Dan:

You make the argument that opportunity to early hands on training can make a big difference when practicing. Denny Brauer training his son Chad to become a top pro bass fishermen. Chad has all the skills mentioned. The other side of the coin is Aaron Martens. Aaron is a natural fishermen. So good as a youngster that pro's wanted him as a partner in team tournaments. Aaron was too shy to fish with anyone except his mom, taught her how to bass fish and they became a top team. Who taught Aaron how to fish? the answer is he did, he was good the first time he picked up a rod and had few of skills mentioned. WRB It is impossible that he was good when he "first picked up a rod," he must have struggled in at least his first few outings. He had the determination to stick with it and with experience and the critical thinking skills and attention to detail that allowed him to pick things up very quickly. I think the best fisherman are probably those that have immense experience and more importantly a good deal of said skills and abilities. Wouldn't you say it is possible that Aaron may have more developed skills and abilities that allowed him to be very successful with less time on the water than other fishermen who lack those skills or abilities? I think he probably is a very smart person with plenty of the needed skills and abilities and as a result he quickly learned fish behavior and when to use certain techniques.

you mean the one on the right looks like a rock bass, right? I think the first two pics look like drums and the last one is a rock bass or little smallie. Also, unless you have a gigantic hand, I think you need to get a scale. ;D

You are perfectly fine with what you have.

One of us has to get to the hospital quick; I AGREE WITH YOU 100% and that ain't right ;D All that money, we got to visit a place we can't live on, before the Russians, took some cool pictures and yes we did get 2 inventions that were important TANG; instant orange breakfast drink Velcro: which the older I get, the more I appreciate, I am 2 years from wearing those velcro closing sneakers they sell at Wally World Don't forget about the millions that we used to research how to make a pen that could write upside down...smart *** Russians just used pencils...

sorry wayne, but this just reminds me of a certain scene....

I don't think people are born with "fishing talent." I think they are born or raised with skills and attributes that when combined with fishing experience help them to succeed. Some of these skills and attributes include organization, critical thinking, determination, a good memory, attention to details, patience, etc.

Those Reston neighborhood lakes are not the type of "private" lake that I would still try to fish.

Well, you got it for as cheap as you could have at retail....I bought my Fuego slightly used for $110. ;D $200 is still a very good price for a new Fuego at retail. I understand your decision about the Magnesium and brackish water, good thinking.

I honestly don't even care if it was real or not. Space is a waste of money IMO.

congratulations, Wayne!

That's just too expensive for me. I honestly don't feel like I lose or miss many fish because my hooks aren't sharp enough.

I know, but you're right. The funny part is that I actually did consider typing out the whole word when I posted in the first place but decided it wasn't necessary because "congrats" would save me all of 2/5ths of a second.

The captain of the Whale Wars ship was kicked out of Green Peace for being too radical.... The butyric acid is used to make it difficult for the whalers to work on the deck of their ships. It supposedly smells awful and lingers for days. Also, like 1inStripes said, it taints the whale meat so it can't be sold.

So when are you going to upgrade your rods to match your fantastic new reels? FWIW, frank is right about the light line stuff. The Sol was made to throw lighter baits on lighter line but I think you'll find its capable of throwing the same stuff as other reels perfectly fine. Were they both on sale in the store?

no, like three people have beaten him to it. Use the search function to find if stuff has already been posted.

I'm free all day...give me a call.

those places are just too far for me to make a night trip.

if your father's story isn't a stereotype I don't know what is. ;D It sounds like your father was a man of tremendous honor and character, you are right to be so proud of his life and sorrowful for his loss. I hope that the world is still capable of producing men like that.

now I feel bad.... congratulations...insert random smilies...there, I typed the whole word.

The Sea Shepherds are pirates, pure and simple. They argue that the Japanese whalers are violating international law but by the letter everything is legal. I watch the show just to see the Sea Shepherds constantly screw up and make fools of themselves. They try to save the lives of whales and risk the lives of their own crew and the whalers in the process. They are just dangerous. I lol'd when they jumped on board the whaling ship and then called the press and told them that the whalers had taken two Sea Shepherds "hostage." It's a shame that the whalers can't sue the Sea Shepherds because of jurisdictional issues. It would be great if they could sue them and get their donations garnished or something...

The Premier uses the same blanks as the Mojos so if the Premiers use the same blanks as the Triumphs then they will all have the same general sensitivity and weight (the Mojos are a little lighter and a tad more sensitive because of the split grip).

I second the topwater suggestion. Take a frog like a Spro or a Rage Tail. If the grass is really thick you can fish them all day long. Where are you fishing the canal? I have fished the river near the Angler's Inn and always looked at the widewater where the canal opens up into a small lake and wanted to fish it from a kayak or something. If I'm not mistaken you need an MD license to fish the canal but a VA license will work on the river, correct?

It's made by a company called Alpha Tackles in Europe (http://www.alphatackles.eu/frame.html). The rod line is called "Jacko". It was comfortable and lightweight. Seemed really sensitive. No MSRP was listed. awesome, thank you, sir. I saw a picture of it but haven't been able to find any info whatsoever...

how did your Avid break? Was it a manufacturing defect or was it from abuse or an accident?

wow, nice catfish! that must have been a blast from the kayak!