In the quest to be the best I am looking to do more to the site but just not sure where to go. The move to the new hositng service should provide me more options so let's hear some thoughts on things that could be added to the site. I know one thing thaat I would like is to have more articles under the tactics pages, I plan on writing one for Briery, maybe BlackieLee can co-author it with me. Anybody else out there have some wisdom they would like share. Any other ideas. Remember this site is all of ours so don't hold back if you have an idea.

Jeff

just thankful for the site and information provided jeff. wish i could provide a few more reports myself, but this thing called work keeps getting in the way.

tight lines.

Just a random idea Jeff, but what about a way to connect boaters with non-boaters that want to fish the same area for the same fish? I personally sat on the bank fishing for years wishing I had ANYTHING that would float. I used to think, "If I could just be out there". Now that I finally have a boat, there are times, especially in winter, that I would rather NOT fish alone. I have, on a couple of occasions, seen a person catfishing on the bank, and pulled up in my boat and asked if they would like to come along. I have never had anyone say no. The fact that you were generous enough to take me bass fishing at Briery on your boat once without knowing me personally got me thinking about it. I know everyone may not agree with me, but its just an idea. After all, we are all here because we have the same interests right?
Bill

Jeff,

If you do decide to implement Bill's great idea,sign
me up as a boater for Briery or Sandy!

Don

I like the idea I'll have to decide how I want to do it and then I'll get something out there.

Jeff

Thats a good idea Bill.

Put me down as boater for James/Appomattox.

How about this, what about throwing a calander together where we could post an upcoming trip for someone to join. For example, if I am planning on fishing the James next Sunday, and have an open seat that I don't mind filling for the day, I could post it in advance for another angler to join me.

Tried to post last night, but see it didn't make it. We have had some PC problems. Anyway, I to like the idea, plus thinking of guiding some next year on Briery or Sany when not on the road. Jeff, how about articles on TX fishing. Life and time kind of deal. I'll be willing to help with the BFL and BASS stuff. You still fishing the Federation stuff in 06? Tightlines

Check it out. I added it. You get to the page from the main page and then you can put info. onto a calendar like Rich suggested or you can just put your name right on the page if you are open a lot.

Jeff

Looks good Jeff, Another sugestion is to have the tourney guys post their schedules on the calendar. I personally try to avoid tourney launches during their blast off and weigh in times so as not to be in the way. I could check it the night before and adjust my times, or launch location around them.

Hey Jeff, nice touch on the new stuff.

Jeff,
I really like the "fishing match ups" calendar and "open to fishing" listing. That is pretty much exactly what I had envisioned when I suggested it. on gettin it done.
Bill

Thanks Bill, I'm not done. I am working on revamping the home page a little to give it a cleaner, easier look. Also have some other ideas that will get in there. Going to take a little but after the success of the first year of the site I want to keep on improving and make this the place to be for fishers in Virginia.

Jeff

I would like to see more articles with pictures about local haunts....whether it's specific spots on the river for folks like me or photos of places like the Mattaponi, Chesdin, Briery, Diascund, etc.

One of the best things about fishinmusician.com was the maps he had of the barge pits area. For someone like me, I would have no clue how to get back there if I had never seen that map....but I STILL don't feel comfortable going back there alone so any more tips on navigating that area would be great.


ALSO can we do something about increasing the size of the font on the message boards? I'm only 26 and I have problems reading it lol

Definitely going to be working on some more articles and photos etc...which brings up a good point if anyone wants to write an article on something fishing related go ahead and do it. This is your chance to become a published writer. Also if you have good photos you'd like to share send them to me.

On the barge pits map. I actually do have one but am hesitant to put it on the site just because it is so tricky to run up into there. I am just afraid to open the site up to the liability of someone using my map and then wrecking their boat trying to get in there...I have no problems showing people how to get there though so if you want to hook up someday I will gladly show you how.

On the topics of maps I will be updating the Briery info with some good maps Wayne P. sent to me to share and I am looking for any other maps of our lakes and rivers that may be out there so if you have some cool ones to share please send them to me

Thanks all and welcome EGO.

Jeff

Just post a disclaimer saying that the river is ever-changing and you take no responsibility if someone takes on damage from hitting something. I think everyone realizes it's hazardous.

I know how to get back into the barge pit, what interests me more is getting back to the spray pit. Once you get past that "cut through" to get to the barge pit, that "bay" gets really shallow....I started idling across it one time to see if I could get down there and turned around when I got into less than 2 feet of water. I don't know if it's deeper on the side that has houses on the shore (it has to be, they have docks?) or if there's a channel meandering through the middle of that big flat....but all I know is I ain't going through it without a guide or a boat in front of me lol.

As for the articles & pics, I will probably submit something about the Mattaponi, I get out there a lot and take pics when I go.....

Ego, it's probably best to either ride with someone, or follow someone up into the spray pits. I've been up that way twice, and not knowing the channel makes it a nerve racking run. There are lots of submerged stumps on the flat. I have seen a few guys blast right on up to it, but I don't have the guts especially after I saw one guy lose his lower unit making the run. He said he was going to get his kicker and had limited time before weigh in, zigged when he should have zagged, and wham
Sorry to hijack jeff - so to be helpful to the thread, maybe an article about tungsten weights and their effects on windshields?

I still don't feel comfy putting the map out here. Putting a disclaimer like that legally does not excuse you from liability also my map is a marked up section of the GMCO map so I would have to get permission to use it from them.

Anyway here is a description. Go past the entrance to the barge pits running the right side of the channel. You can run this all the way up to the bottom of that beach area where that pile driving boat is. Here is the key part. As soon as you get to the bottom of that beach area start to angle to the left side of the channel. Basically you want to point to the area on the left side just above the beach area. Once you make the crossing and are on the left side you can run the channel up the left side all the way into the spray pits. There is one more little tricky spot where there is an old foot bridge in ruins. i think you need to just run that through the dead middle but someone else might be able to confirm that.

By the way please don't think I am trying to be secretive by not putting the map out. I rarely fish up there...My big problem is that I worked in insurance for several years and have seen what lawyers can and will bring liability claims on so I am scared...

Jeff

Yea I understand that Jeff..

And like others have said, I ain't going back there unless I'm following another boat.

Is the water temprature in the barge pits anywhere near the temp around the spray pits?

Jeff,
You nailed the directions up into the spray pits. I have run it many times full throttle and I take the same line with no problems.
Bill

Bill brings up a good point, you either commit to the line I described and run it on plane or you come off plane below the beach area and take the line I describe with your trolling motor and then fire up the main motor once you clear the top of the beach area. It is one of those things were you are going to run through 2 foot of water at low tide so you better be up on plane if the main motor is running so you can clear that 2 foot.

Ego on the temps the barge pits stay warm during the winter but the spray pits are way warmer. Peronally i have way better success, at least with the LMB, in the barge pits.

Jeff

Love Bill's idea and thanks Jeff B for implementing it.

Love the look of the site ... very usuer friendly.

I'll be putting my name in there for next year in case anyone wants to fish.

Looking forward to Spring and the xmas goodies (see: BassProShop catalog) I have asked "santa" for.

Hey Jeff, No links page?

Fixed that links page thing.

Any other problems anybody sees let me know.

Jeff

Hey Jeff, Not to be picky, but the contact us button dose not work on the new site and the back to home page button on braggin page takes you to old site.Webmaster work is never done

Blackielee, not being picky at all I asked for all of your help as I knew there would be some things that failed when I switched hosting services. Fixed them both too.

Thanks,

Jeff

THANK YOU for increasing the font size of the forum lol...man I was straining to see the words!

I think the new site design looks good. I think you should accentuate the "Articles" feature, making it a larger part of the main page....

I think you have the opportunity to provide a website for central VA fishing that no one else currently provides. I have been seriously considering doing a site like this myself but perhaps I could just get involved in this one.

The opportunity I see is weekly columns by several authors with relavent stories about local places and trips.

You could have a columnist who writes about the local bass tournament results, a columnist who writes about catfishing, a columnist who writes about bass fishing, a humor column, a "bass tech" column that highlights new equipment/gear.....

I see that you already have bumper stickers and cards made up.....if you really advertised this site and put a little work into it, you could have thousands of visitors because like I said, no one has really done something like that with central VA fishing.

I am ready and willing to help my friend.

Hey Jeff, found another one. From your calendar the back to homepage button takes you to the old home page.

Fixed the calendar one. Ego you must be in my head because pretty much every you you mentioned is in my plans for the future in the site. I am a one man show so it will take a little time but it will get there.


Jeff