Sam

New individuals that are taking up the sport of bass fishing will purchase the BPS line of rods and reels. So it is imperative that BPS have a good selection of quality tackle or they will turn off the new members of our sport as time goes on, forcing them to purchase other name brand rods and reels. The BPS Extreme rods were fantastic for the price. So those of us who purchased the Extremes have no problem purchasing other BPS branded rods. However, I had lots of problems with my Johnny Morris baitcaster I purchased to fish ponds and when I returned it to my local BPS store the guy in the fishing department told me to go with Shimano and skip the BPS brand. I already was a Shimano believer so I had no problem going with that brand. And to this day, I will not purchase any Johnny Morris baitcasters although they are probably improved greatly.

Brett, go for it. You have to start somewhere no matter your level of expertise. You will learn a lot from a pro or a boater who has been fishing for many years. You may also consider joining a bass fishing club in your area and learn from them, too. Enjoy the experience.

X2. Seemed Georgia gave up and Missouri was not Missouri. Will be interesting to see the Bama-Clemson game. As for LSU, there is a lot of talk about expanding the college playoffs to 8 teams and allow one of the Group of five conference winners play in the playoffs. With the LSU domination of UCF while using substitutes the conversation will slow down about having the Group of Five teams play for all the marbles. Its just about the money. Follow the money. They would have probably won the game.

This is what the government regs are actually saying: "On every other Tuesday of odd months with more than 30 days, all left handed people who luck out and finally catch something have to keep the fish in its original container without any modifications whatsoever. Then, on each day of the week that starts with a W the right handed anglers have to make sure the fish's head is secure to its body. On all other days fisherpeople (PC correct) have to take off their pants when throwing artificial baits with their Zebco setups and all fish caught are to be photographed because no one catches anything with a Zebco." As for the filets, " Fisherpeople can gut the fish after they are caught and before you take them home and save the guts for snack food for the fisherpeoople to enjoy later in the day as long as they filet the fish on the ground and then put the flesh back into the fish and Scotch Tape the fish together with the filets inside the fish. If the fish is brought to a 7-11 or WaWa then the filets can be brought out and shown to everyone in the store, drunk or sober. After that you can take the filets home and cook them on the top of your stove in peanut oil for 25 minutes to kill everything that got on them on the way home." You have to learn to read between the lines when interpreting any government directions.

Frost is an up and coming coach. Will be interesting to see if he moves to a high paying SEC head coaching job once he gets the Huskies back on the winning track. And the LSU fans had a fantastic time playing at Lambeau a few years ago. We did not win as Fournette fumbled on the way to the winning touchdown, but all in all, it was a fantastic trip of the lifetime to play a strong Wisconsin team where the Packers pay.

Just going to brag a little on my Fighting Tigers. You brag on your teams, too. Or go hide under the bed if your team did not perform as you expected. UCF gave it all they had but the stronger and deeper SEC team prevailed even with LSU having to play fourth stringers. If LSU could score touchdowns instead of field goals in the red zone, the Fighting Tigers would have posted at least 55 points. And the no pass interference call on the interception would have been a 14 point turn around for LSU in the first quarter. So I will brag and you can brag. Or complain. Or tell us you went fishing. Whatever. Happy New Year! Fiesta Bowl – LSU vs. University of Central Florida Joe Burrows went across the field to see McKenzie Milton after the game. A real class act. Hope McKenzie has a successful follow up surgery and a strong recovery so he will be ready to entertain us during the 2020 season. Key stat for depleted LSU football defensive unit: win Time of Possession. LSU did so emphatically, holding the ball for 44:31 - its highest TOP in recorded history (since 1978 as everyone in the athletic department went to the French Quarter in years past and they don't remember anything). Cole Tracy, Field Goal Kicker from California via Massachusetts division 3 school: Tiger fans, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. “Y’all” have welcomed me from the beginning. This year has been such an amazing ride! Fiesta Bowl Champions! Great 10 wins for this team and this program! Michael Bonnette, LSU Sports Information Director: Texas winning tonight means that all 3 of LSU football non-conference FBS opponents in 2019 will be coming off 10-win seasons. Utah State 11 wins, Georgia Southern 10 wins and Texas 10 wins. LSU’s next road game? The Texas Longhorns in Austin. Beats Bama playing the Little Sisters of the Poor and Mrs. Butterworth's Cooking School. Ladies . . . “Find someone who looks at you the way Coach Ed Orgeron looks at the Fiesta Bowl trophy.” If it was something to cook he would have had it in the kitchen with some good seasonings. Cole Tracy breaks record: NCAA field goal record and LSU all time record for field goals. . Nick Brossette surpasses 1,000 yards on season. Tracy now has 29 FGs this season -- the most in a single season by an LSU kicker. Kelvin Joseph: I want to apologize to the whole tigers family that I let down in this critical situation I want to let y’all know it won’t happen again 2019 all gas no breaks tough times don’t last forever tough people do. Desmond Howard and Kirk Herbstreit picked UCF to beat LSU in the Fiesta Bowl. I love it when the ESPN talking heads pick against our Fighting Tigers! Especially Coach Corso. Joe Burrow threw 379 passes this season. Only LSU quarterback with more pass attempts was Rohan Davey with 420 in 2001. LSU beats UCF 40-32. Tigers finish the season with a 10-3 record. Burrow passed for 394 yards and 4 touchdowns in the game. Brossette ran for 117 yards. Tracy kicked 4 FGs. UCF lost and was outgained 555-250, but questions in press conference still about it not reaching playoff? "I don't think they could play in the SEC week in and week out," LSU LB Devin White said. UCF did not agree to that 2-1 offer Florida has made for three future games. It would be great to see how future UCF teams do against the SEC or ACC elite. Stanford is the marquee game for next season for the Knights. Will be an interesting matchup. OK, your turn.

Great to read you are on the mend. Keep getting stronger each day and before you know it you will be back on the water. Please keep us posted on your progress. All the best for a rapid recovery.

Hope you were not seriously injured. Let us know what your friend caught and the water conditions. Happy New Year!

Great! Head upriver for clearer water and make sure to check out Yarmouth and Shipyard creeks on your way to the dam area. You can also go to the back of Morris or Gordon creeks to find clear water but I would think you will have better luck at Yarmouth and Shipyard and Little creeks. Let us know how you do. Have a fun time.

Yes! What Tom says. Don't forget that you will be entering the world of the fish where the environment is much different than our "out of water" environment. Warm weather for us means comfortable fishing. Warm weather for the bass means nothing unless it lasts long enough to actually warm up the water to have a significant impact. So go out there and have some fun and catch some nice bass for all of us.

Of course there are guys in the greater Richmond geographical area who would love to fish with you. And you may want to consider joining a local bass club in the tri-cities area. Look at the top of this page for "Links" and then "Bass Clubs" and then the list which gives you the Virginia B.A.S.S. Federation Regions 3 and 6 bass clubs and contact them. Just remember they don't return your calls or emails very fast, if ever. Here are Cavin Young's emails. I think he may be retired now but you may want to contact him: Cavin Young <cavin.young@advansix.com>; Cavin.Young@Honeywell.com Cavin is a great guy; a sensational bass fisherman; and he can give you guidance on local bass clubs. You can also attend the Richmond Fishing Expo this January and visit the Virginia B.A.S.S. Federation and the TBF booths and get some information on their clubs. http://www.richmondfishingexpo.com/ Good luck.

No idea. The Historic James is high and dirty. May be the same conditions for the Chick, at least by the mouth and up towards Morris and Gordon creeks. Give it a try and let us know what you find out and how you did. Where are you putting in? Good luck and be safe.

X2

Wow! Great idea. Nice looking craft. Should pose no problems other than as penned above, the operators are not prepared to operate them safely.

Rich, check with some local tackle shops near the ramps you use for the Potomac (if any are around) and they can let you know if there are other maps available other than the GMCO series. GMCO is a great map but you have to remember one important thing: due to the Potomac tides the depth can and will change after the maps are published. So even though you can see the major depths just remember that the five foot depth at high tide may be down to two feet when you arrive to fish. Make plans to drive down to the Richmond Fishing Expo in Doswell in January and you can speak with the GMCO guy and Potomac guides. I think you will like the show.

It boils down to stereotyping by the media and movies. Every state has its hunters and fishermen who mind their own business and cause no problems. The "elite" like to portray southerners as dummies.

X2

Right. And it is mind boggling that so many bass guys and gals don't know this. These individuals continue to throw plastics. At least try a Silver Buddy dangling over the side and being pulled up and down.

X2. Remember, vision is the bass's number one method of catching their food with the lateral line feeling vibrations second. I like the 1/2 ounce Hank Parker spinnerbaits in heavy stained water along with the Rat-L-Trap and a 2.5 KVD crankbait. Have not had much luck with the jerkbait or jigs.

Here is my two cents. If you like them use them and have a good time. I do not believe they are the total answer to bass fishing success. Yes, you can obtain some data that may help you. But these apps are no excuse for being on the water and having experience with conditions, baits, and techniques. I am also sure that sometimes when you look at your apps and believe what they are telling you will lead to a bad day on the water when your gut tells you to do something else and you don't do it. Just my two cents.

cgolf, yes, you can get a line counter for that price but I have found them to be difficult to use and they are not accurate. They will give you an idea of the yards. I like my method better using the two door knobs. At least I know the variance and can take that into consideration. Another method I have used is going into my field with the rods and reels set up with the baits and casting as far as I can. I then walk along to where the lure landed and count off yards using my stride. Not perfect but like you said, it gives you an idea of the yards you have spooled on the reel. The duct tape - Scotch tape trick is an old one and it works. You can do this to stop backlashes, too, by casting out and then putting the duct tape or Scotch tape across the line on your spool.

As you have seen above, the "Stupid Rig" is nothing more than a Texas rigged jig head setup in a tube. Ike has used this setup for years as have other pros. If you really want to do something crazy with a tube try this: Stuff a quarter of an Alka-Seltzer tablet in the tube and then put some cotton (not much) in the tube to hold the Alka-Seltzer in place. Makes bubbles. Take a cotton ball and soak in your favorite scent and stuff it inside your tube. Leaves a nice scent trail for the bass to follow. Always try to put the tip of the hook back under the tube's skin if possible. You want to make the tube weedless, or "Stupid." Have fun!

Mann's -1; KVD Shallow Square bill are both excellent. Any shallow running crankbaits will do. Now, as an alternative, remove the rear hook from a 1/4 ounce lipless crankbait and throw that. By removing the rear hook you will avoid a lot of snags.

Look at the braid's line test and check it against what the reel has printed on it for line test/yards. Then, put some mono as backing and tie the braid to the mono backing. You can use as much mono backing as you want with the understanding that it is going to count against the reel's maximum yardage. You may want to glue the braid to the mono knot for extra strength. Not much glue. Get a fast drying glue with an applicator and use that. Apply a little to the knot and let it dry 100%. Don't go overboard with the mono. Just enough to keep the braid from slipping. Enough to cover the spool a few times. Then spool the braid onto the reel and having the braid stop between an 1/8 to 1/4 inch from the top of the reel. It is almost impossible to estimate the amount of line you are putting on your reel unless you have a really good line counter. The ones in the marketplace today are not that accurate. So your guess is as good as mine. You could measure the distance in yards from your entry door to your closet door in your man cave and then take the braid and tie it to the door knob and then run it to the other door knob, circle the knob, and go back and forth between doors until you have the amount of yardage you need. You know, if the doors are 12 feet apart, you have 4 yards, then 8 yards, then 12, then 16, then 20, etc. Do this in private because anyone seeing you doing this will think you lost your mind. My cousins and I used to walk the line around my aunt's house to measure it, going room by room until we figured we had the right yardage. I don't do that anymore as I a married and my wife would not appreciate it. Just a suggestion. Happy New Year!

Then it is an all around general rod for many applications, but not any one specific application. No problem with it. Use and enjoy the rod.