Jabber Jaw

Wayne, I haven't checked all the sites out yet, but Grogs animated knots is exactly the type of information I was looking for! Very useful and informative! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Jabber Jaw

Thanks Brian, just sent a response. Jabber Jaw

Thanks to all of you, I appreciate it! Jabber Jaw

I have read through many of the posts looking for titles of books, but haven't really seen anything that I think I would find useful for a beginner's level. I was wondering if anyone could give me some titles of books written for beginners. I know that the best way to learn would be to go fishing with an experienced angler, but until I can solve my issue with time, I think that I can learn some of the technical aspects from plainly written books that have good quality illustrations, such as using and tying different types of knots, type of line to use, why and when, hooks, etc, the basics. Thank you in advance for any suggestions. Jabber Jaw

Hi Brian! I called this morning to ask if it was possible to request the time off and she made me make an appointment. I will know something Friday afternoon. She is so rigid! From the administration's standpoint she is perfect, but I have my doubts that she is even human. A lot will probably depend on future hospital census projections, including the effects of probable H1N1 cases for the spring. So people listen up, wash your hands often, use plenty of hand sanitizer, don't touch your face with your hands, and stay away from sick people until June! I just turned 31. Max is 8 and is like talking to a very short grown up, he is very serious, and is sometimes too tough on himself. Sam is 6, is really laid back, goes with the flow, and he's quite the little charmer. Their personalities are as different as night and day. They are both really good kids though and I know both of them would really love to meet you and your family and would appreciate spending some time with you and learning from you. I really hope that we can work everything out and can make one of these times work! Jabber Jaw

I agree with you. The kindness and generosity I have been shown on this forum has totally amazed me. I feel really fortunate to have found this site and I am so glad that I was able to work up the courage to post my first inquiry. I was so worried that no one would answer or I would be told to go away and to stop bothering people. I am so glad that didn't happen! I called earlier this morning to talk to Genghis about requesting the time off so the boys and I could meet up with Fireman Brian and his family at Montauk and she made me set an appointment, Friday afternoon at 2:00 pm. This is going to sound bad and really selfish, but I am waiting for enough people to quit or get fired so I can be put on a set schedule rotation and can actually make plans that I know I can keep without the threat of getting fired if I call in, don't answer my cell phone, or if refuse to go in if called. Until that day, I am really hesitant to make any firm plans and have to break them on short notice (like 15 minutes after we arrive)....unless Genghis grows a heart someday soon. If it wasn't for the fact that my parents live just 10 minutes away and will watch the boys under these conditions and I have 3 backup babysitters "just in case" I would never be able to keep this job long enough to be able to get to the point where I will have some job security and the great benefits that will come along with that. In the meantime, I want to learn as much as I can, any way that I can. At least I feel that I am doing something to work towards my goal in the only way I can think to do it under these circumstances. Jabber Jaw

I agree, Brian's offer just blew me away! I still can't get over it! Jabber Jaw

Brian, I am speechless! Thank you so much! I will have to see if I can pull this off and I will get back with you in a few days to let you know either way so if I can't swing it, someone else can have the room. Even with this much notice, the big question will be if where I work will let me request the time off for that entire weekend because I was hired as relief staff. Even in healthcare, they know that there are so many people looking for work that all of us have to pretty much kiss their bum and take any garbage they want to dish out or we will be replaced and I have absolutely no seniority right now. Not to mention our D.O.N. makes Genghis Khan look all warm and fuzzy. If April 30-May 1 doesn't work out, I would be honored for you to teach the boys and me how to trout fish. Maybe we can figure out a day this spring that works for all of us and we could meet someplace in between us. And don't worry about me giving up, that isn't in my make up. Thanks and God Bless YOU! Jabber Jaw

I have been concentrating so much on the how, the where got lost somewhere in the thought process. If not for the first trip, Lilley's Landing is a place I will be taking the boys. A friend of mine also suggested the lake in Lamar, I will also be taking them to Roaring River at some point. I know that there are some creeks that are close by where we could go. Where I took Sam had what I think was small mouth bass, bluegill, and some other type of little perch. There were other types of fish in there, but we didn't catch any of them. I know there were a couple of guys fishing a little ways downstream from us that were catching fish a lot bigger than what we were catching and from a distance looked to be different kinds of fish from what we were catching. I hadn't thought about fishing in a pond, but I think that would be something that we would be interested in. I don't know how fishing with a 6 year old and an 8 year old would work in a boat or canoe and we don't have either anymore, so we'll probably start out with fishing from the bank or from a dock and see where it goes from there. I wanted to surprise the boys on their spring break, it was a tradition that my husband had started when Max started Kindergarten. From what I have read on this forum and from what some have suggested, trout and bass are probably what we would want to catch, but I think more than anything, whatever type of fish it is, catching it with lures is the key to satisfying Max. I want all of us to have fun and catch some fish and I want to feel like I know a little bit about what I am doing when and wherever we go. It would also be great if instead of a meltdown I saw two happy little faces that were once again all excited to go fishing, even though I was the one taking them. I hope this is what you needed and is enough information for you to help me. Jabber Jaw

I want learn as much as I can from everyone, even if I won't be using it for a while. I have been printing out all the advice and instructions I am getting and putting all of it in a folder so I have it when I need it. I realize that everything about fishing is a lot more difficult than what I already knew how to do and Max was right when he said perch jerking was baby fishing. I have a lot to learn before I can even catch up to what Max knows. I figure Sam and I are at about the same level, except I don't play with the worms. Jabber Jaw

I may never be able to use plastic worms to fish with, but I would still like to see if I can learn how to rig it (right word?). I like to challenge myself and take on things that push me past what I thought I would be able to do. If any of you want to teach me something, I really want to try to learn it. I also want to make sure that I can give Max what he needs to be successful, whether it is fishing or anything else. If that means moving him past wanting to fish with plastic worms and onto other lures for now, that is what I intend to do. Believe me, I trust everyone else's judgement on this forum much more than my own where fishing is concerned and I intend to follow your suggestions. You guys are the experts and I am the one who came to you and asked for your help. But on the other hand, if I can actually learn how to rig and use the plastic worms myself, I would like to be able to teach Max how to do this myself (but only in a few years and only when he is old enough to use them). I may fail, but I want to at least try. I am also working really hard to get past my fear of Max using anything with a treble hook. I worked in the ER at a hospital when we were still in Texas, I don't know how it happened, but one time a man came in with two of the three hooks stuck in his ear. One hook was stuck in the outer ear and one was stuck at the opening of the ear canal. His fishing buddy caught him. He was definitely the biggest catch of the day for that guy! I tell myself that getting hooks stuck in body parts happen all the time, but most aren't as serious as this and don't require surgery to remove them. Jabber Jaw

Should have been Goodland, Kansas, duh! What can I say, I have fancy fingers this morning!

I printed out your reply and took it to the basement where I have all of the fishing gear stored and looked through the totes, comparing the pictures with what we have and we have all of the lures and reels you posted, several of each. There is a lot of gear. I want to start practicing doing the Texas-rigged plastic worm set up (is that worded correctly?), but first I need a little clarification. I am not sure what this is "Usually on a 2/0 VMC"; is it the hook size and type? And is the slip sinker the one with the groove cut in it? I found a pair of needle nosed pliers in the tackle box; is that what you use to tighten down the sinker onto the line? It looks like there is a lot of different sizes, so what size/weight would you suggest as the best to start with and how tight does it need to be? Should it have a lot of resistance when I pull on the sinker or should it not move at all? The sinker wasn't easy to see, so I need to know about how far from the hook and lure to place the sinker, or is it touching the hook and lure? My sister and her husband are coming in from Goodman, Kansas for Thanksgiving and are staying with me for a few days. I told my brother in law what I was doing and he offered to help me go through all of the fishing tackle and separate the gear by what it is used for while they are here. He thinks I am a little nuts, but he is going to help me anyway. I was kind of in a fog when I packed everything up and the way I packed it up probably wasn't the most logical way it could have been done. I don't mean it's all just mixed together and thrown in totes, all the like items are packed in containers and the containers are packed in totes, but it isn't separated by what type of fishing it is used for and it probably was before I packed it. Oh well, live and learn. On the bright side, after we go through everything I will be better able to tell you what gear I do have and speed the process up a bit.

From what I have read about putting the plastic worms on the hook, I think you are right! I also don't know what all his Dad taught him or what lures he had him use when they would go fishing. Most of what they told me when they would come home was in angler jargon and unfortunately I didn't ask more questions. It's good to know more about the trout stamp, thank you for the explanation. I really don't want to mess any of this up. All of you guys have been so helpful and kind! I really appreciate everything all of you are doing to help me!

Thanks FishinCricket. Max's dream is to someday catch a lunker, so...bass. Sam just wants to go fishing, period. Max aims high and Sam is pretty laid back.