K_Mac

I like the questions Roger! Redline that certainly is one answer.

Roger this can quickly spin into forbidden territory. I do not believe that man is a byproduct of the universe any more than I believe the universe is somehow a byproduct of something else. I too have many questions. The notion that human life in all its wonders and complexities, or the known universe came into existence by the vagaries of an explosive release of unexplained energy and unknown matter makes the alternative offered in Rhino's quote far more reasonable IMO. I do accept that intelligent men can disagree on such matters though.

Maybe if he were Lutheran you would have better success!

Divine intervention? I have many thoughts and opinions on this matter. None of them are appropriate here. There is simply no way having an intelligent discussion of this without religion being central to it. I like the guy and am glad he won. I support what I know of his views on Christianity. See what happened there?

It depends on many things, but it is rare for me not to check in at least a couple of times a day to see what's going on. Even on days when I am out the door well before daylight part of my morning routine is to check the weather, news, sports, and the forum. We old guys have a tendency to be a little rigid in our habits, and one never knows what important topic may need our input.

It seems likely that at least a fish or two of the five brought to the scale were caught on the Livingston lure. Howell has been up-front about the fish caught on the DTs. For him to promote his sponsor is not in any way offensive to me. Sponsors are the engine that makes everything else possible. I am also not surprised or offended when people buy the 'magic' bait used to win on the tour. Very few of us are immune to this, in spite of the protests here. We may not run out and immediately buy that particular bait, but most of us pay attention to trends and innovation used by the pros whether we admit or not. Chatterbaits, swimbaits, and the A-rig are just a few of the baits that come to mind that were brought into the mainstream because of their success in the spotlight. There are some here that still consider these gimmick or niche baits, yet most of us have some of in our bag. IF flashing lights and electronic sound really make a difference in the effectiveness of crankbaits, you can bet that most of us will eventually own some. I think the jury is still out though.

Flyfisher and i agree completely on learning to write. Back in the old days when I was in high school, I did not have much interest in academic pursuits. Fortunately I have always loved to read, and that is what helped me to get by until I came to understand that being able to write and speak well is a vital part of being successful in just about any walk of life. Having to refer to a dictionary occasionally ain't a bad thing. An excellent book that I use regularly is The Longman Writer's Companion. It is a valuable resource that will answer many of your questions about correct usage and punctuation. Good luck.

This topic always gets strong reaction on either side. There will always be idiots and like A-Jay I don't know the answer. I do know that closing major lakes to others fishing during any tournament would not be something I would favor. Closing a public golf course for a weekend and closing Guntersville, Toledo Bend, Bull Shoals, Lake Erie, etc... to fishing are two very different things. Could some concessions be made? Maybe. Should they be? I don't know. That some can pursue their dream of fishing professionally is a fine thing. It does not obligate me as a sportsman and taxpayer to subsidize that dream in any way if I choose not to.

Nice review! I still haven't manged to move up to high-end gear. I have used enough to know I want to...

It is not only size that is mind-boggling. Add speed and things really get interesting. We are spinning at about 1000 mph while orbiting the Sun at about 67000 mph, which is rocketing around the Galaxy, which is rocketing around the Universe...makes me dizzy just thinking about it.

What I think is "bassy looking" changes by lake and season. I will admit that finding a spot on structure that is overlooked by most is very satisfying. I think J Franco says it best that when more than one element comes together your chances go way up. On one of my favorite local lakes there are many thousands of "bassy looking" spots in the summer especially. Find that spot with grass and gravel, wood and grass, or many other combinations close to the old river or creek channels and now you may have something. I fish with a guy who is a shallow water specialist. His idea of bassy looking is about 12" deep. Very subtle changes in depth can be all the difference. Together we usually find something. Very few of us are really good at all techniques. Finding a couple that fit your you style and temperament, and getting really good at them is as much as most of us can do IMO.

I tried it a few times and came to the conclusion that my drag would be far more effective in fighting a fish than I could be. That is not say that done well backreeling would be a bad choice. Just not for me. I lack the motor skills to do too many things at once...

Sorry for your loss A-Jay.

I am not an athlete by any objective measure. I am in pretty good shape though, and my ability to fish and actively take part in life is much better as a result. I don't know why I waited so long to make a few healthy changes. It sure is worth the effort.

Well said Tom. Yes fishing is a blood sport, and some fish die as a result of the trauma they suffer when caught. That does not mean we should not treat them in a way that will maximize their chance of survival when released. I too think that we have a responsibility to treat the fish and our sport with respect. Those that don't make all of us look bad, and further the bubba stereotype.

Adding sirloin to Ramen noodles is like smearing caviar on Wonder bread...just saying Ramen noodles are in the same class as Spam, Vienna Sausages, Deviled Ham and other food-like products. There was a time when I thought all of these things were good. Now I would have to really be hungry with no other options before I would eat from that list.

The economic melt-down: Its causes and effects. Guns in America, and the Second Amendment. The health care system. The gulf between the two major political parties and its impact.

1. Whole wheat bread with the crust. Real men do not trim the crust from bread! 2. Peter Pan creamy peanut butter. I know that natural is more healthy, but the sugar and hydrogenated oil sure is good. 3. Welch's Concord grape jelly in proper proportion to the peanut butter. A 1:1 ratio is correct. When I was a kid the Pb and J was spread very thin to make sure we all had enough. This is not my current practice. Generous amounts of both when made in old Paw Paw's house. The Pb and banana sandwich is a much more common meal at my house in my zeal to remain the lean, mean fishing machine that I have become...in my HUMBLE opinion of course!

I bought my wife a nice card and several packs of SK tungsten weights that I found on clearance at Wal-Mart. She was happy with my choice and we just finished a nice steak dinner that was her gift to me. Do I have a good wife or what?!!

This is the kind of thread that just can't really be dealt with here. None of us know the facts. We only have a well meaning third party's view of the facts. There are many issues brought up here that are worthy of discussion: The sanctity of marriage, the morality of divorce, the importance of happiness and righteousness, maybe even the meaning of life itself. I love the conversation. Just not here. We are a fishing forum. We can learn many other fun things, like ladle wielding restaurant owners are a serious threat, and who has the biggest 4x4. There are boundaries though, and this is well outside of them in my opinion.

Rooster it may be a good buy, but I know the PQ is a good buy at the $80 price you will be able to buy it for this spring. For $20 more, knowing your dislike for any imperfections in a reel, I would advise going with the proven PQ. My advice is worth about what you pay for it though.

"spinning longer without a load means they will spin longer with a load" sounds right, but it is not necessarily true. How a bearing performs under the load applied during actual use is the only measure that matters. Adding 20 horsepower to your cars engine will produce measurable differences in performance. It may not make much difference in the way it drives though. Adding bearings to your reel based only on how they long they spin is not the equivalent of adding horsepower.to your engine. It is more like adding premium gas to an engine not designed for it. The higher octane will add horsepower, right?

LOL! Yes, they tell you that they will spin longer without a load, and when started in a manner that has no real relevance to an actual fishing situation. They simply do not tell you how the bearings will perform in the many conditions to which they will be exposed in common usage.

A-Jay that will be you after you return all well tanned and ripped after your battle with monster bass in Mexico!

For me the Senko rod is the clear choice. A light, well balanced, and sensitive baitcasting combo is a joy to use. I used a spinning setup for this technique for years, but once I started using a decent baitcasting combo I've never looked back. I use a 7'1" MXF rod rated for 1/4-5/8 lures and 8-17# line. There are days when I would like a longer rod when fishing deeper water, but the shorter rod is easier to use in close where much of my fishing with weightless Senko/knock-offs is done. This is also a very good rod for lighter T-rigs and jigs when that is the bait of choice. I do think a quality punching setup would be handy to have. That technique just does not require the same level of sensitivity and refinement in my opinion-worth exactly what you paid for it.