clipper

Put all your credit cards in your safe deposit box or better yet cut them up, give your check book to your wife for safe keeping, and have her give you enough cash each morning to get you through the day. Or, you could just quit going into the tackle shop. You could also start saving for the reel and buy it when you get enough to pay cash .

I retired last April expecting to fish and hunt anytime I wanted. My mother then lost her income so I am working again to help her with bills. I do enjoy working, but it would be nice to go fishing. My son took two of his nephews last weekend and caught 14 in about 4 hours. That made it even worse.

Do it! Give that 'ole girl another chance at glory! I will post a pic when I get the 300 ready to go. It may be awhile as my backlog of work is pretty big right now. The Supreme will have to sit on the shelf as it is missing the cap on the end of the level wind shaft.

I'm lovin' every post in this thread and having a great time reminiscing. I may have to clean up one of those Mitchell 300s and take it fishing.

I still have a couple of my old Mitchell 300 spinning reels and a Pflueger Supreme casting reel that we used in the fifties and sixties. I remember with fondness the vacations where we stayed in the cabins at Ormond's Jungle Den on the St. Johns River. I was sickly so my dad would put me in the front of the boat under a raincoat to keep the wind off me and we would run to the jetties in Lake George or down to Lake Dexter. We fished 8"-10" shiners under a hyacynth cork next to hyacynth mats. You had to let the fish run until he stopped, and then when he started off again you set the hook hard. I caught my first 8lb bass like that. We had to dry our braided line when we got home to keep it from rotting. If you wanted to troll, someone had to man the oars, quitely. I also enjoyed catching the schooling bass on Dalton Specials with a Marm fly trailer or on a Woble-rite spoon. In the mid-sixties, my dad met the guys who invented Fliptail lures and we went to plastics and spinning gear. Our favorite rig was a Big Daddy Flip Tail (8" long) on a split shot rig, weedless hook, and mono line. I remember spending an entire week at Lake Lanier without having a single boat come into our bay from Monday morning to Friday at noon. The thrill of fighting a fish back then was no different than it is now. That's what it has always been about ... that, and fishing with a good fishing buddy.

If I am interpreting the results of this study correctly, it indicates that killing and eating bass from a fishery will eventually make the fish in that fishery harder to catch. If "catchability" and aggression are related it could also mean the average fish size will become smaller due to the less aggressive bass getting less to eat. My last assumption would, of course, be affected by the availability of forage species in the fishery. Now that they have determined that "chatchability" is genetic, I would like to see another study done on two ponds with identical forage levels. Pond "A" would be managed as a "kill and eat" fishery maintaining a healthy population of bass. Pond "B" would be strictly "catch and release" but the population would be managed at the same level as Pond "A" by electrofishing. The "catchabillity" levels of both ponds would be monitored and recorded for several years.

Try fishing with live bait once or twice if it is permissible just to see if there are still fish in the pond.

I'm in. I know I won't win on a largemouth from Georgia seeing the state record is also the world record, but I might get lucky and catch a big spot.

Write down your wife's honeydo list, knock it out, check it off and keep it on the frig until ice-out. When she complains about you going fishing next spring, point to the completed honeydo list. Give Blood Volunteer at a homeless shelter Take your kids ice skating Cook breakfast next Saturday morning before your wife gets up Take down the Christmas tree(mine is still up) Take the dog to the vet since his shots are 9 months overdue Clean up the basement or garage... Time goes by faster when you are busy

Have him do his practice fishing with light weight spinning gear and 4 lb test line. He will get in the habit of sweeping the hook. Knowing he has 4 lb line will help him remember to be gentle. Light guage extremely sharp hooks and soft plastic are necessary with this light tackle.

Have him do his practice fishing with light weight spinning gear and 4 lb test line. He will get in the habit of sweeping the hook. Knowing he has 4 lb line will help him remember to be gentle. Light guage extremely sharp hooks and soft plastic are necessary with this light tackle.

Have him do his practice fishing with light weight spinning gear and 4 lb test line. He will get in the habit of sweeping the hook. Knowing he has 4 lb line will help him remember to be gentle. Light guage extremely sharp hooks and soft plastic are necessary with this light tackle.

So who really gets hooked, us or the fish?

So who really gets hooked, us or the fish?

So who really gets hooked, us or the fish?

You can add them to the site yourself if you want. It might help someone else avoid motor damage.

Listed below is a link to a website that lists service stations selling ethanol free gas. It is a wewbsite that does not advertise or collect revenue, just a guy who wants to help boaters find ethanol free gas. I know that three of the locations listed, one of which is in my home town of Cartersville , do sell ethanol free gas. Anyone can add a location if they know of a station that isn't listed. If your outboard doesn't like gas with ethanol take a look at it. Ethanol is also bad for ATVs and lawn equipment. The link is set for the state of Georgia but you can click on your state in a menu bar at the top of the page. http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=GA

I finally got to take the Pinnacle Perfecta cranking rod fishing today. My wife broke her shoulder Saturday and is waiting on surgery, so I figured if I was going to go fishing it better be this morning. I mounted a 5:2:1 low profile reel spooled with 12 lb flourocarbon line and tied on a Rapala DT 10. I fished this lure on specific bottom types so I could get an idea of the sensitivity of the rod. I first pulled it through a downed tree top to get the feel as it came over limbs. I could tell when it pulled over a limb, and I could also tell when it got hung on a limb (lol). It was very easy to tell the difference between a limb and a rock. I could tell the difference between soft bottom and hard clay and I could tell the difference between hard clay and gravel. I could also tell the difference between gravel and larger rocks as hitting a rock transmitted a distinctive sharp vibration. I could also feel the wobble of the bait as it pulled through the water before it reached bottom and I could tell when it picked up a wad of pine needles or a strand of weed. I did all of this in shallow water so I could actually see the bottom structure I was feeling through the rod. I tied on a 1/2 oz lipless Norman crankbait and made several casts with it. I could pick up the vibration of the lure very well, even in the butt section that was laid against my forearm. I had expected to get most of the feel of the lure through the cut-out under the reel seat, but it seemed to me that the entire rod and reel assembly was transmitting the feel as a unit to my hand, not just the finger I had on the cut out. The rod handled both of the lures I used today very well and I was able to make accurate casts as well as long casts. It is a pleasure to cast due to its light weight and good balance. I was not able to catch a fish on it today and had to resort to a Senko to keep from getting skunked, therefore I can't report on its fish handling ability right now. In my opinion, this is a well made, quality rod that would serve the weekend or tournament angler well and is comparable in quality to much more expensive rods. It has earned a place in my rod locker and will replace the crankbait rod I am now using. I would like to thank Pinnacle for conducting this Sneak Peak Rod Giveaway and giving me the opportunity to own this fine rod.

The pictures above are exactly like the rod I have. Same guides, same reel seat, same split grip, same hook keeper. I assumed that since they had been posted once there was no need to post them again. I got to fish with the rod today for about 20 minutes until my wife called needing to go to the emergency room. She fell at a yard sale buying me a wheelbarrow and injured a previously broken shoulder. We should know how serious the injury is next Tuesday. The rod handled a DD22 crankbait very well and is a pleasure to fish with due to its balance and being so light. I made several one handed casts with this heavy bait with no problem. I hope to get out next week and spend some time evaluating the sensitivity on different bottom types and also use some lighter lures as well. I would also like to see how it manages ripping lipless crankbaits out of grass, but I will have to go somewhere besides Allatoona to do that. I will report back the next time I get on the lake again.

I received my Pinnacle DHC5-781CAMHCB crank bait rod last week but have not been able to get it to the lake yet, so I will do a dry-land review for now and post a performance review as soon as I can get to the lake. The rod is labeled Cranking on the butt end. It is 7'-8, medium heavy action with moderate taper. Line weight is rated at 14-20 lb and lure weight at 3/8 - 1 oz. The rod has a Fuji ACS split grip reel seat with cut out for finger placement on the blank. The cork appears to be good quality. The balance point with a low-profile reel mounted is about 1.5 in front of the point where the blank enters the reel seat. The guides are small which I like and the wrapping is uniform and neat. The overall workmanship of the rod appears to be superior. It also has a lure keeper which I think is a must have for a quality rod. I was very pleased with the weight of the rod as it is super light. It feels about the same weight as a 7'-0 finesse spinning rod I have which I really like. It also seems to be very sensitive. I haven't actually fished with it yet but I can feel when a practice plug crosses from carpet to wood flooring. Not only are the vibrations transmitted through the cut-out on the reel seat, but you can feel them in the reel as well. I casted 3/8, ½, and 1 oz weights in the yard and the rod handled each weight very well. I got good distance with all and was able to get the feel of the rod in just a few casts. Due to its light weight and good balance, I don't think I will be nearly as tired after a day of cranking. I will continue the review after actually fishing with the rod.

From the looks of those rocks, I would say they were put there by a fisherman so he could catch a bedded bass .

I couldn't decide whether to give this post the above title or call it "5lb-11oz on 4 lb Test Line". Anyway, it was almost a perfect trip. I had a wonderful time and realized a fishing goal I have had for several years. To celebrate my recent retirement I spent Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of last week at Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center near Madison, Georgia camping and fishing. The state DNR has 3 good size lakes there and 10 or 15 small to medium size ponds that are managed for bass, bream, crappie, and catfish. I timed my trip to coincide with the bass spawn in hopes of catching a bass over 5 pounds on 4 pound test line. I set this goal several years ago after reading an article in Bassmaster Magazine by Ray Scott about light tackle fishing. I purchased one of the light tackle rods Ray had designed as well as a large spool reel made by US Tackle specifically for this type of fishing. Up to this date, my best bass on this rig with 4 lb test was the fish in my avatar that weighed 4 lb -10 oz which I caught 2 years ago on Upper Raleigh at Charlie Elliot. I got there early Wednesday morning, set up camp and headed for Upper and Lower Raleigh lakes with the intention of finding large fish on the bed to target. I walked the banks of both lakes and found only some small buck bass that were starting beds. I then walked over to Dairy Pond and found some larger males that looked to be in the 2.5 - 3.5 lb range. I managed to get one of the small males on Lower Raleigh to bite just to break the ice, but spent most of the morning and half the afternoon looking for big fish. I did spot a couple of very large bass that afternoon in Lower Raleigh that were cruising a grass line, but not relating to any specific spot. That afternoon I went to Bennett Lake in hopes of catching some pre-spawn fish as that is one of the larger lakes that warms up slower than the smaller ponds. The water was stained there and had already warmed up to near 70 degrees in spite of the cold weather we had earlier in the week. I managed to catch a couple of 12" bass where two ditches entered the lake. I returned to camp and had the entire primitive campsite to myself until Friday evening when I packed up and left. I also got to hear turkeys gobble as they flew up to roost that evening on Bennett. Ducks and geese were also present and I listened to their calls all three days. I went to bed exhausted and happy. Thursday, I put my boat in Dairy Pond, crossed to the other side, beached it and walked to Lower Raleigh. I found 2 beds with males and females and on one of them was the two large bass I saw cruising the day before. They appeared to be about 20 or 22 inches long and I decided either would go over 5 lbs. They were relating to a fanned out area and swimming around the area quite actively, however, after spending several hours I had not been unable to get either of them to even notice the white tube I was casting to their bed. The other bedding pair I found close by was not nearly that large so I didn't bother with them at that time. I did catch a small male off the dam that afternoon. I checked almost the entire shoreline of Dairy, Upper, and Lower Raleigh again but only saw males and those two sets of bedding fish. About 4 I put the boat in Fox Lake to check it out. I caught no fish in Fox, but was told at the ramp by another fisherman that he had seen several sets of bedding fish. Friday morning I got to Lower Raleigh right after daybreak and the set of big bass was still there. I had to let the sun get up in order to see them and the bed. I spent the entire day fishing for those fish. The larger fish which I assumed to be the female was more aggressive than the smaller fish which I assumed to be the male, because he would herd her back to the bed if she left and would also stop her if she went for my tube or jig. There was also a small male about 10 long which I managed to catch without a lot of effort. I released him and he went back to the bed but never hit again. I managed to get the large female to pick up my tube once that morning but did not get a good hook set and she spit the lure after being on for about 5 seconds. I decided to fish the other bed to give those two a rest and managed to hook the small male (12") and land him on another rod with heavier line and a white jig. I also checked the dam for bedding fish again but saw none. It turned out I missed a big female that was likely over 5 lbs too because another fisherman found her and spent all afternoon trying to catch her. About 4 pm I managed to get the female to pick up my tube again and swept the rod back. I got a good hook set, and started to play her. I had previously set my drag using the bow of the rod and thought I had it set properly. It turned out I didn't because she jumped clear of the water and when she went back in the line broke. She looked absolutely huge! I doubt I could have landed her anyway because the line was frayed above the break, telling me she had the whole hook in her mouth. Four pound test won't stand up to the abrasion from a bass' teeth. I was devastated and sat down on a log to mourn. I thought about quitting and going home but decided to stick it out until dark. The sun dropped behind the trees making it difficult to see and I had to move closer to even see the fish and guess where the bed was. I kept fishing and for some reason, the large male who had only shown interest in my tube once during the day decided to pick it up and I swept the rod again and hooked him. This time I back-reeled instead of relying on the drag and managed to follow him up and down the bank walking in the shallow water. I also loosened the drag on my reel after the hook set in case he made a sudden lunge. I probably played him for 3 or 4 minutes and then led him into the shallows and lipped him. When I lipped him I thought he would weigh 7 lbs, but my scale showed 5-11. Ecstatic, I put him on a stringer to keep him alive while I got my camera. I turned it on and nothing happened! I could have sworn I put freshly charged batteries in before leaving home and did not have any more with me (I later found two in my pack when I got home). So, I don't have a picture to preserve my memory of this remarkable fishing experience. I released the fish and he swam back to the bed. I packed up and got back to camp just before dark, ate supper, broke camp and headed home, tired but happy. I had spent the entire day from sunup to sundown fishing for two fish and finally landed one of them. The female that broke off was a couple of inches longer than the male I caught. Both of them were beautiful fish with light green sides and distinctive marks on their sides. Their backs looked quite large in the water and they even came up and looked at me once right after the sun went behind the trees. Definitely an experience I will never forget. My next challenge will be to kill my first turkey and then I will work on catching a bass over 7 lbs on my 4 lb test certified Ande Green Tournament line. I appreciate Ray Scott promoting light tackle fishing and getting me to take up this challenging aspect of bass fishing. I hope the post wasn't too long, but I wanted to tell the whole story. Thanks for letting me share it with you.

I got a hand made 5'-6" fiberglass rod at a flea market yesterday for $15.00. It has a good grip, good guides, and good wrapping. I can't wait to see how it performs. No markings on the rod whatever. I also bought a like new Quantum KVD Tour Edition TE1170PT for $90.00. The reel has no indication of any kind of use, inside or out. I checked ebay and discovered I had paid the going price for it in used condition, but that still beats retail. That is my first reel that goes for over $200.00 retail and I can tell the difference just in pitching with it in the living room. I worry about buying used stuff at flea markets because I don't want to be fishing with equipment that was stolen from another fisherman. I bought this from a guy who had nothing but fishing gear so I felt pretty confident he got it legally. He said he bought it in a bulk lot from a guy in Florida.

Thanks, I finally got it broke free. It was just real tight and took a lot of pressure to move it. The reel is clean as a pin inside, like it has never been used. I tried pitching in the living room tonight and it is a joy to use. Can't wait to get it on the lake next week.

I bought a used Quantum Tour Edition TE1170PT baitcast reel today and so far have been unable to get the sideplate off to see if it needs cleaning. The slide bar that is supposed to release the side plate slides back easily, but I cannot get the side plate to rotate. The reel appears to be very clean on the outside and shows no indication of wear anywhere on the reel. This is my first Quantum so I may not be doing something right. Any advice would be appreciated.