JohnFromLisbon

Done! Ended up lowering the shelf by a notch so I can read the labels on the latch side. And it completely freed up the bottom shelf, too. Thanks for the tip, @MN Fisher! Also, before turning them sideways, I shook the terminal tackle boxes to make sure the smaller hooks don't jump compartments. All good!

@MN Fisher that's a great layout! I put the labels on the front because of way they go on the bags and backpack, but I can add it on the side too like yours so I can make the best out of my old bookcase. Hadn't thought of that. Edit: or just bump that shelf up a notch... Welp, now I'm going back in there ?

Got me a few Planos this week. 6 regular 3600s, 1 3620, 1 waterproof 3640 and the best thing ever - a labeler! The tall boxes are cheapo IKEA ones, but they work just fine. It was a pain cutting out all of those dividers, but it was worth it. I'll store most tackle on the 3600s and use 2 3650s and the watertight 3640 as go-boxes for the backpack whenever I'm fishing from the bank.

I've been looking into those. Saw a video where the guy reviewed the standard model and talked about the difference between the two, apparently the blank is the same and they just change the guide train and the grip.

This, 1000x this. I grew up watching Cheers reruns during the late 90s, early 2000s and if not for that, I sure wouldn't stay up till 2 AM watching a Sox game played thousands of miles away. Another one I watched reruns of during my teens in the early 2000s was Seinfeld, and occasionally watch it again on streaming. It holds up very well. Around the same time I watched Star Trek (TOS), and that show is still the GOAT of sci-fi TV. Sorry, TNG fans ? One I was avoiding because of all the hype at the time and ended up loving was True Detective - the first season. Man, that show was good. The second one I had to power through, but the third season was good too, though not as much as the first.

Got myself a second Curado K. This one will eventually go on an IMX Pro 853 JWR when it gets here in June or July - called a shop, they checked with Shimano, and both the JWR and CBR models are only expected to be in stock in the summer. Meanwhile it was going to go on a Curado rod, the MH model... But instead of that they sent a Heavy, just like the one I had and sold a few weeks ago, so that's going back.

Got a couple of deliveries this morning that should keep the monkey quiet for a while

I have the Split Shot frames with the Prizm Shallow Water lenses. They give great contrast and are super light. They're definitely better than your average polarized lenses. I want to get a pair of Costas to compare, but I really like the Oakleys. The only downslide for the Oakleys has to do with that particular frame, since the original leash started to rust a bit.

@TcRoc not much... From what I could find, apart from the grip and missing hook keeper, everything else is the same. Same line and lure ratings, same actions.

@jbsoonerfan my JDM 6'10 medium got here a week ago and it's totally worth it. I was kind of annoyed that Shimano only offered the JDM models over here in Europe because of the whole detachable handle and no hook keeper design, but the blank goes down to the reel seat, right about where the blank would be exposed, and it's super solid. I'm a sanded blank and cork guy, but I really like how it feels in hand. Balances great, especially with a Curado MGL. And the whole "carbon monocoque" butt thing amplifies any touches on the blank. I tried to get a 7'2H, too. But by the time I got mine and checked back with the store, they were all gone.

I’ll always be a Brady fan, but it will never *not be* weird seeing him in a Bucs jersey. P.S.: not really rooting for the Bucs, and I actually like Mahomes. Enjoyed KC winning last year. So I guess go Chiefs

Oh yeah. I've been watching it every year since 2009 and under normal circumstances I'd be watching with a couple of friends, playing Madden until kickoff. Even in town a handful of bars would stay open, despite the 5 hour difference. We even have an amateur football league over here.

Thanks @kingmotorboat It’s okay, I’m used to it by now. Last week we had our call, this week it’s the Super Bowl. More often than not I find a reason to stay up late. But I did take the week after next off l, so any day of that week is fine for me ?

I got it from a local store. Shimano actually pushes some JDM stuff in the European market, like the Zodias and the Expride, and some reels like the Vanquish. Everything else is straight from their USDM catalog. They're hawkish in controlling everything though their own distribution channel, so much so that on Tackle Warehouse stuff like Shimano reel covers or t-shirts, or even spools of Power Pro, can't be sold overseas because Shimano North America won't allow it. And over here FedEx makes us pay duties and fees on delivery, as per EU rules ?

It's finally here! I needed (well... wanted, really) a dedicated jerkbait/small topwater setup. Got myself the JDM Zodias, 6'10M. For some reason Shimano decided that we can't have the USDM model over here, but I'm pretty sure they're the exact same rod - the only differences being this one detaches at the handle, because reasons, and lack of a hook keeper. Oh, and it comes with a rather nifty carrying thingy. It'll pair up nicely with the Curado MGL, just need to spool it with 30lb 832.

I like his stuff, my only issue is usually the way he presents it. The monotone voice is okay for short videos, but makes it harder to watch longer ones. I don't mean he should go full Mark Zona for every video, but it would help to break down the script into clear sections and vary the tone from time to time. There's a reason why I can stick with Matt Allen for 40 minute clips and don't feel like I'm doing my homework, the dude just knows how to talk to an audience - but this is the kind of thing you can improve. I mean, just look at his early-early stuff. Same goes for Randy Blaukat's videos. The man is a veritable source, but those recently-divorced-dad-dashboard-videos are not the best way to keep me engaged.

I'd go with frogs (not the super big ones though), but at 7'6" that depends on how you feel about it. The other thing it could do fish heavier jigs in deeper water.

Even before it got this bad I started deleting all of my social media. The only account I have is a Facebook account because I need it for work (creating test users for mobile games, etc.), but I don't have any friends on there and I don't follow any pages. I just don't trust Facebook as a platform and don't use any of their products. I talk to my friends on a Signal group chat (we recently killed off our WhatsApp accounts) and I call my folks from time to time. I tried going back to Twitter recently because I missed some of the bass fishing folks on there, and interacting with the guys on Zona Live for example. That account lasted 6 hours before I deactivated it. YouTube is trickier to quit, but I'll try to "curate" my suggestions to keep it acceptable. As for actual news, I'll read a couple of local (Portuguese) newspapers, and I subscribe to two US ones, too.

I'm building my jerkbait setup now - in fact I'm expecting the rod to arrive today. I'm putting a Curado 71 MGL on a 6'10 medium Shimano Zodias. I'm going to spool it with 20 lb Sufix 832 and switch leaders from - say - 10 lb fluoro to 12-15 lb mono depending on whether I'm using it for jerkbaits or smaller to medium topwater baits.

I'm subscribed to the Shimano Japan YouTube channel and they uploaded a TON of videos yesterday. Shimano North America is showing some of this new stuff later today:

The Bait Monkey strikes again

Good thing you used PayPal. It's always a risk, but it's one of the best things you can do. I had no idea the demand for the PS5 would be this big, it's insane. But yeah, I'll wait a while longer for sure, and to be honest none of the next gen games that have come out since launch has really made me go "WOW". Maybe when Gran Turismo comes out later this year

Still waiting, too. Stay strong, don't give in, don't let the scalpers win. Also, it's been so cold that my PS4 hasn't sounded like a 747 when booting up Red Dead Redemption for a while now.

I love it. I love planning before I go. I love spending hours looking at Google Maps and weather apps the days before. I love making a checklist of stuff I want to take for that particular situation, picking baits and making go-boxes, making double and triple sure everything is ready. I love the time I spend making a playlist for the early morning drive. I love it when the alarm goes off and after the fog clears I realize I'm going fishing. I love taking that early shower while the coffee pot fills up. I like hauling everything downstairs and loading it in the trunk like a game of Tetris. I love the early morning drive listening to the playlist I made the night before. I love it when Willie Nelson's On The Road Again starts playing, even though I know exactly when it's coming. I love sipping coffee from the tumbler on those long straight roads where it's only me and the occasional truck. I love it when I slow down, pull on the parking brake, and try to figure out what I'm going to throw first. I love the whirring of the reel on my first cast. I love watching and feeling a new bait and figuring out a new presentation. And then there's the bite