senile1

They are very sharp! I posted this on a thread a while back. I didn't even feel the hook go in as it cut through like surgical steel.

Soon, my friend. I sent you a PM.

Sorry. I just had to yank your chain about all the snow you've had. It is. My wife and I spent a week up there. It was our first time and we climbed a couple of peaks exceeding 4000 feet - Mt Pierce and Mt Eisenhower - as well as some smaller peaks. Four thousand doesn't sound like much when compared to the Rockies but the trails go straight up at 2 to 3 thousand feet per mile starting at about 1200 feet and they are very rocky. We really loved it. I wanted to climb Mt Washington but my wife didn't feel she was ready yet. We drove to its peak and took some pics. We will be back!

I thought this might be A-Jay's pic of the weather that he has been experiencing up there. See two posts above this one.

When I was a kid I loved to listen to the frogs croaking after a big rain. I would wake up in the middle of the night when there was a big storm. When it was over I would listen to them through the open window until I fell asleep.

I saw this elk on the slope below us as we traveled the Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park.

You can spray an area with 15 or 20 casts using a moving bait, or even a worm and then move on. Have you thoroughly fished that water? It depends. I fish quite a bit of water with trees and brush clumped together. I see the occasional angler cover an area with casts and move on without placing a lure directly in the patches of trees and brush, especially in really deep water. They will fish up next to it, but often not in the middle of it. At certain times of the year, and under certain conditions that is where the bigger fish will more likely be. If you don't check those spots, you are missing a lot of fish. And I find it useful to use enough lures to cover the different water layers as @WRB stated in his post above as well.

Typically, I don't travel more than 50 or 60 miles. The closest lake to me is 17 miles away and is managed for bluegill. All the bass there are tiny so I'm always traveling 20 - 25 miles minimum. I occasionally travel over 100 miles to some excellent big bass fisheries just south of the Missouri/Iowa border, and then there are the two trips to Table Rock in the Spring and Fall which is 3.5 hours away. I obviously don't travel enough to whack a DD. . . . not yet anyway.

I will have to look into this. I have never cracked my glass yet but there is always that chance. Whoops! I don't see Garmin listed under their products.

It looks like you found a spot out of that brutal wind. Love the reports. Keep 'em coming.

That's a nice bag of Northerns with a mean kicker, especially in those temps. Nice work once again!

Good information, A-Jay. Though that second day cold front could shut the bite down a bit, it will definitely be better than the single digit morning they had the last time it was at Hartwell. I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone adjusts on day two and three.

Same here.

This pic is from the White Mountains of New Hampshire. To get a perspective of the size of things, in the foreground to the left of the photo are a couple of lakes and a large hut which are approximately a mile and a half from where I am sitting. That hut is called Lakes of the Clouds Hut and provides overnight lodging for hikers who wish to hang out all night on the mountain top. It offers minimal amenities with no hot water, no heat, no lighting, and co-ed bunkrooms but for those wanting a night off the grid with a decent bunk at the top of the White Mountains it is a sweet place to stay and an amazing spot to see how the stars really look when there is no light at all.

Excellent reminder, Sam. I have had frequent colonoscopies due to digestive issues. They started on me around 47 or 48. Since then I have had three plus an endoscopy in the last 10 years. Other than a couple of non-cancerous polyps the last time around they have found nothing wrong with me. They say I have a horrible case of IBS that raises its ugly head about every 5 or 6 months and doubles me over in the fetal position for a few hours. That is obviously better than the alternative. Colonoscopies are a must for those of us over 50. I have found that eliminating processed carbs, white starches, and just about anything that isn't meat, fruit, or vegetable from my diet has helped more than anything the doctor's have done. I still have bouts but when I notice the early stages of pain I immediately drink some magnesium citrate and it usually clears out the offending material. My apologies if this is TMI.

This is truly sad news. All of us Missouri bass anglers take a lot of pride in Guido, his son Dion, and the story of the Guido bug.

Congratulations to your Grandson, Catt!

There are a lot of good "under 40 years" anglers who are very hungry. The competition will be tough . . . . that's for sure. It wouldn't bother me if Van Dam did pull one more rabbit out of the hat though. Each year that passes will make it tougher. I would like to see a new record. I think Roland Martin's 9 AOYs are beyond reach, personally.

This is the week! Who's going to step up? After 7 AOYs and 4 Classic wins, does anyone think KVD still has some magic left in that bottle to set a Classic record of 5 wins?

Pretty cool! If you fish long enough, you can see some pretty amazing things.

Jim, don't feel like you are the only one to wonder about all the "rules of thumb," science, and advice unsupported by evidence that we receive as anglers. It is a lot to sort through at the beginning. Eventually, due to your love of the game you will sort it out and find what works for you. As some have stated above, but in other words, there are the following: Real science. Rules of thumb that may apply more often than not due to that science. And also pure fishing conjecture based on that science. Avoid number 3, and don't forget that number 2 only applies some of the time. Take the real science, apply it on the water, and as you spend time on the water you will work out some things that work for you. I know that is a very general statement but it is why so many mention "time on the water" because there is an art to learning to apply the science so that it becomes second nature . . . . almost instinctual, and that art is developed only by time on the water.

I like Brad's comments above. I also think the obvious answer of population density that the OP mentioned should not be discounted. Additionally, bodies of water with an overabundance of food for the bass can sometimes be more difficult. If they already have enough to eat in the two ponds, maybe your lures just aren't that appealing.

Nice work! I'm like the few who have commented. I like nature sounds and your narration; however, there are others who will like the music best. You should make the videos the way you want. I will still watch them!

Nice! It looks like you had very little wind so that's good with those air temps.

This black bear was hot-footing it across a meadow at Glacier National Park. It was the only bear we saw while hiking there which is kind of good actually. A few grizzly bears do make their home at GNP. I don't want to run into one of those.