Scott F

So they moved from the high school to the convention center. For nearly 20 years I used to work the booth for my fishing club when the Tinley Show was put on by the Tinley Park High School Booster Club. Now that the high school doesn’t run the show, I see the cost to have a booth has risen by 400%. Last time we were there, just before Covid, we paid $75 for the booth at the two day show. It’s now $305 for a 3 day show. It used to be a place for most of the attendees that just wanted cheap fishing tackle, different from those that used to go to Rosemont and lately Schaumburg. Curious to hear how it does at the new location

I had no back benefits due so mine was for only the first month. $6,000 is a lot but compared to the amount you are going to get, it is sure better than getting nothing for the back benefits and all the benefits going forward.

Not that I’m siding in any way with the government, but the amount of Medicare fraud for those claiming disability is staggering. My guess is that reputable lawyers won’t waste their time on cases that don’t qualify because the attorneys don’t get paid if they don’t win. The state recognizes this and possibly believes the lawyers more often because they turn in proper paperwork that has been verified. The people who approve the disability claims are more than likely swamped and won’t spend the time needed to verify claims submitted by individuals that in a lot of cases are fraudulent. They depend on the lawyers to weed out the fakers. I have no information to back up my theory, but it seems like a logical conclusion.

I called a lawyer that advertised on TV. They also said if I was denied, I didn’t have to pay. I answered a few questions over the phone and was approved quickly. It was well worth a few hundred dollars because of how quickly I got approved it paid for itself the first month. You’ve got nothing to lose by going the legal route when they guarantee success or you don’t pay. If they think you will be rejected, they won’t even take you as a client.

What specific lures are you trying to throw? You can fight and land the biggest pike and muskies on heavy bass tackle. A Muskie rod and reel need to be able to handle big, heavy, lures, and lures that put up a lot of resistance. Find a rod suited to the lures you are going to throw.

I’ve had a lot of problems mostly with USPS. I shipped out a package the day after Thanksgiving that was supposed to take 3 days. It took 3 weeks. Meds that I get mailed to me usually take 2 days, took two weeks. My wife had one package that took 5 weeks.

I’ve caught a lot of smallmouth using jerkbaits on straight braid with no leader. For me, stretch in the line absorbs a lot of the action I impart when twitching the bait especially on long casts. If you’ve seen how little the bait actually moves when you jerk the bait when using mono, you’d see what I mean.

I consider myself pretty handy around the house. Minor repairs, plumbing and electrical are no problem. This week, I decided to tackle a project that wasn’t technically difficult, but was probably more physically demanding than my 68 year old, out of shape body was ready for. One feature of the home we purchased 2 and a half years ago that we really liked was the stone faced fireplace. There were two areas, a niche, and a snack bar, that were white shiplap that were less impressive. My project was to cover that shiplap with a stone veneer that match the fireplace. 2 days later, we’ve got what we were looking for along with several very sore muscles. I obviously could have hired someone but finding a competent contractor and waiting for his schedule to accommodate us, when, “I can do this!” took over. It was a lot of work with a few issues along the way, but I think it came out nicely. Before, After,

There is one trick for catching winter river smallmouth. Warm water discharges from sewage treatment plants (it’s the cleanest water in the river) or power generating plants will bring in active fish. They are often very small spots and well worth the effort, IF you can get access.

Last September 1, was our 44th anniversary.

The water isn’t going to warm up much at all. But, the sun will warm up some shallow, usually still water eddies in the afternoon. Knowledge of the river and where the wintering spots are is going to go a long way. Even if you aren’t catching, the more time you spend on the water, the more you’ll learn. The bass will use the same spots year after year.

Assuming you’ve found their wintering area, you need to wait for a sunny day when temperatures are up, and fish the area. If you haven’t found the deeper holes where they will literally stack up during the winter, you won’t have much if any luck. In either case, you need a warming period that might get a few fish active.

When my wife and I were looking for a dog last spring, we went to every animal shelter within 100 miles and couldn’t find a small dog. All were over 40 pounds which doesn’t fit our lifestyle

Unless you have very old rods, braid doesn’t wear down guides. I’ve used nothing but braid for over 20 years and have never seen any wear on rods or reels because of it.

I started using his crawfish bug many years ago after I purchased some from him at an outdoor show in Chicago. I caught fish on them in the river, but they didn’t come through the rocks as easily as Slider Heads do in and I lost them all.

The annual migration of sandhill cranes passes through my area and a local wildlife area is a popular gathering spot. In the next few weeks, as many as 30,000 will be hanging out there. This past week there were around 12,000 there when I visited. There is a viewing platform where you can observe them in the afternoons before they go their nightly roosting area. They spread out on an open field that’s probably over 100 acres. Tough to get a photo that shows a lot of them in one picture, especially when they are a couple hundred yards away. But it’s an amazing sight to see that many huge birds in one place.

I’d still give my customers excellent treatment, but I’d give my company the same effort and loyalty they’ve shown me, which is next to none.

Wow, low and clear water are my favorite conditions on my rivers. Low water pushes them into easily identifiable spots where the water is a bit deeper. Smallmouth are sight feeders for the most part. When the water is clear, your casts don’t have to be right on the fishes nose, they’ll chase baits down from farther away than they will in stained water. Off target casts will get bit more often. They will spook more easily if you aren’t careful and make too much noise.

Keitech swimbait and a Ned rig. No idea what they weighed, both were just shy of 20”

I remember catching smallmouth on a flat fish back when they were still “new school” lures.

If you’ve got Alexa, you asked for your computer to listen to what you’re saying.

Here’s a few from a couple of my favorite rivers.

I’ve been using a Norelco for 50 years. I’ve had a beard for a lot of that time, so it’s mostly for trimming and the neck. It might not be the closest possible shave you can get, but it’s cheaper than the disposables by a long shot.

With a bad back, I have to sit most of the time as well. Without replacing the cable steer motor to a flat, electric steer motor, I don’t think there is any other good option for you

If a guide is worth anything, he’s going to teach you things that will help you figure it out when you are on your own. You should learn how to fish the spots and the best way to present the lures you’re using. If you are a shore angler, you’ll get to spots you never have a chance to see. You may not have a great day catching a lot of fish, but that’s fishing.