Sam

Never feed an alligator. As stated above, they will follow you around waiting for a goodie. The problem is that tourists or those out in a pleasure or pontoon boat will throw marshmallows or chicken to the gators so when the reptiles see you they think of a free meal. And as also stated above, gators can be fast, in the water and on land. Very powerful animals.

We are planning to leave Seven Springs around 3 PM on Tuesday, May 15. I will be there earlier and wait for Jesse to arrive. Not really practicing. Just getting the lay of the lake and doing some fun fishing. Want to show Jesse the lake and some of the places that may hold bass this Saturday. Will you be out there?

Got a shot or cortisone last week for an elbow injury. Hurt a lot. But it worked.

Still $20 launch fee at Hope Springs?

Been checked twice in Virginia. Once on the Chickahominy Lake and the second time at Sandy Creek. Both times the DGIF guys were great! After checking my license we discussed fishing and the local waters. Seems the Virginia conservation officers will not waste their time on bass boats unless they think you are drinking or see an unsafe activity. They do target jet skis as there are lots of owners and drivers that do not have their Safe Boating Certificate or they consume alcohol. With only 120 conservation officers in Virginia it is impossible to have a strong presence so in many locals the local police or sheriff departments help patrol the waters. P.S. In Virginia, don't drink or do stupid stuff at the mouth of the Appomattox where it meets the Historic James River. You will get caught.

Heck, the Lady Vols swept LSU this year. Four in a row. Softball is all about pitching. I don't find it exciting but it does fill in some of the time before football starts. As for football, the UT-West Virginia game should be a good one. Always pull for the SEC but with the West Virginia QB I don't think the Vols will win. Stay tuned.

No. Never. Release all of them.

Alright!!!!! Congrats on your catch and starting a new streak. Keep it going.

You know, just the other day a bunch of us were talking and asking when FishStickHunter was going to formally join the Forum. Glad you did!!!! Welcome. Looking forward to your posts and input.

Is the river tidal? You fish a tidal river different than a non-tidal river. And can you add your location to your avatar ? Let us know about the river. And most of all, welcome to the Forum. Thanks.

I can't believe it. After watching last night's news I have come to the conclusion that Big Foot is John Kerry. In my college debate class I made a strong argument as to why elephants in Africa need to use deodorants. Got an A, too!

Remember this for next week. Have a safe trip back to Richmond.

Go with medium or medium heavy 7 foot spinning rod. Go with 6 or 8 pound fluorocarbon line. Go with a 2000 or 2500 size spinning reel. Go have some fun!

X2. Osprey. Eagle. Other bird of prey. Looks like the bass was close to the surface and a bird of prey swooped down and missed, leaving a talon mark. It is interesting to see Osprey hunt. They circle above their target and then dive straight down into the water, usually bringing a fish with them as they fly away. Mother Nature seems to have it all figured out.

Big, if you want to have a fun weekend afternoon, take a lawn chair, your cooler, soft drinks and go to your local ramp, set up in a safe place, and watch what goes on. You are mixing pros who can launch their boat without a hitch while mixing in people who don't know how to back in their boat; walk their dog; load the boat with food, drinks, fishing rods, etc.; yell at family and friends; allow young kids to run the boat back into the ramp area after launching; block the ramp by tying the boat where people launch; seeing the boaters in the water waiting for an open slot to trailer their boat; all while others are in line waiting to launch their boats. And if you say anything to these individuals they get angry. In addition, if you want to take your life in your hands go to your local ramp at 4 AM one morning. Park your car and walk away and see if anyone looks at your car. We all get to the ramps before sunlight and launch in the dark. After putting the boat in the water you could get mugged walking back to the ramp after parking your boat and trailer. We don't think the perks are out there, watching for an easy target. And you are an easy target. Remember, a day on the water can be very tiring and you want to trailer your boat, go home, have something to drink, eat dinner, watch some TV and go to bed, with the understanding you will empty and clean your boat the next day at home. You are in no mood to put up with inconsiderate people at a ramp as all you want to do is go home. Sorry to say but it is fun watching the loonies and their boats at the ramps. Now go get that lawn chair, your cooler, some root beers, sun glasses, snacks, cap and hit the closest ramp for free vaudeville acts at the ramp. Believe me, it is funny. Check out boat launch failures. Here is a sample:

Big, we are sitting ducks for those who wish to do us harm or steal our equipment. Ramp encounters can go very bad and as you know, a small number of bass guys have been injured or killed at the ramp. Sometimes on the water you will have an encounter with an angry or frustrated boater who want to challenge you; disturb your fishing; or chase you away from a specific spot. And you never know their mental attitude and if they need mental health help. The weapon is for security. There is no reason to show it other than to let the threat know you have some powerful backup. In all my years fishing I have seen one altercation. Two guys got confused on the Nottoway River regarding the "No Wake Zone" signs, which pepper the river. Instead of slowing down in the "No Wake Zones" they went fast and in the areas that you could go faster they slowed down. They had it backwards. A friend yelled at them to slow down and the guys came back and challenged my friend who was fishing the bank in one of the "No Wake Zones." The two guys running the river were very angry about being told to slow down. At the ramp after the tournament, the two guys in the boat running fast through the "No Wake Zones" approached my friend and wanted to fight. My bass club guys all chimed in that the two guys were running the river backwards and the signs made using the river confusing. No fight, but the two guys never figured it out. They took their boat and left. To this day I doubt they understood they were confused, as many of us can get on the Nottoway River, and had the "No Wake Zones" backwards. So what would have happened if the rest of the club members were not there and it was my friend and these two angry men? My friend would have gotten beat up and the two guys could have damaged his boat and stolen some of his equipment. There are situations where having a weapon for self defense is to your advantage. You have to know the rules of engagement; be licensed to carry; have a concealed carry permit; and never point the weapon at anyone unless you are ready to use it. At this time, I have never encountered a situation where I needed the weapon. But if I do, at least I have an equalizer to help me avoid problems.

Keep 'em in original bags if not used. Put them in plastic freezer bags if used. No hooks or tackle of any type in bags. Just the Senkos. Also keep colors together in both bags. Keep in man cave in house.

Like that extra truck key.

Easier to cut the tree branches to retrieve a bait then to try to get the bait out of the trees or bushes, especially on rivers with their current. Knitting needles are for getting those horrible backlashes out of your baitcasters. Both old pro's secrets.

This is what I mean. We all have our rods, reels, baits and boating equipment that is designed for bass fishing. But what do you take with you on your boat or when bank fishing that was not invented for, not intended for, or not designed for bass fishing? As examples, I have the following on my boat: Needle Nose Pliers .38 Special First Aid Kit Tree Trimmer Shears Flares Tool Kit Glue Powerful 2000 Lumens Flashlight Binoculars Knitting Needles So what do you have that you use that was not designed for bass fishing?

You want the Senko to "fly like a bird" in the water so no weight, ever.

Old pro's trick: Look at the line test on the rod. Add the low and high end numbers together and divide by 2. This is the best line test for that rod. As for braid, look at the diameter and match it with the diameter of the flouro or mono to have a match.

You can pitch or flip any plastic you wish. I pitch and flip Senkos and have great results on rivers and lakes. I love to pitch and flip shaky heads and drop shots. And of course, don't forget the jig and pig. Great for pitching and flipping. I use either no weights or the lightest weights I can get away with.

Interesting week. I do insurance consulting for commercial and municipal risks. Just put a large property owner's property insurance program to bed after pitting two strong insurance agencies against each other. Premiums dropped from $6.6 million to $5 million and we were able to get $50 million of flood insurance in Houston. On the group health side of the ledger, a new group health insurance captive was introduced in Virginia. Looks good on the surface but captives can be a major financial problem. Keeping an eye on it. My wife had cataract surgery and a lens implanted in her left eye. She is doing well. My LSU baseball team lost another starter again (3 so far this year) and is losing games by one or two runs. They may not make the regionals. But it has been a fun season. Love college baseball. Cut my field for the first time this year and the Cub Cadet started without any problems. That was a first. Caught 20 LMB at my double secret pond but they were all small. Still looking for the large ladies that have lived in that pond for years. And to top it off the hurricane prognosticators have predicted this will be a "higher than usual" active year for Gulf and Atlantic storms. Just what we need.

Big Foot is a hoax. The people who started it have been on TV. Now, down in the Louisiana swamps we have the Rougaou which is like Big Foot, but it is for real. It is like a werewolf and eats nutria like candy and if you are not a good person, or like Toolame sports, it will come after you when you venture into the swamp. It loves purple and gold and doesn't bother the LSU people.