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Here's a quote from the latest In-Fisherman. "Bob Lusk, known as the Pond Boss for his expertise in pond management, autopsied a 21-inch bass that weighed less than 3 pounds, finding the stomach packed tight with softbaits in various degrees of digestion. The lures blocked the digestive system, leading to starvation. Paul Bracknell, owner of Dream Lake in Alabama, also has found large bass in similar condition, and says some heavily salted softbaits expand dramatically in a fish's gut, readily blocking it." I almost always casually toss torn up soft plastics into the water before rigging a new bait. I'm going to stop doing so, starting now.

Have you heard the expression "*** for tat"? Used in a manner to suggest that someone has gotten what was coming to them. I've heard it here in Illinois; heard it in Florida, Texas, Colorado, Missouri, etc. It seems it is not really a regional thing. I only have one question. What's a tat?

My cranking set up BPS Crankin' Stick M action BPS Pro Qualifier 12# Trilene XL or BPS Excel mono -gk Near the top of the bang for the buck category. 8/10 My most fun combo; St Croix LT ML-XF purple Alphas 8lb test Trilene XL usually has a 1/32oz Gammy Wacky jighead with a 3X french fry tied on. Also use this for drop-shotting open water structure. A 2 pond bass will give you a great fight on this little combo.

Do you have a source for laminated carbon fiber? If so, why not give it a shot since you have the CNC mill. You real problem will be the posts. You can order, shims, screws and bearings. Not sure if you can order the posts. You may have to make those. And then you have to figure out how to attach the posts to the CF handles. Nothing insurmountable, but a few things to consider. If you have to make your own CF laminate, the time and equipment required could very be prohibitive. Here's a different idea; one I'd seriously consider if I had a CNC mill. Get some hardened aluminum and do a take off on the Livre handles japantackle sells. These are so cool, but are way too costly for me to consider. http://www.japantackle.com/Tuning_parts/Tuning_handles_Daiwa.htm

I also use Daiwa reels. Zillions are the easiest for me to set. From my normal casting settings, I back off the spool tension two clicks, and increase the mags four clicks. It usually takes me two casts and adjustments to get the Alphas and Fuegos set "right", but both are done the same as the Zillions. Back off the spool tension and increase the mags. It is crucial to remember to re-adjust before making a normal cast.

LOL, new2. I told myself several months ago that I didn't need any more gear. Just got one of the Cabelas Zillions. Couldn't pass up the bargain. Sounds like my wife justifying her latest pair of shoes. That reel has no rod, and I have a tuned up Fuego that also has no home.

LOL,you're right. It does sound that way. Actually, being a professor, I'm on one side of the lectern, and the stoners are on the other.

*** has them.

UH, like, totally, dawg.

Not really, bro.

When you have dry dreams and wet farts.

You can tell, generally, how old a guy is by taking note of he addresses another guy. Being an old fart, I say "hey, man". "Dude" came along sometime in the 80's. That unfortunate term has pretty much taken over. I thought, when I first heard it, that this won't last long. I was wrong. You hear it all the time. A little later, along comes "bro". I thought maybe this will get rid of "dude". No such luck. You hear bro very seldom now. Recently we have "dog". I have only one thing to say about that. We started as men and have now become dogs, and we've done it to ourselves. I suspect the women have known this all along.

Fat G, you want one, here's a deal. $335 http://japantackle.com/Used_reels/Used_AlphasRedition103.htm

10 for the Chronarch, a great rel 8 for the Cumara, I have one and it's not one of my favorites. No opinion on the line; I haven't used it. My favorite combo Loomis BCR852 GLX Daiwa Alphas R Edition #10 Trilene XL this is my tube rig.

I ordered one right after this post first appeared, and it got to my house in two days. It's not as fugly in hand as it is in the pics. The green is not as vivid and the propoganda on the side is much more subtle. In use, I don't even notice it. But then I don't care at all what color my rods and reels are. I want my rods to be light and sensitive, and I want my reels to be smooth and QUIET. I couldn't care less what they look like. And, trying to match colors? Puh-lease, I'm going fishin, not stylin.

You would think so, wouldn't you? Like DVT said, there is no standard. I haven't looked at those particular rod's specs, but I would look at the line and lure weight ratings. If you already have a rod from that series, you can make a judgment on power and action, based on your needs. What you can't do is try to compare rods from different series, or even worse, different manufacturers.

I've had my eye on those. I don't really need another rod, but I have two more reels than rods, and there's just something wrong with that picture. In the description, it sounds like these rods are built on the same blanks as the Cara series, and those are very well regarded. My brother has a Cara, and I've fished with it. It compares very favorably with an Avid. At $99, it looks like a great deal.

You know, if there's anybody in the world who can catch a 12lb bass using a boat as a dip net, it would have to be Big O. You da MAN.

A simple rig, which almost never tangles, utilizes two hooks and one swivel. Tie a swivel to one hook so the "leader is between 12 and 14 inches. You can go down to 10", but no more than 14". Run your main line through the swivel and tie on your second hook. I use this on either #10 or #12 mono, and the only time it ever tangles is when the flukes get torn up and won't stay skin-hooked. Then the line will get caught by a hook occasionally. I use 4/0 EWG hooks and a small ball bearing swivel.

That's a great rod for tubes. I have one, and that's what I use it for. I know it says jig and worm rod, but it ain't that at all. I don't even think it's a good senko rod. I tried it for several applications, and had just about decided to get rid of it when I tried it for tubes. It now goes with me every time out.

I have to give my wife, Mary, a credit for the assist. I've been showing her the pics of the giant bass Big O has been posting. I've also shown her the posts about the camo shorts. Before this trip she came home with a couple pair of camo shorts and told me, "now you have no excuse". You better get some big fish this time. Funny woman, my sweetie. So, I told Mike I wanted a pic of the smallest fish we caught, with me in the full-on Rage attire. I didn't realize that I also needed a camo belt. That would be why the biggest fish of the trip was only a 3. :D I'll have the belt before the next trip. A tip o' the hat to Big O. A lot of folks would not kindly to being punked like this. But, Steve just joined in the fun, and got in a dig of his own. Shows what a first class guy he truly is. I never catch bass anywhere near the size of the fish he regularly posts here.

A game warden was driving down the road when he came upon a young boy carrying a wild turkey under his arm. He stopped and asked the boy, 'Where did you get that turkey?' The boy replied, 'What turkey?' The game warden said, 'That turkey you're carrying under your arm.' The boy looks down and said, 'Well, lookee here, a turkey done roosted under my arm!' The game warden said, 'Now look, you know turkey season is closed, so whatever you do to that turkey, I'm going to do to you. If you break his leg, I'm gonna break your leg. If you break his wing, I'll break your arm. Whatever you do to him, I'll do to you. So, what are you gonna do with him?' The little boy said, 'I guess I'll just kiss his butt and let him go!' May your stuffing be tasty May your turkey be plump, May your potatoes and gravy Have never a lump. May your yams be delicious And your pies take the prize, And may your Thanksgiving dinner Stay off your thighs!

Long Mike and I just came back from Trophy Country. A good time was had by all. I was in full Rage Tail mode. I have the Rage Tail baits. I have the Rage Tail hat. I have the camo shorts. I have the columbia shirt. I even have the white whiskers.

I do not have to check the geometry. I do have to state the problem correctly. The outer race does not move, the inner race does. The diameter of the balls give two diameter dimensions. Let's use a 5X10X4 spool bearing for example. The surface of the outer race the ball rides on will be a bit smaller than 10 and the surface of the inner race the ball rides on will be a bit more than 5, but we can use 5 and 10 for purposes of illustration. In one revolution the inner surface of the ball will travel over a distance of 15.7mm. In one revolution the outer surface of the ball will travel over a distance of 31.4mm. This means either the outside of the ball is spinning faster than the inside of the ball, or, one or both surfaces are slipping on the races.

I bought one set of ceramic 7's. Had them in the reel for one day, made about ten casts dry, than about ten casts after oiling, and retired the reel for the remainder of that trip. I removed them and sold them, at a loss, to a friend. I can't stand the noise they make, dry or lubed. I will never buy another set. I bought 6 sets of SS 7's from big green fish. Good bearings and very fast response from bgf. I wish I had bought just one set to try first. There's not enough difference to justify the cost as far as I'm concerned. Sure, they spin more freely and you'll see an impressive free spool spin time, but, in actual use, there's little to justify the expense. My policy now is to buy SS 7's when, and if, I need a replacement spool bearing. There is absolutely no need to pay the extra cost for 7's for any other bearing than spool bearings. None of the other bearings in your reels spins fast enough to justify anything higher than 3's. Now that I have went off on a tangent, I'll answer your original question. I remove the shields for cleaning, if I can. I leave one shield off after cleaning to facilitate future cleanings. I have all Daiwa baitcasters. The brake side spool bearing is so small that removing the shields is difficult, so when I get one off, I leave it off. I've also started leaving one shield off the other spool bearing. It just speeds up the servicing process. When I install the cleaned and lubed bearings I put them in so the shield is toward the spool. This keeps the unshielded side more protected from the elements. As far as lubing ceramics goes, they are noisy when lubed. They are unbearable when run dry. I know some have reported performance gains when running the bearings dry. If you can stand the noise, you might try it. I, personally have a hard time believing that anything spinning that fast is OK, long term, running unlubricated. The ceramic ball can only spin at one speed. When rotating the outer race is moving faster than the inner race. The ball is in contact with both surfaces. So what speed is the ball spinning? Not both. It has to slip. Having a very hard surface(ceramic) sliding on a hard surface(stainless) is going to cause wear. It only gets worse if running without some kind of lube.