Sam

Yes, you are making a lot of sense. I suggest waiting until January or February when the tackle stores have their sales events. Keep an eye on BPS, Gander Mountain and Cabella's for their on-line sales or in-store sales. Also, the larger regional tackle stores, like Academy down south, will have their sales. Look for the fishing expos in your neighborhood or a city near by and attend. Sometimes you can get some good bargians from the dealers. And of course, keep checking out this forum as the guys will let you know about items on sale this winter.

I have the bait about 8 inches above the weight. Sometimes a foot. I use a brass weight on top of a glass bead on the end of the line by tieing a small "O" ring at the end of the line. That little "do dad" on the top of the drop shot weight is for you to run the end of your line through it. If the weight gets tangled in rocks or grass, etc. you give it a hard tug and the weight drops off and you put on another one without having to re-rig the entire setup. Saves time but is costly in terms of buying more drop shot weights. The weight method I am using is a lot cheaper than the drop shot weights. But the drop shot weights work great, too. The brass on glass is supposed to mimic the sound of a crawfish. I use a #1 Owner hook and a finesse worm or a Basstrix minnow or a small Gulp! fluke. Use whatever plastic you wish. I use a baitcaster on a 6'6" MH rod (although I have used a 7' rod). I always have my fingers touching the line to feel any bites or a "heavy rubberband-like feeling" on the end of the line. When you feel the "heavy rubberband-like feeling" set the hook. I use Flurocarbon and mono lines. I have not seen a difference with this technique although the guys on the site will give you their input on the line. Whatever line I have on my baitcaster is what I throw. Usually a light line, around 8 to 10 pounds. In ponds I use 6 or 8 pound test. I cast out and fish the bait like I am worming the bottom but I only move the tip of the rod. Usually I let my normal hand motion make the bait move and jiggle. I take out as much slack as possible. I look for drop offs and banks. I fish in and around structure and over rocks. Along grass lines is also a good place but get ready for some snags. You can fish it straight down or cast it towards shore and fish it Texas style back to the boat. Just let your normal hand shaking move the bait as it sits above the weight. Experiment and see what works for you. I plan to use one of the weedless hooks this summer to see if I can get the rig into more structure without snagging it. The hooks start at the 1/0 size which maybe too heavy for the drop shot setting. Remember, a drop shot rig is a finesse technique which takes patience. And one last suggestion. Have a rubber band above your reel on the rod so you can store the weight when not fishing the drop shot rig. Otherwise it is "tangle city" when the weight and line get tangled with your other rods and reels. Let us know how you do.

I would think you would have to define the meaning of "sports" when asking this question. For example, is auto racing a sport? Is fishing actually a sport? Are chess and checkers sports? Are Parkour and Free Running considered sports? Once you define what a "sport" is to be then you can make a valid comparison. And LBH is correct in his statement that some of the "sports" are actually careers or jobs and they should not be included in the statistics. In addition, should we include "injuries to participants" or the "death rates" that each sport produces over the past five to ten years as our markers? Football would win the injuries while auto racing, parachuting, mountain climbing, hiking and hunting would probably lead in deaths. I know of two very dangerous situations while bass fishing. 1. Falling out of the boat into cold water; and 2. Having a serious medical condition while fishing by yourself. In the new BPS catalog there are emergency distress messengers that I would think we all should have with us when fishing. Check out page 449 in the new BPS catalog. I may get one. I just love these new toys!

Thanks for sharing. I agree, that last pic was beautiful. Keep 'em coming for us guys up north to enjoy this winter.

Received my BPS yesterday. Waiting for the Cabella's to arrive. Strolled through all pages of the BPS catalog. Dog-eared a number of pages with items I may want. Now to wait for the BPS big sale in January.

You need to read the articles on this forum. You need to visit a retail boat outlet to see the new boats and discuss them with the salespeople to gete their information. You do not have to purchase a new boat, just get their suggestions about boats and what to look for. If you are going to buy a Bass Cat, then go to a Bass Cat dealer. Same for Ranger, Trition, Tracker, etc. Get their input and the details on what makes their new boats the best and apply those guidelines to your used boat. The guys will probably have a lot of info for you. For now, may I suggest.... 1. Have a compression test of the motor and have the motor checked out by a manufacturer's repair shop. Be sure to have the lower unit checked, too. Is the prop OK? Any nicks, cuts or whacks in prop? Any second prop going with the boat? How old are the spark plugs? Water pump in good condition? 2. Have the boat checked out by a reputable boat repair shop as they can tell you what items that can cause you heartburn that they have found. This is to include all the cables and connections. 3. Be ready to replace the batteries unless they are new. And look at the battery charger. Is it outdated or relatively new? 4. Make sure all electrical systems are in good working order and that the fuse box is in good condition. 5. Look for any cracks or nicks in the hull. 6. Check the carpet. Is it in good condition or will it have to be repaired or replaced in the near future. 7. Have the trailer checked out, too. Plus the tires and ball bearing packing in the wheels. Any "burned" ball bearings? Do the lights work? Is there a spare tire? Any rust? Axel in good condition? Winch works? Stainless steel hook at end of the winch strap OK or is it damaged? 8. Any electronics on the boat? Do they work? In front of boat by trolling motor and also at console? 9. Look at the trolling motor. What condition is it in? How is the prop? And spare parts or props? Does it have a "Gator Mount" with the springs to help it bounce off underwater structure? What is it's power? Can it's power be updated to a higher power (47 pounds up to 67 pounds for example)? 10. What tools come with the boat? Is there an Owners Manual? There are so many things to look for that you really need to read the articles and talk to others who have the same boat. I could go on but I have said enough. Good luck and let us know what model Ranger you get. ;D

8 to 9 pounds.

Matt, Follow the money. It's just that simple. For a group of people who cannot secure our boarders but can get the NFL to broadcast the Dallas game on two major TV networks and their own NFL network shows what power our politicians really have. It must be fun to be a professional politician.

Welcome from a guy in the City of Richmond, Virginia. First, thanks for your service. We sincerely appreciate all you do for all of us. Second, just ask your questions and the guys will respond. Have a safe and uneventful New Year.

I received an F1 for Christmas so I have not used it. But when fishing with spinning gear I use the rod to set the hook and not put pressure on the reel handle. I then start to reel as fast as possible to get the slack out of the line and get fish back to the boat. I will let you all know if I have any of the reel handle problems you all describe. I sincerely hope not.

Yes Muddy, you are totally correct. But the best thing about bass is that they don't have to marry their girlfriends to have legal kids. It is like in the 60s when I grew up with all the free love and hippies. What a time to live, other than for the conflict. Keep reading and let us know what you find out.

I went to Dick's this summer to buy the Chatterbait kit which was "on sale" for $19.95, down from $29.95 but when I went to check out they said that it was not on sale and the $29.95 price was firm. Even BPS was selling the kit at $19.95. So Dick's upped the price by $10 and then said they were on sale The Chatterbait kit is now $19.95 at Dick's. Today I went to the Chesterfield Towne Center Dick's store and their fishing department is poor on a good day. No sales information other than for a few items that were being discontinued. Zoom plastics selection was poor, at best. Lucky for me I went to Castaways on Route 1 just south of Route 288 and picked up some Mocassin Blue finesse and dead ringer plastics plus some cherry seed and watermealon dead ringer worms. And the only reason I went to Dick's was that I received a $20 gift card for Christmas. So much for Dick's.

Forbes® magazine recently unveiled its second annualranking of the "most valuable teams in college football." They base the rankings on four "beneficiaries": the university (the value of contributions from football to the institution for academic purposes, including scholarship payments for football players); the athletic department (the net profit generated by the football program ultimately retained by the department); the conference (the distribution of bowl game revenue); and the local communities with a vested interest in the team (incremental spending in the county during home-game weekends) The top 10: Notre Dame, $101 million Texas, $92 million Georgia, $90 million Michigan, $85 million Florida, $84 million LSU, $76 million Tennessee, $74 million Auburn, $73 million Alabama, $72 million Ohio State, $71 million. Please note that six of the Top 10 are SEC teams and two are Big 10 schools. Just thought you all would like to know this as you watch the bowl games with family and friends.

I reread your post and the pond is in your back yard? So this is a Bill Dance fishing adventure? Your back yard pond? Not a lake or river? Then why do you have that beautiful Triton boat? You can just go out the back door, throw something into the pond, catch big bass, and save a fortune on gasoline. Just kidding, of course. Still beautiful fish. You did good! Have a great New Year.

Coach Mack's stepson is the young man who just got carried away. His name is Chris. I saw the replay and I did not think he touched the ball. It will be something for him to tell his children. I wonder if Coach Mack will let him back on the sidelines for future games?

When growing up the US car manufacturers would make a big deal about introducing each new model year. It was fun to anticipate how the GM, Ford and Chrysler vehicles would look for each model year. And I remember the 1958 Chevys with their winged tail lights. Today, all of the cars continue to look the same and there are no longer anticipations about the new models. It seems all the car companies want to do is have year-end sales to get rid of the vehicles. So I have lost a lot of interest in cars. I do love seeing the old 50s and 60s models and it is always great to see a Vet or Viper or T-Bird. But until the car manufacturers go back to the good ole days the new cars are just vanilla and I think many guys who grew up with Chevys and Fords have just lost interest.

It has been beautiful and ugly in Richmond, Virginia. A few days ago we had temps in the high 30s with rain and the wind-chill factor felt like the 20s. I think our weather patterns are the same as in the past. We did have another drought but that is caused by the water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean which change from year to year. So, overall, no, I have not really noticed any warmer than average temps over here on the east coast. And I like hot weather. The hotter, the better.

It looks like an over-the-road tractor that pulls commercial trailers. Big rig. I guess you can't miss it on the highway. It is beautiful and the craftmanship and details look beautiful. Hey, if you got it, flaunt it.

T9, Where did you catch them? Chesdin? Pamunkey? Let us know. I guess it is time for you to start upstaging BP48! ;D

Glad you joined us. Fishing can be a lot more fun than ice hockey! Do you play ice hockey??? Just ask your questions and read, read and read. There is a lot of great information that is passed among us members so don't be afraid to ask your questions. I went to Canada for the first time in November and had a great time. We went to Niagra Falls. Man, is that beautiful or what? Have a great New Year and remember to read, read and read!!!

Jwo, To be a successful social worker you will need your Masters in Social Work degree. So plan to get your Masters Degree and then plan your future. Sorry to have to break the news to you, but you really need a Masters or a Ph.D. in Social Work to get a good income. Good luck.

Silva has it in the bag. No contest. Over before you know it.

Yes. Have you ever tossed a lure overboard when you cut the line in lieu of the tag end?

Thanks for sharing. If I had caught a bass that looked like that I probably would have freaked out thinking the water was diseased. So now I know. Rondef, where in Virginia did you catch that sucker?

Avid, You have it made. Good looking, health fish, too. And you smiled! Keep those posts coming as they help us make it through the winter. Yesterday in Richmond, VA it is in the high 30's with rain. Talk about cold. Today was a nicer day but we are expecting to get slammed next week. Thanks for sharing. Keep 'em coming! ;D