Lund Explorer

Thanks for the flashback Robert!

I got my present six weeks ago, and spent last night with my hands full! What more could I want than a great-grand-daughter!

Hey Mike, the map showed up in the mail today. Thank you sir!

Somebody sure got their chestnuts buckeyes roasting on an open fire!!! ;D And those five games they have to sit out should be against other Div. 1-A teams instead of the creampuffs they load up on at the start of each year.

About as close to a tradition that I even want to remember came about when our oldest son was born on December 24th! Within a few years, he realized that he was getting the short end of the stick so to speak, because everybody got presents on his birthday. So unlike the rest of his siblings, he headed out to the store on Christmas Eve to buy whatever he chose for a birthday present (price was controlled). None of the other kids got this treatment, ever. When he got older, he saved up a bunch of his own money and added it to what I was willing to spend. Wow, you should have seen his brothers and sisters howl when he came home with something three times bigger than anything they had gotten. ;D

Wally World pobably didn't have any guides this year because the DNR didn't print any of them out! In their quest to save money, the 2009 and 2010 seasons were supposed to run under the 2009 guide. A client of mine who owns a bait shop was showing me the State's letter to license agents back when it first came about. If I remember correctly it talked about how dealers could "purchase" additional guides, and how they were supposed to encourage people to visit the DNR website to print off a copy of the rules. Kind of expensive if all you have is an inkjet printer, and those darn colored trout maps are terrible.

Wally World pobably didn't have any guides this year because the DNR didn't print any of them out! In their quest to save money, the 2009 and 2010 seasons were supposed to run under the 2009 guide. A client of mine who owns a bait shop was showing me the State's letter to license agents back when it first came about. If I remember correctly it talked about how dealers could "purchase" additional guides, and how they were supposed to encourage people to visit the DNR website to print off a copy of the rules. Kind of expensive if all you have is an inkjet printer, and those darn colored trout maps are terrible.

Wally World pobably didn't have any guides this year because the DNR didn't print any of them out! In their quest to save money, the 2009 and 2010 seasons were supposed to run under the 2009 guide. A client of mine who owns a bait shop was showing me the State's letter to license agents back when it first came about. If I remember correctly it talked about how dealers could "purchase" additional guides, and how they were supposed to encourage people to visit the DNR website to print off a copy of the rules. Kind of expensive if all you have is an inkjet printer, and those darn colored trout maps are terrible.

In answering your question soopd, I'll go back to the days when "I had hair, and it was dark". Long before most boats had fishfinders, GPS, sidescan, downscan electronics, the best way to scout a lake started at home with a paper map. I still think that it is a very important part on any lake research today. As a case study in how I go about learning a lake, let's look at the upcoming roadtrip to KY Lake. I haven't been on that lake since 1969, and I can honestly say I don't remember much about the trip other than it was on an Easter weekend, it rained, and we caught a whole bunch of crappie. As I want to have some success on this trip, I plan to take the following steps. First, I've been reading almost anything I can find about the lake, including the thread on here from the prior trip two years ago. Secondly, as soon as I get my hands on a quality map, I will set aside time each day or so to study it. With the knowledge I've picked up from my reading, I should be able to get a good idea of different places I'll want to check out once I arrive at the lake. I will make a list of these possible matching spots (gravel bars for instance) so that depending on how I do on one, I will already have other places like it to search out or avoid. The third phase of learning a lake will happen once I'm on the water. Using my electronics, I will be able to take a closer look at the spots I've considered. I may start out fishing a specific spot, or I may just go for a boat ride looking at many spots in a general area. Regardless of which I do, I will mark waypoints into my GPS on spots that I either caught fish on or that looked promising, so I can return to them later. If you don't have a GPS unit, you can usually get fairly close using the old fashioned practice of triangulating points on shore. Even while I'm in the boat, I'll have my paper map with me. I find it easier to reference that than it is to scroll my GPS map randomly. How would all of this help you and the lake you are trying to learn? You've already said that you do well on some days, and get the goose egg on others.... Welcome to the club! But imagine if you took the steps I've discussed and used them as well. On days where you're in the catching side of the game would be a good time to search out new spots that come close to matching the ones you are having success on. Think of a creek channel coming close to a shoreline. If one such place works, look for other creeks bends that do the same. This is also a good time to try out new lures that you're trying to learn. Then on days when you're only fishing and not catching, it won't hurt to spend even more of the day looking at different types of water, structure, or cover. Think about it, you aren't catching anything, but it's still better than work.... Take a boat ride! Move from main lake points to secondary ones. Get off the shoreline cover and look at deeper spots. Muddy water? Go look for clear water, or vice versa. Fish this new water with confidence baits! In either scenario, having that lake map will help you find new places to explore. Keep notes, or like I use to do, get two maps and scratch notes on one of them. There's many threads on here that talk about fishing logs, there's even a link to one you can use. Start using them religiously. Keep them up to date, and refer back to them often. Finally, the more you study one lake, you'll find that many of the same things you learned about the first lake will hold true on the next. I always look at this aspect of the sport as a giant who-done-it. And your goal should be to say that "It was soopd, with a flippin stick, in the cove."! Try this approach and you'll find that the time that you get to spend with the sport of fishing will grow immensely.

In answering your question soopd, I'll go back to the days when "I had hair, and it was dark". Long before most boats had fishfinders, GPS, sidescan, downscan electronics, the best way to scout a lake started at home with a paper map. I still think that it is a very important part on any lake research today. As a case study in how I go about learning a lake, let's look at the upcoming roadtrip to KY Lake. I haven't been on that lake since 1969, and I can honestly say I don't remember much about the trip other than it was on an Easter weekend, it rained, and we caught a whole bunch of crappie. As I want to have some success on this trip, I plan to take the following steps. First, I've been reading almost anything I can find about the lake, including the thread on here from the prior trip two years ago. Secondly, as soon as I get my hands on a quality map, I will set aside time each day or so to study it. With the knowledge I've picked up from my reading, I should be able to get a good idea of different places I'll want to check out once I arrive at the lake. I will make a list of these possible matching spots (gravel bars for instance) so that depending on how I do on one, I will already have other places like it to search out or avoid. The third phase of learning a lake will happen once I'm on the water. Using my electronics, I will be able to take a closer look at the spots I've considered. I may start out fishing a specific spot, or I may just go for a boat ride looking at many spots in a general area. Regardless of which I do, I will mark waypoints into my GPS on spots that I either caught fish on or that looked promising, so I can return to them later. If you don't have a GPS unit, you can usually get fairly close using the old fashioned practice of triangulating points on shore. Even while I'm in the boat, I'll have my paper map with me. I find it easier to reference that than it is to scroll my GPS map randomly. How would all of this help you and the lake you are trying to learn? You've already said that you do well on some days, and get the goose egg on others.... Welcome to the club! But imagine if you took the steps I've discussed and used them as well. On days where you're in the catching side of the game would be a good time to search out new spots that come close to matching the ones you are having success on. Think of a creek channel coming close to a shoreline. If one such place works, look for other creeks bends that do the same. This is also a good time to try out new lures that you're trying to learn. Then on days when you're only fishing and not catching, it won't hurt to spend even more of the day looking at different types of water, structure, or cover. Think about it, you aren't catching anything, but it's still better than work.... Take a boat ride! Move from main lake points to secondary ones. Get off the shoreline cover and look at deeper spots. Muddy water? Go look for clear water, or vice versa. Fish this new water with confidence baits! In either scenario, having that lake map will help you find new places to explore. Keep notes, or like I use to do, get two maps and scratch notes on one of them. There's many threads on here that talk about fishing logs, there's even a link to one you can use. Start using them religiously. Keep them up to date, and refer back to them often. Finally, the more you study one lake, you'll find that many of the same things you learned about the first lake will hold true on the next. I always look at this aspect of the sport as a giant who-done-it. And your goal should be to say that "It was soopd, with a flippin stick, in the cove."! Try this approach and you'll find that the time that you get to spend with the sport of fishing will grow immensely.

In answering your question soopd, I'll go back to the days when "I had hair, and it was dark". Long before most boats had fishfinders, GPS, sidescan, downscan electronics, the best way to scout a lake started at home with a paper map. I still think that it is a very important part on any lake research today. As a case study in how I go about learning a lake, let's look at the upcoming roadtrip to KY Lake. I haven't been on that lake since 1969, and I can honestly say I don't remember much about the trip other than it was on an Easter weekend, it rained, and we caught a whole bunch of crappie. As I want to have some success on this trip, I plan to take the following steps. First, I've been reading almost anything I can find about the lake, including the thread on here from the prior trip two years ago. Secondly, as soon as I get my hands on a quality map, I will set aside time each day or so to study it. With the knowledge I've picked up from my reading, I should be able to get a good idea of different places I'll want to check out once I arrive at the lake. I will make a list of these possible matching spots (gravel bars for instance) so that depending on how I do on one, I will already have other places like it to search out or avoid. The third phase of learning a lake will happen once I'm on the water. Using my electronics, I will be able to take a closer look at the spots I've considered. I may start out fishing a specific spot, or I may just go for a boat ride looking at many spots in a general area. Regardless of which I do, I will mark waypoints into my GPS on spots that I either caught fish on or that looked promising, so I can return to them later. If you don't have a GPS unit, you can usually get fairly close using the old fashioned practice of triangulating points on shore. Even while I'm in the boat, I'll have my paper map with me. I find it easier to reference that than it is to scroll my GPS map randomly. How would all of this help you and the lake you are trying to learn? You've already said that you do well on some days, and get the goose egg on others.... Welcome to the club! But imagine if you took the steps I've discussed and used them as well. On days where you're in the catching side of the game would be a good time to search out new spots that come close to matching the ones you are having success on. Think of a creek channel coming close to a shoreline. If one such place works, look for other creeks bends that do the same. This is also a good time to try out new lures that you're trying to learn. Then on days when you're only fishing and not catching, it won't hurt to spend even more of the day looking at different types of water, structure, or cover. Think about it, you aren't catching anything, but it's still better than work.... Take a boat ride! Move from main lake points to secondary ones. Get off the shoreline cover and look at deeper spots. Muddy water? Go look for clear water, or vice versa. Fish this new water with confidence baits! In either scenario, having that lake map will help you find new places to explore. Keep notes, or like I use to do, get two maps and scratch notes on one of them. There's many threads on here that talk about fishing logs, there's even a link to one you can use. Start using them religiously. Keep them up to date, and refer back to them often. Finally, the more you study one lake, you'll find that many of the same things you learned about the first lake will hold true on the next. I always look at this aspect of the sport as a giant who-done-it. And your goal should be to say that "It was soopd, with a flippin stick, in the cove."! Try this approach and you'll find that the time that you get to spend with the sport of fishing will grow immensely.

Amen to that Rondef. As almost any veteran can tell you, being away from home is hard enough, but Christmas seems to be the worst. Whether you are in a war zone, or in some lonely post/base throughout the world or this country, these folks have put their normal family life on hold. Here's to hoping that these young folks will know that many of us that are enjoying the comforts of home and family this year, still recognize what they are giving up for all of us.

I'm currently wearing a pair of boots that look a lot like Alpster's. Easy to put on and take off without having to deal with the laces. I've also got two pair of these boots. One pair has been sitting in the closet, in the original box, for the last five years. http://www.wolverine.com/US/en-US/Product.mvc.aspx/G-W-C-H/7513M/0/Work/Categories/Heavy-Industrial/Mens/Wolverine-Traditional-8-inch-Boot It paid dividends to have a couple of Wolverine/Hush Puppy factories right here in town, and that my Dad was the plant manager for both of them while I was growing up. It still pays when you do the tax returns for the current manager!

Merry Christmas to you as well Big O, and all the other members here. May the New Year bless all of you with happiness and a few bragging sized hawgs!

Merry Christmas to you as well Big O, and all the other members here. May the New Year bless all of you with happiness and a few bragging sized hawgs!

Merry Christmas to you as well Big O, and all the other members here. May the New Year bless all of you with happiness and a few bragging sized hawgs!

I've worn Wolverine Boots for the last 50 years or so. Do you wear size 12 by chance?

My last car was a 1970 Chevy Nova that didn't have much downsizing to it. Until it T-Boned a 1967 Biscayne Station Wagon in 1976! I sure had a lot of fun in that car. When I somehow walked away from that wreck, <long funny story I'll save you from> I took it as a sign that I needed to be in a full size pickup, and have been ever since. The wife is a different story. I don't remember the Cimmaron, but she did buy one of those Cavaliers. Bought the thing to save on gas when I was making a lot of trips to Chicago back in the 1980's. Talk about uncomfortable.... Going from a full size truck to that pregnant rollerskate for trips down the Darn Ryan Expressway @ rush hour. I never did get used to how you could look right under all those semis!

Try dentures! ;D

Quote of the year. I'm so going to use it. Thanks! Maybe to Speebead about how NOT to cook chicken? ;D

Thanks Mike! I looked at Rhino's idea, but it looked like Lowrance or should I say the maps companies wanted me to buy a software package to run the chip on my computer. On a weekend, I wasn't sure if I was going to get a real human in support. I'd also thought about an extra power cord. The one I got is so tangled with all of the wiring behind the dash I wouldn't want to use that. Of course no amount of wire would let me haul that unit into the library! *Note to Self* I owe Mike!

Oh, I was so waiting to see one of those sliced open. Seared on both sides to hold in the juices, then just 2 minutes of cooking time. It had to have left the center looking like a good vet could have saved it's life! Now where's the onions, sauteed in butter and garlic?

Not bad guys. The stunt man was Yakima Canutt. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakima_Canutt The miscast role was this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049092/ Genghis Duke just didn't cut it for me! ;D

Taking a new direction, I'm thinking I should get a paper map of northern half Kentucky Lake fairly soon. I see that Hot Spots has one, but is there are better map I should be considering? And yes, I already have all the up to date maps on my Lowrance GPS, but don't want to pull the boat out in the snow to use it. I need something to study inside a warm and cozy house.

In the event the grille is not available, the cockpit of an aluminum bass boat would make a nice size grille. A bit of expanded metal would make a good grilling top. I'm convinced. Long Mike is right. It's hard to beat an aluminum boat. They are very versatile. Please tell me that I'm not the only one hauling a "Tin Boat" down there. I would hate to think of the fish boil we could have by starting a campfire under that big front livewell!