Kirtley Howe

When I was 10 years old up until I hit my twenties, I used to wade in sneakers and blue jeans from as soon as the ice went out until the first hard freeze in the fall. I think something was seriously wrong with me.....

I had a friend, unfortunately now deceased, who swore by a technique he used to "break in" new casting reels. He would bring them home, and before ever using them, he would take them apart and clean them. He would then re-lube them and put them back together. He would then take the handle off, and attach his electric drill to the shaft for the handle, and then run the drill for a while on slow speed, and gradually ramp up the speed to as fast as his drill would run. Then he would take the reel back apart, clean it again, and re-lube and reassemble the reel. He claimed that doing this "broke the reel in", and made it much smoother to use. I have never tried it, nor do I recommend it, but it seemed to work for him. Any thoughts on this?

I would be hard put to choose between Lake Onterio/Thousand Islands and Lake Erie as far as "best" for Smallmouth bass. And don't forget Lake Champlain......

I find it much easier to slow down reeling with an 8.1 than to speed up reeling with a 5.1 or 5.3. The only reason I own a lower speed reel is so I can use the slower reel to get big fish out of thick weeds. The lower speed reel has higher "cranking" power. In more open water that has never been a concern for me. That said, some pros swear by the slower reels for certain techniques. To each their own. Some people have a very difficult time consistently slowing down reeling, and if you happen to be one of those then for sure get a slower speed reel.

Fuji Hook Keeper. $3.49 at Cabalas. Fits any rod.

At the cost of a new bass boat, you would expect a matching spare rim and tire. The dealer should order a matching rim and tire for the customer, if for no other reason than to keep the customer happy. At the very least, the dealer should compromise and order a matching rim (at no cost to the customer), and the customer could provide the tire. But my first move would be to contact Basscat to see if the trailer should have come with a matching spare, and if not, see if they will at least provide a discount on one that matches. And, it is possible that the dealer is unethical, and swapped out the matching spare and replaced it with a cheap generic one. That would give them a nice tire and rim to sell....I am not saying this is what happened, but it COULD happen. Not all dealer are ethical and honest.

Here are a couple of reasons to buy cheap rods. 1)On a trip and get a chance to go fishing, but don't want to, or can't, spend a bunch of money on an outfit. 2)Just plain can't afford anything better. 3)Want a cheap rod to throw into the truck or car trunk that you won't get upset if it gets broken. 4)Want a cheap rod you can give to a kid if you are out fishing and see one who doesn't have a rod. 5)You may find a hidden gem of a rod. 6}Even cheap rods can catch fish, and that is what it is all about.

What you say is very true. But if you don't have the budget to buy the lithium battery, it really doesn't matter. As an article I read put it....Good shoes will always last a lot longer than cheap shoes, so they actually are the "cheap" shoe. Yeah, but good quality shoes go for $60-$100 or more, and cheap shoes can be bought for $20.00. If I am barefoot right now and need shoes, and all I have to spend is $20.00, guess what shoes I am buying?

Yes, but he could have a lot of non-fishing related sponsors. He already has a connection to Orkin, He could tie in with a (beef) Jerkey company..the list is endless, and there is a ton of money available for charismatic spokespeople. He would be a fool, which he definitely is not, to ignore those $$$.

Thanks. As to not needing sponsers....Maybe not, but it is always better to play with someone else's money than to play with your own money. I just about guarantee that if he moves to the Elites. he will wrap his boat. In fact, I am pretty that while he didn't warp his boat, he did use some deck covering that displayed brand names as well as making the boat easier to clean. I saw that in one of his videos.

Can someone tell me what significance 402 has for Ben? I see he wears that number all the time.

Only when they are used for cheating in a Walleye Tournament.... I assume that is what you were referring to?

I seldom use profanity. However I was working on our Jeep Commander last week, replacing the clockspring. I got everything apart, put the new clockspring onto the steering column, and turned around to get the steering wheel. When I turned back around, the clockspring had fallen apart, and the cable and internal "keeper" fell out. Let's just say the air got a bit blue inside the car. I tried to put the unit back together, but that did not work. Working with ebay now to get a refund or replacement.

Glad you had a decent day. Very sorry to hear you will not be posting videos anymore, but do what is right for you.

Yeah, he is very strong offshore, but there is nothing really wrong with his shallow game. I have watched his videos of fishing in various local tournaments, and he has won several while fishing shallow, though he seems to be stronger around rock than around wood/weeds. I am sure he will adjust very quickly.

Quickest way to end a friendship with me is to use a racial slur in my presence or in a post. We are all Gods' children, and I really wish people would act like it. I am fine with someone disliking someone else, but not if it is based on their skin color or nationality.

So still in the money (I think), and in the top 3rd of the anglers. He is currently leading (tied) for angler of the year with 396 points. Not half bad for a "rookie", and nothing to be ashamed of. The boy has talent for sure.

My buddy and I were fishing from a 12' rowboat. We were anchored in about 3 feet of water, casting out into a channel that was about 8 feet deep. I had 3 rods rigged up. I was casting with one rod, and the other two were resting against the gunnel. One of the rods was rigged with a large Hula Popper which was just touching the surface of the water next to the boat. All of a sudden a decent bass decided to grab the Hula Popper. Scared the heck out of me, and almost popped the rod out of the boat. I dropped the rod I was using, grabbed the one the bass had hit, and swung a 2lb+ bass into the boat. I though my buddy was going to have a fit. Turned out to be the biggest bass we caught all day.

Our daughter in law is from the French speaking region of Canada. Riviere Du Loup to be exact. She is fluent in both English and French. And she uses the F work like a sailor. At first we were somewhat shocked by this. Then we visited her area of Canada and found that just about everyone used the F word without much concern. In her area that word is used so much that almost no one is offended by it, and the actual meaning of the word is not really thought about at all...it is just used for emphasis or an exclamation of surprise, much like many Americans use the word "Crap". Different culture I guess. She has learned that where we live it is considered vulgar and/or offensive, and "tones it down" a lot when she is here.

Late last year, just for kicks, I bought a Shimano FX series baitcasting rod. It is a glass/composite rod that I paid $12.99 for. I see that they are selling now for $14.99 at Sportsmans Warehouse. Anyway, I bought it to use with crankbaits. Much to my surprise, I actually kind of like it. Is it a great rod? Of course not. It is heavier than I would like, and I am sure it will not hold up in the long run. I would not dare run braid through the guides on it. However, it is perfect to toss into the back of my pickup truck and take anywhere. If it breaks, I am our almost nothing. If someone steals it from the truck, who cares? (I don't keep a reel on it..that is kept in my tackle bag I keep locked in the cab of the truck). It does do what I bought if for, and does it better than I expected. Anyone else ever tried one? Or have a similar super cheap rod that you kind of like? Inquiring minds want to know....

Just weighed in....in 4th place as of now, but I doubt it will hold up. No giant bass, but a 5 fish limit.

I grew up fishing small creeks...The Catatonk Creek, The Owego Creek, and a number of unnamed tiny creeks. I still fish them fairly often. They will be the first places I try after the water goes down some. You are correct that you can catch large fish, and numbers of smaller fish from very small creeks. Some of the places I fish you can literally jump over the creek without too much effort....or at least I could when I was a tad younger. At 74 my jumping days are pretty much behind me.

Unfortunately, I am at this time, a bank fisherman. My boat will not be ready for use for at least 1or 2 more months.

Except for the fact that we have at least 3 straight more days of rain forecast. I am thinking I need to build an Ark.

My Pfluger President is bullet proof. Rain, snow, dust, dirt, freezing cold, blazing heat, and total immersion don't bother it. It has never bound up or gotten rough. I just bring it home, do a basic cleaning, and it is ready to go again. The one and only problem I have had with it was the line roller wore unevenly and needed to be replaced. Most likely due to using the reel to fish the (often silty) Susquehanna River for 4 years straight. My wife gave it to me for a birthday present. She paid a whopping $49.75 for it on sale.