Sam

Reminds me of the time we were fishing in the Mississippi Sound on the sandbars and my uncle was reeling in a speckled trout as it was being followed by a shark. The fish came right up to my uncle and as he lifted it out of the water the shark went right between his legs. I swear he made a 15 foot leap out of the water from where he was standing into the skiff. So now, you were fishing and a snake was bringing a smallie to you..... ;D

Frogtog, Great post. But what about automobiles and trucks? Look at the carnage and grief those products cause each year and there is not attempt to ban them or take them away from us. Keep those posts coming!

Just Crazy, I have not driven by the Pony Pasture in over a month but I would assume, but the water level at Snake Hill, that the river is still a little low. If we get a heavy rain up river towards Charlottesville, that water could cause a strong current at the Pony Pasture. From what I have seen the river is docil; not much fast moving current. Maybe you should wait until March before spending a lot of money on gas just to find out that you can't fish the Pony Pasture like you would like to fish it. Just food for thought.

P.S. Like put a crankbait on top of the piano when you are in a concert to bring attention to your avocation Or place a rod and reel standing up by the piano. Just something to make you stand out from the others and have people ask you about it. Look what Liberace did for candlestick holders????? Get my drift?

OK Mad, I am sitting in my office and in comes you, with a smile on your face. My first reaction is, "what in the world does this kid want?" I think..."Who are you? What do you want? How much time will this take? Why should I do business with you? What can you bring to me? How will you increase my sales? Will you be an asset or a liability to my goodwill? Why do I want you to do anything for me?" And on and on. So, may I suggest adding a section as to how many people will see my logo? What age groups will see it? Can you speak well? Will you wear my logo on your concert shirt like you do on your bass fishing shirt? Will you give any free seminars at local tackle shops or fishing shows? If you get your photo in the newspaper or a magazine, will my logo be seen? If I have a seminar at my store will it bring in people who will purchase my product? Will you "wrap" your Grand Piano in the colors and name of my company when you have a piano concert? (Just kidding but it is funny) Can you get on TV and show my logo on your shirt or boat or truck? In other words, why in the world would I want to have you represent me? I don't care about your previous jobs. I don't care where you go to school, unless I hate your school (like LSU people sponsoring a Tulane guy - just won't happen). I do care about the number of people who will see my logo and if it is in the age groups that purchase my products or services. I do care if you have a criminal background or a DUI. What is so unusual about you is that you are a concert pianist. Try to parlay that into how you can help me sell more of my goods and services so I will have a nice return on my investment. Get my theory????? You are a super pianist and a super bass fisherman. A very unusual combination. So use that to your advantage. Give it some thought. Good luck.

Starkville. I have been to all but four SEC football stadiums and Starkville is on the list, along with Ole Miss, Arkansas and Florida. Been to an Ole Miss game in Jackson, but that does not count. You are in some fine country for bass fishing. You have all of Mississippi and most of Louisiana so you can go all over the place and do very well. Glad you are with us. When times get tough, just get out that ole MSU cowbell and ring it a few times. ;D

Roger, What is your financial investment in the boat, motor and trailer? A lot - as you have a beautiful rig. Although you want to do as much as you can to reduce your overhead costs, with a beautiful rig like that you may want to expend the dollars to have the dealer check out and maintain the boat so it will be in tip-top condition for the upcoming season. I have a little Tracker and I take her to Jerry Cooper in Ashland, Virginia, to be serviced. Last trip cost me over $715, but I know she is ready to go and I will not have any problems with her on the water or to and from the launch sites. You would not believe the things Jerry found that I had no idea about. And if I had done the maintenance I know they would not have been fixed correctly, or at all. You remind me of a guy who buys a Mercedes and still changes the oil to save a few bucks. With a beautiful rig like you have I suggest taking it in to make sure she stays beautiful for a long, long time. Just my two cents. Or in your case, my two dollars.

Stopped by my local pond today and saw one bass swimming by a fallen tree and one of the carp near the surface about 50 feet out from shore. I hope this means they are starting to move into prespawn. I need to go fishing.

Reel is excellent. You can't go wrong with the St. Croix. I have one and it is a very good rod. I guess this means you are not going to take your mother to BPS and shop for a new spinning combo?

Dave, Stay away from anything "sexy" for a few years.

No its not wierd. Bream and Blue Gill and Shellcrackers (Redear Sunfish) and Crappie and Redbreast Sunfish hit bass baits all the time. That is a nice Shellcracker you caught. Did you keep it or throw it back?

Dominion Dan, Now let me get this straight. You wade in the part of the river where there are a lot of snakes? I don't think I will be doing that very soon. I don't want Just Crazy to do it either as he is my resource for fishing a few places in the Old Dominion and I want him healthy, happy and thin. We need both of you guys on the forum and not in the hospital.

Sorry guys, but I thought that was as funny as a crutch. Now what Burley posted in the "All the Cranky Old Dudes" post is funny. This video is not funny at all. It is just dumb.

Burley, That is a classic. Super Bowl quality. I saved it to my Shared Funnies. Outstanding!!!!

You are looking for anyone living in Remington, Virginia? Do people actually live in Remington? I thought it was only a sign on US Route 15/29 heading to and from Culpeper. And you say you can get to the Rapp from Remington? Is the area to get to the Rapp by the US 15 Business bridge or the train bridge or somewhere else? And I would think there would be snakes in this area of the world around the Rapp. Just curious.

The Daiwa web site lists these individuals of Team Daiwa: Iaconelli Monroe Omori Folkestad Wilks Ike and Ish are the read deal. Omori, maybe sometimes. Folkestad and Wilks for no apparant reason. I wonder what these guys get paid for being on the team?

Hey John J, You think that is funny? Just wait until you get married! ;D

Castaic is excellent but I have more Curado's so I voted for the Curado's.

Catt, Never have seen one of these before. Are you going to purchase one, try it, and let us know how you did?

It looks like you purchased one of each, the 6:2:1 and the 7:0:1. Is that correct or is it the angle of the camera? I guess your next reel will have to be the Shimano Calais at $650 each. The Bait Monkey is in all of his glory today!!!!

Dave, Firetiger is a great color. Surprised you are not doing well with that color. You and your Dad need to drive down to the Rappahannock or Pamunkey Rivers this summer and give those firetigers some use.

Do you mean "Teaching Success with Spinnerbaits" with Gerald Swindle, Volume I, Tape 2, Coppyright 1998 by Eagle Productions, P.O. Box 2455, Jasper, Alabama 35502? As for skipping, let it hit just enough out front of your target so it sinks very quietly into the water after the last skip. Get that video. It is excellent.

Fish Mack, Here are the suggestions I posted to the same query in the Fishing Tackle section of the forum. Don't forget the pros tip. Cast as far as you can then take about 30 more feet off reel and place some Scotch Tape over the line on the spool. Limits how far the backlash can go into the line. One other consideration when setting up your baitcaster. Set it up as you are going to use it when fishing, but.... Point the rod tip into the air to an 11 o'clock position and let the bait fall to the ground or a floor (not carpet). When the bait hits the ground or floor the reel should stop spinning. If the reel continues to spin then you have the setup too loose so tighten it up. By doing this you will prevent backlashes. And another trick. Get some Clam Shot weights and use the smallest size you can on your spinnerbait to give it some added weight when throwing into the wind. The added weight will help you stop wind-caused backlashes. You clamp the weight onto the middle of the spinnerbait's hook. Give it a try but don't tell the guys on this site as it is a secret.

Mike, Send it to the Reel Mechanic and he will get it working.

I have an ultra light two-piece rod that I take with me on trips. The one thing that blows my mind is when I forget it is a two-piece rod and fail to keep tightning the sections together as I fish. On more than one occassion I have made a cast and the front section will fly off with the cast. Man, do I feel dumb or what? So keep making sure the two sections remain tight together as you fish.