I have been fishing for more than sixty years. I consider myself a common sense, fairly well educated man. I'm retired from a forty year career in education, as a teacher and administrator. Most of my friends, and especially my wife, know me to be a decent problem solver and one that learns from mistakes. I am also a a guy that, on five different occasions, on five different boats, none of which were mine, threw five different anchors overboard with the end of the rope not tied to the boat. My favorite one, the one that makes me laugh the hardest, though, at the time, was not funny at all, now rests in about four hundred feet below the surface of Lake Michigan. Leaning your gear behind is funny too. Let me know when you drive three hundred miles, hike two hours and realize that your fishing with the local police chief and you forgot to get a required license. I did that hunting, not fishing, so it really doesn't count for this forum.

Clean em as you catch em and throw the meat into an ice filled cooler.

I have one of each. I find that my kayak is better for short fishing sessions, but my Jon boat is much better for hours on the lake. My boat is small enough (10') that it's easy to put in my pick up bed, no trailer needed, though it would be a bit easier to lug.

I've had very good luck with a red eyed mosquito. If you want to eat, drop a red spawn sac behind a clear bubble and enjoy fresh cooked rainbow.

Bobbers and worms are easy and successful. Keep moving, look for structure, don't be afraid to get into the weeds and pads. If you want to be active and work harder, throw a black buzz bait, double bladed, into the lily pads and crank like crazy. Catch or no catch, it's a blast.

Hello, my brother, who passed away from cancer several years ago, turned me onto a small jig that hammers pan fish. I have been catching more than my share for years. I wish I knew the name and make. Hopefully this description works. It's a small plastic, red head, white tentacles on a tiny white jig hook with a red eye. I have fifty in my tackle box always. I haven't been skunked in ten years. I put a set in his pocket before he was buried, to thank him for our great fishing memories on Berry Lake in Michigan. I've caught pan fish where old timers said none existed with this lure. Good luck to you.

My wife of nearly forty years, all of which have been great, reminds me that having over a thousand lures, hundreds of plastics, three tackle boxes and a tackle suitcase, 18 rods, 26 reels, one Jon boat, and all the fly fishing gear any small fishing club could use, makes me a fishing gear collector. 90% of the tackle that works for me makes up 5% of what I have. It's not what I need, it's what makes me happy. That happiness is the goal of all hobbies. Keep up the good start. One cannot have enough tackle to tackle the task at hand.

I have been using the same Chicago Cuttlery jack knife style filet knife for twenty years. Needs little maintenance. Does the job safely and quickly because of the quality of the blade that simply holds a great edge. The wooden handle wears well and has been a strong grip throughout its use. Can't beat it.

In Lake Michigan, we call them sheepshead. Great fighter.

It's a nice Crappie, also called a speck.

One fishing trip to Houghton Lake in Michigan's LP, I hooked a twenty five inch northern pike on 4lb. test and a crappie rig. My host bet me a beer that I'd lose the fish before his second run. I must say that back filets, steamed in aluminum foil with onion, garlic salt and lemon really made the beer I won taste all that much better. I fought the beautiful fish for more than a half hour. It was the most fun I've had landing a fish. The beer was a Beck's dark and the home made coleslaw really topped off a great meal. The fight was a blast.

Trot here years ago, fishing off the City Pier on Anna Maria Island, Florida, I had a small make real on the hook. A pelican saw the fish and decided he wanted it more than I needed it. Luckily, a local fisherman told me to land the bird. Cutting the line would leave the hook in to get infected and hurt or kill the bird. A couple of other fisherman helped land and I got the hook out with little trouble. We were all happy to release the pelican back to the wild.

You can't do better than this last, well thought out and complete comment. Well done.

When I get skunked, I laugh and remember that what I'm doing is called fishing, not catching. I agree wholeheartedly with the person that suggested worms on a hook. I'll add that an old red and white bobber on the line will give you a better chance to see strikes, leading to a fish. When my spells hit, I try to find a local that has good luck and copy what they do. If nothing else, you get to share the experience. I've never met a trout that could resist spawn sac. Add a little stink and let it fly. Don't bring it in until something bites.

We fishermen and women spend only, time, and just try to catch fish. I enjoy two elements of fishing. The first is my habit of finding new places to fish and going there the first time without any gear. I walk around, try to find folks fishing that are willing to tell me their tales of success in the river, lake, pond or creek. I have learned so much by just listening to their stories, seeing their rigs and seeing their catches. It's not all helpful, but most of it is. The second element I love about fishing is the pure mystery of what is on the end of my line after I set the hook. More than half the time, I catch something other than what I'm after or expect. The childlike enthusiasm is still strong in me because of the simple fact that you never know what you're going to get. I get as excited today to hook something as I did more than sixty years ago.