Mobasser

I rarely if ever make a long cast. I do best with shorter more accurate casting.

Hello Steve and welcome from Missouri.

A-Jay, I have three dogs at home. Two terriers and one dachshund. Each morning, I get up at 5 :00 and let them out to go to the bathroom. They come in pretty quickly, especially when it's cold. When they come in, they all three line up and sit there, in front of the cabinet where we keep they're dog treats, and, I'll give them a small treat. After doing this so many times, they know the routine. Go out, bathroom, come back in- treat. It's the morning routine at our house. They're smart dogs.

My old friend Mike lives alone in a nice senior apartment complex not far from me. He was talking about getting a dog for quite a while as a companion. I kept telling him it was a great idea. Three months ago, he adopted a terrier named Tuffy. It was obvious that Tuffy had been mistreated. He cowered whenever you tried to pet him, and spent his first month laying around not doing much. Now, two months later Tuffy is a new man. He greets everyone with a wagging tail, and, a happy disposition. He's a great companion for Mike. I asked Mike what he did to get Tuffy to change? His response was, " I was kind to him. I spoke to him in a low voice, gave him plenty of attention, petted him, and gave him good food and a treat here and there.". It's a fact, and it's what my grandpa taught me as a kid. Always be kind to your dogs. They'll respond to this kind treatment with a trust and loyalty that is second to none. I'm happy to report that Mike has found a great companion, and Tuffy loves his new home. The old lesson has proven to be correct again. You were right grampa. Always be kind to your dogs.

My wife and I have signed up with a new Medicare plan through Aetna. It seems like a good plan for us. Many of the benefits are similar to our old plan as far as dental, optical, and prescriptions etc. They encourage older folks to get outside and exercise. Fishing, camping, hiking and walking are all considered healthy outdoor activities. The best part is they reimburse up to 1200 dollars per year for fishing rods, camping gear, and athletic shoes etc. I don't really need another fishing rod, but if they're going to pay for it, why not? I can see a new rod in the coming year. I'm glad people realize that fishing is a healthy thing to do for anyone, young or old. Good for the body, and good for the mind. For this 66 year old fisherman, I think this new plan will work out very well.

This sounds like a great idea. I nominate you for being the top man on the history of our sport, as well as other topics also. Good stuff.

I've been a member of BR for six years now. And I love it. One of the best things about BR is the learning experience here. When I joined, I'd already been bass fishing for twenty five years or more. In the six years I've been a member here, I've learned all sorts of things, and my fishing has improved as a result. What I've realized is that no matter how long you fish, you can always learn things. I appreciate all the helpful tips, advice, and discussion I've had here on BR. There's some really good sticks on this site, and, it pays to listen to what they have to say. How about you guys? What are some things you've learned since you joined BR.

These heads look good Catt. It seems that grubs have gone out of style for a lot of guys these days? They can be a very good cold water bait. The best part about t rigging a grub is, it allows you to fish it deeper near or on the bottom with a really slow retrieve. The Zoom Fat Albert is a good one, but standard straight tail grubs work good at times also. I've done best by keeping the retrieve very slow.

Larry Nixon has been one of my favourite guys forever. Good info here Catt, and, Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all the BR members here. Hoping everyone has a great holiday.

One of my best colder water baits is a 4" plastic worm, threaded onto a ball head jig. Mostly a Roboworm or a Zoom finesse worm. When Z Man first introduced they're Ned Rig head, I thought this was a great design, with the wire keeper on the hook shank. I'm not much of a Ned Rig fisherman, and prefer a ball head jig. The best keepers I've found so far are made by Eagle Claw. These have two barbs, upper and lower on the hook shank. They seem to hold a worm in place for a good time, and also have a sickle hook. With other heads, I've tried glue with mixed results. I've used Lok Tite gel, and the small tubes of Super Glue. The small tubes of Super Glue gel dry up after one use. In my last thread on jig worm fishing, WRB mentioned that he used to put ball head jigs in a vice, and flatten them slightly, making them an aspirin shaped head. This aspirin head was made famous by small mouth expert Billy Westmoreland years ago, and known as the Hoss Fly jig, tied with bear hair and later craft hair. I plan on making some aspirin heads for jig worm fishing also. Another good tip from WRB. My question is what jig heads have you had good luck with, without using glue? And secondly, if I do end up having to use glue, what's the best glue you've tried for attaching soft plastic baits to a jig head?

I use some blade baits, tailspinners, small plastic worm, plastic grub.

Work your last day as if it were your first.

This company is located in Missouri. Originally, they're reels were made in Missouri. Now, they're in China. My grandson brought over a new Ardent Finesse spinning reel he just bought to show me this weekend. Size 200, eight bearings. This seems like a nice reel in the 50.00 range. He hasn't had a chance to try it yet, but will give me his report soon. If you own one and have fished it enough to form an opinion, has it worked out well? What's the consensus on Ardent reels?

I would take a few weight sizes if you can. Maybe 1/8 up to 3/8 oz. You can never know exactly what you might need until you get there. Good luck!

Some reels perform great for the cost.And, with routine maintenance they last much longer than expected. Here's a few budget reels that have worked out great over the years. 1.Casting. Lews LFS Speed Spool. 2. Quantum Tour Grade. 3. Any Swedish made ABU. Mine are 4600c. Spinning. 1. Shimano Sienna. 2. Okuma Avenger. 3. Lews G Spin. 4. Shimano Sahara. I'm sure there are other reels which offer a great value for the dollar. These are some I've used with good results. P.S. the little Okuma Avenger was a standout. Bought it at Wal Mart to originally take on a trout trip, as a spare reel. It lasted eight years of steady use on bass, crappie and trout. Smooth as glass the entire time. I think I paid 22.95 for it. What are some reels you've used that have been very good for the cost?

I have a large tackle box at home full of all sorts of bass lures. Every type and color. I used to think I needed to learn all these different baits. Some of them worked for me, but many didn't work, and got put into this big box. Now, I probably fish four different things, and, can cover the water column from top to bottom. I won't waste money on hot new things. I will spend money on sacks of plastic worms, because IMO the plastic worm rules, and is the best bait overall.

I'm not a master but have fished jigging spoons years ago. We used Hopkins spoons, I think they were 1/2 oz. Find shad schools over some structure, drop the spoon down,and jig it vertically. Snap it up and be ready for a hit on the fall.

I use some #3 and 4 Mepps Aglias. I've clipped off one hook on some of the trebles to make them snag less. I don't think there's any advantage or disadvantage in the treble hooks on these in lines or other treble hooks baits. If they're sharp - they're good to go.

We've been lucky so far. We had some much needed rain, and day temps in the upper fifties. Next week, supposed to be in the mid sixties for day temps. I'm waiting for it to change...

I'm using a Baby Brush Hog in junebug color.

I would say buy a good reel first, then match it up with a nice rod. With routine maintenance, a good reel can last many years. Rods come and go.If my old Shimano Clarus ever breaks I'll be pretty bummed about it.

I've had similar problems hooking fish on frogs. I've had fish swat at them or make a lunge at them also. But as Catt says, throw a plastic bait at the same spot quickly. I use a lightly weighted plastic worm. Oftentimes they'll hit it.

A-Jay, keeping you guys in my thoughts. I sincerely hope things can improve.

One I've always wanted to try is the Westy Worm. I'm not sure if these are available now. Looked like a good clear water- deep water plastic worm.