The one that got away

I can't believe no one has mentioned Robert Deniro. Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Godfather II, The Deer Hunter, etc. He's my favorite, hands down.

Depending on what you mean by "very" soon, you'll have to get yours through the ice. If you're wondering, the MA record is 15lbs, 8oz.

I fish soft plastics on spinning gear only. I leave the baitcasting for cranks, topwater, spinnerbaits and everything else.

The Phillies look real good on paper right now in the NL. I think the Red Sox will be a bit better than last year, the Yankees will have a slight dropoff, and I think TB will be just as good despite losing a few guys because their farm system is that good. I think the AL representative in the WS, whoever it is, coming out of the AL East.

In Massachusetts, there is no need to register a canoe unless there is a trolling motor. With a motor, it's $40 for a two-year license on a boat under 16ft.

Hopefully this doesnt find its way to the "Fishing Women Forum".

Just get the TM battery as far forward as you can to better balance the boat. Also, I actually motor my canoe backwards - since I use it solo, I use what used to the the front seat, and sit backwards facing "aft" with the battery in what normally is the stern. This gets your weight more towards the center of the boat, with the TM behind you, and the TM battery ahead of you. Trims out better that way. The factory seats in my canoe are plastic with the built-in backrest, so going backwards so to speak is a bit out of the question right now. When I'm solo (which I usually am), I put a couple 40lb bags of topsoil in the front to distribute the weight a little better and the bow won't rise up so much. This year, I will either replace the seats and go "backwards", or just throw some more dirt in the front. ;D

Couldn't agree more. I was a shore guy until a few years ago when I finally bought a canoe to get on open water. Now I can finally fish those spots that aren't accessible from shore. BTW, love that Radisson setup you have. I got a trolling motor on Xmas for my Old Town canoe and can't wait to do more fishing and less paddling.

Fenwick Techna AVS66MF/Shimano Sahara/Suffix fluoro 8# Fenwick HMG GT66M/Shimano Curado 201E7/PLine CX 12# Fenwick Techna AVC70MHF/Abu C4/Power Pro 50/12 I keep it fairly simple, and can do pretty much whatever I need to do using one of the above combos.

I have the BPS Stalker bag with six 3700 style boxes and two 3600 size boxes on either end. That fits more than I need. If I can't find something in there that will catch a fish, that would mean I suck at fishing and should take up golf or do something else. So, no I don't see the need for more than one bag unless you have one for saltwater, one for pike/muskie, etc.

My oldest son is a freshman at the regional voc/tech H.S. in my area. Very selective school, they only took 250 or so freshman from 700 who applied. BTW, nice Cheevers pic.

Stihl or Husqvarna... Debating one versus the other is kind of like Ford vs. Chevy or Coke vs. Pepsi, you'll get many people on either side, but you can't go wrong with either. Personally, I have had a Stihl MS250 for about a year now and use it for the same projects you need yours for. Excellent saw. Whatever you decide, make sure you buy a quality saw that is big enough for your needs. Don't go too cheap, you'll regret it later.

I usually fish from a canoe with no fishfinder at a spot that sounds similar to where you fish. I usually concentrate in typical areas (weed beds, downed trees, etc), but yesterday I just let the breeze take me across the middle to the other side. Caught a bunch in the middle of the lake, where I usually don't fish. Give this a shot, you might get surprised. Good luck.

I got up to Pine River Pond for the weekend. Saturday was too windy to get out in the canoe. Fished from the dock for a few hours. Struck out and figured Sunday would be better. Got out in the canoe and on the water by 6am Sunday morning. Was out for about 4hours. One largemouth, a bunch of small perch, and one smallie (my first SMB of the year) and headed in around 10am. Went back out for another couple hours late in the day and struck out again. I threw everything I had - tubes, Senkos, lipless cranks, jerkbaits, dropshot (I'm new to this technique), spinnerbaits, inline spinners, jigs, topwater, etc. I think I used to have better luck up here a few years ago. Either that, or my expectations have changed. Maybe I was happy catching anything years ago, but now I expect to catch fish and get disappointed with low production. No pics - sorry. Not much to photograph anyway.

Good pic and great fish. I have only hooked into one musky, happened last fall, but didn't have him on for too long. Hope to get one for myself in the future. Congrats on yours.

Another BRUINS fan here. Tough ending for us last year. I think Rask got burnt out in the playoffs. Hope he can carry us this year, but I wouldn't be looking to get rid of Thomas soon. He can still play when he's on. But Savard can go if we can get close to equal value for him. Nice to see Franklin boy Laviolette have some success. I skated at the Franklin rink back in the 70's and now coach my son there. Where are all the Blackhawk fans? I was glad to see them end their drought, although that can't compare to the Red Sox pre-2004. October 27 2004 was quite a night. Bottom line...can't wait for the pucks to drop.

Me too. I think I caught a fish on a jig sometime in the 1990's. Granted, I haven't tried them too often since then, because I get nothing and would rather fish something that works for me and I have confidence in. I have been trying to develop a better all-around game this year, so I have been trying again. Still nothing. Probably going to stick more with what I know and what works for me.

Central Massachusetts In 2010, I have probably caught more fish than in past years. Haven't been skunked all year, so I can't complain. Probably a dozen or so in the 3-4lb range. The biggest was around 4.5-5 pounds judging by the size of other fish I did weigh. (I didn't have my scale that day). Still looking for the big one. Lately, the bite has been slow and it seems I catch three fish every time out, never less and never more. Almost like I should go home after fish #3. Biggest advantage has been fishing from a canoe. BIG advantange over fishing from shore, IMO. Been trying to "expand my horizons" fishing-wise, trying new techniques (for me). For example, I never had much luck with a buzzbait until this year, now a black Cavitron buzzbait is one of my best producers.

Nice fish there. Maybe that's the one that got away before.

My brother has a house on this lake and I am going up next weekend to fish. I've been up there before a few times, with varying results. I recently found a topo map of the lake online and found out the south end is pretty deep. Any smallmouth there? My brother's house is on the north side and I usually stuck around that end in the past. Any NH guys have knowledge of this lake? What works best there? Thanks

Safety first. Wear a PFD (lifejacket), especially in a canoe or kayak, or alone in a boat.

Nice fish. Congrats!

I started using a BPS Stalker bag this year. The one with the shoulder strap, not the backpack version (only because the backpack version wasn't available). Most of my fishing is from a canoe, so portability wasn't a huge issue for me anyway. I couldn't be happier with it. I have 6 370 size boxes in the main compartment, a Falcon spinnerbait pocket in one of the side pockets, and misc items in the other side pocket. Great bag, but I can't speak to durability issues because I haven't had it too long. Seems very well made though. Hope to have it a long time. 10 out of 10 in my book.

Try Hopkinton State Park. Not sure if they rent canoes or boats, but I know they rent one or the other. It'll get you off the bank and on open water. Not sure what species are there, but I think they stock it with trout. If you are closer to Boston, I think there is a place on the Charles in the Weston area that you can rent a canoe. Good luck, and tight lines!

My first "good" rod was a Premier medium power spinning rod that I bought in 2003. I used and abused it until I upgraded to a Techna AV over this winter. The Premier (now my son's) is still in real good shape. Having said that, if I just spent a few dollars more on an Avid way back when, I'd probably still be using it.