Mobasser

If this rod is new, I would contact your seller about a warranty replacement rod.

At 67 I don't remember everything as I should. Day to day things I'll sometimes forget, and my wife will remind me. But, I can still remember many bass I've caught over the years. Certain fish stand out, not always because of size, but because of the surroundings or who I was with. As an example, I clearly remember my first actual keeper bass. Fishing with my older brother on our grampas farm pond in 1967. The fish hit a black Hula Popper, cast to the edge of some moss. I was ten years old.

Fishing from my canoe, I only keep three rods on hand. I have one bottom contact, one mid depth, and one top water. All are versatile.

I like both Catts and A- Jays comments here. With Catt, you can still strike out with FFS. And with A-Jay, long hours on the water, and timing. You've got to be out there when the fish are biting. It's been said before here on BR, we can't force feed the fish. It's 100 percent true.

I have a couple of older reels. An ABU Cardinal 4, and an ABU 4600c. I retired the Cardinal, but the 4600c still gets used, and still works perfectly after over 20 years. What I think has improved a lot are mid priced reels. Two that I'm using are a Shimano Sahara 2500, and a Lews LFS. Both cost around 80 to 100 bucks. The very high end stuff has always been good from all the companies. Guys will buy them as they always have. Will they make you a better fisherman? That depends on the guy who's operating them. For a lot of guys, I don't think it will matter too much.

Happy Holidays to all BR members! Wishing everyone the best of luck in the coming new year!

I have a canoe, and a 12 ft John boat. I fish from both. My canoe is a 17ft square back, made by Osagian Canoe, in Lebanon Mo.I have a trailer for it. It's called the Osagian river model, and is about 4ft wide in the center. Very stable to fish from. I can launch and load by myself. I like it. Canoes are old school, and I like old school stuff. The Missouri Ozarks also has a rich history of canoeing. My canoe came from this area.

Rage Menace grub. When I first saw it I got a gut feeling it would work.well. It's been a good producer for me.

I'll have to pass, especially on those big spiders. I'll stick with my baked chicken and whey powder.

My most productive are: plastic worms. Rapala original floating. Mepps Aglia size 3 and 4. Rage Menace grub. Jig/ various trailers. Black and white Buzzbait. Heddon Zara spook- bone and clear shore minnow colors. 3" plastic curly tail grub- white. To a lesser extent white 3/8 oz spinnerbaits.

Here's something to think about. In 1960, the average weight of a man at 5'9 height was 160 pounds. We've been getting bigger and bigger for a long time now.

I'm 6'0 and currently 200 lbs. I'm shooting for 190, my old weight. And down from 235 of extra flubber. I feel good.

A-Jay, basically my doc said that we all may need extra protein as we get older. As some of the guys have said, it starts with a good diet. Eggs, good cuts of meat, beans etc, can all be good for protein. Stay away from junk food, fast food etc. In my case, my protein powder drinks add a little extra, and help with any lacking protein. It certainly can't hurt at all. I've learned to analyze what I'm eating now. When we're young, we don't always do this.

My doctor recommended that I add protein to my diet. I'm using a Wey powder. I've been mixing about half a scoop with a small glass of milk, once early in the morning, and again around two or three o'clock in the afternoon. I've been doing this for two weeks now, and I'm starting to see some positive results. A little more energy throughout the day. Has anyone else used a protein powder? What brand do you like, and, have you noticed much difference in how you feel?

Hang in there Bankbeater! Hoping your surgery goes well.

I was going through some of my old stuff last weekend, and found a shad colored Heddon Bayou Boogie. I'm pretty sure I bought this one in the early eighties. I remember it being a good lure, and catching quite a few fish with it. These were 2" long, and came in several colors. They're easy to recognize because of the slant or angle cut face, which is usually painted red. At some point, the Whopper Stopper company became involved with these lures, and I've seen some new in package with both Whopper Stopper and Heddon logos on them. There were other slant face lures. The only one I know of was the Pico Pearch bait. It looked almost identical to Heddons Bayou Boogie. I've never fished a Pico Pearch. I think this slant face style of lure was very popular from the 1950s- 60s clear up into the early eighties. The fact that they made them in different sizes and so many colors says there was a good market for them. I think they lost popularity when the Bill Lewis Rattletrap hit the scene. I wish they would bring them back. Does anyone remember fishing the Bayou Boogie, or the Pico Pearch?

Throttleplate, you'll be glad you did this at some point down the road. And yes. The second shot could be more of the same. Neither are worse than shingles.

Currently, I'm using Shimano, Lews, and one Diawa. I haven't had any problems with any of my spinning reels.

My son in law farms here in North Central Mo. He's told me how important the snow is for his crops. He's always glad to see the crop ground covered in a blanket of snow. This helps the ground, and makes it better for planting in the spring. So far we've had just a dusting of snow. As for ice fishing here- out of the question, and against the law. If a conservation officer sees you on any ice, your getting a hefty fine. As it should be.

I order occasionally. One of the best winter jackets I ever bought came from Cabela's. Similar to a Carhartt, duck, hooded and super warm. Im still using it after seven years.

I agree. I bought my first bag of this coffee because I liked the packaging.

A-Jay, I've tried the Black Rifle, and I like it. I don't care a lot for Starbucks, not that good and overpriced. My favourite coffees are dark, strong blends. I add just a touch of half and half. No sugar.

Swamp Girl, I really like catching all sizes of bass!

I've broken a St. Croix. 2" of the top broke while reeling in after a cast. If I ever break my old Shimano Clarus, I'll be sad for sure. Solid dependable rod for ten years.

I use Big Game for bait casting. Spinning reels been using P Line CX.