LOL - Ha - “My wife thought I was going to stay home and be cleaning”

I have not used the buck tail and I need to up here in the cold NE. I am looking forward to the workshop.

I second that Ken Pfeiffer

This summer my son caught a nice smallie while learning and using a bait casting rod I built for him. It is awesome making memories.

My kids are 19 and 14 now, but I still remember the most important rule I learned when I took them fishing: It is their day, not mine! I had to focus on them first and make sure they had a good time. When they were younger, I used to go fishing with them and try to catch fish myself. But they needed constant attention and guidance, and I would get frustrated. They sensed that and their interest dwindled. So I changed my approach: I put away my poles and concentrated on helping them catch fish. It was much more rewarding for me to see them succeed and enjoy themselves.

Including - Boat, trailer, fishing rod & reel, tackle and other maintenance?

This may be a topic for a future session: In response to the comment regarding taking a break from fishing during this time of year, it is a great time for conducting maintenance. Is there any critical maintenance that you recommend?

Get us to think critically and strategically. Lots of variables to the fishing equation. 

I hear a lot of times that you should fish the wind blown shore because it blows water and food as well churning up the shoreline. This might be a warmer weather situation. What are your thoughts?

If you can only buy one reel for cranking, should it be 6.5 to 1?