What makes you qualified to answer questions about fishing?

Nothing any where states I am qualified to answer questions about fishing, hunting, camping, football, Nascar, or many of the other topics I sometimes answer.

But I am 50 years old and have lived in many places, traveled in South America, Europe, Africa, and as they say been around.

Sometimes I see a question that I know a little something about and offer some advice, but in no way consider it the final word on the subject.

In fact I sometimes learn stuff too, as a matter of a fact the way I see it if you have stopped learning you have stopped living.

Sometimes you have to weigh out the information you receive, and figure it out for yourself (which is bull and which sounds like it might be right). That's true any where you venture looking for answers even in schools believe it or not.

I am one that's guilty of pastin' information, however I'll read/go through it, then make judgement as ta' whether or not it will be beneficial and correct to the Asker. Main reason, saves the typin' and secondly if the question be lengthy I feel that the pasted information could explain it a lot better than I ~ ha', have a tendency of gettin' a bit verbose ;(... Do agree with ya' completely on the "Not at all informed ppl" throwin' their advice/BS when they are not even familiar with the difference between a hole in the ground and hole in a wall! Whether it be wantin' the Yahoo points and or they've got to much time on their hands, I do not know!? Personally not inta' the points crap (however may give it some thought if Yahoo placed some $$ signs on them ;) :)) but, just enjoy givin' what little I know, yet in the same tokin' learnin' new things out there and what's got past me over the years. Gettin' ppl to back off this problem is like wantin' the wars in the Mideast ta' STOP... On a sorta' sick twist, at times I will literally crack up at some of the responses ;) ;)... There's not any particular ones that comes ta' mind right now but, I'm sure yourself as well as others have seen them and experienced the same rollin' on the floor ;) ;) ;)... There are 2 BIG loop-holes to that though (crackin' up), that's when the response involves the safety of others and or a completely incorrect answer is givin' to someone that is not knowledgeable bout' fishin' ~ that's where the bucks stop!!X!%!! The latter, one can live with but, the safety is a whole different thing!!

Just my 2 cents but, after proof readin' this what with the length of it, think it'd be more like my 20 cents worth ;)... < ' ( (( > <

Note: There are a lot of ppl that are well informed on Answers or I wouldn't have made the statement bout' me learnin'/pickin' up on new things out there. Guess just like anything else there's always goin' ta' be some "Bad apples in the barrel" ;)...

Added: exert ya' been readin' up on my reply's to much ie., "Thumbs Downers have a field day on my response" ;)...

Back again: Forgot ta' put this in (if it's any thing at all) ~ Qualifications be somethin' like over 50 years. The other 11 were spent on fiqurin' out how I could prematurely get inta' the Boy Scouts ;) ;)...

Well, I only answer questions about fishing in the little corner of the world I'm familiar with. I do wish others would do so, too. Just because I've caught a few largemouth or salmon doesn't make me an expert on them, so I don't even bother answering questions about them.

It's like that old quote: "It's better to be silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." Yahoo Answers is a good place to find fools.

Weehoo are we bass guy or what the ugly stik is a good rod for usin and abusing bar that those top brand rods just wont hold up!

Used them abused them and trashed those "top of the liners" but what has tested time my ugly sticks!Still have several of those "GOOD" rods hanging in the shed and yes I use them here and there.

For knowledge of gear and fishing......well I have a year or two behind me.Also know many of tackle reps and got a few good rods to test over the years and not one withstood the ole pole to pole test with the ugly stik rods.

Now the good rods you talk about have a purpose and they are lighter and have lots better feel than any Ugly rod on the market I will agree.But for a general use rod that most anyone could buy the ugly boys get it done!

Copied and pasted a few things here also but I will say check into mine and you will find that they are c/p from my own writings over the years.

Back in the day I used to write for woods n water and still I go back to the c/p just so I dont have to retype over and over!!

And yes I agree with you at times there are a few ppl that toss in some things they learned or think they know al about but hey let them be the fool if they are wrong.

I just learned a new fish today wow old guys can learn new tricks........sweet I have a few brain cells left!

Ok soap box fell over now and this poor bugger has to find a way to get back up so later on and remember we all started somewhere!

Dang it I have never had a gold banner under my name!

Yes! you have just raised one of the most valid points in three simple words copied and pasted, i see it done too often and to be honest its stops any real answers from getting through, which is a shame, i don't try to answer every thing that comes my way but if i know i can be of help then yes, I'm going to answer it. I'm mainly a fly fisherman and fly tier, if i see something on one of those subjects you can guarantee that i will be answering it, Ive been fly fishing for about 58 years and well I'm the first one to admit that because fishing has such wide differences across the world things can change and because of that its always possible to learn new things from different people, also i no see LOTS of top contributors who really shouldn't be! mainly in the fishing section, but in others too! it took me until level six to reach mine and well i worked hard for it, these people copy and paste answers and they clearly don't have a clue what they are talking about and yet still get them, also the lack of good English in their answer irritates me, good question and tight lines to you!

If someone wants to get all their fishing information from me, they'll be better off with a handline or a canepole than anything else probably. If that's what they want, they're welcome to it. But I think I've caught enough fish using various methods over the years to at least be somewhat reliable in my answers. I'm not gonna answer questions on salmon or pike or anything cuz I've never caught one. Ask me about bass I'll usually answer "Yamasenko!" just because they're reliable... for me... maybe not for you, but for me. Ask me about saltwater (inlets and flats, not too much deep water experience) and again, I'll give info that works for me reliably. And the same holds true for turtles and alligators as well. I don't need to APPEAR as if I know what I'm talking about. I try to stick to answering questions that I know the answer to or that I can't help giving a completely obviously smart*ss answer to, and if people can't see that I'm being a smart*ss, that's their own problem.

Wow! There are guys on here that have forgotten more about fishing than you or I will ever know and they still know more than you or I do. If they give an answer to someone they are giving out good info. Sometimes you have to wade thru some muck to get to the good ones, but that's nothing new, you often have to do that while fishing too.

73 from the Fisherman

I try to only answer what I know, and that would be primarily fly fishing, rod building, fly tieing and angling history/ literature. I will chime in if there is a local Q about specific species in specific waters that I feel my answer would be beneficial.

Qualifications: 35 + years of fly fishing & tieing, 20 + years rod building, and as I've been told a "unique " sense of humor.

Now...about those Batsons........ (quit laughing Exert-7 !!)

Every regular knows my opinion on Ugly-Stiks, Temple Forks Fly rods and Penn Reels

My father was a commercial fisherman and charter boat operator. I have fished for over50 years in The continental USA, Alaska, Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean. I have lost count of the rods and reels that I own. Some answers on Yahoo Answers are pretty lame, I admit, but there are many knowledgeable people out there. What are your qualifications?

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Go fishing, that'll relax yer bones.

Am I qualified to answer questions? 34 years backing me up and millions of miles of water front I fished in the U.S. and abroad. I will die with a fishing rod in my hands. I dream it , breathe it and bleed it. I even have a spot picked out in Heaven on the shores of Galilee and if that doesn't work out, I have one on the Hades River in Hell. Whichever comes my way, you know for sure I will be fishing! Oh yeah, If any one I know is reading this, I'm taking my Daiwa's with me! ; )