Sam

Great photo. Can you send it to the LSU Alumni Association for their monthly magazine? Need the address? If so, PM me.

I always stop. I was a teenage driver once upon a time. I was a stuipd driver, a/k/a teenager. The only sign I do not stop is the "T" intersection in my neighborhood where you can see for a block in each direction. I do a Texas rolling stop at this intersection if no cars, people or dogs are coming in either direction. Otherwise, it is S-T-O-P when you are supposed to stop.

Have you tried this site for boats? www.vabass.com It is the Virginia Bass Federation and they have ads for boats on the site.

Dave, We want to see some lunkers, too. And smile in your pics. You are supposed to be having fun. Keep 'em coming.

And one more. What is the non-boater fee for fishing a tournament? Very, very important to note their formula for determining the non-boater fees. Can get costly, like $50 or more, depending on the cost of gasoline. And is the non-boater fee based on the regular or mid-range gasoline? Remember, the big motors run on mid-range (89 octane) gas.

Suggested queries: Are you a member of B.A.S.S. or TBF? What are your non-boater fees? How long do you have to be in the club before you can take your boat to a tournament? How do you pull for tournaments? In other words, how many one-man boats are there and how are they rotated or do club members fish one-man boats and those guys without a boat or on probation will fish as a non-boater? What are the annual dues and how paid? Does the club have a "big fish" pot for the largest bass caught during the year? What is the cost, if any, to fish a tournament? Is paying an additional fee ($10 or $15 each tournament) needed to get a in the pot in the club's individual tournaments? How much is charged to get into individual tournament big fish pots? Where are your tournaments? If far away, think of the expenses of driving and trailering and motel, food, etc. costs. Have the dates of the club's tournaments been finalized? if so, check them out for conflicts with home and work activities. How many club tournaments do you all have? Do you have to fish any Federation tournaments? Can you get a copy of the club's by-laws, Constitution and tournament rules to review prior to joining? How often does the club meet? Monthly? Is it mandatory for you to attend a specific percentage of meetings? Does the club have yute events or other outside activities that are mandatory for you to attend and if so, do you get extra points for attending? What are the ages of the members? If you are a young guy learning you may not want to join a club with a lot of older guys and vise versa. Or you may want to in order to try to learn more about bass fishing. Just a few suggested questions. The guys will probably have more.

I purchased the fresh and saltwater combined license in Virginia a number of years ago so I have no idea if the fee has increased. Best investment I have made. No longer have to worry about getting the license renewed or purchasing a new license. I suggest getting a lifetime license if they are available in your state.

Pointers, and believe it or not, a crankbait. Bandit 200 series thown in lakes. For some reason you can get good results with a cranktbait on Lake Gaston in February and March. Jigs and pigs, too.

I don't care for the new ones, either. However, it was not my decision so we will just have to live with it. I also do not like when the teams wear the old uniforms. I like the current uniforms.

LBH, You out did ourself. Excellent. Even my wife liked it.

I thought you were speaking of me. Yes, Bret is really good. But don't forget the other great NFL players such as Jimmy Taylor, Y.A. Tittle, Bert Jones, Billy Cannon, Earl Gross, Roy Winston, Ken Kavanaugh, Sr., Anthony McFarland, George Rice, Alan Fanaca and a few more. And then there is Bart Starr.

Oh boy. You have a big problem. You could ask to see the Ax Guy and speak with him about what you are doing in the organization. Or, just keep doing your job. Dress a little better; keep yourself looking pretty every day; don't make waves. Put a little more into your work and look like you are really enjoying it. Smile and be friendly. Ask the Ax Guy if he fishes or some other interest you know he is interested. When he is out of his office, you can always check his pictures and awards and college degree that many people put on their walls, desk or credenzas. Sometimes getting rid of upper management is all that is needed to help cut costs and give the organization a different direction. The "workers" can be left alone unless there is a clunker that can be let go without the threat of a Civil Rights law suit or an EEOC action. My CPA was one of those "Ax Guys" so if you want me to ask him what you should do and not do please PM me. Good luck.

Excellent.

Sorry. Not your chin but your cheek. Don't know anyone whose nose meets their chin.

When you put the rod back together consider taking the male end and rub it around the area where the side of your nose meets your chin. Not kidding. We did this with our fly fishing rods and it lubricates the end making removing it easier. The area is at the bottom of your nose, where there is a "valley" formed by the nose and cheek skin. But I agree with the guys. Take the rod back to where you purchaed it and have them take it apart.

Each year the vendors have been less and less. Seems the guy running the show was not a good business man and he ran a lot of the vendors away. I would think there were about 75 vendors last year. Maybe more. I would hope there would be more now that there is new management.

Dave, You should know what a split-shot rig is. There is a time and place to fish the Carolina rig so read about it and try it. It is also a way to feel what is on the bottom, like grass, rock, soft bottom, etc.

Sorry to hear of the problem. I guess we all need to take the reels out of the boxes and give them a look over and a few turns to make sure they are in good condition before we leave the store. Your bad adventure may save all of us a lot of time and aggravation.

Consider doing two things. First, contact your Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in your state and ask them what types of baitfish may be in the pond. They will not have the micro answer but they should have the macro answer. Second, throw some bread on top of the water and note if you have bluegill and bream. Throw the bread along the bank to see if there are any minnows. I doubt you will have any shad in the ponds. But you should have a good population of bluegills and bream, and maybe some catfish. You may also want to fish with bluegill baits or small bass baits to try to find out if there are any bass in the pond. And if you are lucky, maybe you know someone who has fished the pond and they can tell you what they have caught.

I sent a PM to you. Please keep it to yourself. Thanks, Sam

Nope, but that is a good question. Why has it taken you so long to ask it? ;D Will you have a big "brown" logo on your boat's deck??????

Did you ask the DMV lady that if you brought in a bill of sale would that suffice in lieu of a Maryland title? Did you call the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries? Sometimes they are very helpful with problems and they can give you some insight. Driving to Baltimore or Annapolis is a pain on a good day so have you called the Maryland DMV or Game Commission and asked for their advice before going to Baltimore or Annapolis in search of the title? I am sure this goes on all over the country. What bothers me is that you need that title to prove ownership and that the trailer is not stolen. If the trailer has been stolen the authorities will take it from you and return it to the rightful owner. Please let us know what happens and what you find out. Thanks.

Muddy, Don't forget your acqua view. You will then be totally set to fish!!! ;D

If the Reel Mechanic says it, then it is gospel. The page suggested is excellent. And may I suggest you create a "folder" for bass fishing information and "save" the article in the folder? I do this and read the posts on this site, the Reel Mechanic's information and guidance; and other fishing articles.

LBH, You are on the road with your career so you see a lot of stuff and you are totally right about planning ahead. On I-95 between Richmond and Washington, DC, drivers go 80 in the hammer lane, then swerve over to hit the off ramp by crossing two lanes of traffic. Talk about dumb and dangerous.