Gone_Phishin

The Winter Meetings start tomorrow in Indy. I know a couple of guys from Milwaukee that are going, and they plan on tailgating every day in the parking lot. I'm excited to see if Melvin can get the Crew two arms by weeks end. Perhaps first go after a guy like Pavano, and then work his butt off to sign Wolf. Lackey is out of the question, as he is rumored to be looking for a deal bigger and longer than Burnett's. That would be 17mil+ for at least six years. Give me a break. He's not worth half of that. :

If you can track this guy down, I'll toss a lit Zippo into his hair for a bottle of tequila and a lefty Airy Red Pixilla.

Yup, their up and producing, they don't sell direct they have 3 US distributors, Angler's Workshop, Bingham Enterprises, Mud Hole Custom Tackle, and 1 Australian, Australian Rod Manufacturers .. Just finishing up on one of the Inaugural Run (first 35) blanks. http://www.northforkcomposites.com/index.html Tight Lines!!! Thanks Reel Mech.

Dang, I always just miss the drama. No pics for now, but on a side note I picked-up four rods over the weekend: a Fuego, a Zillion, and two 09' LTA's. Oh, and got the TW deal on a Certate 2500 too. I now have no money, seriously.

I have no memory of all of those parties I've attended. On a side note, my old man told me about his times in college making batches of riot juice. They'd get a new garbage can, wash it out, and pour in everything they could find. By the time they'd get to the bottom, he said they'd find a jock strap, or a bra, or a shoe...everyone was so hammered, no one gave a crap.

I have two Sahara FB's in the 2500 size, and I absolutely love them. I have both mounted on my walleye slip-bobber rods. These reels have really taken a beating, and they are still buttery smooth. The state of WI allows three lines a person, so when I'm anchored and fishing for 'eyes, I cast two slip rigs and I work another rod (casting cranks, jerks, jigs, etc). I can't count the number of times I've been concentrating on my casting rod and heard a buddy yell Bobber Down! By the time I drop my casting rig and grab my slip/Sahara rig there is a ton of slack in the line, and this is where the Sahara shines. This reel picks up the slack so well, and winds it smoothly and knot free on the spool. I first bought these reels a few at a time, hence I couldn't afford to bump-up to a Symetre or Stradic, and you know what, I have no regrets whatsoever; I'm very happy with these reels.

I was not aware that NFC and Gary Loomis were up, running, and selling blanks. I searched, but could not locate a website.

What techniques are you looking to address with this rod?

I still have a package of the mix I bought at Patty's years ago sitting behind our bar. I think I'm going to have to make a batch for the holidays. Thanks for the reminder.

Sounds like someone had a few too many. ;D We drink those for breakfast in Wisco...seriously though, went made correctly they will sneak-up on you lightening quick.

I'll drop you a line this weekend....I can't wait till next season, so I can rip on Big Mac as much as the sorry a(* cubbies. ;D

I was wondering if anyone has had experience with these baits?

Ask your Dr. if you are a good candidate for a biacuplasty. It's a fairly new procedure that will fix a disc if it is torn badly. If this can relieve your symptoms it can be a great thing, as it is much less invasive than most procedures. http://www.transdiscal.com/TDProcedure.html The bigger the tear, the more spinal fluid leaks out. I'm assuming yours is torn, yes? If so, has the Dr. given you a grade on the Dallas scale?

Forgot to add that I'll have an extra shaky head tied on next year, and it will be on a spinning rod. I picked-up a Fuego 69MLXF over the weekend, and have a Fuego 2500 looking for a new home. Like LCM, I like the Picasso head. I also like All-Terrain Tackle's Mighty Jig. Roboworms and Berkley Shaky worms are my go-to baits. I like either 8lb. Trilene 100% fluoro, or 6/20 Power Pro. Sometimes I use a fluoro leader, sometimes not. One a side note I like the Pro Spot Removers, at times, too. Unfortunately my biggest gripe with these is they tend to get hung-up easily. If you're fishing them on a superline, make sure you use a fluoro/mono leader in case you have to snap it off.

Take a look at a 6'6" rod in either a M or MH power. St Croix Mojo rods are priced right and have a ton of fans. Make a trip to your local tackle store and give the rods a good shake. Go with what feels comfortable. A Shimano Citica E can be had for around $100. I believe it has a 6.3:1 gear ratio, which should make for a great all-around reel.

May I ask where they are being clearanced ? Thanks X2

As others have said, it's a great reel. It's smooth as a baby's bottom, and built like a tank; I look at it as Shimano's version of a Zillion. It is not the best reel for lighter stuff, but the reel as a whole makes-up for that. It is awesome for spinnerbaits, frogs/toads, jigs, T-rigs, larger topwater baits, C-rigs, etc.

Yup. I fondly remember one year that I caught my first bass of the season on this bait.

I've been using a Loomis BCR852 GLX with a Daiwa TD-Z 103-ML. I love this rig, works great for shaky heads, though I want to utilize it more for finesse T-rigs. I've been having wet dreams about a BCR802 and a Dobyns DX 701C, paired with a tuned Core 51 and a super-tuned Pixy, respectively, for shaky work.

That raised a red flag with me too. I'd be curious to see what kind of action they would have.

Good quote: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. "Klopek? What is that Slavic?"

Today I bought a 1lb. spool of green Yo-soft for $49.99. It is only that cheap in 8lb. test; they also have 10-20lb. at various prices, but more expensive than the 8lb. There is 6,800 yards on their 1lb. spool of 8lb. test. Thought I'd give ya'll a heads-up.

I use this rod for Flick Shake rigs, and it works outstandingly well. Very fast tip...nice backbone. I've also used it for years casting leadheads and twistertails for 'eyes. It works well for smaller Senkos too.

Santa came early in the form of Fleabay. I was able to get that crankin' rod. I won a new, w/tags, 09' LTA 70MC for over $100 off. 8-) Though, as far as I can tell, the Work Comp claims adjusters are still there.

The positive relief is definitely a good sign. As we age, the ESI's can become less helpful; they're more of a band-aid. I would definitely continue. Anything to avoid another surgery. It's kind of a trade-off. As you know, the shots are definitely not a cure-all. But if they provide some relief, and as FoM said, if this can be supplemented with PT, you may avoid the knife. The words that raise a flag is "blown out." Is the disc severely herniated? Have you had a discogram? Do you know if the disc is torn according to the Dallas Scale? You say yours was at C7. Was your previous surgeries in the Cervical region of the spine? To answer your original question, I ran the gauntlet of shots: ESI's, medial nerve root branch blocks, a discogram, etc. Unfortunately nothing helped, and this past July I had a double posterior interbody lumbar fusion at L5 and L4, with cages. I also had many bones removed on the back side of the spine, and replaced with four metal rods and eight screws. You know, winterizing my fishing gear in the middle of July was one of the saddest things I've ever had to do. God bless and keep in touch. I met a great friend, MALTESE_FALCON, here on the boards, and he has had several procedures. Drop him a line.