K_Mac

Those likes are from new folks who haven't gotten to know us very well!?

JustJames, the mods may delete this thread, but I doubt it. Once you post on a forum the thread often takes on a life of its own. You asked a question many others have asked, and opinions are as varied as the people replying. Relax and enjoy the ride.

Firefish there are many places to fish in Illinois where it is perfectly legal to to carry. Your Utah permit is worthless in Illinois. Not getting your Illinois CCL because you don't like some of the limitations seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face. $30 a year for an Illinois CCL is less than the cost of one fishing trip. I would no more fish without a firearm than I would without a PFD.

The Caps are a really good team that just got better with your acquisition of Shattenkirk. You have some great talent that once played in St.Louis. What we wouldn't give for a good General Manager! We are all too familiar with playing well in the regular season, and collapsing in the playoffs.

I've been a Blues fan since they joined the NHL. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride! I love the game. I will take a well played hockey game over any other team sport. The speed, power, precision, and conditioning required to compete at the highest level is amazing.

I think Jaderose's approach is as a good as any. I don't think it makes any difference what color the back is to the fish. I prefer the black ☺

I've used a dump truck load of both Senkos and Stick-os. I agree that Senkos are the best. When the bite is good, a stick-o will do fine. If money or pride is on the line I will go with the original.

JT your enthusiasm makes your story enjoyable for all of us. It is also the reason I like Hank, and why he has lasted when many have come and gone. You guys are both good ambassadors for the sport. You can teach most folks how to fish, but you can't teach that. Thanks for sharing.

I don't have Talons or Power poles on my old tin boat. I do fish regularly on a boat with 2 Talons. While I have great respect for the old guys (being an old guy myself) who do just fine without them, I have absolutely no doubt that we catch more fish using them than we can without them. Whether fishing deep clear water reservoirs or shallow bayous the time savings alone is worth having them IMO. For most of the rest of is who fish a variety of conditions they are simply an effective tool. Are they worth the money? That is a personal choice. Do they increase the effectiveness of a good fisherman who knows how to use them? I think with rare exception, the answer is yes. Any inovation will always meet resistance from old guys like me. Now get off my lawn! EDIT: For the record I do not sight fish bedding fish.

GreenGhostMan this topic comes up from time to time. Whether a bait is worth the price is always going to be debated. At the end of the day it is always a personal choice. I fish on a real budget so I have to choose wisely. I will say that a $20 Lucky Craft jerkbait that catches fish is worth more to me than a box full of cheaper baits that don't. The product you manufacture is worth a given price, based on demand and supply. That is the way the market works. Crankbaits are no different. When demand goes down they end up on the discount table, and one that is hot (like a red Wiggle Wart on Table Rock in the spring) will get a good price. God bless America!

Bluebasser86 makes a great point. Bites on a chatterbait can be very subtle.

I use all three, buy if I am going for a big bite I will always go with a chatterbait. I have caught good fish in cold water, grass, clear water and just about every other condition. Slow rolled just ticking the top of submerged grass can be deadly in the summer-day or night Retrieve speed depends on the fish. Sometimes even in cold water a fast speed works best. A chatterbait is one of my year round high confidence baits.

The weather here in Southern Illinois is crazy also. When I went to bed last night it was 22°. At 8:00 this morning it was 38° . Now at noon it is 57° and will undoubtedly break 60° before the day is done.

Fair enough.

Bigfruits, do you wear a seatbelt?

Happy birthday!

An exciting conclusion to a Super Bowl with a decent halftime show is a very rare thing. I am enjoying this game. Of course I really don't care who wins it. It is unexpected for NE to be the underdog...

I agree Darren. I really like Gaga. The Pats down by 18 at the half and a halftime show that I mostly liked. What are the odds of that happening?

After watching a good bit of both videos I realized that somewhere along the way I must have lost an alarming number of points myself...

VolFan I don't ever expect to need a handgun anywhere I go. I carry one anyway. While I have never needed one, needing one and not having one available is not a good option. If you spend much time on the water you know that trouble can find you in any location. Night fishing and remote locations increase the chances. I carry a gun much like a wallet; I may not need it, but have it just in case. For the record, I am not suggesting you or anyone else carry a gun. That is a right you can excercise, or not, at your choosing.

Skeeter if you mean the fish were better looking than me, I completely agree ? We stayed at a lodge within a mile or two of the bridge at the Paris Landing. Most of the good fish were caught in Tennessee water, although we caught fish all over, including Barkley Lake.

Watermelon Red Trickworms and Smallie Beavers in California were my top producers. I'm not sure color matters much, but these are my go-to plastics. I am very confident with these baits. EDIT: Welcome to the forum. Good to have you aboard!

On the upper end it really makes a difference in how you cast. A gentle lob with a significantly heavier weight than rating may work fine. A hard overhanded cast with that same weight might snap your rod. One ounce on a rod rated to 5/8 might work fine, or may be seriously overloaded. It really depends on the the rod, and the application. Rod manufacturers tend to be very conservative on upper weight ratings, but care is needed when exceeding the limits.

Very cool Speed. She managed to give you an "I'm Batman" look! I went to her site and could not find any info on this service. It needs to be easy to find for guys like me. Good luck my friend.

I usually carry on me. I always have one on the boat.