mhall, I am with you and rustedhook. I too carry the weight of the entire world on my shoulders. There is nothing like being on the lake at sunrise, hearing the coyotes howling in the LBL, the flat calm of the water, all this takes my mind away for a while. I love the feeling of just sitting on the water. When my mother passed, and she was the one who first taught me to fish in the river, I went to the lakes to be alone, and to deal with my loss. I did not want to even catch a fish, just to be out there to deal with my thoughts. It was the first time I ever caught fish on every cast for five straight casts!!! I knew mom was with me. I even tried to find places where I knew the fish would not be, and still I caught fish.

In summary, I think that the lakes are a healing place for me, and fishing is just my nature when on the water.

I do like tournies, and small clubs. I don't want to fish for really big money, too much other stuff goes on there. I like the $20 tourney, the ribbing of the friends, etc.... Also, in a tourney, the bite of a fish seems so much more intense. And that is the one time my concentration is really heightened to where I worry about nothing else at all.

I will be back in a small club as soon as possible, and won't even care if I win the AOY, as long as I can keep that skunk smell off me.... LOL

Great thread.

Danny