Scott Ferguson

In my experience, registration of a new product rarely has anything to do with the warranty. Product registration information goes directly to the marketing department. That's why they ask you so many questions not related to the product that you purchased. They want you to think your warranty depends on returning the card, but it doesn't. Read the warranty card that came with any product and find a line that says warranty not valid without registration. You can't. ALWAYS keep the receipt.

Your current Illinois fishing license expires at the end of March. Get your new one online at; http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/systems/fishing.htm Print out extra copies in case you misplace or damage one.

If you want to take the camera fishing with you, the waterproof models are a must. I had a regular digital camera I carried in a waterproof case, but getting it out while holding a big bass in one hand and my fishing rod in another was just not working. The waterproof cases that allow you to take pictures without removing it from the case, cost as much as the camera and are so bulky they are tough to carry while wading. I have a Sony waterproof model that is no longer made. I just keep it in my pocket and it's always ready for a quick picture. If I drop it in the water, it's raining or I take a dunking myself, no harm. I carry it on a retractable cable so even if I do drop it, it doesn't go far. It even comes back to me. As far a the number of pixels goes, the higher the better. Even if you don't enlarge a photo, if you crop a photo and then re-size it to even a 4 X6, you'll see what the difference can be. Memory cards are so cheap these days that even if you have to change formats, it's not going to cost you much. None of the pocket cameras take good video. If you want video, buy a separate video camera. I like to be able to zoom in but I don't need much of that on my fishing camera. I have a non-waterproof model and an SLR for my dry land shots. For fishing, if you wade, the camera has to be small and to protect it from the river it has to be waterproof.

There aren't too many models to choose from. Try this one. Pentax Optio W20 7.0-MEGAPIXEL Digital Camera

I'm going to pray we don't get as much rain as we had last year. Bad weather and high water kept me home a lot of weekends last year.

If you could get someone there who knows how to use a camera and take notes, we could get an entire year's worth of fly tying articles for the newsletter.

Rick, the Catalyst PTi is a Quantum, not a Diawa.

Michael, what a beautiful piece! That is sure to be the hit of the evening. Thank you very much!

For information on the Bronzeback Blowout, go to; http://www.illinoissmallmouthalliance.com/blowout_07.html Everything you need to know including how to purchase tickets online will be found there. augiet, you also need to re-register on the forums using your real name.

Jim, Everyone here has their favorite brand of rod and reel so you are likely to get all kinds of answers to your question. There is no one "best" for the money, there are several combinations that will all work just fine. With so many to choose from, it might still be confusing. My suggestion is to go to your local tackle store and talk to the person there. These days, almost all the brand name rods and reels are pretty good quality. Stick to a graphite rod. Let the sales guy know what kind and weight baits you like to throw and he'll match a rod that falls in your price range. He can also show you which reels match the rod also in your range. He can probably set you up with a pre-matched combo that will save you a few bucks and still do a good job. Be aware, ALL spinning reels will twist your line. It's just the way they work. It's a lot like a garden hose or an extension cord. Wrap the hose around a spool then instead of unwinding it, pull it off from the side. It twists pretty quickly. Don't believe ads that say such and such a reel won't twist your line. When line does start to twist, if you're in a river, cut off the lure and let the line go in the water with the current. Let out about a casts worth, and wait a minute. Then reel in the line keeping tension by running it back between two finger tips. You can do the same thing in a boat by letting the line out behind the boat while moving. This will untwist your line very easily and it only takes a couple of minutes. I prefer one of the braided or "superlines" because when they do twist, it does not cause as many problems as mono does. If you let it go too long, braids will wrap around your rod tip which can be annoying.

I'm not much of a fly fisherman but I wanted to fish for northerns with a fly rod. Fly shops wanted a lot of money for pre-made pike flies, so I decided to make them myself. I bought a book, a vice, tools, some material and made my first fly - a Dahlberg Diver. I was going for big pike so I made a big fly. I thought it came out OK for my first attempt at spinning deer hair. I didn't think the pike would care if my skills at tying weren't perfect. When I tried to fish it, I likened the experience to trying to throw a kite. Even with an 11 weight rod, once that fly got full of water (it could hold an amazing amount) I might as well been trying to throw a bowling ball. That's when I figured out that I was rather naive concerning fly fishing (and tying) and that it wasn't quite as simple as it looked.

I have 3 Quantum reels that I've been using for a few years and all of them perform like the day they were new. The latest version of the reels have a little flaw that drives people nuts. There is a connector between the bail wire and the line roller that has a little groove where thin lines tend to get caught. My reels are a generation older and don't have the same part. I can't say for sure that all the Quantums have it I know the Energy model does. Look at one up close and you'll see what I'm talking about.

What would be the reason to choose fiberglass over graphite?

If I'm using my pontoon, 2 rods is what I usually carry, once in a while, depending on the river, I might have 3. In my power boat, I'll usually have 7 to 10. When I'm on vacation with the boat, I might be fishing for smallies, northerns, muskies, walleye or panfish. You have to be prepared.

I use soft plastics quite a lot and although I don't have one exact favorite, I do like sinking type baits the best. Most of them are shaped like a 4" Senko, although I have so many of the knock-offs I usually have no idea exactly which brand of plastic I have tied on at any one time. They all work pretty much the same and so far I still haven't found one color that I prefer over another. I do have to say that the water must be pretty clear for them to work. 99% of the time, I'm in clear(ish) water, so I tend to stick with them a lot. If I had to choose one over the rest, I'd probably stick with the Case Magic Stick. They're more durable that the senko and cost a lot less. They aren't made as "pretty" as most of the competion, but I know the bass don't care.

I caught 3 more the same size as this one (19 inches) over 2 days while fishing with Mike Mladenik in early October. I don't remember exactly what bait I was using for this particular fish, but odds are it was a big red-tail chub. I did get a few fish on a hula-grub and some more on a sinking soft plastic.

John, now that you've registered on the forums, we hope you'll consider becoming a full ISA member. Dues are only $25 a year. You get 6 issues of our 20 page newsletter and you are invited to join us on outings which are open to paid members only. Your dues also show you are commited to helping us work to improve smallmouth habitat across the state of Illinois.

The Cabela's Master Fishing catalog

Jonn, see if Mike will donate another trip to the Blowout.

Sorry, no. I've fished with Mike and he was the speaker at last year's Blowout. He really knows smallies and he puts his clients on some really big ones. A 4 hour presentation for $49 will provide a great deal of information from a guide who spends most of his time fishing smallies in rivers.

Good work Mike. You desrve the lion's share of the credit.

I have a spool of it that I bought late in the season. I haven't used up the smoke colored Fireline on any of my reels yet so I haven't spooled any up. While it isn't totally clear because of the layers of fibers that make it up, it isn't like regular Fireline that has been painted white either. Some people who've never used a superline before may not like Fireline Crystal or any other superline for that matter because it is different from mono. Superlines take some getting used to. I for one do not believe fish know what line is or if they do, I don't care. I will not use mono instead of a braid because fish might be able see the braid. If over time I miss a few fish over line visability, I can live with that. If I'm wrong about fish reacting negatively to line they can see, using Fireline Crystal should even things up.

Those things had amazing action. I never caught a thing on the one that I had. If I had one now, I KNOW they'd catch northerns.

Chicago spent millions on a drain cover thing several years ago. Only problem was, they clogged up and kept water from getting into the drains. Then the storm water backed up and wound up in everyone's basement. Oops!

Anybody surprised that these baits are $45 each?