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I Love my Korkers, wade shoe. The interchangeable soles are great. One pair of shoes, with various soles---each for the suitable terrain.

Some artists are very handy with a Dremel.

It doesn't look like a place that is totally safe to wet wade.

It's a newer version. The Original Dancin' Eel don't need any scent. A fly rod can be used to fish the Dancin' Eel. The next time you stop at GAT's, I'll give you a first hand demo.

Don, The next time you stop by GAT, remind me to show you how to modify that Yum Dinger, to make it a "top water" producer.

The blower will give me something to do, between fishing trips. The best blow job my driveway, sidewalks and lawn will get.

Don, Congrats on your catch and success. Some great fish you're catching. Beats Workin'

How about some Green Asphalt? Just hose it down or use a blower.

Okay--- all I sucked up from the lawn today, were those Maple tree seeds.

I just purchased a new Poulan PRO gas power Blower/vac. It features a 16:1 vac/grind-up capacity. Got a tank full of fresh gas--- a box of yard waste bags--- and ready to start sucken' 'em up tomarrow, the 23rd. I hope the power vac is adequate to suck them up, should make some good ground-up and pulverized cicadas. Don't want them critters burrowing back in the ground and coming back in 17yrs.

Expert: Aquatic Virus Hits 2 Great Lakes By WILLIAM KATES, Associated Press Writer 5 hours ago SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A deadly, fast-spreading aquatic virus is reaching epidemic proportions in New York's two Great Lakes and has already spread into the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York, a Cornell University fisheries expert said Tuesday. The viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus _ or VHS _ has now been identified in 19 species in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, including muskellunge, New York's No. 2 sport fish, said Paul Bowser, a professor of aquatic animal medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Equally alarming, said Bowser, is the confirmation of VHS in walleye in Conesus Lake, which is the westernmost Finger Lake and is the only New York lake where VHS has been confirmed in a body of water other than the contiguous waters of the Great Lakes. "The fact that VHS was found in this inland body of water is particularly disturbing in that it immediately brings up the question of how did it get there and what can be done to prevent the virus from moving to other bodies of water," said Bowser, who along with his colleagues at Cornell recently developed a new test that can identify the virus within 24 hours. VHS was first detected in New York last year in fish from the St. Lawrence and Niagara rivers, as well as the state's two Great Lakes. Of the 19 species affected, VHS has caused serious fish kills in six, Bowser said. In the remaining 13 species, Cornell scientists have detected the virus but have recorded no "mortality events," he said. There are approximately 150 species of freshwater fish in New York. "It has been found in a broad range of evolutionarily distinct species, both cold- and warm-water families. We don't think there is any species that is not susceptible," said Doug Stang, chief of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation's Bureau of Fisheries, which is monitoring 40 water bodies across the state to track the spread of VHS. Bowser said he suspects that the virus is spread by airborne or terrestrial predators carrying infected fish, anglers using infected bait minnows or contaminated fishing equipment, and as a result of boating activities. "Basically, we don't know how it got here, but it's here and it's spreading," said Bowser. The virus, which causes internal bleeding in fish but poses no threat to humans, was discovered in the United States in 1988 in Coho and Chinook salmon in the Pacific Northwest. VHS made its first known appearance in the Great Lakes in 2005, killing freshwater drum and muskellunge. Since then, it has been found in more than two dozen fish species throughout the Great Lakes basin. This month, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources made a preliminary identification of the virus for the first time in the Lake Winnebago chain of inland lakes about 25 miles south of Green Bay on Lake Michigan. Confirmation is pending. VHS-related die-offs killed millions of fish in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario last year. There have been three new fish kills this year in New York waters, Bowser said. In the St. Lawrence River, hundreds of thousands of round gobies have succumbed and gizzard shad die-offs occurred in Lake Ontario west of Rochester and in Dunkirk Harbor on Lake Erie, he said. "In that most of our VHSV-associated fish kills in 2006 were in May and June, we expect more to occur," Bowser said. Other species that have tested positive include bluegill, rock bass, black crappie, pumpkinseed, smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, channel catfish, brown bullhead, white perch, white bass, emerald shiner, bluntnose minnow, freshwater drum and burbot. Containing the spread of the virus in New York will require restrictions on the movement of live fish, testing fish and surveillance, Bowser said. "There will be inconveniences and disruptions that will occur. However, to do nothing could be disastrous," said Bowser, adding that VHS threatens the state's $1.2 billion sport-fishing industry and could have a devastating effect on aquaculture. Last year, New York enacted a series of emergency regulations to curb the virus' spread, such as requiring that bait fish be used in the same body of water from which they were collected unless they have been tested. Those regulations will likely become permanent next month, said DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren. ___ On the Net: DEC emergency regulations: http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/28757.html

UPS and FedX offer shipping, in the Continental USA.

Looks good on TV, but--- the rabbit hair jigs and spinnerbaits, have not done well. They were a hit when they were first introduced---some anglers reported negative results. (I have a video of the OEMS lures---as I said, it looks good on TV. They show you what they want you to see). Rubber legs jigs or spider jigs, are much more productive. I believe the living rubber, on the rubber legged jigs and Yamamotos Hulagrubs, have a more natural feel, in the fishes mouth. The rubber tentacles, move in the fishes mouth, when the fish moves his mouth muscles. (Stop by GAT, see Ken, for an in store demo). The smaller size objects, flys and streamers, with the rabbit hair/fur, are productive. Thin strips are better. Leech imitators, 2-3" sizes, as well as the Olive Zonker--- fished on a fly rod or drifted under a float, on long rod light action spinning gear. Can you say, "float-N-fur-fly"?

Welcome MikeG. You're insights and inputs will be helpful to many.

Some thawing instructions, state "immerse in water"--- I've seen some kitchen sinks that were pretty small, and wouldn't fit the entire bird--- perhaps they heard tell the Kaskaskia river was "totally safe"

Looks like somebody lost their head.

Again? Those things are going faster than I can keep them in stock? BUY 3 GET 1 FREE deal... The "word" must be out.

>>>....salmo bullhead and hornet crankbaits.<<< Smallies love 'em.

Some anglers are proud of catching 6" smallies. Catching the small fish is no easy task--- it takes skill to catch those smaller critters. Anyone can catch big fish, just ask around---listen to all the fish stories----everybody shows pics of big fish. Nobody boasts or posts pics of the smaller fish. Perhaps it's not a guy thing. At times, I intensionly target small smallies in some areas--- catching them tells me the fish population is healthy, AND BIG fish are nearby. Another thing---I've caught several large fish, targeting smaller fish, using smaller baits. Works for me.

Yes, I fish. I don't target bedding fish. I don't wade during the spawn and post spawn---SMB beds/nests may be inadvertently destroyed.

BooYahs NEW chatter style baits. 1/8oz size looks like a great lure size for stream smallies.

The floating rattl-trap, is a hot item for some anglers, in some small lakes and ponds. Add suspend dots, to the under side of the lure, so it doesn't rise to rapidly---a SLOW rise is best. Work the rip-rap and rocky shorelines---a good pattern right now. TIP---replace the rear treble with a feathered treble hook. Works for me.

Crankbait fishing for smallies--- I start out with a shallow running lure. Retrieve at a rapid steady rate---fan casting, makeing 4-6 casts. If no takers, slow down and repeat as above. Continue fan casting the area, using a slower retrieve rate. Finally--- then retrieve it very SLOW---sometimes with a SLOW wobble. If the fish is active and aggresive, they take the lure PDQ. In most cases, I've caught more fish and larger fish, using a SLOW retrieve. When retrieving at a rapid rate, the angler generally has a tendency to make a fast hook-set, resulting in lost fish. At a slower rate, the fish can swim up to it, from underneath, behind or either side, and just inhale to lure, resulting in better hook-up percentages. Lure shape and profile can be a triggering factor. Changing retrieve rates, such as jerks and pauses, may trigger a fish into striking. Experimenting is the best teacher---like the old saying, find out what the fish want. Wide bodies lures push more water---sending off different sound vibrations, as they're retrieved thru the water. Narrow bodied lures, such as baitfish imitators, seem to catch more fish, with a slower retrieve---especially those that suspend----more closely resemble a minnow, or the like, lazily finning and swimming thru the water. Works for me. Hope this helps.

Binding may be a result of numberous issues---component failure, inadequate or no maintenance. There are some issues, that the OEM needs to address---therefore it may be in the best interest to return it to the OEM, for service issues. Some anglers try to service reels themselves---some use improper lube, some not reassembled correctly, loose fasteners, lost parts, just to name a few, that may cause more problems. I frequently see reels that are improperly lubed, and some incorrectly reassembled. Many reels today are more technical and complicated, over a Zebco 202. >>>Pflueger Presidents<<< Find out the "after sales service" you'll get from the dealer, before you make the purchase. Will the dealer provide the "after sales service", what is there return policy, or do you have to send it in to the OEM? Many reels on todays market need to be returned to the OEM, for any service issues. What's their turn around time and fees?---parts, labor, shipping costs? Reel tech services may not stock the needed parts. Some OEM's service issues are are currently taking 8-10 weeks!

Check out St Croix Avid AS68MXF--- a tad longer---also a great rod. The GLoomis line of Bronzeback Series, are some really fine stream smallie rods. They're worth looking into. The rod actions on some models, make them ideal candidates for jigs, worms, tubes and other plastics.