Sam

You can also get the Freshwater Fishing in Virginia booklet from VDG&IF at Wal-Mart, Dick's, Gander Mountain or your favorite tackle shop. You may want to put in at Willow Marina which is much more friendly, and not as expensive, as Hope Springs Marina. You can go up creek and fish the narrow creek or head towards the river and go left into Arkendale Flats or right and fish the area to your right as you leave Aquia Creek. Always monitor the weather and wind as the Potomac can sprout white caps in a New York minute. Grass will be all over the place so be ready to throw topwater and your plastics (drop shots, shaky heads, Senkos, etc.) into the holes in the grass. Hit the docks in Aquia on your way out to the river. Go to the tide website for the Potomac and look for some favorable tides on the days you want to fish, http://www.saltwatertides.com/dynamic.dir/potomacsites.html And you can try your luck on One Fish Anna or head south to the Rappahannock, Mattaponi or Pamunkey rivers. Get your GMCO maps of each so you can find where to launch your boat. Good luck.

A post from back in 2001 about the rod you are seeking. Doesn't look too good for you to find one to replace it. I had an old Quantum that was so old that Quantum had no idea it existed. Finally destroyed it after having a graphite shaft put in it and screwing the baitcaster to the reel seat. Loved that rod but it finally gave up the ghost. Here is what was posted before you were born. Enjoy. VanDam Signature Series Rods from Johnny B Goode 11/10/2001 1:25:00 PM Rated: I've been fishing a VanDam Signature Series spinnerbait rod, KVC66SB, that I really like. Works well with a 1/2 oz double willow spinnerbait. Last weekend, I kicked it over the the side and watched it sink in 20 feet of water. Since I'm going to have to buy a new one, I thought I'd ask what everyone thinks of this rod and Kevin's Signature Rod line in general. I've been thinking of picking up his CA rig rod too. What do you guys think? Btw, I usually fish St Croix Premier, PS66MFs, for my spinning rods. Thanks, Johnny B Goode

2008 Forester with over 260,000 miles. Any idea where I can get a new FOB without paying $150+ at a dealer? Thanks.

Great having you with us. My LSU friends always love going to Omaha for the College World Series when LSU makes it. They are trying to get me to go to one CWS before I croak. They tell me the people are great and the new stadium is a pleasure to view a game. Nice to know you can bass fish around the city, too.

Yes! But only if Bill Dance caught it on TV.

X2, as long as it is a plastic. I had a friend who would smoke one cigarette as he left his 4-inch moccasin blue dead ringer just sit there. Drove me nuts. But he always seemed to get a hit, sooner or later. After he finished the cigarette and had no bites he would reel in and do it all over again. Great guy. Died from lung cancer about five years ago.

Try to find Teddy Carr's book, Fishing Lake Anna. Outstanding!

If you want to live up to your nickname please use the proper bass fishing jargon. It is not a "pole." It is a "rod." Please introduce yourself in the Introductions Section and add where you live to your avatar so we can give you better input. As for replacing your broken rod, do as Scott suggests so you can locate the same rod on eBay or in the swap and for sale section of this Forum. You can also send the broken rod to Delaware Tackle if you call them first and find out if they can repair it by putting a graphite rod into the damaged area and then sealing it with high quality black tape. You can get the "tubes" at Fed-X or UPS for shipping.

Have not read all of the replies but my question to you is "are you swinging the rod to the left or right at waist height when setting the treble hook?" You may also want to use monofilament as it has some stretch to it and it will give you a good cushion when setting the hook. Now let me add that many pros are switching to fluorocarbon for their treble hook baits. Some are using braid with a flouro leader. One is going to the 8.1/1 ratio baitcaster. Remember, any slack what-so-ever on a treble hook bait and it is bye bye fishy. You have to keep rod tip high and a straight line from the rod's tip to the bass' mouth at all times. No slack at any time. As for your frog bite, may I make the following suggestion? - Open the hooks a little with two pliers so the hooks are off the body about an eighth of an inch. Hold rod tip high so that when the bass hits the frog you are giving the bass time to run with the frog before you drop the rod's tip, reel in the slack and make a powerful hook set over your head. This is a pro's trick when fishing a frog so I can't take credit. And remember, if the bass misses the frog you can let it sit there for about 30 seconds before you move it or reel it in and throw a Senko to the location where the bass missed the frog. Good luck. Now go out and have some fun cranking and frogging.

What gets my goat is when you are trying so hard for one bite and an osprey or eagle flies over the boat holding a big bass in its talons. All you can do is understand that Mother Nature is a better fisherman than all of us.

Yes, but a 4-inch finesse worm can work just as well. Maybe a trick worm. Drives me crazy but it works. Like fishing for catfish. If no bite and you want to read or listen to the radio as you take a nap, go for it.

When watching the reruns did you realize that only one person was married?> The drunk guy was married. All others are single and happy. I think the guy was Otis Campbell. Just making an observation.

Glad you joined the club. I have had to have two hooks surgically removed. The last one, at the Doc in a Box, had the first doctor stumped so she called in a second doctor who had removed hooks before. The first was a crankbait treble hook and the second a spinnerbait trailer hook. In both cases I asked the docs to make sure they did not destroy the lures. Still have spinnerbait and crankbait and use them from time to time.

My Double Secret Pond has no cover or shade. I fished it today and caught 25, mostly on a wacky rigged Senko. Got three in a row with a jig and pig. All hits, with the exception of a few frog strikes, came within 20 feet of the bank. Seems the 90* temperature; lots of sun; and a cold front that moved through last night keep the big ones deep. No boat so all I could do is walk around the pond flipping and pitching the Senko and other baits. So try a Senko slathered with Mega Strike. Strikes were very soft so keep that finger on the line at all time. Good luck.

Holden Caulfield.....Catcher in the Rye. Good book! Great name, Holden.

Hey Holden, does the C stand for Cauldfield??? Wayne is the gentleman's name. Great guy. You will learn a lot from reading his posts.

Same diameter for both lines.

Great having you with us. We have a member who knows your area like the back of his hand and I am sure he will give you suggestions and advice as the year progresses. Just ask your questions and we will endeavor to give you our responses.

Green Top in Ashland has the MOJO weights up to one-ounce. Austin, the color of your cranks depends on the water clarity, as you know. Silver always seems to work be it a type of Sexy Shad or a silver colored crank of your choice. May I suggest you try these places. Keep them to yourself and don't let anyone else know!!!! Using a GMCO map to find the places: 1. Look at the Booker T. Washington bridge. There is a marina and restaurant/motel in the area to the north of the bridge heading into the creek that goes to Camper Paradise. Fish all in this area using your plastics to flip and pitch all around the bank from the point to the no wake zone and then out into the main river. Throw cranks and Carolina rigs in this area, too. 2. On the south side of the bridge, look for the inlet with Hemps Ford Ramp. Fish that entire area once again with plastics, crankbaits and Carolina rigs. 3. Hit the rocks, docks in the river plus any wood you can find. 4. Go into Stony Creek and fish that area. Experiment until you find the pattern. Maybe a jig will work; or a swim jig; or a Chatterbait. Just a few suggestions. Good luck.

The Historic James is high and dirty now. You may have to wait a week after the rains stop. If you look at the GMCO map of the Upper James you will see an insert for the area of Huguenot Road bridge down to the Powhite Parkway bridge. See the red "Pony Pasture Canoe Access" icon? You walk west on Riverside Drive from the parking area and canoe area going about 1/3 mile and look at the river. The island is not on the map but you will see it. It is towards the Z-Dam. A small island that you can easily walk to and around. Or you can put in anywhere along the bank and head to the rocks to the west of where everyone swims and sunbathes. Be careful. The rocks and current can be formable.

It counts as a catch. You did good. Losing a big one will happen to all of us, sooner or later. I can tell you stories about the big ones I lost but it would be too painful. So what do you do? You wait a few days and go back, throw that Zoom Junebug trick worm on a jig head shaky style and keep on hunting her. Good luck.

Best wishes for a fast recovery.

I have been having a ball with these people. I have been calling them back and I cuss at them; ask horrible sexual questions; find out if they eat cows; and now plan to use my boat's air horn when I call them back tomorrow and make sure the horn works. The number I have is 855.601.0009. Call them and have some inappropriate fun. Anything goes. The nastier and gross you can get is best.

Austin, welcome to the Forum. Please go to the Introduction section and introduce yourself. Also add your physical location so we can give you better answers. You are fishing SML wrong. Hit them deep. Deep diving crankbaits and Carolina rigs. Especially the Carolina rigs. SML is a great Carolina rig lake followed by the crankbait then the spinnerbait/Chatterbait. Plastics will work on sunny skies in shallow water by the docks and piers. But please try the Carolina rig with at least a half ounce Mojo weight, a 2 foot leader minimum, a lizard of your choice and let us know how you do.

Sorry Glenn, I can't remember what I did yesterday so you know I have no idea of how I found the Forum. Probably by stumbling onto it on the Internet one day.