luckyinkentucky

You do want to cure them in the oven before use. It hardens the paint. Preheat the oven before putting them in. If not you could get a flash burn and melt your lead.

WOW!!! Six figure salaries, I guess I'm in the wrong sector of the Forestry/Biology Division in West Virginia. I guess I need to ask for a raise, seems I'm not getting paid what I'm worth. : I guess not! ;D I feel sorry for public servants. How far apart are the pictures on the trail cam? What are the time frames?

I've fished the Elite series rod since this past Spring. I love them, and they are more sensitive than the G-Loomis or St. Croix rods I own. Anything Johnny Morris puts his name on will be a winner.

A lot of the Chinese built baits aren't as durable as the Japanese baits. I would pay $50 for a Japanese bait before I would pay $40 for a Chinese bait.

Let's assume I know nothing about entering or fishing a tournament. ;D Like I said, I am a member of BASS, but I don't know the first thing about tournament schedules, guidelines, etc... I do have a boat. Could my wife fish as my partner? We make a pretty mean team. Our last day at Lake Malone we caught a combined weight of 56 lbs. for 10 fish. We were just having fun. If men and women have to fish separate I could take on a non-boater for a partner in the tournament. I know next to nothing about tournament fishing. I need some direction.

I think we got a little 'off key' here. I was implying a scenario as if the fish completely swallowed the hook all the way to the stomach. You can't see the hook in the mouth or under the gills. It is in the internal organs of the fish. The reason I initially asked this question is because I have gutted 10+ pound catfish that have had treble hooks hung up in their intestines. I'm just beginning to wonder how ethical it is to let a wounded fish go that you know is going to die a slow and painful death. I think it would be more humane to eat the fish, and save it the trouble in the long run. That's my conclusion.

It happens all the time. People are so self-absorbed in their own lives they don't pay attention to anyone elses. It's sad but true. No one cares about anything that goes on around them anymore if it doesn't pertain to them. Here is another story. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2/18/2007 Man Found Dead After a Year; Still Watching His Blaring TV 70-year-old Hampton Bays resident Vincenzo Ricardo was found dead in his home, apparently from natural causes. Police found him after someone reported a broken water pipe at his residence. His body was sitting in front of a TV, still on. Morgue assistant Jeff Bacchus said "You could see his face. He still had hair on his head," adding that his body was preserved from the low humidity in his house. Not having any contact with anyone since December 2005, authorities had no answer as to why his power was still on. When asked, the neighbors just assumed he was in a long-term facility or a hospital; he suffered from blindness and diabetes.

Thanks for the link.

I was looking through a catalog today, and I found a reel I really like. The only problem is it is an offshore/saltwater reel. Any reason why I couldn't use it for freshwater applications? The only thing I'm thinking is that the saltwater versions have a heavier drag with corrosion resistance. Am I right?

You guys sure like to dig up old posts. I was rid of this reel 3 weeks ago. I returned it, and got a Daiwa Tierra.

It's called the "Tin of Baits", and it's ok for the money. I got one back in August, and it has $10 worth of usable stuff in it.

Does anyone know where I can find a good book on dating Native American artifacts? I have several arrow and spear heads that I found recently near the river, and I want to be able to date them and future finds.

They're decent baits. I bought a few of them last Spring, and have had success with all of them. I would suggest the River2Sea Kong swimbaits at this point since I have used both. The River2Sea brand seems to catch more fish. The Kokanee, Matt Perch, and Chrome/Black work best for me on the big waters I fish. You almost can't fish these baits from shore in my opinion. You have to fish them in the deep channels and deep cover. Old roadbeds, creeks, and structure are the places I have the best luck.

Not for the faint of heart. You should have a warning on this post man. That's sick! :-?

1) You can attach a willow leaf blade to the end of the wire that hold the 'buzz' on your buzz baits, and this will add more flash to your presentation. 2) You can turn a bullet weight backwards when you T-Rig your worms or crawdads. This stirs up more bottom debris and mimics a crawdad digging. 3) You can use a 10 penny nail cut in half and insert it into your tubes. This adds weight that will allow it to fall horizontally. 4) Breaking off toothpicks or pulling through rubber bands offer a cheaper solution for weight pegs than paying $5 for 10. 5) In a pinch you can burn the head end of a worm back together if you run out of a color on the water. I've done this plenty of times. Use a bag of a particular color in a days time, and at the end of the day I have 8 worms on the bottom of the boat with ripped heads. If I need another before I go in I just do this to save me the frustration of using another color. That's all the 'Free' advice I can give for one night. ;D

If you want a BPS branded reel go with the Johnny Morris Elite series unless it's for a kid.

A lot of Pro's are doing this anymore. I tried to watch a Woo Daves show on plastics fishing not too long ago, and it was one big BPS advertisement. Every other word was 'you can find this at Bass Pro'. If they beef up the advertising then they'll beef up the paychecks. I like to watch a lot of shows over the net at 'myoutdoortv.com'. They have a lot of informative shows that I don't get locally. Best of all .... it's free!

Yeah, I liked that review. It cut to the chase without wading through unnecessary reading.

1) Auburn University's School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. Started out Pre-Vet, but changed. 2) I have a MNR or Master of Natural Resources. Working on my MS or Master of SCience. I will have my PhD before I'm done. A little further than a Bachelors. ;D ;D 3) Total of 6 years in the field professionally, but I've been doing it almost all of my life with my Uncle and father who are KDFWR or Kentucky Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resources Employees. I was studying deer herds while most kids were trading baseball cards, and playing Nintendo. I see it all the time. Don't worry about it. The guys that have the state jobs get the lime light while us Private Sector guys do all the work and report to them. They get all the credit, and we get paid 6 figure incomes to keep our mouths shut. Oh ... almost forgot. It's not a bear. ;D Probably a kid in a chimp suit, but it's not a bear. Explain the small chest cavity, and 'humped' back.

"According to the experts" .... well .... I AM an expert. As close to one as anyone I guess. I'm a Wildlife Biologist, and that is not a black bear! Black bears have thick limbs, massive shoulders, and a short back. The animal in the picture has calves smaller than the forearms / forelegs. I don't know what to make of it, but I will tell you that 'Professionals' discredit anything they do not have scientific proof of. I have seen colleagues discredit mountain lion sighting by photographic proof simply because the numbers don't add up.

I have a thermostat regulated space heater in my garage. I bought it at Wal-Mart for $40. I use 2 of them to keep my garage at 50 degrees fahrenheit in the winter. That way I can keep my reels in the cases, my rods lined up, and everything else in my garage doesn't freeze. By the way ... I use the radiator / oil type heaters, and not the ones with the red hot electrical element in them. You will see what I am talking about if you check them out.

Talk to jeguy6. He might have a Revo STX for dirt cheap! I bought one from him a month or so ago, and you can't beat them for the price he is selling them for. I think I paid $170 for mine. Look him up! They are A+ reals. The only way you could get better, in my opinion, is to get a Revo Premier!

What's THAT? A Gerkin pickle on the end of a hook? ;D Just kidding! I like to use Jigs with short trailers and lipless cranks in flashy colors.

Karma never skips anyone. That's the funny thing about it. It always hits you twice as bad as what you did to someone else. Be it a $100 part on your car, a broken computer, or a hassle the next time you order online, it will always catch up with you. You reap what you sow!

Believe it or not I think a lot of athletes, actors, and musicians are being cracked down on a little harder now more than ever. How many times do you read in the paper where an actor was picked up on DUI charges or battery? I read it all the time. Look at Paris Hiltion. They have made her a poster child for being taken in to the station. I think the problem lies with police officers who are weak in character and decide to let an athlete off thinking it will benefit them personally. I hate to say it, but the LAPD is one of the most corrupt police forces in the US. They will let a player like Luke Walton or Chris Mihm go on a routine traffic stop for 20 over the speed limit, and the player will slip them a $100. It's ridiculous, but it happens all the time. Here locally it's a different story. Police officers stop people left and right, and they don't care who you are. David Green, a local NASCAR favorite, got pulled over a few weeks ago for speeding. He was going 60 in a 35. The officer didn't care who he was. Green got his driver's license held until he appeared before the judge. All he kept saying was ,"Do you know who I am?". ;D The officer just said .... " I don't care who you are. You broke the law."