Eric

Terry, I don't think there is a "best way" of fishing. How about a compromise? Enjoy lake fishing with your bro and hope he returns the favor by giving river fishing a try with you. A trade-a-trip type deal.

Yeah I was fishing a lure that Jonn made -- basically a swim jig-type hook with a willowleaf blade trailing behind it. Kind of similar to your setup on the left in the photo above. It was late spring / high water and the Fox smallies were tucked tight to a rock wall. I was short-lining from above and they were pounding the bait! They were all over the blade but not getting hooked. I even had one get the blade wedged sideways in its mouth! After about a half-dozen missed fish, my solution was to simply switch lures. I tied on a Northland Mimic Minnow and returned to the same areas and picked 'em all off.

I can see why fly fishing purists would think the Flapdoodle is "a little much." Conversely, kind of like throwing a light fly with a baitcaster...

A small solo touring kayak will suffice for your oldest child but you're best off getting a large tandem kayak or canoe to accommodate you + the 7 & 8 year old. They can each try out the solo boat in slow current but it's probably best to mainly keep them under your control.

Checkout the Jackson Kayak Mini Tripper. It's for kids. Though more costly, it is longer and probably tracks better than a $99 sit-on-top. This will help the 10-year-old control it in moving water.

http://jacksonkayak.com/jk-kayaks/youth-kayaks/minitripper/

You're definitely in a situation to talk to a knowledgeable dealer and try before you buy. Some dealers have trade-up programs so you can upsize as your kids grow / needs change. Some also carry used boats to help ease the investment.

My oldest is 11 and tried his first solo paddle in an Old Town Otter this past summer. It was on the Mazon, skinny water at low pool. He was thrilled to be solo.

If you're thinking of getting each child their own $99 sit-on-top, maybe buy 1 first and let them each try it out on still or slow water to see how they like it. Time of year will make a difference in mobility and paddling comfort, i.e., t-shirt + PFD versus being bundled up + PFD.

Great to see all the familiar faces and so much support for the ISA. Thanks to all involved for their hard work. I know countless hours of discussion and planning happen months before the event. Excellent job!

The appreciation award for Jeff Tallis was a nice touch and very thoughtful. I liked Drew's presentation a lot, as it was engaging and different from what we normally hear. He was an enjoyable guest speaker.

Thanks to all who attended and who generously support the ISA.

Do you mind if I grab a few of these for use in the Blowout slideshow?

Welcome Craig. Fishing will pickup as the weather warms. Thanks for helping to cleanup the K3 while you were out.

Was fun. Nice job Mike and Terry.

That's cool. Thanks for sharing. Sent it to a few fly fishing buddies in the UK who will get a kick out of it.

You are correct on Saturday, March 3rd.

That's weird. Certainly not content related. Could be a glitch from the forum upgrade. One of the forum mods can unlock it.

In business terms, $17 to $22 million in the hole is called out of business.

Kinda sucks.

Realistically, probably a smart thing to do and could create a better issue online anyway. Limitless color and can integrate video. Can get immediate feedback from readers via social media integration, i.e., "like" buttons, commenting, Twitter and share. Reach is much broader versus a paper copy. Funds to print and ship are now spared. Info is the same whether in paper or in pixels.

Sidetrack... My company used to allocate $150K per year to design, print and ship annual reports to all shareholders. The law has changed now and all you need to do is post a PDF of the report on your Website the day of the SEC filing. We now spend around $12K on design and only print 1,000 to have on hand at Investor Relations as a courtesy to those that call and request a hard copy. We aren't obligated to send a hard copy and could just as easily point them to the PDF on our Web site.

Times change but the smart find a way to save budget and make things better! Change can be an opportunity for good if approached with an open mind.

(Tough time to be in the printing business -- especially in the USA.)

Wow. Lots of work went into that. The variety of shots they got is incredible. The editors had a heck of a lot of footage to piece together. Hours and hours of work. The video seems way too cool for the music. But overall, great stuff! Nice find / good share.

Excellent job Scott and all who contributed.

It's called a promo shot. Meant to be fun and exciting and provide a differentiator in the industry. Just like the trucker hat, sunglasses, choice of clothing, sponsors, etc. When your livelihood depends on your persona, you build it and market it. Most of Drew's shots are action shots and some are a little over the top. It's all part of his persona.

I find any critique of his shots debatable (and comical) ... especially by other fishermen. It's splitting hairs.

Sarcasm aside....

 

It's wise for the members of the ISA to know how to hold smallmouth bass. Why strain and most likely injure the jaw of your bass if you don't need to?

When I glanced at the bulletin's front and back cover shot the way the guys were holding their bass struck me as a bit odd. A quick "how to hold a bass" Google search produced the above informative article.

I tried too and got this. Son of a gun! Crazy Google!

Oh the humanity!

it really helps if you can release the fish without taking it out of the water. i realize that is not always possible but it is something to strive for.

This would be a great article for the Bronzeback Bulletin. Make sure the issue is fish-free. Just pictures of anglers holding their hands apart and giving the, "It was THIS big!" look. The cover can just be a dotted outline of a smallmouth.

Guys ocean fish from kayaks all the time. That was the basis for the kayak fishing craze. It all started on the coasts and worked inland.