Ratherbfishing

Agreed.

Another issue worth reflection is the availability of bits/attachments. You can find Dremel accessories anywere. There are very few places around my area which carry Black & Decker accessories. (I got the latter as a gift).

I believe they are the binding type. It's strange though, again, that they would slip now and never before. Guess it may be time to upgrade.

Truthfully I'm unsure what the difference between retracable and binding tie downs. I thought the straps might be slipping in the buckle but they never did before I moved things around.

The configuration of my boat on my boat trailer was such that it was tongue heavy-so much so that it would pull the truck frame down excessively. (Other cars would flash their brights thinking I had my brights on). No problem (I thought). I moved the bow stop back about 6 inches. This resolved that problem however NOW the tie downs on the back invariably work their way loose to the point that if I don't check them every hour or so, they're likely to come off. I don't want to lose them and I definitely don't want them flying off and hitting a person or another car. When I load the boat, I winch it securely to the bowstop and tighten the tie downs as tight as they will go and yet it ALWAYS happens. Admittedly, the straps, when cinched tight, are no longer in a perfect line-there is a small bend in the strap where it hits the corner of the bottom of the boat-but the boat is snut against the bow stop and shouldn't, theoretically, go anywhere. Or am i wrong? Is the boat, when I break, riding up the roller on the bow stop? Has anyone else had this problem and, if so, how did you solve it? Do I need to weld on extensions on the trailer frame so the tie-down straps are straight? Help (please)!

In Lake of the Woods Canada there are days when the smallies prefer a larger bait. On some days super shad raps and 1.5 oz rattle traps are about all they'll hit. You might get a few "bumps" before actually hooking a fish but a bump is better than nothing at all.

Black licorice (anise). Every once in a while a jelly bean (the non-black variety) will still taste like anise and I'll have to spit it out. My sister once used frito corn chips as a "filler" in a meatloaf recipe. It was so bad she gave it to me. It was so bad even I couldn't eat it. That's saying something.

You'd think after such a long span of time mankind would've found a fool-proof way of dealing with the inevitable-for our loved ones and ourselves. But it seems the irresistable pull of the tide hasn't gotten much easier to witness or experience. And yes, it does feel helpless and desperate. My mom is approaching the end of her life and while I can't say I've ever been as close to her as some of my siblings, it tugs at my heart to see her gradual decline. She had a stroke about 5 years ago and had, we thought, one foot in the grave, but she made a remarkable comeback (comparatively speaking, anyway) so she (and we) were all given another chance. If I had to guess, your mom knew how you feel about her before she "checked out." That's about the best any of us can ask for, I think. My prayers and wishes go out to you and yours.

I really don't know if I would continue to fish IF all the fisheries went down the toilet and catching an actual fish was a rare thing. That's partly why I stopped hunting pheasants around here-that and dropping a bird now feels something akin to genocide. But fishing is a prime example of partial reinforcement-meaning: by catching SOME of the time, it strongly reinforces that behavior. The same thing could be said of buying fishing tackle-and especially baits. We buy something-it works part of the time, stimulates the pleasure centers of our pea brains- so we continue buying more things. We're always looking for the magic bullet.

I guess it partly depends on his attitude toward other people and other things. I wouldn't lend an old beat up Zebco 202 to some ADULTS-let alone teenagers but for others I'd be considerably more generous. I guess to me there are two considerations: First, would he take care of it? Second, would he actually use it? But IMHO, young people don't need the best of the best right away-for the issues I listed above AND because most young people generally don't value good things if they're just handed them. Or, perhaps more charitably spoken, they appreciate things a lot more if there is some deferred gratification. My advice: lend him some hand-me-down items and see how he treats it.

did you hear that ornithologists discovered a new species of bird. It has a peculiar habit of flying over people and spitting on them. Naturally, they named it a Hawk Ptooey.

I'll buy a pair-right after I grow a mullet.

I wish I could get my hands on a trebuchet!!!

That's just cruel! ; )

I'm convinced that about 50% of the time it's true.

Good question. Bass can be almost as unpredictable as women. I fish two neighborhood retention ponds which are nearly a stones throw away from one another (well, maybe a major leaguers throw). And being dug in about the same fashion with similar depths, you'd think they'd have similar personalities. Yet one has a pretty predictable buzz bait bite while rarely will I catch a bass that way from the other.

It depends on the lake and the conditions. I've had days (usually after a cold front) where even on a good lake the fish are few and far between. And there have been days where every bass in the lake wants to jump in my boat. One or two fish in a hard day of fishing is pretty disappointing but I remember in my earlier days-especially from the bank-when that wasn't at all uncommon. You needn't discard the crank baits. There is definitely a time (and place) for those. Lipless crankbaits are especially good in the pre-spawn period. But soft plastics will expand your repertoire and, if you are fishing too fast, perhaps slow you down. It's difficult to know what kind of advice to give since I don't know the lake and I've never witnessed your approach. But I'll say this: Bass like to be near cover and they like vegetation. Concentrate on the EDGES of vegetation and I'll bank on your catches increasing considerably. HANG IN THERE!!!

My suggestion: Buy EVERYTHING you want now 'cause after you're married (and especially after you have children) you won't get to. Actually, forget what I just said. After these two events you won't have time to go fishing so just go buy a rope. You'll know what for after a few years.

with fava beans and a nice Chianti.

Interesting. This bass can't quite seem to decide if it's a Largemouth or a smallie.

Thank you. : )

I googled "muskellunge poem and found nothing under that title specifically. But there was a website which asked, "What rhymes with Muskellunge?" That was pretty funny. If you like nostalgic reading, I suggest "Rascal-a memoir of a better era". It's a childrens book (sort of) but some of his descriptions-especially when he (the author) and his dad go out into the night to listen to a whipporwill-are almost magical.

I have not read every conribution so I apologize if it's already been mentioned however...(ahem)...mary jane does not grow on a tree. So I must give pause to wonder what exactly it was you WERE inhaling. Spanish moss, maybe?

Before you spend the day freezing your keester off in a cold rain because you forgot your rain parka, check under the boat deck.

It would be near sacrilege if I responded to what I didn't like about fishing but not to what I did like. HOWEVER, It is impossilble to identify only ONE thing so I'll cheat and name several things: I like the call of mourning doves and the chirp of red-winged blackbirds scolding me from a nearby tree. I like the croak of bullfrogs and the shrill call of toads yearning for a mate. i like watching damsel and dragon flies light on a bullrush reed. I like the lap of waves against the shore or the boat. I like the subtle slurp and the violent crash of a bass engulfing a topwater. I like the tap tap of a bass eating a plastic worm. I like the sudden jar of a bass clobbering a spinnerbait. I like dropping a worm off a lilly pad or floating mass of weeds and watch the line move suddently to one side, I like how a smallmouth will nearly always splash you as it's being released (it's final defiant gesture). I like the anticipation of a day on the lake or river. I like resting on a log and watching the wind blow the trees around. I like writing in my journal summarizing the days events. I could go on and on....