senile1

I'd go with the Stella as it is a proven and quality component. I'm pretty certain the Steez will make a name for itself as well.

Welcome to the forum, Cyrus. I'm sure you wil enjoy your stay.

I practice by pitching into a thimble. :

This was a good introduction to Earthworm's book and the general issues surrounding the use of light tackle. I do use 8 lb test with lighter lures quite a bit, but after reading this I believe I should make a concerted effort to experiment more with the light side. RW or Earthworm, where can this e-book be purchased? Can we get it from this site?

DMB, you are one sick puppy. That is one ugly picture you just painted in my head.

Rolo, I feel for your friend. It sounds like he played it smart with the house in Florida. Living on the north side of Kansas City I was very fortunate. We had a couple of inches of freezing rain and sleet but the snow only made it half-way across our metro area. To the South and East of Kansas City, everybody got buried and the St Louis area, where GMAN and Cart7 are located, was nailed. It makes me glad I keep my boat in a storage facility instead of a marina.

You mean 26 years ago. I was in my second year of college at the time. Long live the music of John Lennon.

Wow, they've got to be bumming out. I wish your family the best with this situation, 405z06. Hopefully, their insurance will take care of everything.

. . . or maybe a turbine powered bassboat!

This is one method used by some. I always set the drag to slip.

I have to agree with your description, RW. If it sits on a smaller reel for a few weeks, it does come off in tight coils. It does disappear after trolling it out.

I've pulled many bodies out of the water, but almost all of them had fins. I dare say that I would get the freaky, bejeebies if I hooked into a lifeless human body in the water.

LBH stated: I would follow LBH's advice. Regarding the security system, these are great if you can afford to have them subscribed. I don't know your Mother's financial situation, but for some people, this is an expense that they can't justify. Motion lights and a dog that wakes up and barks when anything unusual occurs at night are also great ideas which have already been mentioned. You could rig her house like the kid did on "Home Alone."

I've used the hybrid soft on a couple of my reels since the beginning of summer and haven't had any problems with break-offs as well. After a period of time on the reel, I do notice some iritating memory, however.

Cabelas and BPS are both great stores. As someone already stated, their ads and their catalogs are seasonal, so if you're only looking at these you will be misled. Only the Cabelas spring catalog displays a bunch of fishing gear. This is irritating but you can always go online or go to their store to see the full line of fishing gear they sell. I'm fortunate to have a Cabelas located only 20 minutes from me. There is a BPS being built in my area that will be about 40 minutes from me also, so I'm receiving a full-on frontal assault from the Bait Monkey.

Another result of all of this is that fuel and oil has leaked from some of the sunken boats into the lake. One large spill has been confirmed near Camdenton, MO. Cart7 stated: LOZ is a great fishing lake, ironically, because of all the docks that surround its perimeter. When it was created in the 1930s, its main purpose was for power generation, and not much effort was put into making it a great fishery. Almost all of the timber was removed from the lake. The bass in the lake gravitate toward all of the docks and marinas for cover. I only fish way up the arms of the lake now, due to the crazy traffic and the huge waves created by this traffic. These big yachts don't belong on this lake, but money talks.

I read an article yesterday in the Kansas City Star regarding the freezing rain, sleet, and 12 - 20 inches of snow that just passed through the middle of Missouri. Numerous docks collapsed from the weight of the ice and the snow. The paper described a $600,000 yacht that sunk and is now sitting in 52 feet of water. A number of other boats sunk as well. I found this link out on the web which contains some pictures of the damage at various marinas on Lake of the Ozarks. I thought you all (especially you northerners) might find this interesting. www.1150krms.com/index.html?view=news

We call it fishing. I guess this shark would call it humaning??? Manning??? Womaning????? Or maybe just lunch time!

There was a time when enlightenment wasn't synonymous with a total lack of common sense.

. . . . and an Amen to that.

If you can see them, it's likely that they can see you. Try to sneak up on them. Light line and smaller lures could be the ticket.

Yes, this is another redundant "Welcome Aboard." We're glad to have you, Little Luey.

There's a lot of interesting stuff here, but how many of us own every possible color combination there is, and if we did, how long would it take switching out these myriad color combinations to determine which one it is we "think" the bass are telling us they want? This is why it is more important to concentrate on location and presentation as stated by a few already. An angler could drive themselves crazy if they allow color to become the dominant issue in trying to catch fish. If you don't think this is so, just look at the many "favorite" colors already mentioned in this thread. Does any of us have all of these colors in every bait category that we own? It's doubtful. I say pick a few colors that are light, a few that are dark, and a few that are bright for muddy water, and then concentrate on where they are and how they want the bait delivered. I'm not saying color isn't important. I'm just saying there are so many colors to choose from the probability of anyone of us finding the exact, perfect color is slim.

I would lose some respect for my Cardinals if they picked up Bonds. I'm with you, Valascus. There are no circumstances that justify the Cardinals picking up Bonds. Truthfully, my team would have to be in the cellar to even consider him. And even then, I don't think my principles would allow me to take him.

Well put, ghoti. I can't imagine not having an accurate scale when you know the fish you have in your hands could be a personal best.