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My wife and I are celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary today. As I think back, it's a wondrous life we have had together. It will come as no surprise that we have hit a few rocky roads, but we stuck together. What a life we have shared! There as been the joy of children and grandchildren (and now a great-grandchild,) There has been the grief of losing parents, a grand-daughter, and close friends. The grief never goes away, but becomes more bearable over time. We have experienced the intimacy of dancing cheek to cheek, to the advent of rock and roll, to the degeneration of popular music into hiphop. We have witnessed man's first walk on the moon. We have witnessed and eagerly accepted the introduction of the personal computer, although they were very expensive at the time. My first computer was an Apple II. With accessories, it cost over $3000. We have witnessed the birth of the Internet, and now wonder how we lived without it. Likewise with Smart Phones. In all honesty, I think I could write a book about the life experiences my love and I have shared, such as having lived in the Middle East, Far East, and Europe, but that is not for these forums. Suffice it to say that I have had the great opportunity to spend the majority of my life with my lover and my best friend, and we have had a ball!

Went to Olathe after work yesterday with the intention of fishing my new Pinnacle Optimus reel and Pinnacle Perfecta DHC5 rod. I was really planning on mainly fishing and not doing much catching but the 42.7 degree water at the ramp was higher than I expected and gave me a little hope. I ran straight to the high rock bank on the far north end because I know it has the deepest water in the lake and the sun was already shining on it. The rod and reel felt great, I could really sling my 7/16oz finesse jig a long way even with it being spooled with 20lb fluoro. I'd only made about a dozen cast when I felt what I assume was a limb or brushpile in 25-30' of water (I was impressed I could still feel it since my fingers were already numb). Just like I had been, lifted slowly and it was mush, then an ever so slight pull downwards that I immediately met with an almost straight up and down hookset. Just an average Olathe fish but it was 1 more than I planned on catching I was momentarily sidetracked while trying to retrieve a spook that someone cast into a tree that was a good 30' away from the waters edge. After another 30 minutes of casting with no luck and the wind blowing way harder than the 6mph they forecast, I started just casting out to deeper water and drifting down the bank, fishing uphill and looking for baits as I floated. Right about the time I started to hit the curve in the bank, I drug my jig on one of my first pulls after it hit bottom and got whacked. I set the hook and nailed a limb Irritated that I'd missed the fish, motored out to my bait to try to get it back. I was snagged in about 19' of water on the edge of where the bottom begins to climb up to the 15' range when all the sudden my depthfinder was spotted with fish everywhere I had a feeling what it was and after quickly switching my jig to a War Eagle jigging spoon, it hit bottom and I got all of 2 hops in before I felt the telltale "tick" as it was fluttering back down. The line getting ripped from the spool was a pretty dead giveaway, the broad white side and stripes just confirmed it. After that it was on like bing bong Jack! The last one was my biggest at 5lbs 10ozs and bigger than my 22" board. She was a real fighter who had beaten another angler at some point. Quite a workout for it's first time out and both the rod and reel performed flawlessly. Got the reel dialed in really fast so it was easy to cast even with frozen fingers, then the drag got way more work than any bass will ever put it through and it never missed a beat there either. Loved the combination of power and sensitivity of the rod. Not what I'd typically use for a jigging spoon but it's what I had and it worked just fine. I actually got to use the Quickflip button on one of the fish that hit my spoon on the initial fall and it worked just like it should. Obviously not a real thorough test but if yesterday was any indication of what I can expect, I'm going to really enjoy fishing with this setup

I start out with a length measurement and then decide if a weight is in order. Bass over 20 inches (both Brown & Green) almost always get weighed. Depending on girth, the weights can & do vary greatly. Even after doing it this way for a while now, the expected pre measurement weight rarely actually meets or exceeds the true post measurement weight. Imagine that. A-Jay

Kurita said there were bigger bass than the record he caught. So, for now I'll go with Biwa.

IMO the storm series. Football head 3/8ounce with the OOMODGEN1 is the best color. Thats the black and bluish purplish one.

Having fished tournament for years, there is always a bump board sitting out on the deck of my boat. Very quick and easy to measure and release as I still count the number of "keeper" sized fish I catch on each trip. And in all those years, I've never seen the day when my Golden Rule had dead batteries!

Catch & release formats often go by length rather than weight to facilitate quicker release of the fish. I personally just weight them if I want to know. But I do carry a measuring tape in case I want to know length & girth for a replica mount. If you weigh & measure enough fish you get a pretty good idea what the relationship is between weight & length.

My order came next season is set up nicely!

I forgot to mention this in my sale post and new products but I've also built and added something like your asking. Basically its my top ten already to roll Dredge jigs in all 3 styles. I'll be doing this for all the versions eventually. The pictures are bigger and also easy to see the details because of the zoom feature. This makes it easier to pick the top 10 colors and faster ordering with less confusion since I've paired them up with the matching jig head color. http://siebertoutdoors.com/Dredge-Brush-490.htm. I would have a hard time picking 3. If I was to pick 3 I'd have to say black/blue, Bama, and then the #3 is a difficult one. Blue craw, pbj, or junebug all 3 rank right there about the same and closely followed by a couple others.

Some lake we never heard of, these giant bass need a sanctuary lake with the perfect climate and forage base. Japan has a good chance and I would rate that country as #1 choice. #2 is my home state of California, again don't know what lake and wouldn't name it if I did! Tom

Lake Biwa in Japan. Since there was one, there is probably more . . . . A-Jay

Bad Parrot A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to 'clean up' the bird's vocabulary. Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John threatened the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even more rude. John, in desperation, threw up his hands, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute. Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior." John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird spoke-up, very softly, "May I ask what the turkey did?" And you thought there were no clean jokes left! Happy Thanksgiving _____________

If you can turn every lost fish into an opportunity to up your game, you're doing something VERY right.

They aren't really many local shops that even carry what I'd use.

A couple of fundamental differences involve current, structure and cover, especially in a river environment. Generally, smallmouth prefer ambush in current and at breaks. Largemouth for the most part are lazy and prefer slack water. Both species are attracted to structure, but given the choice largemouth seek cover or in combination with vegetation.

I suggest you're going about this backwards. Determine what baits you want to use for a chosen presentation... then choose the rod/reel that best fishes that presentation/bait in the available cover. oe

One by one each year flew by, since you both said 'I Do' 45 years of memories, shared by the two of you. From big events and holidays, to simple daily pleasures. Some tearful times along life's way, some joys that can't be measured. One by one each year now gone, but still they're yours forever each and every memory, of a beautiful life together. Happy Anniversary Mike. A-Jay

I have caught so many fish on that color I would hate to even put out a number on it. Almost wish I wouldn't have given out my secret color combo! Hahaha Jeff

Said every guy out there! Hahaha

Master Angler certificates are awarded when fish of a certain length are caught. Length determines if a fish is a legal catch and if it can be kept for consumption or used in a weigh in.

I came across an article that had an interesting quote from a book that from what I can tell was written in 1881. What say you? "Most fishing reels are suspended from the bottom of the rod, since this position requires no wrist strength to overcome gravity while enabling the angler to cast and retrieve without changing hands. The baitcasting reel's unusual mounting position atop the rod is an accident of history. Baitcasting reels were originally designed to be cast when positioned atop the rod, then rotated upside-down in order to operate the crank handle while playing a fish or retrieving line. However, in practice most anglers preferred to keep the reel atop the rod for both cast and retrieve by simply transferring the rod to the left hand for the retrieve, then reverse-winding the crank handle. Because of this preference, mounting the crank handle on the right side of a bait casting reel (with standard clockwise crank handle rotation) has become customary, though models with left-hand retrieve have gained in popularity in recent years thanks to user familiarity with the spinning reel"

I typically don't follow anglers. But i think if i was it'd be a man by the name Gerald Swindle. His attitude and mentality towards life is something that is pretty amazing. I started watching some videos on him and just seeing that he's a down to earth guy with the humor thrown in. I can relate to that the most. I cant learn anything from a guy that's all uptight and wound up about fishing. He keeps it simple enough that i and just about anyone can understand. If i had anything to agree with what he says, it'd be the PMA. Positive Mental Attitude. Its all about confidence on the water. To keep from being upset over losing a fish, to keep hammering when you ain't gettin bit. I don't wanna get up on my soap box or brown nose him too much... but i cant find a better more positive fishing role model in the professional bass fishing world. I think if everyone went out on the water and had the attitude he does, itd be a good ol time everytime. Just a thought... Thanks,Jesse

Start the day off as I always do fishing saltwater, yesterday it was the beach. Nice groundswell coming in with about 15 mph wind, needed a kastamaster to get out to the trough. I pop about a 10# jack right after daylight and gave me all I could handle, the surf can make it a tough catch. Follow up with couple 3-4 pounders, bite went dead and I was wacked out. About noon I go out for my daily bass fishing, the canal was beautiful with no floating grass or high weeds, fished a jerkbait. 4 or 5 small bass then I get hit what felt like a barracuda, lol, pretty nice fight. Was the highlight of my day, don't actually hook and land many of these, just get strikes.

He decided, after more discussion, to go with a combination of double and single footed guides. He isn't that concerned with added weight, and decided on a Fuji Alconite set. The first two or three up from the reel seat will be double foot. The build will be on a 7ft. white MHX blank using a split, cork handle and blank through reel seat. It'll be a good, multiple purpose rod that won't be a big investment for him. If I like the finished product, I may even build one as a gift for one of my buddies.

Just stay within the lure weight rating and use the slower tapered (more flexible - rated moderate or moderate-fast) rods for treble hooked baits like crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwaters. Use the faster tapered (stiffer - rated fast or ex-fast) rods for single hook or jig hook baits like worms, jigs, and other bottom baits. If all of those rods are rated as fast action rods, use the ducket micro magic for treble hook baits as it has a bit more give than a lot of other fast action rods. For fast moving baits with a single jig hook like spinnerbaits, swimjigs, even swimbaits, I like a softer tip which the duckett has as well.

. That is a good reason to belong to IGFA so you know the rules. If you do not become a member you can still research there records & protocol. It is imperative if you are a trophy hunter like basin don.

I put them on a scale i feel confident with. I use two of them. I have my own PB games going on and records so I keep track. I keep a tape also just incase I hit a record. You never know...... BTW! For those who may want to know. I caught a record fish once and got it all on video. However because It was weighed on a Boat it was void. You must have the boat landed (stationary ) to be legit. Just so you know ; ) They still said "nice fish" though LOL!!

I'm happy cause the conquest is finally here. I'm not happy cause it was hit by custom and stuck there for two weeks. I'm still happy cause when I picked it up today they didn't charge me anything even I saw the red custom tape on the box. Still waiting for the livre handle nut. Carbon handle just doesn't look right on conquest.

Once upon a time I measured and weighed everything, and made my own length/weight chart. I use length now, usually to keep track of growth rates (how year classes are coming along) in various waters I fish. I'm pretty good at guestimating lengths now. Body condition varies throughout the year so weights vary with it. Fish over 20" I may drop on a regularly calibrated spring scale though.

DX784 ML Jig Rod. You can get it for under $300 now with 20% off Black Friday deals.

try this: wind= spinnerbait no wind= swim jig

Cut cheap yellow nylon rope in 6" sections and throw that out there. Their teeth get all caught in the rope and (from what i understand) they stay buttoned up all the way back for a landing. (But then you have to touch them, yuk, trash fish)

At the ripe old age of 16, If you would have said Neil Young or Jefferson Airplane......... Maybe!!!!!

My pop used to have a little fun with me, drew a couple dots on each palm of my hands and told me to put my hands up to my ears. As a tiny young lad, I did as instucted but asked him why? He replied,"you're listening to The Ink Spots" and would just howl with laughter!!! I didn't get it.........

Ain't nothin old about these! some great stuff right there!

Last night I blew a wad on a bunch of jigs at Seibert's, and next week I'll blow another wad on some of his Cosmic spinners. To quote J Francho "I can't wait until Spring" P.s. pics to come.

We were fishing the adolphis reach where lake Ontario flows into the bay of quinte. We were marking schools of migrating walleye down 45-60 over 80 to 100 fow. Once hooked we bring them up slowly but some off them have their air bladders blocking there mouths past the throat. These fish are coming from 120+ fow into water that gradually gets as shallow as 20 fow. I have caught walleye elsewhere as deep as 90 feet jigging.

I thought so too! Today, ordered a Lew's Tournament MG and a jig(to get it over $100). After rebate on the reel, only gonna cost $55!

Length measurements are only as accurate as how angler measures; bass laying flat closed mouth to end of tail or center of tail or start of tail (biologist), or open mouth bass hanging down....no standardized method is established. Length without girth you can't calculate weight.The weight varies from scale to scale depending on the scale accuracy, battery strength etc. If weight is the end criteria to establish or authenticate the fishes size, then use weight with length and girth measurement, along with a picture. Tom PS, 19" bass may weigh 4 1/2 lbs.

Tesla Live Extended editions. Or anything by Dokken... I guess I'm an old soul...

You are not going to last very long. Your last few posts are a little questionable.

weights vary with scales... length is more uniform between anglers. oe

Displacement, while not practical at all, would be the true measure of what's "largest," though I agree that mass is a better measurement than just length.

I saw them years ago, at the Canadaigua Holiday Inn. They had at least one original member. They were great. I was probably around 14.

Pound and a half maybe

8-15 pound copolymer, depends on the situation.

It gets no better than that right there

No snow predicted here in San Diego, but the water temps are down to 64! Might have to stop fishing top water!

It bears a stunning resemblance to the skull of Sarah Jessica Parker...

Lake fishing, I usually have a buzzbait tied on one rod and it stays there pretty much all season. If the weeds are too heavy or emergent for that, I like a Spro Popping frog. BPS Slim Dog in open water. In the river, I carry and will try (if the fish are looking up) Heddon Spittin Image, Baby Torpedo, Sebile Bonga Minnow, BPS Slim Dog, Storm Chug Bug. I probably carry about 50 other topwater lures that have been favorites at one time or another. Fish have been feeding on whitefly lately, and when that is happening, the fly rod is the way to go. I like to fish a Yellow Gartside gurgler this time of year, and there are many days I can school a spin fisherman with a fly rod.