Mobasser

I'll always be a fan of the ABU 4600C. My old one is I believe 24yrs old, and has been a great reel. I had to have the AR repaired once in all the years I've had it. It was actually a little hard for me to make the switch to newer low profile reels, especially with all the mag adjustments on some of them. I always liked the older ABU- one knob adjustment. Tie on your lure, push down the thumbar, and adjust the tension as the lure falls, until you have no over run on the spool. Then your ready to cast. Fast and simple. These reels are also pretty easy to take apart and lube/clean too. I have two 4600C, and one mid 80s 5500C, which I've retired now. These are a good way for a novice to learn the basics of a baitcasting reel, and how to thumb the spool. Newer low profile reels are lighter, but I'm convinced that some of them have too many bells and wistles. Older round reels are just what they are. A standard baitcaster. They still get the job done.

I still like and use an ABU 4600 C3. I still like and use an ABU 4600 C3.

I like to cast, and let my t rig fall to the bottom on a slack line. I keep my rod tip up- at around 10:00 position, and slowly raise the rod to 12:00 position. Drop back down to 10:00 and take up some slack then repeat. I'm always looking for strikes on the fall. Sometimes let the rig sit for a few seconds before I lift it again.

I'll be 64 in October, been fishing a long time. I don't have any ritual or secret mojo that tells me when to go, or if it's gonna be good. I love fishing, and I'm thankful I can still get out there. I look forward to every fishing trip, productive or not.

I remember one young guy that hired with our crew. He showed up on time each day, and gave it 100% effort. But after several months he gave notice, and realized that carpentry just wasn't for him. I saw him a few years after he left, and he had gone to school to become an x ray tech, and had a good job at a local.hospital. He found his niche, When he left us he thanked the boss for teaching him about carpentry. I'm sure he's probably used the skills he learned as a carpenter. I agree trade work is not for everyone, some guys are just not cut out for it. But, there's a job of some kind out there for everyone. Whatever you choose, keep your chin up, and be proud to be a working man.

Carpentry or any trade skills are good to know. Even if you don't make your profession as a tradesman, you can repair your own house and save a lot of money. I would encourage any homeowner to learn the basics of carpentry , plumbing, and electrical work.

Catt, they can make good money in the trades, if they put some time in and learn.

I'm still throwing my usual.plastic worms. Mr. Twister Phenom in any purple/grape color. Zoom finesse in the same colors. I'm hoping as it cools off a little, the trap, spinnerbait bite will pick.up. Ready for Spooks also

Actually, one sheet of 4x8 drywall can cover up plumbing leaks, past or ongoing, termite damage, wood rot, mold, sloppy framing and other problems. When the market is good and interest rates low it happens all the time. In the race to get the houses on the market, lots of things get covered up. These all end up being the problem of the home buyer. Then he's got to hire a contractor to fix these things, and hope he gets a good, honest guy at a fair price, which these days is harder to find...

That's one thing about working as a carpenter, or studying carpentry. Once you get into it, you'll start to see things on houses that the average person would never notice. Mistakes, or small details that most folks would pass by. You can look at these things and know how they were done. Carpenters tend to look at a home differently than people who have never done this work. Average home buyers look at the paint colors, cosmetic details etc. Carpenters are thinking" ok, they cut this at 22.5, routed this edge, toe nailed here, supported this here etc. They can see mistakes or crummy work faster also. It pays to develop a keen eye. So many folks get duped into buying houses with huge problems, because they've been covered up in certain ways.

It doesn't take much to be a home inspector anymore. We had an inspector look at one of my daughter's rental houses, built in 1956. He looked up in the attic and said all was good, except the strange marks on the rafters where they touched the ridge board? I looked and realized he was talking about the hammer marks, from toe nailing the rafters in. He really didn't know much at all. Before someone can inspect a house, they should have some hands on in building one. It's the best way to learn.

J Francho, a good smaller hardware store might be the best bet. They usually stock tools for pro carpenters. I'm not surprised Lowe's doesn't have a good one...

After sweating it out in the heat and humidity, by this time of year, I'm ready for fall. I love fishing on those light jacket days. I've had some good fall days over the years, but like all fishing, it can be tough also. Fall has some added benefits. For one, many guys have put away they're fishing tackle, gearing up for hunting season. Secondly, the fall scenery around the lakes is always good. If I catch some fish, of course that's good. But, if not, I'll still enjoy my fall trips, just being out there, and taking in the cooler air, and the changing colors. Is anyone else ready for fall? ?

Catt, I think an aluminum one is good. My old steel one got rained on and rusted so bad, you couldn't read the numbers.

That looks good J Francho. Lowes, and Home Depot carry some also.

Agree here. When you cut stairs, you've got to use a framing sqaure. I used to keep a set of stair tread clamps in my toolbelt. When you mark off the stairs, these keep each one consistent. Without any clamps, your bound to be off on the tread or riser. If your off by 1/4" on say, your second step, all your stairs are off , on the whole set. A framing square is a must have tool, for lots of things. A Speed Sqaure can be a good tool also

Catching bass consistently on jigs has been my hardest challenge in 40 yrs of fishing. It's hard, and the jig bite is inconsistent from day to day. I still miss fish on jigs, far fewer on t rig plastic worms. It seems like every week we have a thread about strike detection with jigs. Im convinced that if someone tells you they never miss fish on jigs, they probably don't even know they're getting strikes to begin with. They're missing fish, but don't even realize it.

You might switch to a lighter weight buzzer. One of the best ones I've used was a Bill Norman tripe wing buzzbait in 1/4 oz.

My dad liked Roy also, and always watched for Chet Atkins, his favourite guitar player.

My dad and I used to watch the HEE HAW show on Saturday nights. The show first aired in 1969. One of the guys on that show was Alvin " Junior " Samples. He became well known on the show as the slow, overall clad guy who couldn't remember his lines, and couldn't read the cue cards. Junior had a sixth grade education, and came from a dirt poor background. In real life he made his living running moonshine, working at a sawmill, and as he said" poundin nails", as a carpenter. The story goes that a friend had a huge bass in the back of a pickup truck. Junior had his picture taken with this fish, and claimed the fish weighed 22lbs 9oz. He claimed he caught the fish on Georgia's Lake Lanier, using a large plastic lizard. This would have been a new world record bass. Junior claimed he ate this fish, but saved the head. A conservation officer from Atlanta came to interview him, and Junior showed him the fish head, but it was so decomposed, the officer couldn't be sure if it was a bass or not. The story got picked up by a local radio station, and Junior began getting invitations to entertain folks at local beer joints. At some point someone told him about a new show that was airing, and, they were looking for people to be in the show. They flew him out to California, and he stepped off the plane wearing his bib overalls and striped t shirt, with a spare set in a small cardboard suitcase. He was chosen to be in the show, and this made him wealthy. He bought a new house, a sharp car, and a new boat, even though he shunned nice clothes, preferring his bib overalls. In real life, Alvin" Junior" Samples was an avid bass fisherman. He fished many tournaments in his home state, and when he passed on in 1983, he had two huge rooms full of tackle. Several coolers full of plastic worms( Juniors favourite) as well as hundreds of hard baits, and too many rods and reels to count. His son told a reporter, that " my dad finally got to do what he loved, which was fishing". Throughout his life, Junior was known to tell tall tales, and elaborate on certain things. They say he never actually denied catching a world record bass. But, this big fish story is what made Junior famous. If it had not been for this tall tale, the world would have never heard of Junior Samples. Without a doubt, one of the biggest fish lies ever told. RIP Hee Haw man. Big fish lie or not, you were a fisherman, and that's what matters the most...

Yes your correct. My dad's first house was GI house. I've re habbed a couple that my daughter bought. Some are built on a slab, with no basement, but built well.

Many experienced casters cast overhand and sidearm, as they need to. You could watch a video of some good ones. Larry Nixon is a great example. Moving along, he cast sidearm or overhand, depending on distance etc. Practice is the key.

We have quite few houses like yours in Kansas City. Some streets have several in a row. I always liked them because each one is different. Some have a scalloped fascia board, or a dentil molding design. That's what I like about them. They were probably built by the same builder, and he made each one unique. Not a cookie cutter house by any means. Catt, if a guy can learn to set this tool up correctly, he can do so many things. Rip sheet goods, plane boards to thickness, or take a 2x4 and turn it into a nice stair spindle, or a decorative post. Very versatile tool here.

It's a cool house. I like the design.

J Francho, when your house was built, I'm thinking one carpentry crew did the framing, trim and finish, and probably built the cabinets on the job site. Many crews used to do this, and for an apprentice it was good, because he got to learn all.phases of this work. Now, it's all separated by trade. Framers generally never do trim and finish work. And trim carpenters only come in after the drywall is hung and taped. Years ago, guys learned a lot more working on a crew.