Jigger

looks like a great year for you! Hope your '09 works out to be just as good!

paul beat me to it. potato trick works great if the glass breaks.

He was wearing a Blue Jays hat...

A simple trick for transforming open eye spinnerbaits to "closed eye" is to use electrical shrink tube on the bend. Also my #1 for securing trailer hooks.

Nice whiteys man. Drop me a line when you are hitting the bog!

It would help to know what kind of waters you fish mostly and if you are shore fishing or fishing from a boat. If I'm shore fishing a heavily weedy bay, I'm packing way less than if I'm fishing out of my boat fishing a variety of situations and structure. Either way, I've downsized my tackle to maybe 3 or 4 trays on a given outing. Also, I'd way rather carry two rods shore fishing and carry what works in a backpack than carry one rod and have to continually fetch my schoolbus-sized tackle box which I brought because I needed to have every lure I have on hand because I MIGHT need them. Everytime you pick the box up is a cast missed and time lost (-1 casts). You might say the same about having to pick the other rod up. But if you have a confidence lure on, every time you switch rods is time saved having to change a lure actually giving you more fishing time(+3 casts).

Plunger... Funny word when you write it. Does the toilet drain properly? Sink? You may just have alot of hair and crap built up in the bathtub strainer. Pop-up strainers collect a ton of stuff in bathtubs and should be checked every now and again...

Danbos comment regarding ice fishing would seem like common sense to me. As far as soft water goes, I try and do as much research as I can before hitting the water with maps, weather patterns, books on fish behavior and talking to other anglers. Try and get as many different maps of the area you´re going to be fishing and whittle down the spots you intend to try first and form some semblance of a gameplan. Theres always something that will make you change that gameplan along the way. But without that primary research, especially on new water you´re starting out guessing and could be wasting valuable time trying inappropriate methods to achieve your goal of catching fish. Once you are on the water, as far as gadgets go, a FF is ahead of a trolling motor IMO. Then trolling motor followed by a GPS. On bigger water with lots of unfamiliar water, a GPS isn´t a requirement. But more time to learn the water is. Just have to quadrant reeally big water and saturate the area to learn it. That being said, there are times when I really wished I had a GPS to explore a small hump that was a potential goldmine only to search for a long time and discover that it was devoid of fish and could have spent my time more wisely if I could have found the spot right away. One final point would be in regard to money fishermen. If I was one, I would want every tool I could get my hands on. I think in the end, it really boils down to what you´re looking to get out of a day on the water and how you feel most comfortable achieving that goal.

great year for you Raf! That pike is sick! Nice lakers and 'skis as well. I really like that island shot, thats mag worthy.

The Mysterio Malbec is also on sale for 7.45 right now. Great wine for the price.

Congratulations Rob! Best early Christmas present you could ask for.

Summers comin'!!! A little ice fishing to pass the time and then ice out lakers, then pike, then musky, and before you know it, bass opener!!! WOO-HOO!!!!

For me, the catch of the year was an incidental, but one that took a fish off my to-do list. No measurement, no weight. Nice kitty.

I'll go with Bucktail on this one. #1 looks like the tiger. Congrats on #3, great way to end the season, looks like a real healthy fish!

Not sure if they are Mustang, but CTC has suits for 179.00$ in the flyer this week...

MAzing, don't you think that if the BIG three were smart they would have made their cars a little more in keeping with the times? The reason so many imports get sold is because they are far more reliable, and like John stated, they offer far more limited options and are more linear with their approach to business. Look at the examples given by the TS about Fords upcoming lineup. 300hp?400hp? Come on, the bigwigs are in the pocket of big oil and the vehicles are not designed for the DIY fixup anymore. Used to be North American cars desingned for North Americans, yet these days it seems like they are designed for the North American to bring in for service. Build crap, don't expect it to last.

Looks like I'm booked up next weekend. Would've loved to join, I guess next year. Good luck guys! Hope to see another biggun posted shortly after you get back!

Hey guys, just a stab on this one to see if anyone has a spot open for the M&G? I'd love to join in, but my boats only a 14fter and even though its a Lund I'd rather not take any more risks than necessary, especially on new water. Thanks.

Thanks for the invite Lew! I was thinking water a little more on the smaller side seeing as I only have a 14 footer. I've seen the pics of the past few trips you guys made at his time of year. Looks like it can get pretty hairy out there! Maybe someone has a spot open? I'm guessing theres a sticky up so I'll check in there.Now I just have to slide it past the warden .

Just a reminder to everyone that with the temps quickly dropping its about that time to shut off your outside hosebibs for the winter. Or, you can wait and go from to in a hurry.Thats all, HOHOHO.

Oh my... Hmm, my boats in the garage but these threads are beginning to make her want to see water next weekend...Congratulations again are in order to the lucky angler.

I always look forward to Thursdays paper to read Johns articles. It always helped the anticipation of the upcoming weekend. It'll be missed by many, I'm sure.

Happy Birthday Rob! Hope its one to remember!

Thats a special fish right there. Congatulations to the lucky angler! Simply awesome. I hope that one day I can tangle with one even close to that. And at night! In 3.5 foot waves?! Sick. Or do we need a stick to verify the height of the waves GCD?