Traveler2586

Welcome to the area micorps. I live just south of you in Waldorf; I can set you up with some spinner and buzzbaits to welcome you to So. MD when you get here. Fat Boy hit the nail on the head and there's not much more I can add other than showing you around the Upper Tidal Potomac. We have plenty to offer between the Bay, Patuxent River, Potomac River, Susquehanna River, several reservoirs, the Eastern Shore rivers, and we also have Lake Anna about two hours south.

I had a good day on the water this Memorial Day, went out to fish a peaceful little spot I know. But just as an observation; as I was pulling away from my home I noticed my flag was wrapped on it's pole and thought this is not the day to be wrapped, I need to fix that when I returned. My 30 min. drive to the ramp is mainly back roads past many homes and small stores. As I had my flag on my mind, I started noticing that I didn't see many flags that day, to or from the ramp, there should have been more than usual; that's sad really, we have so much we take for granted, and owe so many for their service to our country, but so few take time to remember. So I thought I should have a small flag to fly from my anchor light pole on these occasions; and I think I'll shop around and get one that will last. Dose anyone fly a flag on your bass boast?

A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had acquired two new dogs, and asked her what their names were. The blonde responded by saying that one was named Rolex and one was named Timex. Her friend said, 'Whoever heard of someone naming dogs like that?' 'HELLLOOOOOOO......,' answered the blonde. 'They're watch dogs'!

Look for TSA approved locks on-line, you can get them with keys or combo; they have an extra key slot that TSA uses to unlock the lock without damage. Or, you can use small Ty-wraps, which TSA will cut; put a zip-lock bag with extra Ty-wraps on top of your thing inside the bag so TSA will see it first and include a note asking them to re-secure your bag after inspection. This method even worked in the western European and Asian Pacific rim countries. If you use a heavy duty lock that's difficult to open you may be invited back to the X-ray point to open your bag for them. I frequently traveled with an equipment case that had two small hardened key locks to protect expensive test equipment. So, tip of the day, If you have electronic devices in your bags remove the batteries if possible, it will save you some hassles.

I just had to pass that one on to some friends, OMG LOL funny

Frequently, better anglers are just not available to the average recreational fisherman and going out with a guide can get expensive fast. I'm not a tournament angler and really see anyone I know at the ramps; so I rely on books, video/TV and this forum for my education; and for the price you can't beat Bass Resource and it's members for information on the subject.

I don't drink beer often, but when I do, I use two hands.

Search the web for "Buck Perry", or "Spoonpluging"; even though he passed on years ago they still keep his web site up. Buck wrote some books, but he was before electronics & Bass TV - very old school; I consider myself a student of his.

Discipline is by far the hardest tool to master in fishing, I'm still working on that but I start second guessing myself; I'll see cover or structure that looks fishy and get distracted. I'll start with search baits, Spinnerbaits, cranks, swim, little buddy's, etc; working parallel to the bank, from shallow to deep water; but when I come across a bank area that looks good I'll spend most of my time working pockets in the weed, or wood, and I think that's where I start to fail with following the plan.

No, I think that would have surely won me a trip into "the back room"

I really enjoyed reading this post, It's like you were in my mind. I have been trying to break what I thought of as bad habits that were unproductive, working only what I could see, wooded shoreline, grass lines, etc. I was doing what I saw all the other anglers doing, and with the fishing pressure on the river from tournaments, bites could be hard to come by; and then there's the "where did they go" syndrome. I needed a new approach, talking to other anglers wasn't working - they were doing the same as I was; I felt I needed to get out of line and try a new path, but what?, I had no idea. Then I stumbled on an old booklet at of all places an "Antique Show" my wife drug me to. It was by some guy named Buck Perry. He basically was selling a lure, but in the process he was teaching what you're calling the Zone System (which I think is a good name for it) he started by working the shore line from point "A" to point "B", then back off and work "B" to "A" a little further off shore, and then ":A" to "B" still a little further off shore, and so on until you get to the deepest water in the area. I think he called it screening the area. I think it's working for me, BUT, my problem it sticking to the plan; I seam to want to gravitate back to "spot fishing" far too easily. So it's a work in progress. I cover more area, faster, and may or may not find the fish, then move to the next area. Weather, light intensity and angle are the biggest players in where I'm finding what fish I find. Question: What's your go-to lure for each Zone, i.e. Shallow, Mid-depth, Deep?

Especially when they're armed Most TSA people I met in my travels were good people, one told me "they're hammered to follow their training" On several trips I had a large smiley face in one of my bags on top of my cloths; when I got to my destination on one of the trips I found a Post-it on the smiley that said "Thanks we needed that"

This is a subject that has been around for many, many, years. If you ask five people you get six opinions. If you read the link above "Mixing fish Attractants" you saw that Worm Extract had 100% strike response. I have to wonder if this isn't something akin to chumming, i.e. using ground live bait to attract fish. When I was young we would hang a chum bucket over the side of the boat while trolling for Blue's on the Chesapeake, it worked well. I wounder if the same technique would work on Bass to induce a feeding frenzy?

I was a professional Federal traveler for eight years (98--06) with a Diplomatic passport traveling both Conus and international. Because I carried some specialty tools in my check-in TSA would frequently rummage through my bags. I would leave them little notes on company letterhead, some with jokes, on top of my things so they would see the note first. I will tell you, as others will also, most TSA people in North America don't have a since of hummer because they never know when they're being tested (spot check). Several times my presence was requested at the baggage x-ray to explain what my tools were for. BTW, a US Dip passport doesn't buy you squat in the US with the TSA. So RNF, I don't think a brick will fly - - with you I think they would classify it a a potential projectile, or weapon.

Test ------------------------- Read this question, come up with an answer and then scroll down to the bottom for the result. This is not a trick question. It is as it reads. No one I know has got it right.. While at the funeral of her own mother, a woman met a man who she did not know. She thought he was 'amazing'. She believed him to be her dream partner so much that she fell in love with him right there, but never asked for his number and could not find him. A few days later she killed her sister. Question: What was her motive for killing her sister? Give this some thought before you answer, see answer below.. Answer: She was hoping the guy would appear again at her sister's funeral. If you answered this correctly, you think like a psychopath. This was a test developed by a famous American psychologist, used to test if one has the same mentality as a killer. Many arrested serial killers took part in the test and answered the question correctly... If you didn't answer the question correctly, good for you. If you got the answer correct, please let me know so I can take you off my e-mail list.

Also, USGS has topo maps at http://cida.usgs.gov/hqsp/apex/f?p=262:18:1982896160185770::NO:RP,18 which are free to down load in PDF format. Check out these http://cida.usgs.gov/hqsp/apex/f?p=262:18:1982896160185770::NO:RP:: to get an idea of creek channels in man-made reservoirs.

Thanks Glenn, Hope the rest of your weekend is more enjoyable than the start tonight.

When I first saw you post I thought it said "195 Bass Caught Today!!" It got my attention LOL..... Nice job! And the address of that lunker hotel was???????

Two questions from pic 3: is that a roadbed entering the lake, or a relatively new launching ramp?; and are the shore anglers just in one conveniently accessible area or over a wide area of the shore near by? If that is a roadbed, find out where it goes and work both sides of the structure with a variety of baits looking for drainage ditches, culverts, etc. If the anglers are in a well worn bank area, there's something there that's working, maybe a creek channel turns near shore. If this is a man made lake, it's possible I could find a topo map of the area before the lake was made.

Although you didn't say what kind (man made or natural) of lake it is, or where, from some of your pic's of the shore, the bottom could be rather flat and featureless with little or no creek channel or other structure. It could also have a thick layer of muck (dead biomass that uses up oxygen) covering the bottom that would prevent nesting. Scan the area with a crankbait that will hit the bottom to see what you get, i.e. dark grey mud that stinks, weed - what type, hit structure - submerged wood?

Was this a land-locked pond or does it have a stream route to other waters?

OK, so no one has done it yet, so I guess it's up to me "What line do You Use?" Hi!, did I see you in my shop the other day? Yes, I know, back on subject..... Trilene XL 6, 10 or12, 17 Been using it for decades and just like the feel and cast-ability of the product. (and I'm basically cheep) Spiderwire Braid 50 something.... Lot of nice data here. Anyone know how to set up a poll of line manufactures?

I refer to it as working on my retirement plan. Told my wife it's an investment in our future.

A husband had just finished reading a new book entitled, "You Can Be THE Man of Your House." He stormed to his wife in the kitchen and announced, "From now on, you need to know that I am the man of this house and my word is Law. You will prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm done eating my meal, you will serve me a scrumptious dessert.. After dinner, you are going to go upstairs with me and we will have the kind of sex that I want! Afterwards, you are going to draw me a bath so I can relax. You will wash my back and towel me dry and bring me my robe. Then, you will massage my feet and hands. Then tomorrow, guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?" The wife replied, "My first guess would be the funeral director."