Posted by admin on April 27th, 2008 — Posted in Management Parlor
All too often, we may be envisioning a level of success, which is far beyond what we can realistically accept and thus fall short of full manifestation. However, if we can envision a period of time in which our success can gradually increase, quite often our subconscious can more easily accept it. However, allowing ourselves to get comfortably accustomed to a steadily increasing flow of abundance in our lives tends to stabilize it for us.
We’ve all heard stories about people who won the lottery and promptly lose it. This is a problem with acceptance. Simply, it was too much, too fast. It is far rarer to hear of someone who steadily and consistently increases his or her income losing it.
Because the subconscious mind has time to grow familiar with the experience of steadily increasing abundance, there is no need to sabotage the process. Another problem is the subconscious mind’s “believability factor.” It is far easier for the subconscious to swallow this new approach to success a small piece at a time. Allowing the process to occur in simple steps permits the Universe to cooperate solidly, with substance. This is because the subconscious can grasp the change more solidly and with greater substance.
Being gentle with yourself in your success work is very important in gaining success. Doing violence to your own inner logic accomplishes nothing. Stretch yourself of course, but allow it to be a natural growth process.
About The Author
Janet K. Ilacqua is a freelance writer based in Tracy, California. She specializes in academic writing and ghostwriting of books and manuals for individuals and small businesses. For more information about her services, check her website at http://www.writeupondemand.com.
jilacqua@aol.com
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Posted by admin on April 27th, 2008 — Posted in Online Technology Resources
Learn how to stop webpopups in their tracts.
Introduction
A new very intrusive form of unsolicited advertising is sadly sweeping the internet by storm. If you are running Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP, your Computer could be vulnerable to the new form of spam from the Windows Popup messaging service. These types of ads are known as messenger Spam or web Popup.
How it Works
This is made possible by a service called Windows Messenger which is installed by default on XP/2000/NT machines. While this service does not allow remote access to information on an individual’s computer, it provides a means for unsolicited messages or advertising.
How to Identify It
You can easily recognize the message boxes, as they will be labeled ‘Messenger Service’. You most likely do not have to be told how to make out the messages because it will be noticeable from the content, on the other hand some dishonest spammers make these messages look like real messages and request that you call toll telephone numbers!
Turn Off Messenger Service Manually
It only takes 4 simple steps to turn off the messenger service that is used to send messenger web popup ads. We should also note that the Messenger service is not related in any way to Windows Messenger or MSN Messenger.:
1. Go to Start, then Run and type in services.msc Click Ok
2. Scroll to Messenger, select it, right click it and choose Properties.
3. Under startup choose “Disabled”, and then choose Stop.
4. When stopped, click Ok.
Free Software
If you those simple steps are too hard for you to follow, there is free software available which can disable the messenger service for you. Ashampoo has released a free utility called AShampoo IP Spam Blocker.
Web Resources:
TechTV | Spam Takes New Form myNetWatchman Alert - Windows PopUP SPAM
AShampoo IP Spam Blocker
About the Author
Author Information: StarProse Corporation is a new company that is responsible for helping website owners attract traffic to their offerings. http://www.starprose.com
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Posted by admin on April 26th, 2008 — Posted in Skin Care
The Law Of Attraction turns out to be the big one. It’s the basis of everything. Simply put the law is - “We attract into our experience that, and only that, which we think about - whether wanted or unwanted”. This means that whatever we give our energy, attention or focus, will inevitably be drawn to us.
The corollary is the Law Of No Assertion - “Nobody and nothing can assert anything into our experience which is not a match to our vibration”. This means that nobody or nothing, (including “God”, fate, friends, family, governments, strangers, tsunamis, star signs etc. etc.) can cause us to experience something that does not resonate with what we are thinking.
Another way of stating this law (putting it in terms more closely aligned with the language of modern physics) is the Law Of Alternate Realities - “We choose which reality to step into by the things we give our energy, focus and attention”. This last version appeals to me - but pick whichever version suits you - they all mean the same thing - we create our own reality.
Now let’s think a little more on that “whether wanted or unwanted” piece from the Law Of Attraction above.
We all have an Emotional Scale. To simplify, we either feel good or we feel bad. If we’re not feeling good, then what we’re including in our thoughts is what we don’t want. The Emotional Scale runs from
Depression-Grief-Fear-Anger-Frustration-Annoyance-Boredom Where we’re thinking about what we DON’t want through to Contentment-Interest-Happiness-Excitement-Passion-Ecstasy where we’re thinking about what we DO want.
To put it another way - the Universe hears no negatives. So if we are fearful that something might happen, we are attracting it. Nothing - nada - zilch - is more important than feeling good. Our “work” therefore is to get ourselves to the place where we focus on what we want - to move ourselves up the scale from:
Worry -> Hope -> Optimism -> Confidence -> Certainty.
The more we can move >>> to the right hand end of the scale, the faster we can manifest what we really want.
So what we’re spending our time thinking about is all-important. And so is how we’re thinking about it. For every subject, we have a resonant point of attraction. If you want to know where you are on any subject, look around. What you’re experiencing is where you’re resonating.
For a minute, pick a topic on which you’d like some change in your life. For example - say money. Is your first reaction “not enough”? Every time something you’d like-to-have flashes into your awareness, is the like-to-have immediately drowned out by can’t-afford-it? Or do you get into a feeling of delicious anticipation?
So where does action - doing things - fit into all of this? Well first we need to understand what I call the BE-DO-HAVE principle.
In the world I was raised in, action was all important. It didn’t matter whether I wanted to do it, or felt like doing it - I needed the self-discipline to do it anyway. With a combination of hard work and being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, maybe things would turn out OK. Well according to the Law Of Attraction, that’s all hooey. There’s no such thing as “luck”, and there are no “accidents”. Our actions in themselves cannot get us what we want.
But - the Universe is a powerful orchestrator. It always responds to our thoughts and always has us in the right place at the right time. To take advantage of this, we have to reverse the process - to Be-Do-Have.
If we can see/feel/imagine ourselves where we want to BE, then we’ll be inspired to DO the things that will allow us to HAVE all that we want (more on BE-DO-HAVE later).
So - if we look at the way successful people order their lives, we see that many directly acknowledge this Law Of Attraction. Others, as you begin to see the principles they live by, inherently take advantage of it. That is they clearly order their lives according to its principles. Also, there are legions of books on this subject - either directly acknowledging the Law Of Attraction, or giving principles and procedures that are in line with it. In summary, what they all say is - spend time visualizing what you want, and it will appear.
A few quotes:
“Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will - his personal responsibility.” - Albert Schweitzer
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” - William James
“Your circumstances may be uncongenial, but they shall not remain so if you only perceive an ideal and strive to reach it. You cannot travel within and stand still without.” - James Allen
“Whatever your mind can conceive and can believe, it can achieve.” - Napoleon Hill
“Follow your bliss, and doors will open for you that you never knew existed” - Joseph Campbell
Robin Retallick is a business owner and CEO who, like many of us, is on a journey of discovery seeking some of life’s answers and learning how to achieve abundance. From early involvement with Christianity, he’s moved to an understanding of the Law Of Attraction with all that that implies. As modern physics merges more into the world of the “supernatural”, he sees the potential reconciliation of the spiritual with the scientific. He shares his insights, and processes and resources that work. http://www.money-health-relationships.com/
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Posted by admin on April 25th, 2008 — Posted in Real Estate Tips
When interest rates begin to go up on mortgages, having your rate locked in can really protect you until closing.
The average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage has risen almost 1% in the past year. While the rise has been mostly gradual, many home buyers can’t risk having their rate go up any between the application and closing on a home. They are already stretched as far as they can go to get into the home.
When you don’t lock in your rate, it is floating with the market. A traditional rate lock is the lender’s guarantee that your mortgage will have the quoted interest rate, points and other terms at closing.
A rate lock is usually set for a specific amount of time. If the home purchase isn’t complete within the time limit, your rate will unlock. Then your interest rate can go up.
If you qualify for a given rate as the maximum mortgage amount you can receive, you are walking a tight rope. If interest rates rise before closing, you may have to add more of a downpayment or lose your financing. A rate lock will protect you from this.
When you lock in your rate in a traditional rate lock, if interest rates go down, you are stuck unless you pay additional costs. Some lenders offer “float down” options that will let your rate lower once if rates fall. But many of them will stick you back up to the higher rate if the rates rise.
The key to a rate lock is ensuring that you have everything in writing. Verbal locks aren’t legal. If the lender says the rate is locked, make sure you get it in writing.
You should also pay attention to the pre-set time limit for the lock. In some cases, the lender may automatically extend your lock, but that doesn’t always happen. Many will charge you a fee to extend the lock, often a percentage of the loan amount.
The rate lock contract should lock in as many costs as possible. This includes not only interest rates, but also points. The agreement should include you name, the lock’s effective date, the agreement date, the lock cost, the rate and the loan terms that are locked in. There should also be an expiration date and time and any options upon expiration of the lock.
As soon as you see the desired rate for your mortgage, you should lock it in. This is usually found when you apply for the mortgage.
Before you set the lock-in period, make sure you have an accurate estimate on how long it will take to process the loan and close on the home. Once locked in, make sure that you push the lender and others to close on time. You can help by quickly returning phone calls and turning in any necessary paperwork as soon as possible.
The lock will cost you money. Some lenders will even charge you an up-front fee even if the loan doesn’t close. Others charge a flat fee at closing. Some lenders charge a percentage of the mortgage amount, a fraction of a percentage point or a slightly higher interest rate for the rate lock. The cost varies depending on the options you choose and the mortgage program you qualify for.
Don’t let rising interest rate surprise you at closing. Lock in your rate and worry about other things instead.
Martin Lukac(http://www.MartinLukac.com), represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!
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Posted by admin on April 24th, 2008 — Posted in Sports Center
Being the Family guy requires a lot of tact and finesse. A lot!
This next trick isn’t an easy one, but boy if you can pull it off; you get the Family Guy award for sports recruiting. The most important tool to use is your kid’s natural instincts to be competitive with each other. Get them to pick the team they like, even if it’s just the color of the helmets, and then get them to pick their favorite player. Now we’ve given them their own team to root for.
Keep plenty of sports caps and jerseys around the house, so when your favorite team is playing, you can all be sporting your teams awesome gear.
In fact, right now my plan is going into action. My daughters are picking out their favorite Miami Hurricane caps, as well as adorning themselves with their favorite U.M shirts. I’m in good shape, and there’s only 20 minutes to kickoff. I remind the kids one more time about the importance of this game, and they seem fired up. I’m doing it! My plan is in action.
When your team scores, start high-fiving the kids. Get them screaming right along with you. Explain to them what just happened, using the instant replays as a visualization tool. Make sure they watch the replays a couple of times, so they can grasp the magnitude of what just took place. This is football!
Grant it, they won’t sit through the whole game with you, but they’ll leave you alone; for fear of you trying to lure them back to the sofa, and then again be forced to participate in your frenzy. Whatever you do, don’t let them take off their caps or jerseys during the course of the game. They should understand that they are the teams good luck charms, and we need them to help us to victory. Should for some reason your team lose, they should understand that it was you who didn’t have your lucky shirt on, even if your sure that they were the ones responsible for the loss.
So there you have it. A smart family guy knows he must have his children on his side. That’s how you build a winning team. Your kids now love football, whether they like it or not. Best of luck this season, The Family Guy.
Work At Home - Jay is a full time work at home single father of two lovely daughters. If you enjoyed this short article, then please visit Jay at his home site Jays Plan - Secrets of A Single Dad and Family Health With Mister Mom
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Posted by admin on April 24th, 2008 — Posted in Commerce World
It’s probably one of the hottest topics out there, and with good reason. Where else can you get paid over and over again for doing something once?
Of course I’m talking about Googles Adsense program, for website publishers who don’t mind placing a small bit of code into their sites to show ads in return for a share of the profits.
It’s relatively easy to get started with Google Adsense, as all you need to have is a website or blog on which to show the Adsense ads, and a Google Adsense Publishers Account. To get an Adsense account you need to go to www.Google.com/adsense and apply for an account, as long as your website complies with their terms, you will be accepted and be able to log in to create your Adsense ads. If you don’t have a website, you can setup a blog for fr.ee at http://www.blogger.com put up some content, and submit this. Blogger is also owned by Google, and some people claim this gives you a better chance of acceptance, whether it does or not you decide for yourself.
For the next part, once you are logged in you need to choose what type of ads to display, link units are just one line links to sites related to your sites keywords, ad units are the blocks of code you see everywhere with a short description, a link and a url for each site advertised. Once you have chosen which ad type to display, you can then choose the size and format of the Adsense box. This is where you must make a decision to ensure it fits in with your site, where you are going to place it.
Be aware that irregular sized and shaped adsense boxes work better than the regular ad sizes, 468×60 is immediately picked up as an ad due to banners being this size for so long online and has a low clickrate, while the 336×280 and 300×250 adsense blocks work much better. There is also some arguments as to whether you should blend the ad into your site by using the color palette Adsense gives you to edit the ads colours to make the colours the same as your site, or to make them stand out by making them a different colour, this will depend on your site, and you can test to see what works best.
After you have setup the format, colour scheme and type of ad, you will get the code to add to your site. Before you go ahead and paste it in, it’s a good idea to setup channel tracking. Setup different channels named so that you will know what it is about, and this will enable you to track which ads are working, on which sites by changing them around, and tagging them with different channel ID’s. This is one of the most overlooked parts of Adsense, the ability to track your ads through channels affords you the ability to test and tune to get the ideal colours, and placement for your adsense blocks.
Adsense does a good job of finding ads related to your site, and you have no input into what will be shown. Sometimes it gets confused, so you may have to tweak your sites copy to make the keywords more prominent so Adsense can do a better job of targeting your visitors with the ads displayed. Obviously the better the ads target your visitors, the more relevant they will be and the better the clickthrough rate.
As we already said, Adsense is a great way to make some income, and some people are even making a good living from it, it’s residual income, fairly easy to setup and low maintenance. If nothing else it will help pay the hosting fees for your website, so why not get started with Google Adsense today?
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Posted by admin on April 24th, 2008 — Posted in Information Parlor
Q: What are the secrets of being an excellent communicator? A:
Being someone who is founded in integrity, truthfulness,
sincerity and congruence.
Q: How important is good communication as a leadership skill? A:
It’s number one on the list - but ignorant corporates still
think hatchet men who cut, slash and burn the staff component
are number one.
Q: Is good communication and the art of excellent public
speaking a talent or a learned skill? A: It’s the Edison
formula: 1% inspiration or talent and 99% hard work - with rare
exceptions. Anyone who wants to, can, with effort become a
darned good speaker.
Q: How important is the content/message? A: Paradoxically,
sometimes not as important as the process - the ‘how’ - of what
you do. That’s why misleading motivational speakers still manage
to thrive. However, the process can only ever be the packaging
for the content. So watch it!
Q: How important is delivery/confidence/speaking well? A: This
falls into the realm of linguistic intelligence. I’ve recently
sat through listening to a woman with a great mind, great ideas
and dreadful linguistic intelligence. The greatest idea is worth
little if badly communicated. Confidence is a separate issue -
it may be acted. It won’t be sustainable that way of course, but
it can fool some of the people some of the time. Confidence at
its best is not situational. When you’re confident, even outside
of your comfort zone or field of expertise, that’s probably real
confidence. Confidence is also the visible expression of healthy
self-worth.
Q: How can you develop speaking confidence? A: By focusing on
and further developing what you do well. Circumcising mosquitoes
doesn’t change anything. Identify your forte - and go with it.
If you can’t pinpoint it - go to someone who can.
Q: What techniques can people use to make their speeches
interesting? A: Bear in mind the ‘U-shape’ of concentration
spans. You need to start well, finish well and have anecdotes,
analogies, what I call ’soufflé moments’ (light touches and
humour) in between to maintain the attention levels.
Q: Does voice coaching help? A: There’s an Eastern expression:
‘You can teach a parrot to speak whatever language you will. But
the day a cat catches it, it will revert to its original
tongue.’ Most ‘voice coaching’ is a money-making racket and is
unsustainable. If there’s a very specific defect, such as lack
of projection, poor articulation, lack of resonance etc., these
things can be modified with a degree of success. But it’s like
antibiotics. You have to take ‘em regularly, over a period.
Voice work requires enormous commitment.
Q: Does going to groups like ‘toastmasters’ help? A:
Emphatically - but only to a point. Thereafter it becomes the
blind leading the blind. Rules-based teaching is necessary at
kindergarten level. Later you need a mentor who can unleash your
uniqueness - if you have it - and that’s an art, never a science.
Q: Does mentoring or hiring in experts like speech consultants
and speechwriters help? A: Mentoring’s wonderful. There are
plenty of people around who can assist in taking speeches and
presentations to the next level. It’s at the top level that a
special and similarly gifted individual can and will make the
difference. They’re in short supply.
Q: How do you beat stress and nerves before a big board meeting
or delivering a key talk to analysts, investors or your staff?
A: Nervousness’ is a label. It’s often driven by inappropriate
and perfectionistic fear of failure. Having butterflies is not
only normal but necessary. Without them, you’ll slide into
mediocrity. Acknowledge them, celebrate them, welcome them as
your energy source and use them!
Q: How can you make contact with your audience in a meaningful
way? A: By being utterly you. Carl Jung spoke of ‘authentic
presence’. Meaning we’re physically, intellectually,
emotionally, psychologically and spiritually ‘there’ - in the
moment. Part of us is not trouble-shooting another issue in
another neurological department. Carl Rogers spoke of
‘Congruence’ - in computing terms, WYSIWYG (What You See Is What
You Get). Meaning that what’s on the inside becomes visible (if
appropriate to the circumstances) on the outside. There’s
nothing to beat authenticity when it comes to making a real
connection with an audience.
Q: How can you improve from talk to talk - how can you measure
and improve on your performance? A: The best possible mechanism
is to have a video camera locked off in medium shot or have
someone unobtrusively tape you. Seeing and hearing yourself is
the quickest and most efficient way of constantly improving your
game.
Q: How can you create a high impact opening and strong closing?
A: By finding something - a situation, a story, an example -
relevant to the audience, and preferably with a touch of humour
or emotion. Don’t do summaries at the end. Only poopy
presentations require a ‘What I was trying to tell you’ type
approach.
Q: Are there any things you shouldn’t do when giving a talk? A:
Don’t assume a superior attitude or think that your audience
knows less than you do. Be respectful in language (don’t cuss)
dress, demeanour and content. Custom-craft the event for them -
always doing the same tired old routine because ‘it works’ is
simply unprofessional and a cop-out.
Q: Anything else that is important? A: Move to the next level of
communicating, which in intuition-based. There are few speakers
and presenters in that locale. Prepare your mind and your being
beforehand through prayer, meditation or a process in which you
open yourself to the influence and inspiration of the Universe,
God, the Wise Ones, the Ancestors or whomever you choose to have
aid you. If it sounds daft, it isn’t. Universal wisdom is happy
to flow through us, if invited and respected. And if we promise
not to take ‘ownership’ of any applause, approval or adulation
following from it. We are the instrument, not the author.
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Posted by admin on April 24th, 2008 — Posted in Great Lifestyle Tips
America has a reluctance to accept relationships between people
of the same gender. This reluctance follows a similar pattern to
the hostility towards interracial relationships. Although
increasing, acceptance of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and
transgendered persons’ relationships are not widespread in
America today. The stereotype remains that these groups practice
promiscuous lifestyles.
Many homosexuals currently seek marriage rights in order to
recognize their committed relationships. This campaign for gay
marriage rights has been met with acceptance and hostility.
Several states recently voted to revise the wording for legal
marriages so that a marriage can only exist between a man and a
woman. In addition, several states have witnessed court
decisions legalizing same sex marriage. The issue is very
polarizing in America, and the opposition to gay marriage is
largely based on religious, moral, and cultural beliefs. In
order to defuse some of this polarization, some states have
found middle ground in recognizing “civil unions” for same sex
couples.
Despite the political climate for the hot-button issue of gay
marriage, the media has taken forward steps to increase
acceptance by portraying human relationships in alternative
lifestyles. Additionally, there is a very strong community for
gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered persons that can
offer lots of support, if not in every town, than at least on
the internet. Books, websites, television programs, and other
media are offering more options geared to couples that break the
heterosexual norm.
Perhaps because the country is so divided by the issue, gay and
lesbian relationships have received increased attention and
debate in the past decade.
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Posted by admin on April 23rd, 2008 — Posted in Travel Resources
Are you wondering how to survive this Holiday Season? Do you get caught up in the fast pace to the point of stress and exhaustion?
What if, this year, you could create exactly what you want?
How about transforming stress into joy? How about making more money, instead of going in the hole?
This article offers seven tips to help you thrive this Holiday Season, financially, emotionally, and energetically.
Tip 1:
Reclaim your right to have your own unique version of the Holidays.
What is the essence of this season for you? For me, it’s about the joy of giving. Guess what is the essence of successful marketing? You’re right, it’s also about giving your service with joy. The more you love what you’re doing and the more generous you are, the more clients, thus income, will be drawn to you. Each time you market yourself, remember “You have a unique gift to giveyou!” Remember to share this gift with enthusiasm, all year long.
Tip 2.
Serve your clients special needs:
If you are a real estate agent, this is the time to be around for floor calls when everyone else is out shopping. One of my clients today told me that she was the only one in the office when 2 promising floor calls came in.
Keep your current and former clients in mind. Show them the value they are to you with cards , gifts and maybe bring them a gift personally. They’ll not only be grateful , but also remember to refer to you in the coming year.
Think of what other special needs your clients might have. Go the extra mile and give them added value to your service . If you’re a coach , you might consider a Bonus Session to help them plan for the New Year.
Tip 3:
Increase your self care and self maintenance :
Do you want to be healthy this whole Holiday Season. Are you ready to commit to it? If so, be aware that you are taking time for yourself to that your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs are being met. Are you taking “down time?” Are you surrounding yourself with positive people? Are you aware to keep your self talk supportive and encouraging?
Tip 4:
Do things that give you joy:
Martha Beck writes in her book, “Finding Your Own North Star”, that there are two rules about joy. The first rule is “Do things that give you joy. The second rule is “No, really, do things that give you joy”. What makes you joyful?
Tip 5:
Start learning about the Law of Attraction:
What is the Law of Attraction? The bottom line anwer is that like attracts like and you get what you focus on. So when you’re thinking of the New Year, are you focusing on what you don’t want or focusing on what you do want? If you focus on your fear of not having enough clients or money, then what you’re likely to get back is not enough clients, or not enough money.
Instead, train your mind to ask the question, “So, what do I want? Focus on your wants to the point where you can feel yourself having those wants satisfied. What do you get back? More of your wants being satisfied. To read more about the Law of Attraction, read my article, “Market Advice: How to stop struggling and start attracting.”
Tip 6
Turn your Resolutions into Intentions:
Did you know that 99% of people forget their resolutions by the end of January. Instead of being one of the casualties this year, focus on your intentions , rather than resolutions.
To quote Wayne Dyer from his book The Power of Intention, an intention is not so much of a strong purpose or aim, but rather,
“a field of energy that flows invisibly beyond the reach of our normal, everyday habitual patterns”….. “We have the means to attract this energy to us and experience life in an exciting new way.” I invite you to “try on” this new perspective as you plan
your New Year.
Tip 7:
Take time off: rejuvenate and enjoy
If you design your own unique version of the Holidays, remember to schedule in time to do nothing. For most of us, that is a concept way outside our realms of thinking. Let’s face it , we have been programmed to be human doings rather than human beings. This Holiday Season, do yourself a favor and commit to spending some time just “being”. Try it, you might like feeling like a human “being” instead of a human “doing.”
For more information on powerful marketing tips and
tools, please visit Maya’s website:
http://www.90daystomoreclients.com While you’re there, get
your Free Audio Mentoring Session by clicking the first
button.
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Posted by admin on April 23rd, 2008 — Posted in Fishermens' Lair
Two of the most productive methods of topwater fishing are using a popper, or chugger type lure, and “walking-the-dog” with a surface walker. When it comes to popper type lures, you may remember the old Heddon Lucky 13, Bass Oreno, or the Heddon Chugger Spook. Lure design has changed drastically since the first production of those aforementioned lures, and now we have such poppers as the Berkley Frenzy Popper, Tsunami Talkin’ Popper, Rapala Skitter Pop and the Lucky Craft G-Splash.
For topwater walking-the-dog applications, we have the Heddon Spook and Super-Spook, which have been around for many years and are, still to this day, top producers. Some other surface walkers include Lucky Craft Sammy, Rapala Skitter Walk, Salmo MAAS Marauder and the Yo-Zuri Banana Boat. While all of these lures produce fish in different situations, I have discovered a lure that is producing topwater hits for me on a consistent basis when water and light conditions are right. The lures I speak of are made by L & S Mirrolure. The popper is called The Humpback Mule and is actually a jointed topwater popper. The walking-the-dog style surface walker I prefer is called the Top Dog Jr. Both lures are extremely good quality and have extra sharp hooks, which can really come in handy when you have a bass that might strike you a little bit short, or not hit the lure very hard.
Let’s start by taking a look at when the best time to use a topwater lure would be, and then the techniques involved in producing the most strikes. I have caught some of my largest bass, by far, on topwater lures. My reasoning behind this occurrence is that back in the old days, everybody I knew threw topwater lures. They threw them for 2 or 3 hours in the mornings and 2 or 3 hours in the evening. From an industry perspective, topwater lures are not among the top sellers these days. The majority of the people I fish with these days mainly throw spinnerbaits, plastics and crankbaits.
Could it be that the big bruiser bass that have been around for several years have seen all of the spinners and cranks, after being caught several times on these lures, and now tend to shy away from them? I think this is possible, and if you go down South to Texas or Louisiana, you will see huge bass being taken on topwater lures. I have a good friend who says that the bass have seen the same lures over and over again for so many years that they have the serial and model numbers on the bottom of the lures memorized. This might be a bit of a stretch, but almost all the bass I have caught that are over 5 pounds are loners, holding on a particular piece of structure in the lake.
I won’t say that you never see large bass schooling up, but it is a rare occurrence. Smallmouth bass are different though…they do tend to school up in certain areas, and there can be many large fish all together at one time.
I use topwater baits mainly when the water temperature is 60 degrees or above, but I have caught bass on topwaters when it was in the high 50’s. Whenever I see a stump, rock, or maybe a bush, further away from other structure, I throw a topwater right to it. The best way to provoke a reaction strike from a big largemouth is to cast the bait right to the cover, not beyond it. If you cast past the target, the bass will be alert before the bait gets there. You may have seen them boil or swirl when you do this, instead of smashing it. They are tentative when you work the bait up to the cover, and then they just swirl at it, or miss. To provoke a big bass into exploding on the bait you must cast right to the cover! The popper is one of my favorite baits to use in places that have a lot of grass or milfoil that is holding bass. When you retrieve a popper, it requires a fast jerk, which spits water out from the front of the cup-lipped bait, and the bait makes a deep pop or bullfrog sound. You then should let the lure sit for a few moments and repeat this process again.
I will never forget, when I was 11 years old I caught my first largemouth bass over 5lbs on a clear popper with a white bucktail. The lure was a Pico Lil’ Pop and what a thrill that was! I watched the fish following my lure, when all of a sudden a topwater explosion occurred, and I was in for a fight. Ever since that moment, I have been a fan of the popper style lure. I like to use it like I would a crankbait from the perspective that you can cover a lot of water when you think of your lure as a search-bait. Simply put, trying to find out where the fish are located.
Walking type topwater lures are another great bait especially in post spawn season, when big bass are around some shallow cover, but they aren’t particularly aggressive yet. I use baits with rattles for this also. I’ve caught a lot of big bass on topwater walkers in prespawn as well as postspawn. Also, on really warm days early in the year, it produces well. I just cast it to the structure, let it sit, twitch it a few times, and they usually just suck it in.
o walk-the-dog, you simply snap your rod in a downward motion over and over again throughout the entire retrieve. This will force the lure to zig-zag back and forth from left to right. This action drives bass crazy as they think an injured baitfish is trying to get away. When I am throwing a lighter weight popper or surface walker, I tend to use spinning gear on a 6 to 7 ‘ rod with a medium action. When I am throwing Spooks or other heavier or larger lures, I switch over to a baitcaster with a 6′6″ or 7′ rod with a medium heavy to heavy action. When I am throwing topwater lures in tight areas, with very specific targets, where there is no room for error, I will downsize to a 6′ casting rod. This length is much more accurate than longer rods and easier to control when working an area with stumps and brush, where one bad cast will tangle your lure up and waste your precious fishing time.
Although most of my really big bass have come from shallow water, they were always in a place that was near deep water, where one or more grasses came together, and near the main creek channel or water inlet. The fish always had some kind of deep-water escape route nearby. I feel that in larger bodies of water the big bass spend much of their time in deeper water, and just move in and out of the shallows as the opportunities arise, when hunting for food.
As I mentioned previously, most anglers use these baits at sunrise or sunset, but I use them all times of the day, especially when the sky is overcast. Big bass are always on the shady side of cover once the sun rises. They can be enticed into striking a popper or surface walker at all times of the day when presented properly. Bigger bass feed more frequently due to their body size, and when they do feed, they want a bigger meal if at all possible. They have to expend a great deal of energy to catch their prey, and want to make sure the size is sufficient to meet their needs. Good luck on your topwater action and e-mail me with any questions.
G. Wayne Byrd is a professional bass tournament fisherman, who lives in Colorado. He is an active contributor to Fishin’ Secrets with Eric Allee and Friends.
http://www.fishinsecrets.com
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