flechero

CrossK- Heck, I don't even tournament fish (haven't in almost 10 years) so this is all from a recreational point of view. Tungsten weights are $1-$3 each which is barley a 1/3 of the cost of a good crankbait... If money is tight and you have to budget buy all your tackle, I get it, I have been there in the past. If you buy luckycraft cranks and then buy lead- I don't get it. ...lol For as little time as I get on the water these days, an extra 0 - $10 per day to catch more fish is a good use of funds in my opinion. On good days, I lose no tungsten so it only costs more sometimes.

I remeber it like it was yesterday... but it was 1981 and we had just moved to Tx. I can tell you exactly where I was, where I cast, what the weather and water conditions were to the "T". and it was a Barlow's poured purple "fire tail." (was also my new PB at the time- 4.5lbs) But, like most, I can forget my anniversary or wife's birthday on occasion. LOL

Most of us are spending $4/gallon for truck and boat gas, umteen thousands on boat and gear already. So for a couple more bucks, I catch more fish and get a much better read of what I'm fishing? You bet, I buy tungsten! In the grand scheme of things, how many weights do you lose, anyway? I don't lose that many.

My neighbors dog proves that theory wrong big time!!! I think the key is not letting the fish slime dry... wet hands before grabbing the fish if practical and then rinse/wipe immediately after releasing the fish. I never need more than regular soap and water if I do that. If I let it dry, I have to do all the other things mentioned in this thread.

go get a cheap berkley 6 rod rack for the wall. Drill four small holes in bed to match up. Use hollow wall anchors in bed (the kind that stay in place without the screw in them) and wingnut a bolt for them. 30 second removable rod rack for the back of your truck. I used a set up like that for years when I was younger. These days, I just put them in the passenger seat. Edited to add: I forgot about the softcases, I have a 6 rod case that would also work but at highway speed it catches air and will come out if not tied down. (want to guess how I figured that out???)

Thanks for the replies, it sounds like there are several quality products out there. I can get a few of the ones mentioned locally. (I'm in a small town) Thanks!

Use a spinning rod and use the hurt limb for the reel. (this is what I did after my shoulder surgery, and what I will be doing again after my next shoulder surgery)

Now that most have had ethanol in thier fuel systems for a while, I wanted to see what you guys liked for additives. I just had to replace all my fuel lines and primer bulb that were rotting from the inside out. Now that I'm stating fresh, so to speak, I want to incorporate some type of additive with my fill ups to combat the negative effects of ethanol in the fuel. There are a number of products available, but beyond the claims on the label, I don't really know what is better or what is needed. Appreciate any input from you guys! edited to add: I've always used Stabil in the past and see that they too now have an ethanol version.

Just remember, you learn a lot more from losing fish than you do from catching fish. But I sympathize with the feeling of losing a good one!

Ranger and Champion make some nice aftermarket towable decorations that are fully compatible with a Ford!!

You know, if there is nothing seemingly rational about it, it could be a fear of losing thier dad. You mentioned the ex's family and they could be talking about taking the boys from you, or trying to anyway. I feel for you and the boys, as this is a tough situation.

Green egg's and Primo's are all they are cracked up to be. I have 2 brothers that cater and do competition- one uses the Primo as his at home grill/smoker, the other a pellet grill/smoker. (they use a big custom trailer rig for catering and comp) You can cook some amazing food on any of them. But all have their strengths and weaknesses and there will never be a single best option... for guys like us that grill, smoke and cook a lot- you'll want a couple options. I've always got 2 weber kettles here and currently have been using a pellet grill for my smoking, as my stick smoker is at my other brother's house. I've never owned a gas grill. The weber smokes well but it's a labor intensive cook to tend the temps. Best to decide what you like or cook the most and buy the option that leans that way. The pellet grill is pretty easy and versatile... the Yoder's Traeger's and the GMG are able to go as low as 200 at the cooking surface up to about 475-600 (depending on which models). It is nice when the weather sucks- you can set it to the temp you want and pellet and airflow are computer controlled... it will stay within 5 or so degrees, regardless of wind. Rain is more of an issue but a simple pop up cover can fix that. You can also change on the fly with a push of a button which is nice when you are cooking lots of different stuff. I'll be honest though, for everyday grilling needs- you just can't beat the original Weber kettle. (specifically the 22.5" version) It's the one that gets used the most... at least 3-4 times a week. The "fancy" stuff gets used mostly on weekends.

I realize that hearing people say it's a phase they grow out of is not very helpful right now, even though it's true. I had to "clear the closet" last night for the 1st time, to show my 4 year old there we no monsters in it. Kids are smart and remember things we don't, many times. Pay close attention to what he's watching on TV, I've traced most of the nighttime fears to something specific he watched. Usually after deleting it off the DVR, he's fine in a day or two. ('Dispicable Me' had a comment about a monster in the closet which is what got him last night.) Also be sure the night light isn't casting an ominous looking shadow! We had a monster once that was caused by the night light. ...lol My best advice is to never let the child in your bed... most people have bigger trouble overcoming that than the original problem. Maybe once a week, I will lay down with my son in his bed if he says he's scared... usually 5-10 minutes and he's fine. On rare occasion, I stay until he's asleep. I like the spraying for monsters idea... we have lots of scorpions around here so my son is a big fan of the "bug man" and his special spray! Good luck!

So glad this was pointed out. Very few people realize how much you actually need. Most people start eating "healthy" when they get into lifting but don't realize that they need to up the intake substantially. Do a little research on your caloric needs and what you burn in the gym and then track every calorie you take in... food and drink. it will take a couple weeks to get on track and a few months to really get it all dialed in completely. It can be tough to eat enough healthy food to support lean gains. It can also get expensive if you don't plan accordingly. I'd avoid large amounts of cardio until you get this figured out.... there is no mystery as to why runners are skinny! Supplements are mainly a convenience. 99% of the time they are useful in saving you time or effort and could be replaced with real food, a little effort or time in the kitchen. Just remember, if it were easy, we would all be lean and big!

Regardless of what plastic you use- I wouldn't buy pre made carolina rigs. They are much less effective, hang more stuff and are just not worth it. (not to mention overpriced) Just pre tie your leaders at the house... hook, leader and swivel. Then when on the water, you never have more than a single knot to tie. Also- as you learn the technique, a shorter leader (14"-18") is much easier to cast, control and set hook with. For plastics, I have had best success with small craw imitations in natural colors. I only use floating plastic if there is a problem with algae or weeds caking on your bait or if using a baitfish imitation. (your mention of whitish baits applies here)

Replace it. Last time I had a cracked battery- I took it back and they replaced it free of charge... it was out of warranty as well.

Mostly personal preference but I don't like glass, especially in the longer rods, the weight will show itself and you'll end up cranking less, IMO. You can get a great graphite blank that fishes glassy at much less weight and similar price.

Any of you guys have a St. Croix Legend Tournament Big Gulp? I'm considering build that blank up as a c-rig, small swimbait and flippin rod. Just looking for any specific feedback you might have, whether it's how you like it and what you use it for. Thanks, keith

Interesting. I've only had XT get too stiff and coiled in freezing/below freezing temps... all summer long it's fine for me. I've gone to sufix in the freezing weather.

When the mossybacks first came out, there was much discussion about them. According to the Loomis press releases at the time, the mossyback is in between the GL3 and IMX.

You can get LH curados from ebay stores for that price.

Great suggestions. I'm kind of basing this on where wouldn't otherwise get to go... although expensive, I can go chase bonefish, permit, tarpon, striper or any freshwater fish with some saving and planning. But I don't think I'll ever get another opportunity to go to the Amazon and fish for peacocks and the other fish down there. I'm leaning heavily towards that at the moment!

Ok, I have the best problem I've ever had. My wonderful wife has given me the fishing trip of a lifetime for my 40th B-day! The problem is that I'm having a heck of a time deciding where to go. I've fished many of the best Bass waters in the country so I really want to do something else. I'm 99% sure I'm fly fishing on this trip. Perhaps it's redfish on the gulf coast, stripers off the NE coast, or bones/permit in the Caribbean, ???. Even thinking about a musky trip. I'm looking for pretty specific suggestions or recommendations of places/lodges/guides. I'll have 3-4 days worth of guide fees and 4/5 star accommodations, and gratuities provided! Where would you go???

Take one of them out in the yard and cast it.... I think you'll find that hybrid from last year will have a lot of memory. A few casts will probably tell you all you want to know. If it were my trip, I would change it.

Braid is often touted as the "be all, end all" to sensitivity. While the reality is that it transmits vibration much better than mono, that only tells one side of the story. The truth of the matter is that sensitivity isn't the real issue much of the time, it's your ability to identify what you feel. For many people braid telegraphs too much "info" for them to decipher. Feeling every leaf, twig or grain of sand only adds to the amount of vibration they have to read, process and eliminate. For some this is a real hindrance. I fish with several guys that went to braid for a while only to see their catch rates fall for this very reason. To go even further, some people have "numb" hands, and others can feel a fish looking at a bait from 10 feet away. I know people that feel less with braid than I do with mono. But for some, they need braid to feel a bite. For roughly 1/2 of fisherman, mono is the clear winner for catching fish, even though it's "less sensitive." There are a number of pros and cons to both braid and mono, this post was intended to only highlight the angler's own ability or inability to utilize line as a tool. (I use mono to describe any mono, copoly or coated line)