Sam

Megastrike on crankbaits.

Let us know how you do. Happy New Year.

Skins are hot. Let's hope Gibbs does not mess it up.

$.485/mile for 80 miles = $38.80. IRS allows $.485/mile for vehicle use in business so I am using that figure.

Thanks for the warning. Isn't it a shame that good products are counterfieted. My brother is an attorney and he tells me that any product can be counterfeited overseas and you can do very little about it. Where is James Bond when you need him?

And one more thought... Colleges are very sensitive to any players receiving any benefits outside of those approved by the school and the NCAA. Consequently, be prepared for the compliance officer to tell you to stop taking money or other items from your sponsors as an alumni could then legally give you a lot of money or other benefits as a fisherman while the money, etc. is really for playing football for your school. Understand what I mean? Unless you are going to the University of Alabama you may have a problem.

Currently, under NCAA rules, you can play a college level sport as long as you are not a professional in that sport. That said, it means that you can play major league baseball and be able to play college football or basketball or run track, etc. You will be prohibited from playing college baseball. I do not believe fishing is an NCAA sanctioned sport at this time. However, go see your school's compliance officer in the athletic deprtarment for clarification. He/she will be glad to help you clarify the situation. I know at LSU we have had guys who played MLB in the summer and football in the winter. They play mainly A, AA and AAA ball and not the majors. But they did play football. Let me know what they say by PMing me. Happy New Year.

Dave, The hair makes me think it looks like Jimmy Houston. Can you hide a bass in it somewhere?????

Hey, it is better than eating the glue. You did good. A+. Now go fishing.

Nope. Never heard of them. But, being from Louisiana, I do like the Roast Beef Po-Boys and the Osyter Loafs. At R&O's out at the lakefront in New Orleans they have a fantastic Italian Po-Boy that will knock your socks off. So if the lure is named Po-Boy, it just has to be good!!!! ;D

Is the creek flowing or stationary? As John J. said, smaller baits presented very s-l-o-w. Like throw your jig and let it sit for 45 to 60 seconds. Yes, just let it sit there. Then, move it about 6 inches by moving the rod tip abour an inch. And let it sit again. You can then decide how to move the bait back to you, either fast or slow and how long to let it sit. And how does the water get into the creek? Far away from where you are located or close by? And where does the creek empty out? Far away or close to you? With cold water the bass are in a hibernation state but they do move and eat. Not as fast or as much as in warmer water, but they do have to survive during the winter months. So be patient and try your luck with a jig or a Carolina rigged plastic or a pointer. Experiment.

This points the need for a check list. Of course, it is not as bad as forgetting your lunch or net, which I have done before. Congrats to your daughter for catching that bass.

Just in case you guys in central Virginia missed the news, Lake Chesdin is full of water. And with the rains we just had it should keep its high level for a while. Just wanted you all to know.

So many jigs....so little time. Congrats. Keep those stories coming.

Beautiful fish. You did good. Isn't jig fishing fun? And you reminded us that sometimes the bass head towards us so be ready to reel in that slack and set the hook.

Its way too hot to fish in Florida. Fish gone north for the winter. No reason to go out on the water anymore. Try fishing for redfish. But keep those posts and pics coming!!!!!!

That's all I use. Never had a problem with hook ups. Have had the wire weed guard come loose and got hung up, but rarely. I also use the heat shrink tubing technique with the weedless hook and it is a super combination.

I have tried this with a Pop-R. I went to Orvis and purchased a beautiful blue and silver fly popper. It is about an inch to an inch and a quarter long and it is extremely light weight. It has a white feather on its tail. I tied the line from the rear treble hook on the Pop-R to the fly popper having the fly popper about 18 inches behind the Pop-R. Never got a strike. I am not saying that this rig does not work. All I am saying is that I never got a strike. So give it a try and let us know of your results.

My cousin in New Orleans managed to get two tickets to the BCS Championship game between those fantastic Fighting Tigers of LSU and the goats from Ohio State so I am going to New Orleans for the game. The tickets are from one of the casinos and my friend and I will be in a suite. With the crazy LSU fans it means that game day will be a combination of Mardi Gras, LSU tailgating and the French Quarter all rolled into one. We will get to the Super Dome around 11 AM on Monday and just watch and enjoy the festivities and of course we will eat some really good food. I will have to fly in and out of Biloxi due to the flights being booked in and out of NOLA. Man, this is like catching a new personal best.

Nope, and don't want anything alive in the house, not even my wife's plants. We baby sit our friend's dog which give us our dog-fix every now and then. But let's see your pets. And let's see which ones look like their owners.

Yes, the Fighting Tigers backed into the BCS Championship Game. Isn't life wonderful? ;D

That's terrible. With all the mental health services available today it is so sad to hear someone just can't take it anymore and they take drastic actions. Stay strong, Muddy.

Can Avid repeat next year if he smiles in his photos?

I use the spinning rigs for the "lighter" set ups and the baitcaster for the heavy set ups. Light line is best on spinning reels. Up to 10 pounds of fluro or mono. I usually use 8 pounds, even in tournament fishing; and 4 to 6 pounds in ponds. If you have a heavy spinning reel (2500, 3500, etc.) you may want to use braid but I put braid on baitcasters as braid is fished in cover and structure and you need the power to get the fish out and to the boat. Spinning set-ups are great for finesse fishing, pitching, flipping and those applications where you want a silent entry into the water. When spooling your line be sure to put the line on the spinning reel in a COUNTER CLOCKWISE manner. Since the line comes off the reel clockwise, but putting the line on the reel in a counter clockwise manner will help avoid line twist. Also, run your line through a wet spot on a wash cloth that has been dampened (or soaked) in Kevin VanDam's Lure and Line Conditioner. This removes all memory from the line and makes it easier the throw. Do not overfill the spinning reel. That will cause a lot of problems with the line. After casting throw the bail with your hand and not the reel handle. This will save the bail from excess wear and tear. And pull the line out from the spinning reel after each cast. Do this fast before you reel in the slack. This helps prevent line twist and gets the line back on the spinning reel in a tight manner after you cast. You may also consider taking one or two extra spinning reels that are spooled and ready to go so you can switch out the reels as you change your techniques or if you get a nasty line twist. This saves time and avoids the frustration of trying to get the line twist out of the reel. Read articles on the use of spinning reels and tackle and get some videos on the techniques or baits you like to use to see how the pros fish the different presentations.

Yes, what you have is all over the country. I have had it for two weeks and have taken Calritan and a cough syrup but to no avail. My wife wants me to go to see our family physician but so far I am just letting it run its course. She has the life insurance policies lined up on the kitchen counter so I think she really wants me to go to the doctor. Maybe after the first of the the year if it does not get better. If you do go to a doctor let us know what he says so we can do what he tells you. Thanks.