Popeye

Maybe you should have kept the new reel and given your buddy your old one?? In any instance, what you did WAS a VERY NICE thing and nice things happen to people who do nice things. Isn't that nice:o)

"No. Try not. Do! Or do not. There is no TRY!" - YODA. And may the Fish Force be with you!!

I personally have always considered myself an avid recreational fisherman although I always try to outfish anyone I may be out with at any given time. It's just the competitve spirit, I suppose. IF I were to win the LOTTO, I'd love to buy a super bass boat and enter tournaments for the sheer excitement, challenge, and FUN they would offer and donate any winnings/prizes to the more needy. However, I'd never want to have to rely on tournament winnings to live on. I also enjoy being able to buy whatever gear I want as long as it's not to excess. I recently bought 22 old Vibra-bat lures to have, NOT actually use because when I was a young teenager and the Vibra-bats first came on the fishing scene, I HAD to have one (magical fish catcher and all that hype). I remember going to a creek and casting my new yellow Vibra-bat over the side of a bridge we were fishing on fully expecting to catch huge fish that day. Unfortunately, my reel malfunctioned and the lure ended up smacking the bridge and breaking beyond repair. I was so disappointed and depressed! Now, I guess just having a bunch of them to look at is kinda like trying to bring back or re-live some of my cherished childhood memories. I have ALWAYS loved to fish and always will. That is pure fact. And the thrill of catching fish is as much a part of me today as it was over 52 years ago when I first wetted a line and caught my first bluegill. What a GREAT sport/hobby/obsession to have. I'd also like to say that I try to read as many of the posts as I can on this Fantastic Forum and I think all you folks are just SUPER!! I can hardly wait until I retire in a little less than 6 months so I can fish EVERY day if I want and the weather permits:o)

I agree with the EBAY recommendation. I just ran a quick search on CONOLON and there was a whole page full of those rods for sale. I'm sure the exact one you're looking for will show up sooner or later. Best to check a couple of times a day since people are continually adding stuff, especially this time of year. GOOD LUCK and might I add that what you're doing for your Grandfather is GREAT!!! IMO:o)

Sounds like a winner to me. Are you sure you don't want to go with a 6740 President??

Best place I've found with great prices on most stuff and FREE shipping is: http://estore.websitepros.com/1736384/StoreFront.bok Contact: Carrie Untch for items not listed on the site and she can probably get whatever you want at a great price. IMO:o) ALLPROFISHER.com

Spinning: Pflueger Supreme Pflueger President Pflueger Trion Okuma MD 30 Okuma MDS 30 BC: Daiwa Zillion 6.3 Pflueger Patriarch 6.4 Fly: Leaning towards the Pflueger Summit (since I'll need 2:o)

Shimano has a great reputation, but when I bought all my new stuff for retirement, I opted for Pflueger products in the spinning reel department (Supreme, President, and Trion:o) I also bought an Okuma MD 30 and MDS 30 for my two cheaper Fenwick Venture rods. I read every review I could find on the net and the Pflueger reels were highly reguarded. I hope to get some fishing done here in So. Ca before too long. I simply can NOT wait until next June when I retire and go back to Indiana/Illinois.

Thanks guys!! I certainly appreciate all your advice and recommendations!! While I have actually fly fished in the past, it was the DISTANT past more than 40 years ago. I just want to cover all the bases and fly fishing sure looks like it will be fun.

THANKS, GK!!! PS: I'll be living on my mini-farm that I bought in NW Indiana (Brook, In.) about 100 miles or so South of Chicago, just across the Illinois/Indiana state line. My Mom, 3 brothers, and sister all live around the Kankakee area and I know I'll be doing a LOT of my fishing in Northern Illinois as well as Northern Indiana when I retire next June. I'll also be keeping my home here in San Diego and there are several great bass lakes to fish when I'm back here in CA.

I'm going to buy a fly rod and reel and would appreciate someone educating me as to what wt rod I should get. I've read that most of the fly fishing experts recommend a 5/6 wt for a beginner fly fisherman, BUT I was concerned that it might not be strong enough for LMB and Northerns and was considering a 7/8 wt. Maybe I should just buy both?? Many thanks for any recommendations/advice that you can give. THIS is one Fantastic Forum!!!

I personally would like to add my vote for the Pflueger President and Trion spinning reels and the Fenwick Venture rods. Also one should consider the OKUMA MD series spinning reels and the Fenwick H series rods. The Diawa Light & Tough rods are a little more expensive at around $100, but they are well worth the extra bucks, IMO. Since I'm new to BC setups, I invested in a Daiwa Zillion and the new Pflueger Patriarch reels that I haven't had the chance to use yet, but they both get rave reviews. For the $$$s, Pflueger is HARD to beat, IMO.

Geez, I guess my 9' cane pole/kite string/cork bobber/splitshot sinker/big hook/nightcrawler combo just isn't gonna "cut it" anymore in this high tech world of technique specific rods. BUMMER:o)

OKUMA Metaloid MDS 30 (6.3:1 ratio w/10 BEARINGS!) - $35.00 + $12.00 shipping - Ebay. IMO:o)

Well, I just received my new Pflueger Patriarch from All Pro Fisher ($180 w/free shipping)and it is awesome! I have purchased 5 reels (Daiwa Zillion & Pflueger Patriarch BCs, Pflueger Supreme, President, and Trion spinning) and 5 rods (Daiwa T&L BC & 4 Fenwick spinning) from All Pro Fisher in the last few weeks. Great prices and unbeatable service via email and phonecons from Carrie Untch!! I'd highly recommend contacting them for great deals on any equipment that you might decide to buy. I do a LOT of price and item review research on the net before I buy anything from anyone. The Patriarch is Pflueger's new "top of the line" baitcaster and cost me $48.00 more than the President (which I had bought and had delivered and then Carrie found out that they were getting 2 of the Patriarchs in unexpectedly and she let me send the President back and pay the difference between the reels and sent me the Patriarch - now that's service as far as I'm concerned:o) and I think it is worth every penny of the difference. The Daiwa Zillion is also a great reel, but costs about $30.00 more than your $200 limit(??). So far I have been very impressed with the quality and value of ALL my Pflueger reels. Just my opinion. Good luck with whatever you decide to get!!

Triple ditto to what Zel said. I also thought the bluegill/panfish/crappie suggestion was/is excellent advise. Your daughter would have a great time catching them if she wanted to fish. There's always the old standby bottom fishing for catfish that is usually productive in most lakes and a very relaxing way to spend some time fishing. The quest for bass can be both frustrating, boring, and exhausting, IMO.