nomolites

Yes, it needs to be shaved off just like whites. A good electric knife makes all easy peasy. Mike

I have taken advantage of that with the non-RX MJs I have on more than one occasion over the years(I wear contact lenses at times) and that warranty is wonderful. Polarized lenses make a huge difference in visibility and eye fatigue. Mike

I have found we get what we pay for; I buy new glasses every other year(somewhat offset by insurance) and I have high end polarized scrip glasses(Maui Jim) that are the absolute bomb, especially for fly fishing. They ain’t cheap though…have had them for 5-6 years and baby them. Only Zeiss wipes, and rinse first if there is any sand or dirt on them. Mike

Which one? That term is apropos most celebs and pols, including Brandon. Mike

I will take lot #17, the harness components. Mike

I’ve had them all. I think much has to do with setup and care. Don’t under HP your rig, don’t set up to max out the RPMs, don’t run WFO(or idle for that matter) all the time-try to run mid-range, and take care of the equipment. When I’ve done that, my stuff lasts…when not, it comes apart. Mike

I went down to check on Mom and saw the boat traffic, white caps, and very high number of crappie trollers/strollers out and did not even splash the boat. Did chores and headed home. Nice weather brings out the ID10Ts. Mike

And I almost forgot to mention…when hybrid fishing LOZ lots of ditch pickles will foul your line as well…lol Mike

Wrench is largely correct about where to start, although I would add that most of the main lake flats where you get current will pull stripers in summer in the mornings or evenings. This includes the Niangua as there is a very good population in that arm as they are riverine in nature and like the current. It pays to know what they are doing a Bagnell - fish when they are moving water. He will bash me for saying that…but so be it. Find the shad. If they are scattered look for them, if they are bunched up move on. This time of year wind blown banks on the main lake or the center of coves taking the wind off the main lake can be good as well. Anywhere you find the hybrids there are usually a pack of big blues as well working the area and they will hit a spoon or crank bait maybe even more actively than the stripers….so there is that. I don’t care much for the catfish but sure catch a lot of hogs fishing for hybrids. Mike

I have had high quality hooks impaled in my hand just as described. Once. I now carry the locking fishing pliers which lip the beast while the hook(s) are extracted. It makes hybrid chasing a much safer endeavor….especially with multiple hook crank baits or jerkbaits. Mike

Ask Bernoulli. Mike

Ah…the infamous turd roller…I know you’re not the disappointent that those things are…lol.

There are definitely good young people out there and I did not mean to imply otherwise. There are very few that will work jobs that require shifts other than days with weekends off. The world runs 24x7x365 and that’s the rub. Benefits and salary are not enough to entice the majority of good young talent beyond those parameters.

That is partially true, but the current shortage extends to driving jobs where you are home every day and have 2 days off a week….OTR drivers are even harder to come by. It is not just drivers, the same challenge is facing most industries. I’m glad I’m at the tail end of my career and won’t have to look this in the eyes a few years down the road from a business perspective…as a consumer will be bad enough. Mike

Many reason, just to name a few: 1) increased demand for drivers - certain sectors of the economy are booming, and there is significant infrastructure work under way in certain geographies(Texas as an example). Trucking liquids via truck that could be transported via pipe add to demand. Launching satellites for internet and taking joy rides to space also add to demand, etc. 2) attrition - many drivers are in the age range where they are retiring, and younger folks don’t want to drive a truck…did you know they normally work more than 40 hours a week? Egad. Young people do not want to work that hard. 3) regulation - lots of folks - both business owners and drivers - have reached a point where they have had enough. You need 20% more capital invested in tractors to run a business now as that many are waiting to be repaired at dealers for emissions related problems at any given time - you can’t get parts and the techs don’t know how diagnose and fix them if you could. Drivers are increasingly micro managed by regulators with added medical and HOS requirements. A typical driver in the past chose that vocation because they could be their own boss - not anymore. I see it getting worse before it gets better, but I could be wrong. Mike

In large scale material movements the cheapest and safest way to move liquid or gas is via pipeline. Significantly. Not even remotely close to any other method - meaning without pipelines the costs of downstream goods rises and becomes significantly higher. Further, the workers and material required to transport these liquids and gas via other modes(water, rail, truck)will impact other portions of the economy as well. From what I can see, with limited rail capacity and truck drivers shortages among other things, shutting down pipeline transport is not what I would consider a smart move. And for the record, most of these pipes are moving materials primarily within the US…and without them life as we know it simply doesn’t exist. Hopefully Keystone II was what it appears to be, simple political pandering, rather than a harbinger of things to come with respect to pipelines as a mode of liquid material transport. Mike

Those burls are bad news…we are losing mature pin oaks in droves in my area due wasp infestation - watching another come down a few houses down today. Hope your Dad’s trees can fight it off - some can and some can’t. Mike

They idea of paying all equally and they will contribute equally is flawed and naive. I certainly agree many bonuses are excessive, but I also regularly observe observe employees who contribute nothing and still get paid(mostly union). Compensation should be performance and commitment based, but in litigious society that’s not going to happen. We will continue to pay for it and hard workers will continue to carry the dregs and slugs until something changes. Giving them more money ain’t gonna fix it.

In my experience is it’s all about field care and properly butchering….that goes for elk, deer, squirrels, fish, etc. Most folks don’t know how to care for and prepare meat short of from the grocery case, and many not even then. Mike

That looks delicious. My daughter lives in Evergreen Park and I’ve become fond of Chicago style dogs as a result, as well as a few of the other food items that are best found there. I love to eat the local fare when traveling, even in Chicago. Mike

I noticed. Mike

Nice Wrench! Thanks for reminding me what I am missing. Mike

18” is just primarily the white river lakes….15” in most other resevoirs and rivers. Mike

My firearms are locked up unless in my personal possession. Always. As I young person I had to pass my fathers firearms safety course before I was allowed to use one and it was much more stringent and comprehensive than my CCW course. Same with operating a watercraft, no pass - no use. Mike

Those are nice as well. I’m usually toting a Kimber which only packs one more, but if I’m heading to the Wild West I have other more flexible options to as well. Mike