RyneB

I cant argue with any weapon as a home defense. As long as it fires and saves your life, its good enough. The odds that you will ever have to use it are very low. Kids and animals in the house, proximity to a neighboring house all play vital roles in the weapon you should choose. Like many of you, i am more than prepared. There is a mossberg 500 under my bed with 00 buckshot. A 9mm on the night stand next to my bed. 2 AK 47s in my closet. I leave the door to my room locked. If i hear anything that sounds like someones in my house. I will gather my guns and tell my wife to get under the bed and lay flat on the floor. Im going to dial 911 and tell the person on the phone i have weapons and for the police to identiy themselves. Then i will wait for the police to arrive. I will not fire a single shot or walk out to shoot someone. I will stay behind my locked door with my wife, i refuse to leave her behind while i go play Rambo. But if my door starts getting kicked in by someone other than the police, im unleashing the AK and he will die. Being prepared is just as important as the gun you have. I have no kids or animals or anything that will be in harms way on the other side of the door other than the intruder. Now if i had kids, i wouldnt think of using the AK. Short of putting Claymore mines at your doorways and windows, nothing is guaranteed. If i had kids and such, i would keep a Taurus Judge by my bed and thats it. I have the .410 rounds to put on target, If that doesnt work, I have the .45 rounds.

I didnt buy the .38. I got myself a S & W 22a and my 4th AK 47. Maybe next time.

I havent fished one or even seen one to buy yet. But i will definately get one and fish it. One of my best producing baits is the XPS mouse. Seems like a bass hits my mouse harder than any other bait.

I use 50 lb Power Pro on my jig rod and flipping rod. I love the stuff and wouldnt use any other braid. As far as fluoro goes, i have tried berkley vanish (the worst line iv ever used), Berkley 100% fluoro (better than Vanish), and Vicious (best of the 3, but still had troubles). This winter I bought a spool of Sufix Invisline castable Fluoro, once the ice gets off the lakes, i will give it a shot. I love Sufix mono and Promix, so hopefully the fluoro is just as good. People say to use a fluoro or mono leader with braid. I fish clear water with 20 plus foot visibility, and have never once thought my braid was keeping me from catching fish.

When i first met my wife, i talked about fishing a lot. She admitted to me the other day that she just thought i did it every so often and was more of a hobby. When we moved in together she realized it was a passion. She says she only gets upset because she doesnt have a passion for anything like I do fishing. Me paying all the bills while she pays for nothing helps her deal with me spending money on fishing gear. As long as you can afford to put food on the table, roof over your head, and gas in the vehicle. I feel you can spend as much as you want on whatever you want. Fishing gear she deals with, i accumulate quite a bit of guns, that she doesnt understand. Cant win em all i guess.

I had a guy on the lake make a comment about my yellow rods. It was a comment that questioned my sexuality. I kept my eye on him most the day, when i saw him heading in i followed. I was going to confront him, then i saw him get into a yellow SUV. Things that make you go hmmmm. My friend always gives me a hard time about my yellow rods, but i outfish him every time we fish together. I told him my yellow rods look better doubled over than his rods look with no fish at the end. People have yellow houses, cars, boats, etc. So why is it such a bad thing to have a yellow rod?

I use 50 lb power pro on my jig rod. I fish a strip mine that has crystal clear water (20 ft visibility) and i have never had a problem with the braid. I feel when it comes to jigs, that if the fish isnt turned off by the weed guard, it isnt going to care about my line.

I was dead set on getting a Duckett rod for my Orra SX spinning reel. Then i picked up the Wild and it felt amazing. The green handle butt is hideous, but i own 4 Skeet rods, so i think a green handle butt that i dont see while fishing wont bother me.

My wife is very understanding. She always says she wish she had a hobby that she loved as much as i love fishing. The only thing she does that bothers me is when im bait shopping she always says "dont you already have that?" The only time she ever put her foot down was when i came in ad told her I was going to buy a Ranger for $28,000. I personally couldnt be with someone who got mad at me for buying fishing gear or going fishing. When me and my wife were having the marriage conversation i told her, "There are 4 things that are non negotiable; the Bulls, the Bears, my GTO, and fishing." Luckily i have a wife that hasnt tried to interrupt those 4 things for me.

personal best was last year. I was fishing a strip mine in the dead of summer. Blue bird skies and about 100 degrees. I was casting my Rage Eeliminator to a shallow point. I turned around and threw horizontal to the bank but the cast took off on me and sailed farther than expected. I was working the Eeliminator back on top in 32 fow when i had a huge blow up. It ended up being an 8 lb lmb that had another giant swimming with it. I dont imagine the fish was hanging out on top. Visability is 20 plus feet so im assuming he came from the depths. Iv had a place in my heart for the Eeliminator ever since.

they are $6.99 here as well. Why is it so much more expensive than other Zoom baits?

thats the only rage craw i can think of with orange in it. Rage craws are an amazing bait. Put one on a jig as a trailer and hang on.

looks like some Gitzit tubes

Bama Craw. BPS,Tackle Warehouse, bass tackle depot all sell them.

Are they for sale?

jr1945, those are stunning. Do you fish them, or just look at them? I bet those drive bass crazy.

The MAKI has been my best producer through the ice. When i first saw it i couldnt believe it would catch a fish. I get a lot of hits on it as it just sits there. Those little arms just have a nice subtle action. The Dragi has caught the majority of my bass and yellow bass.

When i started using Makis, my ice fishing success sky rocketed. Tell him he makes a great product.

I have found that the small BPS leech on a small drop shot is the way to go. Theres a company called Maki Plastics that make little ice fishing plastics. They have a variety of plastics that will catch bass and other species. For those people who feel sorry for us guys that get ice. I like ice fishing just as much as open water fishing. I dont have to worry about wind, the trolling motor,rods and lures everywhere on a boat deck. I got my 1 man flip over with a heater and few poles. Its actually really relaxing. Catching a 3 lb largemouth on a 24" UL ice rod is funner than catching a 3 lber on 50 lb braid and 7 foot flipping stick.

Im in the same boat as you being in Illinois. I prefer the blue shad Strike King shadalicious. I even catch bass on rainbow trout colored swimbaits in my lake, and i know for a fact there are no rainbows swimming around. If you cant find any bluegill patterns, your next best option could be a baby bass color. Most paddle tails come in that pattern, and i feel a big bass will eat a small bass just as much as he would a bluegill. I fish northern wisconsin every year and a baby bass pattern always outfishes my perch and bluegill patterns.

Id say a Abu Garcia Orra SX, but im biased.

I have a pack of those blue craws just waiting for spring to roll around. My first cast will have a okechobee craw color hack attack jig with a blue craw trailer.

They are all killer baits, but for a good time. Texas rig a 4/0 EWG with a Eeliminator and slow roll that baby on top. I catch a lot of my eeliminator bass on top in open water. It doesnt just have to be in vegetation or cover. That single bait is one of my best weapons. If they arent hitting it on top, i use it like a jerk bait. If they doesnt work, i carolina rig it. I cant remember what size hook i throw the toads on, before the eeliminator, the toad and shad were my "go to" slop bait. Its either a 3/0 or 4/0. The baby rage craws and Smokin Roosters are amazing baits also. Rage baits just get me all excited.

Went to BPS to shop for some family members. I ended up purchasing a Abu Garcia Orra SX spinning reel for myself. After they handed it to me, they told me i get a free deep fryer with the purchase of an Abu reel or rod, and a rebate for a Abu hoodie. I felt like i won the lottery, iv always wanted one for the house. Almost got myself a Duckett rod to match to the reel, but ill wait until after ice season.

And that is probably a reason why fishing from a bridge is illegal.