bassnass

Now, insert full moon jokes.

ps - the 10th is a full moon - it will be three-quater come the 18th w/e - lots of light for the night...

I can get there. I need a spot to sleep. I need 72hrs in a boat. I can def. drag asses to boats, I'm hardcore.

Is this here non-boater included in the "we"? Why am I having flashbacks to public school and not getting picked for soccer?...

There’s a lot of great info here - but it's true what they say: "There's no substitute for time on the water". Granted, fishing time can be hard to garner (there is just never enough) - but nothing has improved my learning curve more than picking a creek and trying to hit it daily - even an hour or two. Pay attention to everything you see - especially the fish. Experiment and learn what works, when. If you think something's going to work and doesn't - don't be too quick to trash it - try it out now and then, again. If I had set hard and fast rules about what didn't work because it didn't work the first time, I'd probably feel like NOTHING works (we've all had those days). While I believe failure teaches you more than success, set your standards by your successes more readily. And always, experiment. Vary your presentation. I've drifted some fish repeatedly with roe, and then pink worm, pink worm, pink worm, and then worm, worm, worm, and then nym-BANG!. Start with what you feel most confident in (wherever that confidence comes from) and change it up from there. Never say never, either – as the 10” pink worm anecdote from this thread demonstrates – fish haven’t read the same magazines as all of us, and they don’t follow the “rules”. I’m sure my man doesn’t fish those 10-inch pinkies all that often, but I bet he keeps a few in his vest, now. Changing your presentation doesn’t just mean changing what’s at the end of your line, but also how you’re delivering it to the fish – floating/bottom-bouncing/hot-shotting/holding/drifting/retrieving/speed? – leader length/material/test/colour – line material/test/colour – swivel(s) size & placement – weight(s) size & placement – depth your fishing – hook size/colour/type -- drift-line (I’ve seen 2” closer to a log jam on a bend make all the difference). I often think that what's on the hook isn't as important as all the rest of it. The mind boggles. Use your common sense and confidence as a starting point and lean on your experience to guide your experimentation / fine tuning. Most of us have come a long way from spin-casts and red-and-white plastic bobbers. Keep comin’ -- don’t get bogged down by the infinite possibilities in presentation – that’s where the fun is! Presentation variation is a must because the trout change, the creeks change, and each tributary has it’s own unique characteristics. Trout activity and response is something that changes, HUGE – almost constantly. I’ve had days where trout come shooting out from under a bank five feet away, careening across the surface to slam a roe-bag I was retrieving back up through middle of the current in order to make another cast. Other days, if it doesn’t come within a 3” ‘bubble’ around their head, they won’t even look at it. One day, I spent 30 minutes working a big girl that was holding under a log. I eventually got frustrated and ‘crashed the creek’, at which point I realized this fish was asleep. I walked up to her, took a bunch of pix and vidy, and stroked her once or twice. Then I woke her up and she hastened off. This brings me to my next suggestion for variation. Change your tactics. We all creep around like ninja commandos trying to stay slow and low and out of sight so as not to spook our wary adversaries. Not me. Not always, anyway. That big trout I woke up – I caught her a little later that day - 26 inches of niceness. Now, “Crash The Creek” is a tactic in my arsenal. Not only will I rudely awaken slumbering slimers, I’ll bust up any ice if I find it’s hindering my drifts. Keep an open mind. After you’ve broken up that annoying ice form, the trout may just do a couple laps around the pool and be ready to hit a 10” pink worm. Changing tactics can also include changing location – move up or down stream – or move to another stream altogether. We all love that ‘green perfection’. Often times, the next creek ‘over’ will be exhibiting diametrically different conditions than the one you're at – high, dirty or just filled with snobby trout. So it MIGHT be a good time to try another creek. Running and gunning to try and find beautiful green water on a creek SOMEWHERE is fine and dandy, but I’d encourage you to stick it out on the creek you’ve been fishing. Keep experimenting with your presentation and which areas of the creek you’re fishing. Most guys won't fish high, dirty water, but I will - only because I was there the day before, knew there were trout in the creek - knew where they were - started in those spots and moved until I found out how they react to high dirty water and what was working. You might be pleasantly surprised. The more you learn, the greater your experience, the more apt you’ll be to fish difficult conditions with at least some success – taking advantage of the time you have. As you do start to hit a few different creeks you’ll probably notice that each stream has it’s own ‘personality’. Aside from general classification (creek, stream, river), and as much as “fish are fish are fish”, I’ve found that every body of water fishes a little differently than the last, generally. Put your time in, and you will start to pick up on subtle and unique characteristics that will help give you an extra edge. From my experience, if I'm fishing a creek "cold" (meaning, it's the first time I've fished it at all, or in a while), I'll at least have some idea what areas to target and how, given whatever conditions. Experience is the best teacher, and every experience teaches you something. Get out there and experience it! Keep an open mind and go with what you know. And remember to enjoy yourself - you're fishin'!

dang marshmallows...

Throwin' my hat in the ring...

NIce

Nice!

Haha - HH - you're sick (I like it). Will - you're right - let's never go back - how about next week? There's a hat cam on the market - but it's not as good as mine. If you want want the good one, send $69.69 to ...

HH - don't be a pen-15 - you leave my luscious manmaries alone! Just bc I wouldn't let you, how did you put it, "Take them gently in your mouth like marshmallow strawberries" at the Quinte weekend, doesn't mean you should be a meanie. They're perky enough that they don't need a bro. Cliff - We smelled like all that is man. That caribou just caught wind of far superior studs and didn't want to lock antlers with champs! That, and I took a daily dip at the heighth of the heat in the PM - totally refreshing! Bly - I tie my leaders just fine! Will doesn't know how to use them properly (I rocked the same fluoro leader all week!). And it was a 26" fish he lost anyway! Will, I don't know what took so long. lol - great job buddy - and I like our deal - I'll capture the moments, and you can extoll our virtues to the world! People - don't go. It wasn't the experience of a lifetime. The fishing obviously sucked. And I want to make sure that there'll be room in the schedule to book the times I want for next year. Also - maybe I should start a new topic - but I'm here and busy - what is really different leader mat'l vs. line? How many other people have had issue with fluoro leaders being bitten through? I was using 100lb fluro - should I just go heavier?? Thoughts? Discuss.

So cool! Man, how good must swimmin in the pool on a sunny day must've felt for her!

Totally - greatly appreciate the effort!! Cheers!

haha - awesome - supposed to be wheel chair-bound for 3 mos, but takin' on stairs tomo - gfh!

If she digs the crutches more - she should keep rockin' them - her pits will tough up within a week or reg. use - then she'll been runnin' laps round people - leaps n bounds

She'd be a great motivspeaker! Look how much she's inspired us clowns - and that was indirectly!

SHE RAWKS!!

100% Cancer free...that sounds awesome. Ramble all ya like, man. Ramble on...

I have no doubt she'll be attending that shower! Ya can't keep a good girl down!

I have to admit - I'm not even surprised at her - kickin' ass and takin' names! And, if she doesn't want her bikini pics posted, would she object to pix of you in a bikini getting posted, Wayne?! lol

She's a true inspiration - totally happy to hear the good word - I bet she whips re-hab in a month and a half. Y'all rock! Stay up!!

All the very best to you and yours Wayne. I'm glad to hear you'll all be get a break and a rest away from it all! Cheers

Wayne, I tell ya - you're spirit is an inspiration. You're truly doing the best things in the best way that anyone could. I admire your focus - and take solace in the fact that in a situation where you might feel powerless, you're doing everything that makes you a powerful force for everyone around - from keeping that positivity, to taking care of your day-to-day (taxes!?!! I can't do my taxes at the best of times!). You da man, brother. Stay up! L

Brother, I'm not religious by any means - but there's is no question as to the power of positivity - and yours is outstanding. I'm sending good vibes and adding to the positivity pile - here's to seein' through to brighter days! You and your family, from what I gather, are shining examples of the human spirit - on par with this fellow... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciYk-UwqFKA Yeah, it's a tad cheesey at the end - buy hey, he's workin' it. You guys keep workin' it! (and I hope your daughter has a blast at her weddings!)