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This Is NOT a preaching moment...........Nor Is It a sympathy thread... Informational only! I made a response In another thread and for whatever reason thought I might start this thread In hopes that If one (1) person can benefit then a few of the detractors that are sure to respond will not matter. I openly admitted to having a problem with alcohol in another thread and while I was fully functional in day to day tasks it certainly had a negative Impact on my life. I gained a massive amount of weight, spent a ton of money weekly, and while I fulfilled my responsibilities both personally and professionally, my life was centered around that next drink. To spare a good many details I'll share the one that changed my life for good. I was heading home from a night out and passed out behind the wheel. I crossed over the medium and awoke just before seeing the guard rail. I slammed on the breaks before I hit. It was not only terrifying but so Incredibly irresponsible that God only knows why It wasn't fatal, not only for me but others. The next morning I thought about this and realized I was more fortunate than I deserved to be. I also thought about this; almost every time I have had bad things happen In my life, they were all directly related to substance abuse. I had quit before(once for six years) but this was the moment that took hold of me to realize enough was enough. If I have a beer every few months that's a lot and thankfully I have the strength to only have one. The point of this Is If anyone here has been thinking they might have a problem please do something about It. I know It may be a lifestyle and you may have to find yourself allover again, but take it from someone who knows this as an absolute truth: It's worth being shunned by the folks you thought were friends for a life that Is more meaningful, satisfying, and more than anything, finding your true self.

After emailing Brian a few times and talking to him last week we have come up with a design. He had been planning what he calls the "perfect spinnerbait rod" for several years and now I'm going to build it for him. Blank; Mudhole HM-SB812-MHX Reel Seat; Fuji SK2 Split Grip Reel Seat, Black with Black Aluminum Hood with Silver Accents Handle; SK2 Rear Grip RGSK 1617 SK2 Fighting Butt BGK485E No Foregrip Guide Train; Spiral Wrap, Fuji Micro Guide Stripping Guide; 5mm KR Concept Alconite Transition Guide; 4.5 mm KR Concept Alconite Running Guides; 4mm KR Concept Alconite Belly Guides Tip Top; 4.5mm FUJI SIC Dimpled Aluminum Winding Checks Silver Charcoal Grey Prowrap with Bright Silver Trim Wrap If he does not like it, great I will keep it for myself and build him another one. This is going to be a BAD A ROD! Here we go.

While I was at Mud Hole today picking up the parts for the Tackle the Storm rod, I picked up a "few" more parts. Blank will be a MHX- MB-843 7" MH Fast SK2 Split grip Reel Seat Black Aluminum Hood with black dimpled winding checks Black and silver aluminum split grip accent pieces between Fuji composite cork grips Guides are Fuji K series Sic micros in gunsmoke.

So you can get even more impressive backlashes.

2012 Stratos 189 VLO with a 150 Mercury Optimax Pro XS, barely used. We put more miles on the trailer hauling it home than it had on it from the previous owners

There is a reason it beat the avatar record for opening weekend sales... Great movie with a great story. Mr. Kyle is a true American hero, I had the privilege to serve in the Navy at the same time as him. He was a rare person with extraordinary character. It is a very difficult movie to watch as they show combat without a filter. When the movie was over myself and my family just sat there in shock at what we had just witnessed. The theater was completely silent and the only thought that crossed my mind was "where do I sign? I want back in the fight." its hard to be home safe in my bed at night knowing there are men and women putting their lives on the line so I can drink starbucks, and eat chipotle... God bless America and God bless our troops... Mitch

Sorry I brought the preacher out of you My quitting of drinking has everything to do with getting healthy. As many here know I was injured on the job a few years ago and after being off work and no longer able to do physical labor I put on a bunch of weight. All the mass I had in my upper torso has turned to fat and made its way to my gut. I gave up drinking pop (soda for those of you outside of the midwest) a year ago and alcohol in Oct. I'm not able to exercise much. I went to the gym with the wifey a couple weeks ago to see what I could accomplish and after 20 minutes on the elliptical and another 20 on the treadmill, I was done. Not because I'm out of shape, but because the motion was causing the muscles to spasm in my back and shoulder which in turn gives me some killer headaches. Anyway, I'd like to lose as much weight as I can over the next few months. I'm planning on having another surgery later this year to reattach my back muscles to my shoulder blade and I'd like to be as healthy as possible before the doc cuts me open. My last 2 surgeries on the shoulder were arthroscopic but this one is major surgery with 8 months of rehab afterwards. Kudos to you for realizing you had a problem. I was talking to a buddy earlier this week. He quit cold turkey 3 years ago after getting a DUI and hasn't looked back

Point of no return.............beginning of the end...............YOLO

Dude that isn't torture. At least you have a chance to catch bass. My waters are iced up. No sympathy here.

Lower startup inertia, consistent casting with less effort, and contrary to what many think, better bearings in many cases actually require less braking.

Because in the summer I have the pick of thousands of lakes that hold quality bass and very few people fish them. I don't pay to launch my boat. I don't have to worry about someone being on my fishing spot. I don't worry about crime. In the fall I hunt ducks and I don't have to stand in line or wait for a lottery etc. I just drive out to a pothole, setup, and start shooting. The economy up here is great. The people are wonderful. If I get sick of the winter, I just jump on a plane and go south for a vacation. Yes, I hate winter but I LOVE the spring summer and fall!

Fishin, there are so many things to do in the greater Philly area other than fishing during the winter. Try the museum; drive slow on the Surekill Expressway for the fun of it; go to New Hope and see all the wacky people's wares for sale; go to the Delaware River in Center City and look for bodies from New Jersey floating down the river; go to a Flyers game and start a fight in the stands; go to Drexel's library and move the books all around; go to Temple and walk around wearing an Ole Miss Rebels sweatshirt; head to a Sixers game and yell and scream for the other team; drive out in the Main Line and go to the front door of one of the mansions and ring the bell and when they answer ask them if this is the place where your pregnant girlfriend lives; or rearrange your baits again. You have lots of things to do in Philly in the winter.

No one said to pay retail.

Under Armor Cold gear has been my standard base layer for years. However Columbia Omni-Heat has replaced it. The Columbia product is lighter, less compressing making it more comfortable and feels warmer to me. Second layer is wool or fleece as the mood strikes me. I am also NOT a person who would ever wear anything cotton in the cold, especially as a base layer. A-Jay

I made a commitment to get & stay in shape as well as lead a reasonably healthy life style. During this journey I’ve been fortunate to be able to come back well from the setbacks that inevitably come to us all. For those who share these ideals, I hope you are able to stay focused & strong to that end. To those who don’t, I hope you can find it in yourself to make it happen. Btw – I made this particular resolution & commitment in 1977. A-Jay

Well i posted up here a little while ago that i got a student teaching placement. The day has come and monday will be my first day. Luckily i am not just thrown into the wolves and have a few weeks of orientation and getting used to the classroom then i pick up a subject a week until i am teaching the entire school day. Funny thing is, forecast is calling for snow on Monday so my first day may be a snow day

It's in the Storm series and I highly suggest you check it out

Hey tough guy ~ that's not photoshop. - my fishing buddies are just very gifted photographers . . . . . . A-Jay

Suck up I enjoy your posts but all those photoshopped bass pics have got to go. Everyone knows they don't grow bass that big in the frozen tundra.

"What's a nice fluke like you doin in a place like this"? Hootie

I'm sure the government really appreciates the no interest loan you've given them the last 32 years. For me, having daddy hold my money so I don't spend it stopped when I was about 10.

I use frogs like this and with braid "walk" them just like a skirted frog I use them mostly in lily pads and over the grass on the Potomac River. Never skipped them under docks/piers or used them in open water.

I use only frogs with skirts. They endure abuse and work well in any situation. Although, the frogs with legs look ideal and realistic and marketed very creatively, ultimately they don't last. Yes, they will catch you fish, but will not stand up to the abuse. One particular brand, that retails for about $7-$8 quickly comes to mind and in one outing with me, in the glades was destroyed. I quickly went back to my skirted frog of preference and kept catching fish all day with same frog.

I work with my CPA. I hate taxes. I have to pay quarterly which is no fun. Flat Tax. Do I hear anyone running for office expounding a flat tax????

After school is done ( next december ) I hope to be moving to Knoxville TN, and be a researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory... No more crapy 5 month winters for me... Mitch

I'd rather have the Nitro Tournament Z or that new Porlite for $60. I'v got both the NTZ and a PQ and I'd rather get another NTZ than another PQ.

It only takes getting scared enough one time to change. There's alot out there that keep making the same mistakes over and over. I'm like you. After wakeing up in a truck stop back in 1985 sitting in the Drivers room with every one laughing at me because I woke up not knowing where I was and how I got there. I ran out to the parking lot looking for my truck and trailer. I found it but there was no bull dozer on the trailer. The truck was alright the trailer was alright and the paper work was signed but I did'nt remember any of it. I thought about my wife and little two yr old son and asked my self how would I feel if some DRUNK fool of a truck driver had run over my family and killed them ? How would I feel? I never drank another drop for ten years. Now if and If is a Huge word I drink. I only drink 1 beer but i haven't had one in two years. one or two mix drinks wich I haven't had in a year. The important thing is that I learned how to control the alcohol and my self. Now if I just had the will to quit smokeing.

Ordered the Morrum ZX1600, just don't know when it will get here. Really looking forward to this, and I don't get to excited about many things. Brian.

To add to the two above. Let me say that pre-spawn occurs when the water temps reach up into the mid 50's to low 60's. Once the waters hit somewhere around 62, (give or take a few degrees) the fish move up. Normally the first fish to move up seem to be of the larger class(females). The males start looking for hard bottom areas and timber so they can make a nest. Now, all fish do not spawn at the same time, some spawn earlier, others later. Now during this time when the waters hit the mid 50's the fish do go on the feed. Look for deeper water areas, creek beds, drop offs (could be as small as a 1-2ft ledge), these are area's the fish wil move up looking for an easy meal. Like stated, spinnerbaits, cranks, jerkbaits, worms, a-rigs will all produce these stagged fish once you locate them. Now, for some strange reason the fish move up onto beds somewhere around the full moon phases and only stay for a short time. They move in waves and fish may spawn in most areas of the country from early March to mid June. Some just are late spawners. Once they are up looking to spawn site fishing can be productive if you can get past the male who is much more aggressive then the female. If you get her fired up then you probably can catch her. But it's hard to get past the male. Jerkbaits, wakebaits, and plastics all work wonders as will a frog or swimbait. Remember these fish aren't trying to eat, the just don't want it where they are. Once the fish finish spawning, the males stay with the fry for a bit to guard them while the females return to deeper areas to regroup and feed. If you see bluegill beds, these are great areas to target these fish as they feed up to regain their strengh. Normally if there are fish on beds there are fish out past them as well in the pre-spawn mood if you can locate them. During certain times you will have all three, pre-spawn, spawning, and post-spawn fish. Don't just try and fish for the ones you can see, you will be missing a lot of fish just outside them that are willing to feed and can be caught much easier then the ones that have only spawning on their minds.

Synthetic everything for me...sweat is the enemy as is any moisture so quality wicking garments are important. I usually wear patagonia capilene of varying weights for the base layer depending on the temp then something a little heavier, usually fleece or a synthetic fill vest and a shell that is waterproof and windproof. I seem to be blessed with being pretty good with no gloves in the cold but i will carry a hot hands or two to put in my pockets or in the rare cases i wear gloves i put them on the back of my hands as this warms the blood as it goes into my fingers, I will also wear a knit that too...The key is to not let your feet or hands get cold because it is very difficult to get them warm again, even more so with the feet. Another tip that i learned when rock climbing is that when your hands get really cold swing your arms around in big circles...it forces the blood back to your fingers which when they are really cold can be painful but it works....we used to call it the screaming barfies for some reason lol

i have never spent more than $12 on a lure and refuse too

Winter Sucks ~ But there's No Hurricanes. Or Tornadoes for that matter. A-Jay

Seven. Minute. Aaaabs. I have a variation of that I fondly refer to as my "seven donut abs".

To me, the question is not even valid. Tools are tools. More expensive tools are still tools.

No button to push, or slide with my fat, non nimble fingers? Now there is a feature more companies should incorporate into their smaller reels! Thanks A-Jay

I understand you dilemma, but truthfully it's just a reel. If you leave it to your children, what would be the value in a reel that you purchased off of e-bay? I am sure that when the times comes for you to pass things along they would prefer things that you actually used and meant something to you. I know I would.

My whole life has been devoted to fishing as a guide and outdoor writer, but I've always enjoyed fishing from the bank and have put in thousands of hours afoot. I've used a lot of things, and lost a tackle shop full of lures. I've settled on one type of lure and system, because by far it is the most productive for me, and I don't lose tackle. It is a Mann's HardNose worm rigged completely weightless or with Hook Angel weights slid onto the hook shank. I'd post a picture of this rig, but I can't figure out how to download pics from my computer.

I can attest to the success of the Duo Realis Spin Bait 80. Bought it out of curiosity and it turned out to be my best new bait of the 2014 season. Presentation is critical, however. you must be a patient fisherman. This technique is not for the run-and-gunner. If you use the search feature on this forum and Google "Duo Realis Spin Bait 80" you will find enough information to keep you busy for quite a while.

No Scott, the guy launching the boat is "cool" and looks like he knows what he is doing and launches the boat without any problems or stopping to unhook it from the trailer, etc. The two guys watching him are made to look like rookies and they are dressed sloppy and look like they could not catch a cold. The guy with the trolling motor is vastly superior to the two younger guys. So if you want to be "cool" and impress people you just got to have that trolling motor. Me? I will continue to dress sloppy and act like Colombo on the water.

Look into Savage Gear's Line Thru's in the 8". They make a floater which is under 4oz and runs about $18.00. My biggest fish last year was caught on one of these. Funny part, the day before I had a fish follow a 6" BVD jr. Brought the swimbait gear back the next, got a 9lb fish and had another 10-12 followers between 4-8lbs. Sometimes 3 or 4 all trying to get the best angle to attach but just wouldn't commit. You think this would be normal for trout eating bass....bad part they hadn't stocked any trout in 3 months and it was the 4th of July. You think there are fish in there that eat trout, they will eat a swimbait 12 months of the year. Just have to have faith in fishing it. And when they stock, the trout are going to slowly move out. Look for deeper banks where they can use the shoreline to pin them or push them up in the shallows. Got one right after a trout stock that bit basiclly at my feet. Believe it was the same fish that I missed 2 casts prior that boiled on my swimbait as I pulled it out of the water. Throw the swimbait and they will come.

I haven't fished with a spincast reel in years but I do have a few. I remember not that long ago I mounted a Zebco 33 on one of my 5' 6" rods and I tied on a weighted popping cork and I stepped out onto my driveway and I launched that cork well into my neighbors yard across the street with ease. I was really surprised at the ease that I achieved that distance. I know from reading this forum, there are a lot of guys that are not getting that kind of distance with their sharp looking and expensive baitcasters.

Use what you want. You don't have to justify yourself to the world. There was an old guy, back home (Wis), that used nothing but the cheapest Zebco plastic reel he could buy. I think it was a 202, but maybe a 404. He caught muskies on them. When he hooked a big one and it pulled the drag fast and long enough it melted the reel and he bought another one. He caught enough fish on those reels so that he never went hungry.

As of right now, opening day for the LP of Michigan is 91 days from now, April 25th. I mark the time by drawing an x for each day on the calender. Kinda makes me feel like a kid waiting for Christmas morning!!

I do ice fish a little bit for whitefish. Fishing for bass walleye muskie when they are spawning bedding in canada is closed season. Also considered taboo here. That being said you can run across lake erie to buffalo to fish bass

As impressed as I was with the 310, I was equally impressed with the Fenway sweatshirt!!

Nice job brother! I'm on a winter bulk right now as a matter of fact; going good for me so far. I have been lifting for that past 31 yrs and it's definitely a way of life for me now. I had shoulder surgery in Jan 2014 and I'm pretty much fully recovered now; able to press full boat. I, too, urge everyone to get on some sort of fitness program, no matter what it is, just start something. You'll be happy you did. Nice wheels btw

Geez A-Jay I was using 300 on that same machine & now you using 310. I'll never catch up.

Replying to threads....

Daiwa Tatula can be scooped for $100, so I would start there. I have 2 and 1 Type R and love them. I would suggest an Abu Garcia Veritas 2.0 Winch Crankbait rod, 7' Medium-Moderate. I do not have experience with this particular line of rods, but this is what I would do to stay within the $200 limit. Personally, I use a Carrot Stix 7' Medium-Moderate and have had zero issues in the 4ish years I have had the rod. However, due to other experiences I have read about I would not recommend an e21 Carrot Stix. Granted, there is a new manufacturer building these rods, so they may now be a great buy at $99. I am interested to see what others here will suggest, as there may be better rod (or reel) options in other's opinion.

I wish I had some input. Buti m really interested in the answers as frogs is somethg im wanting to get into