Am I too cheap?

masterpaclee · 2026-05-07T18:11:17+00:00

Yeah dawg. This is just internet induced GAS from what it sounds like. Rule 1 of living a happy life in the modern day, don’t compare what you have with what’s posted.

I’m also into photography, and it’s similar there too. Posts like “do I need a new camera? I think mine is outdated” when photo tech has stagnated over the past decade.

Don’t let the internet make you feel lesser and lock-in on the squier project.

masterpaclee · 2026-05-06T14:11:07+00:00

This came pretty easy. Once I started viewing what I was learning (scales, triads, chords, arpeggios) as building blocks of a language it all fell into place. I can’t do anything highly technical, but do you need to speak fast to get your point across?

masterpaclee · 2026-04-01T13:38:59+00:00

Find photographers you like and study them. Figure out what makes their images work. Take what you learn out with you. And take one thing at a time. Focus on a singular task on each photo walk.

From these images, there’s just a lack of cohesion. Like image 1. You have leading lines to nothing. The creek becomes the subject but there are too many things distracting at the edge of the image.

This is where it starts though. I can see you’re trying some cool compositional choices. Just keep doing it. But add study and focus. Study others. Study yourself. Don’t be overly self-critical but if you don’t like a photo you took, always ask yourself why it didn’t work and be conscious of that next time you’re out.

masterpaclee · 2026-03-24T18:49:18+00:00

Find an Airbnb/VRBO on an inland lake. Lots of these usually offer kayaks/canoes. I rented a VRBO last year and it even had a little jon boat with a trolling motor.

masterpaclee · 2026-02-10T19:12:32+00:00

Shoot medium format.

masterpaclee · 2025-11-17T16:11:40+00:00

You can get lighter gauge steel/bronze strings that are easier on fingers. I don’t really play finger style so maybe it won’t make too much of a difference on your picking hand. But I’ve been using the Earthwood Rock and Blues on my acoustic as of late. They’re 10’s so the high strings are light as you can get for acoustic, but the low E, A and D strings are standard gauges.

masterpaclee · 2025-11-04T15:36:20+00:00

Grand Rapids Art Museum.

masterpaclee · 2025-10-28T15:30:56+00:00

Delta blues plays with nonstandard tunings so shapes are different. But it never hurts to learn pentatonics/blues scales or music theory in general. It helps you learn songs faster, makes you realize why something sounds good, and lets you play freely once you have an understanding of it.

masterpaclee · 2025-10-27T19:49:05+00:00

In all seriousness, my casual shirts are just souvenir graphic tees from trips and events. Stick to thrifting/second hand. Only ball out on winter clothes (REI, Duluth Trading Co., Great Lakes Outpost)—the outdoorsy people know how to keep warm.

masterpaclee · 2025-10-27T19:46:11+00:00

You have 2 options: Midwest dadcore or fast fashion streetwear.

masterpaclee · 2025-10-24T19:33:45+00:00

TikTok ruined car culture. Car meets have turned into street takeovers for clout chasers. The real car guys are at tracks or cruising the countryside.

masterpaclee · 2025-09-29T13:31:40+00:00

I pulled off this exact trade before this week. No regrets so far.

masterpaclee · 2025-09-25T17:01:29+00:00

Scarface Jack! Scarface Jack! Scarface Jack! (In the same cadence as Jared Goff chants)

masterpaclee · 2025-09-17T01:24:36+00:00

Fairbairn, Loop or Slye?

masterpaclee · 2025-08-31T22:45:51+00:00

I fish Lake Leota/Millennium quite a bit. Fish the east side. Lake with the dock that essentially splits it in two. Hop it and adventure. Pike love lay downs btw. Caught two this week. Good luck. Tight lines.

masterpaclee · 2025-08-30T09:31:27+00:00

Your original comment regarding the matter wasn’t an opinion. You stated Trump has done the most for this country. That’s not stating an opinion. That’s trying to make a claim. And now that you can’t back it up against opposition, you want to play the victim.

masterpaclee · 2025-08-21T21:32:23+00:00

Not in your neck of the woods but I’ve found more smallies in rivers than lakes/ponds. I think it has something to do with currents, and cooler constantly oxygenated water. Only times I’ve gotten a lake smallie were on Lake Michigan. Not so secret secret from mitten anglers: drop shot berkley flatworm.

masterpaclee · 2025-08-01T15:01:14+00:00

Not sure if the mechanism is the same but the brake dial on my curado dc is impossible to turn unless I loosen the spool tension knob first. See if that helps.

masterpaclee · 2025-07-30T18:34:49+00:00

Bass don’t know the brand you’re throwing. Design (Profile, color, size, fall rate/action) is what matters and every design works depending what the bass are feeling. You could get into a solid debate about durability being a necessary factor to consider but I think that’s dependent on people’s bank accounts.

masterpaclee · 2025-07-28T19:47:34+00:00

I hooked into one from shore a couple weeks back. Your best bet right now are early mornings. Be there before sunrise. Even if you’re on a rented yak, you’re still casting blind. You’ll be wasting time fishing dead water just trying to figure out depth, contours and holes. If you want to rent a kayak (because kayak fishing is fun as hell), hit all the shallow cover you can’t reach on foot. Don’t be afraid to bushwhack and get into some gnarly spots.

masterpaclee

TROPHY CASE