J Francho

I did a ton of fishing without a graph this year - never hooked up the graph on the new kayak. Granted I was fishing places that I knew very well, but it really taught me about my dependence on electronics. Fished a lot of shallow spots (I turn my graphs off in less than 10' of water anyway) that I might have passed up. Caught some fish, too.

Unless you're fishing sand or crushed shell, stocking foot waders and separate wading boots are the best way to go. I fish in cold temps,and I prefer breathable. I like to keep water proof layers separate from insulation layers. For waders, I buy whatever fits well, and get the extended warranty, knowing I will make a claim at least once. Boots, I like Korkers, and get a couple different sole inserts: studded felt for fall and spring, studded rubber for freezing/snowy temps. Toasty and dry on Christmas eve a few years ago:

If there was a small set of things that allowed you to predict the bite, this site wouldn't exist. There's slight edges here, and there. You build up your knowledge, apply to what works in your water, and what can be even be applied. Try to put together those edges to give yourself an advantage on that trip. It doesn't always work, but some things work with more predictability with time.

That's simply the standard for one atm unit, or atmosphere. It's the average pressure at sea level for Earth. Think of baro in relative terms: higher, lower, rising, falling, steady...... relate to your fishing experiences, though it's just ONE piece of data in a sea that can be collected, and you still won't know if they will bite or not.

You probably heard it from me, lol. I wasn't terribly impressed with the early release, 1st run 100 and 150 models, but there have been enough contrasting reviews to dismiss that as anecdotal.

Sorry, I use a custom CSS style sheet. Your post is in a pleasing, 10 pt. Verdana.

Pattern to me can be anything that repeats itself with multiple catches. Not just location, though that's a big part - and why it's called the Trump Card, right?

I send all communication to bosses using an 18 pt. orange colored comic sans font. It's very professional looking, and easy to read.

Why not save up, and grab a $100 reel on the used market for just a little more than what you're willing to spend on a low, low end reel? I'd also be careful with these auctions - many "new" items not in packages are defective returns. They get auctioned off in huge lots, and then resold through outlets such as eBay.

I think "location" starts big, and gets fine tuned as you get results. My first time fishing Erie, with wnybassman ("No Good"), we were fishing a huge piece of structure. Like acres huge. Then it was a football field. Then it was a lip on a point, probably 30 yards or so. What was really great was, he left the breadcrumbs running on his GPS, and explained what he was doing all along, while we caught fish. Bigger fish, smaller fish.... Finally, we were catching fish consistently over four pounds. The days best were a six by No Good, and my PB 5-12. What's funny, he apologized for the mediocre fishing, lol. I got a PB, and a serious lesson that day. The GPS looked like a scribbled grid, and then just multiple lines over the same small spot. I don't know if that's a location trump card, maybe it's more of the electronics trump card, pointed out earlier. The same tactics can be applied to any spot.

I don't know Paul, but you basically just agreed with me, I think. I don't fish with Trump cards, though bass fishing can get to Bridge proportions of difficulty, some days. More often its more like Euchre.

With pond fishing, location plays a part for me too. If a pond isn't biting, I leave and try a different pond. Successful shore bound fishing is often about having a good stash of locations, not just one pond where the bite might be off. I try real hard think of big water this way as well. You look out at a Great Lake, and it's a sea of nothing. But once you start breaking down locations, sub locations appear, and patterns emerge.

The guides are what I was referring to as trimmings.

The Fishuation.

Probably, but I like the MM for that size.

What was my ex doing in your backyard?

Yes.

Here's a new that can be found for under $150: http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/rod-reel-pinnacle-review.html

A used rod that normally sells for $250 new.

Or one pickerel, lol.

I like it when there are fish in the water.

Uhhh, imagine what this kid will be doing in ten years.....

I'd say the Aetos I've handled are comparable to Avids. Pretty close, and maybe lighter. I don't care for the trimmings, though.

I'll use heavier lines. We have this stuff called "water willow" up here, and it's pretty abrasive. The heavier line holds up for more casts before you have to retie. It's just insurance through diameter.