Micro

Thanks for the info.

I never owned an Abu LP reel prior to the REVO. I've always heard they weren't all that great. I'm interested in hearing your review, though, since reviews of older Abu LPs are lacking on the web. BTW, if you don't own a REVO, I think you're missing out on what may be the best Abu yet. I own 4, 2 SXs and 2 SCs (SC = Cabelas special). I plan on purchasing 2 STXs before spring. They are the smoothest casting LPs I've ever used - albiet the only one I used to any lengthy extent previously was a Shimano Curado SF. It's leaps and bounds ahead of the Curado SF in terms of smoothness and catability. And it was easier to get the hang of over other LPs I've tried (but did not own).

Pony Pasture. Is that in James River Park? I think I've been there before. Is that where the big rounded boulders are where people swim and sunbathe?

Also, if you were just beginning to fish for smallies, what would be your top 3 techniques?

I would like to give smallmouth fishing a try in the spring. I've never done it before. I know there are some very good smallmouth waters in the Commonwealth within a few hours of where I live (southeastern, Virginia). I don't have a kayake or a canoe, and would be wade or bank fishing. Where would be a good place to go that will provide a reasonable chance to catch some fish. I don't care about size, I just want to catch a few smallies. I'm somewhat familiar with the James River in the Bent Creek area (where RT 60 crosses the James). I'm also familiar with the Maury River in the Goshen area. Also, the Maury River where is meets the James River. Can someone tell me of some good areas with public access for wade/bank fishing where the goal is to learn to fish for smallies where there is a better than average chance of hooking some? Thanks.

:-? ;D :-? :'(

They can either can be placed on the inside of the hull below the gunnel, or placed in vertical rod holders on the front or sides of the center console.

I'm a big fan of All Star rods. The team All Star Big Boy rods have the Fuji Gold Cermet titanium rings. They are as hard as SiC guides. I have a All Star American classic rod for carolina rigs. It get's used hard. It's got all sorts of little abrasions and knick marks ont he blank nd it just keep soldiering on.

I saw these tonight at Dick's for $5.99. Everything seemed to be cheap at Dick's tonight. I picked up several spools of Stren Original 12# clear (330 yards) for $4.99 per spool.

I can do better than that: Send me a check made out to "cash" for $150 to my offshore post office box and in 60-90 days I'll sned you a device that will let you catch 2x the fish that black-box thingy does. Guarranteed. 8-)

A visual

Best mono I've tried yet is Stren Magnathin. It's the most managable mono on spinning rigs I've tried.

Probably a whole lot like a $125 rod. Really? You actually believe that? Wow. Sure do. I've never seen a $300 rod with so much more sensitivity over some $125 rods that it was really worth that extra $175.

I ordered mine on Sunday and got them this afernoon. I think I'm going to sleep with them tonight.

Hey brother, I have dyslexia, too. I sometimes invert letters and short words. At one time in my life I was also an avowed agnostic. Do you have any idea how much time I spent trying to figure out if there really was a D O G ?

All this talk about off-shoring manufacturing jobs.... :-[ Of the major industrial nations - all of whom are "suffering from off-shoring manufacturing jobs" - the US has one of the lowest unemployment rates. That means that DESPITE the loss of manufacturing jobs, the unemployement rates stays low. Those workers that lost their jobs are finding alternative work. The manufacturing jobs are going to countries with HIGH unemployment rates, the reason labor costs are cheap. These countries have economies BUILT on manufacturing and export. Their livelhoods are dependant upon our willingness to import their stuff. They are in precarious predicaments. They are very suseptible to down-swings in the world economy. America, on the other hand, still manufactures a great many things. We build cars, and more heavy machinery than anyone else. As our dollar weakens against foreign currency, our own products become more attractive to foreign buyers. That's because the Euro or the Yen goes further in America when the dollar is weak than they do in Europe and Japan. If the dollar stays low, manufacturing in the US will increase because demand for our good will increase. The rich nations run the world's economy. And the US is the richest - by far. Our economic system will ensure that continues to be so. Losing manufacturing jobs to China may seem hard to swallow - but it has to work that way in order for us to stay on top. it keeps us in control. Our system has to be allowed to work - and if it does it will keep us on top. In some respect, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc aren't our competitors - they are our employees. It's good to be the boss.

Hey dudes, slow down. Being an "importer nation" isn't a bad thing. It's a good thing. The US is the world's largest importer of goods - by an unimaginable margin. That's an indication of a very strong economy and a very strong economic system. We buy the things we want at prices we can afford. In turn, we support countries and economies that reinvest their money into the US system. They buy our treasury bonds which allows the US to carry the debt it carries. The US is the only country in the world that can carry a debt as large as we do. The entire world is dependent upon us to import their stuff. We have it good, fellas, and don't forget it. Take the precarious predicament of EXPORTER nations. There are countries in the world, like Germany, Japan and France (and China), whose economies are built on export. Their economies would would be in dire straights if demand for their products dried up. A full 1/4 of Germany's economy is dependant on exported goods. If the world economy slows down, Germany (as well as other exporter nations) suffer disproportionately. Conversely, exports account for only 10% of the US economy. In essence, the Unitied States controls a principal portion of the world's economy by virtue of the fact that we import so much stuff. We really do hold other nation's fates in our hands. Now consider this fact. The US is also the worlds largest EXPORTER nation - by a huge margin. (It's just not the principal portion of our economy - which is a good thing.) The US exports all sorts of services and durable goods. We are the leading exporter of electronic components, manufacturing machinery, aircraft, argicultural and industrial equipment, military equipment, and agricultural products (among other). The US exports 3 times more goods than China does. And we export expensive stuff - the machinery China uses to build their toys and VCRs. Again, it is by virtue of the US that China does what it does. Protectionism is NOT a good thing. Free market and competion is a good thing. If you want to buy American, do it because the product is the best or presents the best value. Don't do it because its American. If the Japanese or German product is better, reward them with your business, and show the American competitor they have to do better. Doing this is the best way to to ensure that America continues to be the most important country (economically speaking) in the world.

Clarification: That's the news story. I don't know either of them. But it did happen in my neck of the woods.

Carolina Skiffs are nice boats. You can get a decent sized on with a center console and pedestal seats just like a bass boat. They aren't all that expensive, and they are rugged. A lot of commerical guys use them around here on the Chesapeake Bay. They are shallow draft. And I see a lot of them on the tidal rivers (like Chickahominy) as well as larger lakes. They caome in all sorts of sizes. In fact, I've been warming my wife up to the idea of letting me buy one. I'd like to use it for bass fishing and inshore saltwater fishing (redfish, trout, croaker, flounder, etc). This would be more what I'm looking for:

I ordered two and just got a notice today tht they shipped. WOO HOO!

I was suprised by the All Star/Pflueger bag. It really is a nice bag. The nylon is very thick. I got a free bag from Abu Garcia the other day, too. I like it but I don't know what kind of bag it's supposed to be. Just a travel bag I guess. It's not a fishing bag.

Probably a whole lot like a $125 rod.

I bought a Team All Star rod and sent in $8 for the "free bag" with the All Star logo. But my bag somehow doesn't look like the one in All Star's picture. Can't quite put my finger on it, though....

I'm an Ambassadeur fan. Thanks for sharing. Two questions: 1) what line do you have on that reel? 2) Is the reel mounted on the rod backwards? It looks like the spool release button is pointing towards the front of the rod given the location of the reel seat treads.

I like these, too. They have good action when buzzing them through more open water, and they slip through heavy cover better than Yum's toad.