mac7373

I need an easy read that is still entertaining and Ike's book looked like a winner to me. Not the biggest fan of his on the water antics, but at the same time I think he is one of the best people I have heard at explaining techniques and strategies. He really seems to be a good teacher. I am in between books at the moment and I have just 29 days before I have to pick up my full time reading "job" again. To briefly explain...the new Harry Potter book comes out in 29 days. Almost 2 years ago, my four-year-old daughter saw the first Harry Potter movie and she got hooked. I watched them all to make sure they were on the up and up and I ended up liking them too. I made the suggestion to her one day that she should let me read a chapter a day of the Harry Potter books to her at night before bed...and since then we have been doing it every night. We are about half way through the 5th book "Order of the Phoenix" and the 6th book, when it comes out in 29 days, I will have to read it first and then re-read it to her. I called it my "job" cause the dang books are on average 550 pages each. One was 750 and the shortest was 340. Its a good thing I actually enjoyed them myself. Later guys.

Hey guys- For those of you who read any of my posts regarding cast to catch ratios...some of the stuff I said was foolish, and disrespectful. Roadwarrior really didn't do anything wrong and some of the stuff I said to him was not warranted and was out of line. I have apologized to him via a private message, but I thought it was important for me to withdraw my comments publicly...to show you guys that I am not a total butt and to save face. RW has a wealth of knowledge to share and is good at articulating his points to us and he deserved better than what I "threw" at him in that forum. Later. ;D

Has anyone picked up the new book by Iaconelli, "Fishing on the Edge"? I just ordered it and was wondering if its a good read or not.

ball_coach That sounds to me like one of the better planned trips I have seen. Hit all the great southern spots at or around their peak times. Awesome trip. I would ask if I could be your shadow while your on this trip but you are probably a buckeye...but likely we would just argue about OU and OSU...Woody Hayes and Barry Switzer the whole time. Just kiddin' Later.

Low_Budget_Hookers I totally agree with you. But you know how some people get when they start drinking...they like to stand around and run their lip, show off and make sure that everyone had the opportunity to see them act a fool. I was always told beer and stuff was "liquid courage"...but I think it has evolved to become "instant ego". You get guys up on the boat ramp with chicks in the boat with them and they've got their ego and their buzz going...they have to make sure everyone sees them. Then on the other hand...like you or someone said earlier, "some people just don't know any better". sykofish My wife and I both graduated from U of O, but we have no loyalty to the school as far as being a supporter of the Ducks. Its obvious where my loyalties lye by looking at my posts. I was born and raised to love OU, circumstances just didn't work in my favor to where I could go there instead. Had Duck's season tickets though and when I wasn't watching on TV or flying down here to Oklahoma to see a game I was at the Ducks games. Went to all the Civil War games from 99'-04', those are flat out crazy. People in other parts of the country don't realize what a heated and competitive rivalry it is. My wife has kind of a weird college background...she was a Pre-Veterinary Medicine Major at Oregon State for two years, then transferred to U of O and Majored in Human Physiology/Exercise and Movement Science. I didn't meet many while I was there who had attended both schools like that. But she is a die-hard Sooner fan. Just incase you might ask yourself how this okie ended up out there. My wife was born and raised in Roseburg. After we both got out of the Army, I got out in 97'and she got out in 99'. We decided to go out there so she could be close to her family for a while. Oh well...later.

http://www.forbes.com/home/free_forbes/2005/0411/127.html thats a link to an article in Forbes magazine about the cuba bass fishing. great suggestion though. that one never entered my mind. cuba sounds like someplace I would like to visit.

That's a good point about the Rick Clunn article. Allot of people just don't think of it that away. I also think its a good point to point out that a person can't have success on the tournament trail just targeting big bass like Nixon did and several other California anglers have tried as well. I was watching Loudmouth Bass a few weeks ago when they were talking about the world record being caught or not caught. They had on probably one of the best Big Bass fishing guys in the world...Mike Long, who says he believes he will catch the world record eventually. Zona asked Long how many bass over 15 pounds he had caught in his life and he said something like over 65 officially. That's incredible...but it is also a perfect illustration of what RW said about targeting big bass. You would think this guy could go out and win every tournament he entered having the experience of landing that many big fish...it doesn't work that away though. On Mike Longs home lake he might be able to win a tournament or two but send him to Alabama or something and I am sure he would have trouble. He could adapt over time possibly, because most good guides can, but it would take awhile. He would have to change everything about how he fishes...and come to think of it he probably wouldn't even fair well on his home lake due to the rules he would have to follow...i.e. no live bait. Excellent points RW.

Ahhh...the nasty looking Payara, I think some call them sabre-tooth payara. Are they a strong, hard fighting fish? You defineately need a Boga-Grip.

You know I made the comment earlier that I thought recreational boaters and jet skiers were more likely to be slow on the ramp than most of the bass fisherman I have seen or know and then I thought that was too of a generalized comment...but now that I think about it more, there might actually be some truth to that. I think it might have something to do with the fact that...I would assume that there is a huge alcohol consumption difference in your different types of boaters? I can't remember, if it's ever happened that I have ever drank alcohol while bass fishing on a public lake. But...I sure have drank my fair share of bear and whatnot while skiing or out on the jet ski though. You know it actually could play a part in the whole thing.

This might get moved to another Forum, but I was just curious about what some of you guys would fish for if you could have a free trip anywhere in the world? I put it in this forum cause I am sure that some of you will have bass in your top 2 or 3. I would like to go down on the Amazon River and fish for Peacock Bass. I think that would be a great trip. Have you seen those guys hands who do this for a day or two? From what I have seen it can just tear your hands all to heck? Saw pictures of this one guy whose hands were just solid blisters. I love watching those Peacocks slam top water baits. If I was to have a couple of contingency trips planned I think I would like to go to Guinea-Bissau, Africa and fish for the biggest Tarpon in the world. New world record just came from there...260lbs. 150' s-200 are common and those suckers fight like crazy. That would be fun. Next would have to be in Alaska on the Kenai River during the summer run of King Salmon and Halibut. During that time those waters are loaded with trophy Halibut, Lingcod, Rockfish, huge Trout and the biggest Salmon. This trip will likely happen next summer...although it won't be free. Want to do this one with my father-in-law and my dad, been planning it for a few years now. We are planning on going next June. If I had to come up with a fourth choice...just to stay loyal to my Largemotuh Bass...I think maybe one of the big bass lakes in Mexico would be fun to spend some time on...say a week or so. What would some of you guys do if you had the opportunity?

sykofish I have fished Haag Lake a few times when I lived in Forrest Grove for two years and when I lived in Beaverton for 8 months. Caught some nice smallmouth out of there. If I am not mistaken I think the state record smallmouth was caught there the year before I moved up there or the year I moved there...I think 2000 or 2001? I lived up there while my wife was a grad student at Pacific University from 2001-2004. Yep...It was a mad house most of the time. I was actually referring to Cooper Creek Reservoir down in Douglas County though. I used to live close enough to Cooper Creek that I could here the boats and jet skies like they were in my back yard sometimes. Fished the Columbia a couple times too but I was in way over my head fishing that river without someone who new it really well. Fished a tournament in the Columbia with a guy who grew up there, and we...or rather I did allot better that time. Great smallmouth water. Also fished Tenmile Lakes a few times...placed 2nd in the 2000 Bassin' for Bucks there and won big fish as well. Fished Siltcoos, Tahkenitch, Dorena (day and night tournaments), Loon Lake (another madhouse at the ramps), and fished a couple of tournaments at Shasta in north Cali. Being from Oklahoma, fishing up there was a lot different and a trial and error kinda deal for a while...but I made some good friends and learned some great lessons that helped diversify my fishing approach. I saw from your profile you live in Warren, that's Derek Anderson country (Scappoose), you must be a Beaver?...I don't know if you get down south much but if your ever down by Azalea in Douglas County give Galesville Reservoir a try if you haven't already. There are some monster largemouth in there...they have been predicting for the last five years that the next state record would come from there...nobody can seem to land her though. I watched some (several) fish on the beds there back in 2001 and again in 2003 that were easily heavy 11's or light 12's. I left them alone though...I won't mess with bedding fish unless there is money at stake. Anyway...nice talkin at ya. Later.

You know I am an insurance agent...never insured anything like that though. But, I will look into it and do a quote on the Bullet I mentioned. I will get back and let you know.

Yep... I like the quote too That gave me a laugh. Later

It's over as far as I am concerned. As far as the 1:1 claim I made its true, but still is not an accurate representation of what we were discussing so there for it does not count. They are all largemouths under 10 inches and are in a private pond me and my family own that we use to stock the other ponds on our property. You can take a rod and reel with one of those Manns in-line spinners and reel them in until your arm falls off. As far as what I wrote...prove me wrong. Roadwarrior to Nick_Barr Why...288:1 is a heck of allot closer to the truth and a more accurate representation than 5:1 or 10:1...he flat out told someone they don't know how to fish basically. No outcry that that was disrespectful? The next time I read something from someone who is clearly "out in left field"...I'll ignore it. No problem here. Lastly... If I have offended anybody...I really apologize. That wasn't the goal or intent I had in mind. I had no idea some were so sensitive. I used no profanity and said nothing derogatory, but if reading my posts some found themselves offended or however it may have effected you, I am sorry. It won't happen again.

Ben I hear what your saying about the average boater. Your probably right. The thing is though, that the boat they tested...is for sale as tested for $49,000. I don't think that there are too many average boaters out there who would have the cajones to take the boat to its limit, rather than the boat wouldn't do it unless it had an expert driver although I agree that Paul Nichols can drive the crap out of it and he will get every last mph out of it. 100mph on the water is a hell of allot different than 100 on land. For those who have done 85 mph on water and think that its not that much more to go 100-110mph...you would be in for a rude awaking around 95. I have been in a hot-rod race boat with a friend of mine out in Oregon doing 125mph.We had the guys from the County Marine Patrol radar us from two different locations, one on a bridge above us as we passed them and another in a boat facing us down the lake. One clocked us at 129 and the other at 125 so we just went with the lower of the two. The 125 reading was from a gun that been calibrated recently.