Scott Ferguson

I'd heard and read about breaklines a number of times but I can remember the day it really sank in. It was during an ISA outing on the Kankakee. The Kank is the easiest river I've ever been on to find breaklines. You can stand on one side of the river and count 5 or more between you and the opposite shore. Just like you said Jude, after that I went back to spots on other rivers and realized why areas that looked like nothing, nearly always had some fish. Ahhhhhhh..... Huge improvement on my fishing after that.

I don't know if any one person gave me this tip, but the number one tip I can pass along is, if you want to catch river smallies, learn to recognize current breaks. Smallmouth can be caught off a number of different features in moving water but if you only fished the breakline between faster moving water and slower or still waters, you'd catch a pretty fair number of bass. The seams are not always easy to detect but they are the number one thing I look for.

What is a shameless waste of taxpayer dollars? That a non-profit organization, or private university pay for the maintenance and operation of a park? If a local government takes over the park, it takes it off the budget of the state. The state is saving money not wasting it. Can you explain what you mean?

Al, thanks again for taking time to come to our event. It was a pleasure meeting you and your wife, Mary. We got so many favorable comments about you, your presentation, and of course, your beautiful artwork. If your travels ever bring you back to the Chicago area during the fishing season, I'm sure we can put you on some nice fish. Just let us know. Scott Ferguson

What's up with the hip hop music? Our new theme song?

John, I let him know we do have a few size XL still on hand. They run large, more like a 2XL and are available for $40 each.

For a canoe, I'd suggest a Garmin handheld. You can't go wrong with almost anything in the eTrex line or the GPS Map 60 series. They all have the high sensitivity receivers that keep them locked on to the satellites even if they are in your pocket. Because they are so common, you can get map software almost anywhere. There are several web sites devoted to information concerning GPS models and features like http://gpsinformation.net/ http://www.gpsreview.net

Any information on what type of development this is supposed to be? How do they know it's going to destroy anything?

Hey Scott, I see you're another RS'r. The action rating on rods are not the same for every company. I use a lot of plastics and I prefer a medium light action. Ratings for 6 to 12 pound test line. I also choose rods that have a good amount of backbone. That is, there is not a lot of flex near the handle. If you are looking at higher end rods, most will also tell you the speed. I prefer a fast tip action, but not too fast. That seems to be a good compromise that let's me throw a wide range of weights with only one rod.

Well done Mike. It sure is good to see that all the work we've done over the years has brought us to the position where we have some influence in state government.

Mine showed up today too. Of course, I've already seen it.

Don did re-register. He is donm now.

Just for clarification, the definition of lead head jigs in the bill are jigs that are less than 1 1/2 inches long. Jonn Grahams jigs, & Charlie Brewer slider heads are longer than that and are not targeted by the bill.

You joined just a few days too late to be included on the mailing list for the issue that is coming out right now. But I'll make sure you get a copy.

The calendar is for ISA events only and only the moderators can post there.

No we prefer that you do not post tournament information here on our forums. We also ask that you follow the registration agreement and register using your real name instead of an alias. Thanks.

Do they float like the Strike King version do? That middle one that looks like a senko would be good for me...if it sank.

Check out this video. http://www.wimp.com/birdfish/

4", un-weighted, Senko (or a reasonable facsimile) on a 3/0 wide gap, offset hook. I have hundreds of lures and it's what I fish with 80% of the time.

This was in today's Chicago Tribune. "Candidate for Illinois parks job says he will open 7 sites closed by Rod Blagojevich Gov. Pat Quinn nominated former aide Marc Miller for Department of Natural Resources post By Ashley Rueff | Tribune reporter February 6, 2009 SPRINGFIELD — Seven state parks shuttered under the Blagojevich administration will reopen "as soon as possible," Gov. Pat Quinn's pick to lead the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said Thursday. The appointment of Marc Miller, a senior aide to Quinn when he was lieutenant governor, came one day after the new governor fired former Rep. Kurt Granberg (D-Carlyle). Then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich had given Granberg the job a few weeks ago after Blagojevich's Dec. 9 arrest but before his removal from office late last month. Quinn said he hoped Granberg does not receive a major pension increase because of his brief time at the agency. State pension officials have said the matter is under review. Quinn said he wanted a "natural resource professional" to oversee state parks."I saw firsthand in my last five years how dedicated Marc is to clean water, open space, clean air and protecting the opportunity of people to have an outdoors that's really special," Quinn said. Miller, 39, of Springfield still has to be confirmed by the Senate. Also Thursday, Quinn signed a bill to restore more than $9 million in environmental funding that Blagojevich had cut. That move will prevent Illinois from losing an additional $15 million in federal wildlife funding, a Quinn spokesman said. arueff@tribune.com

I think it only matters to the guy holding the rod. For years, I made all my own jigs and never painted them. I really believe the fish don't care at all. Of all the things that go in to making fish bite, I believe color is the least important. Having said that, one thing I do think is VERY important is confidence. If YOU think color is important and you have more confidence in one color over another or If you believe fish prefer un-chipped paint, you will catch more fish on baits you believe in. If your jig is chipped, and you think it matters, you'll probably give up on it sooner and switch to that fresh bait that you will work harder and longer which will produce more bites. When fishing clear water, I tend to fish faster moving baits so as not to give fish time to examine my offering too closely.

I am sorry that the post office treats your newsletter so poorly. it seems everyone gets theirs at different times even though they are all mailed at the same time. I know that the issue that will be arriving in our homes shortly was sent to the post office earlier this week and we will see how long they take to deliver. It seems that every issue has a couple of people who get it very late or not at all. Ron, we could have the issue sent to you for mailing but I'm afraid that the cost of getting 600 copies sent to you would be prohibitively expensive. For all of you that on occasion get your newsletter later then you should, I ask that you bear with us. Our decision to use bulk rate postage instead of the more expensive and timely first class saves us way over $1,200 every year. That money saved, keeps us from raising your dues, and is more money for smallmouth conservation.

This is my favorite knot tying web site http://www.animatedknots.com/

My advice is don't buy a portable. You pay a lot extra for the box to carry it in, plus you also have a much smaller selection of units to choose from. If you are going to use it for more than ice fishing, buy the best unit you can afford. Look for the highest resolution. You can easily make any unit portable by buying a cheap tackle box that will hold the unit and a rechargeable battery. Drill a couple of holes in the top of the tackle box for screwing down the bracket to hold the unit. You mount the transducer on a piece of 1x2 which you then clamp to the transom of the boat. I've used variations of this set up for many years and taken them all over North America.