gopherbass

I used to be a Quantum guy but quit buying Quantum after using Energies and Tour Editions. I was always impressed with the Accurists I had, however. They have great drags and are pretty smooth for the price.

I like a 6.2 for lipless. I also like 6.2 for shallow cranks as I'm usually moving pretty fast and need a faster reel to keep the lure moving.

I forgot to add that consistent with all my other Quantum reels I was very pleased with the drag.

The Tour Edition PT is the reason the last 11 reels I've bought have been Shimano. I was extremely disappointed when I took it out. The reel was the worst $100+ reel I have ever used. After using a Chronarch on the rod I'd been using my TE on, I decided Quantum had some serious work to do before I'd ever buy another one of their reels.

Warm Milwaukee's Best Light: The inspiration for most of my posts on this forum.

One thing to consider with gear ratios is how fast the boat is moving while you're fishing. When I'm fishing crankbaits I usually have the trolling motor going at a pretty good clip to cover water. I usually throw my lure 45 degrees or more from perpendicular to shore so that it won't be behind the boat at the end of my retrieve. In such cases, I like to use a 6.2:1 just to take up the slack of the boat closing the distance to the lure but the lure is generally retrieved at the same speed as if I was fishing slower and using a 5.1 or lower.

Has anyone run in to problems using Navionics Platinum chips in Lowrance units? I bought a couple chips for my X-27 and 520 and was ready to throw them both overboard last weekend when they'd make my units freeze before shutting them down. I've heard of some similar issues but nothing like this. I did, however, get them to work in both units (3 days after I needed them). I'd just like to know if this is an isolated incident.

I do not want to steer this topic off-topic so I will respond only once. I, too, can think of many jobs that require Spanish. However, I will submit that the number of jobs requiring BOTH a college degree and the ability to speak Spanish is vastly less than the current population of college students. Furthermore, I believe a great deal of competition does not exist for a majority of these jobs. Clearly there are exceptions. With respect to the benefit of speaking a second language, I do not disagree. I take issue with whether that language should be Spanish by default. Why should your college choose for you? I understand the benefit of speaking Spanish in light of the growing Hispanic population but I question whether the benefit will, indeed, be long-term. That, however, is an entirely different topic.

If you're going to college to get a job that requires you to speak Spanish, why are you going to college? Think about it...

I'm not sure if there's a weighting scheme I'm not aware of, but I calculated 3.7917.

Thanks, Jig Man. I was hoping I wouldn't have to buy two GPS units but I guess it's only a couple hundred dollars more. Do I have to buy two chips too or can I network one chip over two units?

My understanding of LowranceNET is that if I buy a Lowrance GPS unit for the back of my boat and a LowranceNET compatible unit for the front, I can network the two and use the front unit to display and input data from the rear unit. Am I off base or this the way it works? Someone please fill me in on how LowranceNET works (the website's a little vague).

Looks like I have to buy a rod now, Jimzee.

I have no doubt a Curado 300 is suitable for reeling in muskies (I have landed more muskies on bass reels than on muskie reels) but I would not want to crank double cowbells with it all day.

Per Gander's fiscal year 2006 10-K: OUR GROWTH STRATEGY Our long-term strategic objectives are to: build upon the Gander Mountain brand name and significantly expand our network of retail stores in order to capture additional market share and expand our geographic diversity; offer our customers the best combination of a broad assortment of products and services, convenience and value in the outdoor lifestyle sector; enhance our growth by adding new products and services that meet the needs of our customers; improve our profitability by leveraging our increasing scale to improve margins and enhance productivity, and by controlling expenses; and develop internet and catalog selling capabilities in order to offer our customers more shopping opportunities.

I highly recommend Abu's 7000 series for under $130. They're a little big for my hands but even so I can hardly stand using 6600s anymore.

I feel like the t is unnecessary.

The best rod dollar-for-dollar is the cheapest one you can find. There is a diminishing marginal return, in terms of quality, as rod prices increase.

It'll be out this spring.

3/8 oz. blue and black Grassmaster with a pumpkin Zoom Super Chunk Jr.

Trailer Park Boys

If damage happened during shipping, I would expect to see damage to the box. Metal does not bend against cardboard. The reels were a Calcutta TE 401, Calcutta TE 101, and Chronarch 51 mg. Typically I try reels out but sometimes I'll have line put on and when the reel is handed to me I don't want to untie the line. I'll make a more concerted effort to try before I buy going forward. Even so, identifying lemons before buying them does not change my original observation that I have noticed a considerable number of flawed Shimano reels that have not been used.

My thoughts exactly. I feel like Galileo.

Dead horse?

I'll start off by saying I'm a big fan of Shimano reels. However, more than any other reel I've ever bought, I've run in to the most problems out-of-the-box with Shimano. Of the 6 Shimano reels I've bought this year, I encountered problems with 2 of them before I ever used them. In the case of 2 other reels I had to ask for a different reel than the one I was initially given because something was clearly wrong. For the record, I'm not talking about the reels being a little short on oil. I mean bent handles, messed up gears, etc. This experience is not limited to my personal purchases either. When I worked at a sporting goods store during college, Shimano was hands down the most returned reel without use. The argument can certainly be made that Shimano reels were sold more than any other but the amount returned due to defects was not proportional (in my observation). That said, I've found when Shimano reels start right, they stay right. Just a thought...