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Same here. It's been 43 years for us too. It's been wedded bliss, waking up to a sweet kiss every day, a partner in life, a gentle touch, support in tough times and laughter in the good times, sharing caring, the joy of children, a twinkle in her eye and a delight in everything we get to do together. She was looking over my shoulder when I started to reply. She's gone now. Probably going to call her mother and talk on the phone for two hours about nothing.

a marriage is like a deck of cards, with only a few cards in it. Only takes two hearts and a diamond to get started. sometime later a club and a spade may be required.

I give you, the BassResource Glossary of Fishing Terms: http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/bass_fishing.html

A friend of mine was thought to be having heart issues so his cardiologist made him wear an event (heart) monitor for a month . At the end of the month he sees the Doctor and he says : " Things appeared normal - until two weekends ago where by we tabulated some very erratic heart rhythms which has me quit concerned - we may need to operate " ! ... My friend then inquired : "What time specifically two week ends ago do the events occur on the monitor I was wearing " ? Long story short , the times coincided exactly when he had been out hollow body frog fishing and had caught two #4 lb. and one #6 lb. bass - all on a hollow body frog !! ... I about fell over laughing - the event (heart) monitor had captured all of the excitement of my friend's frog fishing trip - I guess what they say about frog fishing is true - It will darn near give you a heart attack when you get bit !!

Well it's done ... I put in some new boat seats on my Triton (2002)...not Triton seats mind you as it was out of the budget but pretty good ones. Did take the bracing off the Triton seats and put on the back of the new ones for more strength and ease of putting on. Came out ok. Now its time to wax the ol girl and armor up the seats and other stuff and get ready for fall and winter. I was using gorilla tape to mend all the places that were tearing from various reasons but in the hot weather the sticky stuff would get on your cloths. So anyway it's done and was just happy enough to post. Tight Lines all

Hit Long Lake this morning. Bite was decent from 6:00-10:00 and then completely died. Water still warm 70* and there's an awful lot of dead vegetation on the bottom. Think I caught 10 all in the 14-16" range up shallow. After 10:00 I tried deep water off the main point and was marking fish suspended 8ft down in 15fow. Tried throwing Strike King Bonsai Shad with no takers.

Zip ties! Faster & easier than wire!

Had 18lbs flipping and frogging this morning by 9 am. Had a blast!

Wow....sadness. I've got 43 years and have to say its getting closer and closer. Guess I picked a good one by the grace of our good Lord. We do have family but most of them are unique in our eyes and we're glad to be living many miles away. Friday night is our date night now and we look forward to doing a couples best ball golf with a bunch of others at a local golf coarse. (she loves golf...me fishing) By God's grace I'm hoping for many more years....in fishing terms she's a keeper.

Maybe the judges were vegans.

People lurking and internet scouts are part of the deal, but I'm sure there's lots of folks out there that are trying to learn by following along who feel they're too inexperienced to try to contribute. The lurker comments aren't going to help make anyone want to join and contribute to the thread. This has been one of the most active threads on the forum because of the guys on here being willing to share information and help each other out, I'd like to see it keep pointed that direction. We were all new here once and were maybe even lurkers ourselves at one point before we signed on. I'm guessing part of the reason everyone made that step was because it seemed like a pretty decent group of guys here who you could speak to freely without being insulted or belittled (at least until you got to know everyone of course). I've been burnt by spot thieves, just like anyone will if you catch fish consistently and post pictures with them, but that's no reason to assume that everyone here just following along is for those reasons. Lets just try to keep it friendly or stick to the old saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". I know it's hard sometimes, I have to work at it at least a few times every night to just let it go, sometimes even after I've typed up a good smart A comment to someone. Anyway, off my soapbox and to what everyone is here for, the fishing reports/pictures! I picked up one of the new Jackall Gantias at Mondo Wednesday and ran by Osawatomie City Lake on the way home, took me one whole cast to get blasted along some water willows. Not a big fish by any means, but sure gets the confidence up. It's a great looking bait that moves very lifelike and nearly suspends it sinks so slow. Fishes very easy too. Thursday I went to Wilson SFL and met @Shaunmoore1 to chase some spots. The fish were about jumping in the boat most of the day. I had a ton of rods out but all I really needed was a jig. Jig color didn't seem to matter as long as the trailer was blue. A popper was wearing them out in the morning, pretty much every cast for awhile, both spots and largemouth. There was one other boat there and I think he went pretty much straight back into the pond because that was about the only place we didn't do so hot. The water was also a few degrees warmer up there (79 instead of 76), which is a pretty severe difference in a small lake like that. I did get the biggest of the day up there though, which was also my only frog bite of the day. Caught several flipping the willows. I'm sure a wacky rig would have just been stupid easy but I didn't want to waste that many sticks. I threw a Ned for awhile at the end just for the heck of it and caught my biggest spot of the day at 16.5". Wasn't as big as I was hoping for, but still a heck of a spot. Also caught one of the blue/channel hybrids they stock in that lake, really pretty fish. Thursday night was the last weeknight tournament of the year at Miola. It was pretty brutal but I started out by catching a 1.5 and 2.4 on a frog in the first 50 yards and another 1 something in the next 15 minutes. Turned out we could have gone and sat in the truck and skipped the mosquitoes and still be okay. We had a limit by the time we finished fishing halfway through the dock cove before we had a long dry spell with only a couple shorts. I culled a few ounces on the dam with a popper before we made a pit stop at the dock for bug spray. After dark I missed a couple solid bites on code blue before catching another 2.4 while Coty was busy with another couple ounce cull himself. It was a grind no doubt but a nice way to end the season. Friday I went to Linn Valley with the intention to start for bass and finish catching bluegills on my fly rod. I had a shot at a 4lb class largemouth that I was trying to sight fish in a pocket along the weedlines but she someone short struck my Flat Dawg and I missed her and she disappeared. I found a school with a bunch of shad corralled in the back of a cove and caught several out of there. Saw some huge channel cats under a dock but they wanted nothing to do with anything, even livebait. Once the sun got up high, I started sight casting to big bluegills near docks and wearing them out. At one point I cast at some gills and as they converged on the fly a brown rocket shot off the bottom and engulfed the little fly. It was a much longer fight than I expected, but it finally came to hand, my first fly rod smallmouth. I think I made 2 more cast before it happened again, this time even bigger. If I was smart I probably should have changed to a larger fly and actually targeted them, but I've never claimed to be smart. Right towards the end I made a cast under a tree that was dropping some kind of nuts or berries. Lots of bluegills under it but man when my fly touched the water a grass carp that was easily 50+ shot of the bottom and narrowly missed my fly. I'd probably still be fighting that thing if it had connected. I'd like to try it sometime, but maybe start with something a little smaller than one that size.

Welcome Yes, it is better to get comfortable with one or two techniques. Some good suggestions as to what to start with, but I'll add this; Reaction, fast moving baits, appeal to the aggressive nature of bass. That's one reason bass fishing is so popular. The downside to starting out with them is the bass aren't always cooperative. Starting with a presentation that will appeal to them no matter what mood they're in has a higher percentage of success. Soft plastics rigged weedless or T-rigged fit that bill perfectly. Gain confidence in that type of presentation and then add one that appeals to active fish and you'll have the basics down pat.

@Nitrofreak refresher time!

Cold weather can be a good thing to fishermen. First, in scares all the pleasure boaters off the water. No jet skis, skiers, cabin cruisers doing nothing but running circles. Second, it can start the fall fat-building frenzies that fish do to make it thru the winter which allows us to catch more of them. Third, we can actually enjoy being on the water without being scorched or dehydrated...feels nice to put a couple of layers on in the morning and peel them off as the day goes on. Lastly, when winter finally comes in and shuts us down, spring is not far behind.

Well fellas...... today was a day that dreams are made of. Received a call yesterday from my tackle shop telling me they are having a sale today that I shouldn't miss. So I head on over not expecting too much. What I found was insane. Just an incredible feeling. Core 50mg7 $105 Core 100mg x2 $105 ($210 total) Loomis GL2 783c $74 Xmas came early.

Too light or heavy Rod power has an adverse affect on accuracy .

With bait casters, there are lots of variables that come into play when trying to achieve distance and/or accuracy. Both with lures on the low end and high end, but light lures will definitely be harder to learn to control. First and foremost is experience. You have to learn how to be able to back the brakes and tension off a little and use your thumb to keep the reel from backlashing to get the longest casts possible. You also have to learn the best casting motion for the target you are aiming at. Many times a sidearm, roll cast, or pitch will be much more accurate than overhand casting. Your equipment also matters a lot. What reel/rod/line are you using? A quality reel will have better braking systems like dynamic magnetic, centrifugal, and dual braking systems that will help you to learn to cast more quickly than one with a simple magnetic system in most cases, especially with lighter baits. Also most reels aren't going to do well much below 3/8, no matter what rod and line you use. Rods also play a big part. If you are using a stiff rod with a mh or heavy power, it isn't going to load well with lighter baits and won't transfer enough speed and energy to the bait to get a good cast. Likewise, if you use a med or med light, you aren't going to be able to cast heavy baits well because it overloads the rod. A more moderate action loads better, but won't set the hook well with most bottom bouncing stuff. The length of the rod makes a difference also.Generally, a longer rod casts farther, and a shorter rod is more accurate. Line matters as well. Thicker diameter lines won't come off the spool as fast and cast as far as a thinner diameter. Which us why many use braid. Too thin braided line can "dig in" on itself though, and cause backlashes and poor casts. This is when the line you are reeling gets pressed into the line on the spool. Any of these issues could be part of the problem, but more than likely you just need more practice with your setup. Try using heavier more aerodynamic baits at first like jigs, lipless cranks, spoon, and top water walkers like spooks. Practice casting and pitching with different motions in the yard with a jig and use a paper plate or something for a target. Try to get proficient with heavier stuff, then move to the lighter end of the spectrum. Also if you get time let us know what your setup is, and maybe there's some things that could be tweaked. Just keep practicing though and hang with it and it will come in time.

Or they work for Pepperidge farm.

Heck yeah! Darvish and Hamels both looked great in their last starts. I'm ready for playoff baseball!

Hey, don't blame El Escuincle for your s*t cold weather, all you need is to move south and stop the whining, it ain't our fault you yanks choose to live near the friggin north pole.

You can always pour your own with the weight-hook size you want, I'm not going to say I invented shakey heads but I've poured my own jigheads with oversized hooks for 30+ years when they weren't called shakeyheads.

Dawn buzzbait fish from a week ago; best of 4 on an otherwise slow morning, about 2 3/4 lb: Unfortunately it might end up being my last until spring. I rarely get to fish oct through mar, even when there is open water. and the way this fall is shaping up, finding time for another outing before dec is unlikely to happen except by accident.

but was that thought really random? The sanctity of marriage consists of 3 rings: The engagement-ring The wedding-ring The suffer-ring

Fished Melvern today, I knew where the day was going after losing a real solid fish on a WP early. Ended up with four over 15 with the biggest being 18". Caught lots of shorts and burned a bunch of trolling motor battery. Successful baits for me were ploppers, swing impacts, and Neds. I was really hoping for the predicted rain/cloud to set things off but it just didn't seem to materialize. Water clarity was good in general but some coves were blown out badly. -Jared

Usually because a Joker shows up...

Aluminum.

Had a great day, numbers-wise, at Braidwood today. Could only fish till noon but I put a lot of fish in the boat. Nothing bigger than 16" but it was constant action. Surprised at how many bass fishermen were out there. In the past, September was a quiet time on the lake but today seemed closer to a March day than late September. Water was 86-88 degrees where I was fishing. Wish that place stayed open all year long.

First buzz bait fish

awesome story but I think your friend should look for a new cardiologist!

Music roll.

Got out on the Susquehanna river for some wading. The river is low but that is normal for this time of year. The first smallie I hooked was a nice 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. The 4 others were dinks but fun. The first one came on a Zoom fluke. After that nothing bit for about an hour so I switched to a small spinnerbait with a twin tailed grub on the back. That bait is almost a guarantee to catch fish on the river. Not a big bass bait but good for numbers.

Water Temps are in the mid-60's here now. Perfect "Football" Weather and today they came in Pairs. A-Jay

Well I used pressure treated, and covered it with some ice and water shield for roofing I had left over, then on top of that I put some anti fatigue matting,,,, swivel chair also,,,,

Get a good quality birch plywood and put a few coats of spar varnish on it. It's less expensive and easier to find than marine plywood and should do you well.

Fish are pretty good at ridding themselves of a hook.

I just caught 8 bass using senko worms in an apartment pond near keystone mall. I caught 10 more the next day in an apartment pond in Greenfield. Trying to get them to strike on other stuff. Guess I don't have much confidence yet.

That thee packaging says RC LC 1.5

I'd definitely go no shorter than 14 ft, especially if you fish with your grandfather. I definitely think you should forget the idea of cartopping the boat. Even a 12 ft jonboat is going to be close to 100 lbs and that's without any deck. Also there is something to be said for loading the boat with gear in your driveway and being ready to fish when you get to the water. If you cartop you need to load and unload it at the launch. PITA You can deck the boat but consider keeping the deck lower so as to lower the center of gravity. See my boat below. It's extremely stable BTW I got this 14 ft V hull with 9.9 motor and trailer for $1,500. I'm not much of a bargainer and paid the asking price, but probably could have chewed him down.

This is where I am, or where I am not to be clear.. I've been reading Spoonplugging and the first 9 or so chapters are pretty straightforward.. Exciting to think about in terms of movements and finding a (or the) migration path.. where you will find them either in sanctuary or shallow or somewhere along this path between. Seems easy, until your out there. bobbing on the lake, looking at that shoreline where you caught a couple decent bass "that one sunset".. (nevermind that it's 2pm).. And there is that dock I almost always get bit on.. But where is the path? It's more like a needle in a haystack!!

Welcome to the forum! T-rigs are your best starting point, not only because they're versatile and catch fish, but also because they'll teach you how to feel the bottom. Learning to fish a T-rig or light Carolina rig will help you actually develop a lot of techniques that will come in handy later. For less than $100, you can get set up well with what you'd need for most conditions. 7" curl and straight tail worms, and a few packs of Rage or Speed craws will go far. Pick up colors like green pumpkin, pumpkin red fleck, watermelon, junebug, and black. A jar of JJ's Magic or Dip'n'Dye in chartreuse to add SMALL chartreuse accents to claws and tails will be cheaper than buying extra packs of all of the above with chartreuse accents already on them. Those colors and baits will cover most conditions on most bodies of water and won't break the bank. As for weights, a general rule (worry about when to break it later) is to keep them just heavy enough for good bottom contact. For this, 1/8-3/4 oz is common, with deeper water or thicker cover typically requiring more weight. As a beginner, just use lead and don't drop the extra money for tungsten. Do, however, spend the money on good hooks. Gamakatsu, Owner, Mustad, VMC, all make solid 2/0 to 4/0 wide gap worm hooks made for T-rigging that are affordable. Good luck!

Congart A-jay you gat a big today.?

Besides an increased heart rate - when Pros who have caught hundreds of bass have their hands shaking after a thrilling contest with a bass , well - that's why we do it !

We have that option of an old fashioned idea....we can read a book or play games with the family. Finding I'm watching less and less of the boob tube. Just sayin

Used to be a fellow here in Florida that for decades fished tournaments using only one lure - a Devils Horse. I'm told and have read that he averaged winning $ 30,000.00 per year. Supposedly he used the 3/8 oz, in green. He tweaked them by adding split rings and changing out the hooks plus several other "undisclosed" modifications. Keep in mind there are some pretty good sticks in north central Florida and he did quite well against some stiff competition. He was known as "One lure Charlie" and if I remember correctly his name was Charlie Orme. He was retired from the FWC and passed away several years ago.

They may be hard to find, but not nearly as hard as worm rubbers. ??

Today's Cabela's haul... 3 slab daddy buffet rigs 2 two-packs of reality shads 1 pack of gulp crawfish-type panfish lures, excitied to try these for crappie 1 pack of humdingers (blades you screw into a worm) 2 missile baits missile craws 4 cabelas craw bugs 1 cabelas 4.4" swimbaits 1 powerbait chigger quads 1 z man hard leg frogz Now for the part you won't believe... This cost me $14! Unbelievable clearance at the OKC store. This isn't my first or last haul from there...

Fleet farm $1.25 for structure jig and bitsy went for 68 cents.

Dont ever share your good mushroom spots .

307 pgs, 4507 replies, talking about a 289.1 mile body of water.. A little different different than a creek, just sayin'