Sam

Awful news. You are locked in at the airport, at the airline's mercy. I hate when that happens. That is why I now drive when ever possible and fly in the summer months, only. After all, when you are hearded like cattle into a tube and flung through the air at 300+ MPH with only a half-can of a soft drink and a bag of those little fish things, what in the world are we to expect. I sincerely hope the lodge understands the problem and can make a refund. Maybe I'll go back and get my private pilot's license, again. No, too much trouble. I'll drive. After all, I have never heard of anyone falling 5,000 feet out of a DeSota.

I have a 2003 Bass Tracker Pro-185 with a 50 HP motor which we decided to get so our son would not use the boat for skiing on the river. I added a stainless steel prop and I can easily travel at 33 MPH on a calm day. Of course, my friends who have their Rangers, Bass Cats and Tritons look down on me, except when I can get back into the coves and back brush and they can't since my Tracker is so much lighter than their heavier glass boats. And 33 MPH is fast enough. The others can run like crazy to their favorite fishing places and fish them first; just to let me cruise on in after they leave to pick up what the did not catch.

You did good. Now, your next objective is to hook a bass that will pull you around the lake for a few minutes in your kayak before you land her. That will be a lot of fun!

Yes, the weather will turn for the better. Nothing we can do but wait. Then, when you are ready to be committed to a mental institution, the wind will die down; the temperature will streak into the 60s; water temperatures will hit the 50s; the sun will come out with some nice white, fluffly clouds; your boat will sparkel in the sunshine; your motor will crank over with the first twist of the key; and you are off and running for another nine months of fishing fun. Maybe you can do what I have done this winter. Attended a bass fishing seminar; read a book on bass fishing; watched some fishing videos; visited a tackle shop and found out what was working on Kerr Lake and got one of the lures; have my list of new baits and tackle to purchase for this season; cleaned up and organized my tackle; started to work out again and lost 7 pounds with 13 to go; had my boat detailed (she looks new); and just thought of the days on the water and reeling in those lunkers. Waiting for the fishing season to start can be productive; but like you, I wish it would get here, and fast.

Welcome. Just read, read and read some more. Ask, ask and ask some more. The answers are here, somewhere. Check out the forum's section about fishing Indiana and post your question about the bodies of water you want to fish on that site. You will receive a lot of replies and good advice. Be sure to post your outing results and details so we can learn from what you do.

Listen to the guys. And what is the hurry? There are many posts on getting sponsors on this forum. Try to do a search or go back on this post site to look up other queries and replies. If you are really that good the sponsors will come looking for you. If you are average, what do you have that I, as a sponsor, want that will benefit my bottom line? Good luck and I sincerely hope you get some sponsors, either in or out of the fishing industry.

To add to Catt's information, which is usually on target, may I suggest you consider purchasing Woo Daves video or DVD, "River Fishing Techniques: Tidal Rivers." Woo gives you a lot of infomration about fishing tidal rivers as he shares his strategies, techniques, tides and currents and his favorite baits with you. Bass Pro Shops carry his productions, or you can call or write to: Bass Pro Shops 1935 South Campbell Springfield, MO 65898-0001 800.227.7776 I have watched his video many times and keep learning from it. Plus the fact that the production is filmed on rivers I fish and I have fished the same places as Woo. And read what the guys have to say on this forum. You can't go wrong taking their advice.

I have met two guys and they have been what I pictured. Both are very nice and enjoy fishing. No telling how many I walked by, not knowing that they were forum members. Just look for my LSU cap, yellow fishing shirt or sweatshirt and it is me!!!!!

On Wednesday, I set up my lures for a blue sky day at the local pond only to be fooled by Mother Nature with clouds and overcast skies so my lures produced nothing. Today, I had a morning meeting with a client in Irvington so I took my spinning setup and blue sky lures with me to fish the three acre pond that holds the water for the sprinkler system. I decided to throw a white with black dots small Rooster Tail to find the bream when on my second cast I nailed a small bass. The Rooster Tail got caught in the wind a few casts later and ended up in a holly bush so it was gone. I then rigged a chartruse and white 3/8 ounce spinnerbait with copper leading a silver Colorado blades. Caught three small bass on this set up. Changing to a 1/4 ounce chrome with black back Rat-L-Trap, just to see what would happen, I caught my fifth bass. All this happened in about 50 minutes before the start of the meeting. Not bad for a guy fishing in his grey dress slacks, a white dress shirt and a red tie while wearing black loafers. The best part was that I actually smelled like the bass all day; even after driving to Woodstock for a Board meeting. Great smell. Five bass in 50 minutes on a pond I had never fished. Not bad but there are some big ones in there and I hope to return to try to find them later this summer.

Mike, This may be a question for the Reel Mech. I hope he sends his input to you. He can also give you his opinion on the Browning products. The guys will be giving you a lot of suggestions. Each one will be excellent so you can make up your own mind. For me, I like Shimano reels but the Abu Garcia and Diawa reels are excellent. I hate to tell you this but I have never seen the Browning products discussed as an option on this site for any type of reel. Does that tell you something? Good luck in selecting your new spinning reels. You can't go wrong by reading the future posts to your question.

I am prefishing Kerr on March 22nd and then the tournament is on March 25th. I have two friends who know the waters very well and I called one this weekend and will call the other guy this week to obtain their input. I'll share my info with you after the tournament. In the meantime, I am thinking of rigging up and hitting the local pond this week to try my luck. However, my work schedule and work-out schedule at the gym are obstacles. Please keep fishing for all of us who can't at this time!

Super! Good job on a beautiful Sunday.

Chapter 5 of Dr. Keith Jones; book, Knowing Bass, has more than you would ever want to know about the bass' vision. The reading is easy and extremely informative. It is a college level course on the fish. You can get a copy at BPS. Although the book costs $17, it is worth every cent. On page 181, Dr. Jones gives you a table from Berkley Fish Research regarding the bass' favorite lure color that was bit more than any others in the test. Now I know why that chrome with a black back Rat-L-Trap does so well. Get a copy of the book and learn about your opponent.

In our bass club the non-boater pays for fuel and miscellaneous expenses based on a sliding scale of gasoline prices. Right now the fee for a non-boater is $45 and it can go up if gasonline prices increase and go down if gas prices decrease. The formula is stated in our tournament rules. The non-boater pays for his entry fee and big fish pot. This has proven to be very easy to compute and we have never had problems.

Burley, You have a new picture. You are prettier than ever!

Nothing leaves the boat without an attractant. Does it help? Don't know. Does it hurt? Don't know. But it must do something to attract the fish and then have them hold on as Berkley has put a lotof money into research and they have their Gulp! series of baits plus the Power Bait series that has flavors inpregnated into the plastic. The Anise oil that Catt uses forms the base of the "home made" attractants my old fishing buddies always used and some still do when they make their own sauce to soak their plastics before an outing. I have used it and you can tell when you have it on your baits and hands. So, in my humble opinion, I use attractants, even on crankbaits and spinnerbait skirts. I use Carolnia Lunker Sauce; Mega Strike; Jacks Juice; and Kick'n Bass; unless I make my home brew when the wife is out of the house.

Not yet but I am thinking of doing it on Kerr at the end of this month just to have a different presentatiion. Have you used this technique?

When would fishing never be fun? Never. Unless your wife makes you take one of her friend's husbands who is a complete loser on your boat for a day of fishing and you go crazy. Otherwise, fishing is always fun. Even planning the trip and putting the boat away when you get home. And in the case of the friend's husband, running back to the dock and trailering your boat and then driving home can be fun.

I understand what you all are saying, but I think Avid has a very valid point. Of couse this would never happen (unless you caught the fish in Washington DC and the hood would probably shoot the fish first, anyway) however stranger things have happened on the water. So let's say I go to Mexico and smuggle one of those monstor bass across the boarder with some illegals and then place it in my private pond and snag it. I would have a world record. How do you swim across a river holding a bass?

Son has a bulging disk and when it flares up he is out of commission. He takes shots for it and does exercises but it can come back at any time. He will need surgery to repair it in the future; but for now he stills plays soccer and does everything else he wants to do, including yard work. My wife has had one neck and three back surgeries two years ago. The doc took enough wacks at it to get it right! Good luck with your situation and do what the docs say but save those pennies and dimes for your your hospital inpatient copay!!!

Bassmaster6, I have a two-piece Bionic rod which I love. I had forgotten it was a two-piece rod last summer until I casted it out and it separated. Man, was I surprised. So I just put it back together and it worked fine. other than for a small traveling Shimano rig I have only one two-piece rod and it is a Bionic from BPS and I really like it.

I would start with the buzzbait and give it a chance and then switch over to the spinnerbait or crankbait or lipless crankbait or Chatterbait or jig and pig. 50 degree water may have them active and moving up to spawn so they may be interested in a buzzbait. They will tell you when you throw it. Let us know what you decide to do and how it worked out.

Anyone try Hibon's Gitzit's? They do a great job for me. The silver shad can be a killer.

BassSnatcher, You are so right about ponds. I love to fish a small pond that has vegetation or shore line foilage. A white Rooster Tail is a great fish finder for bream, crappie and bass. I have caught a 4 and a half pound lady in a local pond on at buzzbait. We knew she was there and I finally caught her. She is still in the pond and I am looking forward to seeing her again this summer. I fished the Congressional Country Club ponds and had a blast. Other golf courses would not allow me to fish their ponds. And neither would the beautiful Amelia Veterans Cemetery in Amelia, Virginia allow me to fish their waters that are filled with fish. I have fished three ponds in Pennsylvania and my friend and I actually got tired of catching fish. Yes, pond fishing is the best when all you want to do is relax and catch some fish and not have to hunt them down and worry about a boat or which biat and color to use or which technique is best and what are the weather conditions.

Basspro48, I am a "brand" kind of guy. When I find a brand I like I usually stick with it. I like Shimano reels. I am sure that Abu Garcia and Pflueger and Daiwa make outstanding products; but I have had excellent luck with all of my Shimano reels so I will have to vote for Shimano. Now, when Jimmie Johnson puts Abu Garcia or Pfleugr or Daiwa on his car then maybe I will consider changing brands. But for now, you just cannot go wrong with Shimano. I wonder what Reel Mech would say if you asked him? So Reel Mech, if you read this thread how about your input for Basspro48 and the rest of us. Or, you can PM the Reel Mech and let us know what he says. I am heading to Kerr at the end of this month. Have you and your buddy or dad fished Kerr this month?