farmpond1

I gave up my heroin addiction because it was cutting into how much fishing gear I could buy.

You might also post your inquiry on the Northeast region forum. (Though Illinois, where I am from, is also in the NE section and has little in common with New England) Unfortunately, I can't help you.

Not knowing where you are from, I can't really say how advisable it is to take your boat out. If the water is cold, however, I wouldn't recommend you take a new (to you) boat out. Nor should you go out if you aren't very experienced at boating. A spill in frigid water can be fatal in a hurry. Call me a wuss but that's my humble opinion.

I lost the one I had but it was a killer on shy/spooky bass. It was the only bait in my arsenal I could get the bass to eat on sunny days at my local (heavily fished) forest preserve pond. Mine had a very natural minnow finish and was only about 2 inches long.

Yes. If they asked for food, I'd probably give them something. If they asked for money to buy food, no.

So, basically, the mortgage companies expect mercy/tax advantages, etc. but aren't willing to extend said mercy themselves. There's something written in the good book about that.

Didn't I see something like this being used by the Navy Seals? Nice boat!

This doesn't directly answer your question (I don't know the answer) but it'd probably cheaper and easier to buy and stow a second battery.

I speak only for myself but if I'm going to fish a lure, I have to be willing to lose it. And I'm simply not willing to lose a $25.00 lure. As a fisherman who actually prefers to catch fish, I appreciate the fact that most of the better fish will be in the most treacherous locations. I'd rather toss a $1.50 spinnerbait into the thick stuff than work only the outside edges of a spot because the lure costs 3 times as much and I'm not as willing to lose it. Collecting is another matter altogether. I personally don't collect but I can see why someone might choose to collect pretty or antique baits.

Or better still, tell them that you don't enjoy eating them so much as just clubbing them.

You can eliminate this problem by getting some small coffee stirrers and cutting about an inch off, running your braid through the stirrer, then tying on as usual. No more snagged lines on the front prop. Good idea. I'll try it! Thanks! Just got to remember to put some in my box.

Actually, I think the saying goes, "If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. If you teach him to fish, he'll spend most of his paycheck on fishing gear and won't have enough left over to buy groceries."

Good God! For that price, it ought to be more than just unique! It ought to have active sonar and launch torpedo's. I've seen toilet seats and hammers in the navy that cost less than that! I know if I ever lost one, I'd send a team of divers down to recover it.

(Sound of me smacking myself in the forehead). Where were you when I need you?!!! Geesh! ;D

This isn't exactly answering your question but I wanted to write this: The devils horse is a really good bait but be aware that with super limp braided line, 7 times out of ten the line will wrap around the front prop-messing up the action. One evening when the bite was really hot, I'd lent my other go-to bait to my brother and I was left with a devils horse. The aforementioned problem gave me fits.

The nerve of some companies! Pretty soon they'll be adding melamine to their lures!!!!!!

1. Super fluke or fluke jr 2. Original floating Rapala 3. Glass Shad Rap 4. 7 inch Culprit worm 5. Rapala X-Rap or Husky Jerk (I cheated here) Honorable mention: Johnson Silver Minnow

I've fished plenty of times but I've never stripped. Not for money, anyway! Sorry, couldn't resist. Clinton Lake which is not too far from my house has stripers and I've trolled for them but never hooked one. I think I might get a planer board sometime to move the baits further from my boat. That might help. I've never seem them bust the surface but I'm not the most observant fellow (or so I'm told) so I'm probably missing something. I certainly wouldn't object to finding some schooling stripers.

I actually enjoy training so long as the person I'm training has a real interest in learning. If they cop an attitude, than it stinks.

I'll be heading out this weekend for a go at it. It's fun as long as I'm sure the ice is thick enough. Nothing takes the thrill out of something so much as wondering if you might plunge through into icy cold water (or, of course, actually going through). That hasn't happened yet and I want to keep it that way.

When I mark the line, I do the same thing. If the fish can see the line at all, breaking the continuous image (line) up with alternating "dash marks" may obscure the image a little. (Or it may just be overkill. Who knows?)

I blushed when you wrote "KISS". I didn't know you cared. If you want to use wooden plugs, more power to you-especially if you want to be nostalgic about things. But I doubt it will increase your catch ratio all that much. IMHO wooden plugs should sit alongside your plastic ones rather than replace them.

May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits! Nice catch. Wish I coulda joined ya!

We already have fish called sea kittens. They are baby catfish. :

Usually about three weeks too early.