farmpond1

I don't know exactly how well I do my job. Certainly if I were motivated, I could do better. My boss has seemed okay with my performance but no one could ever measure up to his expectations regardless. My heart goes out for everyone who is unemployed right now. I've been without a job before and it isn't fun. It's one reason why I've stuck with this one so long. But I don't think I'm lazy. I've served in the Air Force, baled hay, detasseled corn, worked in a dry cleaning plant, gotten up at 4 a.m., etc, etc. So it isn't that I'm afraid of work. But some days (actually most) I think if I have to stare at one more sheet of paper, I'll puke. Fish-fighting illini-You'll be the first person on my list for my fishing gear. Just don't be too eager!

Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or did you fall out?

Problem is, I've got a stack of audits piling up larger and larger. Not to mention my other "duties." Blargghhhh!!!!!!

How are car thieves ever going to jimmy up locks?!!! Oh, not that kind of Slim Jim. Never mind!

I am here at work, attempting an exceedingly tedious and boring transcript audit. My heart is not (nor has it ever been) in my work and I am sick of it! If there was an electrical wire hanging from the ceiling, I'd hang myself with it! Seriously. I really want to become a lion tamer. p.s. I do have a hat!

He's a dumb, made up character whom people blame their spending habits on. I'm probably one of the few people on BR that thinks that he is a stupid fictional character. Just my .02c This guy ^ is like a dad who tell his son before Christmas that Santa Clause didn't exist. :-? What do you mean he doesn't exist.... :-/ Who's been eating all my cookies then ;D The bait monkey has been eating all your cookies?

Superflukes in the weed-choked ponds-until they spray the lakes and everything dies off. grrrrrrrr. So it fouls the propellors on their stupid paddleboats! Big deal!

Perhaps if you'd left your bass in the water a bit longer, they could've/would've served as great muskie bait (heresy, I realize, on a bass site). : Muskie aren't usually too afraid of boats and even if you didn't hook him (her?), muskie will often refuse to let go.

Jeez...Where to begin? But if I had to choose one thing, it would be that the 3 keys to successful fishing, as in a successful business, are location, location, and location. Everything else is just details.

Ditto. Rebel crawdads are awesome (except the annoying trait of the rear treble hook wedging in the gap between the pincers. Panther Martin spinners will often intice a bite. Bass can usually be found along weed edges, large rocks and boulders, falldowns, pools, seams (where current meets calm water) and eddys. This time of year they usually bite best in the early morning. My 2 cents worth.

Basszilla attacks Tokyo!

Direct rainfall isn't the only source of contact with water. A heavy dew (condensation), humidity and evaporation of water that has collected in bottom of the boat can rust lures. So you ought to take your lures out if this likelyhood is high. Or, as Catt suggests, make sure you air things out sufficiently. I wouldn't spray chemicals or petroleum based products of any kind which might repel the fish or react with soft plastics, paint, etc.

White without a doubt.

I guess no one wants to respond to catching "dinks". Guess it was in the marketing approach. Anyhow, sounded like fun to me. Although I do enjoy catching big fish, those are few and far between so I'll catch dinks anyday (so long as there's the hope for a few bigger ones in the mix).

Ditto. For your first smallmouth, you sure picked a nice one.

I mean this in the kindest way when I say, "What are you asking us for?" Just be yourself. If you want to wear what you mentioned, wear it. If she is so petty as to care, you've found something out about her you need to know. As far as transportation arrangements go, ask her what she wants to do. Collaborate. It sounds like neither of you have your drivers license just yet (and there's no shame in that) so you'll just have to work something out.

Too funny!! My response was going to be, "I never kiss and tell" but I had to respond to the above comment first.

Are psychics real? I sensed you were going to ask this question. Your answer: Absolutely not!

If he drinks coffee (or tea, or hot cocoa), get him a coffee mug with a fishing theme. You can never have too many coffee mugs.

Yes, actually I just ran another thread on a "mouse" bait. Don't know where it came from or who makes it but it's getting pretty badly beaten up and want more. Is there any symbol or name molded into the plastic?

Not really. But I would if I could. The product is a "mouse" bait. I don't know who makes it but from a similar thread, Cresliner2008 said that "they" don't make it anymore. I don't think it is Snagproof because it is better quality that the stuff they generally produce. Like most weedless lures of this kind, it's comprised of a soft plastic "shell" with a treble hook buried in the back. It has a mouses tail and a flat lead weight secured to the bottom to keep it sitting upright. It's very castable and very weedless. Although it frequently comes apart it's fairly easy to put back together. Mine has gotten rather beaten up after at least 20 bass and being dragged and manhandled through lily pads. Does anyone know who makes/made this bait and also where I might get a hold of some more? (I'd provide a picture but I'm technologically challenged and haven't figured out how to do that yet). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

It might just be a matter of semantics but around here, nightcrawlers and earthworms are the same thing-the kind of worm you find wriggling around on the sidewalks after a good rain. Garden worms are the smaller, pinker worms you usually have to dig up. In my opinion, garden worms are much better bait for sunfish (brim). I've seen times where sunfish will completely ignore nightcrawlers but gobble up garden worms.

Holy Schneike!!!! That's one big pike. I'm lucky if I catch a 40" pike. I have a friend who uses oversized musky baits for that elusive big pike. He's done well but not nearly this well. Great job!

A couple of obvious questions: Did you pump the bulb when you got to the lake? Had the fuel line gotten bumped and come off? The fuel you added too much oil to-was it old? Could it be water in the gas? Your engines problems may have nothing to do with the additional oil. Just some thoughts.