Rose_Jackets67

When I first started reading this site (~1 year ago), I took Road Warriors advice and bought some 6 lb hybrid for my new at the time 2500 stradic. Now, reels are spooled with the standard Hybrid. 6lb on spinning reels and 12 pound on baitcasters. In the last year, I've only had one fish break off, and based on how it was 'rolling' under the water, I'd have to say it was a big catfish. I've caught fish as large as 9lbs on the 6lb hybrid, and probably 7 or 8 in the 6 pound range on the 12 lb without a breakoff. To me, the Hybrid is manageable enough that I'm in no hurry to switch to Ultra Soft. I imagine for my next purchase of line though, I'll pick up some 6lb US just to try it out. My point is, don't be afriad to run the original Hybrid on spinning tackle. adam

I say the rod is by far the most important. Assuming the reel has a good drag system and casts decently well, that's all you truly need. I have 9 quality setups that I fish with on a regular basis, and on only one was the reel higher priced than the rod (stradic on BPS extreme). adam

John, I'm genuinely sorry to hear that, and I'm sorry that I can't offer anything other than condolences to help you out. A buddy of mine had a Visa check card stolen recently, and after he disputed the charges it was around 2 weeks before they cut him a check and sent him a new card. Hopefully the turn around time will be faster for you. If you want to get out on the water to blow off some steam and relax any time between now and New Years just let me know and I'd be happy to join you. Good luck and Merry Christmas, adam

Patsy Cline - In my opinion, the finest singer of all time. Wonderful songs, that even 50 years later don't sound the least bit dated. adam

A buddy of mine's family has a farm in north GA with a 7 acre pond/lake on it. This summer, we were up there, and must have caught 20 fish (3/4 of them small bass, the rest crappies) off the same ledge in an hour. I was throwing a #7 shad rap, and my buddy was throwing, of course, a mini rat-l-trap. They just catch fish like crazy. adam

Ok, kids. It's crunch time. My girlfriend is going home to Ohio (we're in college) Monday morning, so we are exchanging Christmas gifts and doing a nice little dinner one night this weekend. Problem is, I haven't found her a decent gift yet, and it looks like Friday is my last shopping day. Focus: Any tips for a good gift around $75 or $100? What are you getting for your special lady (or gentleman ) friend this year?

I'm dying for some college football. Can't wait for the bowls to start. I only hope that my beloved Yellow Jackets can come out of their end of season slump and pull a win against West Virginia to make it 10 on the season. I think the national championship is definately the right matchup. Even though I'm not sure Florida is a better team than Michigan, I do know that the Wolverines already had their shot. They controlled their own destiny, and had to beat Ohio State to go to the NC. They couldn't get it done, so the Gators deserve a shot. I (along with everyone else) would love to see a college football playoff, but am not sure how likely it is. Time constraints with final exams for the players, and determining eligibility for a season that could overlap into spring semester complicate things a little bit. I don't think adding additional games would be a problem, as quite a few teams play 13 or 14 games a year already when you include conference championships and bowl games. I say a 4-team playoff (1 plays 4, 2 plays 3, then have a championship game) would be the way to go. Wipe out the BCS system, go back to just the USA Today and AP polls to pick the top 4, then do a playoff. Seems perfect to me. I think Texas will continue to be in the national championship picture in the next few years, especially if Colt gets/stays healthy and stays in school. adam

Grumpy - I own a number of round Garcias, including a 4600c5mag that I use for crankbaits. I really, REALLY like this reel. I feel like I can get more distance out of the Mag equipped C4s and C5s by turning down the brakes and turning up the magnets, which is nice when I use them to throw #7 shad raps and weightless Senkos. For smoothness, I'd say the C5 is only incrementally better than a C4 (just as a C4 is only slightly better than a C3). In my experience, upgraded spool bearings are what really makes these reels shine, not the levelwind or idler gear bearing upgrades. Also, as far as gearing changes, gears interchange between any of the C-series Ambassadeurs. I sold a C3 that I had rebuilt to Fishbear, and at one point prior to selling it I had installed 6.2:1 gears in it, just to see if I could. It worked like a charm. I had a set of gears here already to try it with, but I'm sure Reelmech could source you a set no problem. As far as other upgrades, I have a set of Extreme Smoothie drag washers in one of my 4600s, and they play out drag much smoother than the stockers. I don't know if they are really neccessary, but I was curious and they only cost $7 or so. adam

Interesting. I've never dealt with All Stars customer service, and this makes me a little worried - all of my 'Nice' rods are either Falcon Caras (x3) or All Star Team All Star-series (x2). I've never had to warranty a rod with either company, but I did break one of my Falcon Tackle Organizers. Called them up about it, and the fella that helped said "I'll send you a new one. Don't worry about the busted one, just trash it." Big plus for Falcon in my book. Here's to hoping my 1-piece All Stars stay that way Adam

I fish electric only lakes in my area, and I use the cheapest Eagle depthfinder made. I think I paid $69 for it at the local BPS. It has all I need - depth, water temperature, and the ability to pick up brushpiles, dropoffs, humps, etc. I have no plans to upgrade any time soon. Also, I run it off the same battery as a trolling motor, and have no problems with interference or shortened battery life. good luck, adam

This is long, but please bear with me and read it through. Today was my last day of classes (before finals that is), and tonight after going ice skating with my girlfriend, I drove up to my mom's place to crash and get my head together for finals on monday. Let me preface this by saying I already had an unusual day, and was a little bit on edge form some things that happend earlier in the week. So, I pulled into her driveway and noticed immediately that the power was completely out at her place (no Christmas lights tipped me off first). I immediately jump out of my truck and dial 911 on my cell phone and pull out my trusty Gerber knife (no CCW permit yet, no firearms allowed on campus anyways though, so even if I had a concealed permit, I wouldn't have been carrying at the time). I go in and immediately wake up my mom, then do as good a job as possible of sweeping her house with the dog, my knife, and my phone on the ready. Thankfully, she (and everything in the home) was ok, and it was just a coincidence that the power was out (it came back on about 1/2 hour later). After trying to calm down a little bit, I started to ask her some general questions about how secure she keeps the place, and she mentioned that just a few hours earlier she came into her bedroom to find that there was a window open about 4", and she had no recollection of how it got that way. My adrenaline immediately went through the roof, but again everything seemed OK. So, what I'm looking for are recommendations on how to keep her more secure, and give myself a little more piece of mind when I'm away. Here's where she stands right now: When she bought the house ~1 year ago, I went though and changed all the locks, and checked all the hardware on the doors and windows, in addition to making sure all the exterior flood lighting worked. She has a dog, but he is 13 years old, and though agressive and fiery during the day, 9/10 times when I get to her place in the middle of the night, he doesn't even stir from his bed. I've been trying to encourage her to get a larger, more agressive dog, but she isn't having it. Despite growing up in the country, she has never fired a gun and is not comfortable having one in her home. There are only three people with keys to her house (me, her, and her boyfriend who is an Air Force veteran, and whom I would trust with my life). There is a security system in the house, but it's broken and she has been reluctant to get it working/get a subscription because she "Won't ever use it anyways." Any tips/tricks pointers y'all can give would be greatly appreciated. I'll be setting aside at leas one long weekend over break to get her place squared away. Thanks in advance, Adam

Rat - Thank you, sir. Normally, I'm not one to bite my tounge (certainly not in a face to face situation), but I generally let the guys who had "One just like it in the old days - But it was faster and prettier than yours" go with just a smile and a 'right on'. My first thought when I read Catt's post was 'You have lost your d--- mind!' Catt - no hard feelings here - I know you are veteran to the board, and I (among tons of others I'm sure) would hate to see you get upset about something like this and stop posting. However, I think it'd be wise to go back and edit/remove that post. adam PS - I dig the Chevelle, Rat. That thing through the mufflers is almost as loud as my 396 with the headers open. You run that thing on pump gas? I'm running 9.8:1 advertised pistons, and have to pull a couple of degrees of timing out to run 93 octane in the summers.

I take my standard schnauzer out with me whenever I fish by myself. He is very well trained though, but it seems like he gets bored unless I'm really on the trolling motor moving around. I think it's important for me to take a break every hour or so and let the dog out of the boat (either in the water or on shore) to stretch his legs and explore a little bit. I fish out of a 14' jon, and the dog gets half the boat to himself, and I've never had a close call with hooks/lures getting near him or sticking him. I'm just extra careful freeing snags. adam

I mostly fish them on either a 1/16oz split shot in the grass or on a 1/4oz Spot Remover along rocks and timber. Any color seems to work, as long as it's dark with some flake. adam

Wow - nice 'set.' Very nice indeed. What motor/drivetrain is in the Spyder? Looks like a fun little weekend cruiser. Also, I wanted to clarify that my last post with the Lambo-poking was totally in fun. All 3 have me drooling. 'Maybe when I grow up,' hahaha. adam

First, my car - It's a '67 Impala that I got when I was 15 and restored/built up through high school to be a nasty daily driver. Currently runs high 12's at 110-112mph on street tires with a built 396, built automatic, and 3.73 gears with an Eaton limited slip. Eventually, I'd like to run high 11's at around 120, but the money just isn't there right now. Runs strong as is, and I like that it still looks, and to some extent sounds, pretty mild. http://photos-804.facebook.com/ip002/v45/245/17/12802464/n12802464_31280804_6979.jpg The Cobra - This is the car that went away so that I could buy my current daily driver Dodge truck, but I'll miss it. All the bolt-on parts (intake setup, shorty headers, X pipe, cat back, tuning, Spec Stage 3 clutch, 4.10 gears), but nothing too extreme. Never went down the track, but was always just a little bit slower than the Impala, and a little bit faster than stock (non-Z06) C5 Corvettes. I'd guess it at a 12.99 at 110mph or in that area. http://photos-805.facebook.com/ip002/v45/245/17/12802464/n12802464_31280805_1553.jpg Like I said, the Cobra is gone now, and the Impala is currently sitting at my fathers place in Virginia til I finish college.

This is the only fishing-related site I read. I read/post regularly on quite a few automotive boards also though - such as ColoradoK5.com, TeamChevelle.com, Pirate4x4.com, LS1Tech.com, and SVTperformance.net. Robert - I've always thought the saying was "You buy a Lamborghini when you want to LOOK fast. You buy a Ferrari when you want to BE fast." I have a neighbor with a white Countache (SP?), and I've helped him flat tow or push it home on 3 different occasions. It sure looks pretty sitting in his garage though In all seriousness, I'm sure it's a georgeous ride. Adam, who loves his fast old Chevy and his big, slow, shiny Dodge pickup

25-3/4 inches (calculator on here says 8.8 lbs based on measured length/girth) on a smoke/hologram 5" GYCB senko. Adam

I really like the show, and the host. I think he just lets the show be focused on the person he's fishing with - which is the point. "Real people, real fish stories" - right? Maybe one of the members here who's been a guest/had Lunkerville as a guest will post up. Adam

John - Any decent welder at any machine/fab shop in the area should have no problem welding whatever rivet holes are left if you do decide to go that route. I've watched a buddy cut apart a beer can with tin snips and then weld it back together - your hull should be more than thick enough. All things considered, I'd just cut/grind it down enough to where your floor will cover it and just forget about it rather than pay the $75+ minimum shop fee to get it welded. Good luck, and hopefully I'll see you out at Varner tomorrow. adam

Having a bad ball joint fail and cause serious problems is NOT a myth. I have since deleted the pictures from my computer, but when I was in high school I got a call from a buddy saying he had broke down and needed help. I showed up to find a 2x4 Ford F150 in the ditch with the front passenger wheel, tire, brake rotor, spindle, caliper and about 6 inches of brake line and ABS speed sensor cable in the bed of the truck. Apparently, 2 weeks earlier the local Ford dealer told him the lower ball joints on both sides were bad (truck had around 75,000 miles on it - just out of extended warranty). The owner didn't do anything about it. Lower ball joint failed massively, upper ball joint sheared out of the upper control arm from the extra stress, truck went into the ditch. Luckily no one was hurt (they were running35 or 40 mph when it happened), but they could have been. "It isn't a safety issue thats just a myth." - Gotta disagree there, buddy. Fix the ball joint first. Is it an exhaust manifold or intake manifold that is cracked? Cracked manifold can lead to burnt valves, cracked intake manifold causes vacuum leaks and terrible gas mileage like you mentioned early on. adam "Welp, if you can't be a mechanical engineer, you can always be a mechanic." - My dad after my first semester at Georgia Tech.

Wow - Very nice John. Hope you enjoyed it. See Randall's last few outing posts for what you missed adam

There's an article about fishing the Swimming Senko on page 11 of the current issue (Nov/Dec) of Inside Line. Gary himself fishes it with 1/4 ounce screw in sinker texas rigged, and they say specifically not to fish it weightless. adam

Man oh man. I was literally about a 1/2 step from skipping my afternoon classes Monday and taking the whole day to go to Varner... Maybe I should have :-? Glad you were able to stick 'em, Randall. adam

My first car is a '67 Impala that my dad and I bought when I was 15. He moved to Virginia this past summer, and I can't afford to pay for storage while in school, so it's parked near his place for now. Originally a tired 327, powerglide (2 speed auto) and 3.08 gears. Currently runs a built 396 (somewhere around 425-450 horsepower or so), T400 automatic, 3.73s and an Eaton limited slip in a 12 bolt. Faster than daddy's modded Cobra I'm lucky to have a very nice little Dodge pickup to drive every day, but nothing replaces the feeling of a 4400lb car that black-tracks the tires into second gear.