fin

Sometimes I fish based purely on past results. I have tabulated results from my records of all my years of fishing and use only the lures that have produced the most fish, and fish only the spots that have produced, in that particular month. At least then I feel like I have made the most informed choice.

One reason to put a trailer on a spinnerbait that nobody has mentioned is just to give it more weight, for casting distance, or to allow you to slow it down and maintain a spin, or to stabilize. Trailers are useful on 1/4 oz and small spinnerbaits.

I lost the drag knob off my spinning reel once, and me and my buddy went back to the area where I had been fishing, trying to figure out where I might have lost it, but there was a guy there fishing. My buddy wanted to leave and we drove off, but I convinced him to come back. When we got back, I walked towards where I was fishing, looking at the ground for the drag knob, and when I looked up, the guy that was there fishing was standing there holding his gun. I got the heck out of there! ?

You could argue hooking one and losing it is worse than not getting a bite at all because you flubbed an opportunity, or you could argue that you deserve credit for enticing them to bite, which is the hardest part. It gets too complicated. Best to keep it simple and admit you got skunked.

We call them participants in the early release program.

I've waded into some stuff that I've really regretted before. That's a scary feeling when the bottom goop sort of grabs you. Quicksand comes to mind.

Probably a stupid question, but why did it pick up speed around the two minute mark?

I think a better question is, why swivels?

I've used Norman speed clips for years. The only reason I use them is because that's what I started with, they're cheap, and they're readily available. They can be hard to use when it's really cold, when your fingers are soaked, when you're wearing gloves, etc. You can make the mistake of thinking you've got them all the way engaged when they're not if you're half-blind like me. Why do you need a swivel?

I've had situations where I thought I had it clipped all the way, but I actually hadn't slid it around far enough, and I fished with it and didn't notice until I went to change lures. I've been using them (the small ones) for years, so I'm curious how yours failed. Did it fail by bending out or what?

Still seems strange, but I guess it's not much different than when you get 100% rebates (which I haven't seen in years).

A wise investment. I have found two iPhones when the lake water level was down. I’d love to know the stories behind them.

Sounds like they want you to give them a positive review. They want you to pay so you show up as an actual purchaser. The free/refund part may actually be legit. If you can call bribing someone to get a fake review legit.

And it seems like most times the person responsible for the accident walks (or runs) away unharmed, and the innocent person is killed or maimed for life. I'm not saying that's the case here. I have no idea.

You mean like in the past? I looked at their website and Tackle Warehouse, and that's the only crankbait I saw. Their site looked like mostly inline spinners. Did I miss something?

Yeah, I guess if they're only going to make one crankbait, it ought to be a good one. Now I want some other colors.

During the COVID lockdown, I got desperate and pulled out some Mann's worms that I have had for forty years, and caught a lot of fish on them too. I was really glad I hadn't gotten rid of them. I've got stuff I'd like to sell, but it's easier to just let it sit there than to learn how to sell it and go through the hassle. I know that's not logical, I'm just being honest. It's probably the way a lot of people are. I also fear getting ripped-off. You've been through unloading your stuff, so it's in your rearview mirror - you have a different perspective.

Nothing turns on my OCD like not being able to find something I know I have. Drives me crazy.

Anybody know what this is? Found it a few days ago and it's been productive for me.

I recently learned that beavers can be dangerous. I never suspected the little vegans would be a threat. I saw a video yesterday where a guy was wading in a creek and a rabid beaver bit his butt and then followed him back on to the shore chasing him around. There are several videos of different incidents.

I can’t imagine facing a møøse. I sometimes run into wild pigs, but a bear or møøse? Forget it. Lots of boat-meet-storm stories here. Here’s mine: We were fishing on an 1800 acre lake. There was an approaching storm, but the boat’s owner waited until the last minute to crank the boat and get out of there, and then the boat wouldn’t crank up. We had to get back with only the trolling motor. It was a huge storm. It took forever to get back to the ramp, and we were probably getting blown backwards at times. We finally made it, soaked and freezing, then we heard on the radio during the drive home that the same cell had spawned a tornado that damaged several hangers and planes at the local airport. At the same lake we once saw a guy that had fallen out of his boat, the small engine still running wide open, the boat circling and the guy’s head bobbing in the water. That’s a scary sight. Real scary for him, but he made it out alive. He swam away and the boat eventually ran out of gas.

This is my rod. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rod is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rod is useless. Without my rod, I am useless. ?

I saw a post on another forum that said it happened under a bridge, upstream from the lake itself, in a storm, and the driver's view was blocked by part of his clothing blown into his face. Don't know how reliable that report is.

I gotta say, I’m not very impressed with this stuff. After using it for a while, I can’t recommend it. I would not buy again. I’ve had lots more wind knots than normal. I re-spooled, took off some backing, but I’m still getting knots. I consider myself pretty good at solving wind-knot puzzles, but one I had today took probably an hour to untie. Then I got another smaller knot just a few casts after that. It doesn’t seem like the line is twisted. I don’t really understand it. It also broke once (before my leader broke), which never happens to me. I’m using 10# braid with 10# mono leader. It’s not that much cheaper than PowerPro to make it worth the trouble. It reminds me of SpiderWire in quality, which is cheaper. I’ve even had better luck with the Academy Pro Cat braid, which is almost half the price (but it’s not available in anything less than 20#). I had better luck with KastKing too. The only thing I’ve had more trouble with is SpiderWire, but then I’ve only been using Contra for a month, so I assume the amount of trouble will increase with age. I’m not trying to bash their product, I’m just sharing my experience since nobody else seems to have any experience with it here. It has been a windy month here, and my reel is due for maintenance, or maybe there is some other explanation.

I fish in a State park that opens at 7:00 AM year-round. Part of the year, like right now, that’s great, it means they open almost an hour before sunrise, but by the middle of June, the sun is up an hour before they open, which drives me crazy. When DST is made year-round, that will mean the park would open almost two hours before sunrise in January if they stick to the same opening time. I’m thinking they’ll change the opening time, and it scares me to think what they might do. They may change it to opening at “sunrise”, or something like that. They now close at “sundown”, which I hate, because it’s fuzzy, not clear. To the fisherman, that means pitch dark, to the park personnel, that means when the sun gets near the horizon. Or they might change it to 8:00 year-round. Whatever they do, it will likely be whatever is best for their benefit, not the benefit of all the people that visit the park. So it’s unlikely that the change can possibly benefit my fishing.