Lund Explorer

Don't you think that the higher costs are due more to improvements in technology, materials, and quality? 30 years ago you could buy a fully rigged Ranger for $20k and you had the very best of everything. I can't think of anyone who would enjoy buying a brand new boat today if they knew they would be flying down the lake with a smoking old two stroke that drank gas like it was an ice cold beer and required constant tune-ups due to fouled plugs. Besides that, the overall size of the main engine has doubled in size since then, which means they've been able to add another 3'-4' to the length of the boat. Then consider the electronics installed on that 1980's boat, when the selling point was "pixel count" which got you target separation measured in inches instead of feet, or "super twist" so you could see them in the sunlight. Rods/Reels? Does anyone really want to go back to the days of pistol grip rods made with that cutting edge material called Boron? I still have one of the first "low profile" reels that Abu Garcia came out with. It sits in storage and even though it still works almost as good as when it was new, it feels like it's full of gravel. $20 Crankbaits? Well, you got me there. Probably because I never fished with them much back when they only cost $5 a pop. Regardless of all that, this hobby can be as expensive as someone wants to make it. Reading through the stories of people's fishing trips, quite a few members here are really enjoying themselves spending a whole lot less than top dollar.

Bass turn on the feed when opportunity presents itself. I doubt they have a calendar to refer to, but just the mere presence of a bunch of extra feed being dumped into the lake is going to kick things into high gear.

IMHO, when you get someone that asks you to clarify a post, you are better off doing so. By asking someone to "figure it out" themselves, there is too much chance for an incorrect conclusion. If you know what the bear did in the buckwheat, take them out there and point to the truth!

These are the ones I'm currently using. https://www.rangerboots.com/Pages/Product.aspx?category=Pac Boots&cat=HLS-RANGER&pid=A536 Chocolate

The hi-lited portion of your post is somewhat confusing. It almost sounds like there is a time limit allowed to fish a bed before it becomes an issue. To be fair, can you expand on that thought?

This one died in Michigan's UP over the weekend. http://www.9and10news.com/story/27877075/up-fisherman-dies-after-falling-through-ice-on-lake-Michigan US Coast Guard around these parts have a famous quote: "No Ice Is Safe!" It's a good thing to keep in mind.

Sounds more like a case of someone having sore ones rather than merely deflated!

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that this is a trick question.

When it comes to most sports, I simply watch hoping to see two equally good teams play to the top of their potential. This weekend's games only showed one team out of four playing anywhere near that level. Pretty sad in my book.

Search Engine Specialist. Has saved me countless times from starting another annual "what do you do for a living thread" numerous times!

Unfortunately, we have a generation or two that have decided to adopt the same philosophy that PETA expounds. When it becomes "unethical" to catch a fish at one time of the year, how can they be that far away from the argument that it is wrong to catch that same fish anytime of the year. It always amazes me when I read someone professing to fishing during the spawn, not targeting spawning fish, and then admitting to "accidently" catching them off their beds. Perhaps they should just stay off the water. Maybe they should lobby their state to adopt the closed seasons that a few northern states have. I would hope that these people all refuse to support all of the major tournament organizations that hold contests during the spawn. They should refuse to purchase any bait that is touted as "good for tossing on a bed". Of course that is all overblown and ridiculous. The holier than thou crowd enjoys the easiest fishing of the entire year just as much as the lowly bed snatcher. They just can't admit it!

Seems your question can't be answered. Perhaps too many people see bed fishing as being little different than tossing a lure into the manger with Mary & Joseph. Probably the #1 reason no one goes to the BR Road Trips for fear of catching fish off a shiny spot!

Must be you were on the wrong lake, or fishing for the wrong fish. After my wife got home around noon yesterday, I threw on all of my cold weather gear and headed out for an afternoon on the ice. Drilled three holes, dropped in the Vex, and spotted fish almost immediately. 21' of water with bluegills suspended down about 12'-15'. On the water at 1:30pm, back in the truck by 4:30pm, came home with a limit of 25. No same old chicken dinner this Sunday!

When during the summer are you going? I can't think of anyone running a guide service for bass anywhere along the big lake or inland for that matter. Depending on when you are heading north, you may have the chance to target smallies off the piers.

Can't we just save space and move this whole subject to the following? http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/148134-dumbest-or-most-silliest-things-said-to-you-or-heard-while-fishing/

JT, they were bad 20 years ago! Back then, it was almost worth paying $5 to plod behind thousands of old fat people clogging the aisles. You had the chance to meet with factory reps, a number of boat dealers, and maybe get the chance to attend a seminar put on by someone worth listening to. An even better reason was to find those small lure makers who used these shows to try to launch their companies. These days it costs you $10 to walk through the door. The vendors you used to look forward to visiting gave up paying excessive booth rental prices and now they all have websites. Factory reps find it easier to visit the big box stores during special sales events. Most of the decent speakers got tired of receiving reduced pay, and can make more having a YouTube channel. And now that I'm approaching 60 years of age and tote around 250lbs, I've become one of those old fat people!

There are thousands of entertainers that go through life without feeling the need to destroy their lives with drugs, or the over indulgences that Elvis fell victim to. There are also others that can't handle the fame and fall to the same trappings that he did. I feel sorry that he threw his life away, but I am not inclined to worship other's tarnished idols.

I find it hard to a reason to celebrate the life of anyone, lost way too early due to excessive drug use and morbid obesity.

The main thing that the experts on here have ignored is that natural lakes located in the northern part of this country where almost all formed by glaciers during the last ice age. They were first dug/scraped out by the advance of these glaciers, and then shaped again when the ice receded. Because these glaciers covered the entire surface across the northern states, what you saw on the shoreline at that time, most often extended into the lake as well. AS there weren't any trees growing under several hundred feet of ice, that you are not going to find tree stumps under the water. Because creeks didn't form until the ice was melting, creek channels only formed above the lake's elevation. Bays or coves could be present in a northern lake, but were formed in a low spot near a ridge made up of glacial moraine. They weren't formed by flooding a creek channel with a manmade impoundment. Finally, the further to the south that you find one of these lakes, the more potential that the lake will be at an advanced stage of eutrophication(aging) and therefor contain more weed growth and a softer bottom. Anyone who really desires to learn how to fish these lakes should concentrate on older issues of In-Fisherman magazine from the 1970's and 1980's. The Lindner brothers grew up fishing these kinds of lakes, and many of the articles they published in their magazine at that time related directly to their experiences on glacially formed lakes. Their work at classifying the various types of waters, along with the formula of F+L+P is just as relevant today as it ever was. IMO, once you have learned what to look for in a natural lake, the fishing is more consistent than in southern impoundments where water levels and water clarity are in a constant state of change depending upon the current weather.

Nope, I'm just a kid! I was 14 years old back then, but I did learn one important lesson. Climbing all over vehicles for $10 a day was easier than throwing hay bales in the blazing sun for half that amount!

Nice looking fish. I wouldn't dare venture a guess as to weight, but can offer one piece of advice when you find yourself in this position in the future. People will be able to judge the size of your fish if you learn to put something of a known size in the picture with your fish. For example, a dollar bill is approximately 6" long, and laid on top of the fish would give you a sense of scale in comparison.

Lost in all of the hyperbole regarding the use of personal scales is that they offer no real proof of weight. It all still boils down to the angler reporting a believable story, and others accepting it. There are only two times when weights can be readily accepted. The first is when your fish are weighed against others in a tournament, where all fish are weighed by the same device. The second more accepted method is upon a set of certified scales when an uninterested third party is the one who weighs the fish and attests in writing the accuracy of that weight. One of the most idiotic and hypocritical things I have ever seen is the self-appointed expert casting doubt on a person's story, while expecting other's to treat them as being above reproach. These sad and extremely insecure individuals can't grasp the simple concept that another person's claimed success does absolutely nothing to diminish their own selves. It must be a terrible way to go through life. My New Year's resolution shall be to accept everyone's word for self weighed fish. With all reservations kept to myself!

Seeing as how he is from the same conference that gave us the infamous Mr. Suh, what can you expect!

Am I the only one that was ever a pump jockey when they were in school? We did a lot more than just check the oil once we got under the hood. Belts, hoses, fluid leaks, and we ALWAYS checked the sticker to see when the last oil change had been done. When we washed windows, we also checked out how the wipers looked. And never forget to check the air pressure in those tires if they looked a little low. Winter, summer, rain, snow or shine, the best $1.25 per/hour I was ever paid!