Team9nine

As you touched on, like most things in life, the spectrum of patience will vary considerably across anglers, yet there are really good anglers at both ends of that spectrum, and everywhere in-between. We learn to compensate or adjust for our inherent behaviors, good or bad. Do WE all have it - probably to some degree, otherwise we probably wouldn't be here and still interested in this sport. I'm reminded of kids I've tried to help catch fish in various scenarios - many get bored and just give up after 10 or 15 minutes if they don't get a bite. A lot of instant gratification at play now days based on our technology and the way we live - similar to the post where G-man talks about kids tearing through presents. A lot is changing with this sport, and I'm not certain it's all for the good. -T9

Jumped from Shimano to Quantum toward the end of the 2010 season - on board in 2011 with Quantum. New partnership with Daiwa just started several months back. -T9

Considering I just spent half an hour reading your entire post, I'd say I do to some degree -T9

Like others have expressed on size, here's my 1648 I fished out of for 8 years, in all types of waters, and with all types of people/loads. Had an honest 9.9hp 4-stroke and would move me just fine. Never felt unsafe in this boat and landed tens of thousands of fish out of it -T9

I consider PowerPro a "standard" for this line type - a perfectly acceptable line to begin with to see how you do with it. Still use it myself on a majority of my spinning outfits. Add a 4-5' leader of whatever line you want and you'll be good to go. -T9

I'd say the Elite, mainly because it's "Elite" which is more high end than "pro" - lots of bass "pros" out there, but only 111 Elite anglers , they're also tactic specific as well as 2-3 times more expensive. When I'm not using a paper bag, I use the ProLatches. -T9

Hair jig, blade bait (Silver Buddy, etc.) or float and fly... -T9

Sounds like some great fishing. That catfish hole isn't easy to find on ice unless you have it marked. A couple years ago a guy left a buoy out there during open water to freeze so he could go out on the ice and fish it. With highs from 40s to near 60 and more rain the next 3 days, that will probably put a hurt on the ice safety. Then the gates get closed on January 2nd, so the lake will start rising again and that might make the ice very unstable for a while. If it ever does refreeze and get safe enough, I'll have to meet up with you out there late one afternoon. Been about 15 years since I last ice fished. -T9

Exactly what I do, only mine's green Best way to go IMO... -T9

Sorry I can't speak to their rod packaging, but I just received a tackle order from them yesterday and can vouch for their shipping promptness and accuracy if that helps any... -T9

Honestly, I don't have a favorite in those conditions because I would be doing everything I could to avoid them That said, if I was forced to fish them, I'd go with a bulky hair jig or a large, slow wobbling crankbait (square bill type) and I'd stay shallow. -T9

Personally, I'd just stick with the braid main line and then adjust by either keeping your rod tip pointed down/lower most times to minimize wind effects (Ned writes about this quite a bit), and/or shorten your casts so there's less line for the wind to grab. That said, if you'd prefer to switch, look for an easier handling line in either nylon (basic Stren, Trilene XL, etc.) or fluoro (InvizX, or any of the newer "finesse" lines now coming out on the market) - but still consider keeping rod tips lower and casts shorter as good practice when possible. -T9

I've spoken to several researchers who have studied the condition at Auburn University fisheries dept. as well as aquatic pathology experts at Purdue U. and as ETS stated, there has been no conclusive cause to my knowledge as of yet. The MD explanation of sun exposure makes no sense to me, nor does the healthy fish population theory. Most tend to point the finger at either something chemical or something biological. Will be very interesting to see what really causes it when someone finally figures it out. -T9

See "The Ned rig resource" thread pinned to the top of this forum. Should answer most all questions -T9

Yep - 2 is one too many rods from the bank. I'll take mobility over "just in case" every time. Same goes for tackle - everything that will fit in a pocket or two over boxes and bags (just in case) all day, every day T9

I do it frequently on bass when I just want a good general idea of fish weight. However, I don't follow the generic formulas listed above. Instead, I use a standard weight table that runs in 1/4 inch increments as calculated by local and regional biologists. Not good enough for big bass or PBs, but plenty good enough for everything else. Contact you local DNR to see if they have a specific std wt table for your local waters.

As mentioned, the squirrel tail Aglias with silver blades would have to be considered a "must have" in the Mepps lineup (IMHO), but my favorite for bass has always been the Mepps Black Fury. Size 3 and 4 would be considered standard for most bass fishing. -T9

Back in the day, I know the Kill'r B was a very popular design, but I've always been partial to Diving B's, especially the DB-I and DB-II. I've got a rather large collection of the older/original versions with the brass wire and lead tuning lips that I still fish with. -T9

"So Long and Thanks For All the Fish" is a reference to the book by the same name (by Douglass Adams), part of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series....started way before your time (the first in 1979) Some details and explanation Will be very interested to hear your results from the tip-up fishing. especially whether any of the fish you might hook will actually fit through the hole in the ice Some lakes seem to have decent ice fishing for cats, and some don't. Not certain which way our lake leans. -T9

Very nice ties Love small hair jigs, and those look great! Tatsu is great stuff, too, though for hair jigs I mostly use 5# PP with Tatsu or Toray as leader material. I second the ML rod and 2500 size reel recommendation. -T9

Welcome - and yes, that's me/mine. After 10 years, I've officially "closed" it, though it will stay up for at least another year archived as it still gets a lot of traffic. In the mean time, if you haven't figured it out yet, by clicking on the Spoonplugging book icon on the main page, you'll be taken to my latest interest and site. -T9 I've been to many of the State Parks, but have never been there. Have stayed at Potawatomi Inn at Pokagon which isn't too far away. From what I've read and heard, it's really nice. Cool cabins and great scenery. Electric only lake, so should be really quiet and peaceful compared to many Indiana lakes. We'll expect a fishing report next year if you make it -T9

Good deal - I don't think there is anything even close to under 6 pounds in that hole. The 20-50# fish would eat them . No way to jig around all those bodies without snagging some, so I'll pass - released or not. Be safe though. Takes a lot of cold hard water to make walking out to that spot safe. -T9

Split rings (Owner Hyperwire) and Gammi Magic Eye short shanks (round bend). #6 on the half ouncers. -T9

So you found the catfish wintering hole - a blessing and a curse. For years guys have been harassing those big cats every winter before ice up. Typically, about half the channels you catch from there will actually bite, while the other half will be snagged. The big flatheads live there, too, but that ratio is about 90% snagged to 10% that will bite. This year I actually saw very few boats on them for some reason. Maybe in part because several of the guys who usually fish them the most have moved away, or simply weren't on the water this fall. I've always chosen to ignore the hole and never fished for them there because I see no sport in snagging them. Seems a bit unfair to the fish. -T9

Several do it, and I've never heard anyone mention it damaging or weakening line. Believe it's more personal preference than anything, though I can't ever recall seeing any specific testing done on the matter. For the record, I fall into the "no glue" category myself. -T9