TOXIC

Personally, I still have all my original parts but know of a lot that have had knees and hips done. They all were glad they did and said they were better after. I can only hope the same would be true for you and your shoulder. Another thing they all agreed on was to follow the doctor and rehab directions to a tee. Those who didn’t, regretted it. Good luck!

Wow. A lot to consider in this post. Yes, I’ve been alive for multiple inflation periods and for 34 years I closed banks. I started in the Agriculture crisis of the 80’s, then the S&L crisis of the 90’s and finally the sub-prime crisis of the 2000’s. Notice the correlation? It’s an economic business cycle and we are due for another correction. Times change but these cycles have held true. You can’t artificially stimulate a market/economy, then stop the stimulus and not expect a huge market correction. My problem is this…..First, you can’t trust a single statistic coming out of the government. Unemployment, let’s not count those who quit looking for jobs, inflation, let’s not look at fuel and food as factors, it’s a joke. Give me desired outcome and I can bend the numbers to support it. Second, entry level or low skilled jobs were never meant to be sustainable careers. You either moved up or moved on. Where does it stop? Should the paperboy who rides his bike and throws papers get $25 an hour? Some politicians are lobbying for universal basic income. That’s great, let’s pay everybody to do nothing. Finally, I have no hate for CEO’s and upper level execs. That’s because I have family members who are in or who have been in those positions. Most have no idea what it takes to get to that level, maintain that level and the toll it takes on the rest of your life. They earn every penny.

As for a boat being am”want” vs a “need”, I have some friends that would dispute that statement. Myself included. Many of my friends are in super high stress jobs and having a bass boat is a needed respite from the day to day issues they deal with. I was part of that crowd before I retired and I’m not so much that way now which is why I held on to my last boat and use it recreationally. My fishing partner who I go on fishing trips with and fitsh with most every weekend has the latest and greatest and normally doesn’t keep a boat more than 2 years before upgrading. Unfortunately as a result, my boat sits more than I would like and now I have to do some serious maintenance like draining fuel, replacing bulb/lines, new fuel and water separator filters, pull injectors for service, new water pump and impeller and a few relays that have gone bad. That’s the cost of me owning a boat and I’m not complaining. I tried going without one for a while and it was torture regardless of how much I used it.

Here’s a little update from what is probably our last outing to the hotside this season. We will be moving over to the Rappahonock river and hopefully the Potomac if it starts fishing better. It was a cold day with high winds so we made the best out of it. Caught some shallow fish but didn’t see any on the beds was able to get a couple of striper and literally 30 catfish. Water temps were 65-75.

I was waiting for your response since I know you have the tin version of a glass boat. My problem with all of the tracker/triton/Ranger smaller tin boats is that they are more modified Jon boats than they are bass boat. I watched your walkthrough of your tin and it was very much closer to a glass boat. My other comment is coming from me and my 21 foot hunk of fiberglass……you have a lot less maneuverability and you better get skilled at anticipating your slow starts and slow stops while on your trolling motor. I’ve seen a lot of big glass boats slam docks and rocks because the boat was slow in responding to trolling motor input.

I have been retired for 4 years and here’s my take….Although my job was rewarding and I liked the people I worked with, after 34 years and reaching my maximum pension payout, I had -0- reason to keep working. They totally worked me out. I was spent. I was very happy to hang it up and be done. A couple of things I didn’t foresee….First, out of all my fishing buddies, I am the only one retired. That will change eventually but for now if I want to fish with my buddies, it’s the same weekend/holiday schedules as when I was working. Second, as has been said, I have no problem being a retired guy sitting on the porch with my feet up without a care in the world. That affects my motivation to hook up, tow and launch my 21 foot boat by myself. All the good water is over an hour away and some of the best water is on a river with a ramp that is difficult for solo launching. As a result, I have been going with my buddy more than in my boat and now I have to drain the fuel, send the injectors out for cleaning and replace all the filters/impeller/water pump. Finally, after working since I was 13 years old and now being 65, the transition from work to retirement was mentally difficult. Don’t underestimate it.

Was 87 here yesterday, sleet today. Nothing left to do but go fishing tomorrow. Hopefully the big girls are just as confused as I am.

Don’t forget that now a lot of the major brands are offering aluminum boats shaped and designed like full blown glass bass boats. As a rule there are 3 categories of aluminum in my book, the smaller tracker style made by Ranger/triton, etc., the multi species deep V’s and the big bass boat style.

Are you sure you’re not eating the box??

Length of daylight also keys bass into the season and spawn also moon cycles coupled with daylight cycles. If the water is a constant temperature that will key them in. I have seen a poor spawn when water temps drop unseasonably low during the normal spawn cycle. Female bass will not spawn if the water temps drop too low. They know the eggs will not survive and will simply absorb them back into their body.

We just got a 1/4 of beef that my daughter raised and had butchered. All shrink wrapped and we bought a separate freezer just for it. Bottom rack is for ground only, the rest is filled with steaks, roasts, brisket, etc. I have used a vacuum sealer for crappie and I have also done it the old redneck way of freezing it in water to keep it from burning.

In the Yamamoto line every thing that is 2-tone (excluding flake colors) will be in the 900 series. Those are all laminates. The closest I could recommend if you want it truly 2 toned is 925-042J and 964. There are also a few solid pours that are green pumpkin red. Best to go to the website and click on the catalog. It has a master color chart in it.

I don’t disagree but remember the company just changed hands and this is their first foray into fishing products. They are more than likely new to forecasting sales of new releases where quantity is a factor. The new owners GSM Outdoors was totally a hunting products company before and most of their brands don’t work off the volume a pack of baits and probably thousands upon thousands of orders produced. Personally, I can see this happening with this release over all of the other new baits which didn’t have the same problem but that’s my 40+ years in fishing speaking.

I regularly take 8 rods on my buddies boat. He attached 2 bungee style rod straps on the passenger side, one close to the rear of the boat and the other at the back of the passenger seat. I set my rods with the butts at the rear and the tips end up at the passenger console. They have stayed secure in very rough water. I do spin the line on the blank and there is sometimes a tangle but it is rare. Here are a few pics to show it.

Here’s an update for those interested: The Yamatanuki has far outsold our expectations. While we're extremely thankful for all of the orders, we apologize for the delay in being able to ship them. We admittedly underestimated the demand there would be for this lure initially. Right now, we're continuing to run overtime at the Yamamoto factory in Arizona, and we're going as fast as possible while not compromising the quality you expect from the Yamamoto brand. We'll continue to provide updates on availability via our website, social media, and e-mail newsletters. We ask for your patience as we fulfill all the orders that have come in. Should you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to our Customer Service team- 877-269-8490 and/or email at customerservice@gsmorg.com They would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

I just got back from this…and it’s going to be 85 here in Virginia tomorrow. I’m so confused?

I don’t get it. I’m going to throw whatever gets me the most bites in the most conditions/situations first. That doesn’t mean I won’t switch it up if it’s not getting bit. Without a doubt, the Senko catches more fish in more situations than a lot of other baits. That’s why it’s normally my go-to bait right out of the gate. I’m not going to force myself to throw something else because of all the silly reasons fishermen use to not throw it.?

You gotta fish where the fish are. Gary Klein once told me no matter where he fishes if he can locate the fish there are no less than 5 lures he can catch them on.?

In my world, Senkos would fill at least the first 10 slots in tackle box.? I may skip over them if the fish want something different but they are always the first consideration.?

It should be clearer on the website if there is a back order situation. It was not uncommon even before the buyout, that baits would be on back order from the factory. They work to fill commercial retailers first before filling individual orders. It’s a matter of economics. The commercial buyers place huge orders.

I know I’m not letting the cat outta the bag when I tell you Bill Dance’s bloopers are all staged…..right?? and yes, promoting your sponsors products is a big part of a pro’s job. Why don’t they dominate you ask…because the minimum skill level to fish at the professional level pretty much puts them all on an even playing field.

Hoping you get a break. Sounds like it’s well deserved.

Here’s a litttle different angle on live bait. We just got back from Headwaters lake in Florida. It is a trophy lake just opened up to powerboats. It’s been around for a longer time but originally was only accessible to carry in boats. It’s all catch and release for bass. It’s 10,000 acres and has a speed limit of 25mph and if you use live bait, you have to use circle hooks. The lake has a very high number of double digit bass for its size and as a result, fishing guides have come out of the woodwork and are running guide trips most every day. Having been a guide, I wish them no ill will and it’s great that they can put so many clients on their personal best fish. I am on a few Facebook pages devoted to the lake and the guides post regularly about client catches. I see a post from one of the guides about how he caught a fish and it had 3 circle hooks stuck in its mouth. There have been some dust ups between guides and fishing spots and I’m just wondering if the use of live bait will eventually damage the fishing? Remember, it’s 10,000 acres. We used all artificial and did well and we didn’t crowd any guides because we were never close to any of them.

Make sure you all report back on how they perform both good and bad. I give real world feedback to them. I'm sitting in Florida on Cresent Beach and can't try them out.

If you approach them impersonally, they will respond impersonally if at all.