Terry Dodge

Never mind.

Wait a minute! I'm seeing July 18 for the Apple trip? Was this date changed? Do I need to up-date my Calendar somehow? I'm not seeing anything for Aug 15. There's a couple outings on Aug. 14.

Sounds like a little, just for fun, CPR (Catch/Picture/Release) tourney for the Aug. 15 week-end.

Only large and smallmouth bass can be brought to the weigh-in. http://www.basshawg....pages/form1.pdf (see rule #16, scoring)

April 25, 2010 "Rockford Hawg Hunters' 21st annual Rock River Open team Bass Tournament", Report has it that many smallies were brought to the scale. I wouldn't think they (Hawg Hunters) would even be able to get a permit for this tournament between April 1st and June 15th.

Sorry but I cook breakfast on the last Sunday of each month (Sept. - May) for our Vets at the American Legion.

And they keep getting bigger.............

I still think the cost could be off-set with grant money. If a distributor were to commit to doing this, I'm sure in this "Green" world we live in today there's money out there somewhere to assist a company in making the change. Also, I would think the distributor that does make the change would see an increase in sales with the proper support from fishing groups/conservation groups and also with the proper advertising. A distributor out there has to see the benefits (both $$$ wise and conservation wise) from doing this, wouldn't you think? It shouldn't be a hard sell.

Mike be sure to let the Senator you've been talking with about these other bills. Maybe he knows some of the others at power.

Shut yo mouth!! That's what I'm talking about. Why have we let this go on for so long. It should be a very easy fix. Shouldn't it?

Need a lid................ 10 pots for a $1.99.

Would it be agreed that the bulk of the cost for a dozen worms is for the container itself? Is this pretty much along the same lines as the plastic bottle law in California? Worms should not be aloud to be sold in styrofoam or plastic containers. I like the "green" container idea. That is probably where this has to start. Getting from point "A" to point "B" requires a certain amount of steps.

Wow! This is good. I still like the coupon thing on the container but that's just me. It doesn't have to have the ISA logo on it, actually it should have the IDNR logo on it if anything. If there's a coupon on it, it'll get picked up but that's on the large scale. On a smaller scale if this were to be done using a couple of local bait shops as a test, I would think the bait shops name would have to be on the container with the coupon. "Free advertisement." Obviously there is a problem with the bait containers and obviously it's not going to be solved over night but in the same breath isn't it pretty obvious that this discussion needs to be happening? Lots of good ideas out there, just gotta find the right one. Now if you'll excuse while I step outside of my box for a bit..........

You know........ Worms cost anywhere from $2.50 to $3.00 a dozen!!! That's crazy! I don't buy worms very often and the cost is the reason why. Plus they seem to rip in half on me back cast. I mean think about it. If you break it down that comes out to .22 to .25 cents per worm! Is the worm on the endangered species list? This is why I think some kind of a coupon program would be better than having a deposit on worms. The cost of worms is out of control so I don't think adding a deposit and driving the cost per dozen even higher is the way to go. There needs to be an incentive for people not to leave the containers along our rivers or even the incentive to pick up an abandoned container with a coupon on it. Who knows, maybe they'll even pick-up some other stuff while their at it.

A stamp similar to this....................

I think you're right, Jim. It is worth talking about. I think it definitely has to be a program set up through the IDNR. Imagine this if you will............ You go to your local bait shop and buy a dozen worms. You fish the worms out and low and behold there at the a bottom of the container is a stamp, $.05, $.10, $.15, $.20, $.25 off your next purchase of worms upon return of the empty container. Now let's say worms cost $3.00 per dozen and a person shows up at a bait shop and turns in 30 $.10 containers and receives a free dozen worms. Would that be worth his effort for picking up any empty containers he found laying along our river banks? I believe so. Would people leave empty containers, with coupons on them, on the side of our rivers? I think not. I would imagine that there is probably some type of grant money available for the IDNR to start up a program like this. Now I know in order for this to work some how the worm farmers or who ever the heck we get worms from have to know that in order to sell their worms in the state of Illinois the worms must be in these containers which can be purchased through the IDNR Worm Container Recycle Program (WCRP). Seems like a good idea on computer screen paper.

I like this topic and I think this "Bait Container" problem is something that the ISA should lead the way in correcting. I was upset last year with the abandoned bait containers I was picking up along our rivers. Here's the way I see it......... This is a huge problem not only here in our state but all over our Country. In this "day-and-age" that we live in (green), it's sad to say that this problem even exists. "Awareness" is the key. The right people (Senators/Congressmen) are not fully aware of this problem. It's kind of like the starter on my bass van. The starter has a dead-spot in it and from time to time I have to rock/bounce the bass van around to get it to start. Sometimes I may even need to roll underneath the bass van and give the starter a good WHACK with a hammer to get it to start. Now I know at some point I'm going to have to fix this problem and I'll probably realize this at some inconvenient time when I need to be somewhere at a certain time. Is this what we're doing? Why do we continue to pick these bait containers up without trying to correct the problem. The problem is always going to be there until it's fixed. Now I know this is going to take some time and I'm sure that a few of you will say, "Well if you do this, then this is going to happen and then it's going to result in this happening." and so on and so on. Can we (the ISA) discuss this problem at regional meetings, toss around ideas and lead the way to the state senate so that maybe someday Illinois can lead the way in correcting this problem across this great Nation? If not the ISA, then who? We all want our grandchildren to hopefully fish our rivers and stream and catch trophy smallmouth. Wouldn't it be nice if we could give them cleaner waterways to do it. I hope I'm not out of line by throwing the ISA in on this but like I said before, "If not the ISA, then who?" Someone has to grab the horse by it's reigns and take control. Has this become a problem that is too much trouble to fix? I had an idea of returning the empty containers to the place where the bait was purchased and receive a certain amount off (for each container turned in) the price of the next purchase of bait. This way the bait-fisherman would want to make sure they take their empty containers with them. There's all kinds of good ideas out there, many of which I've read here. That's just how I'm seeing things.

Help me out here, Is there much truth to that statement or is part of it clowning around? I have never hit the Apple but was hoping to hit it on the ISA trip later this year. The reason I ask is because I have a slight handicap that messes with my depth perception at times. The repelling part caught my attention. I wouldn't want to go and end up being a problem, not that I think I would be any trouble any. Just trying to figure-out what to expect if I were to go.

I recieved the ISA Email April News letter the other day. Nice. Just wondering if this is something new or just the first one that I've received?

That was mean.

! Being that I just tried to call dibs on "your" creek, I think expecting royalty payments dating back 10 years is a little much. That spin rod you're trying to shame me out of cost like $150.oo. I can't do that. If you look at the times of our post, you'll see a differance of 9 hours (I'm rounding up to make you happy). According to the "Friendly Fair Fisherman's Handy Hand Held Calculator, this is what you get As you can see it does catch fish

I had a case of the creeky knees today, so I headed off to my favorite creek before work. (I work 2nd shift so I was in the water about 10:30am. to 12:30pm) Obviously I didn't do to well or I'd be writing this post under the "Smallmouth Fishing Report" thread. Just wanted people to know that starting 3/24 the Southbend Rd. bridge that goes over the creek will be closed. I guess they're going to redo it or something. If "Southbend Rd." don't give away which creek I'm speaking of, send me a PM and I'll let you know. Lot of construction going on around my creek. And yes it's my creek. I thought I had a river at one time but jude has informed me that he had already called "dibs" on it.

Thanks Gents. I guess I'll have to try a few of these out and see what works well with me. I'm thinking I want to stay away from anything that is going to need floatant. Too much trouble for me.

Anybody use them? I have a few yarn floats and a few foam floats. I'm not real happy with either one of them but knowing the way I am, if anyone can use a float the wrong way it's me. I've always been interested in nymphing for smallies during the cold water months. What kind of floats do people use? Or how do I make mine work?

Is that statement for real with all the climbing and repelling ?