Sam

Check out Hopewell, Virginia and the Appomattox River. Water moccasins are in this area. Some people in the Richmond area claim the mocs have made it up the Historic James River into the greater Richmond area, but I have never met anyone who has actually encountered a moccasin in the Capitol of the Confederacy. I have seen mocs in the Appomattox River between Hopewell and Petersburg. It was a big fat one and we chased him into the tall grass with the bass boat.

Kind of a cool way to take a casket to the cemetery. A funeral procession pulled into Pressley Cemetery. Several car loads of family members followed a black truck towing a boat with a coffin in it. A passer-by remarked, "That guy must have been a very avid fisherman." "Oh, he still is," remarked one of the mourners. “As a matter of fact, he's headed off to the lake as soon as we bury his wife."

Dink, get a copy of the 2013 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia booklet from Game and Inland Fisheries at your favorite tackle shop. Places to fish in your area will be listed.

Please make a price check on this web site: http://www.americanlegacyfishing.com/

Photo of Quilt of Valor my wife created. Will be big enough for a king sized bed.

New, I have not been on the Chick this year but yes, I have heard from others that they are catching some of the big ones.

Bo, get a copy of the VDG&IF free booklet, Freshwater Fishing in Virginia, for places to fish in your area. You should be able to obtain a copy at the BPS in Hampton.

Fishman, welcome to the Forum. Always glad to have another Virginia guy with us. Head over the hole in the water to the BPS in Hampton and get a copy of the free VDG&IF Freshwater Fishing in Virginia booklet. It has a lot of information and places to fish in the greater Tidewater area. You may find it at a Dick's, too. In the meantime, check out Mount Trashmore park and walk around the big pond. Good luck.

Mickey, welcome to the Forum. May I suggest you use the "search" feature and then read, read and read. Then ask your questions. We love to provide valuable information and opinions on every aspect of bass fishing. In the meantime, how about adding your physical location to your avatar? This will help us provide better information that we can laser based on your location and where you fish. Before you go out and start to spend money on equipment and baits, ask us. You will receive a lot of helpful input and hopefully save some money. Good luck.

Boss, you know what this means? The Bait Monkey is having a nervous breakdown!

First time I have read a thread about muskrats. Mass, have you called your state's department of fish and game and asked them for some input? I am sure one of the biologists would love to speak with you about muskrats. And maybe about the pond, too. Keep us posted on what happens at the pond as the summer progresses. Thanks for posting.

Many guys fish for "retreads" by weigh-in sites. After the weigh-in, bass can move as far as 5+ miles from the release point or stay in the area. Since every bass is different they do as they feel what is best for them, based on the structure, current and habitat, meaning all of those bass will do different things looking for a new home. A study was conducted on a lake a few years ago where released bass were tagged. What was impressive was the finding that some of the bass tried to swim back to their original home, where they were caught, over 10 miles away. Other bass just moved a shorter distance from the release point. When a bass is caught in it's original habitat (next to or near a fallen tree, brush pile, rocks, grass, etc.) another bass will take its place. This is why we have our "secret honey holes" that we know should hold a bass, or a number of bass. The habitat is excellent for bass and it will support another little green monster when their is an opening. Since bass can't read books, magazines or watch TV shows and videos on bass behavior, they do what comes naturally, swim until they find another home after being released. Your goal is to find them, by the ramp or up and down the bank where the weigh-ins take place. Good luck.

Interesting thread. Here is my input: I have a friend who is an outstanding bass fisherman who uses all low end products, from his Wal-Mart throw away reels to the cheapest rods. If one breaks he throws them away and gets another. Another friend is hooked on Steetz. Steez rods and reels. Nothing else will do. He is also an excellent bass fisherman. I think we are all in-between these two guys with our buying practices. I have G. Loomis rods that are great but I still love the old BPS Extreme rods. I am into Shimano reels with a few other brands such as Lew's. Personally, I don't care what brands or how much you paid for your tackle. Only confidence in it is what counts. And the bass have no idea if you are using a Zebco or a Steez.

Could be the spawn. Read about the spawn and note how spawning bass act and react to your bait presentations. Once the major bass spawn ends and the females get their second breath you will have some fun catching them again. Go to the General Bass Fishing Forum and look up the Bass Behavior Documentary to note those bass' behavior and then compare it to what you are encountering on your pond.

Contact WdyCrankbait on this site for information.

WDP, pitching is going to be the key from now on to Omaha. LSU's bull pen is questionable, at best. Kentucky, Florida, State and LSU all have a shot at the SEC tournament championship. Alabama is in the toilet, where they belong. Get that cow bell out and get ready for some fun baseball. And keep looking for that tooth fairy!!!!!

The Best Skip Bertman Lines about Mississippi State In honor of this weekend's final SEC series, I wanted to post some Skip Bertman lines that are as brutal as they are hilarious... Please post any of the ones you know about that I missed... These are priceless! "The loneliest guy in Starkville is the tooth fairy" "Team plane lands in Starkville, and the pilot says 'Welcome to Starkville, please set your clocks back 20 years!'" "When we book our hotel room in Starkville, we always ask for a room without a view..." "There's only one beauty parlor there, and they only give estimates..." "A Miss. State student won the science fair. He made a stick out of a piece of wood." "NASA is moving the space program to Starkville because it has no atmosphere." Starkville is an Indian word for 'trailer park'" "Coach Polk invited me to his house for a Bar B Que. He told me he had split level housing. Turns out it was just a double wide on the side of a hill." "A tornado once went through Starkville and did a million dollars of improvements" "The first time I took the team to Starkville and the players were studying for finals on the bus ride there. Mississippi state police stopped our bus and arrested our players for attempting to smuggle books into Mississippi. We were able the get the charges dropped though because no judge in Mississippi had ever actually seen a book before." "Starkville is where the toothbrush was invented. Anywhere else and it would have been called a teethbrush." "After I got to know Ron and his wife, they invited me over to his house once when the team was playing in Starkville. Ron was so proud of his new house, especially the house's sunken living room. I didn't have the heart to tell him it was only because one of his trailer's tires was flat...." The population of Starkville never changes. Girl gets pregnant, guy leaves town. I heard their library burned down. It's a shame because they not only lost just 7 books, but only one was colored. Starkvegas!

Don't forget to check on any state mandated safety course on water safety. Some states require you complete the course and have the certificate with you when taking your boat out. Send pics of your first launch.

Bummer. Don't for get to take the Bait Monkey with you when you go shopping.

Sounds like an old Abbott & Costello skit similar to Who's on First? Funny. Thanks for the smile of the day.

Jeff, you have asked one of the $64,000 questions. Everyone has their preference. Some of us like vibrations while others like the flash. A noisy buzzbait as opposed to a quiet KDVD 2.5 square bill crankbait. I usually start early with a buzzbait, then go with the Whooper Plooper followed by the Pompadour and then a Sammy style walking bait. RICO's are mixed in, too. Which one works first wins!!!!! After the sun comes up it is on to crankbaits and spinnerbaits with Chatterbaits thrown in the mix. These baits allow you to cover a lot of water. So to answer your question...everything written above is correct. It is up to you to throw the search baits you have confidence. It boils down to confidence in your presentations.

Glenn, my Hank Parker Signature Spinnerbaits arrived today, May 17th. Powell Group promised me 11, one extra for the long delay, but I only received 10 which is fine. No reason to ask Hank my question. Thanks, Sam P.S. I also received from S.H. Fishin' a beautiful spinning rod with outstanding artwork on the cork handle. I have no idea why it was sent to me but trying to figure it out. The rod is so nice I am thinking of hanging it up in my man cave and not using it. you know anything about this?

So how did the tournament go? How did you do?

Welcome and thanks for your service. Just pen your queries and we will all chime in with our responses. Glad you are out of Korea and back home.