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Try swimming with your cloths on including shoes, you don't fall overboard in a swim suit. Tom

How cold is it where you live?

This is Brie, like the cheese (she originated from a breeder in Wisconsin). She's an Old English Sheepdog. Grandma dresses her up for a picture every day we are on vacation, every time we leave. Here are a few of my favorite's.

Going over the side is always a life threatening event; especially when the air & or water temps start to drop. During the warmer months, most of us sort of laugh when we or a someone else goes in, but in the cold, it's no joke. Having the ability to get back to your boat and then board it unassisted is crucial. If you strike an underwater object while on plane and your boat sudden slows or worse - stops, without any type of restraint, you are first going to strike whatever is in front of you (at the speed the boat was initially traveling) Then you may or may not go overboard. There's a decent chance you'll have some type of injury as a result of that impact either way. If you do go in, your life jacket may be the only thing keeping you from slipping below the surface - hopefully help can come to recover you. Your ability to 'swim' in these scenarios isn't as important as having that life jacket on. Going in the drink while fishing (not on plane) can be bad if you can't swim a lick; especially without a life jacket on. Having a boarding ladder (or knowing how to use your motor's trim) to get back on board is very beneficial too. If you've never tried to do any of this, though I hope you never really do for real) I'd encourage you to try it in a warm 'controlled' environment with at least one capable adult present. You may find that pulling your soaking wet full clothed body up out of the water and onto the deck of a bass boat is challenging; even when not hypothermic and or physically injured. Bottom line, IMO learning to swim is a solid plan, at least a little. Simulating the event and ensuring you're able to save yourself in the event the unthinkable happens, can't hurt either. Sometimes there's nothing we can to - Bad stuff happens to good people all the time. However, many a 'strong swimmer' has tragically met their demise by not being prepare otherwise for an accident. Stay Safe A-Jay

Celibacy can be a choice in life, or a condition imposed by circumstances. While attending a Marriage Encounter Weekend, Boudreaux and his wife Marie listened to the instructor declare, ...'It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other.' He addressed the men, 'Can you name and describe your wife's favorite flower?' Boudreaux leaned over, touched Marie's arm gently and whispered, 'Gold Medal, All-Purpose, isn't it?' And thus began Boudreaux's life of celibacy....

Here is one i took today after they came in from playing outside in the cold and snow...the rottie doesn't like the cold but the other guy, the 13+ year old, does and i have to get him to come inside even when he is shivering out there. What you can't see in the picture is that there is a gas fireplace going just outside of the picture lol

Couple more Dreaming of Fancy Feast or lunch meat handouts

100% Cajun & a bit of a survivalist ? Been in boats that sunk, capsized, flipped, run into a Ferry Boat, been 135 miles offshore in the Gulf with no steering, & rode out server thunderstorms. Swim? Why certainly! Wear PFD? Always!

Not real well...................But I float good.

Used original PowerPro for years, and really liked it....until I used Seaguar Kanzen. I switched immediately because it handled so much better. Then Seaguar Smackdown came out and, WOW, what a difference! I've been a fan ever since. Very smooth and extremely strong. Doesn't fade over time either. Great knot strength and handles great!

Sure, it can be whatever you want them to be. Me personally, couldn't care less what it looks like to a fish as long as they're eating them. We as fishermen like to overthink and give too much credit to cognitive abilities of a creature with a brain smaller than a pea. Fish see the things around them basically as food, danger, cover/landscape, or unknown. The only way for a bass to further investigate the unknown items is to get a close look at them, and/or take the item into their mouth to determine if it's food or not. An item that is moving (such as a BM from another creature), may not offer much lifelike movement, but it's still moving, and through trial and error, a bass has probably determined that movement is often associated with life (food). Some species of fish really do eat the excrements of other animals. Whether a bass is included on that list, I have no idea, but if they do and that's what they think a Senko looks like, I'm fine with that.

I ordered it. I'll give a review.

that slone aint right y’all ?

Bummer. I have a temporary fix for the flame sensor but not the inducer motor. Good luck in your search. Cracks me up! They give you good drugs for your tooth?

These guys are spot on. Let me say this. I teach combat marksmanship. There is a place in that training for standing in a row at a firing line on a sunny day slowly punching holes in cardboard...but not much of a place for that. Soldiers and police officers need to practice in the worst possible, and most realistic, conditions. You must think of your personal safety in all circumstances in such a manner. You are a good swimmer? That could be helpful. How long can you tread water, though? Minutes? Hours? You can stay calm, think clearly, and enact a plan that you formulated months or years ago after your boat ejects you, fully clothed, into cold, dirty water where you broke a couple bones upon landing? If you can do that you have a better chance of surviving, even if you can't swim, than an Olympic swimmer who freaks out and doesn't have a plan.

I can swim excellent. Scuba diver and triathlete, but I don’t take chances and wear my Mustang 100% of the time. Oddly enough a guy I fish with can’t swim a lick and won’t ever wear a PFD. Can’t wrap my head around that one and I’ve tried convincing him but it seems he won’t listen, but I’ll keep pestering him, might save his life one day

We have a winner for our $250 Bass Pro Shops giveway! Congratulations to Fred Abrolat from Missouri! Our next drawing is April 2nd. To enter, simply subscribe to our newsletter. That's it! Winners are randomly drawn from the list of newsletter subscribers. Good luck!

Winter be gone, so I may see this again.

Kevin Vandam started his pro bass career using Nichols spinnerbaits before becoming a Strike King sponsored pro. Nichols has been around a long time, originally owned and operated by Dave Nichols. I use Nichols spinner baits that are over 20 years old with holographic blades that are still going strong because they are made with high quality components. Tom

Grumpy old men. lol ?

I don't get the noise concern honestly. Ceramic bearing sound is no worse than the D.C. Whine people claim to like. It's like hot rodding a car and keeping the stock exhaust.

Terrible news Lets hope and pray the co-angler is ok. Came fairly close to this myself a couple times so this really hits home.

This is Tango, he was an awesome dog. We lost him to cancer about 6 years ago

It never hurts to learn to swim. I qualified class 1 and Q in the Marine Corps. That’s about 10 guys left in the pool out of a company of Marines. We were trained on various strokes for efficiency which definitely does not include freestyle or the butterfly swim. I would suggest you learn the same (breaststroke, sidestroke, backstroke, and how to tread water and float on your back.) you should hold each glide at the end of the stroke as long as possible. Learn the basics first then train on your own. The most important thing is wearing your pfd- the best swimmer cannnot swim while he is unconscious.

Now this may surprise some of you, but this isn't a picture of me personally, but I love it because these two young ladies took time away from their phones and social media to try and learn to fish! Although, I think the one needs a bit more practice on her overhead cast...

Been a power pro original user all my life. Last yr I decided to try some suffix 832. Now all my reels have it on. Love this stuff!

Throw the color charts in the trash can & let the bass tell ya what they like!

Elf, right before Christmas.

Boudreaux....Thibodeaux...all the same

Cons: as long as you keep on purchasing crap multipiece rods everything is a con.

A pair of jigging spoon flatheads that will make some good dinners for my buddies parents. We caught them one after the other off the same spot, first my spoon got smacked, then his.

I've been happy with all the H2O products I've owned. Whoever makes Academy's stuff does a good job of it.

I’m sorry Thats in the top 5 for me

Howard the duck

No country for old men.

Run it in a barrel of cranberry juice for a few minutes! ?

When compared to flushed and properly oiled stock bearings, barely.

International: 9-13 Domestic: 6-3

I enjoy these threads every time they come up and I must say this has been the most civil one I've seen on here. Normally by page 2 a Mod is shutting it down because of crazy name-calling. I've been in both camps. In 2010 I saw a $100 Carrot Stix in a tackle shop and told my fiance "There is NO WAY I would pay $100 for a fishing rod! My Ugly Stik works just fine!!". And it did. Then I fished with a higher end rod and discovered how much more pleasurable it was FOR ME to use a higher end rod. Now I own a GLX spinning rod, 2 NRX casting rods, and I'm discussing a custom jig rod with @Delaware Valley Tackle. Life is good....

A-Jay

Ha! Do you mind if we call you "dual bag"?

Sig.....

My boy Gunner...

I have a rabbit and a panda now.

A-Jay