K_Mac

I'm glad you're on the mend. Be patient with your progress. I wish you all the best Clayton.

Looking45 if you are not shocked and amazed by some of the people of Walmart, maybe you are one the people being photographed! As I get older I am less and less concerned about what I wear to Walmart (or any other place). I do draw the line at women's lingerie though!

Thanks for sharing. It takes me back several years to when my father passed. He was a couple of years older than yours. He was also a WW II vet. I look at your picture and see me and my pop circa 1959. One of my favorite memories is of fishing with my dad a few years before he passed. We fished a powerplant lake that had a good population of bass. It was a perfect day. My dad caught several bass in the 15-17" range. Trying to convince him that they had to be 18" to keep was fun. He came from a generation where releasing anything with that much meat on it was unthinkable. I finally had to tell him we could buy a lot of fish on the way home for what it would cost to keep illegal fish! I would give much to go fishing with him or my brother who has also been gone for several years. Your advice about taking the time with loved ones is painfully true. Thanks for the reminder. I'm sorry for your loss.

I loved the first half. I wish the Georgia could have pulled it off, but Alabama found a way to win it. That is what great teams do. Changing QBs midstream was a gutsy call. Can you imagine the outrage if Georgia would have won it because of mistakes by the freshman?

You must be a prophet Sam. A facemask call that wasn't made gave Alabama the ball.... Now it's a brand new game.

Roadwarrior is it wrong for me to hope Georgia shuts out Alabama and beats them by 35? 13-0 at the half! That's a good start.

I haven't been around much for a while either. Life happens. I'm very sorry for your loss my friend.

Merry Christmas to you Raul. I hope you enjoy your time with family and friends.

My condolences to his friends and family. He was one of the guys who's advice and opinion I always valued. He will certainly be missed here.

Good to see you Hootie! I have fallen out of a boat more than once and decorated more than a few trees so I can't hold it against him. I would question why you're giving him your tackle to throw in trees, but I've done that too... welcome back!

WRB, I don't think a new bass fisherman needs high-end gear to be effective. I don't think an expert needs it either. Today's rods, reels, and lines are extremely good at almost all levels. I do think mid-level gear is often a better value than entry-level gear in performance and durability. With that said, some of today's high-end rods are amazing in weight and sensitivity in my opinion. They are outside of my budget, but I generally hold my own with my more budget friendly stuff. Some of the better rods are a joy to use and make a long day on the water more enjoyable. It's hard to put a price on that. I agree with Team9nine that sensitivity is a quantifiable measurement. I also agree with Catt that there are folks who can't tell the difference in an old glass rod and a new quality graphite one, other than they might notice one is a little heavier than the other. For those folks, one rod is as good as any other.

No, not everyone is using braid or fluorocarbon. I hate braid and don't use it much. I like fluorocarbon for many applications, but many don't. There's many different monofilaments and hybrids available, some already mentioned. Part of the fun of fishing is experimenting with different equipment and tackle in my opinion. Enjoy the process!

Without question the trolling motor. With a little use you won't know how you got by without it.

Anyone who fishes very long loses an occasional good fish. I lost a real monster a few years ago in a local lake. I tell the story every time I fish there to partners who have heard the story many times. My wife was with me and will verify my story, but it has taken on mythic size over the years and I get a lot of joy telling the story! Like yours mine may have been the biggest in the lake. Knowing the lake has the ability to support one monster increases the chance of others, and helps me focus on finding them. You know where it lives. Good luck.

I have found that it is hard to distinguish idiot fishermen based on how or where they are fishing. Heaven knows there are an alarming number both on the bank and fishing from bass boats. Fortunately the idiots are out numbered in most places. I like the corrallary to .ghoti.'s maxim: argue with a fool and you're liable to act like one.