RoLo

Within the 10 am to 4 pm framework that I mentioned early-on, the Noon to 4 pm time-slot has been the 'best-of-the-best' for trophy fish (fresh & salt) Though I know this to be the case, I can only speculate as to why. Roger

1970? Sheesh, I thought you meant back-in-the-day By 1970 I was 28 years old, making over $5/hr (uncle Bill was gone) In 1955 the minimum wage was 75 cents/hr, then in 1956 it was raised to $1/hr. Roger

Sure was! On a high note, we probably lived during the grandest era of all, and seen the greatest change ever. Around 1950, we were there when radio was replaced by black-&-white TV (every home had a roof antenna & rabbit ears) Ma-and-Pa stores were everywhere, when anything you needed was within walking distance. The ice-man, knife-sharpener, junk-man and vegetable man all came by our houses on horse-drawn carriage. I remember my father cranking his Model A, I remember skate keys, cap guns, Captain Video rings, and the coal man who'd site-fit that noisy metal chute leading to the our coal-bin. We even witnessed the beginning of the World-Wide Web, when it was little more than Telnet, Gopher and Archie (No, not Archie Bunker). Sad but true, based on what I see on today's horizon, I think I'd rather be making an exit, than making an entry. Roger

During the 50s & 60s, my uncle Bill Galik owned an Esso gas station in Hillside, NJ. I well remember the mechanical checklist you mentioned, to which I'd like the add the outdoor grease pits. Thanks to uncle Bill, I had a free place to service my own car, his tandem grease pits were a godsend. Back then the minimum wage was $1.00 / Hr, so you must've been a crackerjack 'pump jockey' Roger

Yes Hootie, and I remember it like it was yesterday. There was a Gulf station I once patronized (in the 60s) where my usual request was "Two of Tane" ($2 of Gulftane). You never left your car, the attendant would fetch the blue spray bottle and a handful of brown paper-towels. He'd clean your windshield and sometimes your backshield, then check your oil (they knew where every hood-release was located). You say you need a road map of New Jersey? He'd run inside and fetch you a FREE road map, and no tip was ever expected. Today, if someone rallied around your car like that, it would be on some airhead's cellphone, but back in the day, it was business as usual Roger

SPINNING Shimano Stradic I'm very hard on my equipment, but have never had any issue with any Stradic spinning reel. I wanted to say Stella, but oddly enough, one I owned had a bail issue & the rubber handle began falling apart CASTING Shimano Core I have nothing but praise for this reel, which made me a caster overnight. I own several and love'em all Roger

My newest addition is the 'Strike King Structure Bug' (part-time trailer on my punch rig) Roger

By the time our gas gets down to 1.86, you'll be paying a buck-fifty Hootie, when I first got my driver's license, I patronized a Checker gas station that charged 0.29 / gal. Today, that wouldn't even cover the local taxes. Roger

Why would braided line be associated with anything but "finesse"? Saltwater anglers quickly learn that 'thin diameter line' means getting away with a lighter sinker, in some cases, 'half' the weight. Freshwater & saltwater anglers both know that 'thin diameter line' means longer casting distances. Most importantly, a 'thin diameter line' provides a more natural delivery than a FAT diameter line, because it generates less water resistance. For this same reason, fly-fisherman use fine-diameter tippets to achieve the most natural delivery with minimal line-drag. Somewhere along the line, 'natural delivery' was wrongfully unseated by 'refractive index'. Ironically, 'line drag' is a measurable physical characteristic, while 'line-shyness' remains conjectural. Furthermore, 'refractive index' tells you only half the story about a line's visibility. The other half of the story is Line Diameter and fluorocarbon is not just fat, it's TWICE the diameter of braid. Roger

WOW, I'm being ripped off! Sounds like you're benefiting from low local taxes and a robust price war. Roger

We dumped our landlines as well, and switched to VoIP (Ooma). In addition to its amenities, our monthly cost went from $88 to $4 Roger

I'm not in the camp who believes that OPEC is slitting their own wrists for future gains. OPEC lacks the discipline to play fair within their own community, let alone foster a global agenda. 'Trend-following' is easier and safer than trying to predict a 'trend-reversal' Of course, all trends ultimately reverse, but that shouldn't take anyone by surprise. In the meantime: "The trend is your friend" Lake Wales, FL <> $2.25 / gal Roger

Exactly. After 15 seconds have elapsed, they figure they've got a fish on the line. In the same vein, we never answer calls labeled "Caller-ID Locked". Roger

You need to begin at the beginning, and cannot jump the chain of command. In spite of impeccable journalism, personal sponsors are driven by the profit motive, and don't stray from the honeypot. I believe Roadwarrior put it in a nutshell: "Real" sponsors tend to "find you". In a 'no-spin' zone, the road begins with tournament success. The very best of luck Roger

Exactly Rejiggering until plausible

Yup, and that would underscore "humble" Roger

Very Kool, I'm sure that was even more interesting than the TV version Roger

I'm guessing that Catt wants to move from nuts-&-bolts to meat-&-potatoes The importance of lure-path is well-known, but what lure-path is best for a given situation? Early on, repetitive casts was mentioned, and many excellent anglers maintain that repetitive casts can annoy a bass into striking. That may be so, but I see it a little differently. I believe that repeating a "cast" is very different from repeating a "retrieve", but repetitive casts can serve as a band-aid to bridge that gap. Although a series of casts may appear identical to the angler, they may all be different under the water from the standpoint of the bass. For instance, one out of 6 identical casts may tick a branch during the retrieve, or may travel a tad slower or faster, which translates to a tad deeper or shallower, where inches count. So in reality, it might've been the 6th 'cast', but it was the 1st 'retrieve' that got it right. In the mind of the angler notwithstanding, this creates the illusion that the bass struck out of belligerence. Roger

Someone did the angling world a disservice by calling the first plastic salamander a "LIZARD". Lizards are terrestrial animals found on land, while newts and salamanders are amphibians found in water. All forms of wildlife serve a function, even toxic newts and salamanders. For the most part though, the most poisonous sallies are the most vividly colored (nature's red flag) Roger

'Lure-path' is underrated, but is the nuts-and-bolts of angling. A small difference in lure path can make a big difference in results which will usually be credited to visible variables like 'lure color', 'line type' or 'leader type'. Roger

Truthfully Dwight, I cringe everytime I call them 'Jerkbaits', because that's probably the least important phase of delivery. A while back, J Franco mentioned that a friend of his referred to them as "Pausebaits" (I'll drink to that) Roger

I can relate to some of what you've said, but your 65 years of experience (12 to 77) far exceeds the lifespan of polyethylene braid. You qualified that breach however by mentioning braided Dacron (You probably remember dealing with braided nylon too) In any event, when fishing with 30-lb Berkley Trilene Braid, neither my wife nor I experience any "line-burrowing". Maybe we're just lucky, but we never engage in any line discipline or adhere to any special handling (we just fish). As long as I stay at or above 30-lb Trilene braid, line burrowing and wind-knots are far too rare to warrant mention. Roger

Good Grief, that's quite a story! You worked for American Sportsman? THEE 'American Sportsman' with Curt Gowdy? Roger

You're probably right BW, I might've gotten a bad one (but that quashed my desire for a replacement). I've owned many scale brands over the years, but that one was by far the worst. I bought the Brecknell a few years ago, and at that time it was one of the only IGFA certifiable digital scales. Roger

I've owned an "UltraSport 30" scale and frankly, it was the worst fish scale I ever owned. Mine was so erratic that I finally chucked it in the dumpster (my digital Berkley was much better). I've fished many years in saltwater, and came to respect “Chatillon” scales, a very trusted name. Those I own are still working well, but their max capacity it too high for freshwater (too big & clunky). Although it isn't cheap, my favorite freshwater scale is the "Brecknell Digital Handheld Scale" It's made by ElectroSamson, has 22-lb capacity, 1/4 oz precision (0.02 lb) and is recognized by IGFA. The Brecknell Digital Scale is also available in 55 lb cap (1/2 oz precision) & 99 lb cap (1 oz precision). Roger