Hanover_Yakker

I almost forgot about another hook that pairs up nicely with my original post about using a keeper pin in the nose of the bait and that is a Matzuo sickle hook. The angle of the bend in the hook sits perfectly in the keeper pin eye and is perfect for drop shotting or casting and retrieving a soft jerk shad.

And this is a problem in what way? Glad you found something that "felt" right to you which is the most important part.

To be honest, I don't think anyone knows what is going to happen. The models are literally all over the charts right now, including the latest from WxRisk himself...... "0Z WED RUN OF THE GFS... the model shows .....nothing. I cannot even find a Low on the model . The Model has NO snow of any kid of an portion of VA NC MD DEL PA NJ NY or New England through Saturday. There is a brief 3 hrs window of snow flurries -- or maybe its dandruff ..over northern WVA and western MD. And thats it. Of course the last 5 runs of the GFS have shown well NOTHING so this isnt anything. will wait Until Tomorrow before I am any decisions to bail on on this event . It will BE interesting to see what the two "snowy" Model -- the 0z Canadian Model does... which on Tuesday midday DID show significant VA MD SNOWSTORM for jan 25 ... and the 0Z EURO which also has been at times snowy....." One thing for sure though is that it is going to be cold, so dress appropriately. The Expo is climate controlled but the temps inside of the building will still be cooler than you expect.

Yep. Give it to the bank fishermen on your return to the ramp.

Just for the record, MD state law requires that all snakeheads are killed immediately - you are not permitted to keep one alive nor are you permitted to release the snakehead back into the water. Now, for those interested in snakeheads, I can tell you it is a major rush and will probably be the best fight in a freshwater species you have ever had. They are mean, aggressive and don't hold back. Check it out.....

x2!!! I'll throw in one small modification I do, albeit only a few times a year in my neck of the woods and that is to take a small hitchhiker/keeper pin and screw it into the nose of the fluke such that a nose-hooked presentation will pass through the eye of the keeper pin/hitchhiker. For the most part, it is not needed but an aggressive strike can render the bait ineffective if it tears the nose. It may not be needed by you so take it for what it's worth. Unless you are using a Mann's Hard Nose, then it really is not needed .

There are countless places for you to go. If you don't already have a boat, I would also recommend finding a willing angler with a boat and head on over to Harwood Mills. Tons of Cypress knees to toss some square bills and jigs at. As with many of the city run establishments, you'll need permits for them. As a military person, you can gain access to other installations and try their waters. Another good spot for a daily fee location is Lonestar Lakes in Suffolk or venture deep into Chesapeake and fish NW River Park or Broad Bay. One last recommendation and one that is near and dear to me as a military vet and veteran of a foreign war, check out the Tidewater Heroes On the Water chapter. We take service members (active, vet, wounded, etc.) out in kayaks or you can bank fish if you choose. We fish some private waters, as well as public ones. We outfit you with the kayak, PFD, paddle and rods w/ tackle. You are paired up with a volunteer who has fished that area before and will help you get on some fish. Some days are lights out while other days are a bit of a test just like any fishing outing. If this might interest you, drop me a PM, and I'll pass your info on to the coordinator so that they can get you on the list for the next outing.

I believe that is called the Heddon Zara II.

Great all around bait and usable in both fresh and salt water scenarios. Commonly referred to as striper candy in these parts. I have only two remaining, but I have a handful of the spin tail versions laying around in case anyone wants them. I don't use them anymore.

It's Willie Mays http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=mayswi01

I'm looking and should have an answer for you today!!

I too enjoyed his shows, but to be honest I enjoy his recent outings a little more, because it something new and unmanaged waters. One of the places that they fish on the those shows is a place called VIP Adventures in Summerville, SC. It is a chain of 7 managed lakes with trophy bass all over the place. I have spoken with the owner on a couple occassions, and he has told me that the touring pros also come down to work on their techniques and satisfy that itch to catch big fish. Most of them however choose to not have their outing video taped. Since someone brought it up, catching reds is not as easy as television makes it out to be. Reds are easily spooked and requires long and accurate casts in the tidal flats which is why shows like Flats Class show the people using push poles to sneak up on feeding reds. If any of you bassers want to feel what a redfish fight s like , come on down. Bring your Medium/XF casting or spinning rod and some 10-15lb flouro. They fight like a smallmouth on speed. Fishing for reds in the tidal flats and bass fishing are actually very akin to one another. It is part of the reason why bass anglers in general make good redfish anglers. Fun Fun Fun!!!

When you guys visit the Expo, can i ask a huge favor? Take a few minutes out of your day to stop by and talk with the Central VA Heroes On the Water table? It will be co-located at the Appomattox River Company setup in the back. Stop by and find out what they are doing for service members.

I'll throw in my .02 worth here on the video editing piece - when you are ready to upload, try and upload from the card directly into the software instead of through the camera. Also, disable your sleep modes and screen savers, because the uploads can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending upon how big your total file size is. Any hard drive activity or lack of response during the upload can sometimes be interpreted by different software packages as inacitivity or a fialed upload and will cease your current upload. As far as cleaning up, make sure that any videos you delete from the card are alo deleted from the Recycle Bin on your computer. If not, you may get a "FUL" error on the front panel of the GoPro. It has happened to me before and is quite frustrating when you are trying to take video on the water and don't have a card to use. I use an iMac, so I use iMovie, but you can also do basic editing straight in YouTube and not need to worry about any software on your computer. You can also add in music using them as well.

All I know is that Thunderbird is considered to be one of the only secure web-based mail programs, but I have not used it in over 7 years, so it may not be as good now.

I have used a variety of rods in the past.... First frog rod was a Shimano Voltaeus 7'0" MH/XF casting rod ($39 from BPS). Second frog rod was a St. Croix Mojo Bass Spinnerbait model 7'0" MH/F casting rod ($80 from DSG). Third frog rod I still have and use in a pinch....a Shimano Clarus Worm-n-Jig model 7'2" MH/XF casting rod ($79 from BPS). My new rod I'm trying out is a 6'6" Daiwa Procyon in MH/XF (on clearance from GTSG for $44) If you are diligent enough, you can find a good rod in a price range that you can both afford and will be pleased with in the long run without having to break the bank or your wallet.

Absolutely. He even has his own kayak that I won for him last year. He has been fishing with me in my kayak since age 4. His weapon of choice is a 6'3" Crucial paired with a 2500 Sienna. He has caught bass, pickerel, crappie, bluegill, croaker, spot, speckled trout and redfish on that same setup.

I'm with Sam on this one - I'd love for the classic to make its way back to the Mid-Atlantic. I had schedule conflicts last time where I was already out of town and missed the whole thing.

When I hear the question best baitcaster for the money, the first word that comes into mind for me is LONGEVITY. That means a reel that requires minimal service and when service is required is simple and straightforward without a PhD required to know how to disassemble it. If you approach it from this perspective, the list narrows real quickly.. In my mind considering the longevity factor, then my list would be: 1. Shimano Curado B (older silver ones) - my DPV is a tank and has held up for years now. 2. Abu Garcia old school 5500 round reels - one of the easiest reels to maintain in my opinion 3. Shimano Calcutta 200B series - probably equivalent to the older Abu round reels in simplicity and ease of maintaining. FWIW - I have one of each, so no brand bias here. Now for the rest of the top 10.....(all personal preference at this point on) 4. Abu Garcia Revo S 5. Shimano Citica D series 6. Abu Garcia Revo Inshore 7. Daiwa Coastal Zillion 8. Shimano Bantam Curado 100 9. Abu Garcia C3 10. Pinnacle Inertia (sold at Wallie world for a song and dance)

McCotters is the first one that comes to mind but you can use this listing. All of them are reputable from what I have heard. Some of them will be at the Richmond Fishing Expo next weekend where you might be able to work a better deal in person. http://www.lakeannaonline.com/BusinessdirC.html#guides

I was going to say Silly but eh same diff

I'm working it a Hobie Fishing Team pro in the Appomattox River Company booth near the back seminar room. Stop on by.

I have had both the Frogg Toggs rain suit (not very durable over the ong haul) and now use a Frogg Togg Hellbender hip wader with neoprene boots. I cover them up with waterproof SIMMs wading boots and cover my chest with an NRS spalsh top. Whichever option you choose, test the fit and function of the gear with the clothing you will be wearing when you need to put the suit on. Also, all the waterproof gear you put on does absolutely no good if you also don't consider your head, hands and feet! A cold driving rain on the Great Lakes in the spring or fall is no laughing matter. Your extremities can get cold lightning fast if you're not careful and makes for a very uncomfortable and unpleasant day on the water, regardless of your fishing skills or vessel type.

KISS - tackle trays in your home or garage separated by type of lure, presenation type, color......whatever you choose. Then have 1-2 trays that are empty. On the day of your outing, pick 3-5 techniques and build your trays. One tray for clear/translucent water and one tray for stained/murky water. Take one gallon-sized ziploc freezer bag and put several color of 2-3 soft plastic varieties. Last piece needed is a spinnerbait wallet. For the rods, pick 3-4 action and power combo rods not technique specific think varying techniques, so: 1 - MH/XF rod loaded with braid and use it for jig-n-craws, frogs, larger soft plastics. 1 - M/Mod rod loaded with 10-15lb flouro or mono (personal pref) and use it for spinnerbaits, treble hook baits and some topwaters 1 - M/XF spinning rod loaded with 10lb. flouro and use it for lightweight to weightless soft plastics like flukes, shakey, wacky, etc and jerkbaits. 1 - ML/XF spinning rod loaded with 6lb flouro for drop shot or inline spinners With that setup, you can cover most of your bases and have a good chance at catching some fish all other variables constant.

Next to 50lb. braid, 65lb braid is probably one of the most useful sizes when it comes to fishing both fresh and salt. I have a Abu Garcia Record 60HC spooled with it. The entire 300yd spool fit on the reel. I use it for big salt and fresh water fish. Everything from land locked stripers and whisker-kitties (ie: big flathead, blue and channel cats) to salty species like bull reds, monster stripers (40"+), togs, sheepsheads and black drum. I also have a Shimano Curado 200 DSV spooled with it and use it as my froggin and heavy jig setup. I can cast a Stanley Ribbit close to 40 yards with it, but I can also use it for fishing heavy jig-n-craws and nasty cover. Find yourself a good used Citica or Curado (silver ones) and pair it up with a good 6'6" - 7'6" MH/XF rod and don't look back. As far as reel type, in order to use 65lb braid on a spinning reel effectively, you are most likely looking at either a surf casting rig or heavy boat rig with a 5000 series reel or higher. Most folks in the Chesapeake Bay that fish out of a boat use a Shimano Saros, Stellas and Baitrunners or Daiwa Saltigas in the 8000 class for line that heavy. In a kayak, I have the luxury of allowing the kayak to act as a form of drag, so I don't need as large of a reel or line for that matter when it comes to spinning gear. The largest series spinning reel I own is a Stradic FJ3000 spooled with 30lb. PP and I use it for reds, speckled trout, striper, bass, etc..... For everyday fishing, 30lb PP is the most you need. If the cover is not too thick or gnarly, then you can actually get away with 20lb, even for froggin.