Sam

Ball Coach, I keep records of all the bodies of water I fish and use the materials as reference data. Records include what I caught, where and the baits used; what others caught; tips and suggestions from others; and magazine articles. It is always interesting to read about what worked or failed to refresh your memory so you do not have to stock the boat with 200 pounds of plastics and 100 spinnerbiats, buzzbaits, Chatterbaits, topwaters, crankbaits, Banjo Minnow, etc. OK, just kidding about the Banjo Minnow.

When is the last time you had the compression checked? Maybe it is time to have the motor serviced and have them check the spark plugs, too. Something is not right and I suggest nipping it in the bud very fast before the weather turns and you want to back on the water.

Burley nailed that one. Just look around in the same area of the larger tackle and you should find these smaller versions. I like the Tiny Torpedos and the Baby Spooks.

Good rods. Pick up a few if you can.

Burley, you watching soap operas?

That is one nice truck. Enjoy!

Suggestions for Gaston and Kerr trip. 1. Check out motels in South Hill. Many of them, including the Days Inn, have a reduced rate if you are a fisherman. But you have to ask for it. The Days Inn motel also has electrical outlets to recharge your batteries. Days Inn, 434.447.3123. 2. Kerr and Gaston are two different bodies of water. They fish different and you can use different baits and techniques on each. 3. Call 434.738.6371, extension 275 for the water level of Kerr. 303 to 304 means the water is covering the bushes and the fishing is great. 300 is the normal level for the lake. If you can find bushes with 10 to 12 feet of water under them then you will be in bass heaven. 4. Order your GMCO maps of Kerr Reservoir and Lake Gaston, 888.420.6277. You will need to study the maps before you venture out. 5. Remember, these are two big bodies of water and if the wind is blowing you will have whitecaps on the lakes so be careful and watch the wind. 6. Drive to Clarksville and visit Bobcat Lake Country Tackle. They know what the fish are hitting and they can give you some good advice. It is on Route 15 south of Clarksville so follow the signs and try not to get lost. 7. Try Eastland Creek. Lots of coves and bushes to fish and the water can be calmer then out on the lake if the wind is blowing. Also consider Powerline Cove and Rushing Creek. 8. Get a map of Virginia so you can follow the roads to your ramp and other places to visit. Kerr I like to throw spinnerbaits and wacky rigs (5 inch pumpkin worms with black flake) into the bushes. White 3/8 War Eagle spinnerbaits or your favorite spinnerbaits should produce strikes. Worms in the color of red shad, green pumpkin, watermealon and grape have worked in the past. Green Pumpkin and purple with green flake tubes fished bouncing off the bottom back to the boat can be fun. Some fo the guys like the Rat-L-Trap, silver with a blue back; a Shad Rap Rapala #7 or #8; and the old staple, the Black and Blue Jig. Add Gary Y. Kreature Baits thrown into the bushes Zoom Red Shad Curley Tail worms fished over any brushpile you can find. And try to find any humps on the bottom and fish them. Gaston I like to throw shad color crankbaits along grass lines. Lots of docks to fish and you can fish almost any type of rig you want. Look for grass in the lake or creeks plus any tree stump fields. Try a Junebug colored worm. Rat-L-Traps both silver and blue and gold and orange have worked in the past. So do Shaky Head rigs. Sweet Beaver in green pumpkin can be productive. Carolina rigs work on Gaston, too. Who knows what they will want to strike so be ready to throw different baits. You will receive other information so consider it, too. And watch your speed on I-85. They are watching you in unmarked partol cars in NC and in cruisers in VA. Good luck and let us know how you all did.

Found it! Cabella's 2008 Master Fishing Catalog, page 150. Ultra Soft. I will order some and you can, too. Sure wish there was a Cabella's around these parts to go along with Gander Mountain, Bass Pro Shop and Green Top.

Simon, I picked up a reel of 275 yards of 8 pound clear Yo-Zuri Hybird at the Hampton BPS two weeks ago. It does not say "Ultra Soft" like Roadwarrior sugests but it is Yo-Zuri and I can't wait to put it on my spinning reel when it gets a little warmer outside. In fact, I can't find any "Ultra Soft" Yo-Zuri, even on the Yo-Zuri web site. Let me know if you find it somewhere around Virginia.

Please, please, please check your drag before your first cast. I have lost two big ones because I did not check the drag. Talk about dumb.

Guys, I wish there were some rules to follow when selecting bait colors, other than picking out the colors we like best. When fishing on the Historic James River my friend kills them with Cherry Seed plastic worms. On the same river another friend murdered them with Mocassin Blue plastic worms. Go figure?

At 1 PM today, there will be a press conference in Baton Rouge announcing that John "Puffy Cheeks" Brady will step down as the men's basketball coach after this Saturday's contest against Tennessee. Since going to the Final Four in 2006, the Fighting Tigers basketball team has been on a downward spiral and the future of the program does not look bright. Skip Bertman, LSU's Director of Athletics, is handling the situation before he retires and leaves this disaster in the hands of his successor. Is this why Bobby Knight resigned from Texas Tech to take the LSU job?

Dave, shouldn't you be in school learing how to read and write instead of being on-line with us guys at work who are goofing off with our computers?

Smile Avid, smile. ;D

Wow! Another guy joins us. You have just entered the best place to discuss bass fishing in the world. Ask your questions and read the other posts. Show us your pics of what you catch, too.

Welcome to the forum. I am from New Orleans and am an LSU grad and you are in a place in this world that has some wonderful fishing. Glad you decided to join us.

Sorry Shaun, I have the Kistler Helium TLA He76THC and I love it. Caught a bass on the very first cast with her on Lake Gaston last year. It is a very light and powerful rod. Hope someone out there can answer your question.

Isn't Argentinian beef the best in the world? I was once told that the beef from that area of the world was outstanding. Redline, we need a food and drink report.

I have never seen one of the hard bound catalogs. I wonder why any company would produce such a catalog that is only good for a short period of time? My only thought is that if the catalog looks and feels good you will use it more or keep it on your bookshelf for future reference. Right now I get one Cabella's catalog and three BPS catalogs of the same edition. I take one BPS catalog with me in the car to look over while waiting to see clients; the second stays home; and the third is thrown away.

How did they do that? It is a work of art. Thanks for sharing.

To shun someone is one of the worst forms of punishment. If you all shun him then you can quietly make a strong statement. But what concerns me is that Americans have short memories. We forget things that have occurred in the past and go on with our lives. So let LBH and Glenn handle this on behalf of all of the 12,000+ members on this board. Just be watchful that the problem does not raise its ugly head in the future.

I don't look at the clothes in any BPS catalog so I have no idea if the products are shown in the catalog or if you have to go on-line to order them. But I don't think my wife will see the humor if I get her some so I'll pass on this one. But the comments are excellent!!! ;D

Shimano Castic. I have one and love it. Great for any techniques you decide to use.

Bream Master, You may want to ask your lip question to the guys in tacklemaking. I know that the square lipped crank is good for throwing in wood. I know that the larger the bill the deeper the bait will run. I would think that the heart shapped bill will cause the crank to run and wobble as created by the manufacturer to give it a different look. So please ask your question to the guys who frequent tacklemaking as I would think they would have an answer for your query.

Andrew, Welcome to bass fishing from the pros on this site. The Sharpie is a trick the pros use. The leader is so that the line cannot be seen by the fish but you have the power of the braid to bring those fish out of the cover. You can use Flourocarbon as many of the pros do and that is fine. Just be mindful of knicks and abraisions on the line. As for the knot, I use a Palamore and it has performed excellent for me. Just be sure not to burn the line around the hook's eye when you clinch down to tighten the knot. Try using a wacky rigged Senko or finesse worm when flipping and pitching. A jig and pig works great, too. Let us know how you do.