BSmaster

I try to keep a level heal about fishing. I do not want to get addicted to just one species but I think while everyone else gets steel fever I am constantly thinking about how the water looks, how the weather looks, Clear skies, wind, warm front-cold front, are they (eyes) moving upstream yet?, are they holding in deeper water? Are they feeding? I get the challenging part. Best fishing article I have read in a long time. Thanks for sharing.

Pete, We all had fun with it. Rednecks are good people. You just need to differentiate between the white trash and the redneck. If they all look the same to you then you are definitely on the outside looking in. Don't forget Einstein's theory of relativity. It is all on how you perceive that person where you are standing. Relatively speaking, I am a redneck at work to a lot of my cohorts. Some think I am a lib tree hug commy (because they are stupid and mean). I hired a bigger RN than me (from PA) and when he gets worked up it shows. When he starts off on a rant I joke with everyone that I hired him to make me look more normal. His last one was about a stolen trail cam. He shared with everybody and started learning how to booby trap the whole woods. A redneck gets even or at least wants to. Rednecks also have your back. They are usually the people who are there first to lend you a hand when you are in need. Slid off the road in PA one winter in black ice conditions (no cell service) and it was a couple of good ole boys out in there P/U passing time helping people get unstuck (this was the only reason they were out that night). Rednecks are more inclined to barter. Last year I traded 3 walleyes for 5 venison hearts. A redneck will stay up all night to make sure the pig doesn't catch on fire knowing that the success of ther next day's pig roast depends on him. And he will do it for a case of beer. You don't need to be one to be friends with them either. Just be yourself. ANALOGY: If you grew up in Virginia and travel to NY people think you are Southern. If you grow up in Virginia and goto Alabama people think you are a Yank. In either case that person is well equiped to converse with the north or the south. Throw that Bama person in NY (or vice versa) and there might be some tension. I think this is why Virginia is the state for lovers. Analogy might be off base but what I am trying to convey is that it is ok to be where you are at. You don't want to be too far Red or too far Yup. Right in the middle is best. You'll have more friends and probably better friends too. Want to break the ice. Cold beer. No micro stuff. Save that for your wife's firends' husbands. Remember what I said about killing something with an Axe. I verified with a few of my bigger redneck friends and they confirm. This is sure fire way to get dirt road cred. Red til I am Dead, Joe (4 boats in the yard, also, 21 patents)

The math is complicated because of all the ways the water comes and goes. The problems they have in the west are a result of mismanagement. The Aquifer in the great plains was depleted and then they got all that rain that one summer and it refilled. What about this summer? Mississippi is pretty low. At what point do the scientists/legislators say that the farmers have to reduce irrigation? Water is tied indirectly into the economy. The math is complicated. You are right - not simple. I honestly do not know what happened to the Colorado River. I must not be up to date. Sorry.

Only have a possibility of happening when oil becomes less valuable commodity than water. The logistics for both of those hypothesis seem to stretch my realistic expectations to the limits. Using simple dynamics, a very large portion of the water is renewable. This isn't a tub with no spigot. It comes in and goes out. (ignoring evap and seepage) The stuff that goes out is of no value to you unless you follow it. So if you have something (water) that you no longer use and someone offers to trade for that something that you no longer need, for something you do need (money, oil), than this makes good business sense. However, I do not see it happening (logistics). This is why guys with glaucoma shouldn't be put into think tanks. This is a Hollywood suspense/drama story theme and at present moment has little to do with reality. If water is that valuable, than I think we would see a lot more imbankments to capture this vital resource. A village in my area is selling water to the frackers. They had surplus water and turned it into a revenue generating resource for the village water department. Doesn't adversely affect the residents. My most general theme is that it would be very difficult to build this pipeline or ship this water. My secondary theme is that managing a resource properly is good thing. There is a new generation of tree huggers and these persons are better educated with politics and more tech savvy. They know they need to form a base to support their conclusions so they fill in the blanks that support their claim and discard the rest. All you see is a perfectly formed video/article leading/telling us we are doomed if we don't stop it from continuing. They have an agenda, misguided or not, it is still just a biased opinion - Just like my rant just now. IF you worry worts want to stay up all night. Google Yellowstone 2012 apocalypse and/or fema prison camps and just let it take you on a magical world of conspiracy and doom. Me, I'm going fishing. Joe

I find some of these stereo types hurtful. Some of the most intelligent people I know are rednecks. It doesn't matter how successful they are cuz everybody else just thinks they are idiots and morons because they might have slept with their cousin and eat a little road kill from time to time. One thing mentioned above is absolutely true. If you weren't a redneck yesterday there is no way at all you will ever become one tomorrow.

Don't forget DEC 21st!!! "BOOM" Things change - spot on jimski.

I forgot bumper stickers. There was a P/U down the road from me with the classic "Git R Dun" bumper sticker on it and last week I saw a 15 inch bumber sticker that said "I B o o bies" on an old Jimmy. I also forgot T - shirts and hats. Someone mentioned John Deere ealrier but to me that's just a farmers hat. If you get it from the county fair, its redneck. Also, judging by some recent posts in the trib section, Some might think you have to grab your reef pole and rig with power pro and 4oz drop shot and go get sum salmons. Those salmons really go after those crazy eggs this time of year.

Own multiple chain saws and throw an extra boat or two in the yard. That's how I keep it real now that I live in a small city. I don't mow the lawn when the neighbors do either. I mow every other, other time. A common misconception is that rednecks drink a lot of beer. Well, they may drink a lot of beer in high school. But If they make it out of high school they drink a hellavalot more beer and whiskey. Killing something with an ax will impress any certified redneck. Use the Phrase "I'll tell you what" a lot. If you do not have a lot of Duct tape, get some. If you don't have any you are a poser and any legitamite RN will know it. Sometimes all you need to do is put signs in your yard. Hand painted plywood or USB board works the best. Examples: Camp firewood $3 armfull. Warning (just warning) Keep Out! $100 Reward for information leading to the arrest ..... For Sale (sign works best with something unsalable surrounded by grass and weeds) Clean Fill wanted All examples have been witnessed by yours truly. Just get a small flag pole and fly a junior flag. It is the easiest way to let everyone know you are down with the good ole boys. My brother married into a yuppie city family. They use the term rednecking when they drink beer in the garage. Sounds silly to me but that is where we keep the beer fridge.

Nick, your like a fisherman's comic strip super hero. At the very least you are the commissioner. I always enjoy these posts. I hope you keep them coming.

Large mouth like a rock bass and a thick body like a rock bass but colorations like a pumpkinseed. As a kid I use tell everybody I was catching rocky/sunny hybrids. Speaking of hybrids, the pic at the top looks like it is a cross between a pumpkinseed and a green sunny. I am judging mostly by the way the mouth looks. And the pumpkinseed looks more like a a small Bluegill to me. I am by no means a sunfish expert. I am not afraid to send a picture to Cornell to let them identify it for me. With all the species, subspecies and crosses, then add water conditions. Example for water conditions. Large Mouth in the Southern tier are usually black (or have a lot of black on them) The ones I catch out of I-bay are straight Chrome. Deeper water is the only explanation I have for that or is that another subspecies ????? Bosox guy, you need to go catch yourself a striper. Minnows and panfish are fun at times but to become a Jeremy Wade you need to go get some big boys. Catch some rare subspecies too like a blue Pike or a grass pickerel. Good luck with your quest.

So I had a new tourny partner all set up for 2013. I planned on winning a lot of tournys. My wife all of a sudden decided that it would keep me away too much from the family so she said no way. It was ok on Monday and now it is not? WTF? I guess that's women for ya. Anyways, I figured I would help my tourny partner find a replacement. Let me know if you are in need. Here is a Photo to show fishing ability.

Ray, that's funny. My friends were afraid to take me trib fishing because they thought I was going to break a hip. I have one made out of bone and one out of ceramic. They called me Mr Glass (Unbreakable) after that character that would fall down and break 50 bones. I am 42 but if you look at my medical file you wouldn't think so. I laugh because I am OK. I love to fish. Why else would I go out in high winds, heavy snow and walk through slushy water? The investment was the floatation device to give my wife some peace of mind. In High school I was on the swim team. This doesn't mean I don't need to wear one. This is probably why the DEC makes it mandatory in the winter. Never know when you are gonna need it and unfortunately some people need to be made to wear one. I hope people on here read this and think about it. We all hate to read about those people who died fishing and it was something that could have been prevented. My vest has the terminal tackle, stringer, forceps, scissors, clippers, ruler, knife, and lures. I use it to hold other things I need as well. This is my life jacket. http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-D ... ct/103463/ Well worth the price. They do go on sale.

This is a rhetorical question. I want to share my experience today. Went fishing in a river with my 12 ft rowboat and a relative. I tend to stand a lot because I cramp up. I was standing akwardly, my fishing partner moved a little (he claims not at all) and I headed for the water. Seeing the boat was going to capsize otherwise, I continued right over. Since we intended to fish different areas of the river, we thought we may need to tow the boat over some rapids therefor I had my chest waders on. One thing I also have on is my lifejacket/tackle vest hybrid. It holds enough terminal tackle and keeps me afloat in the event i fall in. So if anyone that has ever had chest waders fill up know that you can barely move. It took a lot of energy to get to somewhere so I could stand up and makes me wonder how bad it could have been had I not been able to stop and float. Last year I was wading in a similar river when the water was very cold and rolled off an unsettled rock and fell backwards into the deeper water. Same result - Vest kept me up and I didn't even get water inside the waders. The water temp was around 40 that day and the air temp was 17. A lot warmer today, but I still felt cold. A lot of options exist today. My suggestion is to find one that works for you. I laughed about falling in afterwards. I am such a blankity blank. What else am I going to do? I didn't lose the boat or anything in it. WEAR a PFD!

Larry, Were they stone cats or bullheads? Jimski2, I do not know who passed the laws but it is confusing at times where you can get fresh bait (and use it). I like using stone cats (tonies) but they are ornary and they will sting your fingers til you can't feel anything. I like using them in the river August and September for eyes but really, what I end up with is a ton of smallies. When I do catch an eye it is like winning the scratch off lottery. Not because they are not there. because the bass won't put their feed bags down long enough to let the walleye start eating. Joe

I'd stay relatively close but more important look for cold pockets of water in close the better.

Nice Sweatshirt. I had one of those. Congrats on the first salmon.

Are you closer to Spillway or Pittsburgh? I always wanted to fish the Alleghany but The drive has kept me from making the trip so far. I also never really understood if I needed to buy a trout stamp to fish there because there are trout there. Would I get a ticket even though I am not fishing for them? PA rules can be even more confusing than NY rules.

Nice report. Bass definitely have their feed bags on right now. If they aren't hitting in the first 20 seconds, I think something is wrong and then I have to remind myself that I am not fishing for blue gills. Congrats on a good trip.

Pap, thats a bass fisherman for ya. I have a hard time believing that they couldn't find a 6lb'r bronzeback this time of year. They are usually all over the bay and have their feed bags on right now. They were probably out too deep. Tell them to try 8-15 ft around the points. If all they continue to catch is stinking walleye, tell them I will pay for shipping to send to Corning. I have freezer space availlable for stinking walleye. Walleye are starting to feed. I finally caught a few. I don't consider it a huge problem but the bass are hammering everything right now, so getting to the walleye is a little bit more difficult. These cold nights are good for the bite. good luck everybody.

Bob, I still say that fire tiger is the best I have ever seen. Beautiful work.

Chemung and further up it takes work, skill and luck. Sometimes, You can hit them in the face with awesome bait and they won't bite. Other times they hit as soon as it hits the water. Got find em, when they are biting, and then you got to know if they are slow biting (lippin) or not. We got about an hour separating us. I am wondering if you have more eyes to choose from and/or if they are not as well fed. Could be that you are really good at gettin them and don't see it as much of a challenge anymore. The only thing I disagree with is the part about no special skill needed. That sounds more like bass fishing. If somebody is really desparate to catch a walleye. Goto a choking point in the river system that has walleyes. Dams, power plants, falls, etc. In the summer juveniles stack up there and spring and fall there will be some adults too. Bring extra tackle since these areas have high snag rates.

Smoking a walleye is like putting fruit in your beer.

Hung, You are gonna need a bigger Fridge/Freezer.

This add is on Craigs list. I have never seen a bloom this bad. It looks pretty bad. http://fingerlakes.craigslist.org/bod/3216195471.html

I believe in equal opportunity and I don't like affirmative action. I am talking about my fishing. I read a lot of posts on here and other boards and it is obvious to me that some fisherman are passionate about a species or group of species and disregard the others as important. I personally like it all. I would love to see more walleye stocked across the state. All the fingers should have them. Musky too. Too much emphasis on the salmonoids. I love fishing for them as well but warm water species are just as exciting in my opinion. It will all balance out and some waters will hold better numbers or bigger fish than others. It works that way now without the diversity. About the motor/boat restrictions on Hemlock: I like them. It gives the little guy more of a level playing field. I do not have great numbers when I fish Hemlock but I love it for what it is. It is beautiful. Kayaks, canoes, and small boats and all natural structure. If a guy can't get his 18 foot Lund out there with all the bells and whistles to drag 8 lines, this is ok to me. I like that people fishing there have to keep it simple. It is very peaceful.