Kev-mo

They also make rattle traps in a floating model. While I never tried them in a lake I have caught smallies on them in the river. That might be an option to try also.

You can also use use/open your picture with Microsoft Office Picture Manager. At the top is your tool bar and other options such as file etc. Click on Picture and you'll have all your options listed including Crop and Resize. For resize you have 3 options I believe. I crop first and then resize using the percentage option. 30-20 percent (of original) gives me something similar or smaller to Eric's 720/482. Just remember if you want to keep your original you'll need to make a copy of your changes. When you are satisfied with your changes just go under File and click on Save As. Then rename it and click save. When you close your original DO NOT save changes and you'll have the original and a smaller copy to upload.

Good thing I'm on spring break with my kids next week. I'll get that card back yet Idealist... probably, although tainted with some cynicism. The wife's cool. I guess I didn't get what I needed from the river that particular day.

Wow... this got way more commentary than I thought it would and some great answers to boot. I guess at the end of the day fun is only a subjective label that we apply to describe what we are feeling while engaged in the activity or the actions at hand. With that said I do have fun fishing although it goes much deeper than a one word summation and some days are less fun and others more fun.

My wife has asked me on several occasions when I return from fishing "did you have fun". The first time she asked I had to think about it. I suppose first we need a definition of fun. According to Merriam Webster online fun is; : what provides amusement or enjoyment; specifically : playful often boisterous action or speech. I can't say I'm amused on all my outings, some are not that enjoyable due lots of hard work and little or no fish, as I fish alone a lot I would have to say "playful boiserous action and speech" don't enter into my day unless you count tripping over a rock and it's certainly not playful. Now I did have "fun" setting up those chairs for the photo op last fall with Don for our rest stop. I had "fun" on a couple outings last year when it all came together right and the fish cooperated. I don't know... I love to fish. I love being outside even in semi inclement weather. I can't pass a body of water without wondering if and what kind of fish it might hold. The anticipation of an outing or what might be beyond the next bend or what the next cast might bring drives me to do more. The sights and sounds of nature alone are worth the trip out. I can't say I would call it "fun" unless I was experiencing it with someone else or having a really good day of catching. Perhaps I'm looking at it from the wrong perspective...? What say the rest of you addicts?

Learn how your casting control knob and mechanical or magnetic brake works. Be aware that changing lure size/weight will require an adjustment in one or both of these areas to avoid backlash, over or undercasting and accuracy. Keep your thumb ready to stop the spool in case of mistake. Just like anything there is a learning curve...

What's Homer's line... doh!

Mike, I'm fine with $15-20 annual fee. However to charge up to $10 for an entrance fee everytime you drive into a park or any section of it is too much. Sticking with just an annual fee is also much more enforceable. Simple sticker says you can be in any area of the park (s) for the year. Ranger does a drive by and if you don't have a sticker in you window you get a ticket. Anything else is too hard to enforce or would force closures of hunting areas as who is going to man those to collect money. An honor system won't fly and it would cost a bunch of money to put in thief proof lock boxes, print envelopes, have someone collect every day etc... While I understand financial decisions as I make my own everyday, where is going to end. Will we be paying fees for our forest preserves next, will it be a different sticker for every county?

While not thrilled to be paying more for just about everything... I would support an annual pass. Despite the financial woes I disagree with daily fees. Ten dollars per vehicle per day is outrageous. If I were a jogger and jogged 3 times a week in a state park that could now cost $1560/year. Ridiculous!!! This state needs to figure out how to fix their mess without taxing and feeing us to death. I only caught part of the story this morning so correct me if I'm wrong but I heard something about raising taxes on ciggarettes to pay for road repairs. While I agree with all the negatives regarding smoking thankfully people in this state do smoke otherwise it sounds like our roads wouldn't be repaired. That is ridiculous also!!!

LOL

Good read. What I took out of it is that you need to go out and figure out the seasonal movements on your own river by trial and error as they are all different.

I had a treble caught on my one piece refrigerware suit and once I got it popped out another treble (out of the three on the bait) popped into my hand. I can't remember if it was in my finger or hand. It was buried pretty good though. We cut the hook off and decided it would make some good video so I tried to push it out while my buddy was filming. I couldn't do it as it hurt too much so we had to quit filming while one guy held my arm/hand down and the other guy pushed the hook through. Soaked it and me in some alcohol and it was all good

Ed, Wasn't the resturant closed last year? I remember no one being there and being really hungry all morning... It's nice they are making it just for the kids for one day. I might be able to make this again, course I'll have my own kids in tow...

Sounds like Paul has the best idea based on being there and as he said boiling kills the little bugs. However if you still want to look into a water purifier/filter REI has some good info on their site and they also probably have the best selection. Basically the pills and UV kill the microbes/parasites that are trying to kill you. Filters will get some microbes, suspended solids etc. I used the pills once on a trip to the Rockies but there was a waiting period before you could drink the water.

Those of us that wade more urbanesque types of water and don't like raging skin infections or things falling off Maybe the water isn't that bad but it can't be that good either... It is a skosh hot even in breathables in the summer. This is where the Goretex waders and the extra money you pay really shine. You can actully feel a breeze/them breathing when you are out of the water vs. non-Goretex breathables. Not dissin regular breathables but there is a difference.

For anyone that might be in the market for one of these BPS has a clearance going per the email they sent me Tuesday. They are just about half off. Pretty nice deal. Assume Pflueger changed something and they are making room for the newer models. happy shopping...

Very nice Jonn! Fishing lures are the one area in which my wife and I overlap as I want one in every color

Dale did a nice column today on the subject. Check it out. While not a fly guy I did stop in the shop several times for off beat stuff and while Joseph couldn't directly help me he pointed me in the right direction and was just brimming with information. It's too bad the good things end sooner than we'd all like.

Probably 70/80% spinning and the rest baitacst. It would be closer to 50/50 if I ever get a better/more balanced baitcast pole. I used a baitcaster most of 09 and got pretty good with it.

There's a list in IL too. Oops I shouldn't admit to knowing that Dale Bowman has a blurb in his column today saying they have come to an agreement on the Vermillion and people will be able to raft there again once they complete whatever work they need to do.

I've caught parts of this on PBS several times. It's pretty amazing what can be accomplished with two hands, some basic tools, a lot of hard work and the knowledge to make it all come together.

It was nice to meet you guys in person. Glad I had to be Rockford for the day. It was a very informative little session. I was reminded (read it somewhere several times) that the native grasses root systems go down 15 feet or so. This keeps the soil a lot more porous allowing water to really seep into the ground instead of flowing across the land into straight into the river lessening those flash rises in the river which helps lessen erosion. Dan also mentioned that a nearby subdivision allowed them to utilize a different method for the storm water run off. I believe the end point for the pipe was a bermed (sp) culdesac which allowed to the water to slowly diffuse instead of dumping right into the river and that it also was also set pretty far back from the river. It's great to see these small projects getting done and that some people are are open to different ways of doing things. Hopefully it catches on...

I like my older discontinued green Shimano Curados. You could probably find one on ebay etc. I believe the Citica is supposed to have replaced the older Curado after they changed it and have heard good things about it. Whatever you get consider going with a higher/faster gear ratio. You can always physically reel slower if needed but you can't reel fast enough to keep up with current etc on the slower geared models (jmo).

It's on the calendar for 8:00. Where are those holes... Probably better off eating but it's difficult to be near a river w/out fishing.

I learned... A bit more about the Dupe, Fox and Kish, that I don't need lots of different plastic or in multiple colors (tackle was starting to look like the wife's closet). Carry enough confidence baits to cover the water column, much more is just dead weight on my shoulders. Have two sets of waders and boots for when one fails. I actually like braid (PP) and might use it again next year. To try to stop buying stuff I don't need or might not use just because it's on sale or somebody else is catching fish on it. Pay attention to the details when comparing/purchasing new equipment. That there are multiple ways to do something and I need to find out what works best for me. That there is still a lot I need to learn. I need to get in shape if I wade with Don again, that a rest stop can be found just about anywhere on the river