Aaron

I would go with baitcasters. I think with the right rod/reel/line setup I could cast almost any llure I needed to for most fishing appilcations (except extremely light stuff, but I don't fish that stuff anyway)

That is why I am glad I am spending the summer up here in MN. I talk to my dad back home in KY and he says the heat index is well ove a hundred most of the time. Too bad I haven't got to do much much fishing while I am up here but it's back to KY in 10 days.

I carry a Gerber Angler's multitool everytime I go fishing. It has longer needlenose pliers than most multitools and they can be opened with a flick of the wrist. They also have cutters that can cut most fish hooks, scissors, knife, a file, and a couple other tools.

I am pumped. A few years ago I never watched college football except for the bowl games, but the past couple seasons have really opened my eyes to what I was missing. Now I look forward to college football more than I do the NFL, at least until my Raiders get it turned around.

If you find some Gamma copolymer give that a try. It is one of my favorite lines but it is a little on the expensive side.

I love my Okochobee fats with falcon boxes. I also have a small Plano hard box that is nice but does not hold enough tackle for me. I usually take it with me when bank fishing and leave the big box in the truck.

Check this out: http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/customer_service0/reel_maintenance_instructions.download.-mainParsys-0001-downloadFile.html/Maintenance%20Tips-%20Baitcasting%20Reels%20(2%20pages).pdf

I have used plain lead "shad" jig heads with plastic shad bodies in the past. The "shad" jig heads are triangular shaped. They look kind of like the ones in this article http://www.tackletour.com/reviewmegabchubby.html but aren't nearly as fancy. They are a big time striper bait around here.

My favorite spinning combo is a Shimano Stradic 2500 FH and a G Loomis SJR783S GL2. I fish everything with this combo and it is my go to rig when beating the banks. This setup cost me around $250. You could get a longer lighter action rod for your setup. Soon, I plan on buying a 7' spinning combo for finesse fishing and the rig I am looking at is one of the new 2500 Stradics and 7' MF G blanks spinning rod. This combo would cost closer to $300 but I think it would be a great finesse fishing rig.

I have used the quantum bag as well. It did not hold up very well for me, but the Storm bag that wal mart sells has held up very well.

Yes, fish them weightless. As for color, I like anything with charteuse on it.

I don't own any of the falcon bags but I have quiet a few of the boxes. I have never heard anything bad about the bags and I will probably get one in he near future. The guide I went fishing with this past weekend uses them and he really likes them. I currently use an Okochobee fats bag from wal mart that has served me well, plus it is a little cheaper than the falcon bag.

Did you see any other fish in the pond, dead or alive? Did you catch anything? There may have been some sort of algae bloom that messed with the oxygen levels in the water. I am just throwing that out, don't even know if that is a valid possibility.

You can buy a rod tip repair kit at any tackle store. Very easy to replace, and cheap.

One of my friends fishes a Gander Mountain spinning reel, but I don't remember which one it is. He doesn't spend a whole lot on fishing equipment and he doesn't take that good of care of his stuff (he usually leaves his rods and reels in the boat all summer long exposed to the elements), but that reel has lasted through a few seasons. With that said, he still wishes he had my Stradic.

I have curados on my main bass rods. (Three D's and a Bantam SF)

You are mistaken my friend, once you get the first gun you always want more. Just wait.....

I think you will have a hard time finding a quality autoloader in your price range unless you find a good deal on a used gun. Are you looking for 12 ga.? EDIT: Also, I have heard that some autoloaders tend to malfunction in colder weather. I don't know that for sure as I dont own an autoloader but it is just something to keep in mind.

Remington 870. I have two Express Super Magnums, one I bought new for somewhere in the $300-$400 range and the other I bought used for $175. I don't know anyone that regrets buying an 870.

My interactions with game wardens have been positive. I ran into one on the lake one day but they were just doing a survey and didn't ask about licensing or anything. The other time I met one while camping and he was out looking for some people riding fourwheelers in an unauthorized area. I have heard of some bad encounters but never experienced any.

I usually try to use proper grammar, but I have made many posts where I have looked at them afterword and been very upset at what I just typed. Most of the time I let it go, but if it is bad I will usually edit my post. The importance I place on grammar depends on the medium. When posting on forums I want the message to be easily read, so spelling and grammar isn't that important to me as long as the message is clear. If I am sending an office email I will usually give it a quick once over before sending it, but if I am typing reports or submitting something to a superior I want it to be near perfect. The things that really get to me are ALL CAPS and excessive puncuation!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's doesn't bother me as much in forums but I have seen people send out memos with lines of exclamation points or question marks.

From what I have read the Curados should start shipping in August and the Citicas won't ship until October.

I have regular cable not HD cable, but I get ABC,NBC,FOX, and CBS in HD. The networks may be a local thing because back home in KY I did not get any HD with my basic cable, but here I have both regular and HD in the networks.

I have a Vizio 42" HDTV that I really like. I don't have HD cable or satellite but I do have one of the HD antennas, and I can get the networks in HD (1080i, which is the best my TV will do) and I live in an apartment complex in the suburbs of Minneapolis. I have had my Vizio since Christmas and have had no complaints.

Here's my truck. I bought the topper in the spring as prepararation for a summer roadtrip and have grown to like so I am going to get it painted this fall.