dirtyrat

Midcoast, near Megunticook. Have you been on the water yet?

Is anyone else getting an error message when they post? My post still seems to upload but the messenger makes me wonder.

Posted this is wrong place earlier, but finally ice out in Maine, and got my first swimbait fish of the season. Got it on an S Waver earlier in the day. Too small to bother photographing, but, heh, it's a start.

Finally, ice out and on the water. Got first swimbait fish of the year earlier in the day on an S Waver. Too small to bother photographing, but a start to the season.

I certainly didn't mean to imply judgement, especially given the size and breadth of my rat collection.

I think your final statement may be the definition of fetish.

Question : Are swimbaits and swimbait rods and reels really still evolving in a meaningful way, or has swimbait fishing reached the fetishizing stage?

I hope so. Our roads suck and we need money to fix them.

I haven't used PayPal much. Does it really matter who paid the fees? Does PayPal only protect the side of a transaction that pays the fees?

And a belated happy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa!

How you treat another life, any life, says a lot about your character. If you can minimize stress and potential damage, why not. If you use your own ego as a defense, well ...

So it's all about you. Selfish, dude.

I'm not convinced. Have you tracked your large bass after your catch and handling to ensure that you didn't damage them? I don't mean just watching them swim away. I mean what condition are they in an hour later, a day later, three weeks later. Instead of relying on amateur and anecdotal opinions of what fish can endure, let's hear from a fish biologist. Anyone out there with scientific evidence one way or the other?