VolFan

Fish big bluegill swimbaits around dropoffs and holes around the cypress trees. Big line, stout rod, 'cause if they get in the roots, your swimbait is gone, and that gets expensive. You can carolina rig flukes through the trees as well as work jig and pigs around the bases. Green/pumpkin was always our best color, with motor oil and/or redd shad tequila sunrise next. When all else fails, take an ultralight or a 3 wt flyrod and catch HUGE gills, it's as fun as anything.

Hands down my free BassResource.com membership.

Spooks and the like are great for stripers, the bigger the spook the bigger the stripe. Oddly enough, roostertails and/or roadrunners in white have also proven good for me here on the Potomac. whatever you use, work it fast.

The sinker doesn't really affect the action, as long as its a foot or more away from the bait. It would probablydampen some of the really wide wobblers, but if using this technique i usually use shallow divers/narrow action baits anyway. It would probably work really nice with crappie baits as the weight tends to ride over the cover and the floating bait tends to stay above it.

Ditto with the guys about corn and or white bread. The white bread works better in ponds that have ducks that people feed, but still works pretty much anywhere. Just moisten it and squeeze it around a small treble or octopus; small circle hooks are also great for carp. Careful if you're going to throw handfuls of corn or bread in, make sure that chumming is legal where you are fishing. Also, if you flyfish, brown wooly boogers or numerous nymphs worked slowly past tailing carp can be a TON of fun.

What Sam said. This also works with floating Rapala-style baits if you need it to suspend off the bottom. Use a floater with just enough weight to get it down. Great as a search bait.

I've seen a few of these "Braid breaks Midcast" threads and we might consider this: Due to braid's limpness, especially Powerpro, a loop of slack can for during a cast, if this loop catches, even momentarily, on a rod guide or anything else, the shock can snap the line at the weakest point, usually a nick or manufacturing defect. Just throwing it out there.

For bass, try the res and it's many offshoots as it runs through town. Bull Run Steam plant is a nice place in the winter, but it does get crowded. Work your way downstream from the plant and there're a bunch of stumps that usually hold some smallies. Clinch River upstream of the res is great for trout, smallmouth and stripers, depending on where you fish it. The Obed River in Wartburg is fantastic for smallies. There's alot of TVA water around you as well with Ft Loudon, Tellico, Norris, Melton Hill, etc etc.

Has anyone used these much? I'm looking for a 2 piece casting rod for jigs and worms, Something in a 6'6" to 7', MH fast action. Opinions? Suggestions?

No, the 3000 is slightly larger

It's like the Flying Lure with claws and less weight.

I'll be in the corner with my tail between my legs... :-X

Make sure you make it to math on monday. That's 9/100th of a pound.

It's on US 1 just south of Crystal City

At least the Potomac Yards one is clearing out returns and boxless stuff. I got a new Shimano Cardiff 200A and two Shimano Sahara 1500s (one with box and papers, one without) for $130 total. It was on a table near the fishing stuff. There's a few Pflueger Trions, a couple more Saharas, and a couple 300A Cardiffs. Just a heads up.

9. There is a great need for sarcasm font. :

I like bending the line tie slightly on cranks so that they'll run under them. Also, if there's current, toos plastics or spinnerbaitsupstream and work them through under it.

When I was 12 we had someone throw a cigarette butt onto our lawn as they drove by. It burned 65 acres and probably would've gotten my mom who was sleeping in the house if not for some quick neighbors. If people want to smoke I thinks that's fantastic for them, and if you throw it in a lake it's probably not going to start a fire (unless you're in Jersey), but it's so easy to dispose of it properly why would you not? Who is that pathetically selfish and lazy?

I don't think it's been stressed enough how &*((ing big of a drum that is! That's a big f*&%^ing drum!

Comparing Dick's and BPS is like comparing a 7-11 to a normal grocery store. Dick's may not have every thing you need every time, but they're prolific and very convenient. BPS is there predominantly for hunting/fishing; Dicks's has some of that in addition to a host of other sports. That said, Dick's near me in Bailey's Crossroads has a pretty good selection, and I've never had a problem with customer service there.

For the lake you described, i'd fish aspinnerbait deep arnd heavy cover or use a soft jerbait in the same places. You should be abe to fish every inch of that lake, top to bottom, with those two lures. Of i had to add a third it'd be a Zara spook, just for kicks.

That's a bad, bad sign. We were fishing a high altitude lake once, that happened, and then all our metal gear (ice ax, hiking poles) started humming. Made it down 1000 ft in about 10.2 seconds. What happens is chaged particles start running through your line/rod/you tryng to get back to the clouds to equalize the charge. When they find a good path or the charge builds enough, BLAM, lightening. Don't stay out when there's lightening in the area.

Great lake, deep and clear. Since you're just going to be on vacation, fish the flotsam in the backs of coves with spinners, jigs, and plastics. Also, fish transitions areas from rock to mud (you'll be able to see it on the bank), especially if it also involves a point, bend, or cove. Have a rod ready with a spook or similar in case the stripers do start breaking on you, it's ridiculous. Also, you can fish fortrout below the dam in the Clinch River. Roostertails or rebel creatures always did me well. Cast quartering up upstream and work it fast enough to spin the blade or make it wobble.

Live shad are good, as are eels. Bucktail jigs in white are versatile. I like using big zara spooks. Jerkbaits, both hard and soft, also put alot of stripes in the boat. Work them fast near fish.

I kinda wish you had kept it to see what's in there. Nice fish!