Sam

Had to have my sinuses corrected surgically to stop a bad post nasal drip and lost my sense of smell and taste. But I no longer have those really bad sore throats and congestion. You win some and you lose some. And you can use your medical knowledge to buy the correct scent for your baits!!!!!

Congrats on getting close to the end of your studies. What area are you thinking of practicing?

Sorry, but I would be in bed.

X2. I also like the photo album suggestion. Way to go guys. Great suggestions.

Senkos work, especially wacky rigged. They resemble a bait fish or a crawfish to the bass and they are soft enough for the bass to hold them in their mouths for a few seconds longer. Smear some MegaStrike on them and have fun.

Yes, I am superstitious, and proud of it. It started with my Cajun grandmother who helped raise me in south Louisiana and continued through middle and high school and then through college. Carried superstitions with me in the Army and Vietnam and still have them to this day. Not going into my bass fishing superstitions, alebet one, but I do things a certain way everytime I go fishing. The one I will share is that I never, never, never want to catch anything on my first cast. So I throw out my buzzbait and reel it back fast to prevent any bass from hitting it. I believe that should you catch a bass on your first cast of the day you will have a lousy day fishing. True? Give it a try and let us know.

I checked the water level and it is in the 297 range, which means it is low. Run to Eastland Creek and fish it all the way back and then all the way out as that is the best creek to find the bass "in the bushes." Also, you may have one tournament out of Eastland Ramp so you will have the creek to yourself. Good luck and be safe.

Other boaters not being observant of you in their area or as they fly by at 70 MPH.

X2. Get a push pole and use it. Will make a world of difference. And go s-l-o-w. If you have any speed and run into a submerged tree trunk you can bend your trolling motor's shaft. Motor MUST be out of the water. And try to remember how you go in so you can get out. Easier said than done if I must say so myself.

Your friend can Google SML guides and see the list. https://www.google.com/search?q=smith+mountain+lake+fishing+guides&rlz=1C1EODB_enUS534US537&oq=smith+mountain+lake+fishing+&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j0l5.9288j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 The Doctor Kavorkian guide service is a killer.

Stay in your "bubble of a activity" or as is said now, "in your lane." The jersey is for bass fishing and us guys and gals will know what it means and admire its design and sponsors shown. But out of our "bass fishing family bubble of activity" you will look out of place and certainly feel uncomfortable while wearing the jersey in public. Stay in your lane!!!

I store my jerkbaits in a tackle box specifically designed for jerkbaits. Look them up in the BPS catalog or on an Internet retailer or from Delaware Tackle.

If the wind is blowing in from the east go home. With the drought the saltwater will be up to Helen's and above. Go with a "blue" color like a Moccasin Blue or another hard bait or plastic with some blue to mimic crabs. A sliver with blue back Rat-L-Trap is another option. Throw into the grass or along the grass line with a Senko or plastic and bring it out. If no hits do it all over again. Watch the wind as the Chick can become dangerous in a New York second. Hit all creeks you can and look for good targets. Good luck.

So we were fishing Lake Gaston on the Virginia/North Carolina border on Saturday, October 28th, and we were having a tough day. The wind made it difficult for boat control and when the Corps drew water down we really felt like a bobber on 2-pound test. And the bream were driving us crazy by pecking at our Senkos. We decided to hit the main lake shoreline first and nailed a nice two pounder. We then decided to go into one of the many creeks to get out of the wind and try our luck fishing the docks and piers. This is when we met a gentleman working on a boat in his boat house. So, like I do when meeting people on their docks, I just asked him where are the fish. Well, he laughed and said that he knew where they were and had we caught any? I replied I had caught one about five feet off the grass but that was it. He said we had the right idea and that the bass probably followed my Senko out of the grass into the open water to hit it. He told us to throw into the grass, let the Senko fall and stop. Give it a twitch and let it fall again. And if we had no hits to reel it back, just like Kevin VanDam does. We thanked him and asked him about the boat he was working on and if he does much bass fishing. Well guys and gals, he introduced himself and right away I knew who he was. He had won some Elite BASS tournaments and had fished the Classic a few years ago. I just about fell out of the boat when I realized who he was and thanked him for the advice. He was one of the nicest gentlemen I have met on the water and he continued to be a great ambassador for BASS. We did just what he told us to do and we promptly lost about 10 to 12 bass either coming off after setting the hook or as they jumped and spit the Senkos back at us. But we finally had three keepers which got us a third place finish. Had we boated the two biggest ones that got off we would have still been in third place as first and second place had over 10-pounds, each. You never know who you will meet on the water. So always have a smile on your face and be friendly and one day you may run into one of the BASS pros who is willing to help you with your fishing.

Outstanding! Congrats.

http://kerrlakeguide.com/water_temp http://kerrlakeguide.com/water_level 300 is normal pool. 305+ is "in the bushes." Lake is very big. You can fish any thing you want from topwaters in the AM to plastics and hard baits all day long. Shad should be "balling" by now. Good luck. Let us know how you do

Find out what is happening and get it treated. We want you to get well ASAP.

Yes.

Everytime a product changes hands in its supply channel movement the price increases. Tires are a good example: $10 cost to manufacture Sent to distributor who marks it up double to $20 Sent to wholesaler who marks it up double to $40 Sent to retailer who marks it up double to $80 Everytime a product is handled by someone in the supply chain it price increases. It is just the way it is and has been in the past.

Goals for the Winter 1. Stay warm. 2. Watch football. 3. Watch fishing shows on TV. 4. Organize tackle. 5. Clean rods and reels.

Air temps are important for us and water temps are important for the bass and controls the bass' behavior and feeding. You need to take the water temperature with your boat's electronics or a swimming pool thermometer to see what it is. You then plan your attack based on the water temperatures, understanding that the warmest water is on the western and northern banks first and in the back of creeks later in the day. You also know that rocks will hold heat which can attract bass. Water takes longer to change its temperature than air so although you are getting air temps down into the 30's the water temperature may be in the 50's or 60's until it starts to drop with longer and lower air temperature. Also, the bass metabolize their food based on water temperatures. The lower the water temperature the longer for the bass to digest its food. And the bass, sensing winter is around the corner, will start to feed to fatten up now and then find a nice place to hide and for safety as the winter arrives, shutting down the bite. Good luck and let us know what you caught in what temperature water.

I visited my double secret pond this afternoon and caught seven dinks on Senkos of all colors. They hit the 5-inchers rigged both Wacky and Texas style. Pond is not managed since husband passed away so only dinks in it now. But it is still fun to fish and work on your techniques and various baits.

We have both Medicare as primary and the full Federal Government Employees Blue Cross as backup. This is how a "self-insurance" program works. Medicare pays first and your group health insurance pays second. We get to see all the doctors we want and don't pay any copays, etc. for covered charges. Blue Cross, Cigna, United Healthcare, etc. have "preferred providers" who accept lower reimbursements keeping the price of medical coverage at a low level adn at the same time reducing the number of Medicare patients the physicians want to see. After all, they got into medicine for two things: First, the money. Second, the prostate check during your annual physical. I also go to the McGuire VA in Richmond and it is fantastic. Great people. Great service. It is a pleasure to go the McGuire for medical tests, skin cancer screens, eye checkups, etc. Plus you can get glasses (frames and lens) for free although they do recommend you pay $109 for the coating. And my wife is eligible for the free glasses, too. Sorry you had to find out about the pitfalls of Medicare and how the medical professionals view that program. I am sure the VA hospital in Atlanta will see you although you will have a drive to and from the facility.

OMHO, live bait outfishes artificial bait.

OK, your post came in first so I am going to add to it regarding Senkos. Colors 297 - Green Pumpkin with Black Flake - All Conditions 194 - Watermelon - Clear Water 213 - Junebug - All Conditions Lengths 5-Inches I have found to be the best length. Wacky Rig Excellent presentation. Use heat shrink tubing from the electrical department. Cut tubing into 1/4 inch strips, slide to middle of Senko so it is even when folder over, and using a bar-b-q igniter to shrink the tubing on the Senko. Place one end of the Senko on a table and heat the tape. Turn the Senko a few times to get the entire tubing hot so it shrinks evenly. You then place the #1 or 1/0 hook between the tubing and skin. Tubing will relax as you fish so you may end up with only the tubing on your hook after a battle but you can always reheat it as you fish. Thank Ike for this suggestion. Texas Rig Works great with a Senko. Just rig it like you would any other plastic Texas rig and start casting. You don't need an additional weight. The Senko's weight is enough to cast it. If you want to be different, you can always add a very small 1/16 weight to the top of your hook but this is not necessary. Rod, Reel and Line Just balance the rod's line test and bait weight with the line test you are using. Add the high and low line tests and divide by 2. This will give you the optimal line test to use or get you close to the best line test rating. I throw Senkos on spinning gear so I use 8-pound braid or fluorocarbon with a #1 or 1/0 hook. I also use the same size mono as backing on my spinning reel to stop line slippage. Medium heavy rod. Balancing Baitcaster Another trick from the pros if you don't already know it. Rig up baitcaster ready to cast with your Senko. Be sure to match the line test with the spool's line test. Set the spool and drag tight. Point rod tip to 11 o'clock and release the spool. You then adjust the spool speed and drag so that the spool stops spinning when the bait hits the ground. You do this a number of times until you feel confident you have the correct spool speed and drag. Do not do this on carpet. You do this outside or in your boat as the hooks can really mess up carpet. You also do this every time you change a bait on a baitcaster. Everytime. No exceptions. You will never have a backlash with your baitcaster unless you hit something during your cast. You can tighten or loosen the spool as you wish for distance or throwing your buzzbaits, Chatterbaits, jigs, etc. on your baitcasters. Confidence After you experiment with your Senko you will build confidence. You can then use other Senko colors and sizes and throw them in places you would not throw any other baits. Good luck with your Senkos and have some fun. Be sure to post pics of your catches.