John J.

I am in the same boat you are in bud! I joined my club exactly one year ago (actually a little over a year). Sometimes I am the non-boater and sometimes I am the boater. A good tip for the non-boater is like these guys said, watch where the boater casts and any spots he misses or hasn't hit and jump on it! We have a rule (which I am sure it is applied everywhere) that there's an invisible line in the middle of the boat and neither the boater or non-boater can cast pass that line (in other words, no casting in front if your in back and no casting in back if your in front). I try to throw opposite of what the boater throws (unless he is catching fish of course!) If the boater is casting a spinner-bait or card plastic I switch to soft plastics. Offer something different. If the boater is catching fish, switch to what he's throwing. Many times I stick with a few lure types and stay with them even though the boater is catching them. I did this once with a spinner-bait when my partner, Randy Beasley was catching bass off of a ZOOM Finesse worm. It was on the Hot Side of Lake Anna. He caught 3 small bass on the finesse worm. I knew it was warm water and we were on rip raps in between dikes and I knew a big bass will hit my spinner-bait (it was a 1/4 ounce) and sure enough 20 minutes prior to the tournament ending I landed a 2 pound 10 ounce bass that got me 2nd place! If you know something will work and will give you luck (in the proper conditions and locations) stick with it! You will be surprised. Good luck! 8-)

Absolutely! Do you know where Orange County is? It is in between Fredericksburg and Culpepper. We have an angler's program at our school that has a few members who don't attend the school. The ages are for JV (Junior Varsity) 11-14 and 15-18 for Varsity. Our website is http://eteamz.active.com/ocssanglers Let me know if you are interested. We hold tournaments all over Virginia, we've gone to Lake Gaston, Lake Claytor, Lake Anna, our local Lake Orange, Potomac River, Motts Run Reservoir, Smith Mountain Lake, and all over! We have a tournament this Sunday at Sturgeon Creek, Lake Anna off of route 208. God bless 8-) BTW: My name is John Jones and I am the Treasurer of the club (in the officers).

Because it's my birthday! 8-) 8-) 8-) Finally 18 years old!!! 8-) 8-) 8-) : Tight lines

I've caught bass in shallow water too, to prevent the bass from fully seeing you, wear light blue (clear day) or white (cloudy) to blend in with the sky. The best bet is natural bait (nightcrawlers, crayfish, shiners, etc.) I would either weightless rig them for shallow water or bobber-rig them. God bless 8-)

Bluegill as bait is known everywhere, the key is big bluegill for big bass (or catfish...) and smaller bluegill for smaller bass. If you go too big, you just might catch yourself either a large bass or a large catfish lol! Minnows are good too.

HAPPY B-DAY! Mines Thursday (the 19th!) Can't wait for that lol! I will be 18!

Usually for me what happens is if I fish back to back (day after day), if I tear them up or get really lucky about getting snags out of trees, the next day is a bad day. Back in October we had a tournament in Potomac river and I fished the pre-fish day and I caught at least 9 bass off of one spinner-bait and the biggest was 4 pounds. The day for the tournament I tried everything I could and only managed to catch 2 bass. Then on Friday (this past friday!) I went fishing at Lake Anna and I kept getting my lure caught in the trees (fishing near the bank) but luckily with a gentile tug they came out. My boat partner Bert said "John, tomorrow you will have bad luck at that tournament!" (the tournament at Lake Orange!) And sure enough 2 of my rods broke, my fishing partner Randy didn't show up until later (flat tire) and needless to say it rained and the wind was whipping, so I was p'd and went home. BERT! I am going to get YOU!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D

Depends on the blade of the spinner-bait. A willow-leaf blade is meant for weeds and vegetation. It's thin, slender profile allow it to easily run through grass, weeds, etc. A colorado blade is meant mainly for either the helicopter retrieve or just a steady retrieve in open water. Indianna blade is a combo of the colorado and willow-leaf blade, it can be used in weeds, etc. but not real thick. If the pond makes it difficult to fish a spinner-bait, then maybe a spinner-bait is not the best. I would try plastic worms, jigs or other baits depending on the physical aspects of the pond... such as, does it have any weeds/vegetation? What kind of cover/structure is in the pond (logs, brush piles, etc.)? How deep is the pond? How big is the pond? What's the water temp? We need to know all these things before we can help you. God bless 8-)

Hey all just in case I did a search on this board about this to make sure I wasn't duplicating it... But here's the video, I am sure some of you have seen it, but I am sure some haven't...here's the funniest laugh I've ever heard!

WELCOME to the best and most informative bass fishing site on the NET! Any tips or questions you have don't hesitate to ask! I will be more than happy to help you! God bless 8-)

My prayers and thoughts to all those lost and their families... I read on the news 31 died and 22 injured...plus they found the suspect dead at the scene, I guess the crazy nut killed/injured the students and then took his own life... It's tragedies like this that make us look like an uncontrolled country and therefore that's why terrorists like Iraqis invade us and attack us. And to think I may apply at VT in the next year or two...sheeesh! I would hate for this to happen to me if I go there!! >

Yeah if they are spawning, surely throw live bait (crayfish are best because they threaten the nest and bass will eat them instantly!) Great job BK! 8-)

wish I woulda seen this post earlier lol! I could really use one... If anyone has a fish finder or any trolling motor they are willing to either give or sell cheap, pm me! God bless 8-)

There has always been a saying...if you can see a bass, he can see you. Either that or try different colors, what I would do is tie on a crawfish colored jig (black/orange/red) or close to it and add a pork trailer, that mimics a crayfish. Or if anything change to live bait... If the temperatures have been extreme (like it has here) going from nice weather to cold weather, try throwing a rattle trap or shallow diving crankbait. Try anything different, also one thing you didn't mention, try to wacky rig a small worm or senko, that may get him to bite! Good luck! 8-)

Contact Wayne (Wayne P.) he loves the wacky rig! As far as me, the wacky rig is my #1 rig. I love it in shallower cover such as logs, trees, docks, etc. With it's weighless presentation you can easily skip it under docks, etc. I use a 1/0 or 2/0 wide gap Finesse hook and I usually wacky either yum dingers, culprit finesse worms (for colder weather; smaller lures for lethargic fish), senkos, or any other stick plastics. Be a line watcher with the wacky rig. For deeper water clip on a few split shots. If you need to tie on a sinker with the split shot, the best bet is to go with a texas rig lol! Good luck!

An easy way to determine a bite is to take the jig and cast it in a pond. I learned what to feel for when worm fishing by fishing in a pond. Bass in a pond will HIT ANYTHING! And therefore it will be good practice. Like the others said. It can be anything from a tap to weight at the end of your line. What I do is get used to the way the jig feels by itself. Getting the basic feeling of a jig alone. And then if anything out of the ordinary from that feeling is presented then I set the hook. Always keep this in mind, "When in doubt set the hook!". There are free swings in bass fishing. If you get hung up, oh well, you can get the jig off. But if it was a fish, that when in doubt set hook thing will pay off big! Usually when I fish a jig, I feel a tap tap or a pull. Sometimes (like in deep water) you can watch your line. If you see your line move off to the left, right, or toward you, you know it is a fish. Also watch for any sudden twitches in your line, that indicates a strike too. I always watch the line and see how fast and how the line goes out when it is sinking. When a jig is slowly sinking by itself, the line dissapears slowly. But for me when a bass hits it or something hits it (fish) I notice the action of the line changes. It will either twitch or increase speed and you can see your entire line moving. Like I said the best bet is to practice in a pond with plenty of bass abundant. This will give you the feeling and the experience needed when fishing in a lake. Good luck! 8-)

Like I said bud, time flies by fast! It's hard for me to believe that my grandma died 6 years ago when it feels like it was yesterday! When is your birthday? I am sure it can't be far. Once you get that age and you get your permit, etc. life will be easier as far as getting to go where you want to go. But like I said, it may have those advantages and privaleges, but there still a few things you have to consider...(I already said it though...lol) Responsibility, Maturation, Safety, and Knowledge. Once you get on the road things change. You will be taught this though once you obtain your permit/license. The time will come my little grasshoppa ( ;D) and when it does, it will fly by! 8-)

I may not be an old guy but I will tell you... "DON'T WISH YOUR LIFE AWAY!" ;D I am sure you know, one day you will get the opportunity and with opportunity comes responsibility. I am going to turn 18 in 5 days (April 19th). And to me it is a huge stepping stone; not only because I have more freedom and opportunities but also responsibility. I am now becoming a young adult, and that's a crucial part in my life. You will get there before you know it, and just like the snap of a finger, the moment passes quick! Enjoy your 'teenhood' while you can. Pretty soon you will have a girlfriend (if you don't already have one), need to get a job (to support yourself) and responsibility to take care of what you have (car, gf, etc.) No need to lecture, but just wanna let you know 8-) God bless

Same here bud! I lost my grandma right after New Years of 2001, she had a heart attack on the way to my aunts house in Georgia (they were leaving our house to head back after new years). It tore me apart! I loved my grandma soooo much! I wish I had the opportunity to tell her how much I love her and that she will always be in my heart... :-[ :-/ Times like this is tough...but you and your family unabasser will always be in my prayers! 8-) God bless to you and yours!

Yeah from what I heard Briery Creek Lake is good. I will look them up online. Burt Seymour is taking me out to Lake Anna tomorrow, so I will be fishing tomorrow too. I need to check up on the fishing report in anna to see what the bass are hitting on, etc. From what I know know crankbaits, rattle traps and any fish imitation baits work at Orange and that may apply at Anna too. But I am not 100%... I will keep you updated Matt, If I ever go back to Lake Orange, I will let ya know! God bless and keep tight lines! 8-)

Yeah I had a blast too Matt! I didn't mind being in the back of the boat with the trolling motor, didn't bother me at all. Agrivating when your fighting the wind though lol! but that's something you literally can't control ;D Next time don't forget your sunglasses It was my first time out with someone from the forum too, I've met and talked to some folks and they were nice and then I met Matt and for sure I got a fishing partner! If there's anything you need Matt (baits, stuff, etc.) give me a call man! I will 'hook' you up :-X Let me know when you're free again and for sure we will head out again! When I get a gas engine (9.9 hp) we will hit Lake Anna! God bless! 8-)

Yeah, Mike Rowe and Dirty Jobs is a great show! Nasty but great! Another nasty show is Fear Factor, I really couldn't see myself doing that stuff they do on Fear Factor.... Drywall work is pretty much a dirty job, and I don't want a job any dirtier! ;D ;D ;D

We had a good day today at Lake Orange. It was cool this morning but it warmed up. Matt caught two right off shore, we had to wait for Darrell (shop owner) to show up so we can rent a jon boat (I just sent the registration for my v hull and we hadn't got it back to make the boat legal). One was a decent size and the other was small. Then as soon as Darrell showed up we headed out onto the lake. We fished the shallow flats hoping there would be some bass on there and Matt caught a nice 1 1/2 pounder, and then nothing for a while. Then we headed up lake towards the dam and fished up there and then finally one more was caught. I didn't catch anything. Matt was a great guy, I enjoyed being on the boat with him. Anytime you want to head out again Matt, let me know! I will be more than happy to head out with you again! Just hope next time I will have my v hull ready!! God bless! 8-)

They also get to kids through television shows... Watch Bambi! It makes a hunter look bad! >

tisk tisk tisk.... These people are trying to save the animals but ruining the world! I mean I am an animal lover but I don't go off half **** and try to prevent fishing, hunting or anything. Thumbs down to the PETA, thumbs up to B.A.S.S and NRA! 8-)