Sam

You do what soccer players do when they warm up. You make sure no one is opposite you. You kneel down on both knees and put your tackle bag in front of you, but a tad away. You then start fumbling with your baits like you are looking for something. And you hope no one sees you.

In a bass tournament on the Chickahominy River adjacent to Williamsburg, Virginia, earlier this month, a flounder was caught way up by the dam and my friend caught a large croaker in a creek. Saltwater sneaks up the Historic James River and into the Chick when we do not get rain, allowing saltwater species to invade the Historic James and Chick. When fishing the Rappahannock River, we warn everyone in our tournaments not to keep the saltwater fish as the DG&IF will be watching you and if you do not have a Virginia saltwater license you will get a ticket. We catch speckled trout and croakers on our bass baits on the Rapp. Same for the Potomac. Saltwater fish are all over the Potomac River below the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

Fantastic!!!!! Congrats.

Once upon a time on Facebook or TV I saw an adjustable Reese hitch that moved up, down and sideways. You could get your vehicle close to the trailer hitch and then move the Reese hitch to help load the trailer onto the ball. Does anyone out there remember this product or has one? If so, could you tell me how to contact the company to buy one? Thanks.

I have prescription polarized Costa's with a special tint combination that the Costa people suggested. Prior to using these prescription glasses I used the Cocoons attached to my regular glasses. I like the Costa's and can see great with them but I cannot say definitely that they are better than the Cocoons.

Billy Cannon, a legendary Heisman Trophy winner at LSU who would later become an all-star in the American Football League, has died at the age of 80. (May 20, 2018) Cannon is best remembered for his career at LSU, where he led the Fighting Tigers to the national championship in 1958 and won the Heisman Trophy in 1959. His all-around contributions to the team were almost impossible for fans of today’s brand of football to comprehend: He was the team’s top runner, receiver, defensive back, punter, kicker, punt returner and kickoff returner. On Halloween night in 1959, with LSU trailing 3-0, Cannon returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown to give the Fighting Tigers a 7-3 lead in the fourth quarter. He then made the game-saving tackle on defense at the 1-yard line to preserve the victory. RIP, Billy.

New, it is called "Planned Obsolescence." Started in the auto industry back in the 50's and has been expanded to all industries, even the food industry. "New and Improved" has a federal government FDA definition for food items. Not much change is necessary to use the term so it is thrown around by the manufacturers. This is also done when the amount in the package is reduced so consumers will not notice the shrinkage. Fishing industry companies always want something that is "New or Improved" to hook us. Change the color of the reel; put holes in the handles and reduce the weight by a 100th of an ounce; add stronger brakes; add a bearing for no real reason; make a manufacturing change to your favorite line formula, no matter how small with no impact; add scent to plastics; or do something or introduce a new model, type, or color to get us to take the bait. Check out the past ICAST web pages for the new items being introduced each year. Do we really need them? Of course not. But the Bait Monkey is hungry and we want to feed him. We want to have that new reel and take it home and play with it. We want to take that new crankbait out of the box and feel it. We want to expand our terminal tackle with a new profile weight. In other words, we become our prey and we take the bait!!!! No go to your favorite tackle shop and buy something!!!!!

Great idea. But no, I have no experience with bait shops other than what the owners have told me over the years. I do know the following: 1. You need someone to open by 5 AM for the fishermen. 2. You need central station alarms for security and to monitor the live minnow tanks. 3. You will need a computerized cash register that can help take inventory as purchases are made. 4. You will need three to four retired guys or young men to help stock the shelves, help with patrons, and cover for you when you are not in the store. 5. Your hours will be from 5 AM to 7 or 8 PM, all week days, and on weekends and holidays. 6. The monetary investment can be in the $100,000's of dollars so you need to try to keep your furniture and fixtures and improvements and betterments under $50,000. Speak with a banker on what type of loan you can get, etc. 7. Don't cut back on your property-casualty insurance. Cover your real and personal property, stock and other pure risk exposures for 100% of their replacement cost via a Business Owners Policy with a $1,000,000 CGL limit and hired and non-owned car coverage. Have all loss of business income on an "Actual Loss Sustained" basis. Add an Umbrella Liability contract and you will have the protection you need. 8. Set up a separate "tax" account at your bank so you will have the funds to pay taxes when they are due. 9. Interview a few CPA's to handle payroll and your state and federal taxes. 10. Decide what level of fishing supplies you will sell. From G. Loomis down to Ugly Sticks and Shimano down to Zebco. Know your customers and what they will need to be successful. BD, these ten items are for starters. As you move along you will add to the list. If possible, can you work for a local tackle shop to see what they do and obtain the names and phone numbers of the manufacturer's reps? You will learn what you like and don't like while taking notes for future contacts. Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.

I use braid for topwaters, with the exception of frogs. Frogs drive me nuts. So I use 8 pound fluorocarbon for frogs on a baitcaster and that seems to do the trick. Otherwise, braid is fine with topwaters. Just make sure you don't "pull the bait" out of the fish's mouth since there is not stretch.

Shaky Head presentation.

Pink or white Zoom trick worm, Texas rigged, no or a 1/16 ounce weight, worked weightless on the surface or just below the surface. Maybe a wake bait presentation would have worked. A swimming Senko. A swim jig. A white or pearl fluke. You need something to get through the weeds.

RT, I may be off base but pitching and flipping are finesse techniques that have been adopted as the basis for punching though grass and pads. Your reel ratio and braid test look good. Your rod, being a heavy, is proper. But the above is not for the "standard" pitching and flipping setup where we use either a medium or medium heavy rod, a "6 to" spinning reel or "7 to" ratio baitcaster reel and braid line with or without a fluorocarbon leader. And with your setup you need a strong, thick hook for your bait. You do not need a strong, thick hook when flipping and pitching. You need a "punch shot" rig to get through and below the grass and pads with the rod strength you are using. In fact, your rod is great for punching through the grass and throwing deep diving crankbaits but I would not use if for everyday flipping and pitching. As the guys above have penned, if you continue to use this rig you need to be on top of your target and not make long casts. Setting hooks with long casts, especially in heavy grass, is difficult and the odds that the bass will shake the hook free are in the bass' favor. So if you want to continue to use this baitcasting setup try to hit your target area closer to the boat. Good luck and let us know if popping through the grass in front of you works better with your hookup ratio. And one more thing, if you want to cut through the grass and pads consider a Grass Goat for your trolling motor.

In my humble opinion, if you put any slack in your line when setting the hook either on the first or second try, the bass could throw the bait, especially treble hook baits.

When I feel like it for tournaments, I make a secret concoction to use for scent and taste that Dr. Keith Jones of Pure Fishing research department told me to use. It is yucky but it seems to work.

Do you think the Tennessee Department of Game and Fisheries could help you with finding a body of water with pads? If you want, give them a call and try to speak with a biologist who knows the waters in your area. They would love to speak with you as hardly anyone every calls them. While in the NCAA Softball tournament, the Vols are still alive. In baseball, Missouri lucked out. Sorry.

Keep looking for pads. They are all over the place. Good luck.

BANK FISHING Fantastic fishing in the rain. Lightning can hit 5 miles out from the storm. BOAT FISHING Fantastic fishing in the rain. Lighting can hit 5 miles out from the storm. SUMMARY Fish in the rain for as long as you can and have a blast. Once you hear the thunder, no matter how far away, get out of there, fast. For some unknown reason standing in or around water holding a rod in your hand and pointing it at the sky during a thunderstorm may not be that smart.

Great win over Missouri last night and if the Vols win today they can go to Hoover. Don't recall how the Lady Vols did in the softball tournament but would expect them to have won. Enjoy the games.

Tennessee, once we found them and figured out the patterns (there were two) we did great and had a good time. Jesse missed a few as they were not aggressive. I had two hits that I did not realize were hits until I reeled in and saw my bait was gone. This big lady was hiding in the pads and I thought I had a snag when the line started to move to my right. And I mean she was in the pads. Not on the perimeter but in the pads. We had only two hours and we found the bass and the patterns in some of the nastiest water I have ever seen. The water was close to black. My white spinnerbait disappeared at 18-inches. Our club tournament on Lake Chesdin was postponed as River Road to the ramp is closed due to flooding. Oh well, we will jut have to do it again.

Nitty, I totally understand your frustration. I believe in returning all large ladies back into the pond. They form the basis for future populations. In my humble opinion, if you want to eat seafood go to a grocery store or seafood outlet and purchase what the sea has to offer. I believe if you do this you will create these advantages: 1. Allow the big bass to continue to procreate. 2. Not poison yourself with the chemical runoffs from the fertilizers and cow droppings. 3. Catch her again! But this is my philosophy and others will not agree. If anyone wants to harvest the bass they need to take the smaller ones to allow the larger ones to have more forage.

Jesse and I found them on Lake Chesdin on Tuesday. Jesse nailed three beauties, about 1.5 to 2.0 pounds each. I landed the lady below and another solid 2.5 male. We were looking forward to fishing our club tournament today but River Road heading to the ramp is close due to high water. Oh well, that's fishing.

EG, one of the secrets to successful buzzbait fishing is to have your rod, reel and bait "balanced" so when the buzzbait hits the water you can start your retrieve without any backlash worries. You should be able to start the retrieve when the buzzbait hits the water or right before the buzzbait hits the water. Here is a fast overview on how to "balance your baits" on your baitcasters: 1. Read line test and bait weight parameters on your rod to make sure you are within the proper limits. 2. Rig up your reel with your favorite mono or fluorocarbon line of the test strength you want within the rod's parameters. 3. Add the buzzbait so you are ready to cast. 4. Tighten your drag and spool tension knob on the baitcaster. 4. Point rod tip to 11 o'clock and release the spool, allowing the bait to fall to the floor. 5. Never do this on carpet!!! 6. Using your drag and spool tension knob, you want to adjust the spool tension as the buzzbait drops to the floor so that the bait will fall to the ground/floor and the spool will stop when the buzzbait hits the ground/floor. 7. You can loosen the spool some if you wish. 8. Make a number of casts to make sure the spool does not continue to spin when the buzzbait hits the ground or water causing a backlash. After you set up the rod, reel and buzzbait you can cast all day without any backlash problems. And you can start your retrieve as soon or a second before the bait hits the water. You will look like the pros when they throw a buzzbait. You can use this balancing method for all baitcaster baits, adjusting your set ups while on the water. Don't thank me. Thank the pros for this tip as I learned it at an old Bassmasters University seminar. And I forgot the pro who told us about this method. I think it may have been Ike or Jimmy Houston. Not sure. One more pro tip. If you can find a lawn and tractor shop go to them and tell them you want to buy a foot or two of the plastic yellow fuel line. Take a buzzbait and spinnerbait with you so you can put the end of the plastic line over the tip of the buzzbait/spinerbait where you tie your line. Make sure the fuel line is open enough to fit over the end of your buzzbait/spinnerbait where you tie your line. Take the fuel line home and cut it into small pieces, about a 1/8 inch each. Then, slip the small cut tube over the end of the buzzbait's "nose" where you would tie your line, leaving space between the end of the metal and the tubing. Take the end of your line from the rod and tie on a snap. Then, take the snap, open it, run it through the area between the end of the bait and the plastic fuel line, and snap it into place on the buzzbait in front of the fuel line. This method allows you to change baits fast and easily and it does not interfere with the buzzbait's and spinnerbait's performance. This is a pro's trick I learned at the old Bassmaster University. And once again, I forgot who told us about this. Just watch the size of the fuel line. It comes in a number of sizes so this is why you need to take your buzzbaits and spinnerbaits with you to find the best size line. Makes changing baits fast and easy. I cut a lot of 1/8 inch sections from my yellow plastic fuel lines and have them in a small round "pill type" container so they will be easy to find while fishing. And you can set them up on all of the buzzbaits and spinnerbaits you plan to use before you hit the water so they will be ready for action. Good luck and consider Cavitrons as your next buzzbait purchase. They are excellent buzzbaits.

There is a guy out there by the name of Roland Martin who wrote a book, Roland Martin's 101 Bass-Catching Secrets, that lists the nine behavioral reasons why a bass will strike your bait. Here they are, in no specific order: Feeding Reflex Action Anger Protective Instinct Curiosity Competition Territorial Instinct Killer Instinct Ignorance I think I catch most of my bass via the Ignorance behavior method!!!!

Thank you for letting us know. Prayers sent for Bluebasser86 and his family. Glad the young man was sent to a medical facility that can handle the problem. Please keep us posted. And if it is not in violation of the Forum, we could all send get well cards if we have the address.

www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-an-army-surplus-m1911-pistol-sale-2018-5 Finally, you guys can consider obtaining one of the M1911 pistols. Just thought I would let you know. You are welcome.