Jolly Green

That's not a phase, that's five years of parenting that doesn't line up with your own parenting philosophy. The reality is that even in the case of your own kids you only have so much control over how they behave or how they turn out, no matter how diligently you teach and discipline them. People can certainly change, but that's a lot of change that everyone involved will have to make, and in the end what you yourself contribute to that process may not matter a lick. Take the enormous challenge of bridging the gulf between your respective parenting styles, the equally daunting challenge of bringing her kid around to accept different expectations and consequences, and add them to the already numerous difficult baseline adjustments that merging families go through, and you've suddenly got a lot to manage, and manage well. But wait! Now add to that her kid's father, his role in the kid's life, his parenting style and influence in general. Oh, and all the various grandparents, too. If you're still thinking, OK, this is worth it to me to pour in 110% and hope for the best, you're brave, but now go look at your kids and ask yourself if it's worth putting them through all that when the possibility that it's going to end badly for all involved is very real and only fractionally within your control to avoid. Personally, I'm out the door already. There are plenty of women out there whose parenting styles match your own more closely. While sometimes opposites attract, I'm a firm believer in finding as much agreement as possible because the differences WILL present themselves eventually. Consider yourself lucky that this one came up sooner than later and move on.

A 1/4 oz. ball jig with a 3" grub didn't look like much to me when I first started fishing. Also, for some reason a 3/16 oz. fire tiger Super Spot has been bit by almost everything that swims my local waters, bass or otherwise.

I fish them on braid, usually with a wire leader on account of the abundance of Trap-lovin' pike around here. Minimum of 20 lb. line.

Classic, and spot-on. Somebody should have asked him how bass see color.

Wife: "And which kind is that?" Me: "That's a spinning reel." Wife: "Don't all reels spin?" Me: "Well yeah, but let me show you the difference; now this is the baitcaster, and --" Wife: "Don't they all cast bait? Or is that JUST for bait, not lures? Or is 'lure' the same as 'bait'?" Me: "Yes, no, and sometimes. Here, let's back up and start with the spincast reel--" Wife: "Which spins and casts...?" Me: "Er... yes, but--" Wife: "But they all spin... and cast... right...?" Me: "..." Wife: "You don't know either, do you?" Me: "I know what they're called, it's just tricky to explain..." Wife: "...why there are three different names based on the two things that all three of them do?" Me: "I'm gonna pull up Wikipedia here, gimme a sec." Wife: "Wait, don't you want to ask your buddies on Fishbook?" Me: "IT'S NOT! CALLED! FISHBOOK!!!" [cycle repeats ad infinitum]

No experience with the rods mentioned, but just FYI if you decide in the next couple of days, you can go to Gander Mountain and get $50 off purchases of $250 or more, and another $50 rebate from St. Croix. $150 brand spanking new ain't bad for one of those.

I'm not an expert cranker by any means, but if you're talking about a bait that floats when you stop retrieving it, then I can say that I've never had a bite on a crankbait that was just floating dead up to the surface. So that might be too slow. I'd say as long as you're retrieving the bait fast enough -- even in spurts -- to keep it doing what it is designed to do, and it appeals to the fish, there is a lot of room to vary your speed.

Not that some good effort hasn't been put forth here, but so far a simple Bill Dance "dadgummit" is still funnier to me.

Agreed... but if you buy a $1000 jig setup on sale for $750, and you tell your wife you spent $750 on it, don't you then at least mention the $250 you did not spend?

1/2 oz. Cotton Cordell Super Spots cast as well as any 1/2 oz. lipless crank but they don't sink very fast compared to Rat-L-Traps, Red Eye Shad, etc. of the same weight, so you can stall them for a second or two on the retrieve without immediately diving into the salad. They are only $3, nice for bank fishing situations where you're unsure about the likelihood of getting your bait back. I would sharpen or change out the stock hooks, though.

Get a cheap soldering iron and ventilate them however you want.

Can anybody make out that word that Brady keeps yelling? Not mic'd up for some reason.

That was Superbowl XXIII, and that was actually an awful finish, if you happened to be a kid growing up in Cincinnati who dared to dream the impossible dream. Plus, I'm still haunted by the vision of Tim Krumrie's broken lower leg flopping around in slow-motion. Terrible game.

Congratulations!

Sadly I had no time to find out for myself, maybe next time.

Nice catch! I was in Jacksonville for work training a couple years ago; ate at Clark's Fish Camp which is next to a creek off the St. John's river and saw a bunch of those. "Are those pike?" I naively inquired. Strange looks from the natives.

No way. I did once unknowingly take a few casts with a small inline spinner into what I realized on my way out was an officially designated trout stream. Had my license, did not have a trout stamp, but fortunately nobody in authority was around to be entertained by my weak excuses. 'Twas my first season fishing, and the only proof I had that I was fishing for bass was that my laughably awful Shakespeare combo actually said "BASS" on the rod.

x2

She'll live. Bengals fans are plenty used to disappointment.

^^^ Yup. I was going to say it's like asking what is the best knife to bring to a gunfight. Pretty much anything else you can use for a leader will be more cut-resistant than straight braid, even heavy braid.

I did a little dance too when I finally caught my first jig fish. In fact, I probably did... a jig. Congrats!

Love it when a plan comes together...

I think it depends on the tackle, the cover, the depth, the distance between you and the fish, and whatever feedback you're getting from the fish... so, basically everything that's going on. I've only really learned to key in on a particular variable from making mistakes. I remember very clearly the first time a fish jumped with the aid of my rod which I had jacked up to 11:30 directly in front of me and lost the fish. Soon after I had the opportunity to very clearly remember the first time I thought I had a fish outsmarted by dropping the tip in the water right after the hookset, only to have him wrap me up and break loose because I had failed to put adequate distance between the fish and the cover before dropping the tip. When things like this happen, I cuss and spit and do my best to assimilate the lesson into my technique. In general, I try to keep a bend in the rod, and continue to look for and break down those small individual experiences that will hopefully one day transcend conscious thought and become sound instinct. Seems to me you're in the right head-space to learn what works and why, so have have fun exploring the ins and outs of mono and a moderate action rod; over-analyze away and enjoy it.

Now that I have a boat I'll be able to fish in more jig-friendly water, so jigs are at the top of the list for next year, followed closely by crankbaits that aren't shallow runners. I will also be able to target smallies, which I'm really looking forward to. Probably chase some muskies too, which I hear can be a great way to catch bass. Also excited to start getting to know my electronics and how to use them effectively. What about you, Squirmin? What have you had laying around for three years that you haven't tried? I don't understand that; when I buy a new lure I'm opening it on my way out of the store and it's tied on before I even get home! lol