Sam

I am the same way. I want all of the SEC teams to win their bowl games. It is always nice to not have a dog in the fight and sit back and enjoy the game. Hope LSU can take Oklahoma and keep rolling along. And it was super that Tennessee made it to the Gator Bowl to face Indiana after their horrendous start. Merry Christmas.

Glad to have you with us. Wish I had some knowledge of the waters you fish, other than for Buggs. Geaux Tigers.

They will defend themselves and they can extend their heads a long way from their bodies. If you startle one and it lashes out and grabs your foot you are in a world of hurt.

Zoom 6-inch plastic finesse worm. Let it sit on the bottom as you keep your finger on your line and you listen to your transistor radio.

Yes he did. That was a wonderful salute to the people of SE Ohio. All I know about Ohio is that it is the cradle of coaches. Difficult for either school to be upset that he hugged both sets of coaches and gave both schools credit for his accomplishments.

Welcome to the Forum. Catt and I are big LSU fans and we are glad to have you with us. I don't fish NC so I have nothing to help you. But there are a bunch of guys in the Southeast Section of the Bass Fishing Locations that should be able to help you. Joe's acceptance speech for the Heisman was outstanding. What a class act. If you missed it, look for my post in the Everything Else section under Jeaux Burreaux. And look for other stuff I post to drive the Bamasux people up a wall. Now to look forward to playing Oklahoma and then the big one against Clepsom or Ohio State. Geaux Tigers and welcome to the Forum.

Welcome to the Forum. We are here to help give out information so be sure to ask your questions and post pictures of your catches.

70 days to Mardi Gras!!!!

X2. I thought it was great he included Ohio State in his acceptance speech. The family seemed to be blown away during the season by the friendliness of the LSU people and the warm welcome they received from being Yankees.

Rods, reels, line, baits, and some tackle boxes for my two grandchildren. Otherwise, I don't need a thing. Hope everyone gets the gifts they want along with good health and fortune. Any you can throw in an 8-pounder, too.

Chitlins. Don't forget the chitlins.

Did you catch Joe Burrow's Heisman speech? It came from the heart as the thanked both Ohio State and LSU for all they did for him through his college career. If you want to see a genuine all American guy pour out his feelings you got to watch this video. Jeaux is a super football player and a better person. Geaux Tigers!

Mr. Aquarium, I have posted this in the past but want to share it with you so you can understand why the bass are not going bonkers. I learned this at a seminar many years ago from a pro by the name of Ken Cook. Here is an article on Ken. He was a great guy and I was very honored to have had the opportunity to hear him speak. https://www.bassmaster.com/news/ken-cook-dead-68 Ken was a fisheries biologist and he gave us information on the life of the bass and he made it very clear to "know your enemy" in order to win the battles. Ken made these observations on the "Speed of Metabolism" for largemouth bass based on water temperature. Water Temperature and time to digest a Minnow 40* 8 Days 60* 2 and a Half Days 70* 24 Hours 80* 18 hours 80* + 18 Hours 73* to 75* is the optimal temperature for bass to feed for the most efficient metabolism. This is why water temperature is so critical in our fishing plans. Once the water temperature hits 60* it ready to rock and roll. So you are doing nothing wrong. The bass in the ponds may have just eaten and they are in no hurry to feed again. Just remember, the bass is a predator and they will eat anything that presents itself as they look for an easy meal. This is why we fish slow in cold water. So forget the air temperature. Focus on the water temperature. Get a swimming pool thermometer and tie a string to it so you can throw it into the water to see the actual temperature so you will have better knowledge of what is going on with your little green friends. Be careful out there and let us know how you do. Merry Christmas!

Seafury, to expand on your post, I was told that Maryland no longer is asking anglers to kill the snakeheads they catch. If you get the "willies" from seeing a snake pattern you will not like snakeheads. It their python markings don't bother you then enjoy catching and eating them. In Virginia, I am not sure if the state is still requiring us to kill the ones we catch. Will get it clarified at the Richmond Fishing Expo when I speak to the conservation officers about this situation and will let all know. Sooner or later we will be having snakehead tournaments.

Be very careful who you see for an opinion. Surgeons want to operate. Chiropractors want to align the spine. MD's want to do nothing but wait it out. Please get two or three opinions from different doctors. Once you start surgeries they never seem to stop. Good luck and all the best for a rapid recovery.

X2. Pro's secret that was told to me many years ago. I am just too lazy to make the change. However, I have been known to do this on Rat-L-Traps' back hook fishing lakes. No idea if it helps but I did land a number of lake bass using this setup. I don't do this on rivers as I have lost the Rats to snags. In fact, I remover the rear hook on rivers to avoid snags.

Silver, like a shad.

Welcome, Josh. Great having you with us. How about adding "Central Texas" or your town/city to your avatar so we can give you better information and suggestions? Remember, we here here to help you become a better fisherman, even if you like Texas A&M. Geaux Tigers!

X2. Get a GMCO map of the Rapp showing the entire river including the Fredericksburg area at the upcoming Richmond Fishing Expo or Bass Pro Shops. Look at the Fredericksburg area of the river. Great smallie fishing in this area of the river heading east. Also, you can put in at Watkins Landing west of Richmond on Route 711 and head west towards Charlottesville for some smallie fishing in the rocks. You will need a jet motor or a kayak to do this. And you may catch some smallies around Watkins Landing. The Pony Pasture has some great smallie fishing but it is best to go in the summer. The area is extremely dangerous and you need to take a partner with you. Water may be too cold for you to walk out into the rocks now but just wait for the summer and the river to get warm. Great smallie fishing in this area west of Richmond on the Historic James River. Being in Amelia you are close to Wayne Knabe in Powhatan, who fixes rods and reels and always has an interesting story to share with you. Call Wayne, mention my name, and ask him if there is any good smallie fishing in the Appomattox or the Amelia Wildlife Management Area, 804.239.6751. And go see him and have him clean your reels. They will work as never before. You will have a friend for life. He is a great guy. Ask Wayne about the Powhatan lakes and if he knows if there are smallies in them. At the Richmond Fishing Expo (go to the post in this section for dates and times) ask some of the guys at their booths about smallmouth fishing near or within an hour of Richmond. One of the seminar speakers discusses smallie fishing in Seminar Room 2. Check it out on the Internet for seminar details. Pick up a copy of the VG&IF 2020 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia free booklets and look at the list of places to fish around the state and if there are any smallies in the rivers and lakes listed. Good luck and let us know how you do.

Slim down. Go with smaller baits. Go with crawfish imitations. Fish s-l-o-w, like in "dead sticking." Cast out and wait at least one to five minutes (yes, it is a lifetime in bass fishing) before moving the bait. Keep finger on line; watch line; and use a transistor radio with ear phones to listen to your favorite music while you stand there looking like a frozen statute. Then, when you can't take it any more, twitch the rod a little and do it all over again. Maybe the pond has not been managed correctly and all you have are dinks. Give it a shot and let us know what happens: you catch something; you don't catch anything; they take you away in a straight jacket.

Josh, good question and you can see the different answers. Bass, as a species of fish, will migrate during the fall months to 1) gouge themselves for the winter; 2) find a safe place to rest and hide to wait for an easy meal to float by; and 3) go deep to hide and rest unless they go shallow to feed or enjoy the warmer water warmed by the sun. Bass have "highways" they use to get from point A to point B and they follow these underwater highways each season. Get to know where they are and what characteristics they have. Bass also may have their own "milk run" where they go from place to place; however, in the fall they usually stay in one local area looking for crawfish and baitfish. In his book, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, he wrote: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” So know your enemy. It is that little green creature that can make grown men cry. Charge!!!!!!

X2

Bull Reds. Think Bull Reds. Have a wonderful time and looking forward to your updates and report on your adventures. Post some pics, too, as we freeze our fannies off up here in Virginia.