Hillbilly_Hooker

Rooster, You might also check the following website for the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation of TX... I'm sure someone there can put you in touch with a local club. I know there site narrows it down by region, which should help. www.texas-bass.com Regards, Hillbilly

L-Train, On the TX side, check out the following website. It's for the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation of TX and I'm sure there are some contacts there that can put you in touch with a local club. TX is probably one of the most active Federations in the country and have done a lot to improve bassing in TX. www.texas-bass.com Let me know if I can be of further assistance, Hillbilly

Gameover, I'd have to go with one of the 'T's... Tennessee or Texas. I live in western Virginia, about an hour from the TN border, so I've done lots of traveling in TN. Great fishing there, great scenery and great people. You have 4 distinct seasons and the Great Smoky Mountains in the east, if you care for mountains. The company that I work for is located in TX, so I've done some traveling there and have lots of friends there. Again, great fishing and great people. The 'Hill Country' is beautiful and you also have the ocean (Gulf of Mexico) nearby if you prefer that. I'll always have a place in VA, but when retirement beckons, I'll either have a 2nd home in Florida or Texas... most likely in TX. Regards, Hillbilly

I'll agree with The Duke, I can't imagine that BASS is broke. I'm a state officer for the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation of Virginia and, given the planning that we're doing for next year, there is NO way I would believe that BASS is going anywhere. As The Duke wrote, BASS was the first and I believe it will be around long after the others are gone. Hillbilly

Patrick, I'm not sure why this post is showing up again with no responses. I did send you a PM with a contact name and number there in Lynchburg. If, for some reason, you didn't receive it, let me know by posting again under this topic. Regards, Hillbilly

Sam, PM me with the details you are looking for. Our club holds several charity tournaments every year. I'll see what I can do to help you. Regards, Hillbilly

Parrothead, Sent you a PM.

J, If nothing else, talk to your local tackle/bait shops and inquire about which companies have sales reps that call on them. Once you have that information, you can contact the companies directly to inquire about possible openings they might have. Also, you can do an internet search for tackle manufacturers, tackle distributors, etc. to learn of other companies. I have been a sales rep in another facet of the outdoor recreation industry for nearly 6 years now. Prior to that, I had 15 years sales experience in another industry plus a Bachelor's Degree. Having prior sales experience, any sales experience,will certainly help. You might even consider working in a local tackle/bait shop to gain some experience and learn more about the industry while you're gaining the experience. Hope this helps, Hillbilly

After cleaning your livewell, please allow it to airdry for a day or two, if possible, before returning to the water. Doing so should kill any remaining nuisance 'hitchhikers' that may have hitched a ride in your boat. If you'd like more information, please visit this website: http://www.protectyourwaters.net/hitchhikers Thanks, Hillbilly

Antknee, Check with Bob Patrick, I think he's the President of the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation of NC. His number is 828-459-1119 and his email is: bobpatrick34@charter.net He should be able to point you in the direction of a club in the Raleigh area. Good luck and good fishing, Hillbilly

Bass Repellent, I just sent you a PM with the info. Let me know if you need anything else. Hillbilly

OBX, I presently live in the western part of Virginia but lived in C'ville for 11 years, up until 2 years ago. I think there is a club there in Albemarle Co. and possibly a 2nd one nearby. I'm trying to get details and contact info. for you on both clubs. As soon as I have that, I'll send it to you in a PM. I'm hoping to have the info by this afternoon or Thursday. Regards, Hillbilly

I'm a fish junkie...er, a junker. I'll throw everything until something starts catching fish! Hillbilly

CHS and BrushPile, I've located a club for you in the Lake Norman area. The name of the club is Balls Creek Bassmasters, named after an area of Lake Norman. Balls Creek is B.A.S.S. affiliated and is one of the oldest clubs in NC. I'll PM each of you with the contact information. Regards, Hillbilly

Hunter, Check out the website: region4bass.com This is the B.A.S.S. region that covers the area that you live in and we also have a very active Youth Tournament Program. If you'd like more information, feel free to PM me. Hillbilly

Short list here.. VA NC WV TN And soon (hopefully) to add SC and FL. Hillbilly

HunterG, I live in Wytheville and, yes, there are several clubs around the area. PM me for more info. Hillbilly

Me for one. I've been a B.A.S.S. member for a couple of years now. I like the magazine and I also fish my region's BASS Federation Nation tournaments, in addition to my local club tournaments. I couldn't be happier

Jeff, My club does something similar to what you suggested. but our tournaments are not draw tournies. We're paired with the same boater/non-boater for the season. For each of the local club tournaments, the weights are combined for each team to determine the winners for that specific event. Individual weights are also recorded, though, to determine participants for regional and state tournaments, etc. I think it's a fair system. I'm also fishing the BFL this year, which are draw tournaments. The weights are not combined, which I appreciate. As new as I am to the sport, I like the fact that I won't handicap my boater partner if I don't perform well. Hillbilly

I only have one FF on my boat. It's mounted on a swivel mount just in front of the windshield. When I'm using the big motor, I have it turned toward me to locate structure, etc. When I get where I'm going, I can swivel it around so that I can see it from the front casting seat. It works for me... Hillbilly

I wear the vest style. The upper part of mine is mesh, which makes it only slightly more tolerable in hot weather. As soon as the wallet can afford, I'll be switching to the suspender type. Hillbilly

Al, I'd definately join if a family club existed in my area. I would love to get my wife more involved in fishing and my 6 year old grandson has already become my favorite fishing partner. Hillbilly

I have a 16' fiberglass bass boat (Bass Tracker) and my V-6 Chevy S-10 pickup pulls it just fine. I've had it on everything from backroads to the interstate and I've yet to have any problems.

Basspro and Fivebass, I've already posted this in the "New Forums" post by Glenn, but my Confederate ancestors have to be turning over in their graves about now! LOL Merry Christmas to all, Hillbilly

Avid, I certainly understand that we each have different personalities, strengths, weaknesses, etc. However, if you're afforded the opportunity to teach another, even an adult, you may consider the circumstances prior to making a decision. I certainly am not pitying myself, but my parents divorced when I was young. My father wasn't 'on the scene' much after that to teach me anything, and my older brother was at the age that he didn't want his little brother tagging along on his fishing trips. Consequently, I've had to teach myself much of what very little I know about fishing. Most of my experience has been with trout fishing and I've only recently discovered the thrills of bass fishing. I've also always had too little income or too many expenses to hire a guide to teach me anything. In short, because it's so hard, particularly as an adult, to find anyone willing to pass along their knowledge and expertise, I would have welcomed the opportunity to learn from another experienced fisherman. In fact, I still would. Books and magazines help, and this forum has been a spectacular find, but none will replace what I could've learned from someone else 'on the water.'