where the fish aren't you won't get any bites. And nboucher made a good point as well. When the water gets really cold, there are some days when getting one bite is an accomplishment.

Good story, RW. Those drum can pull pretty hard.

I like small Mom and Pop stores. I also realize that none of us would have the standard of living we now enjoy if small operations had not become big corporations. I realize that corporations like Wal Mart have some problems they need to address, but they also provide some benefits to society. If you look at the facts you can't paint big business with one broad stroke as either completely bad or good. They are both. Comparing BPS to Wal Mart is a big leap. Go to BPS.com and click on their store locations link. They have 35 - 40 stores now with 20 - 25 future stores planned. That's no Wal Mart.

I agree K_Mac. I think we often forget that Albert is still only 26 years old. He's just a pup and he's handling probably the most successful first six years of a baseball career in a mature fashion for the most part. Like any young person, he sometimes doesn't think before he speaks. Heck, I'm 46, and I often don't think before I speak.

Twelve to fourteen inch crappie are good solid fish where I come from. Around here, there are occasional seventeen and eighteen inch crappie and they usually weight more than 3 lbs. I haven't had the privilege of catching one of these monsters yet.

You are correct, nboucher. I may be wrong as well, but I believe they vote at the end of the regular season but before the playoffs begin. So they should know who made the playoffs. Even so, I don't necessarily agree that the MVP should always be on a playoff team. I just don't have a problem with someone expressing that idea.

. . . . . And I was thinking Raul was showing us an addition to his stuffed animal collection.

What channel carries this show?

I've read this a number of times also, especially about the big lunkers. I've also read some posts on this forum where tagged bass were found many miles from the tagging location. I know smallmouths in a lake will move further distances, but it was always my understanding that largemouths didn't move great distances. There are some very knowledgeable people on this forum who will be able to give you examples of both territoriality and traveling bass. BTW, welcome to the BassResource.com forum, stumpanic!!

I've read others, but regarding involvement, this is it for me. There isn't enough time in the day to be involved in more. When would I fish? When would I play guitar? When would I take care of things around the house? When would I spend time with my kids? When would I pleasure the wife? Uh hum, pardon me.

Pujols has had a couple of situations where he would have been better off saying nothing. But he only makes one statement here and it echoes the sentiments of many sportwriters and pundits: "I see it this way: Someone who doesn't take his team to the playoffs doesn't deserve to win the MVP." I know people will look at him as a sore loser because of this statement. That was my first impression as well, but the more I thought about it the more I realize that I have heard this statement from many others. Pujols just needs to think about how his comments will be perceived before he speaks.

If you have opted out and if you can't block the emails, create a rule that will send all emails from BPS to your junk or deleted folder.

This is a good subject and one that I don't have a definite answer for. I know there are records in my state, and the adjacent state, Kansas, that were achieved fishing a farm pond. I'm sure numerous other states have records that were caught on farm ponds as well. I've just never thought about whether this is fair or not. And what about the poor angler who can't afford a boat to fish the larger public waters. Maybe they wouldn't be able to fish much at all if it wasn't for the proverbial pond. It could be argued that the angler with a boat which allows them to access all waters has an advantage over the poorer angler. There are so many different ways to look at what is fair and what isn't. Sometimes it's just best to leave well enough alone. Fishbear, although I understand your point about whitetail deer, they are still able to roam onto surrounding land and aren't limited to the land where the owner creates a habitat that is conducive to growth, which isn't quite as exclusive as a farm pond. I still see where that landowner would have some advantage as you stated.

It sounds like you're getting hit with a strong cold front, so your bass are going to be holding tight to cover and structure. You'll need accurate placement of your lure near these things, and you'll probably need to fish slower. Smaller baits may be necessary as well. As already stated, you're going to need a good topo map and good electronics.

I've heard this about Clemens as well, but that may only help prove the point. The way I understand steroids is that they actually help your muscles recover faster after a workout, allowing you to workout harder and more often. This would also explain why so many relief pitchers have been busted using steroids. A relief pitcher may pitch 3 nights in a row and needs to recover fast. When Jason Grimsley was busted by the feds with HGH, it's been reported that one of the people he named was Clemens. HGH is undetectable using current methods, so we'll probably never know. A better question is can we use HGH on bass? Maybe dump it in your favorite farm pond and see what happens. That might help even out the playing field with those California guys and their trout fed monsters. I agree with DMB. A good rule of thumb for gains in muscle mass, using a split bodybuilding workout, 6 days a week, without steroids is 10 lbs maximum per year. The human body is genetically incapable of surpassing this by much. (Of course you have to eat like a horse to do this and some guys will gain more but part of their gain is fat, not muscle mass.) I have my doubts that baseball players can stick with the 6 day a week regimen during a 162 game season, which is all the more reason to suspect some of these guys are using steroids. Bonds was gaining 18 - 20 lbs a year and went from around 180 to 230 in just two or three years. I have never seen a bodybuilder gain that much working out constantly, doing it the natural way. Many professional bodybuilders using steriods have done this, though. So, check out the weight gains that Clemens made and how many years it took and you should be able to get a good idea of whether he was on the juice or not.

Great jokes, Muddy_Man and Paparock!

I appreciate everyone's comments in this thread. I've always released my fish and I've never had a replica or a skin mount. As Rolo stated, early reproductions were easily identified as hoaxes which is why I've never had one. Over the years, I haven't really kept up with the status of creating replicas but it sounds like it might be worth getting one from a reputable taxidermist.

Roland Martin plugs anything and everything on his shows. So I would take that with lots of grains of salt. He is a walking talking billboard for sponsorships now a days. To the point that it makes his shows hard to watch. Amen to that. We could start another thread about this.

Hawgin, I own a 683c, medium-heavy action with a fast tip. I love it. I have it paired with a Shimano Citica 200d. At the moment, it's my most sensitive rod and I think it compares well with more expensive rods. I've included a quote I made in a previous post regarding this rod.

There are a lot of good and wise comments here. I think anyone who has to spend much time apart from loved ones, or who is experiencing death or disease in the family will experience some melancholy during the holidays. Otherwise, they wouldn't be human. To me, happiness doesn't mean I will never experience depressing times. It means I will accept what the situation is, and I'll find something in that situation to be positive about. I don't really go into details about my personal life on this forum, but I have some life situations which create depressing times also. I have to admit that I experience some sadness around the holidays as well. But I wouldn't say that I'm an unhappy person. So to all, I hope you find something during this holiday season that will give you comfort and peace inside, despite what your situation may be.

The same can be said for Barry Bonds. He had all of the tools just like Willie Mays: power with the bat, hitting for average, speed on the base paths, a great glove, and a great arm. But being a great all-around player wasn't enough. Home runs garnered all of the attention and that's what Bonds wanted. Thirty to forty home runs a year wasn't enough.

That panda was too busy stuffing its face.