paparock

Glad to hear the good news! Now go catch the biggest bass of your life!

I downloaded Internet Explorer 7 from Microsoft Update Downloads a week ago and have experienced zero problems since.

If only all Americans felt that way our nation would be a better place.

I just picked up an Aqua-VU XT at a steal of a price. I live and fish on an extremely clear water lake and only want it to help me better learn my new home lake and to double check what I am seeing on my new color depth finder. The cheap cameras will do what I want, other than that I don't know if the high dollar ones are really worth getting due to a lot of the previous mentioned limitations.

Welcome to the forum Cigarlover.

You hang in there Joe! Our thoughts and prayers are with you for a complete recovery and a joyful return to the best fishing you have ever experienced!

When you land her first fish act like you just found some jewelry (that you prepositioned in your hand) inside the fishes mouth. Then say something like " Well I'll be darn will you look at that this fish swallowed this piece of jewerly. I wonder if there are any more?" Then stay out of her way.

"I Have the Bait Monkey Under Control" Those are famous last words. :-/

Mike not all injuries are to the body. I (a 2LT.) was assigned to the Army Okinawa Drug Suppression Unit for nine months from the first moment it was started in 1971 until a Captain that should have been filling the slot in the first place relieved me. There was no SOP to follow just trial and error and believe me there were many errors. A police officer especially one in a big city assigned to a high crime district can see a lot of combat, and Mike it is just as much combat as my friends saw in Vietnam or our troops are seeing in Iraq today. In just 9 months assigned to that drug unit , I saw death's face up close and personal many times from strangers to friends, and from bullets to burning to death. Those images do not easily fade, neither does the face of the young woman as I can back from overseas in uniform that walked up to me and spit on me in 1973. Our soldiers that come back from Iraq will need many things but nothing that any of us cannot offer. They need time to heal, understanding support, a caring ear, and Love. By love I mean the love of a brother, sister, mother, or father that lets them know that no matter what, when they are in need, you will be there for them and that means a lot. They expect such from their family but when it comes from strangers, it really sinks in to them that others with no vested interests care and in time they will adapt. PTSD is real and it affects both the physical and mental well being of the individual. So this old soldier recognizes your service and tips his hat to you and all that wear the blue who do try their best to protect and to serve and all too often pay too high a price in their personal lives.

Thanks Avid for that kind introduction. Why do I qualify for the Broken Fin Fishing Fools group? The bad boy that has me disabled is what the doctors call demyelinating disease. Now most doctors have not heard this name and even fewer have any idea what it is. Heck even the specialists in the field don't seem to understand a lot which is not what you want to hear as a patient. You may wonder why I am going to describe my condition here. It is simple really, men do not like to go to doctors and try to ignore early symptoms, take my advice and do not. You see when my disease wanted to get my attention after me ignoring the symptoms for several years chalking them off to anything else other than something serious it ate a hole in the covering of my spinal cord leaving the raw nerves exposed. When I would move in certain ways the edges of the opening would strum those nerves like playing a guitar but to me it was like having my body plugged suddenly into a 220 volt electric socket. The pain was horrible but worse was that the Emergency Room Doctors could find nothing wrong. It took weeks of tests, MRIs, tests for epilepsy, the works and then bringing in a MS specialist to figure it out. DEMYELINATING DISEASES OF THE BRAIN take a lot of what you were away. I have dealt with that. The damage to my nerves all over my body is permanent and slowly growing worse so I am going to enjoy what life, I have left, as should we all. I am going to see my specialist again tomorrow as I write this. The last tests have ruled out MS for sure now. They know my disease is in the same family but they tell me I may never know which exact one it is that will eventually rob me of the rest of who I am. I have lost a lot of my coordination, I also suffer from short term memory loss (no 50 first dates yet). Below you will find a link that will take you to the Internet Handbook of Neurology http://www.neuropat.dote.hu/myelin.htm Anyone having a bad time want to PM me or email me, I am a good listener and believe me I do understand.

In today's world, all to often our choice is reduced to the lesser of two evils, which is a sad reflection on the state of our nation. I forget who said it so maybe someone who reads this thread will know but the quote goes "People get the government they deserve."

ReelMech, how does the pricing compare between a regular custom wrap and a spiral wrap rod? I have never been put off by the looks of spiral wrap. I am one of those, if it makes the rod work better great but I do not care about a bunch of fancy threads, colors, or designs on the rod. You know what I mean. I have always wanted to try one but have never even had the chance to hold one in my hands.

I have used E-glass, S-glass, and graphite as well as some combination blanks like Calstar Graphiters that have a graphite core supported lower on the blank with e-glass. They all react differently but to me it is a personal matter of feel. I current have Calstar e-glass and Johnny Morris graghite crankbait casting rods and a St. Croix Legend Tournament Walleye (TWS70MHM / Deep cranker) graghite that has fast become my favorite rod.

Fish Chris you are way outside my frame of reference but I have thought about spiral wrap rods for years. I would like to try one before making the plunge. Let us know what you think if you get one. I had one of those brainstorms recently as I am coming at my fishing problems from the reverse of you. I learned on baitcasters as a kid and until just a few years ago never used a spinning rig. Now that I have to fish light line in ultra-clear water, I am learning more all the time. I saw a St. Croix Legend Tournament TWS70MHM / Deep cranker. Designed for casting or trolling crankbaits including medium- to large-size minnow baits, jerkbaits and rattlers. Ideal for deep water. http://www.stcroixrods.com/rods/default2.asp?rodname=53&section=spin My brain said hey with those specs why can't you use that rod for bass plus walleye in the lake? I ran out and purchased one and it is now my favorite crankbait rod for 8lb. and under line. I hope your idea works out just as well!

I have some Avid spinning rods and they are are some of my favorites. After finding the Legegend Tournament Walleye Deep Crankin spinning rod on line I ran out and got one put my Sustain on it and love it. It is a great combo. I have not caught anything big on it but it sure has been sweet on everything else! http://www.stcroixrods.com/rods/default2.asp?rodname=53&section=spin

If someone where to go out once a week here on Bull Shoals to the ridht places with some scuba gear they could probably keep their own tackle box full of other peoples lost lures. :-?

I still have a bunch of my heavy saltwater jigs if anyone wants one to practice with, say about 8 ounces. You can have one for free, to practice those deep hooksets with, as long as they last but you must pay the postage. Those babies are heavy! ;D

My middle stepson and daughter-in-law were going to a wedding and running late. She kept nagging him about driving to slow (10 miles over the speed limit) so after an hour of this he sped up and you KNOW what happened. Within a minute, he had these nice flashing lights behind him. As the officer came to his window, my stepson asked the officer "I suppose there is no way to give the ticket to her is there, pointing to his wife. The officer smiled and laughed as if he knew why my stepson was asking but said " Sorry no" as he wrote out the ticket.

Amoco Oil Corporation-BPAMOCO 20 years. I do not count my Army time as a career just a temporary duty on the job training. Now I have taken early retirement due to disability (neurological disease).

That is a though one to answer especially dependent on price. High end: Either the Calais or Steez. (They approach the same dsired end but from different ways of thinking.) Mid-range Price: Alphas Type-F or Curado 101D (Either one is the most reel for the buck on the market.)

I have an Alphas (Purple Wonder) and really like mine but then you have to be comfortable with the reel you use. Before getting, the Alphas the only casting reels I had used for many years were 5000 and 6000 size Abu Pro Max round reels. Since it is my first real low profile, I had nothing to compare it to other than my old round ones. The Shimano Calcutta and Conquest come in 50 and 100 sizes that are extremely great casting reels so maybe try them for the feel. It sure never hurts to try before you by if you can find someone that has a reel you are thinking of buying and they are willing to let you try it. Good luck in your quest.

Since I am using light line for crankbaits from 6 to 8 pound, as I have related in another thread, I purchased a St. Croix Legend Tournament Walleye rod model TWS70MHM / Deep cranker. Designed for casting or trolling crankbaits including medium- to large-size minnow baits, jerkbaits and rattlers. It is 7' Power-MH Action-Mod. Line Weight 6 - 12 Lure Weight 1/4 - 3/4. I have a Shimano Sustain on it and I love the set-up. The rig gives me long casts and has plenty of power on the bass I am catching with it. I'm still planning on getting a set-up for using deep spinners but I really love this Legend rod for crankbaits. If you have need of a crankbait spinning rod I recomend checking it out. http://www.stcroixrods.com/rods/default2.asp?rodname=53&section=spin

Welcome to the forum Fishin49er just jump on in the water is fine!

I was looking at the St. Croix Legend Tournament Walleye rods since there are many huge walleye in Bull Shoals. I have zero experience with walleye having never even seen a live walleye caught by someone else but I am interested in learning. So, I'm looking at the rod listings and all but two of the St. Croix Legend Tournament Walleye rods are spinning. One of the spinning rods descriptions catches my eye because it reads "TWS70MHM / Deep Cranker Designed for casting or trolling crankbaits including medium-to large-size minnow baits, jerkbaits and rattlers. Ideal for deep water." The specs on the rod are 7' length, MH power, Mod. action, 6-12lb. line weight, and 1/4 - 3/4oz. lure weight. Those specs make me think that some may use such a rod for double duty fishing for both walleye and bass. Here on Bull Shoals because the water is so clear the average line weight used for crank baits is 8lb. so I was wondering what if any is the drawback to using a spinning reel with such a rod to fish for bass under such circumstances? That led me to ask the question, is there any here on the forum that do use spinning and such light line for deep cranking.

I need some help on the proper use of the Ledgebuster Spinnerbait in an ultra clear water reservoir like Bull Shoals. I have never caught a fish on a spinnerbait but then I have just started using one over the last couple of months. I want to learn to use the Ledgebuster also but in all honesty as I said I have not managed to catch a fish yet on any spinnerbait. HELP!!! I have read, taken pointers from a local pro, thrown three different colors of spinnerbaits that several local guides all agree are the most consistently productive on Bull Shoals for hours under the conditions and in the locations both the books and pros said are good for the use of spinners but so far ZIP! Any suggestions. I'm getting cranky . I know they work so I must be doing something wrong. :-? I'm not giving up by a long shot I am just trying to figure out the ins and outs of this new to me technique and if I am doing something wrong. :-[