A-Jay

Hey Man, stop getting on the scale while holding those mutant bass ! A-Jay

I'm another very Satisfied DVT customer myself - Mike just did up 10 casting reels for me. Quality work, quick turn around, kept me updated on his progress and the price was More Than Reasonable. A-Jay

OK - I get it. Perhaps he's looking for you skip the meal and run as a way to help you both reach the goal of passing the PT test. And here's a couple of other thoughts: 1. Your actual body weight does not determine your physical abilities. It's what you're made of that matters. So as long as you are within accepted weight standards, you're goal is to be mission successful, in this case the PT test. Don't worry about your body weight, concern yourself with consistently working toward your goal. You know that means a sensible exercise program that included proper nutrition, hydration and rest. 2. As for "get into my high school and college pace and health" forget that stuff. Those boyhood days are gone - you're a grown *** man now and Nothing beats that ! A-Jay

The fact that you've upgraded several items indicates that you've got this rig right where you want it. The work is done. Unless this is incorrect and / or you enjoy the "buying and out fitting" process. If I had the means, I would have it prepared for storage by a professional and put that baby under lock and key (storage). I would welcome the comfort of knowing that upon my return, I'd have a rig ready to hit the water as soon as I was. Good luck A-Jay

I can't speak as to the motives / training objectives of your team leader. However, I have completed several of the finest PF training the services have to offer, (including the Army Master Fitness Course twice) and intense Cardiovascular workouts directly after eating are not encouraged for an assortment of reasons. But, you might have to adapt and overcome in this situation. Figure out your team leaders schedule and plan for it. Eat earlier in the day and / or have a light pre-workout meal / supplement directly before the run. And then promptly run his arse into the ground. A-Jay

You've gotten some great advice here. I've been running for 35 years, 8 of which I was a DI. I've help literally hundreds and hundred's of men and women improve their run times. It's hard to really assess your deal without seeing you in action. Hope this helps . . . . . It's all about picking them up and putting them down. Don't waste energy, meaning don't bounce up while running. Your goal is to move froward not up. So only lift your feet high enough to move it forward. Sounds simple and it is but many do not do it. On pavement this is easier but watch yourself on uneven terrain. As for breathing, I bet you already know the deal, sing cadence. If you can sing, you are breathing correctly. That's why they teach it. "I don't know, but I've been told, Winter's in Michigan are Mighty Cold, Left Right, Left Right" Good Luck A-Jay

Do I weight more than I should ? I'm going to say no. A career in the service afforded me an opportunity to stay in decent physical condition. In 2007, I retired at 47. First two years out, I slacked off and got pretty soft. Finally got my act together in 2009. Built a home gym, got some equipment and made the commitment. I'm very glad I did and I have no intension of going back. For those who are thinking about improving their physical condition - I say go for it and let nothing stand in your way. A-Jay This is last summer, I was 52.

WTG ~ Great Trip - and very beautiful fish ! They're so perfect, they look fake. Congrats. A-Jay

Sweet looking reel. I watched the casting demo in this link. Casting starts around the 5 1/2 minute mark. The gentlemen who is doing the casting is Really Hammering out some impressive casts ! He does this - back to the target, over the head, whirling spin-a-rama that is just wild. Looks like the meter is reading casts of 94 or 95 plus yards. It's a little hard to read but either way, that's a good poke. A-Jay

Thanks - the Smoke SL150PPT reel has a 5.3:1 ratio and 12/160 line capacity. A-Jay

smalljaw67 - Thank you very much Sir. A-Jay

Thanks Glenn. A-Jay

For anyone using this reel as a cranking reel - How do you like it ? I'd appreciate any and all feed back you'd be willing to provide. Thanks in advance A-Jay

Yes, what was that ? I went back to check it out later that day and it had vanished. I thought it was losing it, but then again I always think that. A-Jay

So Many threads routinely go completely unanswered/unresponded to and so far this one has 5 pages. But I'm not complaining. A-Jay

The benefits of BR membership for me have been many. It 's the Least I could do. Pay it forward. A-Jay

Some experienced anglers may tell you that the desire and willingness to learn, experiment and improve your skills as a fisherman could help you enjoy this sport to its fullest. I believe that you'll learn what size fish jigs catch - by fishing them. A-Jay

First enjoying the sensation of the drag working as line peels off my reel and then suddenly realizing . . . . that I forgot the camera. A-Jay

Man - I hope you're right Dwight. A-Jay

I played around with this a bit last season. I was fishing a mid lake hump/flat with light to medium weed clumps in 8-12 fow. Drop shotting a small creature bait was taking fish from around the clumps. But by bumping the rig up a bit I was able to penetrate the weeds and get a few more bites. On Medium casting tackle I went to 30lb braid w/12-15lb Big Game mono leader which worked well to get the bass up and out of the cover. I could have simply thrown a Texas rig plastic or jig also but I liked being able to hang the bait in their face. I plan on applying this in some other situations this year. A-Jay

Cool Show - Zona's really living it up - a couple of shows at the Kingfisher Society and then he gets to play tug-a-war with the gorilla's at Falcon . . . . must be nice. A-Jay

Nice fish Dwight, Congrats. That boat ride sounded like it was pretty intense as well. A-Jay

I did see that - And it's harder to do than it looks. Took me a while to the rhythm right and some baits just will not do it. A-Jay

Really - Did you tell them you were a "Squid" ? That usually helps. A-Jay

This is true. Another way to look at it might me you are fortunate enough to have multiple Federal, State and Local agencies that are trained and ready to provide every type of assistance any mariner might require. A-Jay