Tokyo Tony

Yeah, the thing is, I remember not being impressed with the XML rods. Aren't they heavier than the XMLti? And do all the XMLti rods have the recoil guides?

This game is freakin' awesome. I've become a ninja master http://www.onemorelevel.com/games.php?game=54

I've read a couple comments on Cabela's XMLti rods but I don't think there has been a thread about them. Any thoughts? They felt very nice in the store, and I love the reel seats. Just wondering how they compare against other rods in the ~$180 dollar range. I know that one huge benefit would be customer service. Cabela's is impeccable in that regard, so I know if there were any problems at all I could drive ten minutes and get a brand new one, probably even if it's my fault.

Ruth's Chris NY Strip. Love how it comes out sizzling and all buttery and delicious. Oh my god I'm starving.

Sorry, haven't tried it. I'm sure if someone has tried it he'll speak up...

When I lived in Miami I used a couple Shimano Symetres and they lasted for years and years. Just rinse them off after fishing in the salt. As for the rinsing, I would just hose them down thoroughly and let them dry. I never towel dried them, but I suppose that couldn't hurt. Make sure you hose the rod down too to get all the salt off. That stuff can do nasty things to a rod and reel.

Thanks for the congrats guys, and you're right. It's gonna be really tough to save money when this addiction keeps growing :

That drives me absolutely crazy when Roland says, "Sonnn, that's an eight or nine or ten pounder!!!" and it looks like a good 6 lber. Or if he says it's a fish "in the ten pound class" and it's like a 7 lber. Some people, even experienced fishermen, grossly overestimate the weight of their fish, often times not intentionally. They just have no idea. I liked watching an episode of Jimmy Houston when he caught a 3 lber and said it's a good 3 lb fish, but if Roland caught it it's be, "Sonnn, that's a seven pounder!" That made me laugh

That's a great picture with your daughter and dog It looks like she's having a great time

"Supersex" = "soup or sex" as in "soup or salad" in restaurants Those are funny ;D

I don't think backplay really affects the effectiveness of a reel, but personally, and especially with spinning reels, I don't like the feel of it at all. I have a Diawa Capricorn that is not super high-end, but it has zero backplay. Even the Revo STX has some backplay, although I noticed there is none in the Revo Premier (at Cabela's). It all comes down to preference. Casting reels, I much prefer zero backplay, spinning reels, any backplay makes me want to vomit.

Any line can twist if the lure on the end of it is twisting. And as RW said, visibility is the biggest problem with braid. I always use a flouro leader but it's kind of a pain, and I've found that a lot of the birds nests occur around the knot connecting the leader to the line, especially if you're using a really long leader (sometimes I'll use up to 15-20 feet of flouro in clear water).

Just got that same rod Friday night ;D It's awesome

Another I forgot is Forrest Gump - I think Tom Hanks is one of the few best actors in the business right now. Monty Python Quest for the Holy Grail is another good one. And above The Usual Suspects was named - my last name is Kobayashi so guess how often people ask me about that movie? I'm just glad it's a good one.

Uni for everything except dropshot, which is palomar. For tying braid directly, loop the line through the eye twice before tying the Uni.

Line twist plus the nature of braid. Something I've found is that when using braid on spinning reels, you'll get a ton more of these birds nests when you overfill your spool, which I do every time I spool a reel. I just keep telling myself, "Ok, a couple more turns and then I'll stop..." But even on a spool that's not overfilled, you'll still get some of these. You could take the twist out by trolling just the braid for a minute or two, or you could just deal with it and become more and more proficient at getting the nests out As a big braid user, I've become pretty good at getting these annoying things out when they do happen.

Well I went to Cabela's Friday night and bought my 1st G Loomis rod, the SJR782 6'6" fast action medium power (thanks to all you guys talking so much about high-end rods ). I'll be using this rod primarily for smallies and trout, also LMB if I'm throwing a lighter bait in fairly open water. Cabela's had a deal 50 bucks off any purchase over 200 or 250, can't remember, for Cabela's cardholders, so it was a nice little discount. Anyway, I was too excited not to head out right afterwards to my favorite trout stream for some night fishing to test out the new rod, and although it was freakin' freezing, I was able to manage one trout in an hour and a half. Went out Saturday during the day and caught a crapload of browns ;D Anyway, my point is, the rod is awesome 8-) This is by far my best (and most expensive) rod that I own, second best being a St. Croix Premier. I know that there are better rods out there than the IMX, but at this point, I'm unbelievably impressed with the IMX. It's really really light, and the sensitivity is amazing. It is much much easier to detect strikes and differentiate between rocks and bites, and when I was fighting the fish, it seemed like I could actually visualize what the fish was doing underwater. It was pretty awesome ;D I am a big braid user because of the sensitivity, but with the right rod, braid really isn't necessary (unless you use it for a specific application like flipping in the weeds). I see myself slowly getting away from braid in the future except for certain things. It's gonna be really tough for me to use my older rods now because I'll tell you what, fishing is just plain and simple more pleasurable with this rod. Friday night I might have lasted 30 mins out there with my old rod, but casting, working the bait, and especially fighting the fish is just even more fun and exciting so I stuck it out for an hour and a half and finally caught that one fish right at the end. Can't wait to get back out there!

The Big Lebowski Pulp Fiction Those are probably my two favorites, but there are many movies I love and will watch over and over, e.g. Office Space, Cableguy, Grandma's Boy...

I've gained 40 lbs (the size of a lunker striper) in the last two years. Gonna try to lose it all starting 2008. That's gonna be my New Year's resolution. Tell you what though, it ain't easy. I like to eat a lot when I'm hungry and shore fishing is my idea of exercise. "Aren't you supposed to be on a diet?" "LAY OFFA ME I'M STARVING!!" - one of my all-time favorite Chris Farley moments ;D

Any plastic that will produce, will produce on a c-rig...tried to think of an exception, but came up empty-handed.

One thing I noticed, though, is that it is tougher to put an LC split ring on than it is with a circle split ring, but once you get the hang of it it's fine. You might bend one or two before you get the hang of it.

Yes, unless you're using a clip on your line for quick changing. The split ring will give your lure better/livelier action, especially with walk-the-dog topwaters, jerkbaits, and crankbaits. I guess if you're trying for a subtler presentation during a cold front or something you might wanna tie it directly, but I never get that particular. I'd suggest using split rings on all of your hard lures.

Those split rings are the best - I bought some off *** but not enough to put them on all the lures I use. Definitely gonna order more, and rest assured by ice-out all of my lures will have those split rings (only on the line tie obviously). I've never had my line get cut from the split ring, but that's because I make sure I tie the knot tightly on the double-wire section to ensure that it doesn't slide between the wires of the split ring. With the LC split rings I don't have to worry about getting the line cut. Pointers, cranks, and any other lure that uses a split ring to the line tie.

Lawdy have mercy! I can't wait to get my sample pack, and then some more packs and then some more plastics and then maybe even fish with them ;D Really though, that design looks like a real winner

Do you want to drive to your destination, or would you be open to flying there? What's your approximate budget? And would you prefer saltwater or freshwater?