volzfan59

I'm sorry, but Gary Clouse? Really?

For a while, it will probably look like a FLW Tour event. A few guys you've heard of, a couple more that you recognize their name and the majority you've never heard of. B.A.S.S.be will be just fine, FLW probably will be too. I'm like "ocdockskipper", I remember the old WFL too. Big names don't a lasting tournament trail make. The fans have to buy in.

I pretty much use three colors, with green pumpkin being my predominant color. I also occasionally use june bug and, if in really clear water, cotton candy. When I was at BPS, and customers asked for color recommendations, that's exactly what I told them with the following caveat. Once you've picked a color, you have to give it and yourself time to develop confidence in it. I think "confidence" in a bait and/or color is extremely important. If you think green pumpkin sucks, it probably does....for you.

Normally when it's in the low 60's/ high 50's air temperature, I wear my breathable waders w/ wading belt, wading boots and a hoodie. Obviously I wear my pfd too.

It's been a while back, but I had a tournament angler come up using his t/m and ask if I was fishing what ever tournament that he was in. I replied "No, just out having fun." He very politely asked if he could "move around me to (pointed at a secondary point that was maybe 50 yards away) and fish. This guy was super nice, I told him to have at it and wished him luck. Happened again trout fishing on the Candy Fork River. I was working a fairly deep hole. Guy came up on the bank, I was wading. He very nicely asked to jump ahead. I told him to go ahead. We met up a little further down river, had lunch together. All of that to say, if someone asks politely they'll get a lot more than demanding I do something.

Congratulations! It's especially neat that you and your son competed together.

So, if I read FLW's open letter correctly, their response is....no response. No changes other than those previously announced.

Not trying to hijack this topic (Hackney). I had lunch with Wesley Strader at BPS during the spring fishing classic. I was laughing from the start. Spent two days with him.

My pole is 8'. I'm mainly a river guy so mine has probably never been deeper than 6'. For me, it holds me in the current while river fishing. Wasn't cheap, but I like it.

Micro pole

Nothing really big, but I went to BPS Kodak, TN for the B.A.S.S. Open weigh in this afternoon. Swore I was just going to the weigh in, wasn't even gonna go inside. Long story short, had to pee, seriously, had to Pete. Went in, took care of business and thought, what the heck, I'll go to the fishing dept. for a minute and see some of my old associate's. Walked out with six boxes of green pumpkin Helgramites! Oh well, could have been worse.

At that price point, go with the Berkley Lightning rod. They've been making them for years. Heck, I was buying them in the late 80's! Great, sensitive rod for the money. But as always, go with what is comfortable in your hands and fits your style of fishing.

Thanks Mike, J Francho and Steve-o! I'm really proud of him. Check, I'm proud of both my boys.

Fishing has done a lot for me. 1. Before retiring from a law enforcement career, it gave me peace. Helped me to forget stuff for a while, helped me to deal with things. Still helps with it when some of the bad memories creep up. 2. Time spent with my wife and boys out in God's beautiful creation. 3. I can't begin to tell you how many good friends I have met and grown close to. Same with people I have "met" on the internet, like A-Jay on this board. My son is in the Coast Guard, dealing with Hurricane Florence. A-Jay has been great calming a worried dad. 4. As I have been fishing since I was 5, I'm now 58, I've developed a wealth of knowledge. It really helped me get my job at BPS. I'm no longer there, but it was a great place to work before the Cabela's purchase and credit card pimping.

Never forget, Never forgive.

When I was with BPS, they had two or three "outlet stores" that had the vast majority of clearance product. When an item would go on clearance, we would tag it at the store for a while, then send it to an outlet store for final markdowns. Sounds like Cabela's may be going to that concept.

I found out today that it's also on "iTunes and everywhere else", whatever that means? They have two albums out. My son is only on the new one, "We're all the same". He's on some of their YouTube videos too. It's pretty much a family joke that I'm not tech savvy. That doesn't stop them from calling about old school stuff, like working on cars, home repairs, etc, so I get in my jabs then. Crazy thing is, my wife has two computer science degrees. I use to quiz here before tests! None of it sunk in, absolutely none of it.

All of the current line have known each other since high school and are really good friends, but your right, it was tough. Both of my boys are like me and are perfectionists. For him, it's never good enough. I know J Francho knows what I'm talking about.

Brother, I'm not tech savvy at all. It's all I can do to post and shop online!! I don't know how to link to Spotify, or anywhere else. All I know is it's on there. Have to search for "Handsome and the Humbles", then the single "The Sun's Gonna Rise (Don't Be Sad)". I started to not post as I don't know how to link to any of it. Couldn't help it, I'm a proud dad.

My youngest son is in the Coast Guard, stationed at the small boat station at Ft. Macon (Atlantic Beach) NC. They're making ready for Florence. I'm praying that everyone stays safe.

I hope this is ok to post. Just a dad, proud of one of his boys. Moderator's, if it needs to be moved, or removed, it's fine. My oldest son, Josh, is an excellent guitar player and loves bass fishing! The last band he was in broke up after nine or ten years, having recorded four studio albums. Last fall, a local band asked him to sit in with them playing lead on their new album. He did and was later asked to formally join the band. The new band is Handsome and the Humbles. The new album, "We're All the Same" was released Friday. The album release show was last night to a huge crowd in Knoxville. If you would like to hear the first single, it's on Spotify and everywhere else. It's called "The Sun's Gonna Rise (Don't Be Sad)". The single has been out for about a month and was picked up by a bunch of college and independent radio stations and is doing well. I would provide links, but to be honest, I don't know how.

R.I.P. Thanks for the laughs!

I fished as a co-angler in a draw tournament on Watts Bar Lake in East Tennessee. I didn't know this guy from Adam, he didn't know me. This was around fall 2000, 2001. We got along really well, we were both raised country. Main thing I remember is he had a Norris Craft, around 20 foot with a Mercury 225 on it. I guess he kept it outside, uncovered as the gel coat was oxidized and faded. Anyway, every time we hit a wake of wave I felt the floorboard buckle under my feet, all the while he was driving balls to the wall! I swear to you that I prayed for God to get me "back to the bank in one piece and I'll never get in another Norris Craft!" God and I have both kept our ends of the deal. This is no reflection on properly cared for Norris Crafts by the way. Great, super fast rig. Neither one of us finished in the money. Heck, I was to scared to seriously fish.

I don't believe that I've ever heard about the Detention Reservoir? I'm going to look it up though. The Holston is a great river to fish! I love to hit the Rogersville area and fish closer to home.

I love river smallmouth fishing! I've had plenty of success fishing up and down stream, although I agree with "roadwarrior" and say upstream is a little better. Most of the time I cast upstream and work my life downstream with the current. As for lures, Rapala X-Raps, Strike Kind Bitsy Tubes, Ned rigs get most use for me. I also use Bandit Footloose cranks and either Strike King Bitsy Jigs or Z-Man TRD Jigs from time to time. Sorry for the edit, just saw your last post. For trout, get some 2 or 4 pound test and a ultra light or light rod and a hand full of Rooster Tails, Joe's Flies, Mepp's, etc and have some fun!