wow! thanks very much for all the kind words guys. i'm very flattered and humbled. to even have my name mentioned in the same sentence with chris and jay is real special to me. but i've said it before and i'll say it again. there are a bunch of better bassers on here than me. i just do this for fun. guys like wrb, catt, jay, mattlures, randall, supermat, and plenty of others from all over the country here on br that are the REAL trophy hunters and catchers. kent (rw) is another one who has somehow managed to stay "under the radar" on here. he has caught a bunch more trophy class fish, both lm and sm, than most folks realize. of course fish chris does not even seem human sometimes. these guys consistently produce trophy class fish under more difficult circumstances than me. some of the guys i've mentioned have also been a huge help to me and i am indebted to them for their big fish wisdom. of course the trouble with those cali guys is that they never post what they caught until 3 months later (and sometimes not then) because of all the fishing pressure they have to contend with. ;D
really, there is no magic or mojo associated with catching big bass. if they live where you fish and you fish the right times, spots, and tactics, anyone can catch them. i just wish there was more info out there (or on here) specifically related to pursuing and catching trophy class fish. i'll take all the help i can get.
as far as the road trip goes, i really hope i can make it. simp that was very nice of you to say man. but honestly, i can count the number of times i've been on ky lake on one hand (and still not use all my fingers). and it's always been in someone else's boat. all i have to fish out of is a trolling motor powered jonboat-not exactly ideal for ky lake by any means. there will be a bunch of guys at the meet that will be much better sticks on ky lake than me. cj has to be at the top of the list. simp, i will be happy and honored to fish with you at the meet if i get to go. i just hope you have a boat with a gas motor. ;D
thanks again guys and good luck out there.