Big Fish Rice

I'm not sure as to why people are voting down his post? Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Constructive criticism would have been a better route, but are we really grading the guy because he doesn't like the new layout?

Getting back to the basics would be my suggestion. We all learn and read as much as we can, and sometimes you can overload. It's just like cramming for a test; don't overdo it the day of the test. Walk the fine line of using your knowledge while absorbing as many hints as possible while out on the water.

I would have to agree with CJ. Fishing the jerkbait with long pauses can be a great method. During these cold temps, you want to keep your bait in the water for as long as possible. What I mean by this, is that when you cast the jerkbait, let is sit for 8-10 seconds. Twitch is a couple times, then let it pause again. If you get bit, it's going to be a thump!

As long as they're not Woodchucks, there's no danger.

I carry both in many different colors. Changing between them can produce a couple of additional bites, so I recommend having each in your bag.

Congratulations to the both of you!

Sounds as if you'll have to track them down yourself. You can start by visiting Alabama's Faceboook Athletics page. If I were you, I would leave a comment on their wall or message anyone that I can find. Tell them you are looking for the fishing club contact! http://www.facebook.com/home.#!/AlabamaAthletics If this doesn't work, call the school's sports department. Someone should be able to get you in the right direction.

I have caught a lot of fish on the Pointers in the past, but didn't catch much size with them. I switched over to River2Sea's Suspen' 88 last year (Laser Stock Trout color) and caught larger fish, including a personal best 4-pound brown trout. I have since added the Trophy Minnow and Jerk Shad to my arsenal and I continue to fish them because I have great results. Once you gain confidence in a bait, it's hard to switch companies. A lot of people feel the same about LC, Magabass, Jackall and XCalibur. I avoid $20 jerkbaits because we have toothy creatures like Muskie. I'm much more comfortable spending around $10 for River2Sea products that have performed at or above my LCs. I prefer Daiichi hooks and with their increasing color patterns, these jerkbaits are here to stay.

I purchased the Bubble Popper 88 in Matte Green Tiger at a local Wholesale Sports in Spokane, Washignton. Since then, I have not been able to locate another. The closest you'll get is the (G04)Ghost Perch color. When I need to buy another, this is the pattern I'll be going with. I really look for bright bellied baits, and orange is a color that is most visible at long distances. If you need the orange belly for slightly stained water, try the color (S03) Frog.

Lynyrdsky1, a school's fishing club can assign whatever requirements they wish, but most Universities enforce that all students interested be able to join since it is a public school. I would look into that if I were you. Email the club President and clarify the requirements.

I am a FLW College Series participant (Western Series) and have had a great time. I fished my very first tournament this year (Lake Shasta) and did very well - my partner and I earned 6th place out of 40 teams. I have fished my entire life and adjusting to tournament competition wasn't difficult at all. It's addicting and I look forward to the California Delta on May 7th and Clear Lake, California on September 24, 2011. All in all, overhead costs are pretty much your travel expenses. If you and your teammate can get to the competition, you'll have a pro and a boat waiting for you. Get some friends together, submit an application at your 4-year university to start a fishing club(there are no age restrictions as long as you are a undergraduate) and go from there. You should have an adviser who will help with the legal aspects. After you have a recognized club at your University, go and register at collegefishing.com Other than that, message me or reply if you need any advice/help. Our club is a 1st year club so we are familiar with the steps to get started. If you're headed to a school with an established club, get some face time and introduce yourself as soon as possible! This is a once in a lifetime experience - Best of luck to you!

I prefer the new look! The colors are much easier to look at for me and it just looks a lot cleaner. Guess I'm the complete opposite!

Congrats on your first swimbait fish! Nice looking combo too I might add!

Our waters in Spokane, Washington are still very cold at 40-45 degrees. I have gone out twice and haven't had any luck. The bite should be picking up soon though with 50 degree air temps rolling in this week!

Lunkerville with Mike D (WFN or online @ Lunkerville.com) Hunt for Big Fish with Larry Dahlberg Bass Pros (KVD, Evers and the crew) Hook 'N Look (Kim and Danny) Zona's Show FLW College Series FLW Outdoors Bassmaster Elites *Note - We have long and cold winters in Washington State. I DO actually fish

My opinions so far: I absolutely love the layout and design. The site is now much easier to read - it clearly looks more organized just because of the colors and font. Great choice with the overall design! Second, the new profile options give each of us a "home" and I really enjoy that I can get more details from a member's profile. I can see this being very popular! Third, I just want to say thanks to the Bass Resource staff. I know this upgrade wasn't easy, so thanks for getting it up so quick. Overall, this is impressive!

Love the show as well Mike! Can't wait to meet you this year. All the best!

Me too...there's just something about that popper that drives the largies nuts. This was my largest, but I caught many on this lure. Good luck this year to you!

Am I allowed to post a YouTube video? I sure hope so...check out this Bubble Popper Freight Train I had last year

Chromedog, certainly check out the Laser Stock Trout color. Since you use LC's, this color and pattern won't disspoint you; these finishes are just as vibrant as LC.

I have a lot of experience with the Suspen' 88. I caught many largemouth with it and my personal best brown trout that weighed 4-pounds. (My picture is even on River2Sea's website holding the brown) It does run true and like most jerkbaits, it sits with a slight nose-down stance while suspending. At 3/8oz, it gets down to about 7 ft. I didn't catch much the first two trips out, but once I found the cadence the fish around here were looking for, I started gaining confidence. The Daiichi hooks are super sharp and it's nice knowing that I don't have to change them out. I could probably write an article on this lure, but I'll leave it at that. Pre-Spawn is a great time to throw it, and I prefer the "Laser Stock Trout" since we have stocked trout in many lakes. At 1/3 of the price of LC and Megabass, I think you should give it a shot.

In my opinion, clear water (visibility 10+ feet) calls for lures other than a spinnerbait. It's tough to fool bass if they can get a solid look at this particular bait. If the wind picks up, sticking to white and translucent colors will be your best bet. On the other hand, I have caught many fish on black skirts with (1) nickel willow blade. If you can't find it, customize it.

I really like the fact that it gives a completely different look when it comes to swimbaits; it obviously does not swim in a straight line. It has a wide swimming path and is versatile because you can fish it at different speeds. For anyone with trout in their lake, this slim profile bait would be a great choice! Check out the new "lite trout" color at Tackle Warehouse...

The River2Sea Bully Wa has conquered my tackle box this past year. I had issues with the Spro frog at times, but my consistency improved with the Bully Wa. I still fish frogs from both companies. Now that the Diver Frog is out though, River2Sea has the upper hand completely. To the angler who said the Bully Wa flipped and dove nose down: Are you fishing straight braid? Mono and Fluoro leaders would eliminate that issue if you are fishing straight braid.

Fishing is probability. If you can afford it, a baseline sonar can help you identify critical aspects like water temp, depth, and structure. Why not help you, help yourself?