J Francho

This thread reminds me of something....

Good to hear. I know what it all means to you, and to let it drop off is concerning. Glad you're okay. In other news, I started going to the gym. Yes, I kid you not. It's not like what you guys are doing. I lost quite a bit core strength at the beginning of this year when I was sick for almost three months. That loss has affected my drumming and skateboarding. So, off to the gym it is. I'm not willing to sacrifice the two things I love as much as fishing just because I'm too lazy to hit the weight room.

All you guys saying, "meh, I don't wear one" should imagine a first responder saying, "meh, too much work to save you."

Yep.

These are the the top 2 pro vert skaters, right now. They couldn't be more different, yet also alike. There's two and a half hours of them talking about everything except skating. It's fascinating.

I'd be more interested in all the things around actually being a pro fisherman entails that aren't fishing. Things like what it's like to be on the road so much of the year, the mental strain of preparing for competition, family struggles, etc. Basically, all the other stuff that goes along with being pro.

All of this hurts my brain.

My pool is still close to 80. I'll still be wearing waders when I get in to remove the staircase.

My pool is still open, lol.

I don't know if you can dismiss all antiques as junk. All of my antique furniture is better made than most new stuff. My nearly 100 year old house is built way better than new homes. But that's just my opinion there. I collect a few things. I have Lego sets going back to the 70s and up to recent times. I also have quite the slot car and track collection, though I'm not sure I'm really "collecting them" so much as have a paddock of cars of several scales and different size tracks to suit my mood when we want to race. You might say I collected snare drums (I'm a drummer) having accumulated 14 at one time. I've pared that down to three. Those three pretty much cover all the sonic bases I need covered. With my father in law's passing, it seems I'm collecting tools - both hand and power. So many tools that I might never use them all once. I am actively collecting vinyl since lockdown - both vintage and new 180g pressings. That's been fun. Here's a peek of my modest record collection. BTW, that's a 180g press of Trick in YELLOW vinyl. Too cool.

That lake can be tough.

That's a documentary about my ex-wife.

Funny this came up. Just had my first visit from the landscapers. I feel so high class right now, lol.

These guys would suddenly get serious when they heard beeps from the fish ID, lol. Thanks for your $100.

All frogs eventually wear out and fill with water, if you catch enough on them. I've heard that some guys actually add slits to the back of their frogs, so the water drains on the cast.

Tack on post: Lastly, the lure weight is a range that is pretty subjective, but also gives you a hint to it's actual power. A bass MH may go up to 3/4 oz. whereas an musky/pike MH may be more. When moving up and down the tapers, the weights may change a bit too. I can throw some pretty light stuff on a medium-moderate rod, far lighter than a medium-extra fast. That doesn't mean that medium moderate has any less power than the medium-extra fast. All three attributes are both marketing and informational, and there to help describe the rod to the consumer. Most companies are doing their best to rate their rods, but it is not an exact or standardized science.

Taper is what gives a rod it's action. Not at all. Power describes how much weight will cause the rod to bend. Action or Taper describes how it bends. I'm not picking on you, but using your post as an example of where and how this concept gets confused constantly. This reply is really for anyone. All of these rods are the same power - doesn't matter what power, just that they're the same, and from the same company. The actions or tapers are clearly described, and the same amount weight is being applied to display the bend. Hopefully this helps some.

I call this "sniper style" and do it too. I use a really short rod for it - 6-2. Can be deadly.

A boat on a hoist or an open boat house.

Never leave a pontoon unfished. Never. Use a senko on a weedless hook if you don't want to make noise.

In a way, I guess I prioritize docks in a similar manner, and that same criteria of "into deeper water" counts for timber as well. some lakes up here have no timber, others are loaded.

This is my focus as well. I do love fishing downed wood, but there has to be some certain elements, like deeper water or weeds nearby. Timber itself isn't enough to draw a cast. Over the years, I've developed a feel for what's right, after making 1000's of useless casts. One thing to note when fishing timber: if it looks good, keep throwing at it. like 20-30 casts before giving up. Good timber most certainly holds fish.

There are currently two job openings For every candidate searching. Companies better tighten up, and treat their good employees that stay like the gold they are, or go down in the staffing issues slow death. Back ups from staffing issues can have a negative effect on that business's image for years. Good luck at your interviews, you'll kill it I'm sure. Be yourself.

Poor wittle kitteh