FlipnLimits

Usually it's one at a time for me also, but bulk has bargaining power, so couldn't pass-up a deal. And this was planned for a while

Thank you, I enjoy the photography.

Have always owned Shimano Chronarchs and a few higher-end Shimano reels. These are the workhorses of the arsenal and hopefully the Ci4s will last for a few years.

Welcome! Share what you like to fish for. FL

Body bags, lol. Remember when they came with nice Elvis Velvet? sign of the times.....

Hey, I resemble that remark! Ha, at least my snippers do.

Hoosierbass07 Both are jigs. The weedgaurd equipped jigs, with a skirt, are generally what bassfishermen refer to as jigs. The bald jigs are not commonly referred to as jigs by bassfishermen. More akin to "jigheads". Naked jigs used for crappies and bluegill/brim. It all depends who you talk to. Regardless of their name, don't quit on jigs yet! A successful bass fisherman will master this weedgaurded monster. It's my #1 bait for quality bass. Learn it, love it, embrace it FL

Darn right, be careful what you wish for. When it floods around here, DNR closes the lakes to all boating. I understand the closing of the lakes, to protect property, but it does stink when you're a fisherman.

Lol, yes and yes. Multiple kids. I sold-off some gear so had to replace it.

First time I've seen these Boomerang snips, they look nice. Fingernail clips attached to a retractable string are the original version, I guess The Boomerang gizmo looks cleaned-up, I like it. Quit smoking 10 years ago, so the lighter is gone too, thank goodness.

Forum fellows I never did understand the "unboxings" but I guess it's fun to open toys. Especially with cabin fever running so high. FL Still trying to adjust to the picture uploader. It only accepted half of my pictures, not sure why.

Good old fingernail clippers that are attached to a retractable I.D. badge holder. It's fast and always attached to my belt. No need to look for it, it's attached at the hip always. I also don't use too much braid, for frogs and punching only. What do you use Catt? FL

My wife rarely goes with. I fish often, very often, and she has a standing invitation but she doesn't go usually. On the rare occasion she does go, we joy ride and have a nice lunch somewhere on the water. She has caught a 36" Pike when she thought she was stuck on weeds. I had to inform her that weeds don't pull back She has no problem with me fishing, at all. We spend every minute of our lives together otherwise and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's her support that allows me to concentrate on fishing and not about an angry spouse. Thanks, hon!

There are many things. Top of the list are; The sunrise and wishing my dad was still alive to share the moment with him. I also ask his help to give me a few bites each day God rest his soul. FL

Goodness! I just typed a long reply and scrolled back to see a post and lost everything I wrote, ugh! The short version........ Thanks for your great replies, some funny, some really informative! Flyingmonkie, 20 more years and you'll be a free man! Just kidding Kids grow quickly. Save your dollars and you'll have the rig of your dreams soon enuf. WIGuide, those smallies sure are squirly! FrogFreak, yup, whacked my windshield slinging a frog several times over the years, luckily didn’t break it. MacMichael, rest assured, I always have TP in the boat! The coffee can is a great idea, I’m gonna borrow that idea from you, thank you! Catt, up here, sleet will bruise your face at those speeds. At 70, mosquitos and flys go down smoothly too J. Maybe this year I’ll try a face mask for Spring. Too many great posts to reply to, sorry if I didn’t reply to your post. FL

How true, how true.

BigBill Funny story, but sad a the same time. And yes, a good son! Fadetoblack Ouch, the neck has such delicate skin! And love the Rush quite, long time fan. Saw them this Summer again. Thanks for sharing your lessons, gents! FL

Forum members Share some of your hard earned lessons. You know, forgetting to plug the boat in and the batteries were day on tourney/fishing morning. Forgetting the drain plug, ouch! Maybe not hitting the recirc button until it's too late. I'll start. You may know where Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, or Wissota, WI is, just think KVD winning a tournament on Wissots with 12 lbs, in '05. Well, I had a big tournament at the same venue in '06. I arrived 3 days before the start of a 2-day tournament and it was 80F and we were rockin' 14-15 lb bags of smallies, in practice. I was sure that this was my year to win a big tournament with 75 boats (not sure how many, it was a long time ago) because we had a better weight average than KVD did. It was a lock to win, but here comes the Lesson! It was early Fall and it was still very nice warm temps. Well, each day it dropped a few degrees and by Saturday morning, it was sleeting and plain miserable It felt so cold outside, and it was, but it was worse because it was the first cold snap of the year. Well, the first tournament day was a bust!! We caught just 3 keepers and were devastated, fully deflated. We went from cloud 9 with what we thought were big bags, to having 3 smallies that may have weighed 8 lbs, or so. As we motored back to weigh-in, we decided we had wasted all this time and decided to toss the fish in the water and leave. lol. I laugh now but was crying later that day. We released the fish, loaded the boat, and left for home, in full disgust. On the way home, we get a phone call from buddies still at the tournament asking what happened to us. We told them our story and one by one, each buddy told us that our 3 fish weighing 8 lbs would have put us in the top ten. The leading bag was big, yes, but we could have easily been in it still. This is about the time I looked at my partner and he at me, and what lesson do you think we just learned? Never toss your fish back when in a tournament!!! FL

Oh yes, the anticipation is Murder! I must admit that it's gotten better for me but I still find myself staying up late because nowadays I don't go to bed unless I'm already tired. It's a rule of mine. I get so wound up sometimes, I get a stomach ache and you know what's next! Usually at the ramp, I must find the nearest toilet, lol. My partner still laughs that I'm like this. After we get rolling, it all goes away. In another thread I mentioned having to fish and concentrate very hard the first hour so I can calm the nerves. Wish I could suggest something to help you with this but when you figure it out, let me know. When the feeling leaves, it's time to quit tournaments. We live for this feeling! I look at these feelings as something that will make you successful because you're hungry for it FL

Some lakes have shallow tributaries that freeze-over completely. Some fish die, some retreat to deeper waters. For the places that freeze-over completely or run out of oxygen, there will be complete fish kills. The main body of lakes will not suffer as badly due to deeper water, so most fish will survive with minimal impact. Fishing this year will be normal but there will be fish missing if they perished. I do avoid certain areas in the Spring, knowing fish kills are common in such places. Some others will fish there and waste their time but time and experience teaches that and nobody likes to be told they are wrong, so there ya have it Good thinking, Preytorien, you are stacking the odds in your favor with thoughts like this. Me and my fishing partner brainstorm constantly and pick things apart and it usually is beneficial. FL

I'd be interested in that aswell. If you see more info, please share. Also worked off Thorndale. Florstar, next to Market Day. It was a kid's job, but I was young enough to be a kid

I worked nights in Wood Dale, back then, and in the morning fished Busse every day while traffic on the Kennedy died off. I kinda miss that time. Perhaps we'll meet up there some time. And to your original thread. I have found BPS has sadly down-graded since they opened (Chicago/Gurnee). I don't go there too often due to their poor selections, not the people they employ. I don't use XPS and if I did, I'd expect those knockoffs to be 50% cheaper than the originals. The originals were inventions and innovations, not copies, and they have a value worth paying for. As for the timeshare folks.....just walk past, I'm not there for them.

Not to change the subject, but how is Busse doing? Cut my teeth there 20 some years ago.

Welcome! You are lucky to be moved to a warmer clime, congrats!

Sweet Jesus, that is mighty good looking! Some great lines to that boat, very innovative. Looks like a motor cover on too, nice. FL