Sam

All articles written by the pros in magazines and on the Internet hawk their sponsors gear even though the pros may not use them in tournaments. But that is what they have to do to keep sponsors so we have to put up with it. And if you carefully listen to the pros at the weigh ins, you may pick up that they did not actually use the products they hawk; they just mention them. Need a directive telling the pros to only hawk those products they actually used to do well in specific tournaments.

Excellent!

Harold, if it works it looks beautiful. I dropped from 220 down to 177 and am now up to 182 so it is back on the no carb-high protein diet again. Since all I do is fish and swim my abs will never be beautiful. Hey, I am glad to be able to see my feet now. Take care and keep up the good work.

...there are THOUSANDS of stormwater retention ponds that hold big bass AND LOTS OF ALLIGATORS, TOO.

X2. I had same problem with my Mercury 150 and my friend replaced the two solenoids and the motor has performed flawlessly ever since. But it was problem when it happened on the water.

South Louisiana. A lot to do other than freshwater fish. Check it out. Are you retired so you don't have to worry about your career?

Riddle for the day: What do the moon and Clemson have in common??? They both control the Tide.

Texas = Hot. The bass are right above the thermocline keeping cool. Go a little deeper, but off the bottom, with your presentations. Hit all wood on the bottom and all over the place. Try a buzzbait all day just in case a few bass want to kill or eat it. Spinnerbaits about 2 feet under the surface can work wonders. Keep acting like a ghost, too. Good luck. Scott, at my double secret pond on a friend's farm, the catfish love to eat dog food. They also like to follow you around the pond. If you throw out dog food to see the feeding frenzy in the morning the catfish will follow you all day long around the pond. Since we consider them as pets we don't fish for them. There is (was) one albino catfish so you could tell where the school was along the shoreline. I have not seen him this year. Hope he is OK.

Shad Raps along the rip rap along with 1.5 KVD Sexy Shad crankbaits. Senkos all over the place, wacky rigged especially in and around all wood. Spinnerbaits all over the place. All day, buzzbaits all over the place. In the morning RICO's or other poppers. In the morning frogs. In the morning Whopper Ploppers. Jigs and pigs in Sapphire Blue and Black colorls all day long. Junebug trick worms on shaky heads all day long. Drop shots all day long Neg Rig out into the deep all day long. Texas rigged plastics of your choice, not forgetting Baby Brush Hogs and lizards plus any other creature baits you like, all day long. Carolina rig all day long all over the place after the sun comes up and all day long. Colors are of your selection. Looks like a great place to try your luck. All the best and post pics.

Why? Because! Because they can do it. If you don't want to moon them, just turn your back and ignore them. Never get into an altercation with a stranger. You never know if they are a mental case or just someone having a bad day. Now go out there and catch your personal best in that pond for us.

Sirius/XM has channels 5, 6 and 7 for the 50's, 60's and 70's plus channel 19 for Elvis. I listen to the 60's the most followed by Elvis. It was a time of great music and bands.

Everyone counts. With my wife's medical condition I have not fished other than one time from my boat this year. Caught a 4-inch dink for my troubles. In the meantime, I fished three ponds and have nailed 45 dinks and one two-pounder from the bank with limited time. Can't wait to go our into the wild and catch something over 2 pounds. Even a catfish will do!

Do you really need a leader? Here is some food for thought and I know the guys will chime in and tell me I am crazy. So here it goes! Bass are attracted to your bait because of smell, vibration, and light or solid color schemes. The line does not matter. Bass will attack your bait if they are hungry or aggravated no matter what line you are using. A pro showed me a number of interesting things a few years ago and one is fishing with braid tied directly to your hook for fishing plastics. I was amazed at how he fished the baits shaky head, drop shot, and Texas rigged with no leader. He clobbered them. He outfished me while I was using fluorocarbon. He then told me that if you are going to use a leader, no matter what line test or type of line you are using, put a dab of fast drying glue on the knot. This will keep the knot together. Some guys have more confidence in using a leader and he suggested the glue trick be used. As for what knot to use? Doesn't matter as long as you put a drop of glue on it. An old granny knot will work as long as you put glue over it. So tie the knot you have confidence or one that goes through your line guides. Just food for thought. Your comments, please.

We have had a few posts in the past about bass fishing jargon and sometimes how we can get into trouble by using specific bass fishing jargon with others who do not fish. It can be deemed offensive and I know you all can come up with a lot of funny examples. But this post is about Zach Joachim of the Richmond Times-Dispatch sports department who puts together the weekly Fishing Report from around the Commonwealth. Zach is not a bass fisherman and he covers other local sports for the newspaper. So when I read today's report I got a kick out of the misspellings of some of the words in the Chickahominy Lake report. Here they are: CHICKAHOMINY LAKE …with a seven pointer… should be with a seven pounder… …had with Sinco’s… should be …had with Senkos… …chatter baits… should be …Chatterbaits… …and pop and bugs… should be popping bugs… I sent the corrections to Zach and suggested he hire a guide to take him out bass fishing so he can learn the jargon, etc. Just sharing what I thought was a funny report by someone covering bass fishing without any basic knowledge of the sport. Zach will learn the jargon and the sport as time goes by.

For you northern Virginia guys and gals and others in big cities, here is a traffic jam in Lafitte, Louisiana. Great fishing down in Lafitte if the hurricanes don't blow it away for a while. Outstanding poboys and gumbo, too. No waiting in traffic when headed to the ramp, either. Just thought you all would like to see a south Louisiana traffic jam photo. You all post some photos of traffic jams in your neck of the woods. Now to get ready for some football. Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler! Traffic jam in Lafitte!! 1515

X2

Patch, you have a B-I-G problem. First, there are sooooooo many baits and presentations you can throw at the SML population that you can end up in Eastern State Mental Hospital when trying to find the magical one. And the truth is there is no magical one out there. Look at your area as you would a small pond for that is the amount of space you will be fishing from the dock/bank. Suggestions as to what we throw in SML tournaments: Early Morning Northern and Western banks as they heat up the fastest. Buzzbaits, Whopper Ploppers, poppers, topwaters of your choice, frogs, Chatterbaits. Late Morning into Afternoon Anything you want to throw. The bass will tell you what they want and at what depth. Try spinnerbaits, crankbaits, Carolina rigs, Shaky Heads, Drop Shots, the exotic Japanese rigs, Texas rigs, jigs on the bottom, Senkos/stickbaits, creature baits, and the list goes on. Late Afternoon into Evening Once again, like above, anything goes. The fish will tell you what they want. Late Evening Go back to early morning and try your frogs and topwaters. Walk away from the dock and cast back to and under it unless it is a floating dock. If it is a floating dock you throw next to it so your baits fall directly straight down to the bottom. Any wood on the bottom or along the bank you can find? Will the neighbors allow you to fish off their docks and banks? Can you stand in the boat and cast far out? Have you checked the water temperature to note how hot it is in your cove? Hot water will not attract the bass during the day. Have you seen any bait fish like minnows in your area that you can mimic with a Shad Rap or Rooster Tail? The rip rap is excellent. Fish it every day at all times. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and Senkos can work wonders with rip rap. Would you like to catch a small bluegill or sunfish and use it as bait? Since you are fishing for fun this should not pose any problems to anyone. Small ones work great! Since there is nothing to do at SML other than fish and hit the sack you will have a good time trying your luck. Let us know how you do and be patient. With the water temperatures as they are the fish will go deep to right above the thermocline which in your case, is out towards the middle of the cove. Post pics, too.

Paul, some suggestions: 1. Check the weight of the rods you are considering. How many ounces do they weigh. Do you like the balance? 2. Check out the rods that are "technique specific" such as for the baits you will be throwing (crankbaits, spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, rattle traps, etc.). This also includes the tip action that is best for the baits you are going to throw. 3. Check out the rods that are suggested by the pros as those rods have to be good. 4. Check the rod's parameters regarding the line test and bait weight parameters. Always stay in between these numbers for all setups. 5. Always ask for the gear ratio of your baitcaster reels. Make sure the speed is what you need to work the baits properly and to bring the fish to you in a rapid manner. 6. Check the line test parameters for each baitcaster you are considering. 7. Lew's and Shimano have been excellent reels. Now we have the Abu's and Daiwa's coming on strong. Check out which pros like what reels, too. 8. Match up the rod and reel in the store when you go shopping. See how the set up feels after you put them together and move them around. If you have your reel bring it with you to the tackle shop and put it on the rods. 9. Buying "on-line" can save you money but you will not be able to actually touch the product. Keep in mind the write ups about the rods and reels are sales talk so take it with a grain of salt. A retailer can't write that the rod actually sucks and the reel is expected to break in about a week from the plastic gears. 10. When you get your baitcaster reel, open it to make sure the grease is in good condition. You have no idea of how long the reels have been sitting on the shelves. If you go to a active tackle shop where they turn over reels fast you may not have to worry about the grease condition inside the reel. 11. Ask others in your area about what rods and reels they use and like. If you can find a bass fisherman in your area (wherever that is as you do not list it) who fishes tournaments or works in a tackle shop listen to what they suggest. $200 can be split for a good rod in the $120 range and a good reel in the $80 range. Look for sales later this year and early next year for some excellent offers. Be careful of the store brands. They should be good but I have had problems with the BPS reels and a few rods that snapped. Of course, BPS has a great return policy so find out what the return policy offers from the place you buy your equipment. Overall, in my humble opinion, BPS rods out perform the BPS reels. Good luck and let us know what you buy.

Wzzy, welcome to the Forum. We love having Virginia guys and gals with us to share information and give what help we can give for their queries. Northern Virginia. Hummmmmm. Land of the Great Traffic Jams. More and more tractor trailers on I-95 these days along with the speeders and those going slow in the hammer lane. Start asking questions and bring us up to date regarding your fishing adventures. And look for the ospreys, eagles, and other animals that are in your area. They are all beautiful animals. Welcome!!!!!

Well, that does it. Nobody fishes ponds in Delaware. I will research each one to try to locate one that is a good pond from the bank.

Friend installed a foot pedal box on my Ranger many years ago and it makes fishing so much easier as you do not have to be concerned with tripping over or trying to locate the pedal as you fish. Glad to read that Ranger has done the same thing. You will really enjoy the foot pedal box.

Jim, does Homer City still have that one traffic signal? As for "rubber" baits, please change your jargon to "plastic" baits. Rubber baits are long gone. As for your query, I have many colors, including pink. But my overall favorite is for smallmouth where I use a special Wright Mfg. Company 1/2 inch curly tail white grub that the smallies can't resist. The company was bought out a number of years ago and are no longer making their fantastic white 1/2 inch grubs. I put the 1/2 inch grubs on a 1/64 or 1/32 round fly-fishing jig head that you can find at Orvis or in the fly fishing section of your local BPS which I don't believe exists around Homer City. I use a spinning set up with a small (1000 size spool) and 4 pound test mono and an ultra light rod. Talk about a fun time landing one of those smallies. Feels like you have JAWS on the other end of the line. In the meantime, I have used the one-inch size curly tail grubs plus larger ones for swimming jigs when fishing for largemouth and for bluegills. But I prefer Rooster Tails and Beetle Spins better than the grubs. Now you can go to Indiana, PA and see the stuffed statue of Jimmy Stewart and his museum and where his parents' apothecary was located and the IUP campus and that great ice cream place, Meadows, and a lot of traffic signals as you look for a tackle shop somewhere in the area. Good luck and post of photo of yourself and your catches with those grubs.

Wife and I may be staying with son and his family in Dagsboro, Sussex County, in September and/or October. Can anyone tell me what are good ponds to bank fish while I am in Delaware? Here is the list from the DNREC for Sussex County public ponds: Abbotts Pond Blairs Pond Chipman Pond Concord Pond Craigs Pond Griffith Lake Haven Lake Hearns Pond Horsey Pond Ingrams Pond Millsboro Pond Portsville Pond Raccoon Pond Records Pond Trap Pond Trussum Pond Tussock Pond Wagamons Pond Waples Pond Your thoughts. Thanks.

You got the humor!!!!!

Having a good sense of humor is a sign of high intelligence. Here is an article I put out about LSU selling beer and wine at their football games. A few of my friends thought it was totally true. I based it on the official news release. It’s official now – beer and wine will be sold in Tiger Stadium to the general public beginning this season. “This is all about enhancing the fan experience, responding to the feedback from our fans and doing it responsibly,” said LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward in a press release issued by the school. “It’s a big addition to our events and we believe it will be a positive one overall for all those drunk coona***s, and we are going about it with the appropriate mindset and thorough planning. Each patron will be limited to no more than 12 cans of Abita Purple Haze or more if they can get the tickets from others, especially their kids, and no more than six glasses of wine, unless you go for the cheap stuff from Eunice. Students no longer will be forced to hide the booze in their draws or girl friends’ bras. No worry about getting your b***s cut on the cans, including the ones that are already open when you enter the stadium. ” The beer and wine will not be sold to anyone under 6, and will be primarily offered at the concession stands nearest the student section. Kids are encouraged to go get their parents and friends beer and wine during the game so the adults will not miss a play. The cheerleaders will also be able to wet their thirst as beer boys will take the Abita Purple Haze and the Eunice wine to them during the games. The coaches, led by Coach Eau, will be able to enjoy some spirits during the games. Opposing coaches and teams will have their own beer and wine concession stand in the visitor’s locker room before, during and after the game for the visiting teams, fans and coaches.” Woodward continued, “We expect everyone to clean up after themselves and the people they throw up on during the game to help keep Tiger Stadium clean. Bathrooms will be kept open at all times so everyone can take advantage of a fast in and out and not miss a play on the newly installed TVs. German sausages with lots of onions and green peppers will be served along with the beer and wine so everyone can have an enjoyable dinner.” Tiger Stadium holds 106,000 fans, of which 100,000 will be drunk coon***es making the games more exciting and loud.