Daniel My Brother

Very nice work. That rig should serve you well for a long time. You might want to do a search on here before you commit to the bed liner on the bottom. I recall some people having bad experiences with it. I believe someone said it created a lot of drag in the water, added weight to the hull, and maybe even peeled. Food for thought.

When my oldest daughter was about 17 she punched her idiot boyfriend. His nose bled. It wouldn't stop bleeding. He needed medical attention. She got charged with simple assault. I got a bill from a hospital and an attorney. That was a $1,500 punch. There are 2 lessons in this story for you. 1. Walk away when you can. 2. Don't date 17 year old girls. And don't tell me you're just friends. Straight 20 year old men don't hang out with 17 year old girls unless they want something. Even if they are going on 18. :

Honestly, we don't get to pick and choose the laws we're going to obey. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

A lot of "clear" line turns milky white pretty quickly. I use green mostly, with the exception of Trilene 100% flouro which stays clear longer. I fish stained water with a lot of vegetation and the green just blends right in...at least it does in my mind, which I guess is half the battle.

I don't know about the OP, but I have to say that seeing fish in the water I fish a trick I haven't figured out. With bluebird skies and no wind, visibility is usually a few feet at best. Thick vegetation grows anyplace light can penetrate, and even with good sunglasses, I see very little...except when they're up shallow to spawn. Any advice for me? Right now, on bluebird days I find grass and fish it. Pretty complicated I know.

Anyone have good experience with a guide on Table Rock? We'll be heading to Branson in mid-July with all of my wife's family. The trip will the equivalent of a 6 day migraine. One bright spot is that the father-in-law wants to hire a guide to take the brother-in-law and me fishing. That's 4 in a boat including the guide. 3 if somebody accidentally falls in. I've been charged with finding the guide. If you've had a good experience with a Table Rock guide, please let me know. I also would like to rent a pontoon to take the kids swimming/fishing. Any advice on this, feel free to share. Dan

I use the same rod for all of the above, except deep cranking. Not that it wouldn't work, but mostly because I just don't do much deep cranking. I use a 7'6" Heavy/Fast Bass Pro Extreme.

looks like a dead, broad banded water snake.

Great fish. Just beautiful. I always assumed grass carp were vegetarians, but we caught two small ones on inline spinnerbaits this past fall. Both fish hit the bait on the fall. Maybe it was a predatory response and not feeding. Who knows? Anyone have a similar experience with grass carp hitting artificials? By the way, the less time you spend in the rods and reels section, the happier you'll be.

Hey Chris, Looks like that Smallie isn't the only one losing weight. Congrats on a great fish and pic.

I didn't notice it at first. But upon further inspection, it appears the photo has been altered. Shame on you, RoLo.

Prayers sent.

Have you tried adjusting the brightness on your monitor?

Of course I would, because I want people to call me a liar long after I'm dead.

I have a Gore Tex jacket from work with a zip out liner that is heavy duty, and keeps the rain out. I also have a cheap Stearns rain jacket from Wal-Mart that isn't quite as bulky. I seldom wear the Gore Tex, but I always pack the Stearns jacket. It's more comfortable, breathes better, and keeps me dry...although I do need to layer up when it's a cold rain.

Ok, it's obvious that I doubt the Walbel record. It just seems so unlikely. So here I sit in the comfort of my living room, hiding behind a screen name, calling a man I've never met a liar. Yes, his story seems unlikely, but aren't all record bass unlikely? I guess the least I can do is sign my name to this post. Dan Timpe

DMB, how big was that fish? Was it mounted? That would be an easy one to prove/dis-prove. I was wondering the same thing. I'd like to think that the DNR was conscientious enough to take a scale-count, which would identify the fish as a Florida-strain, northern-strain or intergrade. Roger Here's a link to a picture of Ed holding the mount: http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/index.php?/fishing/article/ed_walbels_state-record_largemouth_bass/ Does the IDNR care enough to track down the 36 year old mount and verify it? I doubt it. Jeff Lampe of the Peoria Journal Star wrote an article on this fish a few years back, which basically brought up the same questions I repeated. That's the last I've heard of it.

At least the official Colorado record is a Colorado fish. The Illinois record, caught February 15th, 1976 by Ed Walbel, was more than likely caught in Florida. Ed had just returned from a Winter fishing trip to Florida the day before. While February is winter in Chicago, it's prime time for egg laden Florida fatties. Still, Ed claims he caught the fish from a private strip pit near the Wisconsin border. Nevermind that Largemouth just don't get that big that far North... :

Pinnacle Extant HS Metal baitcast. Pfluger President, spinning. Several seasons on both of these reels with no decline in feel or performance.

I'm not laughing...I'm fearing for my life.

To each his own. 8-)

Here's what I know to be true about home buying: The most affordable home is one that is built to the builder's specs. The most expensive option is to buy a home that's already built and to remodel it to your specs. It sounds like you want the best reel possible for the least money possible. But you're going the remodel route and that's a mistake. Just buy the Citica or Curado off the shelf and enjoy it. Here's another way to think about it: modifying a Citica is like putting 20 inch rims on a Honda mini-van. The Honda's a great mini-van, but it's still a mini-van.

I enjoy sight fishing, watching those gills flare and the bait disappearing is a rush. The fight is quick and I always release the bass immediately. If I spot a bed, but can't get the fish to offer within a few minutes I'll mark the spot in my head, usually with a landmark of some sort, and come back later. When I come back I'll cast to the landmark from a distance and have had good luck getting that fish to bite. If someone convinces me that I'm hurting the bass population I will stop.

Great boat and fish. I don't think I'd bother chasing pike with smallies like that around.

Baitcasters catch more fish. The time I spend picking out backlashes is more time for the bait to sit in the strike zone. I'm only half joking. I like both, use both, enjoy both. I can't imagine burning a buzzbait with spinning gear. I also can't imagine dropshotting with a baitcaster but I'm sure many do with no problems. I also enjoy reading "Day on the Lake" as they chronicle every part of a pro's day, including the backlashes and break offs.