In an age where we find ourselves consumed with everything from work to school to sitting through Monsters Inc. just to see the Star Wars preview that comes beforehand, it's no wonder that so many normal folk have turned to the web to find true romance. There are other reasons why this method is growing in popularity. It's easy, and if you go about it the right way, it can yield just the type of results you're seeking. Would you like the secret knowledge needed to strike gold in this magical kingdom? Jump into my fishin' boat then my friend, and let's begin the journey to find your dream fling, date, or whatever it is you desire.

Your Cyber Pick-Up Joint

There are a plethora of cyber bars out there just clamoring to get you into their pool-o-love to meet your match. But before you go swimming through the sea of cyber chicks, be sure you start your journey from the shore where all the hottest prospects lie waiting to be plucked from their dateless doom. There are a couple of sites which have high ratings with users, and a good percentage of successful matches. These are also the busiest and most popular sites, which means you'll be able to cast your line into a pond which houses a greater number of fish.

Match.com - This is the top dating site on the web, and with a great many search options and profile questions which leave few things unanswered, it's easy to see why it's gaining popularity fast. Match allows you to register for free, but in order to contact other members, you can expect to pay $25 a month.

Yahoo Personals - This site allows you to post a free basic ad or an enhanced ad with colors, additional photo options and membership into their singles club for $20 a month. Yahoo doesn't allow you to describe yourself in as much detail from the onset, but it does allow you to state the relationship 'type' you're seeking (e.g. friends, dating, committed), which could help weed out those gals that want to get hitched quickly when you yourself have no intentions of losing your bachelorhood anytime soon. (Editor's note: Yahoo recently went to a paid system-the free ride is over, but that means quality goes up!)

Friendfinder.com - Sign up for free at this site, and even contact one member, and view up to 10 profiles without shelling out the bucks. For an additional $20 to $30 a month you can extend your privileges. This site again doesn't allow the in depth profile Match does, but hey, you get to try it out a little for free!

Luring your Fish

It must be said that there does still exist a competitive playing field, even in the cyber-dating world. Polls also find that men outnumber women on-line, so this ups the anti. In order to get that fish to bite, best that you bait the hook with a fine piece of grub that she'd be a fool not to sink her little teeth into. To do this, you must prepare just the right sort of ad or profile...eliminating those oddities that may leave her wanting to immediately turn and swim the other direction.

The first thing she'll notice is your headline. Okay, my witty fisherman friend, this is not the time to throw in any sort of reference as to your large endowment (we're not talking money here), or to proclaim yourself a sex god, or any god for that matter. The key to the attention-grabbing headline is to make it stand out and gain responses. Sure, something that reads: Sex God seeks Goddess or Large Willied Man seeks Hibernation Cave is going to draw some attention, but I doubt you'll receive any serious replies. Let me step back a little and say that some of the on-line dating services out there do in fact have Hot and Spicy sections which could be just the perfect place for you sex gods and large willied guys out there. Even if you're simply seeking something casual, you'll still need to pay special attention to your baiting tactics. The key...witty headlines really flip our gills! There are sloughs of SWM, 22, seeking some fun out there. Your job is to put a twist on it. So what if you are well endowed....try Big Feet = Big Shoes, or Well Endowed with a Fun Personality instead. Think about it this way, if you could think of one sentence that speaks words about you, while still making you attractive to the opposite sex, what would it be?

Liar, Liar, Your Line is on Fire

The quickest way to scare your catch away is by baiting your hook with one of those fake plastic worms. If you're a chain smoking, beer guzzling, muscle head with 5 kids, so be it. Please just be sure to note that in your profile. There's nothing nastier than finding out you've been corresponding with a fake, and no doubt that if you do plan on meeting outside cyber space, you'll be the one who's caught. You wouldn't be too keen on finding out that the so-called statuesque 21-year-old 120 lb. SWF beauty was actually a 45-year-old 250lb DWF with quadruplets, now would you?

The Straight Shooter

The great thing about internet dating is that, unlike in the real world, you have control over the "type" of person you meet. If you're seeking an indigo haired Native American punk chick who resides in California and loves surfing, sushi, and Salinger novels, say so. I wouldn't count on her stumbling upon your ad in the near future, but hey, where else do you have the opportunity to truly find your type of fish? Likewise, if you can't stand smokers, intend to remain permanently childless, hate blondes, whatever....state it at the get go! Another piece of advice, if you're seeking a cyber friend/date/love from another country, be sure to stipulate that you're willing to travel to any destination to meet your match. The minute she notices that you're casting your line from Canada, the girl of your dreams who sits writing to you from her beach hut in Tahiti is going to look elsewhere. Just be sure to mention that private jet of yours with the pre-programmed flight plan for Tahiti. The most sought after profiles on the web are those that are honest, show your intelligence through writing, and actually say something about you other than your basic height, weight, likes and dislikes. Be original, be witty, and really spend some time putting together your ad. Believe me, the pay offs will be well worth the effort.

A Pic Will Do the Trick

I know it's superficial, but most people out there would rather know right off just who they're talking to, and nothing reveals your physical true colors faster than a snap shot of your gorgeous grin. Many of the sites out there have a search option which eliminates those profiles that lack a picture, and how many of us can admit to being able to pass up the offer to take a peek at the goods prior to starting correspondence. Having said that, it's probably not a good idea to use that mug shot taken after that "certain" night you're not too proud of...even if it did show your best side. There are some god awful photos out there and one look at them should be enough to clue you into what not to capture. Just make sure you're in good light, haven't got a scowl on your face, and have first decided to change out of your underoo's prior to the photo shoot.

Pay a visit to Mr. Spell Check

Just as you wouldn't dare make your way out the door for a night on the town wearing an orange and purple plaid shirt with green pants, you also wouldn't put your ad out there in cyber space with a spelling error found in its midst. It's all about the first impression, and nothing says "careless can't use his spell check idiot" faster than a misspelled word. Just remember to do a once-over before actually posting your profile.

Having clued you in a little as to the virtues of cyber dating, I'll sum it up by saying that this type of dating scene isn't for everyone. Obviously you can't mind letter writing, you should know how to carry on a conversation through written correspondence, and even if you do see a photo, you should be a person more apt to fall at first read, rather than first sight. If this is you, cast your line on into that deep blue sea, but please just make sure to keep a close eye out for sharks. Believe me, just like in the real world, you're sure to catch a few of these as well in the cyber dating game.