K_Mac

Well said A-Jay.

I hate when that happens! I have not yet spent a nickle. Medical expenses have not allowed for it. I may just have to use some of the stock on hand this year. I really don't NEED anything...I will not be happy about it though.

Glenn it is a funny question. I am not sure where being 8' tall and bullet-proof was replaced by the understanding that a man has got know his limitations. Life has a way of teaching us those lessons. I remember my first real job after high school. I thought I had all the answers. It did not take long to learn I didn't even know the questions...

I have fallen off the boat while fishing twice. Once in water only a couple of degrees warmer than you had today. I was very lucky both times. I now wear an inflatable belt type PFD most of the time, and at all times when fishing alone. The second time was in warmer water, but the wind was blowing just enough to keep the boat just out of reach. I managed to catch it with my last ditch effort. Had I failed I would not be here to tell the story. As it was all I could do was hang on till the wind blew me into shore. The second time happened after I had resolved to wear my belt at all times when alone. I had just started fishing, was within sight of the ramp, and had forgotten to put it on. I actually reached to pull the release to find I was not wearing it. It does not get much dumber than that! That lesson was made even more clear two years ago when a good friend drowned while fishing alone on a local power plant lake. It was early in the year, windy, and he was not wearing a PFD. I may have been with him if I had not been in the hospital at the time. I am still haunted by that thought... Glad you were lucky. Thanks for sharing your story. We all need to be reminded that PFDs save lives.

Sherman may be the most talented man to ever play the game. I do not know or care. What I do know is that I had the game on as mostly background noise, and just happened to see his melt-down. His aggressive and irrational tirade was beyond the pale. While you can talk all you want about history and emotion there is no justification for that kind of behavior. It simply reinforces the stereotype of football player as thug IMO.

Rhino at 57 I sure ain't a kid anymore, so I guess 72 is a bit farther down the trail. I was reluctant to bother with texting, but it allows me to keep in better touch with my daughter. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense. The things we do for our kids...

A-Jay I live in rural area. The coverage in my neighborhood is also sketchy. A couple of years ago I added a microcell tower to give me a solid signal here at home. With that and a wireless router I can use my phone at home without using much, if any chargeable data. Without those devices I would not have made the switch. Slone it is nice to be able to check the weather anytime. I also like to be able to check the news and sports when and where I want. The flashlight feature is also handy...

As a guy who has always considered a phone as simply a way to talk to others I have been slow to embrace the marvels of the new technology. I only added texting because my daughter would answer a text when she would not a call. A sturdy flip phone (Rugby II) seemed to meet all my needs. Just about everyone I know has a smartphone, and the ease of taking and transferring pictures, and accessing maps and the interweb finally caused me to look into a new phone. What I found was by buying inexpensive smartphones for me and my wife, and sharing data we could get many more features for about the same money. After a few days of playing with my new phone I now understand that talking directly to others is only one of countless uses for a modern phone. While many of those uses will never be touched on my phone, including text conversations with someone in speaking distance, while driving, fishing, or talking face to face with a live human, going back to a simple phone is unlikely. So here I am, an old guy being drug into the 21st Century whether I like it or not. Now I have to go chase the neighbor kids out of my yard...

Roger good luck with that! I am afraid if I live 50 years or 500 I will still be looking to get it right. Maturity may be over-rated anyway...

Craww the differences in formulation of mono/copolymer lines really makes little difference to me. For many years I used traditional mono line. When I began to experiment with copolymers I found there are huge differences in how they fish. Since then I have used a more traditional mono (Trilene Big Game) a few times. I have also used YZ Hybrid, Gamma, and CXX copolys and find any of these superior to traditional mono for my purposes. Now, for me to say I like copolys better than mono may be laughable to you, but based on my testing and long term use the above copolys perform better than any traditional mono I've ever used. You argue that it is just semantics and marketing. My question is: What line labeled mono has the same fishing characteristics as the above copolys?

I am with Goose on this, although my collection of dual brake reels is just a starter set compared to his. I generally set the centrifugal brakes according to the application; 2-4 brakes on for casting, 0-2 for pitching. Line and lure determine how many. I only add magnetic to compensate for changing wind conditions. It is not too complex and works well for me.

Like many of us, there have been times over the years when I have put fishing ahead of more important things. When I look back at some of my selfish behavior I am saddened and ashamed by it. With that said, fishing is an important part of what makes me tick. Finding balance in all things is how maturity is defined, I think.

PSN81 you make some good points. The differences between good or great at the local level and making it as a top professional are hard to quantify. Even if they could all be listed, defining them clearly is harder yet. The one key that all have IMO is a commitment and focus most of us are not able to achieve.

I am thinking about trying some other options this year just for grins, but I have been using CXX exclusively for a couple of years now. With a little KVD it is a very good choice in my opinion.

Really? Seven pounds in Wisconsin is a really good fish-unless you use the method of weighing used by most anglers. By the magic of the internet we can be as good or lucky as we want to be though...

Nitro the problem is when we accept cheating as "part of the game" we diminish the game, the players, and the fans. I don't know if the Pats are guilty of anything that others haven't also done, and I don't really have a dog in this fight. I do believe that integrity and honor are more important than winning, even at-or maybe especially at, the pro level. I watched the 60 Minutes episode earlier this evening interviewing many of the players in the A Rod mess. The idea that everyone is doing it, so I have to was used as justification for using whatever it takes to compete. That attitude dishonors every pro who ever played the game without cheating. I will get off my soap-box now... We now return to our regular programming...

That is well said. There is no question that luck is a part of fishing. I know a guy with a 9# plus personal best caught here in So. Illinois. He doesn't know beans from buckshot when it comes to bass fishing, but he is lucky enough to fish a private lake that is very well stocked and managed. I may never catch one that big around here, but given equal opportunity I will out-fish him most of the time. Put me up against an elite pro and I will get smoked regularly. Yes luck plays a part, and pulling into a cove just as schooling bass explode on shad right next to the boat is serendipity and is the sort of thing that sometimes wins tournaments. There are many qualities that define a good fisherman; knowledge, skill, dedication, and perseverance are high on the list in my experience. Luck plays a part, but it is not what separates good fishermen from all the rest.

Rhino it has been almost two years since I lost a very good friend who was fishing on the local power plant lake (Baldwin Lake) here in So. Illinois. It is known to be a dangerous body of water when the wind blows, and he was fishing alone early in the year from a small boat without wearing a life preserver. I have fished alone on the lake, in the same conditions (from the same boat and others like it) many times. I was lucky, he was not. Having seen the devastation that happens when a husband, father, and friend is taken under these circumstances I have a better understanding of my responsibility to take the proper safety precautions while on the water. Thanks for the post. Old story or new it is important that we be reminded that taking safety for granted is a dangerous thing.

SirSnook is right that it is not the water that is the concern. Unless the water is really dirty or it landed in the mud I would not worry about it. Giving it a quick clean and lube or sending it to Mike at DVT are reasonable alternatives. It will undoubtedly work smoother than new if sent to Mike. I would just fish it and have it serviced when necessary.

As a younger man I would think it was all great fun-get a little loaded and have bragging rights about having 'been there, done that'. Now as a "more mature" man who has no interest in Jack Daniels or any other mood altering substances, and a circulatory system that will not keep my feet and hands warm in even moderately cold temps, there is not a snowballs chance in the Sahara that I would go to this game.

You are fine. I have spent many hours fishing in the rain with several rigs on deck. Consider it a baptism. Now go and fish some more...

gr8outdoorz you just need a little practice with a hone or file. It only takes a couple of seconds if the tool is close at hand, and it always is for me. I know that I am in the minority when it comes to sharpening, but it has worked for a long time and I don't see any changes in my future.

To add to this, all hooks are not sharp. There is a big difference in a hook that is "sticky" sharp and one that slides on your thumbnail when tested. Most quality hooks are sharp right out of the package, but not all. I test every hook I tie on and re-check often while using them.

While it is not very popular anymore, I regularly check my hooks and touch them up when necessary. As Jolly Green said, if a hook is worth fishing I will sharpen it. There are treble hooks that I simply replace, the hooks on a Rattle Trap or Spook are good examples. They are inferior hooks that will not perform well even if sharpened IMO.

JT I just cleaned up about 2" using a broom. Not quite enough to get a shovel! We are going to have temps more like the ones you are used to in the northern part of the state over the next week or so. I'll take a little snow any day over below zero temps. Rhino you are are a man who pays close attention to detail. I respect that, although my focus has a tendency to wonder when meticulous attention is required for very long. We all have our strengths and weaknesses I suppose...