Valascus

Whew...Rogers was rough on the boys last night. At least we didn't get shut out. But we have Carp and Sup comin' up the next to games. I believe Reyes is scheduled again for Game 5. So the Cardinals DO have a chance...albeit a small one to nail this down at home. It's getting exciting now!

That was a fantastic start from Reyes for a multitude of reasons. 1) It showed he is capable of pitching in a high pressure environment. 2) It showed he can make proper in game adjustments to his gameplan to start retiring hitters...good hitters. He started out relying on his change up too much which led to Detroit's first run. Then Yadi and Reyes talked it over. Reyes started using his 4 and 2 seam fastballs to work the both corners of the plate then went to his change as his out pitch. It's little adjustments like that that make all the difference. 3) It showed he is capable of going deep into games, which was viewed as a possible problem earlier in the season due to past injuries. You couldn't have asked for a better game all around from the Cardinals. Great great game.

Boy did I call that or what?

On a trip to Tablerock Lake for 7...count 'em...7 Days!!!! So I won't be around for a while. Got my gear sorted and ready, got what I plan on using tied on the rods, and got everything packed. Only thing left to do is leave on Saturday morning. Just gotta make it through work today...gonna be a long cold 8 hours. Before I leave, does anyone have any more recent info on The Rock? Any advice, info, tip, tricks...anything ya got, would be very much appreciated. Thanks again everyone!! I'll get some pics for ya! 8-)

Well...Weaver and the bullpen showed up to play...but the offense went . That was a well played game though. I am very impressed with Weaver's pitching in that game. It's only 1-0 Mets...and Carp Vs. some other guy .

Whew, good game so fars fellas! I personally think the Cards COULD be leading at this point if not for a few mental errors on the basepaths and some stellar Mets defense. Gotta go...games back on!

Whew...Detroit flat wore out Barry Zito. 92 pitches in 3 2/3 innings. Ouch. Leyland has them doing exactly what he wants them to do. And that is going to take them a long way. I have Detroit in the Series and feel very confident saying that they get it done in 6. The Tigers are out-thinking the A's and the A's hit into waaaaaaay too many double plays....and the next two pitchers they face have awesome fly to groundball ratios. Not good for the A's. BUT, tonights game is the star in my book. LET'S GET IT ON!!! Cards at Mets!!

I agree with everyone here so far. ANYTIME is a good time to fish.

I have a hard time rooting for a team that has just upended us. I think the Tigers deserve it the most. That group of youngsters has played their collective butts off and Leyland has ressurected that franchise. If...and only if...the Cardinals lose...will I be rooting for the Tigers.

I have noticed that the shallow bite has started to pick up a bit. I did alright on the local parks pond fishing a 3/8 oz. Jig-X in Pumpkin Pepper Green with a NetBaits Paca Craw trailer in Alabama Craw. Best of that day was a 2lb 4oz. fish that hit the jig shallow...and I mean shallow. Less than a foot of water and less than a foot from the bank. Shot out from under a partially submerged log and hammered it just as I was getting ready to pull it from the water. Big fish for that little pond. They hit the jig pretty good for the time I had it tied on. They were hanging out pretty close to wood in shallow water. Had to be a pretty precise cast to get 'em to whack it. But once you got it close enough to 'em...BAM..fish on!

I agree with ya GMAN. Promptness is very important to me. I HATE being late for ANYTHING. I don't like it when other folks make me late either. If someone says they are gonna meet ya at such and such time to go fishing, they had better be there. I'll wait about 5-10 minutes depending on who it is then I am gone.

Bring it on MuddyMan!! 8-) This will be the true test for BOTh teams. A seven game series with both teams starting pitching either quite thin (Mets) or sometimes questionable (Cards). It's gonna be interesting. This is going to be a very exciting offensive series I believe. I think the Mets still have an edge on us, but then again...the Padres were supposed to too...and they are getting out their golf gear. Cards in five may be a little bold of a prediction Bassmasta. The Mets are no chumps. I say this one goes to Game 7 with the Cards pulling it out. It's gonna be fun...LET'S GO CARDINALS!!!!

Agreed. You are doing more than you can probably realize for our great country. Good luck and stay safe.

Boy...the Cards are looking pretty rough today...down 3-0 in the 5th. Suppan hasn't been pitching very well this game. Been missing his spots and getting worked to a lot of full counts. The defense is lookin' a little shaky today too for some reason. The Cards are lookin' a little anxious at the plate too. Back in the 4th Young struck out the side which consisted of Pujols, Edmonds, and Rolen. He made all three of 'em look pretty bad. Got Pujols on a check swing, Edmonds on three pitches, and Rolen swingin' at a pitch around his neck. Good thing we don't absolutely have to win this one, cuz it's lookin' like it's gonna be a little tough to do so. :-/

Ain't that the truth ...I have also had a hard time locating them. I have just ben sticking with shallower water techniques for now. They will be there eventually. One day I am just expecting things to explode.

Deadsticking does work, but it's just not for me. I do not have the patience to allow a bait just to sit for long periods of time. I think part of the reason that may be for me though is the uncertainty of whether or not there is actually a fish where I am deadsticking. If I KNOW for a fact that there is a good fish in the brushpile I am casting to then I will let the bait sit there all day. If I am in search mode and am uncertain of where the fish are I won't deadstick.

Man...I dunno Muddy. The Mets are suddenly starting to look very vulnerable on the pitching side of things. Pedro is out and El Duque' has a "tweaked calf" leaving you with Glavine, Trachsel, and....and...hmmm can't remember the numero five starter...brain fart. That series is looking to be an interesting one for sure. At least the Mets have a pretty beastly line up. Maybe that will help make up for any pitching woes that may arise. Good luck, but I think I'd rather see the Dodgers than the Mets in the NLCS. Not because I don't like the Mets, but because we railed on the Dodgers bad all year.

That was an all around well played Cardinals victory. The pitching was great (don't here that often this year associated with Cards), everyone in the line up chipped in a little offensively, including Carp, and Ronnie Belliard brought the defense. And all this happened against the Padres "best" pitcher. Gives me a little more hope than I previously had. But now the hard part comes...winning a game with someone OTHER than Carp on the mound. If the Cards somehow pull out a victory in the next couple games then we may have this series in the bag seeing as Carp is gonna get another shot at 'em. As K-Mac said....hope springs eternal.

Yeah...that Cardinals made it, but I don't think they will make it out of the first round. The Cardinals ONLY saving grace is that the way the playoff schedule stacks up with the days off and travel, Carp can pitch on full rest TWICE in a short series. He has looked a little mortal of late, but if for some reason the Padres offense can't get to him we may have a chance. That being said though...I think the Cards are gonna have problems scoring runs against a very very very good Padres pitching staff (starters and bullpen). Jake Peavy will also get to go twice on full rest if necessary. Chris Young is WAY better than anybody in our rotation past Carp. If I had to pick a winner, numbers wise and all common baseball knowledge point squarely to the Padres. Hopefully that Cardinals prove me wrong. :-/

At this point I don't even consider the Cardinals deserving of a playoff berth. Let's face it. If they make it in...their first opponent will be a far superior San Diego Padres team that helped get us into this mess. The Astros have a far superior pitching staff while over the next few games we have to endure Weaver, Suppan (which isn't bad), and Reyes (which can very easily go either way). At this point I am willing to bet the Cards will take the "Choke Artist Throne" away from the 1964 Philidelphia Phillies. Might as well kiss our playoff chances, even if we make it, good bye :-*. >

I don't fish in a storm at all. Period. If I hear thunder or see lightening I am gone and usually very irritated at having to cut the trip short. But, I would rather cut the trip short and live to fish another day than get fried by lightening. As far as rain goes, I will fish in that no problem to a point. A drizzle, sure. Steady rain, okay. Moderately heavy, annoyed, but will continue. Pouring freakin' buckets...not so much...I am seeking some drier shelter until it slows up.

This is a very informative thread. I love fishing cranks. One of my go to baits. When the bite is tough for some reason I can tie on a crank and catch at least one. I use the methods mentioned above and then some. When I am fishing flats with cranks, I sometimes like to burn the bait as fast as I can past some sort of cover without making the bait turn on it's side. This usually results in the bait getting hit like a train by a feeding bass.

That is absolutely correct. Being from MO is the main reason that I haven't added a single swimbait to my arsenal. I have a monstrous variety of soft plastics and a good selection of jigs. If I am big fish hunting I am using one of those two things and fishing ANY STRUCTURE I can find very slowly and meticulously.

Yeah!! How bout them Dodgers y'all...4...count 'em...4 CONSECUTIVE home runs in the bottom of the ninth to take the game to extras. 2 of 'em off of Trevor Hoffman. That has got to be absolutely demoralizing to the Padres. The Pads get the lead back in the tenth only to have Nomar hit a walk off homer to end the madness. The Dodgers are only the 4th team to do that in history and the first one to do it in almost 40 years. Brings a whole new meaning to breaking out the whoopin' stick. Go Dodgers...the Cards would LOVE to see you in the NLDS.

I like to throw topwaters in the wee hours and will continue through out the day as long as the conditions are prime for it. I have yet to break that five pounder barrier though (I think that has more to do with the waters I fish than baits thrown), and I doubt it'll come on a topwater. But that being said...topwaters are pretty dang fun. Just minding yer business...*jerk jerk...pause...jerk jerk...pauSMASH!!* Ah...can't beat that adrenaline rush.