VolFan

Spooks and poppers on top, small spinners (I like roostertails), 2 or 3 inch curly tails, and when all else fails a small sluggo in white or pearl always produce for me.

I think you're on the right track. I'm the member DVT is building that rod for, and I can't wait to use it. Like you, I found my M rod as overkill for most of the smallies I catch. This 6'8" ML should be alot of fun.

Someplace near Big South Fork in TN. Lots of smallies around and Dale Hollow is close if you want to go big. Musky around there too! Beautiful country and it's cheap.

Just some good rain and a little wind in Alexandria so far...radar looks like our first good round will be in about an hour.

Then no, they're not "better", they're just a little different.

Prep for the worst and hope for the best. We can go for 4-5 days without power or water at this point. But I'd rather not. It's not expensive, just do it. Most of the prep stuff is non-perishable, so it'll keep until Snowzilla 2013. If it were just me, I might not be so gung ho about it, but with a wife and a baby, you don't have the option of laughing it off.

You're his dad. He'll emulate you more than anyone else and listen to what you tell him (sometimes ) if you're doing it right. Blowing up never helps,, with adults or with kids. Laugh it off and move on. Now if they'd given him real smokes, that'd be another issue. He probably drives his toy cars into things too, but you don't think he'll do that when he gets older, do you? Deep cleansing breath...and move on. PS- My Mother-in-law is a sweet person, but the most condescending you-know-what when it comes to our boy.

Soft frogs on top over shallow warm grassbeds, like a Rage Toad. Bring plenty, because if you get into a good pod of snakeys, they destroy the baits quickly.

Cut a fin or two off or some off the top of the tail, it makes the 'gills struggle to maintain their balance. It really calls in the cats.

Kind of along the lines of what's already been said: for eater sized cats, nightcrawlers or chicken or beef liver; for quality, live minnows/sunfish or fresh cut bait. I like bait or filets about the size of a deck of cards, and clip the fins if you're using sunnies.

Assuming you have enough space to keep the shoulders apart, you should be good with the 1 hr/lb philosophy. I sometimes butterfly mine to get them done faster and add more crusty goodness on the outside. I also marinate mine in a mixture of Coca Cola and cider vinegar...I think I may get a pork shoulder tomorrow...

The same way you do from a boat, just sitting down. A long rod with a short handle helps, but you can work with it. It also helps if you're comfortable standing in your kayak, but that cuts down on your stealth and can be a little dicey if you go bill Dance hookset. Remember: If you fall out, you're no longer a fisherman, you're a swimmer.

Hit BPS or Cabelas and get one of their better house brands on clearance. You'll get three matching rods that way and you can go as high or low as you want.

I had to relearn to cast my SX and Cardiff when they came back from cleaning/tuning. Great service, great guy to deal with. I'm still working on getting a custon spinning rod from him.

Worm and bobber someplace with lots of fish, small is fine. Watching that bobber go seems to keep them interested. Special "fishing" snacks ( i like twinkies and Mt Dew, we're not doing it for our health) to keep them jazzed, and don't get upset if they're more intersted in chasing a frog.

I like to run. I don't generally do anything over a 10K. I don't like DC much, but running on the Mall and around the Tidal Basin as the sun is coming up is a pretty neat experience. I've been wearing the Vibram Five Fingers for about 8 months now and really like them. They've immensely improved my knee and ankle pain, even running on asphalt and concrete. And I actually bought them to fish in!

I've got a double positive for you: Figure out how much money you spend on dip per week or month. Stop dipping, and put that amount into a savings account/cookie jar/pillowcase/hole in your backyard. When you save enough in that, you get whatever high-end stuff you want. You quit the deadly and disgusting habit, chicks will like you more, and you'll have a great combo to show off. If you slip and dip, the money goes into your savings and you start over. Patience and self control are two of the big lessons of life as you grow older. Just throwing it out there as an idea for you.

I want to second the Five Fingers KSO; they take a week or two to get used to, but now I wear mine pretty much everywhere. Great shoes, funny looking, but super comfortable after your feet grow accustomed.

What they said. If you're eating, get a cooler and a 10 lb bag of ice. When you catch a legal fish, lift the lid and put the fish on the ice. Close and repeat.

I took my 14 month old in the backpack this afternoon for about an hour and a half before it was his bedtime. He laughs maniacally every time I catch a fish. Not alot of laughing today ), but it's fun to take him out. I can't wait 'til he can fish too.

Just piling on... You're infinitely more likely to die of a lightning strike or car crash than in a tornado. No one is staying inside or swearing off driving. It's a tragedy, but it's just that, a tragedy, not something that can be controlled or fixed. Sometimes stuff happens that sucks.

The big thing is that for most of TX, the population is more spread out than the places that these hit. If something like that went through Dallas, it would be catastrophic. Short of a really solid basement or a bomb shelter, there's not much place to hide from one of these.

Is he in Alabama?

Not in your price range unless you can find last year's model at Sierra Trading Post or the like but I love my Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra. The ones without Gortex will be somewhat cheaper as well. They are trail runners, but easily sturdy enough for light to medium hiking. Especially with your new build, don't you want to speed it up a little? If you try a pair on, you will buy some; I almost guarantee it. I am on my third pair in 7 years. I still wear the other two; the sole's just too slick now.

"Where were you when I was getting accosted by the rod snobs?" I was getting more experience. Don't get me wrong, I have a $300 Daiwa Ciello that I got for $100, and that thing is niiiiiiiice to fish, but I enjoy fishing with my 6 ft med shakespeare Platinum spinning rod just as much, and I'm not afraid to break it.