Sam

XM Radio on station 120 will be playing Mardi Gras all day. Do you think they will play "There is No Place to Pee on Mardi Gras Day"? Second Line, here we come!

What is that fish?

Kool. Talented guys.

I like Vanish and will be trying the Yo-Zuri this year. But that Trileen product sounds interesting. Darn, here comes the Bait Monkey.

I take my motor to Jerry Cooper in Ashland, Virginia each year to have it checked and winterized. This year this is what Jerry found and did to the motor, boat and trailer: 1. Checked motor's compression. 2. Replaced the spark plugs. 3. Replaced water pump. 4. Load tested all three batteries. 5. Replaced water pump drain. 6. Replaced lower gear lube. 7. Greased engine where needed. 8. Replaced right trailer light. 9. Fixed winch strap hook that #1 son broke. 10. Tightened carburator as it was ready to fall off. 11. Adjusted idle speed. 12. Replaced trailer tires. 13. Greased trailer tire bearings. 14. Replaced trim tab that fell off in the Pamunkey River. 15. Flushed cooling system. 16. Fogged engine for winter. 17. Checked bilge pump operation. 18. Checked all boat lights and gauges. 19. Oiled trailer winch, coupler and jack. 20. Sold me the prop nut kit to use to replace the motor's prop should I have to do so while on the water. The most important thing he did was service my outboard which I have done every year. I do not want any motor problesm on the water. Please check the compression; idle speed; water pump; spark plugs; and that all nuts and bolts are tight. And use only marine spark plugs. A friend used auto spark plugs and burned up his motor. Always be sure you have oil in the motor. Jerry told me that he has had a few guys bring their motors in after they forgot to put oil in the motor before going out. Have fun!

I just have to go fish in Florida before I croak. What a fish! Both of them. Beautiful animals. Thanks for sharing.

Picked up a pack at Green Top. Can't wait to try them. I got the only package they had. I will have to go to Gary's site to see if there are other colors.

Favorite is Megastrike in a tube. Carolina Lunker Sauce in a roll on tube. Jack's Juice in crawfish flavor. Secret recipie that I use and do not share. Use scents on just about everything that leaves the boat on the end of my line. Some guys on this site do not use scent and do not believe in them. But it is a confidence builder so use it on all baits if you wish.

Keep walking and see what else you can find on shore, in the trees and bushes and in the water. I found an almost new chartreuse spinnerbait in the James River; a Rooster Tail in a tree; and I got my Bandit crank back out of a tree on my pond. As the water goes down I am finding wood in the water that have eaten my baits through the years. If the pond gets any lower, I'll walk out and try to get them out of the trees and stumps. Let us know what else you find.

Wonderful news. Wear your Tennessee cap and do well. Wear an LSU cap and with the tournament. Just kidding. Do you think you need to ask abot the lake in the fishing boards, like the Southeast? You may get more responses. Now go out and do us proud.

Any suggestions on how to remove a crankbait's bill? I want to remove it without damaging the lure. Thanks in advance for any help.

Two or three more things I just thought of. First, put a small swivel above the hook when throwing the Rooster Tail or other spinning lure. Second, show him around the boat. Show him where you keep stuff. Let him know where the net is kept and show him how to put it into the water and for you to bring the fish to him BEFORE you have him try to land a fish with the net. Let him drive the boat. In case of an emergency he needs to know how to drive the boat. Plus, it is a lot of fun for the boy to actually drive the boat, with you sitting next to him, of course. Show him your sonar and how to read it. Have him be in charge of telling you the water temperature and depth. It gives him a responsibility and makes him feel like he is an active participant in the adventure. The more you can do to bond him to you, fishing and your boat will go miles in the future with your relationship, especially when he hits that "age" when he wants to play sports or he gets interested in girls and cars. And you can talk to him about any subject on a boat with minimal problems. Like drugs, bad friends, school work, siblings, relatives, cars, sports, trips, etc. You will have his attention in a neutral atmosphere and you can actually carry on a conversation with him. That is until he hits 13, 14 or 15 and his brain goes to mush.

And let him pick out his PFD. And help get the boat ready to launch by holding the rope and the boat after you put it in and then the same while you are trailering the boat. Sometimes the kids want to take a dip in the water. That is OK so let him do it by the boat. Have fun.

Jet Tech, Suggestions. 1. Light tackle using LIVE bait, such as worms or minnows. 2. Realize that he needs to catch fish or he will get bored easily. 3. Go to a few University of Tennessee football games. Quite an adventure if you have never gone before. Really worth the trip and money. 4. Do other things with the boy, such as movies, McDonalds, kids museums. 5. Take him shopping for the fishing equipment. Get him involved. 6. Let him take his fishing stuff home. Just have backups in case he forgets something, like the rod and reel or hooks. 7. Get him a cap to wear when fishing. Let him pick it out. 8. Get him sunglasses. Let him pick them out. Plus a tackle box. Kids love tackle boxes. 9. Let him select the place to fish, such as local ponds, etc. 10. Have him use a spinning reel with the understanding that that he will get line twist and loops in the line so be patient and work through them. 11. Get a book or a phamphlet from the Tennessee Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and go through it with him, looking at the fish and other information. 12. Start slow; don't push fishing on him; and show him nature and how beautiful it is being adjacent to or on the water. 13. Be sure he can swim. If not, swimming lessons need to be completed. 14. Have a towel ready to clean his hands or dry off if he falls in the water. 15. Food and snacks and drinks. Kids love 'em. Have them ready. Go to McDonalds or Wendy's or Subway and get your lunch and then to a grocery store for drinks and snacks. Have him pick them out 16. Take a camera and take photos of him fishing and catching a fish. 17. Bring a pliers (needle nose type) to help remove hooks from the fish. In other words, get him involved with the entire process. Let him "own" the fishing experience. Now, for you...read, read and read some more. Note how to throw a spinning reel bail with your hand after you pull the line tight and reel in the tight line and slack. May I suggest a 6 foot medium heavy rod with a SPINNING reel on it. Four (4) pound light line. A number 4 or 6 gold hook. A split shot sinker, a small one. A medium size red and white bobber. Put the hook about 12 inches below the bobber with a part of worm or minnow on it and throw it out. You can adjust the bobber to go deeper or shallow. Or a small white and grey Rooster Tail. For some reason, bream and bass and catfish will hit a small Rooster Tail. And Rooster Tails are fun as you cast them out and keep reeling them in and casting them out and reeling them in, etc. This is a simple and inexpensive set up that will catch all types of fish. You can always throw white bread into the water (tear it up first) to attract the fish to your spot. Bream love bread and bass love bream. And it is entertaining to see the bream strike the bread. You can then move up to the heavier rigs as you all progress during the year. Nightcrawlers or minnows for bait. Or, you can make it a project for him to go out and find worms. That is a fun experience in itself. He can do this when you are not around and he is getting ready to go fishing the next day. Be sure to get him a plastic container with a cover so he can put some dirt in it to store the worms. Of course, he could use a shovel. And remember, he may not want to go fishing all the time. He will want to play sports; do things with his mother or relatives/friends; so you will have to honor his request. Just take your time. I take two boys fishing all the time and they love it. One is a studious kid who would rather read then do anything else. But he loves to go fishing with me. And he hates to get dirty, but he will handle worms and the fish when we go fishing. It drives his mom nuts. His younger brother is a nature kid, looking for worms and bugs and wanting to be outside rather than inside. And he likes books with pictures as he is not crazy about reading. But they both love to go fishing at the local pond with me. Remember to take picutres. Lots of pictures. Kids love to see themselves fishing and holding up a fish after they have caught it. And the photos will last you a lifetime. Have fun and don't fall in the water. It is embarrassing. Funny, but embarrassing.

Congrats on opening your store. Good luck and don't forget to open a special "tax" account to put money in so you can pay your monthly payroll taxes. This is critical to the success and life of your company. Now, what to carry? What types of fishing are in your area? Crappie? Bream? Walleye? Pickrell? Largemouth Bass? Smallmouth Bass? Catfish? Saltwater? Any boating needs? Any live bait needs? Have you visited other local tackle shops to see what they carry and how they set up their products? I would suggest being the leader for Zoom plastics and Bandit crankbaits, being sure to get special runs or the newest colors each year. And what is the economic level of your community? Should you carry Shimano products or Ugly Sticks and Zebcos? Pure Fishing reps can help you and give you guidance as can the local guides. And have some of the guides' business cards out for your customers and either repair rods and reels or give them *'s information or some else in your area that does repair work. Check out the advertisers on this site and get their products in your store, especially Megastrike and JJ's Magic. The *** should be a big draw as will any baits from local guys. I would think you know the type of fishing in your area and would stock your shelves to move the products as fast as possible. Do you have room for a table and chairs so your employees and patrons can sit down, talk and lie to each other, and maybe have a place for the "old timers" to come into your store for breakfast? ood drawing card. And don't forget the alarm systems and your system for taking cash and putting it in a vault until you can go to the bank. And go to the bank on an "unscheduled" basis so you do not have a pattern that sets you up for a robbery. As for insurance, check with Nationwide for a BOP policy; or your local agent for their BOP policy for your tackle shop. And don't forget that excess liability of at least $1,000,000 with $5,000,000 being better. And Non-Owned and Hired Autos is critical. As is Workers' Compensation insurance for you and all employees. Check to see if the payroll is limited to a lower level for corporate officers. And did I say PAY THOSE FREAKING TAXES? Not paying them will get you into a lot of hot water very fast. Welcome to the board. We value your input and your SALES! ;D

Very good rods. Give 'em a try.

You may also want to get either the book or DVD of Denny Brauer's Jig Fishing Secrets. Please invest a few pennies and get the book or DVD. It is well worth your time and money. And read all of the info on this site. Remember, flipping starts with an "F" and when you flip you pull the line to your side and form an "F". So when you flip you pull the line to your side and cast it accordingly. When you pitch, you do so "underhand" like pitching a baseball to a young person to swing the bat. But please get Breuer's book or DVD. It is outstanding and you will be flipping and pitching like a pro in an hour. You may not catch anything, but you will look good trying.

I am not having problems. You should get the results you want within the forum boards. If you want specific articles then you will have to scroll down the Fishing Articles and Tacklebox and search for your topics. And don't forget about "ball bearing" swivels. Expensive but worth every cent. And don't tell anyone as we do not want this information to get out to the other guys.

When you have greedy lenders this is what happens. Giving loans to people who cannot afford them on an adjustable basis. People trying to live above and beyond their means. Government cannot control this nor can government correct this. It is greed on part of the lender and borrower. And that's the way it is, like it or not.

Dominion Dan, You go to the top rated party school in Virginia. What do you mean you don't have time to learn how to use a baitcaster? Time management... Wake up. Get cleaned up. Eat Breakfast. Throw away all beer cans and bottles from last night's party. Get lawn chair and watch traffic fly by on I-81. Eat lunch. Take a nap after lunch. Go to your class at 2 PM. Back to dorm room. Change into gym clothes to go play some touch football or basketball. Go to dorm and clean up. Go to dinner. Go to local beer store and stock up for party tonight. Get ice and snacks. Make sure TV works OK and set it to ESPN. Friends arrive around 7:30 PM. Party until midnight. Go to sleep. Same thing next day. Oh, the life of a JMU student. You can skip your class and learn how to use the baitcaster.

Use lower unit oil. Check with a local boat service department and ask them what they suggest you use. Do not take any chances with the lower unit oil.

Knowing Bass, The Scientific Approach to Catching More Fish by Dr. Keith Jones. Denny Brauer's Jig Fishing Secrets. Kevin VanDam's Secrets of a Champion. Bass Wisdom by Homer Circle. And don't forget your DVD's and videos. Any by Woo Daves or KVD or the Bigmouth series by Glen Lau.

Yep. Had boat winterized yesterday and had all the problems corrected so we are ready to plug in the battery charger, put fresh gas in her and head out to the lake in March. Just have to wait for that water temperature to get a little warmer. March 20, 2008 - Spring officially begins.

The Bait Monkey is not at your place for two weeks. He is everywhere all the time. You just don't see him until he jumps out and bites you on your fanny. Beware of the Bait Monkey. He is watching you.

60s Early 70s Late 50s Classical Jazz "The Stripper" - Grew up with it in New Orleans and I just like the tune. Music where you can understand what the singers are saying without any dumb dancing.