senile1

I've asked Santa for my own personal, private lake.

I knew what you meant but I just had to make the point to the guys that say we all look. There is a difference between looking at someone as a human being worthy of respect, and looking at someone as a piece of meat. The point would have been made better if I had chosen someone's quote who stated that we all look.

It looks like I'm late on this thread. I was out of town for the weekend. Are you telling me that when a beautiful woman walks into your field of vision, unexpectedly, that you close your eyes or turn your head? If you or your wife have women friends that are attractive, do you speak to them with your eyes closed? If an attractive woman waits on you at a place of business, again, are you closing your eyes? Of course not. That would be ridiculous. So, by the actual definition of the word, look, you do look. I think what you mean is you don't make a show of drooling and looking at a woman up and down. You look when it is necessary to look just as you would look at a man if he was talking to you, waiting on you, etc. So we all look. I think what you mean is, you don't ogle women. And I agree with your point, and others, that it is disrespectful to one's mate to ogle women.

Excellent!!! And from the sound of it, the guy got what he deserved.

FB, I used to fish a lot in the winter but over the last few years I've only been out a few times in the coldest months. I'm getting back to it this year. The number one prerequisite to fishing when it's really cold is to make sure you are dressed for the occasion. If you're cold and your hands are getting numb, it's not likely that you'll be making a great finesse presentation. It's really difficult to fish a lure extremely slow when you are freezing your buns off. Without excellent protection from the cold, it is nearly impossible to sit for a long length of time, when the bites are few and far between.

Welcome, jdw174. It looks like Kentucky Lake isn't far from you. Have you ever fished Reelfoot Lake in the Northwest corner of Tennessee?

I remember (possibly incorrectly) that the fishing shows I watched in the 70s always showed the anglers fishing the T-rig too fast. It would hit bottom and they would pick it up and let it drop. A second or two would pass, they would pick it up, and let it drop again. I found the most success by fishing it in a similar fashion to the way Catt describes it, though I don't remember reading it in a magazine or seeing it on a show. BTW, what year is it?

That's cool, Earthworm. Congrats!!!!

Great story. That brought a tear to my eye. Excellent!

One of the books I'd buy if I was just starting out is Kevin VanDam's Bass Strategies. It is concise at only 210 pages, but it contains all of the fundamentals on locating bass, fishing different conditions, lures to use, patterns, and how to choose equipment for yourself. We were kind of discussing this in relation to a book by Homer Circle, Bass Wisdom, in another thread. You might read it to get some other suggestions. Here it is: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1163385002.

Good eye on that one, BucketmouthAngler13.

I agree with Senile1, and should've mentioned Kevin's book. Lump me in with the newbies, because I learned a lot from Kevin's "Bass Strategies" Roger Same here. While it covered things that I already knew, it also taught me some things that I didn't think about. The reason I called it a good book for newbies is because it covers all of the fundamentals necessary for finding bass during different seasons and conditions, determining lures to use, and determining what equipment is right for you, and it isn't so long that you have to go through numerous pages to get the information. I thought it was organized very well.

Long Mike stated: A good book for newbies is Kevin VanDam's Bass Strategies. The book is fairly short at 210 pages, but it contains a plethora of good information. Kevin doesn't waste a lot of space with too many stories. He stays on point with the subject at hand, and only uses stories to further illustrate his concepts.

Aaron, check out Powell rods (www.powellco.com). The Powell Max 683c lists for $169, which is a dollar less than a St. Croix Avid, and it is 6' 8" long. I own both rods. I love my Avid, but in all honesty, the Powell smokes the Avid in sensitivity. It has a split grip. It's just my opinion but I think this rod can compete with rods in the $250 - $300 range. Read this review at Tackletour.com for more objective information: http://tackletour.com/reviewpowell683cxfast.html. The only problem with Powell is you won't be able to find them everywhere. I had mine shipped from a store in Wichita, KS. The rod has a lifetime warranty. If you're interested the following link is a list of retailers who sell these rods: http://www.powellco.com/bassrods_retailers.htm.

Hmmm . . . . weird. I thought I made a post on this thread wishing you well and telling you to enjoy the scenery. It's gone now. Maybe I forgot to click "Post." Glad you're getting something out of it, Muddy. The mountains are beautiful in Utah.

Avid stated: I like your attitude, avid. Hang in there, Good Buddy. I feel the same, but I'm not going through the tribulations that you are. I still have good limbs, but I agree with your ideas. To sum it up: I fish . . . . . and then I die. There is no intermediate period between the two.

It was Avid doing an Elvis impersonation in a canoe.

I thread plastic and only hook pork as well.

I don't have anything to add to the other posts. They've covered your questions, but I do want to welcome you to our forum. You will learn a great deal from the articles and the forum here.

Good point, Roger. I've often wondered the same thing myself. I usually check the size closely, but not always. It's best to make sure you're getting what you paid for.

I'm jealous. I'm definitely planning on fishing more this winter, but there will obviously be limitations compared to Florida.

Good information from all. To answer jb_adams' original question: What is the difference between copolymer and fluorocarbon line? . . . . . . Copolymer lines tend to be softer and have superior knot strength to Fluorocarbon lines. They are created by taking two or more monomers and creating a copolymer via a chemical process. The resulting line generally is more abrasion resistant, has less stretch, has higher tensile strength, etc. than monofilament lines Fluorocarbon lines are heavier which helps to get a bait deeper, faster. They are also close to invisible because their refraction of light is similar to that of water. Fluorocarbon is stiffer than mono or copolymer lines. Pure Fluorocarbon does not absorb water, thus making it stronger. I, personally, prefer hybrid lines over either copolymer or pure fluorocarbon. Hybrid lines, as RW stated, are a combination of nylon and fluorocarbon. (Copolymer or monomer combined with Fluorocarbon.)

Nice fish. What state are you in? It's a little cold for much night fishing where I'm at with night temperatures in the 20s and some 30s.

You guys won't be able to eat fish, but, in the next few years, you'll be producing 20 lb'ers like California. :

Blurry or not, I'm guessing 7 lb 9 oz.