Alpster

This is comming from a guy who grew up in the South and HATES cold weather. Next time , when you have to break the ice with a hammer to get the boat in the water, that's a sign of trouble. LOL Just kidding! Glad you didn't lose anything more than time. Ronnie

Congratulations on the new rig! You will have agreat time. Don't underestimate where you can go with it. Once the new wears off and you have a few good scratches on the hull, it will be surprising what you can get into. I have a 16' aluminum hull and I go almost anywhere I want. Some guys I fish with get nervous because I never use the anchor, I just get it stuck in the timber, fish the area real well and break it loose to find another spot. HeHe Have Fun! Ronnie

Promax, Welcome to the forum. I have fished a few Garcias and have a couple now, but to answer your question, I fish mostly with Shimanos. You'll get a lot of diverse answers, there are a bunch of good fishermen here. ENJOY! Ronnie

If you guys are haulin hawgs out of that hole, I don't see a problem with me & the mooks fishing while you fellows take a break,relax and have cigar and a cool drink. You can count on it, under those circumstances. Ronnie

Avid, Glad to see that Diawa didn't give you any trouble. Nice fish and good pics, thanks for posting them. Ronnie

Try releasing your thumb earlier in the cast (about noon or 1 o'clock). It sounds like you are holding on a little too long. I always think of an overhead cast as a lob, rather than a line drive. I hope this helps. Ronnie

OK Mike, I located your spot on the Fork map. Here's my assesment of your fishing location. Remember, I have never been to this lake and we can only speculate, based on a map (don't forget this just winter fun). So here it is. You are certainly not full of funny little acii characters. The spot you picked could easily hold a boat full of fish. You are right on about the quick access to deep water and the Northern location. You mentioned protection from the wind. The treeline (I assume that's what you meant) might be good, but it appears to be in about 13' of water. This leads me to think it is flooded, dead timber which is great cover, but not much of a wind break. I had actually picked a spot very close to yours. A little farther South and East. There are 3 huge points between Penninsula road and Split Creek where the 13' contour line is much further from the bank, indicating a shallower, flatter area for spawning. My guess is, if staging or bedding is on, these flatter points have access not only to deeper water as you pointed out, but also access to the two creek channels. I guess the only difference in my strategy is, I would fish the flatter points, rather than the deeper coves, but I'm not a pro by any means and I will be looking up beyond Wolf Point watching you and when you start hauling them in you will recognize my boat sliding in there to bring you a cold beverage. LOL Ronnie

She's beautifull Robert. I hope you have a ton of fun and 1000 days of safe fishing in her. Amazing Boat!! Ronnie

Susupended in 6' of water calls for a six iron with a 7' G-Loomis MH extra fast shaft, a Shimano clubhead and a Power Pro grip. Everyone knows that. Ronnie

I saw a similar demo at the big tank in the big Springfield, MO store. My guess is those fish were born & raised in that big tank and conditioned to do whatever the handlers want them to. Those bass are hand fed and they don't wonder where their next meal is coming from. I think you were wise to buy the GYCBs. BTW, you can't go into a BPS and spend less than $50, it's a federal law. Ronnie

Hello, my name is Ronnie and I'm a tackleholic........ I just came from Walmart with my daughter. I picked up 4 Mann's -1 s and a spool of Power Pro. I didn't have to have them, it was just really nice, you know what I mean... ;D Ronnie

jfowl32590, Reelmech's advice is solid as usual. I use a 7' heavy fast (Loomis MB844) but I fish 10" & 12" worms in heavy cover. Ronnie

I spoke to Rick at "Ricky's Lake Fork Boat Rental". He only has one boat left for the dates we will be there. Don't wait till the last minute to make arrrangements, you may be out of luck. Just a heads up. Ronnie

The 15lb LM is about it for me! ;D This trip will be a great adventure, even if the Lake dries up. If I didn't know how to have fun without catching a lot of fish, I would have to give up fishing. LOL But if I don't catch a few, it won't be because my line wasn't wet. 8-) Ronnie

Credence Clearwater's "Green River" is a cool fishin tune. All of my music is already ripped to mp3. About 200 cds and every music genre you can imagine (except rap). Hendix to Hee Haww, Stevey Ray to Ray Charles, Classical, Jazz, Country, Folk, tons of rock and roll. Send me a list of the songs you come up with and if I have them I can just email the files. Might save you some hassle. Ronnie

All of the above, digital yes, laptop yes, dvd burnable yes, AIM yes. Ronnie

The "Mooks" & I will be taking my cameras (video & still) out on the lake, so hopefully we can get you some action scenes. It would be pretty cool to get footage of Muddy or Ron rasselin with a hawg, or me getting a 10lber to the boat to watch her spit the lure 6' away. LOL ;D Ronnie

Avid, Congrats on the new reel. Now you know how I felt when I got the Stella. Be sure to tie a good arbor knot, so you don't cast the line and lure completely off the reel. Ronnie

This is one reason I like pork eels and frog trailers. I grew up in South Louisiana, (crawfish capital of the world). Crawfish when they are threatened, adopt a defensive pose with there claws up & open I have seen bass and other fish avoid them. I would be curious to know how Oscar likes leeches or small frogs. Most of the trailers I use resemble these. Ronnie

Can I buy you some breakfast? Seriously, my questions would be simple. What? When? Where? & How? Ronnie

I will have my video camera along for the trip. Ronnie

Use 50lb power pro on the chromarch 50MG, I do and it works great for T-rigged worms. JMHO Ronnie

The IRS! Ronnie

Well, you certainly don't want to miss my 14lb SAL. Besides that I would like to see some candids of the group, eating togeter & fellowshipping. Bloopers are always cool also. That's as creative as I get. ;D Ronnie

The short 'pistol grip' handles are usually found on shorter rods. You must cast them with one hand. I had a 5'6" rod for pitching under overhanging tree limbs, etc. with a pistol grip. Longer rods 6' and over will usually have a longer handle for casting with two hands. The longer handle also helps to balance the rod in your hand, so you don't get tired on a long fishing day. I am sure others will add their opinions, but this is how I see it. Ronnie