Fishes in trees

Several years ago, when I was in shopping mode for this item, i tried on both the Guide Wear and the BPS 100 MPH suit. For me, the Guide Wear fit better and what really sold me was that it wasn't all covered with logos like the 100MPH suit is. If I'm going to be a walking bill board, they need to pay me or at least give me a strong break on price. I don't wear the Guide Wear very often, but I sure am glad I've got it.

I like the Falcon spinner bait boxes. I have several, organized (kind of) by brand and weight. I have 2 of the smaller spinner bait boxes that I keep empty, so if I'm going in some one else's boat, I'll just fill those up with what I think I'll need.

I have several Spirex reels, front drag & rear drag and I really like them. I like the Quickfire trigger, especially in cold weather. The Spirex has an anti-reverse, just not an instant anti-reverse. It's never been an issue for me. I think there might be better choices for pitching jigs, like maybe a bait caster. I'm kind of partial to a Calcutta 200 TEGT for pitching jigs, but that might just be me. I don't know, maybe if you're pitching jigs on relatively light line, a spinning reel could be the way to go. Now, if you're skipping soft plastics or smaller jigs back into cover or underneath stuff, a spinning reel is definitely the way to go. If you're doing alot of skipping, that quick fire trigger on the Spirex comes in handy.

Cool - I want one

There is nothing wrong with being obsessed. Been here - done that. I can recall in my early days of home ownership having to choose between monthly house payment and new trolling motor and I chose trolling motor. Frequently changing presentations isn't being obsessed - it is experimenting, a phase every fisherman goes through. If you only have one - or just a few rigs, and you're spending more time tying knots than you are with your lure in the water - then that's a little nuts. And that's not anything to be worried about. Most everyone you meet is nuts about something. Conversations between you and your dad about when you should have shown interest in fishing, etc. are your issues between you and your pop. I can't and won't offer any advice. That's something you get to figure out for yourself.

There is nothing wrong with being obsessed. Been here - done that. I can recall in my early days of home ownership having to choose between monthly house payment and new trolling motor and I chose trolling motor. Frequently changing presentations isn't being obsessed - it is experimenting, a phase every fisherman goes through. If you only have one - or just a few rigs, and you're spending more time tying knots than you are with your lure in the water - then that's a little nuts. And that's not anything to be worried about. Most everyone you meet is nuts about something. Conversations between you and your dad about when you should have shown interest in fishing, etc. are your issues between you and your pop. I can't and won't offer any advice. That's something you get to figure out for yourself.

There is nothing wrong with being obsessed. Been here - done that. I can recall in my early days of home ownership having to choose between monthly house payment and new trolling motor and I chose trolling motor. Frequently changing presentations isn't being obsessed - it is experimenting, a phase every fisherman goes through. If you only have one - or just a few rigs, and you're spending more time tying knots than you are with your lure in the water - then that's a little nuts. And that's not anything to be worried about. Most everyone you meet is nuts about something. Conversations between you and your dad about when you should have shown interest in fishing, etc. are your issues between you and your pop. I can't and won't offer any advice. That's something you get to figure out for yourself.

Basically, I'd like to spend more time fishing with pals and less time fishing by myself. Most of my pals have radically different schedules and making time to fish together is a pain. Myself and 8 or 9 different pals have talked about taking a week and all going fishing. We've set a date and a place, far in advance (2nd week of June) and now we'll see how many can show up.

Basically, I'd like to spend more time fishing with pals and less time fishing by myself. Most of my pals have radically different schedules and making time to fish together is a pain. Myself and 8 or 9 different pals have talked about taking a week and all going fishing. We've set a date and a place, far in advance (2nd week of June) and now we'll see how many can show up.

Basically, I'd like to spend more time fishing with pals and less time fishing by myself. Most of my pals have radically different schedules and making time to fish together is a pain. Myself and 8 or 9 different pals have talked about taking a week and all going fishing. We've set a date and a place, far in advance (2nd week of June) and now we'll see how many can show up.

Basically my issue with razor worms is that they aren't slider worms. I think if you're looking for a straight 4" worm, the slider worm is a better worm. It is a little thicker and stays on the hook better and lasts longer. The tougher plastic seems to have a little more subtle action. Also, I find I'm not fishing 4" worms all that much. The past few seasons my finesse fishing approach has changed. These days I'm much more likely to throw a wacky jig with a 5" to 7" worm. (current favorite is the Strike King elaz-tech worm, because it lasts so long) A second choice would be a shakey head with a Zoom trick worm or a power bait worm in a similar size. So, I don't think the razor worms are bad, I'm just not using them right now.

This past year I got some pretty good cut tail knock offs. The Bass Pro house brand. There were good color choices (all I needed in Missouri) they were pretty sturdy and they had good action. The Lucky Strike razor worms are more like Brewer slider worms, only a little thinner and straighter. I've got an assortment of razor worms, but they haven't seen the water for a couple of seasons for me.

Don't feel like you've got to go all bait casting all the time. A few examples: For light plastics, shakey heads, etc, a decent spinning rig will be just as or more sensitive and will give you more distance. When it is time for fishing jerkbaits - a spinning rig will definitely give you more distance and wind direction becomes much less of an issue. When the situation calls for throwing t-rigged senko imitators into gnarly cover (1-6 ft deep), I use a MH 6 1/2 foot spinning rod & reel, 30 lb braid and a fluorocarbon leader. Drag isn't an issue - I tighten it down as tight as I can get it. For me this rig is much better at skipping and throwing into tight spots than a bait casting rig. Just some more stuff to think about.

The most obvious solution would be to buy another reel. Then buy a couple more reels so that you're instantly ready should this situation happen again. I'm glad I could help solve this problem.

Jansport makes good packs in a variety of sizes and should you tear it up they will replace it for free.

The correct O ring size is 3/8" OD (Outside diameter) x 1/4" ID (Inside diameter)

When they first came out, a couple of years ago I bought four of them (2 each in 2 colors) They've seen limited use - maybe 50 or 60 minutes total. I haven't gotten bit on them yet. They look ok in the water, so I think I just haven't found the right situation for them to be effective.

Early last spring, there was a thread about the different beers that guys across the country liked. That reminded me that I was in a rut and motivated me to try different kinds of beer. I decided to focus on imports and regional/nationally distributed craft/microbrews. With the 1st day off work beer outdoor beer drinking season being basically over, it is time to share results with my extended group of pals. I had a fairly consistent test procedure, i.e. I would buy beer on Monday or Tuesday going to work and ice them down (Coleman Extreme cooler) , and on Wednesday afternoon, post lawn mowing (sometimes during lawn mowing) I would begin the taste testing procedures. The beers were iced down and as cold as they could be (10 - 36 hours in the cooler, ice renewed as necessary) There was a gimbaled beer holder on the riding mower to guard against any unnecessary spillage. There were enough bottled waters in the cooler as well, in case palate cleansing was required. Basically pristine test conditions. What follows are some anecdotal comments/results from the past season. Pilsner Urquell - an import from Czechslovakia - This beer is outstanding. The hotter it is the better it tastes. It is crisp, sharp tasting and there isn't any rank aftertaste. Wal-Mart is starting to carry this beer. Be careful - it is easy to get blotto on this beer. Boulevard Pilsner - Boulevard Brewery - KCMO This could be the ultimate yard beer. This is also the official beer of the USS Missouri - the Navy's newest attack submarine. Makes me proud every time I swill one. Some of these will always be in the fridge. Boulevard Single Wide IPA - Boulevard Brewery - KCMO There are lots of India Pale Ales out there - I tried many and this is in the top two or three. Bridgeport IPA - Portland Ore - I think this was the best IPA I tried this year. Be careful - several Bridgeport IPS's will get you blotto. Shiner 101 - This is a Czech style pilsner beer out of Texas. It's made according to the original German beer purity laws, i.e. that beer can have water, yeast, barley, hops and that's it. Anything else and it's not beer. Supper Club - Capitol Brewers - Wisconsin This is another great yard beer. According to their label "It's not bad" Bob's 47 - Boulevard Brewers - KCMO I tried a number of "Octorborfest"" beers that hit the market starting probably in August, this past summer. Bob's 47 was the best Octorborfest beer that I tried. Spaten beersi - imported from Munich was a close second. Anglers Ale - Arcadia Ales - Battle Creek, Mich. This is a very good blonde ale. Took some getting used to. The third one tasted better than the 1st or second and I bought another 12 pack. Skyscraper Premium Pilsner - Tin Mill Brewing - Herman, MO I took a six pack fishing in September. Drank 3 - gave away 3 - very positive reviews - from relative strangers - I'm pretty certain I'll buy some more and they have some other styles of beer I'm going to try. I don't know why I can't find Lowenbrau anymore. A couple of years ago, it was readily available. but this year (April) I got a six-pack at Stockton (obviously left over from last year) and I haven't seen it in any liquor store since. For price reasons, for an Irish Music Solstice party, at my house, I got a case of Drop Kick Ale and case of Irish Creme Ale from the Weston Brewing Co. in Weston, MO. None of the 20 or so guests complained about the beer. For the season, there were several beers , of marginal quality, that I'm not bothering to mention now. There was one IPA - Goose Island IPA out of Chicago that I thought was rank - undrinkable after the second sip. There was a bud, my pal Cotton, who drank the rest of them and liked them. So what do I know? Thanks for taking the time to read this rant, and if you would, share some of your favorite beers. I think lots of enquiring minds would like to know.

Long range fishing report for Friday 11/19 calls for partly sunny, high of 52, a couple of days after a rainy afternoon Weds. 11/17. I'm going fishing - don't know where yet - probably Chillicothe. Didn't go last week because I'm a wimp and I didn't want to mess with the all day off and on rain.

I'm with BASSclary on this one. Over the past few years I've tried several different weights of P Line (Mostly 17) That stuff is wretched. Kinks - backlashes easily - difficult to manage etc. I was going to throw it away, but I've got a buddy whose wife is an arts & crafts geek and now she is using it to make mobiles. Apparently it works OK for that purpose. I don't know, maybe it just doesn't like me, but I got rid of every spool I had.

Not so much with flukes,but I've had quite a bit of success with 5"senko imitations like a dinger or the Chompers salty sinker or the Gulp sinking minnow. One day a 6" red shad sluggo was the ticket. One several other days, the Bass Pro Sticko worked the best. The main consideration was a bait that wasn't quite as fragile as a senko. I experimented with different hooks quite a bit. The 4/0 Gamakatsu skip gap got the most play over the last month and a half for me. 20 lb Segar invisix and 1/2 ounce drop shot weights. Bait was 6" to 8" above the weight. Never more than a foot. Another good bait was the 4" Berkley Crazy Legs Chigger Craw. That seemed to match up better with a 3/0 hook.

I've had very few issues with 14 lb Fireline on any of my spinning reels. The issues I have had can be attributed to operator error by not manually closing the bail every time.

I like my Cabelas Guide Wear jacket & bibs. I didn't get the insulated set, but I wear different layers of polar fleece and such to control warmth. A little water is always gonna get in through the sleeves and neck, but never to the point where it is uncomfortable.

Prior to getting my current boat (Lowe WF 180) I had one of the Buster Boats . I had the deluxe one - the Trophy model. I bought it as a complete kit - with everything, trolling motor, depth finder, rudder, etc. The only issue I had with that boat was the compared to other pond boats - it was a little heavy and I was limited to smaller conservation lakes that had boat ramps. Farm ponds were out of the question, i.e. launching the boat was easy enough, but putting it back on the trailer was a pain. Even on a boat ramp, putting it back on the trailer was a challenge sometimes. I fished out of this boat, once or twice a week, 9 months of the year for 5 years and I never tore it up. I smacked into lots of stumps and such. It is a little crowded with 2 guys fishing out of it. The built in cooler could be better. A couple of times in 90 degree + weather, I had my beer go from cold to cool to room temperature over the course of 8 or 10 hours fishing. As I got older and I transitioned more from beer to water that was less of an issue. I ran 3 batteries (wired parallel) and I upgraded to a 50 lb thrust trolling motor after the 1st year. I felt like I had unlimited range on the 150 to 300 acre conservation lakes I mostly fished. While my batteries were definitely worm down by the end of the day, I never ran out of power. Using one battery would have been a different story. Overall, I learned alot about fishing out of a boat that directly transferred to fishing out of my current larger boat. The bottom line is anything that gets you off the bank and on to the water is good. Buy what you can afford, then upgrade when you need to or feel like it.

I got to go fishing yesterday, 11/5 at Indian Creek Lake in Livingston County. Water temp has dropped about ten degrees over the past week. Last week - low 60's. This week - low 50's. It was chilly. Weather report said there was a high of 50 - but I don't believe it. I had on polypro/wool long underwear, heavy wool socks, and a polar fleece suit over that. Once I got on the water - I had to go to Frogg Toggs to stop the wind. I have a heavy duty suit og Cabelas Guide Wear but I dsidn't throw it in the truck because I didn't think it would be so cold. Next week I bet I remember the Guide wear. Fishing sucked. Only touched 4 fish all day all on different baits in different parts of the lake. At one point, 2:30 or so in the afternoon I missed several hits on wacky senkos in bushes 6 to 8 feet down. They hit and ran with it but I missed on hookset. The whole baitfish in the back of coves thing hasn't happened at all for me this year and I don't know why. I'm going next week and take another shot - maybe should the water temps stabilize at 50 or so for a while, fishing will pick up.