Tennessee Boy

Yes, I always walk through the fishing tackle area when I go to Walmart. I’m very happily married and one reason why is we don’t go to Walmart together. 😆

I’m surprised they let you go with a warning. I lived in Alabama for a while in the 90s and bought a lifetime license which was has served me well. I will definitely take you up on your offer to do some fishing sometime.

It’s how they learn algae-bra. 🤩

30 years ago every baits casting reel I owned was a 4600. They were great reels. As for rods, I really don’t like the notion of matching a rod to a reel. That seems backwards to me. I match the rod to the weight of the lures I plan on using with it and how I plan on fishing the lures. Then I add an appropriate reel to the rod which is much easier since reels are more versatile than rods. Good luck.

Bob your post inspire me to go to places I haven’t been in years. I haven’t made it to any of them yet but the day is coming. 😀

I enjoyed the story just as I enjoy all of your posts. I see a lot of myself in the story. Where would I be without my expensive boat, expensive tackle, and clean (mostly) stocked lakes? Am I deceiving myself?

I guess I’m one of the rich fisherman like the ones in the story. I fish almost exclusively in lakes formed by dams that cost billions of dollars in today’s dollars. These lakes have been stocked and managed by a team of experts that are funded by an annual fee paid by me and other anglers that use the lakes. I fish out of a boat that cost more money than half the people in the world make in a lifetime.

I’m kicked! 😆

I fish a jig and craw year round but winter is prime season.

I absolutely agree! Controlled scientific studies simply provide evidence based on the methods used in the study. One small winter study in Kansas doesn’t prove anything. It does provide evidence that getting FFS doesn’t immediately make a novice crappie fisherman any better. FFS is clearly an important tool that makes you a better angler once you master it. It’s a big step forward in technology but I don’t think it’s the biggest step we’ve ever seen. It’s does make for dramatic/scary YouTube videos depending on how you feel about it.

There is so much hype around FFS and much of it is coming from Josh Jones. He talked about what FFS is doing to crappie fisheries. Here’s the graphic from a two day scientific study that was done in Kansas with real every day crappie fishermen. It shows crappie caught on the north and south side of the lake using or not using LIS (live imaging sonar). The side of the lake mattered more than using FFS. In pro tournaments I have no doubt that it’s having a bigger impact but in the real world it’s not as easy as it looks on YouTube. Link to the study https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ben-Neely/publication/364405993_Evaluating_effects_of_live-imaging_sonar_on_angler_catch_of_crappies_in_a_Kansas_impoundment/links/6362800e37878b3e8777a6ed/Evaluating-Effects-of-Live-Imaging-Sonar-on-Angler-Catch-of-Crappies-in-a-Kansas-Impoundment.pdf

It was not an argument, that’s why it ended with a smiley face. 🙂 I’m okay with any technology limits on tournaments if there’s a demand for it. Kayak tournaments don’t allow bass boats and are popular with people that don’t have or don’t want bass boats. There are many people who think FFS should be banned so an FFS free league might do well. If BASS wants to be that league, then so be it. However, if someone claims they can compete at the highest level, I think they have to master the current technology or be able to beat those that have. Offshore structure fishing got much easier as GPS, high definition maps, and down imaging became available to anglers. Those who mastered the new technology quickly caught up with those who had mastered the older techniques for finding offshore fish. JJ said mastering FFS is not easy. I’ve have it and agree. It’s a valuable skill that makes you a better angler and that should be recognized. Those who think it’s cheating tend to be those that don’t have it.

Greg Hackney sums up my opinion on this subject very well. https://www.bassmaster.com/column/greg-hackney/you-dont-need-forward-facing-sonar/

So JJ wants to ban FFS in half the tournaments to allow the old guys to remain competitive. While we’re at it, let’s make the NFL a touch football league. That might make it possible to bring back Tom Brady, Payton Manning, maybe even Joe Namath. 😆 If you want to compete at the highest level you have to be able to compete against competitors of all ages. If you want to watch old guys fish, do like golf and create a seniors league.

Labs are terrible guard dogs. I read they are the 2nd least likely breed to bite behind Golden Retrievers. If one does act aggressively toward you, all you have to do is throw a tennis ball and he’ll be your friend for life.

Is it possible to cast too hard? Yes, I do it all the time.

Very sad. Are life jackets not mandatory in Minnesota?

Yes they can essentially swim to any body of water in the Mississippi valley that has a dam with a lock that they can swim through. A ride in a motor vehicle would allow them to make the trip faster through.

1st it was @Munkin's bat that he caught on popper. Now this vampire dog. This site is starting to get scary and we're still weeks away from Halloween. Hope I can sleep tonight.

I have some land that I lease at a very favorable rate to someone I know and trust. I don’t live on the land so we don’t get in each other’s way. I also lease the farming rights to a farmer. The hunter knows that the farmer’s needs take priority over his hunting rights. A realtor told me once that she could put me in touch with a company that leases the hunting rights for properties that would accept all liability and would manage hunting the access by their hunters. I didn’t pursue it.

Yikes. When do you start your rabies shots?

I wish I had this vetting feature for everything I say, not just things I post here.

During a full moon I fish the same colors and just increase the speed of my return by 3.62 percent.

It’s a very complicated question. It depends on the gamefish and the body of water. If there are any pristine streams or lakes left then I think it’s a good idea to try to keep them that way. The Duck River in Tennessee is special and should be protected as much as possible. The Tennessee River is nothing like it was 200 years ago and has had many different species introduced intentionally and accidentally. Adding some more stripped bass to the countless number that have already been added is not a risk to the ecosystem. Adding something new is obviously a risk. Adding something that has been shown to be detrimental is stupid.

I bought a $10 carburetor cleaning kit off Amazon and have fixed three small engines clogged up by ethanol gas.