Troutfisher

Well, I am after all really Kevin Vandam. : Seriously though, this site is absolutely awesome. If I search google for something about bass fishing, 90% of the time the first two or three things that come up are BassResource.com things.

How was Saturday for a day of upsets? How about them horns? No. 4 Texas lost to Kansas State! Go Dogs! No. 5 Auburn lost to Georgia! Gators barely swam away with it...17-16 to South Carolina Gamecocks. Golden What? No. 8 Cal lost to Arizona! Tennesee collapses to the Razorbacks! No. 11 Arkansas beat Tennesee! I bet the BCS bowl games could go to anyone. Also, for an honorable mention, how about No. 3 Louisville getting edged by Rutgers? If WVU beats Rutgers, then there will be a three way tie for the Big East bests.

25.50 lbs even. Actually, I'd say 2 lbs 5 oz.

Yeah, well, you guys can talk about online tackle all day, but I, I have the bait monkey under control... (Sees pack of Berkley GULP!) Must....not...buy.....

Sorry, I had to step in the other room and laugh. That's looking like the National Championship for me.

I've seen some nice carp down my way, but haven't been able to pull 'em in like that. BTW nice avatar, LBH. ;D I believe Bass Fisherman told me she caught that on bread, is that right?

Perfect picture.

I have a question...if a lot of the members on the board and most of the mods are going to Fork to nail those big fish (and some bragging rights... ;D), who will be in charge of the site? Will it continue to function as normal, or will Glenn temporarily shut it down, or what?

A 3 inch LM caught at my grandma's small creek is my smallest. Caught on a tiny earthworm. I was fishing for minnows to use for bait. The bass was about this big... ^________________________________________^ Roughly this size.

Apology accepted and welcome back aboard!

Boy, my Steelers took a spanking... :'(

Good job Lightnin!

Hey, are you aware that if Rutgers beat Louisville and WVU beats Rutgers then there will be a three way tie for Big East Champs? Not for the National Championship, but for a Big East Conference Championship.

I decided to revitalize the National Championship thread due to the fact that the season of college football is winding down. Too bad my West Virginia Mountaineers blew it to Louisville on Thursday night. So much for National Championship hopes. :'(

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWelcome AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAboard! Seriously though, hope you enjoy the forum!

Welcome aboard!

Thanks Muddy and Claude. I finally turned in the paper just now, and it all looks to be going smoothly. Claude, good deal, thanks for checking on that.

Thanks guys...I really appreciate your help! And, as mentioned in one of my previous posts.... Muddy, Muddy, Muddy... ;D ;D ;D

Finally finished the rough draft! Enjoy! Also, a special thanks to Glenn for letting me quote some things from the homepage of BassResource.com. The Unique Sport of Bass Fishing Bass fishing differs from other sports because of its professional and economic aspects, and the fact that nearly anyone can do it. Just what is bass fishing, though? Bass fishing is the sport of angling for the North American gamefish known colloquially as the black bass (Sport Fish of West Virginia 2). This sport is unique, because unlike other sports where the main concept involves some sport of ball, such as baseball, football, or racquetball, the main objective in bass fishing is to catch the prized species of black bass, and catch them consistently on any basis. Bass fishing generates a lot of money as well, as does professional tournaments. Some tournaments pay out over $1,000,000 in cash. Of course, if professional bass angling is not for you, you can always head down to your nearest body of water and go after one of the most popular group of sport fishes in America. One of the first and foremost aspects of bass fishing is the one most focused on by the media and fans across the country. This is the professional part of the sport. Both tours are nationally televised on networks like ESPN and Fox Sports Net, and covered extensively by endemic media such as another site and others (Bass Fishing 3). Bass anglers usually target the three main species of bass while fishing. These are the Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted Bass (Bass Fishing 1). Bass fishing is not just limited to citizens of the United States; a Japanese angler took the Bassmaster Classic title in 2004. People from all around the world fish in the tournament circuits (Bass Fishing 4). When most people think of bass fishing, they usually think of two things: live bait and keeping fish. Both of these qualities are illegal in most major bass fishing circuits. Because live bait is illegal in tournament fishing, all anglers must know exactly what kind of lure to use in the right place in order to hook up with good sized fish. Once a fish has been caught, it has to be measured and then placed in the live-well of the angler's boat. After the weigh-in at the dock of the lake the tournament is taking place at, all fish are released back into the lake to be caught again. Dead bass are a penalty in professional bass fishing tournaments, and the anglers are heavily punished for this (Bass Fishing 4). There are two large bass fishing competitions held in the U.S. The Bassmaster Tournament Trail is one; another is the F.L.W. held by Wal-Mart (Bass Fishing 3). As mentioned previously, most major tours have good cash payouts to the winner. Some anglers on the B.A.S.S. tour have earned over $1,000,000 in a single tournament. One major tournament, the Bassmaster Classic, pays this much (Smith Mountain Hosts Northern Finale 1). Easy, it may seem? Not quite. Bass fishermen do not have a choice of which days they want to go out on the lake and compete in tournaments. Battling the elements and bass fishing go hand in hand. We leave the relative comfort of our houses and offices and place ourselves in Mother Nature's playground (Owens 1). One such instance occurred previously this year, when anglers fishing on the 2006 Bassmaster Classic tournament were faced with heavy rain, gusts of wind, and frequent thunder and lightning. Put all of these factors together and you get one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. Secondly, there is an economic quality to the sport of bass fishing. Freshwater sport fishing in Florida provided recreational opportunities for over 1.32 million people, average 16, and generated an economic output of $2.0 billion in 2001 (Wattendorf 1). The average Floridian bass angler spends about $12 on a resident angler license plus $5 for a bass stamp (Wattendorf 1). Think about all the money that the average bass angler has to spend in order to legally fish. All these fees and costs bring in a lot of money for the fisheries and outdoors department. A bass stamp would conservatively generate $1.5 million to $2.5 million per year (Wattendorf 1). If one bass stamp was bought by an average number of Floridian fisherman, it would generate over $1.5 million (Wattendorf 1). It can be proven that when money is put into fisheries funds that it can increase that particular state's total output. we find that a $1 million increase in annual aquaculture production increases total output in the state by an estimated $2 million annually (Welsh 4). Money taken from fees, licenses, and stamps goes towards a lot of things to improve bass fishing and other types of fishing itself. One of these programs is the stocking program. West Virginia has both a warmwater and a coldwater stocking program (Welsh 1). Some states already have a significant bass population, but stock fish in areas that don't have a lot of bass or don't look to produce a lot of bass. Florida stocks bass from time to time in certain places, but it already has a significant bass population established (Wattendorf 1). A sponsorship program in professional bass fishing is currently in place. When a professional bass fisherman finds a company that will sponsor them, that company gives fishing tackle and apparel to that particular angler to wear. In return, the company gets exposure when the angler is on the news media or around other anglers or fans. Sponsors also can get their logo or message on the angler's boat as well. The third and final trademark of bass fishing is the fact that almost anyone can do it. There are no real physical skills needed to bass fish. This makes the sport different from other sports (Welsh 1). Bass fishing does require mental skills, such as knowing how a lure works and where to cast the lure or bait (Welsh 1). When you first start out bass fishing, you don't need to buy every single lure in the store. You only need a few things of each section (Welsh 1). This applies to not only fishing lures, but to fishing tackle and other terminal gear as well. Bass fishing requires not only skill, but good equipment as well. A good stout rod is necessary to absorb the shock of the fish fighting (Welsh 1). Bigger is not always better in the case of bass fishing. In some instances, it is necessary to downgrade rods and reels, and even lures, for that matter (Welsh 1). The next job, once the gear and tackle has been bought, is to know where the fish are located. You have to look for them, and when you find them you will catch them. Obvious places are boat docks, structures and any obstacles in the water (Welsh 2). Typical places to look for bass in the lake or stream is around blow-downs, docks, timber, and points (Welsh 2). Weeds and other areas hold bass like a refrigerator holds a magnet. Good places to look for bass are around transition points. Where hydrilla turns to sand is a good place to find them (Welsh 2). Properly presenting a particular bait or lure in an area that holds fish is important as well. So, what keeps millions of anglers in the United States going after this fish over others? Maybe it's the fact that this fish is one of the most spectacular fighters to have taken the lure on to the other side of your line. It could be the fact that bass fishing generates a lot of money, or maybe it's the fact that almost anyone can participate in this sport. No matter what the way or reason is, it is almost guaranteed that bass fisherman across the United States won't be stopping until they've absorbed the full quality of what bass fishing really is. Works Cited Bass Fishing. Wikipedia. 19 October 2006. 1-9. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_fishing> Owens, DJ. Preparing for Cold Weather. The Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide. 19 October 2006. 1-3. http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/cold_weather.html Smith Mountain Hosts Northern Finale. Bassmaster Northern and Southern Tours Index. 1-4. 19 October 2006. http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/nst/index Welsh, David. Fishing for Dollars. West Virginia University Alumni Magazine. 1-5. 19 October 2006. http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/issues/summer2004/htmlfiles/fish.html Welsh, Donovan. Tips for Beginners. The Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide. 1-3. 19 October 2006. http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/beginning_bass_fishing.html

Guess since my Aunt and Uncle live in Chicago I could be a Bears fan. Go Bears! (Cleary not jumping on the bandwagon at all... ;D) But I'll still be a Steelers fan till the end...

Muddy, Muddy, Muddy..... ;D ;D ;D Here's to you!

That's just low, true, but low. :-[

Just look at the Colts last year.

The same Steelers who lost to the Raiders? Just because you beat my team doesn't mean that you're the "Super Bowl Champs." Just a friendly reminder.

If the bass goes for a jump, keep pressure on it, and reel down. Also, don't point your rod tip directly at the bass.