Ready for a new year

[Toad]

Well, ready for a new year of fishing after a very different year. Anyone else out there? I think I got a little burned out on the muskie fishing, especially after a heck of a dismal spring of fishing. But after a decent fall and a long cold winter, I'm ready for the ice to melt. Can't wait to get out and try out a couple new things. Got a few new lures to try out and a couple new rods, plus, i should have an I-pilot here shortly, so I'm hoping that will be fun to use.

Anyone else out there looking forward to anything special this year?

[mcastor11]

Om my god, ready isn't the word for it. Me and the wife went ovet to the Ohio show this weekend. New place seemed about the same size. Just better since the Ohio state bar was not around so that crowd was not there. I had a blast. Got to talk with alot of good people. Even picked up a few things I think will work this spring. I even visted Mike and brought home a 9'. I could or gotten anthor today but I made her mad. Any ways, meet Steve Suick, that was a treat. Chad cain is still the best to talk with. Still mad about the red hat deal, but i like the ones I have. Over all I like the Ohio show. Draw back to the weekend was the Gander in Dayton. Man was that a wasted trip. No baitcasters in the store except there small low profiles. Oh well. See some of you hopefully at the Ice out in a few weeks.

[biddler2]

Can't wait to get out as well, I installed my I-pilot yesterday played around with stuff on the boat in the barn and really want to go out. Interested in seeing how the 9' Hulbert rod works out. My spring sucked last year as well and then had a heartbreaking last trip( we lost 3 fish that day at the boat). Hopefully this years weather will be closer to normal. Good Luck out there!

[Mike Ice]

I'm not quite there yet. Almost but not yet. Still have some more playing in the snow to do. I think the only thing new in my arsenal will be a 9' Okuma. I tried one last fall and loved it. The past two years I was using the 8'6" and could not put it down. I think the 9' will be in my hands more this year. It will definately keep me from bending over as much and that is a good thing when you are around Toad! LOL!

Have a great season everyone and good luck!

Iceman

[MACK]

As much as I'd still like just a bit more time with Winter and snow...I'm slowly starting to shift my focus from winter related fun back to muskie related items, such as starting to think about what tweaks and repairs my boat needs. I simply put it away in the garage for the winter and haven't yet touched it. No new muskie gear for me this year. Only update I hope to be able to make is hopefully a new transducer for my Lowrance. Might have to buy two new trolling motor batteries as my current ones are now 4 years old and started to show signs of fatigue at the end of last season. Other than all that...just hoping to get my kids into the fishing scene more and hope to have them in the boat with me at some point when a musky decides to eat to show them one of these fish in real life. They love looking at photos of muskies in the magazines or on-line...time to show them the real, live deal.

Think it's maybe time to get the crew back together for some outings this year? Icebreaker outing? 24 hour long outing? Another Fall Toughman outing? You know...like we used to do a few years ago. I miss those laid back, unofficial, friendly outings that we used to hold on the Barbee Chain, etc.

Something to think about...

As for right now..there's still 12 inches of ice on the lakes up north. It's gunna be a few weeks yet till ice-out.

[Toad]

What's this bending over stuff Mike? Geeesh, come back from a long break and get slammed immediately huh, I see how you are....just kidding, I'm used to it, not bending over, of course, but getting slammed...never mind, you know what I mean. Anyway, so you are the one who has been praying to the snow gods I suppose, ya friggin snowmobiler. No wonder I haven't been able to get out yet to catch me a muskie. Well, when I do, I hope, to echo Mack, that we can all try to make it out for a day on the water sometime this year. But if not, I figured I would at least get back on here and start tellin some stories again, most of which will embarrass halfpint, I'm sure. I've got a bunch saved up, that's for sure.

I just got one of the 9'3" okuma rods from Thornes, Mike, good to hear you like them. It seemed pretty stout but comfortable, I felt like it could handle even pounders, so I jumped on it at the prices they had it for. I only bought 2 lures, that's right, 2 lures at the Boat Sport and Travel Show. And only 6 at the Chicago show! There is hope for me after all, I guess. Or maybe having a boat is affecting my ability to buy lures. Either way, it's a good thing. I needed to increase my rod selection anyway, now that I have a boat that can handle one piece rods in the locker (Thanks SEth! did you know I can fit a nine and a half foot rod in that thing if it's up at the top! Amazing, I love my little Cherokee)

Well, it's good to be back. I don't know if the facebook thing had anything to do with the decrease in people on muskie boards or not, but I think I like spending my time here better than on that facebook thingy. Too many people that ask me if I eat the fish. Too many moms, okay, only one, but that's one too many moms watching every word I say or thing I do. And of course, too many old girlfriends trying to get with this, if you know what I mean. Plus, you are only allowed to type comments one or two sentences, which seriously cramps my style. So I'm back, and hope that we can liven things up again.

[MACK]

What's facebook?

[Toad]

In your case Mack...it's definitely a horror story!!!

Awesome, thanks for the easy target. Tooo easy.

I could also have said.... "it's one of those internet places where you connect with your friends............................oh,......sorry, ....nevermind, forget I mentioned it, not sure really what it is, actually."

Again, too easy...thanks for the opportunity Mack, I wish catching muskie were this easy!

[Mike Ice]

Glad your sutch a good sport Toad. You know I pick on you because I like you and I wish I could be more like you with all your awesome fishing skills and all the big......scratch that.......HUGE fish you catch. You can't fool me by saying that you had an off season last year. I know you caught more muskies than all the Indiana guides combined. Your so modest and devonair with all the chicks that dig you and want to have their babies with you. We really need to hang out more because I think that would realy boost my ego. You know, I think I am going to change my sons name to "Toad". Of coures if that is ok with you. I realy don't want you mad at me because I feel you may be the only friend I have left in this whole entire world. I think Routt feels the same as me but he is so shy and realy gets nervous when he is around you. Please don't be mad! My son realy is a good boy and I think you would be proud to have him carry on your name. Maybe I could be honored to fish with you some day and we can talk more about this? LOL!

Good luck out there!

Iceman

P.S.- By the way......like Mack said......what is facebook? Can you buy muskie tackle there?

[MACK]

In your case Mack...it's definitely a horror story!!!

Awesome, thanks for the easy target. Tooo easy.

I could also have said.... "it's one of those internet places where you connect with your friends............................oh,......sorry, ....nevermind, forget I mentioned it, not sure really what it is, actually."

Again, too easy...thanks for the opportunity Mack, I wish catching muskie were this easy!

Hhahahahaa!

I'm old-school.

I use two methods to stay in touch with friends:

1) A phone (No. Not texting. Actual voice conversation)
or
2) Get together to hang out in person.




























*** NOTE: I work on a computer every day, Mon thur Fri, between 40-60 hours a week. Last thing I wanna do in my spare time is sit in front of a dang computer for a social life. Screw that..... I'd rather be out on the water with friends fishin'! To me...computers are merely a tool to help me do my day-job ***

[biddler2]

I'm glad that the Cherokee is working out for you, I'd had 8'6 in there before but it's nice to see 9's will work. That boat always did well for me and is set-up nicely even better with the upgrades you made. I-pilot should make that boat even better when there's some wind. Where are you getting your I-pilot from? Thornes had them for $360 out the door at the Indy show. That's where I got mine. Hopefully I can give a report here soon.

[Toad]

Wow, Mike, never have seen that much man love before....so what you're saying is, I complete you. .....okay, Never have I thought we needed to stick to fish talk more than now...aaawkward. Let's talk about figure eights or something. And Routt, I'm sure, wishes he had better representation right about now. But seriously, I am an awesome fisherman and the chicks do dig me...you had that part right.

Mack, do jpeg's work all right for fish decals? That's the format I have them in...and if I can just call some sign places like signcraft, that'll work?

Definitely let me know if you try the ipilot out. I don't have one yet, but will be buying one shortly. My only concern is that I've heard that in a couple years there will be a new version that connects with the fishfinder and that it will follow waypoints that you program in. But still, that's two years from now, I need to have the latest and greatest to maintain my awesomeness in fishing skills...

This is all bullcrap of course, I sure wasn't awesome last year, my year really did blow last year...I pulled it out more in the fall and eeeked out a decent ending, but still could have done a lot better, if the fish would have let me. But I'm happy that I didn't sink the new boat and that Halfpint and I are getting better at not killing each other any more. I didn't even yell at him when he jacknifed my trailer backing up and bent the winch handle on my truck bed. I would have, but it was his birthday....I would have.

[J Routt]

Uhm..... how'd I get brought into the man love scenario?

[MACK]

Mack, do jpeg's work all right for fish decals? That's the format I have them in...and if I can just call some sign places like signcraft, that'll work?

Toad...jpgs won't get you to the final product. Depending on that .jpg's resolution it can be a starting point, meaning it's an electronic file. Hopefully it's a high-res .jpg. But we need to get it converted into vector art to get them into a simple .eps file format then to the vendors .gxp file format. I know...whoa...here comes the electronic graphic designer geek talk. Stand back!

I'm "assuming" these are scanned .jpgs of artwork that you drew by hand?

I can help. Or if you want...just call up a sign-shop to request stickers, see what they think of your files. They may want to start over on the scan to get a better resolution and then to do the different file format steps. Might charge ya though? :shrug:

Either/or...let me know.

I

'm happy that I didn't sink the new boat and that Halfpint and I are getting better at not killing each other any more. I didn't even yell at him when he jacknifed my trailer backing up and bent the winch handle on my truck bed. I would have, but it was his birthday....I would have.

Hhahahhaa! Man I miss your guys' stories and trials and tribulations on the water. Always a good laugh!

[Toad]

Mike did it John, I had nothing to do with it, must have come about because of your reputation I guess.

How was the Ohio Show? Did you sell a lot of lures? Did you hire a young hottie to help out? I would have.

[J Routt]

I did well, it was a pretty good show.

I didn't have to hire the hottie. Muskie Innovations did across the aisle from me. Everybody kept stopping in my booth to check her out.

[Toad]

Well that works out even better. You guys were on islands?