Valascus

How 'bout them Cubbies...breakin' out the big bucks. First signing Aramis Ramirez to a $73 million dollar contract, bringing on Sweet Lou to manage, Kerry Wood for one more injury riddled year at $1.75 mil, and finally Alphonso Soriano, makin' the cash, at 8 years, $136 million dollars !! Freakin' Nuts!! On another note, Pujols got hosed by the BBWAA and got robbed of his MVP title by Ryan Howard. : Still think Pujols should have been the MVP.

I agree. This is a very informative post. I have often wondered which style or type of lines excel at certain applications. This info helps give better insight into that. As far as I go...I fish most of my stuff with Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft. The exceptions are heavily weedy or woody areas...then it's PowerPro time.

I have yet to catch a thing on a chatterbait...although I will say I probably haven't had the chance to fish them in ideal conditions yet. I think it is more a stained water, medium to shallow depth, reaction strike kinda bait. The only chance I got to fish it were in situations that weren't anywhere close to that...cold, clear, and deep water...not so much, but hey, nothing else was working that day either.

Heh...I know for a fact that I am guilty of fishing my t-rigs way too quick. I still catch fish on them, but more so in the spring and summer months when the bass are feeding much heavier. Informative post. A good reminder to anyone who fishes a t-rig on how to do it right and be more productive with it.

I couldn't grow one to save my life. I get this weird blochy homeless lookin' dude look going on. I just keep my face clean shaven prety much all the time. I shave about every other day...the little women likes it like that.

I was thinking about picking some up, but after reading these posts, I think that'll be a big fat no. I usually don't give many Berkley products a look. I just don't ever catch anything on their products. The power worm is about the only thing I have caught fish on.

I always thread my trailers with the exception of pork. I think it gives the bait a more realistic and uniform appearance. I almost never have a bass strike just the trailer or tear off the trailer. I think threading it on helps save the trailer from more wear and tear, and helps you save more baits in the long run.

I don't have any problem with sinking brushpiles, but sinking Christmas trees may not be a great idea. Most Christmas trees you buy from the local tree lot are pumped full of chemical preservatives to help prolong their lush green appearance. Those chemicals can't be good for the water or the aquatic life that inhabits it. If you are gonna sink Christmas trees, I would let all the needles fall off and let it dry up as much as possible before dumping it.

Be sure to tell your friends while you are doing well in your college classes and NOT PARTYING, and they are all struggling to do well while they all drink to excess and killing brain cells, who is laughing now. Take my advice...parting in college is a HORRIBLE idea. You are there to study and do well for yourself and your future. Not to drink and party. Take that from a guy who unfortunately did just that and ended up $20,000+ in debt in student loans with no degree to show for it. Try your hardest to resist this peer pressure. It all starts with that.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words, thoughts, prayers, great advice and direction, and for sharing your experiences. I am trying my best to keep a level head about the whole situation, and have thrown myself at finding a new (hopefully better) job ASAP. I just hope this doesn't turn into another prolonged search like last time. :-/

As if this year could not get any worse for me. I am so ready for 2006 to go away. Got laid off from job I worked at for 5 years in February 2006. I was a research assistant at a Core ECG Lab, reading ECGs and coding my findings. Didn't find new job until late April in the Carpentry Union. I never really ever felt comfortable at the new job, nor did the people I worked with ever really try to help me feel like I "belonged" there. I always felt like I was a burden or was in the way, but it helped keep money in the bank, food on the table, the bills paid, and we could even afford to have some nicer things. Then on May 26th, 2006 I got hurt in an accident that could have been avoided had someone taken the time to do their job and properly cover a hole in the floor. Instead they just laid some wood over it and I had to suffer a broken arm, compression fracture in my spine, a broken pelvis, and couldn't work again until late September. Now...I have been laid off again. All that suffering and hard work I went through healing and going through 2 months of physical therapy just so I could get back out there and work again...flushed down the toilet. I don't really know how to describe how I feel. Frustration, anger, anxiety, uncertainty, sadness...heck pretty much every bad feeling one can feel all rolled up into one. I just don't understand it...I am a good worker. I get to work on time every day. I am prepared and want to be there. I take time to make sure the job is done right and not half way. I like learning as many facets of a job that I can, so I can become a better asset to whoever I am working for. But none of that seems to matter. When it comes time for someone to be on the chopping block it always seems like it's me. I am just so tired of the affect all this has had on my family and myself. I just wish that things could go back to "normal" somehow. I just wish I could find a decent steady job so we wouldn't have to worry about money, health insurance, spending time together as a family...all that stuff which has been affected. Sorry 'bout the rant...just needed to vent a little.

I ended up releasing the fish seeing that I didn't know what the regulations on keeping the fish were and I didn't bring any type of vessel with me to keep any fish in since I was down there for nothing but C&R fishing. I didn't know trout would hit a crank. Still surprises me that one did. I could see the bigger ones doing it, but he didn't seem like he was anywhere close to big enough.

Back when I drank...and I mean DRANK...if I were sober enough to remember, I would eat some toast, crackers, or something like that. Then I would chug about a gallon of water and with the last chug, I would take one Aleve. If I am not mistaken, the active ingredient in Aleve (naproxen sodium) does not react with alcohol like the active ingredients in Advil, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Excedrin, and Aspirin do. worked everytime I remembered to do it. When I didn't....oh boy....worst night I ever had was a lot...and I mean a lot of Bacardi Gold. Made me sick ALL of the next day. Never got out of bed that day and spent a lot of time praying to the Porcelin God in Swahili.

I suppose you are right there KU. Heck, I thought I had broke the ice and finally had hooked my first bass of the day. I didn't even know there were trout in this pond. I can see why people enjoy trout fishing though. For their size, they fight pretty well. It took me forever to get him off the hook. He had quite a bit of spunk in him...didn't wanna hold still long enough to let me get the job done. I like those gloves too, Tom. I usually don't wear 'em, but it was cold all day...and there is very little I hate more than cold, wet hands. Can't beat 'em for $9.

Well, yesterday I finally got some time to get out and fish for a few hours. First time in 3 weeks. Tough day fishing...it had just stormed hard the night before, the air temp dropped 30+ degrees, and the it was cooooooold and cloudy all day. Temps never got out of the low 40's and it was in the mid 30's pretty much all day. There were some guys trout fishing at the local pond, but they couldn't buy a trout bite. They did, however, catch a small bass. I was fishing for bass. Couldn't buy a bass bite. I did, however, catch this. Again. I was dumbfounded. I have never caught a trout. Ever. And this one decided to strike a Rapala DT-6 in firetiger. I thought that was really weird. Decent size trout too. The guys that were trout fishing were just as surprised as I was. Has anyone else had something like this happen? I didn't know trout would try to eat a crankbait. That was the only thing I got all day. Weird. I know this will probably get moved to the other species section, I just wanted folks to get an eye on it.

Walt Jocketty's recent remarks on the Cardinals website saying "The "best" pitcher and "best" hitter they could find is on their list of offseason acquistions. But when asked about Daisuke Matsuzuka he gave a kinda beating around the bush answer. Could Walt be pulling his old hiding and waiting in the weeds act on us and the rest of the baseball world? I would be all over that kind of pitching prowess. 4 different pitches, 95-98 mph, with excellent control and an ERA in the low 2 range. Um....yeah. Hopefully Jocketty and the ownership will up the ante a bit in a bid for a title defense.

I don't care what anyone says. LBH is right. As long as you can physically fish, you can catch fish. Fish still have to eat to survive in the winter. They don't eat as much because their metabolism slows down quite a bit, but they still eat. They also don't move all that much unless it is to move to warmer water...water that is even a single degree warmer. Find the fish...then fish painfully painfully slooooooooooow.

Eh...I am not really concerned about Tony's book or movie. Don't think it'll make good box office.

Well...the ***** in the Bears armor has become apparent. Rex Grossman...when he plays bad and makes bad...and I mean bad decisions...is that *****. I think that loss is a blessing in disguise though. Outta bring 'em back to reality a little. ANYONE CAN BEAT ANYONE ANY GIVEN DAY!! Especially in football. They just got beat by the Dolphins. Ouch. Wake up call fellas. As for Indy...well I don't think they are quite as good as their 8-0 record implies. Don't get me wrong, they are very very good, but just not as good as everyone makes them out to be. Manning is the best QB to never win a Superbowl...he wins one he could be hailed as the best of all time one day. BUT...their is a HUGE weakness in Indy. Their run defense is horrific. Like super bad. The game against the Patriots...the Colts didn't win that game...the Patriots lost it. They got away from their game plan of just running the ball all over Indy with Cory Dillon and Laurence Maroney. They would have killed Indy as would many other teams they have faced if they would just exploit that weakness.

Fresh- Walleye Salt - Halibut mmmmmmmmmmm...

That little guy looks familiar . It got me one of my 4 hook ups at the Rock. As for me...I use a TON of crankbaits. It just seems like I can always catch SOMETHING on 'em. Normally some sorta baitfish colors...shad, bluegill, firetiger, or when fall and winter roll around and shade of red or crayfish looking colors. Jigs are starting to quickly become my second go to bait...ben pretty much all I have fished since about 9-30-06 with decent success.

I wish Clemens would just go away already. "I'm gonna retire, no, now I am gonna play, but it's my last year....again...". It's rediculous. I bet he ends up back with the Yanks or Red Sox this year. The year he ends up with either of those teams...that will be his last year I bet. That's when he'll be going for broke trying to win a WS and go out on top. All I know is I am tired of hearing every year how "this could be his last start...or his last game in this stadium or that stadium". It's annoying. As far as Pedro goes, I doubt he is gonna retire. Minaya would be fuming if he went out and spent all that cash to get him and Pedro up and did that. I bet after Pedro's contract is up with the Mets he will retire.

That's exactly what I am sayin' bassmasta. Dunc is good like that. Speaking of Dunc...let's talk a bit about the other Dunc...Chris Duncan. People may think I am crazy, BUT...I think we should trade him. Offensively, he has the raw skills to be a great hitter. Defensively...well...where we have wanted to use him (outfield), he just doesn't have the knack. Now...that being said, Chris Duncan would benefit GREATLY from being able to play 1st base full time. But I don't think he is dethroning you know who any time soon. I think we should trade him to a team seeking a full time 1st baseman and see what kind of bullpen pitching (cuz you wouldn't get more than that for him...at least I don't think so...maybe a prospect) But, I don't think that will happen because he is Dave Duncan's son. I think we are doing Chris Duncan a huge dis-service by keeping him on as a 5th outfielder (behind So Taguchi). Another thing we need to consider. Signing a second baseman...other than Ronnie Belliard. Belliard is going to end up somewhere else during this free agency feedin' frenzy. And my bet is back to the Indians. However, I think the Cards should make a STRONG run at Mark Loretta for 2B, since Boston will likely not resign him due to the fact that they are after Julio Lugo. The Cards Should also consider a better alternative than Preston Wilson in left field. He strikes out too much. Don't know who else to get...but we need someone else... and Carlos Lee will come at too high a price.

In all honesty, I don't think Suppan can pitch as good as he does for us for any other team. I think a lot of it has to do with Dave Duncan knowing and teaching his pitchers how to best utilize what they have. I think that is part ofthe reason Weaver improved as much as he did when he got here from the Angels. I think if Sup leaves the Cards he will struggle.

I don't understand at all why you guys would wanna ditch A-Rod. If I am not mistaken Texas is still picking up some of that paycheck. A Rodriguez NYY 3B G:154 AB:572 R:113 H:166 2B:26 3B:1 HR:35 RBI:121 TB:299 BB:90 SO:139 SB:15 CS:4 OBP:.392 SLG:.523 AVG:.290 The one thing out of that batting line I don't like is his strikeouts and walks. BUT, you know what that tells me? That hs is putting himself under too much pressure. He is swinging at pitches TRYING to make something happen. If his plate patience would improve a bit, 1)he would see better pitches to hit, 2)his strike outs would tumble, and 3)the rest of his stats would improve. I just don't think their is a player out there with better RAW talent than A-Rod (maybe Miguel Cabrera, but that's another conversation all together). I don't think A-rod has hit his ceiling yet. Now, I know he is considered an arrogant jerk for the most part and he may not fit in well in the Yankee clubhouse or into the Yankee mold, and that NYY fans perceive him as useless in the playoffs,....BUT who would you guys go out and get that's better at third than that may I ask? The only other players with similar stats are Scott Rolen (vintage '04) and Aramis Ramirez who is a little bit injury prone and can be a nightmare some days at the hot corner defensively and has never even gotten a WHIFF of playoff experience. Miguel Cabrera would be a nice replacement ...IF you could pry him away from the Marlins...he is their cornerstone for building ANYTHING on that team. And I don't see the Mets getting rid of David Wright anytime soon.