DanielG

With my hair challenged head (not that much up there) I was in a barber shop years ago and it took longer for him to put the apron on than to shave the sparse hair on my head. I have it cut short. At the time, 10 bucks per 5 minute cut. I went across the street to Rite Aid and bought a razor for $19. The wife and I have been cutting my hair ever since. 1/8" come on the cutter and some trimming in the neck and around the ears and voila... Bald guy coming through..!

Regarding the OP's turnpike post it's technology this time. And yes no one can be educated in everything but whatever they learn is education. So, the future is the educated. Education is education unless someone does it for self-congratulation.

Technology is inevitable. Some people don't like that but I'm afraid it's the way it will be. The world belongs to the educated. I have a 2015 ford pickup. The aluminum one. They tooled up a new plant to build them. I saw a documentary about it a short while ago. Very few people working on it compared to traditional assembly plants. A guy at a computer screen keeps track of the robots on a conveyor belt. The benefit, according to the narrator.... if they get a vehicle right every one of them is exactly like the previous one. No Sunday help lemons. If there is a flaw they correct it an all vehicles will follow suit. Robots duplicate exactly. They showed gloved people looking the finish over at the end of the line. When corporations got the tax cut many began tooling up like this. And I can attest.... It's the best vehicle I've ever owned... since 1973. I wonder what things will look like 50 yrs from now. Progress I guess.

Not with bass but pickerel will try and swallow things larger than they are. They're mean.

We don't really have any poisonous animals in Maine. Maybe our June black fly season ;-). Once and awhile a wild pet snake will get loose for the summer and people will have sightings of a huge snake in the water but they usually don't like our winters much. They're never seen again after that. Then again they're predators but not poisonous. Once, I did meet up with this venomous woman when I got too close to her dock while casting, but that's a totally different animal. I never got close enough to bite.

Well, today I went into the shop and made a duplicate of the "Unknown Crank bait" I had lost in a tree. I do wish I had the original though as it was the first fish on a bait I made. I started at 10:30 AM and had it in the water by 3:30. With a couple of exceptions it's almost the same. I did weight it a little differently to get more of a flitter than a wobble. I had kept the original paper pattern, so the shape, albeit freehand, is the same one as the last. Here's a picture of it. The complete build is available at my channel on Youtube should you care to look for it. I had time to talk about it this time as I knew where I was going with the design this time around. Everything is handmade except the hooks.

Well, I understand it's an acquired taste. To each his own I guess.

I made a very short video showing how I learned to set my Curado DC and a few casts. I never use my thumb. I don't know if non DC reels will cast this way. I've never used one. I've always had spinning outfits. So, if yours does great. Starting my third season with this one. I've only had a nest recently when I smacked the water in front of me. It doesn't show all types of casts so take it for what it is. I do love this reel though. It's paired with a Dobyn's Champion glass rod.

With the DC if I set the tension so that when I shake the pole it drops a foot or two each time that's the setting. It has to be redone for each change of lure if the are different weights. I never put my thumb on the spool. I could but don't have to.

Actually if I do it still casts the same distance. And the distance is plenty either way. I found a way, not the Shimano directions to cast, cast distance, and not backlash. I don't use my thumb... although today might have been the exception.

Oh ya... that would go over well!

Three unique things happened to me today.... 1. I caught my first fish with one of the lures I made this winter. I had been using plastics this spring as the water has been cold and the fish weren't biting. I hadn't been out in a over a week (poor bites) I saw that the water was seventy degrees so I chose one of the handful of lures I had made this winter and cast to the shore. He bit when it was still and ran away with a slack line. Anyway, the first fish I've ever caught on a lure I made. I'll mark that one on the calendar for sure. Here is a picture of the fish and the lure. 2. I had my first backlash in two years (which is how long I've had the reel, It's a Curado DC) Surprised the heck out of me. My own fault, I pulled the trigger late and it smacked the water in front of me. It's of note as it's my first casting reel and my first backlash. 3. Said lure in the picture above is now in this tree. Don't ask.... it's embarrassing. I don't know how the thing got away from me but it caught the tree and I had to break the braid after trying a long time to get it out. It must have had both hooks embedded in wood. The bad news is I lost the first lure I made that caught a fish. Good news is, tomorrow I'll make another one, a scrap of pine and ten cents in paint. Whenever I go by that tree from now on though...........Geesh.

Oh no... I'm not angry. I'm still here. I just won't be posting videos. Maybe a picture of a lure I make and info about it. Just no video. - The rules were there. I should have read closer. I didn't know but I should have. That's why there are there in writing. - I'll still post here, just no videos that's all or any links to them I guess. I got a lot of feedback about them and I'm flattered and wanted those people to know that I hadn't just stopped for no reason. And the reason is understandable. - I don't want to remove the unsubscribe in the video which would take going on youtube and turning each one off for each video as it appears on the video at the end and then altering the end of the video, then there's the 30 minute uploads etc.... Besides, I'm on four fishing sites. The others don't have this rule. And lots of other people from other places look at them too. A lot of my viewers are from Lumberjocks if you can believe it. No reason to remove them for just one website forum. Anyway, BR is a great bass forum. Thanks to those who maintain it. Yes, Mr. Franco... that's what I alluded to in my post. I agree the rule is there and I don't proclaim rule ignorance. I get it.

I was just notified that I will no longer be able to post my videos if they ask you to like or subscribe at the end of them. I guess those rules are in the bylaws here so, my bad. I had a thread that had all my homemade lures and tools I produced to make them. It was deleted. I've also posted some of them here so I guess they'll be removed soon too eventually. I'm sorry for having done that. I have a subscribe notice at the end of my videos so people can be notified when I make another one. I don't do any advertising to sell anything at all. No monetary gain from the videos. I wouldn't know how to do that anyway. So, no more tutorial video notices posted here. Here's a picture of the first Wobbler (or creeper) I've ever made or even used! It would have been the next video posted. And, lo and behold, it works. The video is a detailed build. It was ambitious but fun and I'm glad it was successful. If you've never seen one bloop bloop blooping in the water it's pretty neat. Everything is hand made except the hooks. Here's a picture from the video.

I was a teacher. We used sharpies a lot on overhead plastic. Alcohol dissolves it instantly. On a post in another thread I told of a kid in a college in Boston where my daughter went. He worked with a team, headed by a professor who was given a grant by a major fishing tackle company. Their task? To find which lure colors/patterns appealed most to ...... wait for it..... people. I'm thinking a lot of the styles, you see in those huge isles of lures in the stores, are designed for us to purchase. It's got to look like we would think the fish would like them. --------------------------------- Anyway, lately I've loosened up a lot and begun painting lures somewhat as art objects instead of what the fish want, or to look like a real fish. A lot more fun that way too. Watch Marling baits on youtube sometime. He makes some fantastic fish realistic lures. But he's also caught fish on a block of wood with hook added to it, a lure made like a light sabre, a realistic looking severed finger, and several other whimsical designs. Lately he turned a round ball on a lathe and added a hook to it. Voila. It didn't work that good though.

When I was about 15 yrs old my friend and I were fishing with crayfish from a canoe. We must have happened upon a group of bass because after a short while there were sixteen in the bottom of the canoe. They went crazy over the crayfish that were hooked in the tail. One of the bass, the largest one, still only probablyl about 1 1/2 lbs jumped out of the water as the crayfish hung off the end of my pole about 1 foot above the water. I caught that fish while it was in the air. Never forgot it, and it's been 50 yrs that it happened.

To tell the truth.... It's been a couple of nice boat rides on a nice day. Southern Maine.

Must be the lake I frequent. Maybe the are roaming in other lakes. We've got thousands of lakes.

I see your point but I guess the answer is, you can come here you just need to quarantine yourself. Of course quarantine means no human contact. Maybe fishing is considered a solitary sport if done alone? I'm not sure. Anyway, an article in the local paper the other day says that state police have no indication if an out of state license plate has been here for two days or two months. No records for that, they're not stopping people at the border so I guess this is purely a mandatory (read as voluntary without any regulation of it) visit. And I can tell you that they won't be hunting people ... heck. I live on a large lake in the populous part of the state and I've seen a game warden twice. Both when I was in my teens. I'm 65 now. And back then it was because of a broken strap on a seat cushion and the second time a 'how ya doin' sort of stop.

Jim, I just came across this post today. Didn't know. This is such a lot to handle all at once and at this particular time with all that's going on. I've been there, quite awhile ago but not during a pandemic. Joyce and I both send our condolences. Life certainly takes you on turns sometimes. After awhile you've seen your share. Take care.

Southern Mainer here. Maine is pretty much open to Mainers. We have 16 counties. The two most southern ones, York (mine) and Cumberland have the vast majority of cases and deaths and 80% of Maine's population. The other counties are opening up nicely. York and Cumberland will take more time as they should. Yes, if you come from out of state, which would be for us, Mass, NY, Conn. The most infectious states on the east coast (nation?) you will have to quarantine. Sorry, but you've got bugs. I secretly think the idea is that you will stay home. Being a local, I don't have to. I'm fishing. Now, that being said. Maine is a big tourist state. It's a major part of our commerce. So, this 14 day quarantine thing is going to kill summer and hurt. But the state to the south of us has 79,000 infections and 5000+ deaths. The one beyond that has 350,000 infections and 27,000 deaths. We've managed 1500 infections and 67 deaths. Huge difference. We were on track, per predictions, for many times more than that. Our governor and the people of the state have done a good job. Let me put that in a table NY 350,000 and 27,000 deaths Mass 79,000 and 5000 deaths Maine 1500 and 67 deaths The nearest border is 20 minutes from me. Boston 90 miles. I'm 65 yrs. old. I don't want to be there and I don't want Boston to come here. Gov. Mills had free fishing licenses and free boat registration this spring (for us). She's an angler and said, "it's good for the soul, go out and fish." Someone said we tolerate but hate out of staters. We say that a lot. It's fun to bash their driving and such. But they're okay. It's all talk. Where I live, at the lake, they come and are all over the place. It gets busy and is sort of fun. And they're nice people. Then they disappear, like a ghost town. We, here in Maine like that too. Tourists are like the change of the seasons. We like the big differences when that happens. But stay home this year. If you're more local like Mass, you're a foreigner. If you're from someplace like S Dakota or California, you're and alien and I don't mean the across the border kind....ayuh... ? Ha... do a search for his name on youtube and watch an idiot in action... several times. Especially that drunken, midnight, recorded phone call to the head of the state legislature F'ing him off. And I love it when the governor and people do such a good job that their infection numbers are low then someone says, "see, nothing happened. It was all for nothing.". We were on track for at least triple the numbers we got. As we quarantined the numbers were reduced three times over the past two months.

Unlike auto bearings of old, the bearings won't freeze and sheer the hub off usually. That is if they are at least in decent shape. Like others said, if they don't have a whole lot of play, and they don't grind when you turn them, and they have plenty of grease, the most they might do is get very noisy over time and let you know they need replacing. Even if one did lock up it would just skid the tire and you'd really notice it. It's not like a car with torque and weight on it. If you're questioning it though, again like someone said, replace the bearings and seals yourself or at the tire shop and be done having to think about it. It's not a horribly expensive item and if it needs to be done, it needs to be done. Good luck with this.....

Ah nothing. It started out with my post about a lure makers research into lure colors to make a buck off fishermen. then turned into another anecdotal story that was a narrative on the extent companies will go to make a buck. So, you're not a little slow. I'm just a little off topic.

There's a Youtube video for everything... It's not your vest but in my experience they're all pretty much the same.

Another scientist story. This is from a friend of my daughter who did a stint of research at a company while attending MIT. He said he was in the mix when Febreze was first formulated. It works by neutralizing odors by attaching itself to the offending odor molecules. Before they would send Febreze to production they spent time finding out how to get Febreze to let go after 12 hours so the odors would return. He said that masking odors was the easy part. Getting it to unmask was the hard part. So, today we have Febreze that does a good job of masking odors but reverses itself each after awhile.