gr8outdoorz

As said before don't stress if you don't know what you want to do right off the bat. There is plenty of time in life to figure that out. You will more than likely change majors/careers at least once in life. I originally went to school to be a chef. After 12 years in the business I wanted a change so I went back to school and got a couple more degrees. I am now a medical scientist specializing in Immunology. Our laboratory is currently conducting research on stem cells. We are using them in Bone Marrow Transplants to regenerate the bone marrow of children with leukemia. I absolutely LOVE what I do now. Just keep your eyes and ears open to what you see/hear in life & you will find your path. Good luck!

Tennessee Arkansas Mississippi Alaska

Collierville CC. Fish from the bridge to the big culvert. Good luck!

With a fly rod!

No worries! My feelings weren't hurt. it's just that this has been a fun thread & don't want to see it get locked due to name calling, etc.. Roll Tide!!

Origin of the White Wedding Dress: A son asked his mother the following question: ' Mom, why are wedding dresses white? ' The mother looks at her son and replies: ' Son, this shows your friends and relatives that your bride is pure.' The son thanks his Mom and goes off to double-check this with his father. 'Dad why are wedding dresses white? ' The father looks at his son in surprise and says: 'Son, all household appliances come in white.'

That statement alone shows gross lack of intelligence. Its good to know you have met all of the SEC fans in this country. Funny...I don't remember us meeting. To categorically say that you are intellectually superior to SEC fans is idiotic, childish, and just plain stupid. Just my .02

Turned out to be a really good game!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kent!!!!!!

I know LSWho fans were salivating when they heard that story! As much as I don't want that to happen, in this day & age, it would not shock me! He has said he wasn't going somewhere before and then did. Now...until that happens...ROLL TIDE!!

ROOOOLLLL TIDE!!! Nuff said!

This is right on! At the tailwater I fish most often, we regularly check the water temps on the lake. Once it hits 40* we know the "shad kill" is coming. These shad get sucked through the dam when they release water and the big Browns & Rainbows line up to feed! We start throwing nothing but shad flies then and tear them up. Most people think the best time for trophy trout is during the spawn. Fishing the shad kill is so much better! It will wear your arm out!

You have some good waters in your state that hold some nice brown & rainbow trout. Anything over 20" will give you a VERY nice fight! Smallmouth would be my 2nd choice.

60% - Trophy size Brown Trout 20% - Trophy size Rainbows 15% - LMB 5% - Other (Bluegill, Crappie, Carp, Salmon,... basically anything that swims!)

Those were caught on the Upper Kenai River. We dropped in at Cooper Landing and pulled out just above Skilak Lake. We also fished the Middle Kenai at Soldotna but didn't do as well there. Caught a few nice Rainbows on the Russian River as well.

Thanks Dwight! Its was a very worthwhile trip. I'm going to have to back because 2 weeks is not nearly enough time to enjoy all Alaska has to offer.

Thanks guys!!! I am glad to be back! It sure was nice to sleep in my own bed last night!! We had an awesome vacation though. The toughest thing to get re-adjusted to was night time. We had 20 hours of daylight and 4 hours of (what they call) night. It wasn't dark though, you could sit outside at 2 am and read a book with no flashlight!! We will definitely be heading back for a King & Silver run. Catching salmon on a fly rod is an awesome experience IMHO! They said Sockeye are (pound for pound) the hardest fighting salmon. I know it was definitely some fun fishing. I had my saltwater reel on my 8 wt rod & had the drag all but locked down. I got taken all the way on the backing by 2 different fish! (That's 90+ yard runs for those not familiar with fly line length) We cooked up a couple salmon at camp, which were delicious, & was still able to freeze & bring back almost 30lbs for future dinners

Just got back from spending 2 great weeks in a truly amazing state! If you love the outdoors then you will love Alaska. My fiancee & I, along with my brother and his fiancee, flew to Anchorage July 20th to spend 2 weeks touring Alaska with our parents, who are there for the summer. Being retired, they decided to escape the southern heat by heading there for a 3 month vacation. For the first 9 days we toured & explored Denali National Park where, amongst other things, Kristen (my fiancee) climbed her first mountain! It was not a very technical climb at all (crux was a short 5.6 section) and only a 1500 ft elevation gain to the top, from where we were camped, so I had no worries she could do it. It was a blast though! We packed a couple small packs, set off in the morning & 5 hours later we were kicking it back at camp. With the views she had from on top, she finally got experience what life above treeline is like. While in the Nat Park we saw a total of 18 Grizzlies, 8 Moose, lots of Caribou, and a host of smaller wildlife ( ground squirrles, porcupines, pica, etc..). The Alaska Range has some of the most beautiful mountains I have been to. If you like vast open wilderness, I highly recommend Denali National Park! After 9 great days, we packed up and headed 350 miles southwest to the Keni Peninsula. That means its time to break out the fly rods!!! Salmon fishing in Alaska has been on my bucket list for a loooong time! It was here we heard the first bad news of the trip...the King Slamon fishing had been closed by Alaska Fish & Wildlife. The runs were so small they had to close them to fishing to preserve future runs (something I fully understand). Since the Kings were off limits, we booked a trip for some Sockeye that were finishing their run. Although the Sockeye were just about finished, we still managed to hook into quite a few of them. Got our limit for dinner plus a few just for fun. The next bad news of the trip was when I got home. Apparently my waterproof camera's focus got jacked up and almost all my pics are blurry!! The closer the pic, the better the clarity. Oh well...at least I still have the pics. Sorry bout being long winded, on to the pics!! First fish of the day! A Dolly Varden. My first Sockeye!! This Dolly fought hard! This was a beautiful Sockeye! Kristen's first Sockeye!!

You can use either and be just fine. I personally use a straight shank flippin hook for T-rigs because I like to use a Snell knot so when I set the hook, the weight puts pressure on the hook eye and forces it up & out to increase hook-ups. I used EWG's for years and did just fine so use what you have or are comfortable with. Good luck!

Not really sure but Baby Bass is one of my top producing colors for cranks & swimbaits.

Nice King lanz!! I'll hopefully be feeling that fight soon! My fiancee and I are heading up to Cooper Landing, AK for a couple weeks to fly fish for Kings, Sockeye, & Silvers. King run hasn't been looking too good this year but the Sockeye & Silver runs should be plentyful.

Sounds like you are doing good with it!! Keep it up! Although I have never tried pulling a worm across the top of a mat, I would never discount it until I have tried it. You never know what will work! That being said, I like to punch through the mat to get to the ones hiding under it if they are not hitting the frog I skip across it first. If you are wanting the worm to drop into the mat, but are having trouble, then increase the weight on your T-rig. Make sure you have a stout rod when punching though. You will be pulling LOTS of weeds back with the fish. As far as feeling the thumps...swing away!!!! Hook sets are free!! The more you fish that way, the easier it will become to tell the difference between the thump of weight hitting weeds & the tap of a bass. I still swing at taps under mats all the time. Some are bass, some are not. Good luck!!

Punching!! Basically it's a heavy Texas rig. (1-2 oz bullet weight, punch skirt "optional", a stout hook, and some sort of creature/craw bait). What I do is pitch the rig to a spot in the mat I want to break through. Once its on the bottom, I shake it to get the attention of any bass feeding on the bottom. If no bites on the fall or shake, then I lift it up until it hits the bottom of the mat then drop it back down & repeat one more time.This will give any bass suspended under the mat time to see it & hopefully react. If no bites after that then I pull it and pitch to the next spot & repeat the process again at the next spot. I feel it is vital to lift & drop the lure b/c you never know where the bass are under there. Hope this helps!