dave

VERY FEW made in USA. Look for the stickers on A LOT of high end rods. Not just mid range. Made in China. Burley is correct, you can see it on the Kistler website. When I first owned (still have a few) even the California and Graphite Plus rods were made in Texas. A few that still have almost all are Castaway, St. Croix, Loomis, and and not many more. Just call your favorite high end rod company and they'll tell you, China.

They used to. Stopped at least a couple of years ago. Better deals on ebay.

Voucher. Shimano doesn't participate any more.

Like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

They've been around for a number of years. I was told they were a manufacturer of a few different major market reels that decided to get in the retail fray. I have an older Avenger ($20) no problems ever. Okuma has become the reel that a number of tackle shops have as the "house" reel, where they used to have Silstar and some others. Spinning reels I hear tend to be really good where they baitcasters may lack a following.

History lesson, not politics.

9 years old? I am continually amazed with this type of behavior among the youngest of kids. With what they are continually barraged with in media though, what can we expect? I was blessed with a daughter (now almost 19) that had a group of friends that were just interested in being kids until they were in their early to mid teens. I have an 11 year old that is the same way. I am also blessed to be 6' tall, 240lb. weight lifter. My daughter has had a boy friend (a great kid by the way) for almost 2 years. She has asked me no matter what the temperature is, could I please put a shirt on when he is around. She said I am scary enough with it on, it is very intimidating with it off....MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

I don't have picture. It is an Castaway Bud Pruitt flippin stick. It has what they call a 4" bulb.

Where do Benchmark reels seats fall in the quality scale?

Does the regression of the republic sound familiar?

Can't say good night while the boss is in the mix.

The butt is actually a bulb type fighting butt. I was able to take previous butt caps off with pliers. This looks very different. Don't want to ruin it taking it off.

I have used Reel Mechanics cork composite butts as replacements for plastic butt caps. I have flippin stick with a foam fighting butt. Is there a replacement for those? Are the old ones easy to get off?

I agree with Madden. He should have been tossed. That was disgraceful.

He is a flea market junky. He goes to every fishing flea market in the area during the late winter.

Post over in the Shimano section. Bantam 1 will probably answer on Monday.

A friend who is a guide also guides at night. He uses a musky size jointed jitterbug. Long cast on a long, stout rod.

Oh...there is.

Found this picture on the site of a local tackle shop. In MD, this is huge! http://home.comcast.net/~clydessportshop/HUNTnFISH/greenway.jpg

You can adjust how the spider looks. I like to increase the walk bounce.

Power Pak

http://www.onemotion.com/flash/spider/

Maybe they just ran out of candidates

With Nascar as a marketing model, is B.A.S.S headed down the same path?

That's what I did.