Sam

Reel Ess, pond managers have for years taken the stand that removing the smaller bass from a pond will enhance the remaining bass' growth. I for one believe this but I do not practice it. I catch and release at all ponds, river and lakes.

Mojo weights work very well for the split shot presentation.

Sent PM.

Great having you with us. You have to learn the secret to Louisiana fishing. You wear purple and gold when you go fishing. And you yell "Geaux Tigers" when you set the hook. Works every time! Welcome to the Forum.

Glad you joined us. How about putting your geographical area in your avatar information. "Southern Virginia" means different things to different people. Lots of Virginia people on this site so ask your questions and we will endeavor to provide good responses. Welcome to the Forum.

And byt he way, the backwoods deadbeats in the story were Bama fans.

Could happen again this weekend against Ole Miss. Love college humor and razzing each other. Does not happen in other conferences. Only in the SEC.

Very upsetting news. Hope the doctors caught it in time to have it totally removed. Will keep Dwight in my prayers and thoughts. Please keep us updated on his progress. Thanks.

Guys on this Forum section provided some wonderful information about what are the best and most comfortable hand guns to carry. I have now focused on the Ruger LCR .38 Special double action revolver. The Glock C23 is just too big and the other Glocks are heavy. The LCR is easy to clean and it is not very heavy or bulky to carry. So what are your opinions on the Ruger LCR .38 Special double action revolver? Any other small hand guns you think I need to consider? Weapon is for personal defense, only. Thanks in advance for you input. Sincerely appreciate it.

Thanks, I will pass on your message to my friend. But they are still funny.

1. Tidal Rivers 2. Ponds 3. Lakes

Friend sent me these. I remember one of them. I hope they are current. Enjoy! The Darwin awards are out! Yes, it's that magical time of year again when the Darwin Awards are bestowed, honoring the least evolved among us. Here is the glorious winner: 1. When his 38 calibre revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach , California would-be robber John Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked. And now, the honourable mentions: 2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting machine and after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company expecting negligence sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he also lost a finger... The chef's claim was approved. 3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her. 4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies... The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days. 5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train.. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit. 6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer... $15. [if someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?] 7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly.. He decided that he'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape... 8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from." 9. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti , Michigan at 5 A.M., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast.... The man, frustrated, walked away. [*A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER] 10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street by sucking on a hose, he got much more than he bargained for... Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline, but he plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

Super! Frame that cover!!!! Congrats for the accomplishment. It is guys like you that help make this Forum the great place it is. (With a little help from Glenn and his gang, too)

Original Ruffles.

When four of Santa’s elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure. Then Mrs. Claus told Santa her mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more. When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where. Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered. Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drunk all the cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom. Just then the doorbell rang, and an irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?' And thus began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree. Not very many people know this story so I wanted to share it with you.

I believe it is an automatic renewal. Have received only one renewal notice during the beginning of its second year and I paid the $10, which my friends at DG&IF told me that I did not have to pay. Will never pay any invoice if they send it to me and so far have not received any invoices. If they do send me an invoice I am going to tear it up and mail it back to them.

The problem with hooks is the same throughout the bass fishing industry: There are no standards. So today I like the Gammies and tomorrow I go with Eagle Claws, both 2/0 worm hook sizes. But I have no idea of the metal in the Gammies is better than that in the Eagle Claws or if the weight is the same for a 2/0 worm hook. The type of hook also depends on the plastics you are throwing. There is a huge difference between hooks for Zoom 4-inch finesse worms and a Gary Yamamoto Flappen Hog. And there are differences between each type of hook in each category. Not to be rude and please understand that I appreciate your question because I was in your shoes many years ago, but the best hook you can use is the one you have the most confidence for the type of bait and technique you are throwing. And as you get older you will want a hook with a larger eye so you can tie the Palomar and other knots easier.

Chop, call Virginia DG&IF and ask them about this requirement. I registered years ago and it is for life. I was told that VDG&IF registers you if you buy a license. You may want to double check with them.

Fly, it is in your back yard. You can hit 295 to 95 North and then exit at Kings Dominion. Or take the back roads if there is no snow or ice on the roads. Probably a half hour trip.

Rick, this happens to all of us so it is not you. I was told by an old guide down here in Virginia that when you hook a bass that bass secretes a scent telling the other bass he is in trouble. This scent causes the other bass not to hit any baits for a while. True? I have no idea and have not read or seen any data on this statement in any publications. So I can't say it occurs or does not occur. Maybe someone out there will clarify this for us. In the meantime, put yourself in the bass' place, just hovering next to a good structure providing safety and oxygen, waiting for something to float by to have a snack. All of a sudden a friend that is in your same area goes nuts, swims up and down and finally is pulled towards the water's surface and then completely out of the water. Are you going to bite what your friend bit? If you are an Alabama fan the answer is yes. If you are a normal person the answer is no. But we do pull multiple fish from one tree, stump, cove, etc. so to think that a bass throws off a scent to warn the other bass does not seem to hold true. And bass will hit the same bait that another bass has just hit and exited the premises. I would think that you should be catching multiple bass from one area if they are multiple bass in that area. Now, armed with the above here is my input on your queries: How would I know where to fish in these places. - YOU DON'T KNOW. EXPERIENCE, HUNCH, LUCK, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ALL FACTOR IN. The first answer was not electronics. - RIGHT. YOU CAN ONLY SEE SO MUCH WITH YOUR ELECTRONICS. Clearly electronics would be the an answer though. - NOT THE TOTAL ANSWER. JUST MORE CLUES FOR YOU TO USE TO FIGURE OUT THE PATTERN. For sake of a topic lets thrown throw depth finders out. - THROW OUT DEPTH FINDERS AND KEEP THE SONAR. Maps are a given so lets throw those out as well. - OK, NO CONTOUR LINES, POINTS, HIDDEN COVES/CREEKS, DOCKS, SUNKEN SHIPS, ETC. What are some natural indicators to finding fish? - ANYTHING STICKING OUT OF THE WATER, BE IT ONE LITTLE SKINNY LEAF OR A TREE TRUNK. ANYTHING THAT A BASS WILL HOLD TO FOR SAFETY, OXYGEN AND A GOOD AMBUSH POINT. I have a small list of things I look for. I would like to pick the brains of others to add to my list... - AND HERE WE ARE!!!! For the record, I am not trying to avoid buying a fish finder, debating the benefits of a fish finder, suggesting that there is a better alternative to a fish finder. - NOPE. AND STOP CALLING IT A FISH FINDER. CALL IT A SONAR UNIT. AND IT IS ANOTHER TOOL FOR YOU TO USE TO FIND LOCATIONS AND STRUCTURE YOU CAN'T SEE THAT HAS A HIGH PROBABILITY OF HOLDING BASS. My purpose is to learn some more about fishing while sitting on my couch cause I can't go fishing. - DVD's, BASS FISHING MAGAZINES, BASS FISHING BOOKS, INTERNET TO READ ABOUT BAITS, RODS, REELS AND LINE, YOUTUBE VIDEOS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES BY OUR OWN GLENN MAY. WATCH ALL OF HIS PRODUCTIONS. THEY ARE GREAT, TO THE POINT, WITHOUT GLENN TRYING TO SELL YOU SOMETING. WATCH BASS FISHING SHOWS ON WORLD FISHING NETWORK AND OTHER SHOWS. STAT A LIBRARY OF ARTICLES YOU CUT OUT OF MAGAZINES. TRY TO VIEW THE THREE "BIGMOUTH" PRODUCTIONS BY GLEN LAU AND UNCLE HOMER CIRCLE. AS THEY SAY IN THE MILITARY: KNOW YOUR ENEMY. AND THOSE LITTLE GREEN MONSTERS ARE YOUR ENEMY. Hope this helps point you in the right direction this winter. Good luck.

Get one of each!

I recall reading an article about an individual in scuba gear who was pounding a metal pole while underwater as a part of a dock project. He said he felt a "funny" feeling, like someone was watching him. He turned around to see at least 20 largemouth bass looking at him. The noise and pounding vibrations attracted the bass. As I have posted previously, in one of the Bigmouth productions Uncle Homer Circle said he and Glen Lau noticed that a large female bass would move into structure when she heard the trolling motor. That bass was condition to hearing (or feeling) trolling motors and connecting them with getting caught so she backed off and hid. Hank Parker says to walk at least 50-feet away from the bank when changing places while pond fishing. I have seen bass react to my walking to the bank as they darted away. I would have thought they saw me approaching but they ran away before I got 10-feet from the bank. They must have felt my walking vibrations. We all know that sound travels much faster and farther in water than in air. So a radio or TV may not penetrate the water's surface, especially if there is wind or "chop" on the water. However, if we transmit any sound from the bank or boat into the water via any means, all animals within a "specific distance" in the water will either hear or feel the vibrations. Some of these animals will ignore the sound and vibrations while others will move away or towards the source. As with your favorite baits and tactics, if you believe noise and vibrations entering the water system will have a negative impact on the animals then try to be as silent as you can. If as with your favorite baits and tactics, if you do not believe noise and vibrations entering the water system will have a negative impact on the animals then don't worry about it. Bass boats have carpeted floors. Not for looks but to mute any sound emanating from the boat. I would think bass fishermen would be very upset to fish out of a bass boat without any carpeting. Some of us do fish out of metal and plastic boats and do very well catching fish. However, I believe bass fishermen like the carpeting to mute any sounds they make while moving around in the boat. Stealth is your friend. You don't want to do anything to spook that "personal best" that is waiting for you right around the bend. So I am taking the position that noise matters. Not all the time; but noise from you and your boat can have a negative impact on your prey.

And by the way, it is really great to read that Bamasucs and Awbunn fans hate LSU. I can remember many years where no one hated LSU other than for the Ole Miss people. It is an honor to be hated by the best fans in college football, meaning the Bamasucs fans. Win or lose, the true Bamasucs fans have a lot of class and it is always a good time to be with them on game day and throughout the year. Now, Awbunn fans can be a pain in the fanny like Florida people when the teams are winning. This year only the Awbunn fans are the pain. Oh well, if football goes south in Louisiana there are so many other things to do, such some of the best bass and saltwater fishing in the world all year. And the French Quarter. And Mardi Gras. And food. And hunting. And trapping. And frogging. And fishing the oil rigs in the Gulf. And crawfish boils. And LSU baseball; And professional basketball; And photography of the outdoors. And I could go on but I don't want to bore you all. Remember, "Come to Louisiana as you Are and Leave Different." Geaux Tigers