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My heart feels good with all your well wishes. Surgery went perfectly & Andy has me back home safe, sound & comfy with my puppies. Lynn

And you're one of the best, Pat. Mr. Sanford, there is a lot of coaching at Bass Resource. @Glenn is, like @Pat Brown, a natural teacher. Others, like @AlabamaSpothunter and @T-Billy, have taught me through personal messages. My challenge as a bass student has been to glean what works for me on my local water. Because I fish from a canoe and without electronics, FFS advice doesn't work for me. It's as informative to me as taking a chimpanzee to an M.I.T. physics lecture. I've written a couple articles for Bass Resource and my forte is wilderness fishing. Want to learn how to drive a car across a stream to reach a pristine lake? I'm your gal. Want to know how to create a portage trail to reach a lake that perhaps no one EVER has fished? That's me too. I know stealth fishing too. However, if you fish busy tournaments, my knowledge is pert near worthless. BUT if you want to sneak up on bog bass in a canoe, so close that you bump them with the bow of your canoe, reach out to me. So, there's a lot of chaff before you reach the seeds that'll grow your particular fishing skill and knowledge, i.e. what'll work for you. WHEN you find a Bass Resource member who's fishing similar water to yours and from a similar platform (shore, bass boat, kayak, etc.) message them. That'll be your coach.

Why does being a coach to an angler have anything to do with money or competition? I'm 74 and have been fishing and hunting since I could ride a bike. I had nobody to teach me. Love of the outdoors and the natural world drove me to learn how to fish and hunt. Many people (young and old) have shared my boat and most don't have that spark or drive or curiosity or whatever it is to want to learn (or maybe it's my inability to light that fire...?) When you do run across that special person it is wonderful, not only for them but for you, because when you teach you learn! I have a personal story to bore you with. I was in Viet Nam in 1969. There was a Montagnard village we frequented. It was near a lake so fish was a big part of their food which they caught using nets. This lake was similar to a typical midwest farm pond. I had my wife send me several of those cheap rod n reel combos and I showed those village kids how to catch fish by pitchin a crappie jig into holes in the weeds. It wasn't near as efficient as their nets but it sure was FUN!

I have been "coaching" others in the fine art of bass fishing for a couple dozen years now. I've done it privately & publicly.

My coach is the Bait Monkey. Win or loose he is always by my side

That's a fact Jack! 😉 Fishing "coaches" that get paid are called guides

Oh gosh, you guys and gals are all waaay too kind. I couldn't accept anything like that. It's just not in my nature, even though I appreciate the thought more than words can describe. All of your uplifting words and messages in this thread is plenty!! Absolutely invaluable. I love you all.

If Galen's health and doctors permit this, we could all contribute $100 each and he could go catch a DD for free. I'd consider it an honor to contribute.

Monetizing a hobby has rarely worked out well for me. I have several stories, none that really apply here. I'll say this, helping others get over the steep learning curve with regards to everything from breaking down water, choosing baits, the mechanics of catching fish, and gear selection is one of the cornerstones of this site. It's what initially drew me to contributing. I get a real kick out of seeing someone finally "get it."

Very sorry to hear this Sir! You have had a very positive impact on so many here at BR and I know you have with friends, family, and more. I will never forget when you generously sent a couple lures to an anonymous member (me) when I simply asked a question. That simple act had a big impact on me and helped me be more generous with others. I hope you can reflect on a great life and the impact you have had to give you peace. I will also pray that God brings you and your family peace and comfort.

My older brother was the only fishing " coach" I ever had. Mid 1960s, on our grandpa's farm pond in Chillicothe Mo. We stayed on the farm much of the summer to help our grandpa. And, we fished every evening.

So I've been lucky enough to excel in two sports in my lifetime: ice hockey and golf. And in both, you usually have several coaches at a time. For instance, in hockey, I had a head coach, goalie coach (I was a goalie), strength & conditioning coach, etc. And in golf, I've had swing coaches, short game coaches, putting coaches, mental game coaches. But it doesn't seem like there are any type of fishing coaches, outside of college programs. The majority of you guys know more about fishing than I do, any ideas on why that is?

Don Iovino has been on the water instructor teaching local pro’s how to use their new sonar units to get the most out of them for decades. A good local guide can be a good coach instructor if you ask them teach in lieu of just catching bass. When demonstrate various presentations to friends I take the time to show how to rig, tie and present the lure by the launch ramp clear water to see the movements. Tom

After getting a game plan together with my doctors, I'd book a week long trip to lake Baccarac.

In the bass fishing world, they’re most frequently referred to as ‘mentors’ - guys who took an up-and-comer ‘under their wing’ and showed/taught them everything they know. Also acting as a sounding board to try and help them along the way. If you look for it, you’ll find a lot of current pros mention a name or two of guys who served that role in their early careers.

1977 Monark 15' w/50HP Merc.

There's a lot of good coaches in here. I learned to use Google to search topics on this site and it sped my learning curve up a lot. The most important coaches in bass fishing are slimy and green and live under the surface of the lakes and ponds you're fishing. They try to teach us every year - we don't always want to hear what they're telling us!

There's not a lot people willing to give up everything they know to strangers. In our sport, you can legitimately ruin bodies of water by trying to be a nice guy to selfish people.

Lynn's been mostly 'stable' for a bit, which is always a welcome deal. However, there's been some minor complications with her Mediport, so it needs to be removed and replaced with a new one. A mediport is a small medical appliance that is surgically installed beneath the skin. A plastic tube (catheter) connects the port to a vein to deliver medicine, blood products, nutrients, or fluids into the bloodstream. The catheter can also remove blood for testing. Chemotherapy is typically given using a mediport. A doctor surgically inserts the device under the skin in the upper chest. The port appears as a bump or raised area under the skin, and is roughly the diameter of a quarter. It is completely internal. The surgeon also surgically inserts the catheter from the port into a nearby vein. The position enables medicine or other fluids to be spread throughout the body quickly and efficiently. Lynn's veins are totally shot from years of use & abuse, so this device is literally a life saver. Procedure is scheduled for tomorrow and is expected to be out patient / same day deal. We'll see. A-Jay

Galen, there is so much honesty, gratitude, and love in your opening post. Dignity and composure too. When I'm in your shoes and I will be, of course, as we all will be, I hope I can muster half the forthrightness and tenderness that you did. I read your post to friends and family and said, "That's how you do it." And they all looked at me with wet, blinking eyes and nodded "yes." I lived in western Wisconsin for 30 years. Where do you live? If it's not a bother, please share some photos of your time on the water, your bass, boat, home, or anything else. How are you feeling right now? Is there physiological pain? Thanks for confiding in us and thanks for your love. Back at ya, my bass brother. Katie

Dang you guys...I knew this place was special but you all are showing just how special it really is. I can't lie, my spirits are pretty dark right now but reading this thread has definitely lifted me up. I honestly can't express enough how much each and every one of you mean to me. I mean it. Love you all, Galen (don't ask...my mom told me once I was named after one of the ape's from the original Planet of the Apes- which there was an ape named Galen on there- but my dad insists I was named after 'Doc' Dr. Galen Adams from Gunsmoke. I always went with my dad's answer)

More than a few of us have been through cancer and are wishing you the best. I'll contribute with pleasure.

I really like cabbage with my meat entree. I enjoy open water fishing, but nowhere near as much as fishing the reeds, pads, and coontail.

Daiwa uses NMB bearings from the factory which are already of exceptional quality. I run them in all of my reels, even my bench tuned BFS Ambassadeurs and they perform just as good as the Hedgehog and Roro bearings I've used previously and are much quieter. I have plenty on hand if you need them. I remove the shields, flush with brake cleaner, then apply a thin film lube and they really fly. Something to keep in mind with bearings; the ABEC standard doesn't account for internal clearances, raceway finish, cage finish, or ball quality. ABEC is simply the tolerance of how a bearing fits to a shaft or housing. A well made ABEC 1 will outperform a poor quality ABEC 7 and so on. Quality bearing manufacturers can easily produce at least ABEC 5 tolerances with modern tooling. It's merely a marketing point now that isn't indicative of performance.

As has been said, most learn by being self taught but I can attest to being a guide and have taught many with varying degrees of experience. As a guide, many times I was tasked with teaching a specific technique but many were extremely novice that couldn’t tie a knot. I taught how to set up gear, read water, operate boats and 1000 other things in the fishing world. It was up to me to stay current on trends, baits, etc. When you get into the tournament realm, it’s different because even as a co angler, you are competing against the other guy in the boat. Not a very good environment to learn. That’s why I say, a guide is a paid coach in your definition and should offer his or her knowledge freely. How you build on it is up to you.

I usually go out in January with a single thought.."please dont let me fall in, and if possible not skunk" yesterday was no exception. I was headed to my secret lake when my wife texted that current temps up there was 27 deg. (!). nope. I hooked a right turn, and headed to another secret lake. going there was sketch. I got sideways on ice on a mountain pass road - with my kayak sticking out the back. the rest of the drive was at 7mph. slipping out into the foggy lake, I looked down at my fish finder and in tiny shallow cove I launched into..the water was 40deg. main lake was 43. daunting, and my confidence meter was on low. fish seemed on the bottom..so I went deep. at 10:00 am it was zero fish..when I felt a tic at 20 feet. I bring up what I call an aquarium fish. a bass I could take home and put into an aquarium. it was 4". I look up and," thanks...technically that can be called a no-skunk - funny"... sun is up, I am not chattering anymore and I can finally stand up in my kayak. up till then, my boat was a sheet of ice. I stayed in the seat and if I had to pee, I beached it. then I rolled a jig down the face of the dam. BAM!! I got smashed!! it was a jig day!! I ended up with about 20 keepers with a few 3lb kicker fish. total blast!! I had the lake entirely to myself on the water. shore dudes showed up at 11. I went home, washed my muddy kayak, washed my muddy truck, and was in a really good mood the rest of the evening. January has never played out this well for me. Feb is gonna rock as well!! headed to Mexico!! (I try not to skunk any month of the year. its my thing)

AFW Surflin Micro Ultra leader wire knottabke 17 lb. Tom

That's terrible news. It really sucks. My wife is sitting across the room and says to tell you that she is a breast cancer survivor - and it's been 17 years.

I should have given a few more specifics. All fish being caught and tagged are on a Private lake and all measurements and weights are being sent on a Bi-Annual basis to a contact at the Department of Natural Resources. The intent of the tagging is to determine if our lake fish population is stunted and needs more fish to be removed ( not many people fish this lake) or if due to the natural cover being removed by homeowners, the lake does not have sufficient cover/structure. Believe me that I value these fish as it cost over $16,000 several years ago to restock the lake due to an imbalance I have tagged and documented over 120 fish in the past year and the results show over 73% of these fish, weighed between 1.25 pounds and 2.25. The DNR has said that any fish between 125 and 2.50 should be removed and an effort needs to be made to add as much cover as possible - man-made or natural I was just inquiring as to how others may be managing their fish population with tagging and monitoring.

We of the southland are getting a dose of what our northern BR brethren experience every year so it poses a question. What do you guys do all winter? I am grappling with cabin fever because my pond is frozen solid, my home gym attached to my garage is so cold I cannot use it, it's too cold to work on farm equipment, way too cold to build anything, just walking the farm is painful. My wife is close to justifiable homicide so please offer suggestions, and remember, keep your answers G-Rated. This is a family forum!

I didn't realize the Revo X moved to an all carbon body. Lol there is literally no reason to buy Abu now, especially since the SLX line keeps getting better. I was going to say the only compelling reel was the Revo X since it offered good durability and decent enough casting for a decent price. I mean I ended up replacing my Revo with a Curado because once you start using Shimano and Daiwa its hard to go anywhere else, but it was a decent enough reel on my frog setup.

@Blue Raider Bob, had to go into the way back machine but I found some pics of my old setup. The small black round button screwed into the deck is the big foot switch, it’s a $15-$20 on/off you can tap with your foot or set to always on.

Being a guide in my opinion is the most difficult aspect of fishing. It takes a level of commitment above tournament fishing. Staying on active fish for a multiple day tournament is hard, try doing it daily & year round. @F14A-B mentioned having a "network", it is very helpful at shorting the learning curve. Couldn't disagree more 😉 Different Era, with more advanced tools, the good ole days are now.

Its the equivalent of catching one of those 50 pound bags they do in Texas...

At a loss for words. I can only wish you the best.

What a North Country bag! I might have neared 25 pounds a time or two, but that's a looonnnnngggg ways from 32 pounds.

That lake has turned into a trophy destination in recent years. I can recall nearly a 32 pound bag in a tournament there two years ago. That's over 6 pounds/bass.

I fished 5 decades in Minnesota - best options are: #1 For largemouth, fish in the southern half of Minnesota. Slightly longer growing season - in general, shallower eutrophic lakes (but deep enough to hold big fish). Mankato, Faribault, Waseca areas have some tanks. #2 Study the DNR Lakefinder that Gim suggested. Look for recent Fisheries Lake Surveys with a higher concentration of 20+ inch fish present. Six pound fish are rare in Minn, 7 is just about nonexistent, but a few people catch them every year. You gotta be smart, disciplined and lucky but it can happen. FWIW, I like South Dakota for less pressure and some of the bigger LMB and smallmouth in the region. Check out Big Stone for LMB in the spring before it turns too green to fish effectively in the summer. Horseshoe and Cattail/Kettle are known waters with 6 and even 7 pound smallmouth. Then, there's always Mille Lacs...

Right on Catt, I was going to add this.. most guys that participated in this sport from its inception to 80’s or so grew up on a prolific watershed somewhere in this country and learned some fine details at a very young age. A strong community & that is like having the answers without knowing the questions. I know you’ve been on that lake a very long time.. maybe things are just too different now.. I’ve read Trey McKinney had an electronics coach so who knows. It feels like the good ole days are by and large over. I still maintain that anyone that grows up on a major waterway will learn way more than the average Joe..

HPR is great. Also Spool Speed is a great store as well. Find spool speed on the web. He has package deals for your reel. I put his Japanese abec 9 in my bfs spools, farther casts, smooth as silk!

Read the back of a shampoo bottle like every kid taking a poop before smartphones. That's what I'm gonna do.

Theres big money in hockey, even bigger money in golf. Fishing theres just pro tournaments, college tournaments, and your buddy who put a facebook post up for guys at the local lake tournament. Most of these you either sink a bunch of money in it, or break even. Money is only there at the pro level, and compared to most other hobbies and sports they are only making pocket change. Which similarly reminds me that i was just thinking about pro motocross a few nights ago, super physically demanding sport. Tons of work and dedication just to qualify for a lesser event. Super hard on the body, and theres a big chance of severe injury constantly. And if you arent sponsored, you will sink every dollar you have in it and again lose money or break even. The guys at the top level may make a few million, while most wont even make a few hundred thousand, or a million. (not talking about careers but a season/year). But if you can throw a ball youll get signed for 10s-100s of millions? Makes 0 sense to me, but thats where the money is! Bass tournaments on the lower level seem like a good time, and alot of fun. On the big stage however (IMO) it seems very boring, like watching paint dry. It went from what used to be a hyped up bunch of dudes, with interesting personalities (kind of like showman, or a bands frontman) going out on their boats blasting through the place to get a spot, and actually fishing! All luck, skill, etc.... I wasnt alive back then but from what ive seen it looked like a blast to watch. Now its a bunch of guys who dont have the same vibe, just silently standing there staring at 4 screens all fishing the same technique. Add on theres a new scandal each month (what it feels like). Hard pulling in big crowds by the masses on what i just described, so wheres the cash pouring into it? Its just not there. Most of the guys i talk to on the water wouldnt even think professional tournaments that are televised are still a thing..... And myself and they are big bass fisherman. Maybe one day if things change drastically it will get more attention and money will start getting dumped in like bigger sports, and then you can hire me to be your coach. I need a 2nd job for this tackle addiction

I'm (obviously) going Bills, but not so sure about Eagles. Commanders look pretty stout. At least Mr. Daniels does. If Eagles are healthy, then yeah. If not....hmmm.

Still using a wood deck? Ouch!

We've been having a brutal winter here so I've been laid up for the most part. Projects in the garage has kept me from going crazy. Working on chainsaws mostly and clearing driveways for older folks.

I fish............

Cayuga lake NY is your best bet for Northern LMB over 8 lbs. Tom

Devastating news that I can really relate to. When I was diagnosed back in 2015 esophegal cancer was a death sentence for most. But modern medicine had a solution for me. Keep an open mind & pursue all your medical options. There is hope. I’m praying for your best outcome. Share as much as you can because we all care.

Ice!

I had a pal over this morning. Then two more pals visited for lunch. Then another pal this afternoon. And now I'm going to go hang with some young women in a bar on the ocean and play trivia. So, fun, fun, fun, and then some fun. P. S. - I just took a nap because I am old, so naps are a part of winter too.