tholmes

Best (from my Grandpa) : "If you start keepin' track of who caught how many, you've changed the sport of fishing into just a game." Worst: "You'll never catch anything on those stupid rubber worms." Tom

My first spinning outfit was a Garcia Mitchell 301 and a 7" blue Conolon rod (don't remember the number). Must have been '67 or '68. I got bit by the ultra-light bug about a year later and bought a 409 and 5" blue Conolon rod. Those two outfits served me well for many years. Compared to today's tackle, they were kind of crude, but they were bulletproof (except for the bail springs in the reels), easy to maintain and repair, and looked the part of all-business, no frills fishing tools. Tom

I'm a shore-bound fisherman myself and I usually carry three combos. 7" MH/fast for jigs, t-rigs, c-rigs etc. 7" M/Mod. for cranks & spinnerbaits 6'6" Med. light spinning for finesse stuff, weightless plastics, small traps, basically anything under 1/4 oz. There's always a couple of back-up rigs in my truck, along with an ultra-light spinning combo just for fun. But, for me, trying to manage more than three combos is more hassle than it's worth. Tom

Those look great! I especially like the shad patterns, and the one in the second picture in particular. I'm SURE that would kill 'em! Great work! Tom

I use the polarized fit-overs they sell at Wally World. They certainly aren't fashionable (I'm soooo over trying to look good ), but they work well. I actually prefer fit-overs to Rx sunglasses because they shield your eyes better, especially at the top and sides of the frame. Plus, they're only about $20 as opposed to $$$ for prescription glasses, so when (not if) I drop them in the lake, step on them, etc. I ain't out much. Tom

THere is a condition seen sometimes in fish and birds called Xanthochroism which makes the affected animals appear more yellow of orange than they normally would.. Like this Northern Cardinal: Makes me wonder if that's what's going on with the bass pictured above. Tom

Just thought of another...people who ask you a question, then argue with you when you give them an answer. Example: Just the other day, one of my co-workers stuck his head in my office and asked me "What is the capitol of Missouri?" I answered "Jefferson City" Him: No it ain't it's Columbia." IF YOU'RE SO SURE ABOUT IT, WHY DID YOU ASK ME?? Tom

Yeah, I've seen those advertised on TV. Some kind of aluminum wallet, I think. Tinfoil might work, I know that it keeps the aliens from reading my brainwaves. Tom

1. Worms 2. Craws 3. Grubs Tom

I've caught the dickens out of 'em during the spawn using a 1/8 oz., chrome/blue back Mini-trap. Tom

Fresh fruit, dry roasted peanuts, hard-boiled eggs (I peel 'em and put them in a Zip-Loc bag before I leave) a few bottles of water. maybe a sammich or two depending on how long I plan to be out. I'm also diabetic and have to be careful what I eat. Definitely no sweets, Tom

X2^ That's one of the best looking blugills that I've ever seen! Lovin' the sexy sparkle pattern too! Tom

Coffee spew! Tom

Hang in there, Joe. It really does get better. I know from experience. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers. Tom

It CAN get too windy to fish bottom contact baits, and casting can become an issue, but I've fished (from the shore) in winds of up to 40 mph. Spinnerbaits, lipless cranks, and blade baits (Silver Buddy, etc.) have worked the best for me. I've been on a large reservoir in high winds, and if you stick to the coves and BE CAREFUL, you should be OK. fishing open water with 3' whitecaps isn't a lot of fun. Tom

Rigging A Pickup For Bass Fishing. The first thing I thought of when I read this title was...Kinda hard to make that sucker float. I'll go away now. Tom

My Lord and Savior My Wife Kids & Grandkids Playing my guitar That feeling that I get right after I set the hook and realize...This ain't no dink! Tom

Loves me some Lightning Rods! I have 2 now (6' MH and 7' MH) and I'm eyeing a 7' M for my next purchase. Flat out the best bang-for-your-buck rods out there. Edit: I wouldn't target flatheads with either of them, but it's nice to know that they'd be up to the job. Tom

I guess it would depend on what type of fishing you do. A 6.4:1 reel is, IMHO, a pretty good ratio for treble hook baits and spinnerbaits, except for maybe deep cranks, where I prefer something even slower ( in the 5.3:1 area). I prefer a faster reel for bottom-contact baits like jigs and t-rigged plastics because it allows you to retrieve slack line faster. Just my preferences. YMMV and all that. Tom

Yep. I still have a couple of 5'6" pistol-grip rods that I use when I'm in tight quarters i.e. overhanging tree branches. I fish almost exclusively from shore and they come in handy in a lot of places. Tom

A lot depends on how you drive. Low speed, stop-n-go driving is much harder on your oil than turnpike cruisin' Most of my driving is in town where I rarely exceed 40 mph, so I'm stickin' with an oil change every 3K. Tom

Now THAT is cool! Crankbait bodies, molds for soft plastics....hmmmm. Tom

Love the pumpkin craw! Very nice work, Ben! Tom

I have a rod with a similar problem, the hook keeper is in a bad location. Whenever I'm fishing in windy conditions (almost always here in Kansas) the line would tangle in the hook keeper on the cast. I chose option #2. I snipped the keeper off as close as I could and, using a small fine-cut flat file and a lot of care, filed it flush with the rod. The whole process took about 5 minutes and worked like a charm. Tom

The one in my home town does too, along with Mustad and Gamakatsu Really, they're getting better. Now if they would just start carrying Rage plastics, at least something other than the occasional pack of Thumper worms. Tom