DaubsNU1

Rather have it and not need is...vs. needing it and not having it! Go Big!!

Jigs, cranks, jerkbaits. I'm just no good with them at all.

I've got some Fenwick IronThread that has been on a few bait-casters since the 1990's. : ) Can't wear that stuff out! Other reels have PowerPro.

Slug-Go, rainbow trout color. Medium-light spinning rod with 10lb test Trilene XL. Small, private ~3 acre pond in Northeast Missouri.

Heard this, and researched today... "The good news is that consumers are not typically responsible for the amounts lost in cases of credit card fraud. The Fair Credit Billing Act limits the liability to $50, and oftentimes, there's no cost at all." Always use a credit card. Never a debit card. Most of my bills are on one card, the remainder are paid for on another credit card. At the end of the month, all balances are paid in full. Always.

Excellent points @RDB! I agree with you...bucks / bass / waterfowl / turkeys, they all follow patterns, for sure! Agree when hunters and fisherman put themselves in good position, high potential places, they have more success. I'm likely a much better deer hunter than fisherman. And even when I play my cards right, pick the right ridge, on a good weather day, right time of the day, best time of the month...there is a chance that buck will simply walk the other way. That's where I'm talking about "luck."

All my batteries live in my un-heated, un-insulated shop year round. It can get 100+ in there in the summers...and below zero in winter. Boat x2, ATV's x2, John Deere, extra truck battery, and even my portable generator. The boat has an on-board charger / maintainer...that is plugged in year round. All the other batteries are charged and maintained with inexpensive charger purchased through Amazon. ATV batteries are 6-7+ years old, John Deere is 7 years old. They all seem to perform well. ** I must be lucky ** I'm not moving to lithium batteries any time soon.

Good thread @A-Jay. My brother and I talk about fishing (and hunting) a lot. Hours spent casting in the boat, or waiting in the blind...what else are we going to talk about(?) : ) What makes a bass bite? What makes a mallard move, when it's sitting on a perfectly calm pond/lake/river, and is save from predators. What makes a big buck wander out from a perfectly good thicket / hiding spot? Or a turkey leaving the roost? Well, they all have to eat. And they have to be safe. Those are priorities #1 and #2 in my mind. Then comes procreation at #3. In their nature. Sometimes you get lucky, and find a good spot to ambush deer moving from bedding area to feeding area. I think the same can be said for Bass. Right place, right time...and it doesn't matter what lure you are throwing...gonna get a bite. And I think the same is true on the other end...you can be in the right place...at the wrong time...and nothing you throw will get hit. Does weather, wind, moon-phase, time or year, ambient temp, water temp, etc. play a factor? Likely. I've been logging my fishing since the 1990's, with hopes of "cracking the code" and discovering the factors that lead to fish being "on." Done the same with waterfowl, turkey, deer. My findings...I have come to realize that I don't know much...and mother nature gets the best of me most days. Sure, there are days when the bit is on...and the ducks are flying...and the big bucks are moving. In general, I over-analyze the heck out of all my outdoor situations. I'm going to keep reading threads here, watching videos, succumbing to the bait-monkey, trying new things...and going back to old methods. The hope is that I will catch a few fish now and then.

I have two Cabela's C44x bait-casters from the early 1990's. I'm told Cabela's branded rods at that time were manufactured by Loomis. These particular rods (CDH 602 and 704T) have a spiral-like guide design...first guide is about 11 o'clock, next is around 9 o'clock, then 7 o'clock...and the remainder of the guides are beneath the blank (as a spinning rod would). Great rods, very sensitive.

Depends on how much time I have to fish... Closest lake | 40 acres: I can pull the boat around with the ATV, have it hooked to my truck and be on the water in 20 minutes. Next closest lake | 220 acres: I can be on the water in 30 minutes...lake is bigger, and has 5MPH limit, so it takes me another 15 minutes to get to my favorite spots. Bass and Pike. Biggest Bass lake | 315 acres: About a 40 minute drive from my house. Favorite lake | 637 acres: more established, bass and pike, and even walleye. 45 minute drive. There are many more lakes in the area, but these are the four I fish the most.

Nooooooooooo!!! I feel your pain! Almost like seeing someone get smacked in the nuggets : (

Buy once, cry once. I got all my current rods and reels back in the 1990's...they were not cheap then...and I still have every, single, one! Funny thing...when I buy something inexpensive, I don't take as good of care. When I buy something pricy, or built it myself, I am super careful, take great care...want it to last. Another example....years ago I lived on acreage. Always wanted a John Deere...but couldn't afford...so got a Craftsman...three years later that thing was shelled...so I got the John Deere. Cost 3x as much, but the quality upgrade was incredible. Moved to the city and went to sell that John Deere...used. I was asking $6k, fair price at the time. Neighbor scoffed, saying he could buy three box store riding lawn mowers for that price...and I told him, "yep, in 9 years you will likely go through three mowers...might as well get this one for $6k and save yourself some money...and this mower will likely outlive you." He passed... Last I counted, he was on his fourth rider from Lowes...that was 10 years ago. Hmmmm...

I stink at off-shore fishing. Just got a good fish finder last summer, and still haven't managed to dial it in well...I can see structure...but having trouble picking out fish. Doesn't matter much...as I'm no good at catching them off-shore. I'm learning, and reading, and trying new things. Confounds me.

Agreed! Before I had a boat, or even a canoe or belly boat, we fished a road that cut through a local reservoir. There were two 4' pipes that went under the road to connect the lake...I remember standing 30-40 feet to the side, pitching a Rainbow colored Slug-Go beyond the pipe, then jerking it past. Caught numerous bass that way. Had a BLAST!

Happy Easter!!

I lead a team of 11 Academic Advisors...have one Assistant Director...we serve 4k students...I hunt and fish to get time away from people, enjoy nature, re-focus, and re-energize. Mainly fish alone...sometimes my daughter joins me...or I fish with my Dad (81) and Brother. But mainly I am fishing alone. Just me, God, and nature...

My bait casters have had braid since the 1990's. Worms, jigs, cranks, spinnerbaits, all seem to do well. I just recently switched from mono to braid-to-fluoro leader on all my spinning gear. Game-changer. But I don't throw cranks on my spinning rods.

I finally put some fish in the boat with a square bill. It's soo darn mossy here in Nebraska in the summer...pain to fish any cranks. But this winter - spring I finally found some success. Caught a ton of fish last year on the NED. Liked that very much. I'm pretty confident with NED, spinnerbaits, Senkos, buzz-baits, ploppers, and even the old Slug-Go's! Need to get better with -- drop shot, jigs, jerk baits, c-rigs and shakey heads.

I've never been very good with jigs. Once while living in Missouri, I fished flooded timber in my belly boat...pitched jig next to tree and waited for it to fall and hit bottom. Once on the bottom...my line started to move...I never felt a thing. Set the hook and swore I snagged a stump...then the fight began. Turned out to be a 36" Musky!!

I have a 1990's vintage Cabela's C44x casting rod that has one telescoping section...I think it takes the 7 foot rod down under 6 foot. Love the rod. That's as close as I can get to a true telescoping fishing rod. If you like the feel, and the price is right...I say go for it.

4 seasons is good in my book. My boat batteries go on the charger the minute the boat is back in the shop. Trolling motor battery is 2019 and still going strong. With vehicle engines, an old, seasoned mechanic once told me to replace every 3 years no matter what. With cold winters and hot summers of the Midwest, it's $100 of cheap insurance vs. getting stranded. All my ATV's, garden tractor, generator, spare batteries are on trickle chargers year round, whenever not in use. My shop is uninsulated, not heated or cooled...so it can get 100+ in the summer...and below zero in the winters. All batteries perform great. Some are 5+ years old.

Parents shared a cabin on the Platte River growing up...love me some Catfish!! Perch, white bass, walleye and crappie are great as well. Nebraska doesn't lend much acess to saltwater fish, unless I'm at a restaurant. Agree on beef! My wife has a connection...the rancher sings to our beef : ) Even with processing and the two hour drive, it's still cheaper than store beef.

Pothole filler! L O L ! I've actually started to like goose breast. I cut in strips about an inch thick...marinade in worcestershire sauce for 24+ hours...throw on the grille and cook to 145 internal temp (medium rare). Actually not bad.

Don't hunt them, so I don't eat them : )

Second guess myself... All The Darn Time! Nature of the beast. Perfectionist. Want to do it right. But as I'm getting older, I'm more forgiving, laugh at myself more, and relax more. I'd been out of fishing for about 10 years (kiddos in sports takes a lot of time, energy, and $$). Now that my kiddos are all college age, I got back in to fishing. Last summer I was fishing a local lake known for big bass...pitched the senko under a dock perfectly hitting the back sea-wall...the lure fell, then twitched every so slightly... I set the hook and knew it was a big one. Managed to maneuver the trolling motor and take the boat away from docks...and managed to keep the big bass from wrapping around anything. Now that the bass was clear of tangles, it was a short fight to reel up the line and get him to the boat. Here is where I made my mistake / second guess. Normally I'm a "get fish to boat...keep rod tip high...lip fish...bring in to boat" kind of guy. I don't use a net. Recently I watched a video from Glen about grabbing the line and pulling fish in to the boat. Works well for smaller fish...but this particular big-un... I made the mistake of grabbing the line...and with one tail flip, the line snapped. UGH! Next time, I fight the fish for a little...get his head/mouth up (rod tip around 45 degrees...if he runs...rod tip down...give him room. If he humps...rod tip high, keep tension on...then lip and get in the boat.