I Missed Winning A Rod By This Much @ FantasyBass.com

I like the way the Biobor hats look.  What's a new year for me without a new hat or two. Last year it was a Gander Mountain cap. The year before that Cabela's.  The year before that Bass Zone and the year before that Strike King and the year before that Angling Masters International.

FYI- Gander Mountain Brainerd/Baxter

Some very good deals to be had up there on clearance fishing items.

Brush With Greatness

Today I was in the Brainerd Gander Mountain and for the first time in my life I met "THE MAN", that's right, none other than Al Lindner my biggest angling hero. We talked about the success of the Minnesota Fishing Challenge for Teen Challenge, fishing Platte Lake, and South Long. He noticed that I was buying some bubblegum Super Flukes and he remarked a couple of times about it being "the right color." I must say Al looked younger in person than the most recent images I have seen of him.

Al inquired about the status of Platte Lake, as he was thinking about heading out there. He said he used to fish it a lot before the bad winter kill it had in 2001?. From my report on the lake he came to the conclusion that he would be better off fishing other lakes and from my experience so far this year I can't say that I disagree with that choice. Where O where have all the big fish gone?

Anyway, it was an experience I won't soon forget.