Old plug

I am starting to deal with that end struggle. My body and my mentality is telling me its time ,but my will and my heart argues with with my mind and body. It goes something like this. By the time you reach your mid to late 70s your mind and body side tells you that your sick and tired of what fishing has become. The commercialism, competitiveness, and rudeness you see on the water today. You will have noticed such things as the failing mentality like your memory, Judgement , Balance, Eyesight ,Hearing. And of course you will be in denial about the whole thing. Because of these things you got to ,and will evenually wonder if these thing could present a danger to yourself or others. Then you have to think about stopping. Believe me it is not a good place to be after nearly 75 yrs of loving it

WeekendWarrior ..... I think I had a potential memorable experience evening befor last. I am almost sire it was a BIG CAT. I never felt a bite but set tye hook ans tis thing came down the side of the boat. I trid to raise it and it was like I had hooked into a bolder a bolder down here. Thng just kept on truckin roght past me. about 10 more foot and the hook just came out. I am about sure it as a fowl hooked. He left a few calling cards though in the form of silver dollar szed bubbles. a sure sign of a catfish on.

I rarely go for the busting them on top. Not going to anymore anyway. Makes my shoulders too sore with al those long cast. I really believe you can do as well or better jigging. The evening he caught the big one we had busters all around us and that one was at 28 ft and they were busting around us at the same time.. You never know what your going to find down deep. When we used to have the fantastic Blue cat population I caught several over ten under feeding white bass. I miss those days

we were using topwaters with spinners and a zara spook. We were not walking the zara we were giving it straigh jerks about a foot long and then resting it. Last evening the surface action was much slower and smaller fish than the evening before. Myelf I almost never chase risers. The long cast make my shoulders real sore so I spend all my time jig the bottom. I keep my finder on and sort of roam around looking for groups of them. I prefer the bottom jigging anyway. I have caught everything that swims in LOZ doing that. When I and my neighbor were out last time he got a 7 lb Hybrid and there ere risers all around us. But the big one came at 28 ft. I have never caught any like that on the surface chasing shad.

The bruising in this phote looks like it could have come from a ride in a lve well it is very recent

Well you known Wrench there has been lot of popularity surrounding your area for the last few years. They just took the top off. I do believe that is what is about to happen with tye crappie as well. People have learned how to get them all summer long. I know you were aware of all the 13" crappie being reported all ver the gravois. As far as the White, Hybrids and Stripers I been telling you about that down here. I spent 2 eveniings in a row chasing chasing after those surfacing ( sonething Ivery rarelt do bring a spoon fisherman) with a baot caster making those long cast. I can assire you I never will again. I absoluty know those days ar over. Really made a mess of both shoulders

I live near Botts Farm on the LOZ west side. They have a collection of some odd animals up there. from time to time. Everything from goats to camels. I have seen a goat faint one time I THINK but did not know what was happening

That OK Mitch Did not know that but will try to make it next year if am still kicking then. Just as well. made me stay home and get some things done around here. I been spending most my evening fishing for Hibrids abd Stripers. A lot of fun with fish running 2-3 My neighbor went with me the other evening. It was the first time he ever really targeted Hybrids.He got a 7 Lb,er. Got another friend here that is going with me tomorrow evening. I do not think he has ever targeted them either. He just bought a house here a few months ago and is down here a lot. He is a bussiness manager for some folks in blue grass music industry. It permits him a lot of durong the week free tome. HE s pure crappie person cannot wait to see him when that first Hybrid or stiper bust his bait.

You going to be there Sunday ??? I cane down there Sat afternoon from Lauri and nobody was there

I will be over to see you all right after noon sometime. cannot stay to long. Got a coyple commitments in the adternoon.

I sympathize with you . Have only been chasing after Hybrids and stripers this past week. Wd had one evening where wevcaught 15 or 16 Hybrids with all but a few underv17" with the largest one 27" and 7lbs. Next day it was 3-4 with none ofer a couple lbs last two outings it was nothing more than 1 big drum each trip. This timevof the year thats all I want to do.

I do not doubt for a ,minute she will do it. That young lady is more of fisher peson than many I see posting on here. I hope she out fishes you to this weekend. I do not want to hear about your not catxhing fish becaise you have to untangle her from trees.

I sort of looks to me like when I look at the big picture tournament fishermen remind me of feeding white bass. The fishers of fishermen cast out their lure and no matter what the cost are what it is and you all gobble it right up.

This one and the we caught were between 25 and 27 ft. We do a awful lot of roaming around out there with the electric troller HUNTING them in water from 40 to 15 ft deep. I think sitting still waiting for them to come to you limits your chances. Trolling can be effective but you spend a lot of time in Unproductive water. Ant to be truthful it just bores the He-- out of me.

Your going to keep ragging on wrench and he is going to turn his dog loose on you. . He can about stomp you just by greeting you.

You might want to go up to Univ of Missouri and see what they have to say. They are leaders in fixing the bones. they have devoped a way to grow caritage. I do bot know currently where that stands. I do not think you can find better treatment than they offer up there

Very much agreed. Spoons are like plugs and some or better than others. I can assire you that one in the middle is the worst I have ever used. For my purposes on LOZ ( bottom bumping for Hybrids. Strippers and catfish You cannot beat a Slab spoon or one of the Kastmaster spoon type. Yes that plastic spoon is funny. I can about make a list of why it will not work.

I have had both knes replace and a second replacenent for one of them also a total shoulder replacement. Inknow you will hear stories. Sone people want to sound like they really went through it sort of ohhhh poor me. Well pay no attention. Do your rehab and do it as instructed There s going to be pain for sire but your not going to beat the pain without working to end it.

That is a good point ZARA. It is buth true and false. Our sociity is in a big hurry today. Really to me there only main three things that count RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME and RIGHT WAY. I used to know a fisherman who kept so many notes about his fishing trips, I think he finally got a computer to take care of them. He believed in that system and maybe still does. Well he went on to win a Walmart championship. I am not certain it was the notes as much as all the notes reminding him of the right time,right place and right way. The point here is he was taking a lot of time to study the things that really matter in sports fishing. You got to hook those 3 paramount of fishing together to be consistantly successful. Then there is presintation and retrieve. If these are wrong all the rights in th world might be worthless. If there os any secrets being held us old guys this might be where most of them are. And yes I will confess I do ,and I believe most of us old folks protect our spots. We also practice good conservation and treatment of our catch. .

I am not unhinged metally. But there seens to be some relationship occuring between my sight my thinking and my fingers. I think it has to do with age and being tired. I usially do not come in here inless I am sitting in my chair after doing some work or something. then I can fall asleep in a second. I took my new neighbor out this evening Hybrid fishing. This was the first time he ever targeted Hybrids.. Here is what he caught 26" and about 7lbs

The thing is I do not have a working auto correct and I have a hard time seeing what I am typing. Believe it or not I used to wrote congressinal responses. Proceedure, and regulations. Now ypu know what might be coming in your futire.

The other afternoon i was fishing fr crappie off my dock. thos turtle swims thru the stall that I have never seeen before. And cannt find anything about it Here os what otvlooked like: It was almost round and about the size of a dinner plate. the shell seemed a bit raised like Logger Head but not as pronunced. The real strange thing was that it had these protruding needle like barbs sticking out about a 1/2 inch all away around the shell. they were about 1/2.-3/4 of a inch apart. never have Inseen anything like that in my 77 years on earth :

WRENCH If I can find sufficient sized shad back in the coves I will be after them this evening with jigs tipped with shad. Need to get the shad about about 4-5 then beat to the spot while they are frensh in the Ice water in my little linch box.

Well I am setting here at my daughters table in Hermann having lunch and there is some pretty strange things on there. Knowing her when she told me were going to have some of her fermented sweet pickles. In ask her What toilet are they in. Its was a joke. I tell you though she can be a very good cook and also come up with some really wild stuff. at least for me at my age.

thank you for the offer Billithead I might just take yoou up on that Top Dollar the sink rate is what its all about fishing . I do not get very excited about color. I do like to use braid for crappie because it floats. I can watch it like a cork for strikes and the slower the better for that. .