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At any given time my hands will have:sunscreen, diesel fuel, gasoline, grease, various oils (motor, hydraulic, gear,etc...),cow manure, dirt, and god knows what else....I catch fish just fine.

About 15 years ago I was in the zone, on top of my game and probably as good as shore fishing as I was going to get. I was fishing seven days a week. I was stocking my tackle room with everything. Planning on starting to fish local tornies. The two Torpedos hit me. I had two knees go bad and two knee operations followed. Forced retirement followed. Now my fishing time is limited. I still fish with the dedication and heart of any pro. I have no ego. When I'm fishing I take the time to educate kids how to catch bass. I like to see everyone catch fish. I'm like a field rep for fishing equipment. It takes lots of time and dedication to be a pro. you better have it in your heart and have the drive for success. Life is a roller coaster of ups and downs. We win and lose either way we move forward. My point is once your committed there's no going back. There's more behind the scenes than you think. I been a car and jeep mechanic, a machine rebuilder, a cnc machine builder, a logger inbetween jobs, and the last twenty years of my working life a lead tech in a engineering r&d lab. I build machines to make parts for the M1 Abrams tank, assembled the 155mm howitzer for the US Army. I helped design the Disney tower of terror ride. I built machines for the auto and truck industry. I build machines to manufacture disc brakes for every auto manufacturer. Every time you step on the brakes they were machined on my machine. The bottom line is I rather be bass fishing.

Assume your budget is low based on your current gear. My Dad called crappies Paper Mouths for a reason. Just my opinion, but I would stick with a spinning rod for crappies.. That way you won't need to worry about getting a rod that will load with crappie size lures, and a reel that will throw those weights. Plus light lures on a baitcast reel are not for beginners. They also require some specific gear which normally costs quite a bit. Plus a rod suitable for crappies will be a little on the light side (power wise) for the other species. The good news is any reel should handle pretty much any lure you would be throwing for the other 3 species. Telling us you fish for crappies, bass, walleyes and northerns isn't a lot of help. Preferred lures (and weights), techniques and cover type would help a lot towards getting good suggestions. A good all-around rod will be either a MF or MHF ranging from 6'6" to 7'3" length. A reel with a ratio in the 6s is considered a good all-around ratio. I am starting to like the faster ratios as I have no problem slowing down, but often don't reel fast enough when the situation calls for it. What reels did you find? Post what you are looking at and I am sure someone will have an opinion about your choice. Might not be the right opinion for you, but hey.............. EDIT: Everyone backlashes on occasion. Probably the best reel to start on would have dual brakes which work on both ends of the cast, or a centrifugal brake system which works on the beginning of the cast where most backlashes occur. I learned on a magnetic only. It would be my last choice of those 3 brake systems (unless it were my Zillion 50th). However, for a backlash free reel, find a Daiwa with Magforce 3D braking. Unfortunately I have a feeling it would cost more than you are willing to spend. Approximately $200. Another option might be a round reel. I have some Ambassadeur Black Max 1600C reels that are pretty hard to backlash. They are plenty small enough to palm. Naturally the used market is the only place to find one. I would assume the larger sizes (3600 to 4600) would handle similarly and would make a better all-around reel.

In order to be able to watch and enjoy baseball, you need to understand and appreciate the cognitive aspect. It's a brain game through and through, which is why it's losing popularity in the U.S. Not many people understand or care to understand baseballs details which make up the whole competition. People see baseball as "hit ball with stick", so when guys aren't smashing 450 ft home runs every at-bat, they get bored. Baseball is far from simple, and understanding it certainly requires another level of thinking than other sports.

Hello BR friends! Sorry I've not been posting over the last few months but I've been cking in as often as possible to keep up with your messages and correspondence to me. Also spent a lot of my time over the last year caring for one of my dear friends and getting him set up in a retirement facility close to my home, so that we can assist with his needs. He's doing GREAT and happy as a Pig in Mud! Still fishing for sure and working on new products too... Hope to be able to be more active now, and again please forgive my absence, I've missed your comradery Here's a recent catch where I was Flippin' flooded bushes! I had clear water which was perfect for flippin a Green Pumpkin RAGE Hawg in shallow brush, 25lb Vicious Pro Elite fluoro, 3/4oz SK Tour Grade Tungsten and a 5/0 Moaner Hooks Stick'R, and this PLUMP girl nailed it.

Glad to hear a couple guys are getting out. I am heading out fishing this afternoon and fishing a full dawn until dark day tomorrow with Shane. Bass beware.

Fish the Fat Ika weightless.

I think I get what your saying. You want something in between the two parts of the seat? You can use cork, Eva, graphite, wood basically anything you want. I would suggest making it easy and extremely comfortable for your self and use a Tennessee grip.

Guess what y'all? Bass live where they are born! If they live in soft bottom waters I aint gonna be dragging a jig, I be hopping it!

As long as it's wet

There's no should or right or wrong it 100% personal preference. I almost never hold a rod tip at 3 o'clock to fish. The tip is up, down to the side and has varying amounts of tension on the tip depending on the bait, weight, etc. "Balance" to me is a rod, reel, line and bait that allow the presentation I'm striving for and a comfortable feel that complements sensitivity.

I never considered the lucrative side of music. I focussed on the path, not the destination. Same goes for fishing. http://theconcussed.bandcamp.com/track/champlain-dervish

My dad taught me if your going to pick something your going to do for the rest of your life be the best at it. Do your best. Never accept others telling you it can't be done. Just keep working towards your goals. Pick something you enjoy doing. Don't worry if your still in school as life continues on it all comes together and will workout. No need to worry. Don't let life scare you. Once we enter the workforce were all a tooth on the gear of life. It would be so boring if we all were clones and did the same thing. God bless, bill

Big day today. Conduit completely ran Laid down the foam in two stages, the second of which I bolted down the floor so it could all press out into the voids properly and stick it all together like glue. Makes the floor super strong too! Front seat/ battery hatch is completely installed as well. All that's left to do today is prep and paint the hull, the front platform and the edges of the floorboard. Then she will be ready to carpet and that's the last step. Carpet's going to look so nice! A smidge more monochrome than I was hoping for but no big deal. (The front platform is going to be the same gray as the boat.)

Wait till you buy a new truck or home & think I don't know if I like it.. That's the pits there, lol

Well in comparision between the 2 lines, I can tell you from my experience with both but in heavier test ratings (min 12#) that Invisex will hold a SDJ or the no name knot better than any floro I've used. Sniper doesn't kink as much and has a little less stretch, somewhat better sensativity, casts a bit farther and littler smoother. The breaking strength of both is comparable, but I think Sniper is a more durable line. Now, maybe on the thinner lines that you're asking about the lines are vastly different. I just thought Maybe I could help anyway. Mike

Wash your hands in JJ's magic!

It may be the case an ika is not the right tool for the job in this case.

The champion isn't the flagship model. I think saying that saying Dobyns is the benchmark that bass rods are judged aginst is open to debate. ..

When it comes down to it, there are a number of other considerations to think about. The most important, and the least thought about, is how tournament fishermen are looked at by others. If you have spent any amount of time on the outside looking in you will realize that many non-tournament fishermen, others using the ramp or lake during a tournament, and lakeshore property owners look at tournaments as a scourge put upon them. So by all means, tournament fishermen can do nothing but create more of those kind of feelings by thumbing their collective noses when blasting through a "No-Wake" zone. Another thing to think about. Here in Michigan, we have a number of lakes where all high speed boating restrictions at certain parts of the day. These usually means that the entire lake is restricted to anything other than a "No Wake" speed from 7pm until 11am. I've never been able to understand why the same people who gnash their teeth because they can't Run & Gun all day are the same exact people who curse the water fleas when they hit the lake during the last half of their tournament. For God Sakes - They should be happy to enjoy a quiet morning without the constant buzz of hoards of jet skis! Food for thought.

I would go with the EX6

I love baseball.. Always have.. It's a awesome game!

Welcome to the forum. Don't worry about bearing count. There are old Curados still going strong with half the count of most of today's reels. I love what I read about the Alphas SV. I've got 4 others, and they are among my favorite reels. I got a Primms over the winter for about $157 shipped. TW sells for $225. Reel is factory tuned. Used it almost every day the 2 weeks I was in Florida. A really, really nice reel. Very light. Well built. Extremely smooth. The Fenwick Aetos is a rod that should be on your list. Lot of rod for the money. I am liking my Tatula rods, too. Especially since I got them at an excellent discount. Look at the 7' M Helios. I've got to have one after reading TT's review.

When fishing a jig, my favorite bottom is strewn with large bass

Ok, that is hilarious. I am going to have to remember that.

Some of the waters I fish are badly silted in. Jigs work fine .

You can hold on to those, but it's a longer climb.

Go get a job, and get to the top. Doesn't matter what it is you do, it's work to get to the top, so, you better like it.

Every tournament I have ever been in has had in their rules a specific one stating that all competitors shall abide by all local, state, or federal laws. In almost every tournament held on a body of water with what we call "No Wake" zones, the quickest way to earn a DQ is to pass another boat while motoring through one of these zones. The second easiest way to throw away your entry fee is to collect a ticket from the marine patrol, and many of these water cops are fully aware of when tournaments are being held on these restricted waters. I've actually seen them show up to the weighin to give the TD a list of offenders they ticketed that day. The most unfortunate part is that those who bend/break the rules can't understand that everyone is fishing under the exact same conditions. At least those who follow the rules!

This fish 14lbs-8.5oz came out of a 7 acre pond.

So here is my question to you guys. Would you consider running on plane thru a long idle zone cheating? We are fishing a lake where half the lake is idle only. I always thought it was a risk reward deal. If someone just runs on plane it takes the time risk out of it. It is also illegal. I see the guys that bump the throttle up and go pretty fast, but on plane??

Most of the time it's good precaution. Sometimes I clip off what would have just ended up being a tag end, it's better to be safe than sorry.

I back in to where the boat starts to float with the front strap still locked. Put it in park, unstrap, push it off by hand, put the power pole down (optional), then tie off to the dock, start the motor to let it warm up, and then I'm ready to go once I park. When I come back o tie off to the dock back the trailer in so that the fenders are partially submerged ( your boat and trailer may be different, you just need to find the sweet spot) power load it all the way up and then strap it to winch. I do that on my 1542 jon and used to do it all the time with my dad's old 17 foot aluminum sea nymph.

I just received my Curado 200HG from TW yesterday. I hope it performs as great as it feels but in truth, I imagine that it will only be limited by my casting ability. In my hands without actually using it, I already like it better than the E Series. If the 5 bearing count bothers you, you can add 1 bearing to each knob and whalah, you now have a 7 bearing reel. BTW, the Calcutta's got by for years with only 3 or 4 bearings total and they are some of the best and smoothest reels around.

What in the world is your mono of choice?!? I can buy bulk spools of my mono of choice cheaper than I can buy a 200 yard spool of quality fluorocarbon.

I cannot skip anything with a baitcaster, I've been fishing them almost exclusively for a decade. Its a hard technique to do imo

Catt you can lead a horse to water but it's hard to get them to drink....you are a patient man and good teacher. Tom PS, are you having any flooding issues?

Phillies fan here so football is all I have to talk about well that and the Sixers and their lottery chances. It is nice to see Howard showing some power at the plate though.

Welcome to the forums! Jeff

Another method is to strike up a conversation with your co-workers and friends. Some of them will know someone in their circle of friends and family who might allow you on the property or go fishing with you. When in the fishing section in a store or at BPS or Cabela's be observant and ready to strike up a conversation about Bass fishing. One of my best contacts was made in a Wal-Mart while purchasing some renegade worms. It goes without saying to be polite and look responsible. It does help. Old school basser...

I've been on that same pattern on Kerr . I was fishing flooded campsites...Picnic tables, benches, fire pits and even some road signs. I caught some good fish off the fire pits, it was near the spawn I was pretty sure they were using them as a pre-made bed. Nearly every fire pit that was in the water had a fish on it. Kerr is a lot of fun when the water is up like that .

This is illegal in all the tourny's I fish. One line in the water at the time.

That's the color I have my eye on too.

I caught a couple largemouth in a tiny trout stream with a size 18 Adams (small dry fly). I didn't even know there were bass in there.

I wonder what costs more, a full ride for a pro, or giving thousands of college kids 10% off. I wonder which nets more return on investment.

Every mud puddle that can hold a bass in it coughed up a 10 pounder, according to at least one random guy fishing that day I'm there. Seriously, every single time I hit a shore spot, there's some random guy talking about a 4,5,6,7,8,9, or 10 pounder caught there. I let my own personal results tell the truth, and I generally keep it to myself.

Been playing this a lot lately can't get it out of my head no clue why either just catchy and wayyyyyyy before my time. Ottis redding- sitting on the dock of the bay

To cool man. Nothing like a budget project! And doing the work yourselves. Awesome to hear about another trade worker in this site! Proud to be one myself. And your right it's not often we can relate our trade to fishing or enjoyment. Teach your step son and pass it on! My boy is 7 and we are doing similar but not as involved to a canoe. America doesn't need anymore silver spoon fed brats who think they know it all by 14. My hat is off to you sir

I do that, but it keeps getting edited. Hootie