• Facebook Maintenance, Working on posts

My Facebook profile is currently being held hostage by Facebook developers as they perform "maintenance." I get the classic screen showing that my profile will be back up in a few hours. Even my Fan Page is affected. It's been like this since early this afternoon, so it is obviously taking more than a few hours to deal with on their end. It's one thing for a personal user to have no access to Facebook, but as a blogger, this puts the screws to my ability to communicate with readers.


In terms of posts, I am still working on my Bandit 200 series review. Looks like a post on the Big Bite Baits Biobait Trick Stick might come out before the crankbait post, so keep in touch. I know I've been quiet lately. Lots going on in my life at the moment. I apologize to my regular readers for the delays. It's been hot here and I've been less than enthusiastic about fishing, but the water is also dropping, so the shallow stuff isn't holding as many fish.

• Fishing Game Test Post

Found this searching Google Gadgets. Make sure you click the ? symbol for help. Left and right arrows move the boat. Up and down arrows move your line. Watch fuel usage. Catch a limit. Good time waster.

• About more upcoming posts & edits

Life has been busy for me lately, so posting has not been a priority. With the Summer heat kicking in, I do not plan to fish as often as I'd like. Morning and evening hours are more comfortable and do not require repeated applications of sunblock. Afternoon temperatures creep up into the 90's and very few clouds help block out the sunshine. It can be brutal and skin cancer is not on my list of things to have later in life.

As for upcoming posts, the one on casting in close quarters is done and scheduled to post later today. I'm working on the twitching technique post right now and contemplating whether or not photos will be necessary. I have not even begun typing my notes on the Zoom Finesse Worm post. I will also need more time to evaluate the Big Bite Baits Rojas Fighting Frog. I tried it out during the spawn and did not come up with anything. I also learned that the bait is on the light side. Now that I'm adding a weight to the setup and have some smaller 3/0 and 2/0 hooks, I'm going to try to force myself to use this bait. After all, flipping baits like Sweet Beavers are supposed to do well on area lakes. I might also try it as a jig trailer. I have more experience using the Yo Mama, but have not caught any fish on it yet. The Strike King Elite Buzzbait has been in my lineup for a while now, so I can probably go ahead and get a head start on that post.

Being on Twitter has also set a few post ideas into motion. An FLW Magazine editor asked followers about our top choice of soft plastic lures. I have written a post already which uses the topic as a springboard to a much deeper discussion, but I want to edit it some more before giving it the final heave into blog land.

I also edited the Cross Lake Map post this afternoon. I included some explanations for particular landmark names. Anglers here know many fishing spots by the signs and other visual aids lining the bank. You won't find those names on any GPS or topo maps.

Don't forget that you can add me on Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter. It makes following my blog a lot easier.

• Now on Facebook; New posts

I have expanded my horizons yet again. I signed up on Facebook. I think it's funny that I went to Twitter before Facebook, but now I'm on both, so there you have it. Not everyone uses Myspace. Not everyone understands Twitter. I'm sure quite a few readers or visitors are on Facebook. I'm not sure how I will use Facebook. I uploaded lots of images and a few videos on Myspace already. I'm not really in the mood to go through all that again for Facebook, but I might have to go ahead and put myself through that hell. I've set it up so my blog feed gets published on my Notes page. My status updates should get converted to Twitter updates if the Twitter Facebook app works the way it said, but we'll see.

So if you would like to add me, go right ahead. Here's the link.

http://www.new.facebook.com/people/Bass-FishingDem/1766908472

See you there!

I'm also working on the Strike King Red Eye Shad post. I've put it off long enough, I think. My life has been a little distracting lately and the weather has not cooperated with fishing. We've had a lot of rain. Now the Summer heat and humidity is sliding right in. I have a rough version of the Red Eye Shad post, but because I have yet to catch any fish on one, I'm a little stumped. I do have some thoughts on the lure. That's about all I can offer. I will hopefully have it ready to go before the week end begins.

A new post will be published using the scheduler featuring pics of some of the fishing paraphernalia I have at my workspace. I have drink coasters scattered around with a fishing theme on them as well as a fishing themed coffee mug that I use to hold pens and pencils in on my desk.

Two other posts I'm toying with involve techniques. The first is a casting technique I've fine tuned after being forced to fish in close quarters between cypress trees. The second is a twitch technique I tend to use with a variety of lures. It's similar to the twitch I use to walk the dog with a Zara Spook, but other lures benefit from the technique, so I figured I would write about that too.

• Upcoming: Season Starts, Skirts Sticking, & Guide Series Rod

I just scheduled two posts for later this week.

The first is on the official start of the fishing season here in Louisiana. Although we really never stopped, March is when everything takes off. I have a love/hate relationship with this phenomenon, so have a read when the post gets published.

The second is on my solution for dealing with spinnerbait skirt strands that stick together. Line & Lure conditioner solved this problem.

Now I'm working on my Guide Series rod post. I thought I had a text file of notes, but for some reason, I can't find it now. Got to start from scratch.

I'll also try and get out a post which takes a look at the new Big Bite Baits Dean Rojans Fighting Frog plastic lure. Neat little bait.

• Some new purchases

My 20# Gamma Copolymer has been misbehaving lately and I am going through it pretty fast. I was also in the market for some more Zoom Super Flukes, some higher test Halo, and some line conditioner. I hit up one of the local tackle stores, you know, to show my support of the little guy during these hard times, and ended up getting different items.

They did not carry any Gamma line, but they did have P-Line Evolution. It's about time I gave that line a try. Halo has been relatively nice to me and Evolution is usually a little cheaper than Gamma Copolymer. I'm going to spool it on and give it a go soon. I also picked up some 15# Halo for some different applications than what I use 10# for. They didn't have the color fluke I wanted, but they had something close. They did not have KVD's Line & Lure and that left me a little disappointed. Maybe only certain retailers carry the stuff. I can't even find it at Academy and you already know I won't set foot in BPS. What they did have, though, was Vicious Fishing Line Conditioner in a 4oz bottle.

It looks like I have more stuff to review now.

• Upcoming Post: Cold Conditions and Line

I've been meaning to do a quick test with my line in a cold weather scenario to see how they perform. I'm not going to be very scientific about it, but I had the opportunity to give it a try this morning. Air temps were 28 degrees when I started and 31 when I quit. The reason why I wanted to do this sort of test was because I had a bad experience in 35-40 degree weather with Yo-Zuri Hybrid in 20# test a couple of years ago.

I'll post my findings and thoughts some time today.

• Some Upcoming Posts, Star Ratings

I've been thinking about what else I could write about in the near future. My list already includes a look at Bandit 100 Series crankbaits, Revenge jigs, how to repair LFT Pig Claws, and a post on the Gander Mountain Guide Series rod. Those posts are currently works-in-progress. I do have two more photos I could post. One is of a cormorant and the other is of a leaning tree one of the hurricanes left behind.

I recently added the Pflueger Patriarch to my arsenal, so I may put up a post giving my first impressions. I swapped out the hooks on my Bandit cranks with Gammy EWG trebles and once I catch a few fish with them, I'll share my thoughts. With my recent post on buzzbait techniques, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss how to follow up after a missed strike on a buzzbait.

I'm not using the Blogger designed star ratings. Instead, I signed up with Outbrain and use theirs. There have been a few bugs. For instance, sometimes they do not load. Other times, the widget which lists the top rated posts does not load. I am a bit miffed that a few select posts have been victims of abuse. One user visits a post and in a matter of seconds, gives that post one star and moves on to another post. Most visitors don't even rate posts at all, so I'm not sure how helpful the ratings will be.

• More posts coming, MD in the mail

Later this morning, a post is scheduled to show up on my blog. The Shallow Shad Rap is a fairly new lure in my tackle box, but I have used it enough to write a review. A few days ago, I posted a photo of an egret standing in a cypress tree. I have more photos on deck ready to be posted in the coming weeks. I took them on my last outing in the boat. I do have some video of eight to ten catfish swimming near the pier, but I'll have to compress it down to a smaller format. I'm new to video editing, so when I make a version that isn't pixelated too much, I will post it.

The Residency Match is in full swing right now and interview season is upon me. Forgive me for not posting as often as you might want, but my career has to come first. By the way, my degree is being sent out today in the mail from my medical school and I should have it before the end of the week. Looks like I will need to go out and buy a frame for it soon.

• And so it goes

It seems traffic is starting to slow down. Fall does that. I noticed the same trend last Fall. Perhaps many anglers have made the transition into hunting season. I have not been fishing since the 20th. The Residency Match is taking up most of my time right now and will continue to monopolize my attention for a while. Weather permitting, it looks like I might be able to go fishing some time late next week. I also have a few reviews/posts to work on that I have listed as upcoming. I have a few photo ideas, but the animals out there have chosen not to cooperate with me.

• Revamped P-Line Halo Review; New Posts Coming

My P-Line Halo review was comprised of bits and pieces of my first impressions followed by sequential edits. I felt this was not the cleanest way to present things and thought perhaps that I should rewrite things with a little more continuity. I have done similar things with other reviews in the past, so this is nothing new.

I have several upcoming posts to write. I have just recently written up three posts. Two of them are not on the Upcoming Post list and the one which is should be posted shortly via Blogger's scheduled post feature. The post that should be along shortly is my Merc Motor Tip. The other two posts are on replacing a rod strap on the V-18 All-Fish and on the Lowrance X37TX blinking "-4.0°F." Both are scheduled to show up in the near future. That'll give me time to do other things and work on a few other posts as well.

• Upcoming Posts Are Done & Scheduled

Four upcoming posts have been written already and are scheduled via Blogger in the following order.
Local Tackle, Spooling Tip, Split Shotting, Bass Weight Calculations

If you haven't noticed, I'm getting close to 200 posts. By the end of this week, I will have 202 posts. I'm not planning anything to celebrate having 200 posts. I don't think it's that big of a deal. It just means I need to start coming up with more things to write about. Easier said than done it seems.

Enjoy!

• Some Posts To Look Forward To

I've already written them and published them using Blogger's new feature which allows posts to automatically get posted at the future date and time I specify. The Mepp's Aglia post is done. I've had that one on my list for a while. It was hard for me to write and I don't think I had much to offer in the end. Have a look when it comes through.

After that, I have two posts coming with a Back To Basics theme. One is on rigging the Texas rig and the other is on spooling a baitcaster. The T-rig post will also explain how to properly rig a ribbontail worm along the seam and offer a few extra tips as well. Later on this week, expect to see the moisture tip post and a post on rigging a frog. Apparently visitors to the blog have been looking for a how-to on rigging a frog and not so much a review on frogs, but they landed on my frog posts anyway.

This new feature will hopefully give me some time during the week to do other things. Keeping up every day isn't the easiest thing to do.

Tight lines.

• Working on posts; Cross Lake posts

I've got almost all I need to start writing my post on the Hula Popper. I only need to take a couple of pictures. I also need to start taking pictures for the Tracker speedometer fix post. The other upcoming posts are going to require some of the same things, but I have yet to start on any of them. I've also come up with a few new ideas for posts. Based on a couple of Google searches, I will discuss trailer hooks, some Zebco spincast tips, and rigging frog hooks. I'll keep paying attention to where visitors are coming from and hopefully help future visitors by providing the info they need without a lot of fuss.

I have also started including a link to the Cross Lake label/tag at the top of every fishing report I post for Cross Lake. I noticed several visitors from Google were searching for Cross Lake reports and ended up landing on posts from December and February. They didn't bother clicking on the labels to see if any more recent reports had been posted. Just another example illustrating how my target audience is not all that familiar with the concept of a blog. No wonder forums are the method of choice for reaching this crowd. Any thoughts? What would make these kinds of visitors make an extra effort to click around a bit? It's almost like having to place a jig right in front of a bass before it decides to make the effort to eat it. Part of the problem appears to be related to Google's indexing or the lack thereof. Part of my reasoning behind including the Cross Lake/Shreveport, Louisiana info at the top of my reports is because Google has indexed similar posts in the past and ignored others. That's another obstacle I'm trying to overcome. After all, the Google search is my bread and butter for this blog.

• Upcoming April & May Posts

I still won't be home for a while and that itch to fish is driving me nuts, especially after watching the amazing stringers from the Lake Falcon BASS tournament. I won't have my gear at my side to write a few future posts I have in mind. I do have a few topics I can go ahead and write before then. I'll go ahead and give you the spoiler info so you know what I'll be posting over the next couple of weeks.

A few upcoming posts are not all that interesting, but also very useful in their own way. Besides posts on lures such as the Terminator T2 spinnerbait, Arbogast Hula Popper, and Mepps Aglia, I will also add some tips that will help you out this Summer. Soon the topwater bite will be in full swing. Not all of us fish from boats, but the same topwater techniques bank fishermen use can still work when fishing from a boat. I'll mainly be talking about working a buzzbait parallel to the bank. Next I thought I'd mention that those little silicone packets that come packaged inside any number of products to prevent moisture can also be used for the same purpose in tackle boxes. I've also mentioned the speedometer fix in my Bass Tracker V18 post, but it's a common issue with the sensor that really does deserve its own post. Finally, I'll post the (length x length x girth)/1200 bass weight calculation for those who don't know it yet, although you can find that formula everywhere these days.

• I am working, I really am

I am working on a few posts. Unfortunately, I came down with a nasty cold after flying back from Detroit a week ago. The weather over the next week isn't all that perfect, but if I start feeling better, I may wet a line. I've got graduation and residency on my mind as well. I'm working on the posts on knots and fish handling. I might head to Academy when the coughing settles down. Got a $15 gift card to burn.

• Taking apart the Shimano Callisto

I've typed up a post on taking apart one side of the Shimano Callisto baitcaster. I won't publish the post until I get some of the other upcoming posts out of the way. Later on, I'll probably use this reel as the basis for a post on simple reel maintenance.

• Upcoming Posts 12-07

I've written up my notes for upcoming blog posts on Zoom brush hogs and the BPS neoprene gloves as well as a short list of tips. I haven't decided if the tips are going to be individual posts or all in one post. I also received an XTools weigh scale for Christmas, but seeing as how I may be going to Baltimore, MD in the near future, using it on any fish won't be happening any time soon. I also haven't spooled any of the P-Line CXX 8lb test line on my Prolite yet. That review will also have to wait. I'm also going to dig a little and find out when I won the FOL2002 software and include the date in the review as I feel it is relevant and important if the developer updates the software.

Some other topics I'm thinking about writing on include dead sticking, Quantum Hot Sauce, lure retrieval options, baitcaster maintenance, specifically minor oiling, and one way to tune a crankbait.