Lund Explorer

I'll agree with Catt. #1 Big Bass bait is a T-Rig Craw Worm. Now if you are in the numbers game, its completely different. The "A #1" tournament worm up here is a pre-rigged worm that you will never, ever hear anyone talk about, nor will you ever see a chewed up one laying on the deck of their boat. The K & E Worm! http://www.buyfishingstuff.com/kandeplastics.shtml It's fished exactly like a certain soft plastic that is so popular around here, this other bait has an entire section dedicated to it. A straight piece of plastic with an exposed hook. In this case, the K & E has two or three hooks that are either exposed or have light wire weed guards. This worm has been around for decades, and just plain catches numbers of fish. You can fish it with no weight allowing for a slow fall, or you can add a split shot a foot or so above it for an effective split shot rig. They can also be used as the lure on a C-Rig. It's also a great follow-up bait when you have a fish that misses a topwater lure and won't re-commit. If you're a weekend warrior playing the cast for cash game, you have to try this bait out. But don't tell anyone! BTW, if you don't think these little pre-rigged worms could possibly work, check out these little gems: http://ikecon.com/product-category/the-do-nothing-worm/ Edit: One last thought for any of you fishing a T-Rig who have experienced the following. "Tick-tick-tick - Swing & a Miss" Is it a bass, bluegill, or perch? That little tail hook is going to tell you what's nipping at your bait!

Yup, I sure do. My Lund is a 1675 pushed around with a 60hp Mercury 4-stroke. The rod storage is actually quite decent for the size, tackle storage is so-so, the livewell is huge, and battery storage or location is less than what I would desire. The sidewalls are also mostly vertical which leads to a wetter ride in waves, but can troll down to 1.2mph when I go after walleye with the help of two drift socks. I've owned tin and glass from 12' to 19' with main engines up to 200hp. The only thing I've found over all these years is that every boat has its own strengths and weaknesses. The best anyone can hope for is that the former outweighs the latter. Did I mention how little fuel this boat uses compared to the last fiberglass rocket I had the pleasure of visiting gas stations with?

Nope. I getting a good laugh at the expense of your Faux Outrage! I'll gladly shut up when you provide proof of the person who posted up the picture of a 4lb bass and claimed it to weigh 12lbs. I'll leave this forum forever when you can prove that it caused any real harm to you or anyone else. I figure I'm pretty well safe in that bet because I've raised a few teenagers that loved to play up the drama if their lives too. I'm also pretty sure that you won't shut up or leave if you can't! The simple truth is that the actions of another person doesn't do any harm to your morals, and I haven't seen any title you've been given to be in charge of anyone else's morals. My pointing out these facts to you has tarnished it either. FYI, I do own a 10lb hammer, but I guess you'll have to take my word for that one.

Another forum I belong to has a mish-mash of rules regarding the disclosure of "spots". You can mention the name of a river, but not a specific hole. You can mention a specific pier head, but will catch the wrath of dozens for doing so. You can mention lakes, but depending on the size of it, this practice is frowned on. Guys trolling in the Great Lakes or Saginaw Bay will often mention general locations such a half of a GPS number combination, or a buoy name. Other fishing Lake St. Clair often mention locations by calling out the "mile roads". Specific GPS numbers are not allowed on any body of water. I have often given out GPS numbers of lakes I've fished to other members here. Mostly through PM's, and always on lakes that could handle the extra pressure. However, there are many smaller lakes that won't be discussed here or anywhere else. One last thought. Wasn't there a sponsor here that provided for mapping out catches?

Who knew. Well I just got my hands on what must be the world's smallest shotgun. A Mossberg Targo Model 42, a .22 caliber smoothbore shotgun, that also doubles as a rifle. When I first saw this thing, I wasn't sure what I was looking at. The front sight is located about 4" short of the barrel's end. Why? When I looked closer, I saw where the barrel end actually screwed off. The main barrel is as smooth as a baby's bottom and was designed for shooting .22 shot shells. If you decided to shoot regular ammunition, the barrel extension was threaded giving the bullet one last chance for a little spin prior to leaving the barrel. One thing I don't have is the miniature hand held trap thrower or the little 2" diameter clay pigeons. I understand the sport was called "Moskeet". Further study showed that these guns are post-war built in the late 1940's and early 50's. Quite a few were used out on the farm for shooting rats or snakes inside the barn or out in the field. From the amount of pitting I assume that whoever used this one left it sitting in the barn. Kind of ugly, but a really neat idea. I also understand that Remington and Winchester made similar models. Has anyone else run across one of these? The pictures included are from a Google search as my camera is giving me issues.

I'm sorry, but I think I may have hi-jacked your thread. My advice would be to use that card only when you absolutely need to. I doubt it is a rewards card, so there's little reason to use it for simple purchases. I would use it for online purchase as long as you know you have the money set aside to pay the bill when the bill comes in within the next thirty days. As some point I'd look at getting a c/card from one of the big bait retailers that offer special discounts and rewards at different times of the year. Same rules for repayment apply, but you'll earn some freebies along the way. Do Not use this card for cash advances! Do Not cash any checks (like right before Christmas) you may get from this credit card company! You'll start paying interest on that money the minute you pull it out of the ATM.

Yeah, I've got over thirty five years of helping clients secure commercial mortgages, lines of credit, etc., etc.. However, when a person decides to turn their back on the trappings of modern day life by running their plastic through a shredder, they shouldn't be penalized with higher insurance rates. As a matter of fact, the only reason I can see for having a credit card these days has more to do with not wanting to use a debit card online.

Nice fish. I always knew those big four pounders were hiding out Up North!

Well, that's completely different! Now I can see why it has ruined your life. Did you see the one where the guy claimed a 10" fish weighed 10#? At first I thought it was just a typo, like " instead of #. Now I see that this liar was trying to be ridiculous. To think that my wife left me and moved in with this faker. The kids are all calling him daddy, and even my dog growls at me now. My life is in SHAMBLES! When do we start to build the gallows? Note - All of the above is But of course the whole idea that someone with a slightly heavier thumb is harming anyone else is the really ridiculous part.

I hope you guys will accept the apology of some old fart who was raised in a time when getting out of debt was a good thing. I worked very hard to get to the point where I could buy the things I need without having to borrow for it and I didn't have to pay a radio personality to learn that lesson. So it's a little hard to imagine why there are times when the new rules make it seem like you are a loser if you don't have a mortgage, a car loan, and a few credit cards.

So by your own admission you don't have the ability to judge the weight of a fish without the use of a scale. Guess that rules you out from being able to judge other peoples fish!

Do I still keep the 1st Place Check? Because in that scenario that is what I was fishing for. If someone came along after the fact making such a claim, I would congratulate him for his feat and suggest that he join up and fish in the next tournament. If he decided to, then we'd find out who was the big stick the next day. Until that time, his accomplishment is completely different than mine was. By the way, my peers know that they don't weigh pictures, and they don't count those who can't pony up the entry fee.

I'm not sure of the rest of the country, but here in the Mitten, your insurance rates are adjusted based on credit ratings. Hard to believe that a person who is debt free is penalized the same as the guy well over his head in debt. During the latest economic downturn, a number of people were caught burning homes or crashing vehicles they were in danger of losing. We didn't see a rash of these things happening with those who had homes or cars that were paid for. But the simple act of not having a credit card or two in your wallet could cost you a substantial amount to insure your belongings.

Just so long as the word of the month is never Constipation. By the second week, I'm pretty sure that it would start to get a wee bit uncomfortable!

It's sunrise for me. Something has to mark the start of the day, and I can't think of a better way than to watch the sky go from black to that first shade of pink when the big fireball gets ready for another trek across the sky. A summer morning around here often starts as the coolest part of the day and usually has the lightest winds. The drunks and their speedboats or jet skis are still sleeping off the night before, and about the only noise you'll hear is the call of a loon or the honking of the local goose population. It's a great time for a little topwater action on the flats before heading to deep water.

Sorry, but I think you are missing my point. It's obvious that this subject really bothers you, and as I said before, I'm sorry about that. Maybe if I had been lucky enough to catch a legit trophy I'd feel the same way. Perhaps if I lived in a part of the country where it was even possible to do so would change my attitude. It must be that I'm missing all of the benefits the legit trophy fishermen get that makes them upset when someone fakes their way into their ranks. Do you lose the reserved parking spot at the boat ramp? Lost stud fees? Seeing as how you mentioned the Olympics, I have to say that the only true measure of size really comes when a person is competing against their peers on a level playing field. After fishing in week-end warrior tournaments for close to 25 years, I know where I stood against the men I competed against. I wasn't the greatest thing since sliced bread, and I wasn't the guy that always donated my entry fee. I was proud of my accomplishments, and didn't lose a wink of sleep or ever felt my manhood was in question. The bottom line is that someone's PB is relative to so many things I have no control over, that I refuse to be upset if that person decides to embellish it. If you'll notice, I've even changed my profile with regards to that very question. I only wish that we had the option of entering "Who Cares!" into that spot. I won't get upset if others judge a person by that yardstick, I just choose not to.

My condolences to you for being insulted by the supposed accomplishments of others. If possible, can you imagine how bad it must feel to others who live where certain bass live naturally when they see people bragging about the invasive species they caught?

Smart move. Not to mention where you're moving to that is. Let them all stalk you the old fashioned way!

The little woman is in charge of credit checks. I'm just in charge of paying cash for whatever we've bought in the last ten years. Talk about a kick in the FICO!

Starting with tax year 2010/2011(I can't remember which), all paid preparers were required by the IRS to file all tax returns electronically. If your tax preparer is following this regulation, then your return has to be E-Filed. If this is the same preparer you have used for the previous year then there is no need for you to sign a return. The preparer either uses your PIN or other data to electronically sign the return on your behalf. You should receive a copy of these returns. In the case where you owed money, there were two options. You could have paid when the return was filed using an EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) from your bank account to the government, or you should have received a 1040-V Voucher Form along with an envelope to mail in your check by April 15th. To confirm that your returns have been filed, ask the preparer for a copy of the confirmation they would have gotten from the IRS and State that your returns were received and accepted as filed. If the preparer cannot provide you with this confirmation, I would suggest filing a signed paper return via snail-mail.

The real reason they've been around so long is due to being prolific breeders. For the C&R crowd, the post Jeff made should be bookmarked, with a copy printed out for every tackle box.

I'm not sure if it is amazing or just plain sad that a credit score seems harder to figure out than a tax return!

Congrats on adding a new member to your family's pack.

To begin with, let's clear up this "expert" tag SirSnookalot is trying to hang on me. NOBODY knows exactly what the IRS is doing! Without actually seeing the letter you got, I would only be assuming as to how they arrived at the figures they are sending to you, and we all know what assume means. What I do know is that the IRS not only receives and processes tax returns sent in by individuals, but they also receive countless forms from employers and others that deal with other types of income or expenses. You can almost rest assured that if you receive a W-2, W-2G, any kind of Form 1099, or other official forms, that the IRS will at some point, cross match your 1040 return with the copies of the above mentioned forms filed by those who paid those amounts. When they find a difference, they will contact you about the problem, and the letter will usually include a proposed increased amount due. I just completed an amended return for 2012 because a client failed to turn in several W-2G's and a Form 1099Int. This pattern of notices coming out a year after the fact is normal when it comes out of the Cincinnati Service Center. Also, if IRS receives copies of these tax forms for an individual, but can't find any tax return, they will attempt to contact the taxpayer at their last known address. In my experience, this process usually has a lag time of several years, but not the several months as in your case. One last thing to consider. From my experience, the IRS is typically swamped with both extensions and paper returns sent in right at the filing deadline of April 15th. It takes time for the Service Centers to process all of that paper. Much longer than the six to seven weeks or so that we are looking at right now. Once that work is done, they will start the process of cross matching information. That they could have done all of that at this point seems highly doubtful. I'm thinking that something else is going on here besides the IRS being that caught up on their discovery work, and almost sounds like the letter is dealing with a filed tax return without a payment. Who knows, but it doesn't sound right somehow. Take this letter into your tax preparer so that he/she can give you a knowledgeable opinion as they will actually be able to read it. Whatever you decide on, make sure you file the tax return if none has been filed already. Just paying the tax that IRS has billed you for doesn't stop your requirement to file a return.

I finally got out last Saturday for a few bluegill. No beds yet, but ended up with a limit of 8" - 9.5" gills with a few redears thrown in. Biggest of the bunch was just shy of 10". One dock, in a certain cove brought me 18 keepers in 10 minutes. Most amazing spot I've seen in years. That cove is on a lake halfway between where I live and your favorite lake. It should only get better the next week or so.