m&m

176, that is one hungry fish!!! mike

Bo, you sum it up pretty well. Fish mainly eat and spawn. Pretty simple when you think about it. If my kitchen was in my basement, I would spend more time down there when I am hungry. Sometimes we make it a lot more complicated than it really is. Mike

Bo, Thanks for the nice report. Congrats on the catching. wow that is some deep fish. Mike

Someone here said that since the Rams are moving they will now follow the Chiefs and guess what? The Chiefs already made the playoffs so the guy was happy!!!! Mike

Quill, thanks for coordinating. I saw the video from last year and the weight that won and this year should be a very good tourney too. By the way is there a weight deduction if the fisher person is wearing a jersey? Mike

BMB, by the way I sent you a PM yesterday. Mike

BMB, been there done that too. When I hit the windshield with my bait I not only broke the bill, but i cracked the windshield. Ugh!!! Mike

When I first read this I thought I should call the police because someone obviously hacked into FW's forum login credentials. lol But then i took a breath and read what he is saying which is exhibit mutual respect until someone shows they don't deserve it. Mike

nhornback, if you really want to boost your confidence start going to local or national tournament weigh-ins. You will see some of the best fishermen who don't come to the scales at the end of the day because they got skunked or only caught a couple that will not cash them a check. Rick Clunn once said that he sets his expectations to get 5 bites a day while fishing. Sometimes we think that we should be catching them on every cast and that is just unrealistic. As you get more experience you will find that a good day may be just a couple of fish. Enjoy those days because there is no one on this forum who has not been skunked on a day when they thought they had the perfect plan. IMHO Mike

thanks, I'll be there. Mike

Pete, That is exactly what I do also. I cast it out, let it settle to the bottom and keep a little slack (arch) in the line then every now and then I lift the rod to straighten the line and feel it leaving the Ned on the bottom. That little lift allows a little movement in the lure (not forward, just a little action remaining still). Then I hold it tight for a few minutes and that is when I usually feel a fish. I have to say that sometimes when I do the rod lift, the line is moving already. But this little lure really works!! Mike

I wear under armor cold gear as a base and the BPS gortex outer layer rain suit. Wool socks keep my feet warm and the neoprene gloves keep my hands warm. I also wear a balaclava around my neck and pull up the hood and put on the Save Phace mask when I'm running. The in between layers vary in case it gets warmer or colder. This has worked to keep me comfortable. Mike

Nhornback, you can use the search tool on this forum also to look at past posts. Hiring a guide is money well spent. Also some of us get on the chat every other Tuesday at 7:00pm open topics. I think this coming Tuesday is our next group chat. Quill back is that right? mike

Alex, nice report. Thanks for the picture also. Been a long time since I've seen one. Mike

Hahaha??? mike

Abkeenan, I think you are getting closer to organizing a fall OAF around the dam area. that way it works for everyone. Spring up the river and fall around the dam. Mike

Dave, you always see the silver lining. LoL Mike

State Park ramp is open. But debris is heading towards the dam. watch out for the floating logs as some of them will be deadly to your hull. Mike

My wife loves to ride in a pontoon boat and doesn't like to ride in a bass boat. Guess what kind of boat I have? Life is good. Mike

Ben, thanks for the information. Very beneficial . Happy New Year. Mike

Bassblind, I take my lead from the forum members who live on or near the lake as i value their wisdom. I've seen some posts from them indicating that they will not be going out for a while. But as Abkeenan said "that is for you to determine. Mike

It is no wonder that sometimes when you let go of the bowling ball it has a high arch to it before it hits the lane quietly. lol Mike

Snagged, I heard your boss is now a member of OAF and reads the forum regularly. lol Mike

I'll be there. This high water will give us a chance to get our boats, trailers and gear ready. This will be the 2nd year in a row that I have to cancel my winter video tour of parts of the lake. I have been looking forward to taking a video of TR when it is drawn down, but alas not this year either it seems. Mike

Dougdean, thanks for the report and pics. Mike