Sam

Tom, this discussion can be expanded to a discussion on charging batteries. As you know, there are two schools of thought: 1 - Keep battery charger on and charging the batteries all the time. 2 - Charge the batteries the day before you use the boat. Guys in my club do both. What is your input on this issue and can charging batteries all the time be one of the causes of Simpleman's problem?

Hey Kicker, "Wayne" works on new and old freshwater and saltwater rods and reels and he is always ordering parts. He once told me that Shimano's were the best out there and I have all Shimano's other than for one Pflueger, one Lew's and two Ambassadors. "Wayne" has been keeping me up to date on the various reel's components changes and how plastic is being used more and more in reels. He also brought to my attention not to grease or get any grease on the anti-reverse on any reels. He had a very old Shimano baitcaster that he just finished repairing and to see a reel that old working like new was a heck of a surprise. The guy who brought it in also brought it's twin, both in the original boxes, and Wayne got them up and running like new. I believe the guy found them at a yard sale. "Wayne" also fixes and repairs broken rods, both salt and freshwater. "Wayne" is the guy the local tournament guys and pros go to for help keeping their tackle in good working order. Wish you were in the Richmond area so you could talk with him about rods and reels and baits and fishing and politics and life in general. I know he would love speaking with you. Mainly reels five years and older. And yes, comparing apples to apples. I may have had the same problem with a Shimano Stradic 2500 MgFA. The small spring had sprung. "Wayne" replaced the spring and it works fine.

I took my Pflueger PresidentWLP baitcaster to the gentleman in Powhatan County who services rods and reels and I asked him what is the best reel in the marketplace today. Without a second thought, he replied, "Lew's." I asked him why and he said that Shimano, his favorite for years, has stopped carrying parts for their reels, making servicing and repairs very difficult. In fact, he had to actually grind down a nut to fit a Shimano when Shimano told him they no longer carry the special nut and he found some Curado star drags that he is keeping for future use as Shimano no longer carries them. He loved the old Curado's but he said times have changed at Shimano and getting parts is very difficult. He went on to say that Lew's is easy to deal with and has all the parts needed to keep his client's Lew's reels in top condition. He also likes the way the Lew's reels are constructed and their performance is outstanding. So if you have a Shimano reel and it needs parts you may not be able to find them unless you purchase a duplicate reel on the Internet and steal parts off of it. Anyone out there have any problems obtaining reel parts from Shimano? If so, let us know what happened.

Go down on line test and don't tighten your drag as tight as you normally do. Have rod with soft tip. I like to use 8 pound Gamma fluorocarbon for drop shotting. I use a 7-foot medium heavy fast action tip spinning rod from G. Loomis. I add a Shimano Sahara 2000 as the spinning reel. I also use the Roboworm 1/0 hooks if not a smaller #1 circle hook. I will also use a weedless 1/0 if there is a lot of grass or pads around. I just lift up the rod when I get bit. So scale down on your line test. Braid is very unforgiving with no stretch and you are bending the hook when you set the hook or get into a good fight.

Yes, but only on spinning rigs with light line for pond fishing Rooster Tails. Trying to reduce line twist.

Too many bass + not enough forage = small bass.

Can you tell us more about the cover? Is it grass-like from the bottom to the surface? Is it floating like slop? Any open space under it? All of the above replies are OK but you need to know if the bass can live under it; feed under it; look up to see the surface; and have room to move and hunt under it. If it is too thick with no place open on the bottom the bass are not there. Bass need some room to maneuver and your quest is to find out if there is any room for the fish to move about. If so, here is my suggestion from an old pro: Get a boat paddle. Go to the area where you want to fish. Take the paddle and make an open area as big as you can and as deep as you can with the paddle. Wait at least one hour. Longer if possible. Go back and drop shot or shaky head the open space. You can do this at various places and until they close back up you will have an opening to fish with the baits and presentations you want to throw. Good luck.

Sometimes Glenn has to close the site to upgrade or make other adjustments. He will do this at times when there is low traffic volume. Just be patient and the site will come back on-line.

Papa Joe, it still beats the alternative. We may be getting slower, but we are more experienced and can do more better than some of the younger guys who go faster. It is still great to be standing in your boat or on a dock/bank, taking in the beauty of Mother Nature while holding your fishing rod even if you have not had a bite. Just enjoying the outdoors. That is what it is about.

I get so upset that I could put a snapping turtle down my pants and pull the belt tight. People who launch their boat at the ramp, tie it up to the pier and then load it for their trip. IT IS A RAMP TO LAUNCH AND TRAILER YOUR BOAT. NOT TO LOAD THE BOAT.

Aggressive players. Nice try on his part but you all are correct...he should have let it go. Thanks to all for the feedback. Now to go and watch the NCAA playoffs which should be some really good baseball.

Actually, it was caught by the LSU third baseman to the left of the third base bag, out of bounds. He threw his body at the ball, straight out with his left hand stretched out as far as his arm would allow to snag the ball. The ball went from the bat to the ground 6 inches out of bounds and then bounced towards third base and hit the chalk about 10 feet from third where it headed foul and the LSU third baseman snagged it by the third base bag. Will try to locate a photo ad post it when I can find it. Thanks to all for the explanations.

Thanks, guys. That explains it. It just seems that if the ball hits the ground in foul ball territority it should be a foul ball. But not I know.

I never played baseball in high school or there after (lots of softball) and I don't follow MLB since the strike so I am not 100% up on any rules changes. But in today's SEC baseball championship game here is what happened and I am somewhat confused so I am asking for your input on the call. Ole Miss has man on third. Ole Miss batter hits ball which bounces foul about three feet from the batters' box and at least 6 to 8 inches out of bounds. The ball then bounces into the air and hits the chalk line in front of the third base bag and flies out of bounds where the LSU third baseman made a great save by diving to stop the ball. He then gets up, but his throw to first base is late, so the run scores. Question 1: The ball was clearly out of bounds when the Ole Miss batter hit it. So why was it not called a foul ball? Question 2: The ball then bounces in the air and hits the chalk line where it then bounces in front of the third base bag. So is this a fair ball and play continues? Thanks for your response. In the final synopsis, that play was not that important as Ole Miss clobbered LSU 9-1 since Coach Paul Mainieri wanted to save his pitchers for the NCAA regionals and the Ole Miss pitching was excellent today. But I am confused as to why the ball was not called a foul ball when it went out of bounds the first time. Guys, thanks for your input. I guess I should be following MLB more often.

Zoom finesse and trick worms. Senkos. KVD Strike King Sexy Shad crankbaits of all sizes.

Agree with reason. Never heard of any limits on the number of rods you can have on your boat. Only thing that would limit the count is the amount of storage space on your boat. But your question is flawed. YOU NEVER HAVE ENOUGH RODS, ON OR OFF THE BOAT!!!! Welcome to the Forums.

Sorry, I have no information on fishing Myrtle Beach. Others will give you some input to consider. What I will tell you is that you have to be very careful when fishing fresh water ponds in South Carolina. Alligators live in ponds and you want to avoid them at all costs. So be extra careful when you approach a pond or are fishing. Alligators are sneaky and are much faster than we think. Have a fun time in Myrtle Beach and let us know what you caught.

Congrats! Keep up the good work.

Yes, I am a member.

Will be an interesting last race for the Triple Crown. Would be great to have a new Triple Crown winner. All I can think about is that the track will be dry and we will not have a Triple Crown winner.

All the best to her in her college career.

Going to get the 6-inch drop model.

What geo said.

Found it!!!! Swivel-Lock Hitch See video so you can understand what I was seeking. Thanks.

Wow! That was a close one. Glad everyone is OK. Not only do I make sure kids wear life vests, but they must be able to swim to go out with me on my bass boat.