FishTank

I have had several spincast reels over the years and have caught a lot of bass with them but I have never had so much fun and caught so many fish until I switched to a baitcaster.

12lb Invisx

DSG's are funny with their sales and clearance. Some stores will have extra 50% off clearance others 25% and maybe another will have nothing. Regular and sale prices sometimes vary from store to store in my area.

I hike. I went today and it was nice 40 degrees outside. Not bad for Indiana in January. Heading back out tomorrow for about 5-10 miles. It should be 30 degrees and snow. Perfect weather....

I saw this post earlier. It looked so good, I made a run to City Barbeque. I drooled all the way there. Good stuff.....

I just finished my taxes. One way to put it, there is no joy in doing these anymore. It has become pretty cut and dry. I need a beer.....

Growing up my dad use to talk about the "Fishing ***". It did everything from make the boat blow across the lake to make the fish disappear and some days he told me it said to stay home. For him and a few other fisherman of his day, it was as real as anything.

Aurora Black has worked great for me but all of the ones mentioned above are awesome.

Icebreaker Oasis 200 shirt with a pullover from Marmot and if it's cold and raining I have a Marmot soft shell jacket that keeps me warm and dry. For pants, I use a pair of flannel jeans. If its wet outside and cold, I use a pair of Gore Tex Pants with some long underwear. Smartwool socks are a must. I also love my Asolo Power Matic boots. This combo has never failed.

I have a pair from Scott. They don't make them any more but they are padded/insulated in some areas and thin in others with a Gore Tex liner. There warm and they keep my hands dry. They are a little big though.

My eyes.... My eyes..... That was not I expected when I opened this thread up.....

For me here in Indiana, I like going to some of the reservoirs and damns. They have the warmest water on the north ends closest to damns. Raccoon lake is usually pretty good around here.

The southern states are the best fishing I have experienced. TN is awesome for small mouth and Florida has all kinds of lakes loaded with large mouth.

Sure, at local golf course even though they were closed for good. I get it but everybody fishes it. A pond on a coal mines property. This one was kind of an accident but it took two policemen and about 10 security guards to ask me to leave, which I did gladly. I did however catch about 10 5lb+ large mouths before hand. Awesome day of fishing. The one that irritates me though... I fish and hike at local park all the time. It's kind of a nice honey hole. The land and water are owned by the city and the pond is on the DNR's list of family friendly fishing spots but a few people that live nearby think they own it, literally. They have tried to chase people by banging pots and pans and yelling on blow horns. I think the local park management has finally settled them down but they continue to be a nuisance. They just ask people to leave. I just blow them off but treat them politely.

Why can't every fish I catch be a small mouth? There are just not enough reproducing in my area.

I got a 1/2 oz flipping weight with a beaver on it, caught in some junk on the surface. I was using 17lb FC and just like a rubberband, it snapped back at my like a rocket when it came loose. The tungsten weight shattered my sunglasses but it luckily did not damage my eye. All I had was a bruise and a scratch. If Ike lost a tooth though, I think it would only look natural.

It should be a good game. I always watch the Super Bowl no matter who is playing. I think we are having our usual Taco Bar.

Seaguar Invisx and Trilene 100% FC are my favorites. Red Label is also not bad for the money. I just bought some Tatsu but I have not used it yet. We'll see if it beats out my other go to lines.

I recently picked up a ML Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye rod 7'2". I have only fished it once (got skunked and frozen) and I think it would work great for finesse fishing. I picked it up at Gander Mountain for $80, normally $150. It's stiff at the butt of the rod and tapers to a lighter, softer tip.

The Avid series are awesome rods for the money. They are the right balance of all things that I look for in a rod; sensitivity, power, and durability. The Avid X though, I have no idea.

I like the Chronarch 51e and the Core 101 MG for pitching. Both spools start up about the same with 51e casting a little bit further.

The Shimano Citica would be my suggestion. It is an easy to use, setup and get the job done type of reel.

I picked some new duds to fish in. I got a shirt from howler brothers and a pair of kuhl convertible pants. I tried them on and my wife said I don't dress this nice when we go out to dinner, the fish we be impressed. I got new boots on the way too. She's going to put me on the couch. I guess you also have to dress the bait monkey well.

Just keep it simple, save some money up each week and buy one set up a year, a really good set up. You will spend more time fishing than drooling over new tackle and maybe even save a few bucks.

Good luck. My wife has been teaching for 20 years. Be prepared for your summers off with training and more schooling, followed by 60 hour work weeks through the school year. All in all though, it is very rewarding. And your snow days will be filled with grading and prep. Just remember cheese-its and beer are the official snack of grading.