Sam

Please remember that bass can get accoustomed to a sound and either go for it or avoid it. With that said, I throw the Cavitron, the clacker, double blades both in-line and side by side and a regular old buzzbait, depending on what others are throwing and my individual mood. You want a sound that the other buzzbaits do not make to attract the bass and to make sure that they have not already been caught with the same sounding bait you are throwing. You can also crimp the blades along the wire shaft to make a different sound. Not much, just enough to make the bait squeel some. As for my favorites, the clacker and regular buzzbaits are my favorite, followed by the Cavitron. The bubbles are neat and you can see where you have thrown it. Remember to use a trailer hook on all buzzbaits, too.

I don't use any weights on my stickbaits. I now throw the wacky rig mostly with my stickbaits as I like the action better than the Texas-rig. You want the slow fall to drive the fish nuts when they see it. I have thrown one and it never made it 6 inches into the water when a bass hit it. I agree with using a heavier hook if you want it to fall faster.

What bothers me about Appy State's upset of Michigan in the Big House is that Lloyd Carr is on his way out. This means that Michigan needs to select a coach that is slim, articulate, good looking, somewhat young or looks young and who can coach to replace Carr. So who would you select? How about Jeff Tedford of Cal; Tommy Bowden of Clemson; Steve Kragthrope of Louisville (if the Cardinals have another good year); Les Miles (Michigan alumni) of LSU; Bo Pelini (defensive coordinator of LSU); Derek Dooley (Vince's son) of Louisiana Tech; Jimbo Fisher of Florida State (selected to succeed Papa Bowden?); Randy Shannon of Miami of Florida or Bob Stoops of Oklahoma? If the Wolverines lose to Ohio State at home on November 17 it is certanily lights out for Carr. But before the Buckeyes invade the Big House, Michigan has to play Notre Dame, Penn State, at Michigan State (always a crap shoot) and Wisconsin on the road. If I were any fans of any school that has a good looking and sucessful coach I would be worried that he would leave for Michigan and all those millions of dollars next year.

I was lucky to go to ROTC summer camp at Fort Sill and then back to Fort Sill for advanced training when I was an office in the United States Army and I can honestly say that the country is beautiful in Oklahoma. Being from south Louisiana we did not see many hills and it was amazing to me that the land was so beautiful and different from what I was accustomed - from rocks to trees to grass to ponds to lakes to hills and small mountains (small mountains to me) and the large farms that seem to stretch for miles. And the rattlesnakes were B-I-G, too. Really big. And I mean BIG. Never did any fishing in Oklahoma as I was learning how to kill people and break things. I did go to the state fair where I had a very good time and saw my first ice hockey game in Oklahoma City (we don't have much ice hockey in Louisiana). I am still a Flyers fan to this day and actually understand ice hockey which is more than I can say for my LSU buddies in Louisiana. Did someone on this site say anything negative about Oklahoma? I bet the fishing is good, too.

Hey guys, Any people that name their towns Intercourse and Blue Balls are OK with me! ;D I had a magnet on the refrigerator that read "I Love Intercourse" that we got on one of our trips in Penna. My wife finally removed it and I have no idea where it is.

Funny. I guess they will hit anything that is thrown in the school.

First, keep fishing all year, even if it is from the bank of a pond. Second, set some goals this winter, such as reading one or two fishing books; organizing your tackle; cleaning the boat; purchasing a few DVDs or videos on fishing specific types of biats and/or techniques (Ike's productions are outstanding); attend a fishing show or seminar in your area; and clean and repair your rods and reels. I love the winter as it gives me time to watch the football games and start getting ready for next year.

Just fish it until it breaks and then replace it. I have two Shakespear spinning rods that I have put BPS spinning reels on to fish local ponds and when I take others fishing on my boat. A new Shakespear rod costs around $35 and the BPS spinning reel about $50. So for $80 I have a really good set up that I and my friends and their children have caught many fish, including bass, bream, crappie and catfish. Just go out and have some fun and don't do anything silly, like trying to get your lure out of a tree or bush by ripping it out using the rod. Rods can break in this type of situation. I know that for a fact. What is even more important is to check your drag so you can play the fish once it is on. Be sure you can let some line out via your drag so the line does not break when fighing a big fish. The drag is to be tight but loose enough to let line out. Also, go for the extra smooth casting line and spray it with Kevin VanDam's Line and Lure Conditioner or a silicone spray to make it softer. An 8 pound test works well with a spinning set up. Use a swivel if you get line twist. Spool your line onto your reel in a counter clockwise manner, too. Now stop worrying about what you bought and go out and start fishing.

DELee36, I use my anchor, too. I love to sit in front of a submerged tree and throw all sorts of stuff at the target and by anchoring I can achieve this result. Yes, it is more work but by anchoring it is truly worth the extra effort.

Go for it and let us know what happens. Please cut the licoriche into 2, 3 ,4, 5.6, 7 abn 10 inch strips so we can see what lenght works best. Then dip the "tail end" in a yellow dye, such as Spike It. Using a proper EWG hook, try them Texas rigged, shakey head and wacky style. You can also swim them to see if you get any reaction strikes. Since bass do not like sweets, you may want to use some attracant to try to hide the sweet flavor of the candy. If you don't catch anything or get any bites, you can always either throw the candy into the lake for the turtles or just bring it to school or work and let the others enjoy it. ;D (Just kidding). Let us know what happens. This should be an interesting experiment.

The guys from Boone did good. Now for Georgia Tech to defeat Notre Dame; Tennessee to clobber Cal; and Western Carolina to ruin Nickie's debut at Alabama.

Did you all hit Jack, White House or Holts Creeks on the Pamunkey? I guess I like to fish any wood I can find or any drop offs out from the grass lines in this river. Up river there are pads and wood in Broad Creek, too. Ever fish White House or Big Creeks? Your new boat should draw about 6 inches or less of water so I would think you all would go into the marsh area, depending on the tide and depth of the water when you got there. I have found the Pamunkey to be good with a moving tide, usually outgoing. I also had a wiring problem with my trolling motor and missed a tournament. I think the techs at Bass Pro Shops in Hampton cut the wire by accident when they were installing some electronics on my boat. Gald you got the trolling motor fixed so you can go out and show Triton9 how to fish. ;D

When growing up in South Louisiana we fished the Biloxi marsh and when we tied up for the evening in the marsh we would fish for "green trout" which were largemouth bass. I caught my first "green trout" on a spinning rig throwing a red and white spoon in the marsh. I think I was about 12 years old.

I have the Pro-185 Tracker and this is what I have done. I had my trolling motor upgraded to 67 pounds of thrust. I move over the water like a bullet in the light, aluminum boat. Wind will drive you nuts in any bass boat, espically a light weight Tracker. But looking at the overall advantages of the Tracker over the heavier fiberglass boats you have to admit that you can get into places that the heavier boats cannot which gives you a strong advantage in creeks and low water trees and stumps. Yesterday on the upper James River I let the wind float the boat down river. I went downriver backwards so I fished from the rear of the boat at times. I was by myself so who cared? Please consider upgrading your existing trolling motor to a higher thrust. In the Richmond, Virginia area, Billy Wells on Jeff Davis Highway does this all the time. He is the trolling motor king in this part of the world. Have fun!

I have caught them on Pop-Rs and lost them on Pop-Rs. Now I use the RICOs in tournaments and the Pop-Rs for fun fishing. Great lure. You can fish it many ways, as stated above. The "pop" is to resemble the sound a shad makes when poping the water. Different lure manufacturers have different "pops" to simulate the shad sounds. I have had the bass hit the Pop-Rs and RICOs as they sit in the water; moving slow; moving fast; and walking the dog (back and forth motion). Some guys use a Fast-Lock Snap to get better action. I tie the line direct to the lure (Palamor Knot). And please be very careful when removing those treble hooks. I have already been to the doctor's office to have the treble hook surgically removed from my finger. This also applies to crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps and pointers. Anything with a treble hook. After setting the hook, keep a very tight line and the pole tip up in the air. If you do not want the bass to jump then put the pole tip into the water. But keep that line very, very tight or they will throw the lure. Good luck.

Over here in Virginia we have Lake Gaston and Kerr (Buggs Island) Lake side by side, separated by a dam. You would think they would fish the same. But no, they are totally different. Go figure.

Yes. Bass can live in brackish water.

In 1969 we traveled from Quin Hon through the Plekiu Valley to see another officer at this post. We passed a convoy on the highway on our trip. We got through the pass without any problem. Charlie hit the convoy behind us. Our Colonel said we were very luck as the VC let us pass and waited for the convoy. Had there been no convoy behind us we probably would have been blasted out of our jeep. This is the luckiest I have ever been.

So let's get this straight. Triton9 and his dad hit the lower James and the old man cleans Triton9's clock. Then Basspro48 is fishing from the bank because he and his dad will not take the trolling motor to Billy Wells on Jeff Davis Highway (233.6726) or Jerry Cooper off Lewistown Road (752.5835) by the future site of of Bass Pro Shop to have the motor repaired or upgraded to a higher thrust. So what to do? Try fishing Herring Creek or the Chick River and hit the wood along the bank and the jetties along the shoreline or just throw in the towel and sit in the Barge Pit and try your luck. And get the trolling motor fixed. Go Wacky guys, go Wacky!!!!!

Rod balance is the key. I have some heavy reels but now I am going to the 2500 series of Shimano spinning reels as they can hold a lot of line and are not that heavy. I am sure you can return the reel to the store and exchange it for another. Just ask. All they can say is "no" and throw you out. And you have probably been thrown out of nicer places before! ;D

Action. I would go with action over power. Your overall question has too many variables to give you a proper reply, in my opinion. There are other factors to take into consideation such as the weather, water temperature, the tme of year, the time of day, water clarity, the wind, fishing pressure, the line you are using; the test of your line; structure; wood; the bottom; vegitation; grasses; water depth; etc. I wish there was a simple answer to your query. I also wish there was a pill to help you lose 20 pounds in a week while eating ice cream and Snickers bars.

May I suggest considering a 6'6" medium heavy with fast action tip rod for around $100? You can drive yourself silly with all of the rods designed for specific baits or techniques. A 6'6" rod is the mainstay, in my humble opinion, of our sport. You may want to go to a 7" rod but to start your collection (and I mean collection which will grow in time) a 6'6" medium heavy rod with a fast tip will serve you well. As for price, a $100 rod should do well. Some of the guys on the forum must have a specific brand (All Star; Kister, St.Croix, Shimano, Loomis, Bass Pro Shop, etc.) or nothing. I asked Woo Daves many years ago which rod he would suggest as the primary weapon in my rod aresnal and he said a 6'6" medium heavy rod with a fast tip. So I have some of those and some 7 footers and a 7'6" rod and a couple of 6" rods and an ultra light 5" rod and keep looking for more! ;D

1. Louisiana State University's Oceanography and Marine Biology Department. 2. Dr. Keith Jones at Berkley Research Department. 3. Google "Sea Grant Universities" for the closest Sea Grant University where you live. Try to visit any university that offers Marine Biology as a major and check out their college's library. Contact a professor at the school and ask your questions. Some profs are friendly and will help you. Others can be jerks and sluff you off. Also, check out your state library if it is close to you or your local public library to see what they have in their stacks on marine biology. Good luck.

He's counting? I caught some today and have no idea of how many. I can't remember how many I caught yesterday. I think he may need some mental health help.

Did you guys notice that ESPN showed and Ole Miss plug and not Mississippi State during the first half of the LSU-Miss.State game? Talk about funny and an insult to State. That is like Ohio State playing in a game and ESPN shows a Michigan commercial; or Texas playing and ESPN shows a Texas A&M commercial. To me, it was very funny. Now to see if ESPN corrects the error.