senile1

You are correct, nboucher. I may be wrong as well, but I believe they vote at the end of the regular season but before the playoffs begin. So they should know who made the playoffs. Even so, I don't necessarily agree that the MVP should always be on a playoff team. I just don't have a problem with someone expressing that idea.

. . . . . And I was thinking Raul was showing us an addition to his stuffed animal collection.

What channel carries this show?

I've read this a number of times also, especially about the big lunkers. I've also read some posts on this forum where tagged bass were found many miles from the tagging location. I know smallmouths in a lake will move further distances, but it was always my understanding that largemouths didn't move great distances. There are some very knowledgeable people on this forum who will be able to give you examples of both territoriality and traveling bass. BTW, welcome to the BassResource.com forum, stumpanic!!

I've read others, but regarding involvement, this is it for me. There isn't enough time in the day to be involved in more. When would I fish? When would I play guitar? When would I take care of things around the house? When would I spend time with my kids? When would I pleasure the wife? Uh hum, pardon me.

Pujols has had a couple of situations where he would have been better off saying nothing. But he only makes one statement here and it echoes the sentiments of many sportwriters and pundits: "I see it this way: Someone who doesn't take his team to the playoffs doesn't deserve to win the MVP." I know people will look at him as a sore loser because of this statement. That was my first impression as well, but the more I thought about it the more I realize that I have heard this statement from many others. Pujols just needs to think about how his comments will be perceived before he speaks.

If you have opted out and if you can't block the emails, create a rule that will send all emails from BPS to your junk or deleted folder.

This is a good subject and one that I don't have a definite answer for. I know there are records in my state, and the adjacent state, Kansas, that were achieved fishing a farm pond. I'm sure numerous other states have records that were caught on farm ponds as well. I've just never thought about whether this is fair or not. And what about the poor angler who can't afford a boat to fish the larger public waters. Maybe they wouldn't be able to fish much at all if it wasn't for the proverbial pond. It could be argued that the angler with a boat which allows them to access all waters has an advantage over the poorer angler. There are so many different ways to look at what is fair and what isn't. Sometimes it's just best to leave well enough alone. Fishbear, although I understand your point about whitetail deer, they are still able to roam onto surrounding land and aren't limited to the land where the owner creates a habitat that is conducive to growth, which isn't quite as exclusive as a farm pond. I still see where that landowner would have some advantage as you stated.

It sounds like you're getting hit with a strong cold front, so your bass are going to be holding tight to cover and structure. You'll need accurate placement of your lure near these things, and you'll probably need to fish slower. Smaller baits may be necessary as well. As already stated, you're going to need a good topo map and good electronics.

I've heard this about Clemens as well, but that may only help prove the point. The way I understand steroids is that they actually help your muscles recover faster after a workout, allowing you to workout harder and more often. This would also explain why so many relief pitchers have been busted using steroids. A relief pitcher may pitch 3 nights in a row and needs to recover fast. When Jason Grimsley was busted by the feds with HGH, it's been reported that one of the people he named was Clemens. HGH is undetectable using current methods, so we'll probably never know. A better question is can we use HGH on bass? Maybe dump it in your favorite farm pond and see what happens. That might help even out the playing field with those California guys and their trout fed monsters. I agree with DMB. A good rule of thumb for gains in muscle mass, using a split bodybuilding workout, 6 days a week, without steroids is 10 lbs maximum per year. The human body is genetically incapable of surpassing this by much. (Of course you have to eat like a horse to do this and some guys will gain more but part of their gain is fat, not muscle mass.) I have my doubts that baseball players can stick with the 6 day a week regimen during a 162 game season, which is all the more reason to suspect some of these guys are using steroids. Bonds was gaining 18 - 20 lbs a year and went from around 180 to 230 in just two or three years. I have never seen a bodybuilder gain that much working out constantly, doing it the natural way. Many professional bodybuilders using steriods have done this, though. So, check out the weight gains that Clemens made and how many years it took and you should be able to get a good idea of whether he was on the juice or not.

Great jokes, Muddy_Man and Paparock!

I appreciate everyone's comments in this thread. I've always released my fish and I've never had a replica or a skin mount. As Rolo stated, early reproductions were easily identified as hoaxes which is why I've never had one. Over the years, I haven't really kept up with the status of creating replicas but it sounds like it might be worth getting one from a reputable taxidermist.

Roland Martin plugs anything and everything on his shows. So I would take that with lots of grains of salt. He is a walking talking billboard for sponsorships now a days. To the point that it makes his shows hard to watch. Amen to that. We could start another thread about this.

Hawgin, I own a 683c, medium-heavy action with a fast tip. I love it. I have it paired with a Shimano Citica 200d. At the moment, it's my most sensitive rod and I think it compares well with more expensive rods. I've included a quote I made in a previous post regarding this rod. Read the test on Tackletour.com.

There are a lot of good and wise comments here. I think anyone who has to spend much time apart from loved ones, or who is experiencing death or disease in the family will experience some melancholy during the holidays. Otherwise, they wouldn't be human. To me, happiness doesn't mean I will never experience depressing times. It means I will accept what the situation is, and I'll find something in that situation to be positive about. I don't really go into details about my personal life on this forum, but I have some life situations which create depressing times also. I have to admit that I experience some sadness around the holidays as well. But I wouldn't say that I'm an unhappy person. So to all, I hope you find something during this holiday season that will give you comfort and peace inside, despite what your situation may be.

The same can be said for Barry Bonds. He had all of the tools just like Willie Mays: power with the bat, hitting for average, speed on the base paths, a great glove, and a great arm. But being a great all-around player wasn't enough. Home runs garnered all of the attention and that's what Bonds wanted. Thirty to forty home runs a year wasn't enough.

That panda was too busy stuffing its face.

According to this article McGwire's election to the HoF isn't looking good. BASEBALL HALL OF FAME | Numbers low in poll of voters Outlook dim for McGwire For one glorious summer, Mark McGwire was bigger than baseball itself. America stopped to watch each time he came to the plate and cheered every time he sent a ball into orbit. He could do no wrong, it seemed. Surely he would be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame someday. And then came that day on Capitol Hill. Over and over, he was asked about possible steroid use, and his reputation took hit after hit as he refused to answer, saying he wouldn't talk about his past. Now, with Hall of Fame ballots in the mail, McGwire's path to baseball immortality may have hit a huge ro***. The Associated Press surveyed about 20 percent of eligible voters, and only one in four who gave an opinion plan to vote for McGwire this year. That's far short of the 75 percent necessary to gain induction. In fact, that total would put McGwire, for all his 583 career home runs, closer to the 5 percent needed just to stay on future ballots. There is a clause on the ballot indicating that character should be considered, and after his nonperformance at the congressional hearings his character certainly comes into play, said the Dayton Daily News' Hal McCoy. He doesn't want to talk about the past? Then I don't want to consider his past. McGwire, Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn headline the ballot that was released Monday. Results will be announced in early January. Mark fits the criteria, just like everyone else, Hall chairwoman Jane Forbes Clark said. The ballot says a player's record of achievement, contributions to the teams, the game, their character, longevity and sportsmanship should be considered. I think this year's balloting will be interesting. The AP contacted 125 of the approximately 575 present or former members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America who are eligible to cast ballots. Just 23 said they would vote for McGwire. That means if all the undecideds and those refusing to say voted for McGwire, and everyone else voted, McGwire would need 84 percent of the rest to get into the Hall. Big Mac voting Results of a survey conducted by The Associated Press among eligible baseball Hall of Fame voters on whether they plan to vote for Mark McGwire on the upcoming ballot. Of the 125 voters contacted, 97 gave an opinion: Yes: 23 No: 74 Undecided: 16 Not allowed to vote by their employers: 5 Won't say: 5 Won't vote: 2

People have differing viewpoints on this subject and they always will. If Lucky Craft ------ through its marketing efforts, production methods, and the perceived quality of its product ------------- is able to sell enough of these lures to make a handsome profit, then the lures are worth it from a business standpoint. As for each individual, the answer is up to you.

Two strokes are more susceptible to fouling plugs due to the oil burning with the gas in the compression chamber. This also causes more deposits on the cylinder walls which can cause problems later. It is imperative that your oil/gas mixture is just right when it travels through the cylinder. Two strokes are more powerful because they fire every revolution of the piston, while a four stroke fires only once every two revolutions. Four strokes have more parts due to the fact that you need something to move the valves such as a camshaft or pushrods. Two strokes, on the other hand close the intake and exhaust ports when the piston passes in front of them. Four strokes tend to get better gas mileage because they use fuel more efficiently but four strokes are also heavier engines which can balance out the fuel efficiency advantage to some degree. I, personally, think that the two strokes of today are much more reliable than in the past. If you take care of them, and maintain them you will have years of boating pleasure with them.

Bass2187, are you attending SIU at Carbondale? Just curious. I grew up in Southeast Missouri, which is similar in climate to that area. When it was really cold (water temps in the 30s) I used small spoons and lighter jigs with pig trailers. On a "warm" winter day I occasionally had some luck fishing jerkbaits extremely slow. Dead sticking a Fat Ika or Senko type worm would be worth trying also. I live in Kansas City now and I haven't done any winter fishing in Southeast Missouri in a long time.

6.9 lb - T-rigged, Black, Original Culprit Worm

Welcome, Blaker.

Decent bass, Roger. Glad you could get back out on the water.

I'll use Megastrike now and then to mask the smell of my hands. Does it work? As stated by others, it would be difficult to prove. When fishing for bass, I'd say I really don't see a difference. However, when my wife and I go crappie fishing, there seems to be a noticeable difference in how the crappie bite my Southern Pro grubs.