VolFan

If im keeping fresh stockers I throw them on ice immediately. The flavor and texture is better that way than having them slowly die on a stringer or in a bucket. Extra points if you bleed/gut them before the ice bath.

Redneck weight varies by a function of 12 to 16 ounces dependent upon who has been tasked to 'Hold my beer and watch this.'

Chunky spot!

Elijah Craig Small Batch tonight - pretty darn good for a sub-$30 bourbon.

Thats some nice fish sandwiches on that string.

I love hot sauce on pizza. I thought I was the only one...

I had one show up under my ladder stand one morning right at sunup. He made some unmistakably catty growly noises looking up at me. Im not sure if I was sleeping in his spot or he didnt know what to make of my cover scent, but he just seemed annoyed.

SteveCat

I use Salomon water shoes for all my spring throung fall wading and hiking. Techamphibians to be exact. They would work with the neoprene socks just understand that sand and gravel will get between them and wear on the socks quite a bit. Been there, went to cheap wool socks when needed.

Thats fun stuff right there - those guys will pull you all over the place.

Put the turkey in the pot and then measure the amount of water you need to cover the turkey by at least a half inch. That is how much oil you need. Preheat the oil well to 350 and then give it another 5-10 minutes to make sure everything is warm. Dont underestimate how long this actually takes. I brine, but don't inject. Make sure the turkey is well-thawed and absolutely dry. Make sure the gibleys arent still in the cavity. Keep the fryer away from plants and curious labs. I think that covers all my mistakes. If you flavor aggressively with the brine, theres no need to inject. I love fried turkey.

That lipless has seen a few fish!

What is his rod?

Just keep getting to that first cup of coffee every morning. We'll be here happy to still have you.

Get it!

Really depends on where you are but the ice-out lake trout fishing can be pretty good.

I use NorthStar custom baits Hippy Jigs on a regular basis in NC, especially in moving water. It can imitate everything from craws to minnows depending on the color and trailer. Its a year-round bait.

What J said - If you're using braid, you won't have the capacity problem but the lack of stretch might be less forgiving on the reel. I use 15 or 20 lb CXX on 200 sized reels for swimbaits up to 6 oz and have never had a problem. Never hooked a 40" musky though...

This is the bait monkey's Champagne Room...

They very quite a bit across locations and age class. I've seen them in TN that look almost exactly like oversized white bass (like a 5lb white bass) with very few broken stripes to double digit ones in Colorado that look like the coding went wrong and they're turning into crappie. Its very hard to guess these things just on a photo with no location or condition. Physical attributes vary widely and can be misleading.

Then its probably a pure white bass. I have seen them with broken stripes lower on the belly - nice fish btw

cardinals are imploding in the 7th.

The broken lines towards the belly make me think it might be a wiper...

I'll have to try that - I have my own grinder, so sourcing isnt a problem. I like that texture and beefiness of skirt.