DitchPanda

I like the out of ten scale as well. At ice out I'm about 3 out of 10... Now that we are 4+ months into the season I'm dialed..lots of days I'm a solid 8.5-9 out of 10 I'm talking sticking my hook point up a gnats a@# at 50ft. Some days tho you would swear it was my first time handling a rod and reel.

I knew you'd say that! I should get him a few..they work no doubt.

Watch your surroundings -keep your eyes peeled for signs of bait fish because bait fish normally means bass Don't leave trash behind- if you can carry it in you can carry it out Go early, often and stay late- nothing beats time on the water Make friends with better anglers than yourself and learn from them Don't roll up on somebody and fish next to them- if you wanna fish by them ask first A skunking isn't a failure it is an opportunity for lots of learning If you go into this looking for return on your investment based off of fish you catch just know you'll never break even- if that's an issue this ain't for you

So I originally said I didn't want to use worms because they get pestered by everything and I stand by it. So today I used cutbait and the gar drove me nuts. Next time I'm going with some form of stinkbait ...should help select for cats.

I think out of the 4 you mentioned Diet\exercise and meditation are the most important...meditation of course can mean different things so I'd count mindful focused self reflection. To me the number 1 key to mental and physical health is sleep. Don't care if you eat well and exercise if you aren't getting the proper rest...whatever that looks like for you...you are operating at a deficit period. Caffeine can't make that up...and outside of illegal substances the only real way to get out of said hole is surprise surprise sleep. Stress relief is also extremely important..I suspect that's why many of us fish..I know that's my decompression time. People always say don't carry stress with you and while that's a romantic notion its simply not reality. If you have friends, family or a job that your even remotely invested in you have people relying on you and people your afraid to let down which causes stress. Finding a way to use those feelings as a positive driver to succeed then shed them like dead skin after they have served a purpose is huge IMO. So my top 4 in order: 1) sleep 2) diet and exercise 3)stress relief 4) constructive self reflection

I put together an order and gave him stuff from my personal stash. Worm weights & hooks, split shots, thill floats, 2&3in grubs, lead heads , Aberdeen hooks, small spinnerbaits, jitterbug, 4&6in curl tail worms, baby brush hogs, rapala floater, rooster tail, mepps, rebel tiny pop R, pliers and a pair of nail clippers. Should be a good start for him.

Oh I'd go up to $100 for baits, tools and a box. not sure what he has but I think my dad is giving him a medium or medium light spinning with 6 or 8lb mono. Should be able to do alot with that.

Good thing I don't post pics on here. My hair is curly but I brushed it out in the shower the other night and it was to the top of my shoulder blades.

So I'm looking to out together a box for my nephew who is turning 9 next week. Not solely for bass I'd kind of like a mixture so he can fish for whatever. What should I put in there?

The inurig...did it go away? Was it ever here? Is this thing on?

Absolutely. That's how life works...as you get older the job gets more stressful and families grow so hanging with your friends kind of goes by the wayside. I've got several buddies im close with that I fish with as much as we can but that's not super often these days. Got two buddies that are brothers that are as you say my brothers from another mother. We've been friends for 20+ years Timm and I were 18 and Jon was 16 when we all met. Jon lives about 30 miles away but we haven't seen each other in a few years...I've got a demanding job and he's got 4 kids. Timm has 2 kids and owns a tattoo shop in Kansas City..haven't seen him in years either. We all talk quite often and id do anything to help them. I'm kind of ticked at my best buddy Brian at the moment for cancelling plans too often. We aren't really talking right now but we've been buds for 15+ years so this will pass. Even with being ticked at him I'm come running if he needed something. That's how friendship is supposed to work in my estimation.

Agreed...a little 12inch River smallie can really pull. Think you've got a 15+ on.

I understand what you mean...smaller fish tend to be faster and flashier..but larger fish have more power and bulldog you more. I caught a 7lb largemouth in cold water a few springs back and even in that chilly water she straightened a split ring out and ripped the hook off the bait. Luckily the other hook held and I landed her. Where we differ is thinking that largemouth and small mouth have the same power. I think the key difference isn't in the power necessarily but the stamina. Small mouth can sustain that power the entire fight, largemouth gas themselves out fairly quickly in my experience.

Good for you to take him...always fishing with the club? Saddest thing I've heard in a while...I'm thankful I had a real dad growing up.

This right here...Yamamoto Senko if you want the best and don't mind spending some coin. Yum dinger if you wanna keep it budget.

Around here we almost always have some color to the water so for me its green pumpkin hands down.

So I'm looking to target a few eater size channel cats in my local lake as it seems to have a healthy population of 1-4lb cats in it. I don't fish catfish often or really at all anymore so I'm looking for pointers. What baits are best for targeting said fryer size cats? I'd like to avoid worms only because I don't want to be pestered by bullheads, bluegills and green sunfish.

Obviously it depends on where you live. I have a yearly park pass for my local lake...cost me $20. Fuel around here is $3.89 for 10%ethanol and $4.49 for regular. Local lake is a few miles round trip so I can make several trips on a gallon of gas. Lets say in tackle I generally use\lose the cost of 1 bag of plastics. Also I make like 100 trips a year to this lake so the cost of the pass is nothing. I'd say it costs me $5 or less to get out.

The past few years I've been throwing the paint off of poppers..specifically the Rebel Pop R. Threw them when I was younger then went years picking a walking bait or a frog over them. Now they are one of my most consistent baits from about June thru September... Sometimes into October.

Have a serious fear of heights...not crippling but d**n close. I have a lesser fear of needles...more specifically watching other people get poked with one. I'm fine with getting shots or an IV but seeing somebody get one weirds me out and makes my skin crawl.

Oh cool..lost 450 grand at the casino. Sounds like a real genius.

Thanks buddy

Whats your rig consist of?

Don't ask me how to catch summer bass..apparently in the past 2 weeks I've completely forgotten.

If my truck looked that nice I'd worry about it. I've got an 05 Z71 Silverado with faded paint and plenty of rust. Hell the tar might hold her together for another 50k miles.