Ratherbfishing

Hidey ho! I stay away from Mr. Hankey as best I can but I still get a nostalgic high from Manns Jelly worms.

Ah, to be a dorm room angler again! Those were the days! The dorm complex I lived in my freshman year was on the edge of a lake (appropriately called "campus lake"). While others were out partying, I was out fishing. Of course, while they were out studying, I was STILL out fishing. How I ever made it out of college with a degree is still a mystery to me. For me storage wasn't ever a problem. I had only two poles and one small tackle box. Soft plastics were still a mystery to me then and my budget was next to nil so if I lost something, it usually wasn't replaced for months or, even, years. I remember very occasionally scrounging a ride and renting a boat at the Little Grassy lake marina where I would then promptly go out and get skunked. They were the best of times. They were the worst of times.

Mmmmmm, I am not at all convinced that the bass was going after the bluegill. To the contrary, every indicator suggested that he was zoning in on the popper (on the side of the blugill where the popper was projecting out from). This isn't to say that bass don't attack from the front or that bluegill are never on the menu but in the instances I described, he/she (like bill clinton) never "inhaled" and his lips seemed to be grabbing only for the popper. Funny to me, though, that he wouldn't take the opportunity to seize such an easy meal-unless he was a thug and just liked to take candy from a baby.

A couple of times last summer when I was fly fishing for bluegill, a pretty good size bass would come out from nowhere and try to steal the popper out of the bluegills mouth. Each time the bluegill was pretty small and, presumably, disgestable so why didn't the bass just eat it? It was an easy meal. This supports my notion that bluegill must not always be on the preferred menu and, in some instances, may not be on it at all. Does anyone else have a similar experience and/or have a different theory for why a bass would reject the "obvious" and, instead, prefer to steal something considerably smaller?

submberged cattails

At Meijers over Christmas they had Senkos on clearance for $2.50 a bag. I should, perhaps, have bought ALL of them but I still haven't seen the big hooplah about Senko's yet AND i already have enough soft plastics to sink a pocket battleship. So I bought just one bag (to try them out). This year, perhaps, I'll regret my decision.

I can SAY I do one thing but compared to others, perhaps i don't. It's all relative, I suppose. Anyway, I try to fish according to conditions and the fishes mood. Generally I'll start fairly "aggressively"- moving fairly quickly and trying different baits to see if the fish are, likewise, fairly aggressive. But if that doesn't pan out (all too often), I'll slow down and fish an area much more slowly-sometimes casting to the same piece of cover a dozen times if it looks desireable. I'll also fish from memory-FOR AWHILE. But if the bass don't seem to be there anymore or simply refuse to bite whatever techniques I try, I'll pause, regroup, and try something new. I am not one of those guys who will stay in the same spot or use the same technique all day long just because that's what worked last time. On one of my local ponds I was near a kid who, I believe, fancied himself a pro (and maybe he was pretty good, I don't know) who easily whipped out three casts to my one. On days when fast is key, I'm sure he could do well but in my experience, those days are the exception. I'm glad I didn't have to share a boat with him as eventually one of us would have had to go swimming.

I wonder if sales, promotions, etc. are at the discretion of the individual store manager. I'm with Robert Riley on this one. OUR Gander Mtn has few really good sales and their "bargain bin" (if you want to call it that) is pretty pitiful. Of course I'm probably coming at it differently than some. I HAVE most of what I need already and if I can't find a really good deal on something, I walk away.

Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you all. Work has been busy. Your advice is appreciated. My insurance company seems...hmm...(how do I say this without sounding impatient or petty?) like they haven't much dealings with boat insurance. It seems they want to know all the particulars about the boat and trailer (VIN's, registration numbers, etc) first, rather than asking what kind of coverage they offer and what I might want and THEN want to know the particulars (it seems they are putting the cart before the horse). The long and laborious process hasn't instilled a great deal of confidence in me. Me thinks I ought check with other insurance companies, anyway.

I assume you are referring to the new bldg going up at Market Place mall? It'll probably drive the Gander Mountain store out of business. THAT store can't be doing well. Even on weekends I don't see a lot of cars in the lot and it's never very busy. Of course, I am not sure Field and Stream will have much better a go of it. I think, sadly, that they tend to grow larger than the areas "carrying capacity." Any store that pays attention to trends and market offerings can provide a decent selection. As to whether they price them right or offer incentives will determine (in part) if they stay afloat.

If the cost of higher education continues to rise, eventually only the very rich and the very foolish will be educated.

It's not your Gopro. You have black ops helecopters circling you.

I've finally decided to financially protect myself with boat insurance and I've gone through a somewhat laborious Q & A session with my auto insurance company to get an estimate. HOWEVER, all of the questions have pertained to the boat and trailer and not how much coverage I want against accidental death or injury, or fishing tackle, etc. I know, when I speak with the company again, I should ask about these things but, in advance, for those of you who have HAD to file a claim, what kinds of things did you wish you'd asked about or had requested be covered which weren't?

If you ignore your rights long enough, eventually they will go away. (bumper sticker)

MOST of the time, red hooks are nothing more than red hooks. Very ocassionally, however, it will make a difference. Primarily in very clear water. However, I certainly wouldn't trade all my hooks out for red ones. Just keep some spares and change 'em out if/when you think it will help.

Unless you are not like me (pray this is the case), you'll find that switching back and forth between left and right hand reels will be difficult. My advice is this: if your "right handed" reels are old or lousy, keep the "lefty" and just use lefty gear from here on out. BUT if you have a lot of good right handed reels which you hate to part with, keep it and sell the new reel. (I think that if/once you switch to "left-handed" reels, you'll be glad you did-unless you are already left-hand dominant).

I have seen a couple of "boaters" (one in particular) on Lunkerville who treated Mike D. rather condescendingly. I consider Mike a "regular guy", very likeable, and I took almost a personal offense to it. I know he plays up the "novice facade" for the sake of providing information for the viewer.

Oh, ah. I see. No mermaids. Phooey. If I am in the process of getting skunked, I'll try any technique (short of dynamite) to avoid said outcome. But actually the method I use has less to do with how much I enjoy the day as do the conditions. Am I freezing half to death or roasting in my own juices? Is the wind making the boat impossible to control? Extremes of any kind can put a major damper on the day-and especially on a fishless day. Ironically, some of the most comfortable weather (those post cold-front bluebird sky days) makes me "feel good to be alive" but usually puts the stink on the bite. And just as ironically, if the fish are biting, I can endure and enjoy almost any conditions without (much) complaint. But to (possibly) answer your question directly, I think I like dragging or hopping a soft plastic in and around cover the most. Crankbaits are probably my least favorite (if I am not catching).

I don't understand the question. Either you are skunked or you are not. When I am skunked, nothing takes the sting out of it until the next time out when I am not skunked. With regards to "swimmers", are we talking about mermaids? That probably WOULD take the sting out of getting skunked. I'm partial to blondes but I'll take brunettes or redheads without complaint. But not of all shapes and sizes. I've seen far too many Walmart gals to be THAT non-discriminating.

"Hillary for President!" (yes, I know this is going to be deleted but I couldn't resist)

Even some of the most influencial and respected people have struggled with depression. Winston Churchill described it as his "black dog." While I'm sure your friendship to him is invaluable, don't think you can (or should) try to "snap him out of it." Don't take this wrong but if that were possible, it would have probably already been done. Depression is much different than having a bad day, or week. Many people seem to respond best to a combination of therapy (group and/or individual counseling) and anti-depressants. Peope too often try to separate the mind from the body and believe that it's either "just biological" or "just psychological" when, in fact, it is usually both. The two are intricately connected and almost indistinguishable. Regarding meds, sometimes certain chemicals (SSRI's, tricyclics, MAOI's, etc) that work for some people don't always work for others and there is generally a "trial period" which can be-in and of itself-quite trying. Patience may be necessary so don't let him get discouraged when results aren't immediate or with the first drug. Because you are writing and not him, one thing I suggest is that YOU also take care of yourself. Helping a depressed person can sap a lot of energy out you. And if (I pray it doesn't happen) he should ever choose to take his own life DON'T BLAME YOURSELF! My prayers go out to both of you (and his family).

I'd never put it past a smallmouth to pull out a switchblade. : )

Of course it always stinks to lose an expensive baits (which is why I will only go so high) but the most painful losses are those which are almost irreplaceable. Once, on a trip to Canada's Lake of the Woods I had borrowed a friends Cordell Spot. The bite was slow and though we'd pick up the occasional smallie, they were few and far between. But that Spot was like a sirens call and it was ALMOST one fish after the other. When the action slowed, I made the mistake of cutting it off and my friend, seizing the opportunity, snatched it back up, tied it on, and proceded to catch more fish with it. I tried practically everything in my box but only that single bait seemed to get any real results. I don't know if it was the sound (it did seem louder than usual) or if it was the color but that single bait WAS the magic bullet. When he eventually lost it to a snag he got real quiet. I was sad, too, but at least now he and I were on an even playing field.

If I cast my bait and it ricochets off the ice, I know I'm going to have a bad day.

Assuming the weather remains about where it's at now, the first of April. We had about 10 inches of ice on the lakes and that doesn't go away overnight. Plus, truth be told, I seldom catch anything when the water temps are really low and I don't bother if I don't think I'll catch anything.