Sam

Some input to consider: 1. Don't get sucked into purchasing a rod designed especially for one type of technique. In other words, just because a rod says "Crankbaits or Spinnerbaits or Worms and Jigs" is not the primary reason to purchase the rod. 2. One outfit may be OK for one techinque, it is more important to match the rod, reel and line for a better lure presentation. Regarding crankbaits, you may want two or three baitcaster rods rigged with the same size and color crankbaits but with different line sizes to get the depth changes without changing lures all the time. 3. Long rods are good for Carolina rigs, pitching and flipping. Medium lenght rods are for spinnerbaits, crankbaits or topwaters. Short rods are great for boat docks, wood and when you need a lot of precesion casts. 4. As you know, when making long casts use a longer rod. And you need a longer rod to get a good hookset if you are using mono. So the rod length is up to you and what you feel comfortable with and have confidence in. I use a 7 foot G. Loomis medium action fast tip rod for crankbaits with a Shimano Curado reel. This gives me the casting distance and strength to set the hook and I can cover a lot of water, fast. Around boat docks and timber I really need to use a 6 foot rod but I am afraid I will break it. So I use a 6 and a half foot, medium heavy fast action tip rod for these types of cover to help me cast better. When throwing crankbaits I am more concerned with how long the lure will remain in the strike zone so line weight is very important. Maybe as important as your rod's length. I suggest you get the short video, "Catching with Crankbaits" from Bomber :Lures (34 minutes) where Tim Horton, Zell Rowland, Alton Jones and Mark Menendez show you how to fish crankbaits. You can get it at BPS, if in stock, or from Bomber: Bomber Lure Company 3601 Jenny Lind Road Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901 Or go to www.bomberlures.com and try to find it. Good luck and I hope some of the guys give you more insight into a simple question with a very difficult answer.

All I can suggest is replacing the existing rod tiptop guide with a fly rod tiptop guide. The fly rod tiptop has a much smoother shape, no struts and the thin wire has less surface area to collect ice. And any ice that forms can be easily removed with your fingers. However, I have no idea what to apply to your rid guides other than WD-40 or Silicone spray, and I am not sure of those products. Let us know what you figure out.

My ole fishing buddy and a former pro and now a guide told me that he learned about this situation while he was taking a special guide course in South Carolina. It is a special program for anyone who wants to learn about bass fishing and to be a guide. He said that when you hook a fish the urinate in the water which alerts the other fish of danger. However, I have seen and heard stories from others and also have enjoyed catching more than one bass off one specific structure. And what about those "double headers" when you can catch two bass on the same lure on the same cast with the second bass striking the lure while the first bass has it in his mouth? So maybe there is some truth in the information. Makes you think that the current may sweep away the alarm material so the remaining fish have no idea of what is going on. Actually, it demonstrates how much we don't know about our favorite opponent and why the bass seem to be a lot smarter than us on many occassions.

Archie was good because he had Abromowitz. Abromowitz could catch anything thrown to him. I know Archie did well in his career but he never won any championships. I say him against LSU two times and he was 1-1 with a trememdous comeback in his Baton Rouge debut. But overall, I was more impressed by other QBs during Archie's era than good old Archie. But don't get me wrong, I sat in the old Tulane staduim many times watching Archie and the Saints and was there when Dempsey kicked that 60+ field goal to beat Detroit. That was fantastic! So Geaux Saints. I would love to see them in the Super Bowl after all these years.

Rattlin, your daughter attends Tulane? We tried to get our son into Tulane but couldn't because we were married. Saints have a great chance to beat Da Bears this weekend and I hope they do. It would be fantastic to see the Saints vs the Colts in the Super Bowl. Remember, other than winning one SEC title while at Tennessee, Peyton has NEVER won any football championships. And neither has Archie or Eli. So why all the excitement over the Mannings? Truth be told, Peyton is an excellent QB but Archie and Eli are not. And do you go to any Tulane football games to help push the attendenace over 5,000? You could drive to Baton Rouge and see real football in a real stadium with real college fans. And I hope you do travel to Red Stick to see the Fighting Tigers. Hey, LSU plays the Green Wennies in the Super Dome this year. Hope you make the game and see some very good football on the Tigers' side of the ball!

I learned to hate running in the Army. Although I was an officer (and a gentleman) we ran our fannies off in ROTC summer camp and then again in our Officers Training School. We ran in boots and sometimes carried our back packs and M-16s. So from a totally mental prespective, I hate running.

Redlinerobert is right. The Saturday fishing shows on VS are excellent. Here is the schedule of the shows. I think there are 3 or 4 in each segment: Saturdays at 12:30 ET/11:30 AM CT Tuesdays at 11:00 AM ET/ 10:00 AM CT Fridays at 10:30 AM ET/9:30 AM CT The times need to be changed to Saturday mornings so most of us can see the productions. The segments are scheduled to be broadcast through March 18. The presenters include Kevini VanDam, Stacey King, Woo Daves, Rick Clunn, Edwin Evers, Jason Quinn and Rick Clunn. I need to figure out how to TIVO them as long as they don't interfere with my wife's Food Channel shows.

I saw an ad for FireLine Crystal line from Berkley in the latest edition of Bass Times. Has anyone had the opportunity to try this line? How are you fishing it? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Happy Birthday and let us know what fishing stuff you received.

Cut shad or live bream. Live bluegills are excellent, too. And anything that stinks, like liver.

Lane, What about "non-fishing related" products? If you look at the demographics of our sport, we have mainly males between the ages of 21 and 60. We have lots of males under 21 and lots of males over 60. Sporting goods come to mind, as do autos and electronics. Clothes, shoes and grooming products are also purchased by the guys. So what is your advice regarding seeking "non-fishing" sponsors, like Ike's Toyota deal or the bail bondsman in the movie The Bad News Bears? Thanks.

Someone we have not heard about before. Around 40 pounds or greater.

I can't take credit for any. or I won't take credit for any. But there are some and some close calls, too.

The LSU Fighting Tigers could beat dem Saints. Fortier High School would not win the game but the team would win the fight. Geaux Saints!!!!

The lead guy in 24 is much more authentic than the new guy playing James Bond. Enjoy the season. Do you want to know how it ends?

My wife gave me a Richard Petty Racing School Ride-Along for Christmas last year so I did it this summer. The driver and I hit 135 MPH on the track. All I could do was hold on for dear life. I had a headache all day long after the ride. Would I do it again? No, I don't like being locked in so tight. But I have a lot of respect for the NASCAR drivers and the physical endurance and stamina they must have to race week after week.

Thanks for sharing the pics. You all did super. Keep us posted on how you do this coming summer. And I can't beleive you are messing around with turtles. Turtles are dangerous, as you must know, so be very careful. And keep your grades up so you can go to college and get a degree in Ocean Marine Science or Fishing Biology so you can combine your great fishing skills with your career. Check out the Sea Grant Universities that are scattered around the country. Now go and straighten up your tackle and get it ready for this spring.

Having topless girls go by on a party boat. Bar-B-Qing on your bass boat with a small Bar-B-Q pit, which catches the boat on fire. Getting knocked out of the boat by a big bass. Hooking a dead body. Taking a girl on the boat and trying to have sex on a bass boat without anyone seeing you. Putting your boat in the water and not tieing a rope to the dock and watching the boat float downstream. Having the boat fall off the trailer on the highway. Trailering your boat too fast and going off the trailer and into the rear of your truck or SUV. Starting to catch fish by a nudist colony and the nudists come out to watch you. Having the water in a lake go down the tubes, like in the James Bond movie, A View For A Kill, and having you sit there high and dry. Have a "villian" catch and hide bass before the "big" tournament and try to cheat to win but the hero still wins. Having the dog take a dump on the rear of the boat while on the water. Holding up the biggest bass you have ever caught and having an eagle fly down and ****** it out of your hands. I am sure the writers can get a lot of funny stuff by interviewing the pros and the writers at Bass Times, Bassin, FLW Magazine, Bassmaster, etc.

Thanks guys, I am going to look into them at the Bassarama show in Richmond at the end of January.

Every year is a fun year, be it up to your expectations or not. I learn from every fishing trip. I have made new friends; put smiles on some boys' faces; overbought a lot of tackle; had the boat's battery charger replaced with a better one; did not fall out of the boat; had fun fishing the tournaments; got elected secretary of my bass club; learned a lot, and I mean a lot; didn't sink the boat; didn't hit any other watercraft; didn't get in trouble with the game wardens; saw some beautiful sights and wild animals; finally saw the BPS guy feed the fish in the big tank at the store; and enjoyed myself while on the water. It just doesn't get better than that!

Unlike the KC Chiefs, they are supposed to be for real. Sorry about the Chief's comment but I remember you going wild when I told you before football season that the Chiefs were not going to be good this year. Of course, I was wrong because the Chiefs did very well. Maybe next year!

The Darwin Awards have been made for 2006. In case you don't know it's an annual honor given to the person who did the gene pool the biggest service by killing themselves in the most extraordinarily stupid way. Last year's winner was the fellow who was killed by a Coke machine which toppled over on top of him as he was attempting to tip a free soda out of it. And the nominees this year, in reverse order, are: 7. A young Canadian man, searching for a way of getting drunk cheaply because he had no money with which to buy alcohol, mixed gasoline with milk. Not surprisingly, this concoction made him ill, and he vomited into the fireplace in his house. The resulting explosion and fire burned his house down, killing both him and his sister. 6. A 34-year-old white male found dead in the basement of his home died of suffocation, according to police. He was approximately 6' 2" tall and weighed 225 pounds. He was wearing a pleated skirt, white bra, black and white saddle shoes, and a woman's wig. It appeared that he was trying to create a schoolgirl's uniform look. He was also wearing a military gas mask that had the filter canister removed and a rubber hose attached in its place. The other end of the hose was connected to one end of a hollow tube approximately 30" long and 3" in diameter. The tube's other end was, for reasons unknown, inserted into his rectum and was the cause of his suffocation. Police found the task of explaining the circumstances of his death to his family very awkward. 5. Three Brazilian men were flying in a light aircraft at low altitude when another plane approached. It appears that they decided to moon the occupants of the other plane, but lost control of their own aircraft and crashed. They were all found dead in the wreckage with their pants around their ankles. 4. A 22-year-old, man was found dead after he tried to use octopus straps to bungee jump off a 70 foot railroad trestle. Fairfax County police said Eric Barcia, a fast-food worker, taped a bunch of these straps together, wrapped one end around one foot, anchored the other end to the trestle at Lake Accotink Park, jumped and hit the pavement. Warren Carmichael, a police spokesman, said investigators think Barcia was alone because his car was found nearby. "The length of the cord that he assembled was greater than the distance between the trestle and the ground" Carmichael said. Police say the apparent cause of death was "Major trauma." 3. A man in Alabama died from rattlesnake bites. It seems that he and a friend were playing a game of catch, using the rattlesnake as a ball. The friend, no doubt a future Darwin Awards candidate, was hospitalized. 2. Employees in a medium sized warehouse in west Texas noticed the smell of a gas. Sensibly, management evacuated the building, extinguishing all potential sources of ignition; lights, power, etc. After the building had been evacuated, two technicians from the gas company were dispatched. Upon entering the building, they found they had difficulty navigating in the dark. To their frustration, none of the lights worked. Witnesses later described the sight of one of the technicians reaching into his pocket and retrieving an object that resembled a cigarette lighter. Upon operation of the lighter-like object, the gas in the warehouse exploded, sending pieces of it up to three miles away. Nothing was found of the technicians, but the lighter was virtually untouched by the explosion. The technician suspected of causing the blast had never been thought of as 'bright' by his peers. AND THE WINNER.....(ouch.... 1. Based on a bet by the other members of his threesome, Everitt Sanchez tried to wash his own "balls" in a ball washer at the local golf course. Proving once again that beer and testosterone are a bad mix, Sanchez managed to straddle the ball washer and dangle his balls in the machine.Much to his dismay, one of his buddies upped the ante by spinning the crank on the machine with Sanchez's balls in place, thus wedging them solidly in the mechanism. Sanchez, who immediately passed his threshold of pain, collapsed and tumbled from his perch. Unfortunately for him, the height of the ball washer was more than a foot higher off the ground than his are in a normal stance, and his balls were the weakest link. Sanchez's balls ripped open during the fall, and one was plucked from him forever and remained in the ball washer, while the other was compressed and flattened as it was pulled between the housing of the washer, and the rotating machinery inside. To add insult to injury, Sanchez broke a new $300.00 driver that he had just purchased from the pro shop, and was using to balance himself. Sanchez was rushed to the hospital for surgery, and the remaining threesome was asked to leave the course. Note: This last one wouldn't normally count, because the idiot didn't die. But because he cannot reproduce as a result of his qualifying act of stupidity, we have allowed it.

OK, here is a new one for you guys. Take your buzzbait and cut the wire shaft between the hook and head in half. Reconnect them by using a strong swivel. Take each cut end and put it through each eye of the swivel and loop the wire back onto itself. This will give the buzzbait a more realistic look and when the fish hit it they will get hooked as the tail end of the bait can now "swing" and be easier to catch the fish. Just thought I would add my two cents to the discussion.

Some small suggestions for you to consider: 1. Replace the fuses leading from the trolling motor batteries with a circuit breaker. 2. Install the best on-board battery charger for all batteries that you can afford or will fit on the boat. 3. Put a spare tire on your trailer (and remember to carry the jack in your car/truck). Some boats have glass fuses on the wires leading to the trolling motor and it is difficult to replace those fuses while on the water. I love my circuit breaker and have never had any more problems after I replaced the fuses. A fast and reliable on-board battery charger is a must. It will save you a lot of time and aggravation. You don't see many spare tires on boat trailers and I suggest you consider this addition. My spare tire is mounted like they do in Florida, on the right front of the trailer on a "T" set up. As for upgrading your electronics, I had a Lowrance sonar and WASP unit installed on my boat and I love it. You can't get lost with the unit I purchased as it follows you around with a red line. Of course, get the lake chip to install in the unit as the lake chips are excellent. And one more thing to get for your boat. Get a large snap hook, like the type you find at the end of your wench cable, to have on board to hook onto the boat's front wench guide to run your anchor rope through it when anchored in chopppy water to stop the water from coming over the bow. The boat will then rock with the waves, allowing the anchor rope to go up and down through the snap hook. Don't forget to have an extra trolling motor prop and outboard motor prop and pin and nut and wrench to have on board, just in case. Now polish her up and put her in the water!

FINS-R, if you like Bassmaster Magazine, then Bassin will blow you away! I get both and although Bassmaster Magazine has Uncle Homer and some other interesting articles, it is not on par with Bassin. So please consider suscribing to Bassin. I know you will be very satisfied. Then again, if you fish in tournaments against me, stick with Bassmaster Magazine! ;D