.ghoti.

I'm liking A-Jay's idea. Could it work? Consider the 1985 Bears. McMahon and Tomzsak. Not sure if I spelled the names correctly, but between them they went all the way, with two completely different style players at QB. And, neither one was what you would call an elite player.

On the right; a dingleschaeffer. On the left; an overlator. Sheees, don't you guys know anything?

I've been a member for ten years. Had to look that up. It doesn't seem that long, but it has been. I learn something new every time I visit.

You gents want to keep this civilized, or do you want me to try out out all the new tools I have at my disposal?

Hey, I resemble that remark.

Really clear water with bright sunny dats are about the only time I will toss a chrome lure. Being so reflective, they blend into the water column at whatever depth you're fishing.

Drop shot works just fine on a casting rig, with two exceptions. If you have a long distance between bait and weight, it is difficult to throw on a casting rig. If you're fishing deep, its a lot easier to just leave the bail open On a spinning reel, for a fast, straight drop, than to feather the spool on a baitcaster

Nice job, man

I've stripped two of my own rods down to the bare blank and started over. Nothing difficult about any of it, except the reel seat. The reel seat has to cut away from the blank. And that job is not difficult. A Dremel, a cut-off wheel, and a steady hand and eye. No problem, right? Yeah, right. One slip, and it's game over. For this reason I'll never do one for anybody else. If you're doing the work yourself, it's your stuff to gamble with. My two attempts turned out fine, but it was a nervous 20 minutes for each, cutting away the reel seat.

Hey Ed, now thats funny right there. Ill leave it as an exercise, for the student to complete.

Thanks for all the kind words folks. Its with somewhat mixed emotions I join this crew. Not that I question anything about this place, the great people who run it, or any of the members. Im happy to join in, and help keep this the best place on the Web. I really wish I was not doing so because my good friend and fishin buddy, Mike Goodson, had to hang up his spurs. I understand his decision, and all I will say about it is this; it is my friend simply being the good man that he is. Also, yesterday I cleaned up my classroom and lab, emptied my office, turned in my keys, and retired from teaching. It's one thing to walk away from a job you don't like. It's not at all the same leaving a career you love. But, it was my decision, and I will be fine with it soon. As far as filling Long Mikes shoes goes, I won't. My feet are bigger than his. LOL And to you Tom, I am no longer a professor. I'm a retired professor. My days of grading and correcting anything are over. If somebody wishes to visit a public forum and display his or her illiteracy, who am I to stop him? There have been some really good people doing this job. I'll do my best to continue the trend.

Nicely done. Another tip from a rookie, if youdon't mind. Go to Flec Coat's website and take a look at their "how we do it" video on finish application. Finish is the toughest part of the entire process to get right. It seems that every person has a slightly different technique, and some of them will try to convince you that their way is the only way. Don't know how you spell BS, but I spell it with two L's. You'll need to develop your own way to do this, over time, and with a particular brand of epoxy. they are all slightly different, and quite the same. Stick with the same brand until you get it right. The Flex Coat way is a great staring point.

A little tip from a rookie. Take your time with the guide wraps. If it doesn't look good to you, unwrap it and start over. It will look a lot worse after the finish has been applied and cured. Finish will not hide any mistakes. It will make them more apparent. You know how I know that.

another vote for Sirius. Anything you want, any time, anywhere. And I don't have to do anything to get it, except turn on the radio.

I can't say, on a public forum, what I occasionally call them. It ain't Latin.

WOW!!!

Large worms get t-rigged, "trick" worms are fished on jigheads in my game plan. I only keep a few colors these days; watermelon, junebug, red shad and PB&J. If I can't get it on with those colors it's time to execute plan B.

Being in Illinois, I've seen Goose Island beers on the shelf, but I've never seen that particular brew. I like stout; I grew up with Guiness. How's that one compare?

Incredible pics. A-Jay, I know you Coast Guard guys are regularly out in worse than that. All I can say is, my hat's off to you, and either you're all crazy; which I find improbable; or you're all packing around a lot more than your fair share of cojones.

I have a couple of Gerber tools. Both have been handy from time to time. One of them is ten years old and has been used and abused, but doesn't look it. Also have a Leatherman Micro that I found. It fits in the watch pocket of my jeans and is always with me. It's also been handy a few times. Last but not least I have a Leatherman Tread. I have no idea how handy it is; haven't tried to use it for anything, but it's nifty gadget; and I'm a sucker for gadgets. Manly bracelet may very well be an oxymoron, but I'm wearing one.

I remember him posting that. Was just wondering if anybody down there in the land of the hanging chad has heard from him.

I want to try fishing, like I used to. The last two years have been pathetic. I've fished so little I don't know why I even own any gear, let alone the amount of stuff I have. Next year will be better.

Anybody heard from him?

Now that was fun to watch. Thanks, Sam.

I'll give you the easiest advice. Just go do it. Relax and enjoy yourself. Every day on the water you'll learn something new, if you're reasonably observant. While you're experimenting try something different every day. Tell yourself, self, I'm going to learn how to fish a spinnerbait today. Then just fish it for a couple of hours. Learn what it feels like on the end of your line. Learn how to slow down and fish it deep, and how to burn it shallow without it turning over. Bump it into things in the water. experiment with different ways to make the bait more erratic. etc, etc, etc. Try a different bait the next time out. Over the course of a season, you'll learn how to manipulate these different baits, and slowly accumulate a database of knowledge about baits, conditions, and fish behavior. Take a few breaks. Pour yourself a big mug of coffee, and putt around with your sonar on, looking at what's under you. Stick to one small area of the lake until you have good grasp of just what it is your fishing. Learn one area well before moving on to another. Again, over the course of a season, you're going to learn quite a bit about where your fishing. It all slowly adds up. It takes time, but it's all no danged good if you don't have fun while you're at it. Relax and enjoy it.