Glad my experience could help. Like I said, some of us are immune and some of us aren't. For those of us that aren't, it's a pretty large bag for us to carry around all the time. And we didn't know, and we didn't know that we didn't know, that it's ok to set that bag down. Beating ourselves up doesn't make anything better. In fact, it makes the world a little worse, even if infinitesimal. If I were to make a suggestion to people carrying that bag I would say, "Ease up on yourself, stop the beating, and be good to yourself." It's ok to be good and kind to yourself. Nobody is perfect. I just ease up on John and try to add something to the positive side of my life's ledger every day without assuming responsibility for every damn thing I can think of. You've been doing that with your thought for the day for some time. I don't always comment, but I appreciate that you do.

Good thought Graywullf. Since so many chimed in on this subject, at the risk of "over-revealing", I struggled with that myself years ago. As a result, I can share something I learned. Some of us are guilt sponges. We gather and carry guilt, often instilled in us by others and internalize it. Sometimes we got this from well meaning parents who learned if from their parents who learned it from their parents. By the time it got to us it was pretty well perfected. It's called "behavior modification through guilt." Some people are immune to it and some of us aren't. The ones that aren't immune don't need to wonder about it.... There are two kinds of guilt, earned guilt and assumed guilt. Earned guilt is stuff you did, said, and sometimes even what you thought. Assumed guilt is guilt for everything that is wrong, homelessness, dogs in the pound, harsh words by others, you shouldn't have let that happen.....etc, on and on. Earned guilt you probably can do something about, assumed guilt not so much. So the proverbial moral of the story is if every man, woman and child on earth got in a line and one by one walked past and shook our hands and said, "I forgive you" it wouldn't mean squat if we can't forgive ourselves. Learning that in my alcoholism recovery was monumental. Thirty eight plus years sober and loving every minute of it, largely without guilt. So there you go, warts and all.

Lol. yeah you would think that. I used to say you should be able to walk across the lake on the backs of the bass but that hasn't necessarily been the case. Eastman has been my favorite lake for several years but everywhere in the southwest is in trouble. It fills generally from spring rains and snow melt but there has been precious little of that. Eastman has not been above 12% in the past two years and with the exception of one year, we've been in drought conditions for close to ten years. That can't be good for the spawn. It is an Army Corp reservoir and used for irrigation of orchards primarily and fishermen get to use it. When the lake was full or nearly so, 50 fish days were possible during spring. Without wanting to sound like an alarmist, it's serious. Mead, Powell, and Havasu are all experiencing the lowest water ever. That isn't just fishing, that's water supply for tens of millions. There are those that have passionate opinions on the cause but it boils down to there ain't no rain or snow. I'd guess that Eastman is down 80 feet. Not horizontally, vertically. There has always been a lot of fluctuation because of crop irrigation but lately they're giving blood from the proverbial turnip. We need rain and snow, consistently. Ten years ago I would have laughed at the suggestion that we'd be where we are now. As a side note, they estimate we've lost 160 million trees from the drought and bark beetle infestation. Whatever your brain can come up with to try to fathom that, not even close. I lost over 50 trees on my one acre plot and at least twenty of those were over a 100 years old and over 120 feet tall. It's the proverbial sh*t storm. I kid you not. Long winded today but that's my general nature.....

[quote=Wv mike]Went to a lake yesterday in Ohio ( salt fork) the water temperature was 83 and a algae bloom was happening.

It's been here for several years. Pic is from Eastman. Oddly enough the day I took this pic I got four though nothing above 1.5 but they fought hard and seemed healthy. Water was 85 degrees and 6% of capacity. In another month we won't be able to launch.

LoL. I totally get you. Having said that, dying after all this time by doing something really stupid would be God's cruelest irony.... That, or being in an old folks home with a bunch of former health freaks. Arrrgh.

I just read a fish report and it pretty much was saying Melones was the better of the lakes for whatever that's worth. It is a big lake although only at 30% or so of capacity. There are shoreline places to fish but obviously not the whole lake. I haven't been there in several months, perhaps even since last year so I have no current insight. The thing about fish reports is they always report what fishing has "been" in the recent past. Someone had to be there fishing to create what they are reporting happened "previously." Ergo the phrase. "should have been here last week." Have fun and be patient. Best of luck to you both.

Good stuff. Applaud you both. Refreshing.

Clearly parenting isn't working, perhaps teaching responsibility in schools might be a better idea than teaching gender dysphoria curriculum.

It happens so often it seems to be purposeful. I've thought about following a litterbug home and surreptitiously putting the nastiest, smelliest fish guts, trash, dog/cat poop etc. in their yard or front seat of their car and a note that says how do you like it? I haven't done it but I'd like to.

Thank ya'll. I'm not much of a birthday guy but hit 70 yesterday. Wish it was 70 degrees.....

Best of luck to you. There are some other lakes around like Millerton, Pine Flat, Hensley, as well as Eastman. They are all an hour or so from Bass Lake. Sportsmans Warehouse and the Fresno Bee post fish reports but I think they use each others, they're mostly identical.

[quote=bassraider10]Will be taking family on vacation in the next week to Bass Lake Ca. Looking to catch some Spotted/Largemouth bass

Well I'm in Maui at the moment but if you're bass fishing I'd suggest senko's and drop shot around the docks if you're boat fishing. Shore fishing will be tougher, similar tactics and I'd try creek channels in coves. I've had the most luck with green/baby bass colors. Bass Lake this time of year is tough with all the recreational boaters, particularly on weekends. There is a 5 mph speed limit before 8 so if you get out early, it's less difficult. Pretty lake even with the loss of thousands of Ponderosa pines but it's also a warm lake that attracts lots of people. I don't even fish it Memorial day to Labor day. The lake is probably at 75 to 80% which is pretty good in comparison to the other lakes I fish. Eastman is at 10% of capacity and hasn't been over 12% in two years. I was there last week and they are letting water out. Eastman and others are lakes for irrigation of orchards that fishermen get to use as a sideline but the water was always intended for farmers. P.S. There is also a fire about 15 miles north in Yosemite so it may be smoky. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it is what it is. Pray for rain. We need it.

Wow. you have such a hot hand you've passed it down several generations. Will you adopt me? Nice job.

We were told to crush up egg shells and put it in the dirt around the tomatoes. Couldn't guarantee it works, kinda like getting the flu shot. Did I not get it because of the shot or didn't get it because I just wasn't going to get it?

We were told to crush up egg shells and put it in the dirt around the tomatoes. Couldn't guarantee it works, kinda like getting the flu shot. Did I not get it because of the shot or didn't get it because I just wasn't going to get it?