Sam

Jordan, if you tried some of my suggestions and did not get a bite the bass were not in the area you fished. Who knows where they decided to go. And who knows if they gouged themselves as the front approached. Keep trying. Sooner or later you will find them. Merry Christmas!

Welcome!

Yes, we are experiencing it in Virginia, too. Too many individuals looking at open spaces and seeing the areas based on the "income value" of the land. What I mean is that you can value land and real property in a number of ways and the "income value" means the land is prime for producing income producing properties via rental income for the investors. We have a saying in the Richmond area that "if you see a blade of grass, put up another apartment complex." What the local political leaders are realizing is that apartment buildings do not produce the income of businesses and you need the businesses to support the increasing population in a specific area. You also need improved roads, parking areas, and law enforcement/fire/EMS services based on growing populations. What is gut wrenching is to see the developers destroy a pond or lake to build their frame idols. Other than for water retention necessary for the property's development the developers could care less. Sad state of affairs but that is life.

X2

At this time, December 23rd, the upper Historic James River has overflowed its banks and it may close down Cherokee Road in Richmond via flooding the street at the foot of Snake Hill. The water is about three inches from the street and the river continues to be a beautiful chocolate milk color as it rises more and more. With the chance of more rain by New Years the river will continue to be a problem for us fishermen into the new year. So far this has been the second most rain in the greater Richmond, Virginia area for a year and we are on our way to come close (within an inch) of hitting a new annual high. All be safe out there if you are hitting the water over the holidays.

X2. And the bass may be overpopulated, too.

Cyber, the weather will be on your side. When a front moves through your area the bass start to feed. Only problem I see is that with cloudy skies the bass will be spread out and may not be holding to any cover or structure which makes finding them and a strong pattern difficult. Just keep experimenting with your techniques and baits until you find the pattern and then have some fun until the pattern fizzes out. Hit the dam area hard with plastics and moving baits such as square bill crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, and spinnerbaits, and your favorite jig and pig. Let us know how you do. And may I suggest in the future you post your requests for fishing specific bodies of water in the Ohio fishing section of the Forum so more guys in your area can see it and give you more precise advice.

Koz, other than for the Osborne Landing, Follow the Dead Fish to Hopewell, and Ancarrows ramps on the Historic James River in the greater Richmond, Virginia geographical area, we do not encounter bank fishermen very often. There are a few docks where people will be fishing and sometimes we find individuals fishing near other boat ramps, like Morris Creek on the Chick River, but for 99% of the time we don't see any bank guys or gals. When we do, we give them a wide berth so they can also enjoy fishing from the bank. And yes, fishing from a boat gives you much more latitude in your presentations and techniques than fishing from the bank. This is why we have an explosion of kayaks as they are the most economical way to fish from a boat without breaking the bank. You made a great post. It is a reminder to all in a boat to give way to "bankers." Merry Christmas!

Anthony, in the good ole days the rule was to use mono on your baitcaster for the stretch when setting the hook. This was especially true for treble hook baits when you set the hook by moving the rod from left to right (or right to left) waist high. Today, things have changed. First, the pros are using fluorocarbon on their baitcasters. Second, more and more pros are going with braid on their baitcasters. So what should you do? Personal preference and what you have confidence should rule your decision. You need to try some mono, fluoro and braid next year to see how they perform on your rod and reel setup. We can only give you our opinion which may not match your techniques or baits so it is up to you to find your best setup. I use braid for flipping and pitching on my spinning rigs and mono for treble hook baits and fluorocarbon and braid on my baitcasters depending on the baits I am throwing. Have fun noting with line suits your fishing style best and go out and nail your personal best. Merry Christmas!

X2

Wanted a larger and faster bass boat with more storage area and yes, it is fiberglass. You get the boat you feel the safest and that has the layout you like and storage space that you need. Have fun checking out what boats are out there and then make your choice.

Hayden, anything you want to throw as long as the line's test and bait's weight are within the rod's parameters stamped on the rod above the reel seat. Experiment. That is part of the fun of bass fishing. As for the best line test weight, add the low and high test numbers and divide by 2. Use this line test and you will have fewer line problems and you can cast far and also skip your baits easily. How about going to the Introductions section and introduce yourself. Welcome to the Forum and Merry Christmas!

Allen, you are right about trailering in the wind. Many times in the summer months I had to get into the water to push the boat or rock it back and forth in order to align the boat with the trailer. I also learned via my Tracker experience to put the plug into my Ranger BEFORE leaving the house.

Greentrout, us SEC fans have a problem with Bama. If Tau is not 100%, meaning he can't move the pocket or take off downfield, Bama will have to use Jalen. And Jalen may not be 100%. So in comes the third string QB who is very good but not up to the level of Tau or Jalen. I think Satan will use Tau until he can't go anymore or is ineffective and then put in Jalen. Will be a fun game to watch. Oklahoma can't stop the run so Bama will probably be handing off a lot to their backs. Then all of a sudden throw the ball. The over/under is 80.5 points with the Tide favored by 14. Maybe Bama can slow down that crazy fast moving OU offense but the Vegas guys who set the line know what they are doing. Get ready for some wild football game. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Hey Allen, Try to find on the Internet the following site: http://virginiaguidebaitco.com/ Check out Catalogs Standard List and look for the #15 flukes and the Smokin' Shad Fluke color. Then check out Special Runs catalog and look for #15 in Silver Rainbow and Blue Pearl Silver. You can call Fred or Judy and place an order for anything in their catalogs and special runs. Merry Christmas!

It's a tie. Silver and green pumpkin with the tail dipped on a lime color.

Even Satan was surprised LSU made the title game. They lost to the Vols during the regular season in Knoxville and LSU was a big underdog.

Let's see. Tampa in December. Warm temperatures. Good fishing. I concur with the square bill and will add a spinning bait, Chatterbait, shaky head, Texas rigged creature bait, Texas rigged finesse worm, and a jig and pig. The rip rap will hold the heat and the bass will come up to enjoy the warmer water and to feed. Experiment. Have fun. Let us know how you do. Merry Christmas.

Watching the replay of the 2001 LSU-Tennessee SEC football championship game on the SEC Network. LSU won the game 31-20. Sure hope they win again in the replay. You can't always be sure with Ears Feinbaum around.

Myth.

As I told my son and his friends: look at her mother. She will look like her mother as she ages. Same for the girls: look at his father. You can do all you can to be a lean, mean fighting machine, but Mother Nature will win out as you age. It gets to be a longer and harder battle as you go forward. It's in your genes and DNA. But we are proud of you and we will be eating our donuts and cheering you along all the way!

Ike, as long as we fish for fun and he explains a lot of stuff to me and gives me a lot of suggestions.

You can add to your G. Loomis collection during the sales from American Legacy with their drop shot rods. What Tom suggests, too. You can't go wrong with a Dobyns. Look for sales in your area or on the Internet. Remember, there are "rod specific" rods out there designed for drop shot and other specific techniques. Check them out.

Probably not counterfeit but another type of line to fool you. Check out how reputable the seller is with the understanding that relatives and friends make the good posts for the sellers. And maybe the seller decided to sell the line after he removed the sticker and he did not like how it felt. You can also contact Seaguar and ask them. Hope you did not get ripped off.

It was the Extreme line of rods from Bass Pro Shops. You could get one for $100 during their sales. Excellent rods for the money. Today the Extreme is no longer produced so you will have to go any name brand out there that meets your fishing techniques, line test, and bait size. With the sales going on and the end of January sales right around the corner, you should be able to score a very nice rod in the $100 range during the sales. You and the Bait Monkey have fun selecting your rod.