Sam

Yikes! Micro, these are the two secret bait shops. Don't let the secret out. I know the builing where he will be moving and it is a stone's throw from ProTech. That's a shame as the ProTech people are great. Of course, ProTech is not open all the time as will be Hooker's so that is good. Did you see the IMA Roumba? It looks like a big pickle and I can't wait to throw it. Did you get any deps BUZZJETJr.'s? Heavy bait but should do well in rivers or lakes. Now, let's keep the two secret shops secret!!! ;D ;D ;D

Interesting question. So a warm front just passed (sunny and temp is rising). And another front is on the way. Senerio One Warm Front - Fish should be biting with no problem. Cold Front Coming - Fish should be feeding before front hits, then shut down after front moves through. Seneiro Two Cold Front Came Through but Now Warming - Fish shut down. Will start to feed depending on length of time before next cold front arrives. Cold Front coming - Fish may feed again but if they have already been feeding before the first cold front then I would expect them to be shut down until the next day or day after the second cold front moves through. Now, that is how I read it. With so many guys on this site (15,000+) maybe we can get a biologist or a seasoned veteran to give you their take on your question. Let us know what you find out. Thanks.

You always need a trailer hook on a Cavitron. Now you know why.

Sorry to hear about driving over his rods. I hope they were not of the expensive variety.

Sorry. I meant pre spawn, not post spawn.

Bama Bassmaster, I usualy find them at the weigh-ins when the other guys bring in their fish for weigh-in. ;D So you want to find the mother load of big bass. Well, so do we all. I will admit that the top five large ones I have caught have been surprises to me as I was fishing for any bite I could muster. Two on a black buzzbait; others on grubs and finesse worms. 7 pounds was the largest. So how do you find those 10 pound plus lunkers? Learn what they are eating and where they are living. Easy said - hard to do. But here are some suggestions. 1. Use large baits and live baits. Like 10 to 12 inch worms; large spinnerbaits; big topwater prsentations. Fish oversize lures. Try large minnows and shiners. Big jig and pigs, too. 2. Fish on weekdays or in foul weather with low fishing pressure. 3. Be quiet. Very, very quiet. Turn off trolling motor as they can hear you or run it constantly on low. Studies have shown the big bass will hide when they hear a trolling motor. 4. Be patient. Very patient. 5. Fish deep. 6 to 8 feet and down to 15 feet. 6. Know where they live. They grew large due to their instincts and they have favorite places to rest and use as ambush points. They are also lazy and do not want to move very far for a nice, big meal. 7. Avoid cold fronts; fish early AM before sun starts to rise and into early AM; during dusk and at night. Warming conditions are also helpful. 8. Fish in the winter and early spring, like the first four months of the year and when they are in post spawn. Usually, after they spawn it is hard to catch them. Remember, they have to eat in the winter so they are looking for a nice, easy and big meal that will hold them for up to two weeks without eating. May I also suggest discussing your large lunker adventure with your state's department of game and inland marine? Some of the conservation officers know of bodies of water that hold large bass and you can fish those, like Birery Creek in Virginia. Good luck and be sure to send us those picutures of the lunkers you catch or the mental hospital you will be put in when they drive you over the edge!!! ;D ;D ;D

Excellent photo. Consider submitting it to your State Fair's photo contest. Welcome to the board. You have to start throwing those Senkos!!!!

There are three "2's" in the English language. So how do you write the above sentence without using "2's"?

Yes, lots of places to fish in Chesterfield County. Get an ADC street map book of Chesterfield County and you can see the ponds. I think Wal-Mart and Staples have them, plus bookstores. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Behind Stony Point Shopping Center off Huguenot Road The private pond across from the larger pond at behind Stony Point Shopping Center. Although it says no fishing just fish it. Never had any problems with the locals - so far! Behind the DMV off Trade Road in the Southport Industrial Park - try the large pond as the smaller pond may not have any fish in it Pocahontas State Forest where you can rent a small boat beginning at 10 AM and fish Swift Creek Lake or fish from the shore or bridge - Boat ramp is behind the swimming pool area in the park Swift Creek off Genito Road has places to fish Gregory's Pond in Rockwood Park off Courthouse Road near Hull Street Lake Salisbury off Oakengate Road - look for the path to the dam by the new house that was just built Pond behind Bethany Place Baptist Church on Providence Road - use topwaters or fish weedless Centerpoint Office Park off Charter Colony Parkway Pony Pasture if you like to wade Along Riverside Drive on the James River. Park and fish from the shore Dock at Robious Landing Park on the James River by James River High School Pier at City of Henricus at Dutch Gap. Get live bait at Castaways on Jeff Davis Parkway and then drive down to Henricus and walk the trail to the Barge Pit Fishing for catfish at Henricus is an option, too. Slow but it is fishing Avoid golf course ponds unless you get permission as the course staff can get upset if you fish without permission. Also, try the ponds at the Arborutem until you get thrown out and the ponds at Moorefield Office complexes. Moorefield is a more friendly place to fish. Small bass in those ponds but they will hit your baits. Like Senkos. Forget Gateway Office Park off Midlothian Turnpike as there are no fish, at least to my knowledge, in their small pond. There is a pond at the southern end of Stonehenge Golf Course that I would like to try. It is off Rexmore Court. I have never seen it other than on a map and would think it would be a super place without any fishing pressure. Ponds over at Innsbrook Office Complex off Cox Road, including the two when you cross Nuckols Road in Henrico County, are good bets, too. Worth the drive. Lots of ponds in various subdivisions as you will see in the ADC map book. So get that map book and check out all the blue ponds and start fishing and let me know how you do. There are other guys on this site who fish Chesterfield County so mabye they will throw in their two cents. Good luck.

I have had baits fly into the wild blue yonder, too. The knot can become weak or get dinged so now I check my knots after each fish or after five to ten minutes of fishing. I use a Palamor knot. You will use a lot of line when tieing on a buzzbait and you have to watch for line burn when pulling the knot tight. I also have learned to leave a long "tag" end on the knot (1/4 inch +) just in case it slips. Once last item...I have had the bait fly away when the line was cut as I was working out a backlash. I had no idea that I had cut the line on the spool. So check your line after you clear a backlash. Now, I carry extra baitcasters so I can change out one for another if I get a serious backlash.

Thanks guys. I'll start using this method.

Big Dave, Trailer hook for tournaments. No trailer hook for fun fishing. When you cast your buzzbait be ready to start to reel as soon as the bait hits the water. This means that you will have to use your thumb to stop the reel right before the bait hits the water and then start to reel immediately. Sometimes I find myself starting to reel even before the buzzbait hits the water. Of course, another way is to let the buzzbait hit the water, sink and then start reeling. Try the first method and see if it improves your hookups. Also, what color skirt were you using? Black? What was the blade color? Silver, gold or red? Just wondering. Keep on trying. You can catch some big bass in the early AM or late PM on a buzzbait.

Bass Fishing Machine has a wonderful point about retrieve speed. Go fast. Go slow. Stop. Start. Sometimes when a fish is following your topwater you have to stop it or slow the speed and have the fish run up on it and they will take it. You can do this with crankbaits, too. Just go out and experiment to see what the fish want that day.

Mono for treble hook baits. Flouro and copoly for anything. Super lines and braids for heavy cover and deep water. Graphite rod for best "transmission" from line to rod to hand/finger. Medium heavy rod may be your best selection. Use tungston weights for better transmission. Keep line tight by keeping rod tip high and reel and rod butt close to body with hand on reel or finger touching line. If line moves get ready to set the hook. Be watchful for line moving towards you. Feel for the tap-tap-tap and get ready to set the hook. If you throw too far you can actually outcast the hookset power. This is why filpping and pitching are so deadly with short casts. Experiment and have fun.

Hey guys, you can't land them all. Some will get off the hook. Same thing in life. Sometimes they just get off the hook and you can't put them in the boat. But keep on casting. Sooner or later you will land that lunker. Even in movie land....keep on casting and sooner or later you will land that lunker. With the exception of that fat guy who is married to the ugly woman and he produces anti American pictures. Mike something.

P.S. I like graphite rods for crankbaits and Carolina rigs for better transmission of the bottom and structure via the rod and line.

Interesting question. Pros have many setups. Like 15 to 20 setups for each tournament and prefishing. The pros also have reels, rods and baits that we do not have available. Of course, they use the name brands but some of the equipment is modified for each professional bass fisherman. What I have learned is that less is more. You may consider what Ike says you really need to take with you when fishing. Just remember, it is OK to stop, retie your knots or set up another bait. Here is a recap on what Ike says you need: Rods 7' Medium Heavy Rod with 6:3:1 Baitcaster for jig, worm and Carolina rigs 7' Fiberglass with 5:11 Baitcaster for treble hook baits 6'6 Medium Action for 2500 Spinning Reel for worms and tubes and jigs. Line Mono for treble hook baits Fluorocarbon and copoly for anything Super lines and braid for heavy cover and deep water Lures Small boxes with labels Topwaters Spinnerbaits Crankbaits Worms Jigs Carolina rigs You can actually drive yourself crazy deciding what to bring and what setups to use. We all use topwaters in the early AM and late PM. After that, anything goes, including topwaters. So join the club and take 200 pounds of plastics, ten rods and reel setups, all of your hard baits, and sink the boat. ;D Of course, doing some research on the body of wate and time of year will help you cut down on your setups. This is way bass fishing is a science. Have fun.

Call back to the company. I am sure that you were disconnected by accident. If that telephone number fails, then look up the company's main phone number on the web and invest in a phone call to the president's office. That may produce some action. If calling fails, write a letter to the president of the company. That usually gets some results. You can find out the names of the executives in the local library. Tell the libraian what you want and they can help you find it. Yikes! A bass fisherman in a library. With real books, too. ;D I am sure Shakespear would like to know how in the world you broke an Ugly Stick. You just do not break an Ugly Stick. It is impossible to break an Ugly Stick other than closing the car door on it or rolling up the rear window and snaping off the tip. So good luck on contacting the company and congratulations on breaking your Ugly Stick. That is some accomplishment.

Texas fishing and Texas football. It just doesn't get any better, with the exception of Louisiana and Florida!!!! ;D

Putting that baby in the boat and looking at her and then changing my pants after I get my heart beat back to normal and catching my breath.

May I suggest letting the fish take the bait and wait two seconds before setting the hook? Set the hook with a swing to the left or right and NOT straight up like you set a plastic. The fish are hitting the lure and you are pulling it out of their mouth. to allow them to hold the jitterbug longer consider putting some Mega Strike on it. The bass seem to hold on to baits, even hard baits, with Mega Strike on them. I also have the problem of patience when throwing a topwater. As soon as I see the splash or swirl I am ready to set the hook but you have to let them have it for one or two seconds (sometimes three seconds) to make sure they have it. Also, some bass with just hit the lure and not take it into their mouth or the bass/crappie/catfish/bream are too small to inhale the jitterbug so even if you wait they do not have it in their mouths. But topwaters are lots of fun so keep throwing them. P.S. Ever try a pink or white trick worm with a 2/0 straight shank hook? Lots of fun to fish.

Jason, I, too, have trouble removing the pork trailers from my jigs. Drives me nuts, especially when they dry out and I have to take a knief to cut them off the jig. I have no idea of how to remove the pork easily so if anyone knows it will be very valuable information.

Hey Roostertails! I have looked at maps on the internet and they just do not meet the level of detail that I get from the published maps. In Virignia we have GMCO who publishes maps of the major lakes and rivers so we are very fortunate. There are no maps of the Nottoway/Blackwater/Chowan River system so I have an Atlas of North Carolina that I use as my map. It is not that detailed but it is all that I can find. No GMCO maps of the river system. So check out the web but if you can locate a map of the body of water you may be better off.

Colleges and universities have ponds as do golf courses. Sorry I forgot these entities.

A pond is a small body of water that is land locked. It can be as small as a square block or as large as 25+ acres. Ponds can be man-made or natural. Ponds can be stream fed or rain/drainage fed. There are ponds all over the place, north, south, east and west. Obtain a detailed road map of your geographical area, in color if possible, and you will see all of the ponds in subdivisions, office complexes, apartment complexes, woods, off main river channels, etc. Fishing ponds is a lot of fun as the are usually stocked with bream bass, crappie and bass by either the municipality or individuals. Depending on the ownership rights, ponds are owned by either a municipality, corporation, partnership or individual. Finding good ponds to fish is always a challenge but a lot of fun to try them out. I found a pond that I have driven by for years and it is loaded with bass. Tonight we went to dinner with a friend and her son (who I take fishing) and we walked over to the pond in the shopping center and noticed minnows which tells me there are fish in that pond so I will plan to fish it in the future. You can "Google" ponds to get the official definition but I think you know what a pond is. Now, get off your duff and look around your geographical area for ponds in apartment complexes, shopping centers, office complexes or state parks and do some fishing.