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When you need to set three alarms to awake up at 6:00 to go to work Monday-Friday, yet don't need any alarm to wake up at 4:00 on Saturday and go fishing.

@ fishking I read this thread and reflected on it and this line stuck: "she quit that because it was too hard for her." I don't think most people change. Good people remain good people. Hard workers keep working hard. If anything, we become more of what we were. For example, a bad person might become evil. If your ex were to become the mother of your children, since she's a quitter, the lesson she would impart to your children would be to quit when it was hard. Long after lust dies, you want to be partnered with someone you admire. Kurt Vonnegut, the writer, wrote about a fight with his wife. She said, in anger, "I don't even like you." He asked, in the calm of rationality, "Do you still respect me?" She nodded and he said, "Then we'll be okay." I couldn't respect someone who quits, someone who fails and doesn't rise to begin again. If you're not a quitter and if you're a hard worker, then find your peer.

I think you made a wise decision. "Its just a car" is ridiculous. If something a small as a minor accident got things riled up that much then I can PROMISE you it would have gotten worse later on. Keep your head up and never second guess your decision. I am learning recently that your gut is always right. Your heart will try and confuse your gut, but in the end your gut is always always always right.

Caught this one at El Dorado Lake in Kansas today, from the shore. 20.5 " and 4.75 lb Caught it on a Ned Rig on a 5'6" light action spinning ugly stik on 8lb test

Or this, Hootie

My money's on JR has no drivers license or is suspended. No job and parents wanting to throw the comfort blanket over him. He's probably at that point that one more claim and Mom and Dad are looking for another fly by night insurance carrier.

As an avid kayak angler, I feel I can offer several tidbits of information based upon personal experience and having paddled a variety of different kayaks. My first piece of advice is to browse the various kayak forums for information and reviews on different kayak styles and models. Second, check out your local kayak shop and get several hands on days to check out the various models. Third, schedule a demo or check with other kayakers in the area (the forums are great for this) and meet up with a few of them to try out theirs. If you do this, make it a point to take a notepad with you in your car, so that you can summarize your experience when you are done. All of these pieces of information will go a long way ot helping you make your decision. With that said, your initial thoughts on a SOT (Sit On Top) over a SINK (Sit INside Kayak) are correct relative to safety, but SINKs have their place and are very useful (the Wilderness Pungo 120 and Jackson Kayak Daytrippers are favorites of several people I know). With that said, the next step is to take into consideration your current fishing style and future desires or styles you will make an honest effort or investment in pursuing. What I mean here is what is your preferred style of fishing you do 75-80% of the time? If you are a fly fisherman, then your kayak choices may differ from someone who is a live liner and soacks minnows all day long, just like it would differ from someone who fished tidal creeks and large saltwater bays and sounds - kayak length will be a huge factor here. Here are some of the factors about you to consider: 1. Fishing equipment - are you a gear junkie that carries everything you own or can you scale back to 2-3 rods with a couple tackle trays and maybe a binder or bag for soft plastics. 2. Physical abilities - any limitations in range of movement, flexibility? Shoulder, back, knees, foot arches, etc. are all considerations that factor into which kayak to decide upon. 3. Method of transporting the kayak - do you have a truck? If not, then you might need some form of rack system for the top of your vehicle. Additional costs to keep in mind. 4. Method of storing the kayak - it is not recommended to just leave any kayak on the ground or hard flat surface. It is also not advisable to leave it out in the sun unprotected. 5. Method of launching the kayak - not all locations have a dedicated hand launch or ramp close, so you may need a cart of some form to transport your kayak to the water's edge. Also, unless you have afriend that will be fishing with you, you won't have anyone to help you load or unload the kayak! 6. Additional safety equipment required - a Class III PFD (required), a properly sized paddle, a handheld VHF radio (saltwater only), a light visible from 360 degrees, cold water gear if you plan on fishing in water temps below 60 degrees and air temps below 60, etc. 7. Other accessories - paddle leashes, rod holders, rod leashes or floats, crate or tackle storage of some form, kayak straps to secure the kayak, etc. When it comes time to start narrowing down your choices, it is time to start thinking about the various styles of kayaks and their uses. There are several models out there that are designed for specific purpose.....Keep in mind the models listed are just a sampling of ones to look at....... Paddle based kayaks...... River/Creeks - look for kayaks in the 10-12 foot range (Jackson Coosa, Tarpon 100/120, Commander 120, Ride 115, Native Manta Ray 11/12, Slayer 12 or Ultimate 12, Ocean Kayak Trident 11 or Tetra 10/12, Diablo Paddlesports, etc) Ponds/small lakes - kayaks in the 12-14 foot range (Jackson Cuda 12, Tarpon 120/140, Commander140, Ride 135, Native Slayer 12/14 or Ultimate 14, Ocean Kayak Trident 13, Prowler Big Game, etc) Large Reservoirs - any kayak in the 13 foot or larger (Cuda 12 or 14, Tarpon 140/160, Commander 140, Slayer 14 or Ultimate 14, Trident 13/15, etc.) Saltwater - same as large reservoirs. Non-paddle (you provide propulsion via another means) Ocean Kayak - Torque series (Minn Kota based) Native - Mariner and Propel series Hobie - mirage drive based kayaks Other - addition of a kit from Torqueedo,, BassYaks, etc to any of the kayaks on the market. If you are diligent in your testing sessions, you will notice that certain platforms will transfer to various bodies of water with little or no limitations. Now, if you are cost conscious, there are several options to consider: Demo kayaks - your local kayak store will have last year's models and the ones they rent out or use at demo days at a deeply discounted price. Perception Pescador and Sport Caster are 2008 Wilderness Systems molds sold to Perception - same hulls as the old Tarpon and Ride series Pompano - West Marine branded hull using the same molds as Perception Ascend - Bass Pro Shops branded kayaks (tend to be a litte on the heavy side compared to other brands of similar/same size) Craigslist - winter time is the perfect time to get one used - this is the time of year when people learn they need more space in the garage and are not as interested as they were in summer The one factor that is often overlooked and in my opinion the most critical is COMFORT!!! If you sit in a kayak in the store and are uncomfortable within the first few minutes, imagine how you are going to feel after an hour? 2? 4?, etc...... The only way to truly figure all this stuff out is paddle as many different varieties as possible in different water conditions. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. Hope you find all of this helpful. Good luck.

You have to watch this to the very end . . . A-Jay https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=1666083143117&set=vb.1568442155&type=2&theater

I hear ya and i can see your point entirely. if you can't live on 80-100k a year for two people i would seriously question how you are living. Not trying to hijack the thread but you can live off that pretty much anywhere. Granted down in TN you can live like a king on that salary and back home in philly not so much but stil be pretty comfortable....anyways doesn't matter at this point. Just try and get yourself together and move on and learn from your past experiences and you everything will be better.....on the plus side at least since she hasn't been working it's not like you have to figure out how you are going ot support yourself since you were already doing that and then some....it's almost like you just got a raise

http://youtu.be/J4-gI2PonzI

Luhr Jenson Hot Lips and Luck E Strike The Freak are both super deep runners. The SK 10XD isn't in stores yet but it's supposed to hit 25+ with ease.

Christmas is a time for kids and family. Regardless of your religious beliefs, it's a time of coming together. I love this time of year.

You are definitely right, the stick is just scary light. The walls are quite thin, but I don't think that is the determining factor. I don't know a ton about blanks, but some of the top shelf St. Croix blanks are very light, and they are crazy powerful. My thinking is a 3/4oz jig, plus a 5" swimbait, is a lot of weight. The 7'1" Cumulus is deceivingly powerful, just not that powerful. It does a lot of things very well, I would simply prefer another stick for big, honkin' swim jigs. Hope that helps.

Esp rods. 6'6 ultra lite or 6'6 power lite. Both are built for fishing in line spinners for trout. I use the 6'6 ul for stream trout and have handled 19in browns in 4lb test. Rods a blast to fish.

Congrats! Good looking fish.

Flat sided crankbait without a rattle. Flat sided crankbait with a rattle. Dead stick a plastic of your choice.

Smoked chichen with turtle head.

The only 3 bait's that I've caught fish on at the last 2 tounaments down here are... White pearl fluke with a 1/16 weight on the nose... White and chartruses chatterbait... 5" black/blue wacky rig. Mike

Change the bulk of the skirt to get a faster fall rate or change the trailer to a trailer that is more streamline. To me it isn't the head size that really maters fish at times key into the fall rate or they key into a overall profile size or bulk of the jig. Sometimes just a change in line size can help with speeding up the fall rate along with the other things I mentioned. Something else to consider is when you add a slip sinker to a jig you also change how the jig reacts to cover when it comes in contact with it. the weight might be changing the action of the jig because it slightly hangs on weeds or the it acts like a slip sinker worm and the bait is in one area and the weight in another. When your crashing cover think of it like crashing cover with a crankbait but verically. Each branch changes the direction of the jig slightly much like a crankbait or spinnerbait would. That change in direction along with speed causes a reaction bite. When you make a few pitches and the bait acts different on each pitch because how it is deflecting off of the cover it sends a signal to the bass of live prey. In heavy weeded areas I tend to pitch a flipping tube because it will change directions on the fall much in the same way is a jig does in hard cover. I am not a big fan of throwing jigs in weed cover because I feel that plastics do a better job....but that's just me.

A t-rigged plastic worm, or a brush hog. I usually try to find timber to cast into.

I use mine for picking a bank apart with a spinnerbait.

That sounds like more fun than what I'll be doing. I'll be at work when the end of the world happens, again . I believe it will happen this time though. I was doing some research online about all the solid facts on why the world will end the 21st. Here are all the reasons I found: ......

I rarely catch jig fish on the initial drop, now with that said, when I am hopping it on the bottom, more times than not, they hit when it is dropping from the height of each single hop.

i like your idea of getting your speed right to make the fish bite. but, here is a question. what do you do when you need the speed of your 1/2oz jig, but the bass will not hit the bigger profile of the 1/2oz., as opposed the smaller profile of the 3/8oz.??? that is the thing with jigs. the heavier the weight of the jig, the bigger the profile gets because the head size is bigger. the solution to the problem is to use a 1/4oz. jig with a slip sinker added to your line to get the fall rate you desire. you are still maintaining the smaller profile, but can attain the correct fall rate.bo

Here's what Rich Zaleski has to say: http://www.richz.com/fishing/articles/dropshot.html

When you continue to fish as the sky grows dark, the wind is howling & the waves are building with the ramp only ten miles away.

Your wife catches you scoping out every body of water you may pass by while driving, and she says to you "really? Is that all you think about?". True story.

You know you're a serious bass fisherwoman when you couldn't persuade any of the boys to go out fishing because the wind was howling and the water was whitecapping, so you went alone and loved it.

I've also been super curious about the klx. They seem to be an amazing value. I read some things regarding Kistler ideology and cs but it seems whatever the issues were have passed. Next rods on my list are the 13 *** service es and klx.

I pitch with every single rod in my arsenal. It's just a cast. Learn to pitch with all your rods, and you will see what a handy skill it is. Especially if you're in the back of the boat.