Micro

I really like fishing cranks, though I catch more fish on other lures. I love Rapalas. All sorts of Rapalas. I really love X-raps. Great baits. Can't wait to try a handful of new X-Rap Shads I picked up.

That's a genuine micropterus photoshopus - common name "Rhino Bass." Mean bugger. Been known to swim up on land and stomp out camp fires. You can catch them on these:

You need to seek out a support group if you are having that urge.

Go into MS Paint, reduce the size and save them in .jpg or .jpeg format. Good info on the reels.

How about a review on those Max reels with some pictures. I wasn't too impressed with them when I looked at them, but people that have them seem to like them. I'd like to know more about them.

Nonsense. When there is hunting pressure on a particular animal, it learns to avoid humans. When there isn't, especially for generation after generation (like with mountain lions in some areas) they lose their fear of humans and sometimes begin to associate humans with prey. That started in the ice age, and it ain't going to stop. The simple fact is is that large predators and residential areas are incompatible. As sympatheic as cute mountain lions can be, property owners and ranchers aren't going to tolerate them nearby when their kids or sheep are killed. I hear the silly nonsensical argument from animal-rights folks all the time. "We are intruding on them." Hey, we all have a right to a piece of this planet. Lions have a place and so do people. When lions come into residential areas and attack humans, or come onto ranches and kill livestock, they need to be trapped and moved, or hunted down and killed. They become habituated to a human presence and associate them with food, at which time something has to be done. It's an unfortunate situation, but one the animal will ultimately loose. Sounds like a Greenpeace sound bite. You know there is a big difference between a preservationist and a conservationist. And there is a big difference between game management with your heart and with your head.

You can do that if you want, but unless you have a really small bait it really makes no difference.

I can't say anything about Ardent, because: 1) I can hardly find any pictures of Ardent reels on the www that aren't from the Ardent website. The only non Ardent pictures I can find are from an Ardent Pro's website, and it look like they sit pretty high on the reel seat for a low-profile reel. http://www.taylorleathers.com/photo_gallery/thumbnails/images/DSC_8676.jpg 2) I never see any comments about them except from the few people that own one saying they're great - no specifics. 3) I haven't seen a bona fide review of any of their products on any website (I'm not talking about some sales pitch review). 4) No one around here carries them so I can't look at one and decide for myself. I could not consider an Ardent under these circumstances. And they may be the greatest reels in the world. I just don't know anything about them except that they are made in the USA - not enough. How are they made? Side plate materials? What do the guts look like? How do you access the brake? Ardent's website is worse than Abu Garcia's in terms of information - and that's pretty bad.

Cougars haven't been hunted enough in enough areas. They've lost their fear of man and being close to man. Some need to be killed.

I wouldn't accept any rod in less than perfect condition. I've returned rods for less than that.

And from my mom. 80 years old and she still knows what I like!! My first 6.4:1 Revo. Now for a rod 8-)

This a rod rack my wife gave me this morning. It's an oak 24-rod rack from BPS. I was thinking I wouldn't like it (I'd never tell her that), but once I assembled it it's actually pretty danged nice. It's solid oak, heavy and stable. I really like it. I'll be able to get 12 rods in with reels on them, or 24 rods if I take the reels off. Now I gotta dust the little pieces of styrofoam off.

Sweet Shimanos. I recently got some twins, too. Two Curado 200 DHSVs. Awesome reels.

Sounds like someone returned a damaged model and told BPS there was nothing wrong with it. They probably didn't even check before sending it out. Anyway, you sound like you have an awesome wife, and that's the best gift. Now you'll either have a new Core, or something else. I know it's tuff keeping a smile on your face in front of the wife.

Agreed! You miss out on too much good stuff if you stick to one brand. I'm thinking about getting a Daiwa next. Merry Christmas.

I'm glad someone listed the Abu Garcia EXT. I have 2 EXT Pros on 7' M/MF rods I use for crank baits. The Abu Garcia EXT Pro is the bomb-diggity for casting light lures. Man, it will way outcast my Revos. And the brake works better, too. Nevertheless, my favorite reels are my Revo STX/SX/SCs followed very closey by my Curado 200 DHSVs. My Ambassedeur C4s have a special place, though. I've had them for so long, and they've caught so many fish. They're smoother now then they were when they were new. I just can imagine not having some around. Merry Christmas.

I don't want RW to stay out of threads with his Shimano recommendations. Straining a passion now and then drives the interesting threads at this site - as long as it doesn't get nasty. And we Abu guys are well aware our favorites can match any other brand out there I would like to see those who are intensely brand loyal to reach out a bit. Some companies aren't as they were when we grew to dislike their products. I learned that about Shimano. After getting 3 bum reels (2 Cardiffs and 1 Curado and a mediocre spinning reel, I'm glad I gave them another try and got 2 Curado Ds. Fantastic reels and a far cry from their earlier offerings. Merry Christmas.

Only a couple of lakes in my area have slot limits. Otherwise, anything goes. I keep a bass now and then. Otherwise, If I want to eat fish, I like to catch a mess of bluegill. But i don't see anything wrong with keeping a bass occassionally, and certainly not for a young feller and his first bass. That's why God put 'em here.

Merry Christmas, folks.

Norman Speed Clips are the best I've used. Like T said, I use them on all hard baits. They really can't come open. http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0000044110226a.shtml

BPS has had a Nitro line of rods for sometime, but I never paid any attention to them. They didn't drop the Prop Qualifier, it's just different and a little more costly. They had some of the new PQs, too. BTW, BPS still lists the old ones - 2007's model. The 2008 models dispense with the butt-weight system, and the foregrip. They are still the 70 million modulus blank, and Alconite guides. They are $10 more expensive. Frankly, I liked the older ones better. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_98314_100002006_100000000_100002000_100-2-6

I'll explain it to you. All the Revos, regardless of model, open the same way: 1) Start by loosening the knurled screw at the top/front of the handle-side side plate. The screw will not come all the way out. You'll know, though, when it's loose. 2) Twist the brake-side side plate clockwise about 1/8 of the turn then lift off. 3) Once the side plate is off, you'll see the brake. They are little plastic weights on pins - 6 of them. You turn them "on" by pushing the weights up on the pin, or "off" by pushing them down on the pin. There are 6 of them and you can adjust one, any, or all of them to achieve the desired performance. 4) Once you adjust them, place the sideplate back on the reel at the same angle you took it off, then twist it counterclockwise to lock it into place. 5) Re-tighten the screw. DO NOT use a screw driver, only twist it thumb/finger tight. I don't have this model of Revo. RedTorp can tell you more about the actual adjustment of the brake.

I have a physical revulsion to that bait. I wouldn't know whether to fish with it or spray it with Raid.

I had the chance to go messing around with a few yesterday. Interesting rods. These rods look very nice. They have split grips with nice little metal reel checks capping the ends the corks. They have a new guide on them (I think they are new) - Fuji Silicon Nitride (the frames are inscribed "Fuji"). The guide frames on all the rods I checked out were double footed from one end to the other. The Silicon Nitride inserts are very fat and look like that wrap around the inside of the guide rings. The silicon nitride is dark grey - somewhere between Fuji Hardloy and SiC. Looks like they can't pop out unless they break. All the rods I looked at had softer than expected tips. I was told these rods were made specifically for braid - hence the softer tips and fat heavy duty guides. They are light, and feel rugged as heck. The one thing I didn't particularly like about them is that the grip and reel seat area is so long that the rod portion is actually pretty short. The 7' rod was 7' total, but the rod portion ahead of the forgrips made it about equal to a 6'6" rod - if you get what I'm trying to say. Neat rods though, and very nice looking. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_97964_100002006_100000000_100002000_100-2-6

I don't think I've ever given my handles a spin until I just tried it with my Curado. The Curado's spun enough to get the line guide across the face once. Then I tried my Revo STX and the line guide went across a little more than 2 times. Both reels are working just fine. The Curado is a 7.0:1 and the STX is a 7.1:1 reel.