Lund Explorer

Every person I've seen trying to become successful in using a bait casting outfit has learned by the following steps. 1. Backlash Control A. Spool Tension B. Internal Brakes C. Thumbing D. Wind! 2. Accuracy A. Roll Cast B. Side Arm Cast C. Overhead Cast Repeat Steps 1 & 2 for every possible lure thrown. Long after you've mastered all of the above? 3. Distance However, if you still want to put the cart before the horse, follow the instructions I gave you the first time. Get yourself a 7'6" medium action rod with a lot of flex, load up with the heaviest version of the lure your want to throw, and learn a good two handed overhead cast.

Were the weeds there before the bite, or just when you got the fish to the boat? Ripping a lipless crankbait off of a weed is a great triggering tactic, but I'd never make a fresh cast with any part of a weed hanging on my lure.

IMO, casting distance should be least of anyone's concerns. Unless you are bombarding a huge flat in ultra-clear water, accuracy is far more important than distance. However, if you really want to cast beyond everybody, get yourself a 7'6" medium action rod with a lot of flex, load up with the heaviest version of the lure your want to throw, and learn a good two handed overhead cast. You could even add a 2oz inline weight like we use for trolling which will get you even more distance. Then all you have to worry about is trying to set the hook that far away!

I think the networks did seeing as how these are the three that are currently taking part in the ceremonial tee off each year. All of them have a long history at Augusta, but wouldn't list them as the top three.

Sorry to hear about that RW. There isn't a whole lot worse than losing a good friend and fishing partner.

Not much pond hockey being played in an area where entire cities shut down when they get an inch of snow!

I've been a long time member of Arnie's Army. So much so, that I couldn't enjoy Jack during his prime when he unseated Arnie. Gentlemen such as Arnie don't come along very often.

It's more than just gullibility, and sadly there is a real easy cure that way too many people refuse to use. It sits between our ears and right behind our eyes, and with a little effort, darn near everyone can learn to use it. Here's my politically neutral view on the subject. We start with someone with an ax to grind against the other party. They take a grain of truth (yes, there is a medical device tax), add a few outright falsehoods to it, and release it as "News" on an internet blog. The story is read by someone who has a pre-conceived view of how bad government is, and that person needs to share this latest outrage with everyone via email in there address book. Repeat this a few times, and now millions are being bombarded by trusted friends with second, third, or fourth hand fact. I've seen it before. If you've been around the internet and used emails back 10-15 years ago, maybe you have seen it too. Someone would email a joke that had been forwarded a half-dozen times, and if you wanted to print it out that one page joke it took thirty pages to do so with the thousands of email addresses attached to it. Fortunately the cure is common sense and the ability of almost everyone to use the internet's various search engines. Had the original person who read this (and that doesn't mean Sam) had taken the time to think about it, the whole concept doesn't make any sense. Had they done a quick search with terms like "Medical Device Tax", or "Tax on Fishing Poles" they may just have found out the truth. What is the truth? There IS an excise tax on certain medical devices. If anyone had read down into the second page of the linked IRS publication, they would have seen that it shows up under What's New. It even states that the tax comes about from the Affordable Care Act. Reading the ACA would show that the tax is assessed on certain medical devices, and explains what the revenues are used for. There ARE a number of other excise taxes listed on that publication, and a little research would show why each one of them was created, and where the revenue from them goes. The simple fact is that if the government is tasked with spending money to create or maintain something, it requires revenue to meet those expenses. In my opinion, there isn't a fairer way to fund such things than with an Excise Tax, or more commonly called a Use Tax. Now, if someone could care less if wildlife had someplace to roam, or fish somewhere to swim, then they probably aren't buying the things that generate the revenue to cover those things. If you don't fly, then you aren't paying the excise tax on aircraft fuel. And, if you don't need a pace maker, then you aren't paying the medical device tax. One last thing. the only way any of these taxes are hidden, is because someone doesn't want to take the effort to look for it.

Try the following. Shocking Advice From Today's Most Electrifying Columnist! You're Welcome.

Oh Dear Lord! The excise taxes you are looking at are the result of the Dingell-Johnson and Pittman-Robertson Acts. These have been around for longer than most of the members here have been alive. P-R Act was started in 1937 and D-J Act came into being in 1950. The revenues generated by each of these taxes are used by the federal government to fund federal fish and wildlife programs as well as being disbursed to the states based on license sales.

Prior to making any recommendations, I would suggest that you research the untold number of threads in the history of this forum. It isn't very hard to find them, nor is it hard to see that many of the members here are very emotional about it. Snook's post made complete sense to anyone who isn't emotionally involved in the subject. My opinion on the subject? You have to understand that are many of us that have lived long enough to remember the days before the idea of catch and release was even thought of. We fished in the days where you brought home for dinner whatever you caught. We witnessed tournament weigh ins when anglers brought their day's catch to the scales on a stringer. Ray Scott had a great idea. You start a policy to keep those fish alive and you put them back into the lake where they were caught to swim away. But what many people don't understand that it wasn't just about saving the fish. You have to understand it was also about saving the sport. Locals didn't like to see the pros come onto "their" lakes and catching/killing hundreds of "their" fish. Not that many of these locals didn't kill their own catch, that was beside the point. Every good deed do not go unpunished, and so it is with today's view of catch and release. You don't need any more proof than to read some of the posts on this forum. There are people who became so upset that they just couldn't fish anymore that day. Why? Because they hurt a fish! I have no idea how so many people came to the conclusion that the act of fishing could be accomplished without having an impact on the fish, but many feel that way. And they are wrong. The same goes for today's crop of tournament fishermen. Take those bass for a boat ride, weigh them in, toss them back, and go home. They're aren't there when a portion of them float to the surface the next morning, and they don't see the locals fishing retreads they helped stock at the landing. In short, for many fishermen, Reality Needs To Rear It's Ugly Head! It's hard to reply to an emotional response without using emotion. The thing that's really missing from many of these original posters is logic.

To really understand the whole story about Adreian & Lacey, you need to read the linked article. http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140326/SPORTS0202/303260020 I have to believe that God brought two hurting souls together to create a bond we could all celebrate. Nothing else explains how something so simple as a sports team making a visit to a hospital could lead to all of this. From where a sick little girl picks a player out of an entire team because she liked his smile. To how this incredible young man takes that brief meeting to a level far beyond what anyone would have expected. Adreian Payne gave everything he had trying to help a young girl through a troubling time. Lacey Holsworth and her entire family opened their hearts and their home to a young man who had just lost the grandmother who had raised him after his mother's death when he was just 13 years old. Yeah, this most recent chapter of their story is absolutely heartbreaking. But I can't help thinking about the lesson they tried to teach all of us. Lacey may have lost her battle with cancer, but she showed all of us that there are still athletes who make the news without a pair of handcuffs involved. I just can't help but think that this story isn't over.

Why I thought of this is beyond me. Imagine the poor guy getting a Rhino Rod Tattoo down the full length of his arm, and his wife doing the old commercial "You Are Not Going Fishing Today" rant!

FYI - I know this is supposed to be about LMB, but in my mind a fish is a fish and this information may provide a little food for thought. The following are parts of a posting made on another outdoors forum. The poster is a Michigan DNR fisheries employee discussing when they will harvest walleyes during their spawning run on the Muskegon River. The MDNR harvests eggs and milt to use for their stocking programs throughout the rest of the state. Several MDNR employees post regularly on this forum, and the main reason for this post was to warn steelhead fishermen to be aware of the potential danger near the electro-fishing boat. We are tentatively scheduled to check walleye for ripeness Monday March 31st. We will be shocking between Croton and Pine Street access. What we find then will dictate what date the egg take begins. Thanks again for all your cooperation. Below is the press release for this year. Mike Wilson DNR Fisheries Plainwell The DNR plans to collect walleyes with an electro-fishing boat beginning as early as the week of March 24 and concluding by April 15. Eight days of fish collections are planned during this period. The actual date when collections will begin depends on water temperatures and the presence of ripe fish. This schedule can change on a daily basis for many reasons, but it is anticipated most work will be completed during the last week of March through the second week of April. We spawned 75 pairs of walleye today. About 75% of the females were green so it looked like we hit the beginning of the run which is what we aim for. Temperature peaked at 35.5 today on the USGS site so the water is still quite cold. Photoperiod also plays a role in spawning time so the temperature isn't the only factor dictating spawning time. We are planning another egg take Tues 4/8 and tentatively 4/9 and 4/14. As always, the run dictates our schedule so I will update after each days egg take. Like last week, we did see a decent number of steelhead, but only a handful of fresh fish seen. Only saw one steelhead landed today as we were shocking which is unusually low during the egg take. We will probably start shocking around 9am at Croton. As usual, we try to do all our shocking between Croton and Pine Street. I will update after tomorrows egg take. Thanks, Mike Wilson MDNR Plainwell Fisheries Please note the "red" portions of these posts. Somewhere in the history of this other forum is a similar prior year notice of the MDNR's harvest when a much warmer than normal year had them on the river where they completed the entire harvest prior to the normal starting date.

In other words, your rights were taken away once you had to pay for it? Virginia's constitution was adopted in 1776. Article XI clearly states that it is the governments duty to protect the natural resources (fish included I suppose) for the benefit of all it's residents. Article XI, Section 4 was not adopted until 2001. Regardless, a right is given to the people, by the people. The mere fact that your state or any other has charged a license fee to fund the work required by the constitution doesn't take away your specific right. To say so, then you lost the right to drive on smooth roads the minute they came up with a gas tax!

Your argument would carry a little weight if you provide some wee shred of proof, such as who "they" are, and when they "took" away your rights. It was quite simple to see that a resident of the State of Virginia never, I'll repeat that, NEVER, had the "right" to fish until the adoption of Article XI, Section 4 of your state's constitution. So did this group called THEY, take it away after that point? You may also want to read Section 2 of that article as it clearly states a viewpoint completely different than yours.

Every time you run across a DNR officer that has a bad attitude, this is the reason they are that way!

By the way, if you are one of the group that thinks that conservation officers have too much power, there are several cures. 1. Become a CO yourself. Then you can do things your own way. You'll get to deal with all of the other fishermen or hunters and can explain why you are stopping them. You can explain to the witness of a game law violation what you can do about it. See how much fun it is when the others look at you like the enemy when you can't address their problems! 2. Run for Congress. Don't just whine to your elected officials, become one. You'll get the chance to explain to everyone in your district exactly how you feel about the issues, and you will get immediate feedback at the ballot box. It's a great opportunity to see if your views line up with the majority!

I sure am happy to live in the State of Michigan. The only people who have lost their rights to hunt or fish are ones that have been convicted of breaking one or more of the existing hunting/fishing regulations. It's a simple process. License fees pay for DNR officers to patrol and do random checks of fishermen/hunters, and those found in violation of the law will get a ticket, or a ride to the gray bar motel. Others are turned in by concerned residents through the "RAP" Report All Poaching program which can lead officers to your home if the initial investigation warrants the effort to continue to that stage, and those people can get a ticket or might be arrested. The violators get their day in court where they either plead guilty or go through a trial. All of the guilty are subject to the same penalties. Reading the ON PATROL section of Michigan Out of Doors magazine offers a fairly good idea of what these dedicated officers face everyday they're on the job. These men and women are on the front lines of protecting our natural resources from the violators who don't think the rules apply to them. The only problem I see is that there aren't enough officers to cover all of the woods or waters. I would suggest that if any of you are serious about seeing that your hunting or fishing opportunities aren't diminished by these poachers, that you spend time getting to know your local officers. Turn the visit they make with you into a proactive experience. I have NEVER had a negative experience with a DNR officer. I smile, and immediately offer them my license, or to check my gear, or any fish I have in the boat. If they want anything else, I gladly comply. The same thing goes whenever I come across fisheries employees are doing a survey, or a campground employee stops at my campsite. The bottom line is that I'm one of those guys who helped fund their paycheck, and I'm glad that they are doing the jobs I hired them to do.

Just my opinion, but the hi-lited part of your post is what will move you into a higher position at the cube farm. Unfortunately, arguments between co-workers can be quite common. The first time you do it may lead to shock from the crowd, but the more it happens, they'll learn to ignore you. In a well managed company, you would most likely never see a boss dress down an employee. This is because it isn't anyone else's business, and it is best done behind closed doors for that reason. A good boss will praise in public and reprimand in private.

Left out of the conversation so far is the sad fact that some of the most desirable weapons can be purchased with absolutely no need for any paper work at all. Aside from the paper called cash used to purchase it!

The only good news in all of this is that winter kills have happened many times in the past, and if your pond or lake suffered this year, it has probably done so before. If that place was good last year, it means that it will be good again. Hopefully, we can take this as an opportunity to discover new waters which will expand our choices in the future. If anyone is thinking about helping mother nature along by doing your own restocking plan, make sure to follow your state's regulations. A ticket from the fish cop could be the least of your worries if you somehow introduce the wrong fish from the wrong lake. I do know of one person who transplanted VHS infected bass into his pond a few years ago, and he still has problems.

If the thought of someone catching a bigger fish, shooting a bigger buck, or having a better paying job bothers anyone, there is only one thing you can do. Adopt Apathy! If I am competing in a tournament against others where there is a level playing field, and you catch more fish or bigger ones, then I will give you all the credit that you're due. On that day, that person did better than me and I will acknowledge that fact. Outside of that, the only thing I'll do is to congratulate the person for attaining whatever personal goal they have set for themselves and finally reached. However, as I was not personally involved in that effort, I could care less. I wasn't alive when Mr. Perry caught his record LMB, and the only time I was in Japan was a two hour layover at Kadena AFB long before those fish were stocked in that country. I don't live in Florida, Texas, or California, and it doesn't bother me in the least that the people who do live there have fish that are bigger than the ones swimming up here in the frozen north. I'm not depressed because Flukemaster gets to fish a private lake with giant bass all the time, because if I did get to fish that lake as much as he did, I'd be the guy with a 5wt flyrod chasing those bluegills. If this guy, or someone else figures out a way to raise a bass to world record dimensions, it doesn't mean I'm any less of a person. I am who I am, and the only persons who I have to answer to on this crazy little planet, is my Mother and my Wife, and they can fight it out over who gets top priority in that department. There's a book of world records that they publish every year and its full of people feel the need to be the best at something, no matter how crazy some of those records are. Good for them!

As there is no possibility that there will be any real effort made to stop such attacks from happening over and over again in the future. Thoughts and Prayers to Everyone!

That was one of the most painful videos I've ever seen. The operator of that camera needs a tri-pod, or if its one of those head mounted Go-Pro's, would someone PLEASE duct tape his head to a tree!