Scott F

Is the creek always the color of chocolate milk? If a stream usually runs clear and gets dark after a rain, it usually shuts down the bite until the water clears.

Perfect for cultivating Canada’s newest, now legal, cash crop. ?

If you built your spinners correctly, only the blade will spin, not the entire lure so they won't cause your line to twist any more than any other lure.

This brown trout I caught in Lake Michigan on a Kastmaster spoon

The split rings make it easy to change hooks if one gets too dull or breaks.

Al’s “ New England” accent came from Chicago where he grew up.

Are you sure you’re scale was set to read pounds and not kilos? A 3 kilo fish is 6.6 pounds.

My new Jon boat that I had set up by a custom builder, doesn’t have a live well but I don’t see myself ever fishing a tournament. An empty live well doesn’t weigh much. If you think you might need it in the future, get it now. If you don’t use it now, don’t put water in it.

He said he wants to use a crankbait, not a chatterbait.

Yes it is. Your rod is rated for baits that are heavier than 1/4 oz or weigh less than 3/4 oz.

Because 1/2 oz is between 1/4 and 3/4, it should be just fine. If the bait was less than 1/4 oz or more than 3/4 oz it wouldn’t cast as well.

Do you think your lack of success is because you may not be matching your baits to the right rod and reel set up?

During the winter, even in the house, my feet get cold so I wear slippers a lot. I’ve had my current pair for many years. They are a moccasin style, suede, fur lined, rubber soles from Cabela’s. They’ve changed them a bit, but this current style is close https://www.cabelas.com/product/CLARKS-MN-BROOKFIELD-MOCCASINS/1840502.uts?slotId=1

I’ve never done it. In the 30 years I’ve owned a boat with a live well, I never put a fish in it with the intention of releasing it later.

For you retired guys, and others if it happens to you. Do you dream about being back at the job you retired from? I had lunch with two other retired friends who, like me dream about their old jobs. We all had variations on the same dream. One friend, who used to be a truck driver, dreams he’s driving on a road that becomes a dead end and he can’t turn around. The other guy was a house painter and he dreams he has a huge project that he has only a short time to finish and he has forgotten about the job I dream that I have to repair some equipment that I’m not familiar with and don’t know how to fix. None of us dream about easy days at work, it’s always about things that go wrong. I was curious if this happens to other retirees or others who are still working.

I know people who spend more than that on cigarettes every month.

Some people entertain themselves playing golf on weekends, some go out the movies and dinner a couple of times a week. Some go to the casino. If you have enough money to pay all your bills with some leftover to entertain yourself, and you like to fish, spending the money on a boat isn't the worst thing you can do. No, it isn't an investment that will give you a profitable return. Neither does spending $70 a week on greens fees at your local golf course. I bought my first boat 30 years ago when I was 33 (I still have it). I didn't buy it to use every week, I used it mostly on vacation, making payments on it for 5 years. If I had lost my job and couldn't afford the payments at some point, I'm sure I might have regretted the decision to buy. I never spent money on it I couldn't afford. I'm very happy I bought it. It's given me years and years of pleasure. While there is extra money spent on upkeep, It was never ever close to what my payments were. Don't go crazy, buy a boat you can afford. If you go too cheap, you may not be happy with what you bought and wind up replacing it which is going to coat you even more.

Have you ever been in a Bass Pro Shop? There is more floor space devoted to clothing than everything else combined!

He, and 79 other former BASS and FLW pros are now on the BPT (Major League Fishing) tour.

You know the farmers almanac is just made up right? I’d never bet money on anything that was printed there. But, if it’s on YouTube, it must be accurate. ?

So how cold is cold to you?

The slip float method is good but there is no reason for the swivel. Bobber stop then the slip float and then tie on a ball head jig that is just heavy enough to make the float you are using stand up straight. Put your minnow (or a plastic bait) on the jig. Adjust the bobber stop so the jig is off the bottom. Move the bobber stop up or down until you find the depth the fish are feeding. The beauty of the slip float is that you can reel the float and jig close to the rod tip to make casting easy. There are lots of floats available, using thinner ones that don't require much weight to balance make the set up more sensitive to light bites.

I use them the same way and in the same places I use regular Senkos. Weightless, T rigged.

One thing I haven’t seen talked about in this retirement discussion is health insurance. One you hit 65, Medicare will be a big help. For those who want to retire sooner, or if your spouse won’t be 65, the cost of health insurance alone might keep guys working longer than they were hoping. I was lucky in that part of my pension helps me pay for part of my health insurance but that pension benefit only covered half the cost for my wife and myself. Without the Affordable Care Act, and the subsidy we got, I would not have been able to afford health insurance even with my pension benefit. I know if I’d have been on the hook for the entire cost of my insurance, I could have easily used that money to make the payments on a brand new fully rigged Ranger with cash left over. No one knows how much health insurance will cost in the future, but keep it in mind while doing your planning.

My wife’s cooking should come with the same warning.