Sam

Wow! Time for horse racing to begin again. Time flies. Before you know it we will be in May for the Derby. And a number of the horses listed above will be faint memories.

What makes a jig-and-worm rod so good for both? Physics. And the testing by the manufacturer using physics as their base for rod performance.

1/4 and 3/8, depending on the time of year, fishing conditions as Tom penned above, and the depth of the water if I am fishing a lake, pond or tidal river. Half-ounce for Carolina rigs. One ounce football style for catfish. If a tidal river it will depend on how fast the water is moving. I also use a 1/16 Provider Jig Head that a pro introduced to me and I love it. In fact, I am now using the Provider Jig Heads in all sizes depending on the conditions and tidal flow more than a standard Texas rig set up. The 3/8 ounce weight is an excellent size for all waters and plastics so I throw that, too. Sometimes pegged; sometimes not pegged. And of course, a heavy Texas rigged or Provider Jig Head for throwing in the grass and pads. Now, tungsten or lead. Which one do you prefer?

First, if you do use that rod and reel setup you need to take into the shower when you get home and wash all of the salt off of it. Even the salt you can't feel. Get rid of all of it. Unspool the braid and wash it down, too, then respool it back on the reel if it is in good condition. Second, when you fish saltwater there are far more species that can hit your bait. Many are strong fighters and are a lot bigger than a largemouth or smallmouth bass. 30-pound braid should be sufficient to land the saltwater fish unless you hook a big one that takes off for the deep blue water. You should have no problems with the smaller ones. Third, braid does not do well in rocks so you will need to look at and feel the line after five or six casts to make sure the braid has not been damaged in addition to checking the knot and retying it after you catch two or three fish. Fourth, you can use your setup if you are not afraid of having the rod snap when fighting a big one. Fifth, be sure to bring your needle nose pliers to remove the hook. And watch the teeth. Saltwater fish have sharp teeth that can tear up your fingers and hand in a New York second. Sixth, with the after Christmas sales you can purchase a heavy saltwater specific rod and reel setup for future use at a good price and fill the spool with a high test fluorocarbon line. Give it a try and let us know how you do in sunny California and how long your rod lasts before it breaks.

I fished with a pro three years ago and he told me that the pros are using braid tied directly to the hook or with a leader in clear water. He said that it does not matter if you tie the braid directly to your hook for a shaky head or drop shot presentation. Go figure.

Wasabi, your question should not be who has the lowest price but who moves reels the fastest. Yes, all retailers will be having sales after Christmas and in January. So you can get a good deal on any rod or reel of your selection. The question asks which retailer sells the reels the fastest so they do not linger on their shelves for months at a time, drying out the grease inside the reel. So look for a reputable retailer that turns over lots of rods and reels so you can get one that has been manufactured in the recent past. The people you communicate who will be handling your order will have no idea other than if you go to a local tackle shop and can speak with the owner or clerks. And then some of them will have no idea. I suggest you make your purchase and then, if possible, have someone who repairs reels re-grease and check the brakes on your new reel, like Wayne Knabe in Powhatan County. Call Wayne and speak with him about your new reel as he is the master of repairing all types of rods and reels. 804.239.6751. He can tell you what he has found inside the leading brands and how the gears and works have changed over the years. If you live close to Wayne's Powhatan farm you can visit with him and learn a lot. Good luck.

The Road to the Super Bowl goes through New Orleans.

Agree with Logan and Oregon. Do it at least one time. But with reservations and not hopes too high for a positive outcome. The boater wants to win his boating division. He will not care if he back-boats you, cuts you off, or puts the boat in a position that only he can hit the target. It is all about him. He will not tell you what he is throwing so you have to ask or see the baits. And don't expect him to give you any of his baits that are producing strikes. If you are unlucky and get a professional tournament boater you will really feel alone. These guys are fishing for a living and not just a trophy or a small prize. They will not speak to you and they will fish like fast machines. Sometimes two to three casts before you finish one. They are not your friend. They are there to place as high as possible to protect their sponsor's ratings and to move up the tournament ladder. Sometimes you will pull out with a guy who has no knowledge of the local waters and he may or may not take your advice. The B.A.S.S. Northern Opens in Richmond, Virginia attracted guys from all across the Midwest, New England, and states along the Atlantic Ocean. Many had never fished a tidal river and were totally lost. So hopefully you will get pulled with a local who knows how to fish tournament waters. So knowing the above it is still a good idea to give it a try. My last state tournament on Buggs Island had me paired with a guy from Southwest Virginia as the boater but who had never seen Buggs. So I gave him some advice but he decided we needed to fish all of the rock which we did. I finished 52nd. Don't remember where he ended up but it was not a high place. Last time I fished a big tournament like that with over 160 boats. Let us know what you decide and then the details. Good luck.

Team, I tried Tippet rings and they drove me crazy. Had no confidence in them so I don't use them. I go with braid to fluorocarbon as you do. Totally agree. I tie a simple know when on the boat.

Arizona, you have asked a really great question that will get the gang stirred up. May I add my two cents? By the numbers: 1. Check out the line test parameters on any rod you wish to consider to make sure you can use your favorite braid line test. Remember to add the low and high test numbers together and divide by 2 to obtain the best performance line test for that rod. 2. I use a medium heavy with fast tip for spinnerbait rods and that power and tip speed work great for all applications. But since I use this setup for both power and finesse and you do power only, I would suggest you consider a heavy spinning rod, like the ones designed for frogs or catfish. 3. Check out the bait weight, too. Be sure it will handle the baits you like to throw. 4. $200 opens the door to many choices. Way too many. You can drive yourself off the deep end trying to decide. What is great about your post is that the end of Christmas and January sales are right around the corner. So you can nail a $300 to $500 rod for $200. Just be sure you have confidence in the rod and you can't go wrong. 5. To select your rod, especially ones on sale, you have to do your homework. This means reading about all of the rods out there from American Legacy Fishing and G. Loomis to Tackle Warehouse's offerings and all in-between that are in your price range. You also know to wait for future sales after Christmas and into January. 6. Take your favorite spinning reel into a tackle shop and put it on a few rods to see how it feels in your hand. You can check out the rod's length to make sure it is right for you and the techniques you use. You can also note how the reel fits the rod's reel seat in addition to its balance and weight. This will give you an idea of how the rod will feel when you fish with it. 7. As you know, there are "rod specific" rods in the marketplace. This means that there are rods designed for cranking, jigs, large worms, big spinnerbaits, deep water, heavy weights and line test, flipping and pitching, drop shots, shaky heads, etc. You have to decide if a cranking spinnerbait rod, like a David Fritts Speed Stick, would be what you are seeking or a higher end rod like a G. Loomis spinning rod or a Kistler Helium 7-foot heavy rod. And don't forget your Ugly Sticks. They can do a great job with all presentations and you can get a few for $200. 8. Remember, the Bait Monkey will be watching you as will we. The Bait Monkey will guide you to purchase the right high-end spinning rod. We will be watching to see what you finally decide to purchase. All this to try to outsmart a green fish with a small brain. Isn't this fun? I envy your efforts and your new rod. I have too many rods and reels and to sneak another one into my house will not work as I have no more space to store it properly. As for your warranty query, give Abu a call and ask them. You may be surprised at their answer. Or, if you can find a local guy who repairs rods he may be able to put your broken rod back together at a fair price. So go out and have some fun for us while shopping and keep us posted on what you are considering and when they take you to the funny farm. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's!

Yes. Mainly Shimano but I have two Lew's.

Back at you, Mike. All have a great Christmas and safe New Year's. Post your new fishing gifts for us to see.

Here is why you set your clock back one second when entering Louisiana: 1972: Bert Jones sets clocks back 4 seconds Technically, it wasn’t a two-minute drill. Bert Jones took over the ball with 3:02 on the clock with the Tigers down 16-10, needing 80 yards to score. Jones tried to squeeze a pass to Jimmy LeDoux on a play that began with four seconds on the clock, but the ball fell incomplete. Unaware of the clock, Jones pleaded with the ref for pass interference, not more time. He didn’t get the call, but he did get one second. More than enough. Jones got off the snap and hit Brad Davis for the score. Ole Miss is still mad at the refs about this one.

Having son, his kids, and dog over for Christmas dinner. Dog is an Aussie puppy so I can't feed him from the table. Bummer. Daughter-in-law not coming which means we will have a fun time with the kids and son.

Yes!!!! DO NOT USE CHEMICALS ON ANY HARD BAITS. The old toothbrush trick in hot water usually works to a degree. As Smokenal pens, use baking soda if necessary. You may want to use Hard as Nails nail polish to paint over the rusted areas and then put a coat of clear Hard as Nails nail polish over the first coat of nail polish. As for rusted hooks, replace them with fresh hooks. In the meantime, save your pennies and dimes and when you get a good bankroll, replace the rusted baits with new ones as your Christmas present to yourself. Hit Walmart for your selection of Hard as Nails nail polish. It is not expensive and works great. Merry Christmas!

Green, in Mississippi you have great places to fish all year. The rest of the country above the Carolinas and the Mason-Dixon Line and then heading out west have issues with finding enough ponds and small lakes to fish. So you and the bank guys and gals in the deep south can enjoy a smorgasbord of fishing locations as long as you avoid the snakes, wild boars, alligators, and the Rougaroux if you slip into Louisiana. And remember, when entering Louisiana from Mississippi you have to use the 1972 football rule and set your clock back one second. Geaux Tigers!

Merry Christmas! And look at the seminar schedule. I try to make the show on Friday and see the G-Man seminar. He is a riot. And the other seminar speakers should be excellent, too.

About 3 to 4 pounds? For Christmas we are having either ham or a crown rib roast. For New Year's we are having either ham, crown rib roast, or a filet. My wife is an excellent cook and she will have potatoes, a veggie, salad, and an outstanding dessert. I am thinking of trying my luck making chocolate caramel salt cookies.

Congrats! You did good. Keep sending us your photos. Merry Christmas.

Just the Beetle Spin when I fish the upper Historic James River for smallies.

X2 It is Hank Parker. Try to find his DVDs on spinnerbait fishing on the Internet and any YouTube videos. Hank is the master of spinnerbaits. And his line of spinnerbaits is excellent. Expensive, but excellent.

Kyle, your next challenge is to locate the ramps. Walkerton on the Mattaponi Hopyard Landing or Hicks Landing on the Rappahannock Osborne Landing on the Historic James Williams Landing on the Pamunkey You may want to give yourself a Christmas present in the form of GMCO maps of each river. You can go to BPS and locate these maps in the electronics area and open a few to see what they offer. And you can try to find the ramps on Google maps and Google Earth, too. If you buy the GMCO maps you can locate the landings and ramps plus have a map of the area. When I moved to Virginia many years ago I took a day and made a recon run to find each ramp. The maps will show you the highways and byways you will need to transgress to find them. Your challenge is that you may be taking your kayak to these ramps in the dark. And getting lost is very easy. So look up these ramps on Google and Google Earth and note the back roads that take you to them. Walkerton, Hicks and Williams charge $10. Hopyard and Osborne are free. And don't forget the Richmond Fishing Expo at the end of January. Check out this link and have a good time at the show where you can meet and talk to other bass fishing guys and gals about fishing in the Mechanicsville area. http://www.richmondfishingexpo.com/ Doswell is up the road from Mechanicsville area about a mile from Kings Dominion. Add into this formula meeting the people at Surfside and Hopkins and you will be ready to rock and roll in no time. Let us know of your adventures and successes.

Get the VD&IF's booklet, Freshwater Fishing in Virginia, and take a look at the places they list. I can tell you that you can hit the Historic James River out of Osborne Landing; the Pamunkey River; the Mattaponi River; the Rappahannock River; and maybe a pond or two that you could fish. You can speak with the people at Surfside and Hopkins in Mechanicsville, plus Green Top and Bass Pro Shops to find places to fish. Good hunting.