SudburyBasser

As a co-angler I also use the BPS Extreme 370 bag. No boater has ever had a problem with it and it can hold a heroic amount of tackle, particularly if you use the 3701 thin Plano boxes.

I don't think you would really go wrong with any of the rods you mentioned in your opening post. For myself, I use a Shimano Compre for the exact same application you specified and I absolutely love it. At the end of the day I would put a Curado on each of them and see how it feels (ideally use each of them but that's probably not possible) -- what works for others might not work as well for you. I'm a complete and total Shimano prostitute and yet the last rod I bought two weeks ago was a Quantum Smoke (with an Abu Garcia Revo reel at that) because it felt right for me.

I got a Shimano Sienna that was a bonus for joining the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters a few years ago. I had no intention of using it until my Pflueger President on my back of the Jeep rod needed a repair that my lazy ass kept postponing. At any rate, I used it for about a month or so and I have to admit that for a really cheap reel, it was pretty good. Went back to the President after I repaired it but if I had to use the Sienna again I wouldn't be overly out of sorts.

I use a Shimano Compre for this exact thing and love it.

I wouldn't disagree though I suspect the manufacturer would tell you that its meant to replicate a number of fish busting the surface in reaction to a nearby bass

I didn't think that 30lb braid could dig into itself...at least not easily. I had lighter braid line do that and cause me no end of anguish, but never 30lb or higher.

And wouldn't you know it, another Roland Martin endorsed product! I have heard that bass have eyesight good enough to see both sides of a spinning spinnerbait blade at the same time -- superb eye sight in other words. Whether that translates into the LT Bait Ball actually being effective is another matter entirely, of course.

I have a Sellus rod that I use for topwaters and love it. That said, depends on what you use it for -- the other rods mentioned might be a better fit.

Are you asking for maps of land or water? Topographic maps are for land, bathymetric maps/nautical charts are for water. At any rate, for charts you may want to try http://www.anglersatlas.com/. It's got gaps but it might be of some help to you.

I would fish in Hell right now and not complain :-)

I live up in northern Canada so you can imagine we get a good dose of winter. This year my friends have noted that I'm becoming increasingly hostile and ranting every time it snows or it's crazy cold...and they've been noting a lot this winter. I think they're about to hold an intervention with a plane ticket to El Salto.

Cup of coffee, a cigarette, mist on the water and a fishing rod in my hand. It doesn't get better. Except for when I feel that tug on the line...I never get tired of feeling that tug.

I'm kind of kicking myself...I was at an outfitters today (well, it was on my way to the grocery store) and I happened to see them on the wall. Didn't even really consider buying one...I might have to make another trip tomorrow (I'm sure I forgot to buy something at the grocery store) and pick one up.

Ditto. All but one of my tournament rods are Shimano and half of my back of the Jeep every day carry rods are Shimano.

I use a Shimano Selus as a top water rod. Not a lot of money and does the job.

Wind is definitely something I hate. Also, waking up early to go fishing. I'm a man who enjoys his sleep.

Smart ass or not, I like the reels

My problem with Kalonka is his personality. You could cut his head off and he'd still be talking meaningless babble. I don't need to hear a grown man baby talk bass for 30 straight minutes. Which is the infuriating part -- the guy seriously knows his business. I actually do pick up stuff from his show. Instead of more of the wealth of information he has, though, he'd rather goo goo ga ga a fish. In a related note, for those of you with WFN, I swear Joe Bucher is Karl Kalonka's father. Same baby talking and he looks like an older Kalonka.

There are few people on television I am annoyed by more than Karl Kalonka.

Most unusual (for me) were the sharks chasing my bonefish while I was in the Turks & Caicos doing some fishing. It was the one time I think a bonefish preferred the boat to the alternative. Outside of that, nothing usual up here in northern Ontario...regular gamut of bears, moose, foxes and other citizens of our forests. Well, outside of a small community of people I bumped into once that gave me the willies and made me wish I was armed that day, anyway

No comment Honestly the truth is somewhat less exciting then my initial post accidentally made it sound.

I don't think WFN has left my television screen in two weeks. I've moved past Winter Rage to Winter Fatigue now. No more Nicholson from The Shining anger... more Nicholson from The Shining staring off into space. We know how that ended up. Its like a death march to spring... even the new rod and reel I picked up yesterday did little to liven me up.

I live about 4 hours away from the nearest BPS (the Toronto/Vaughn Hills location) and can't say that I've ever been bothered about the credit card or the time share. I do recall being approached once but I politely said no and have been never approached since though I do see them in the store. Could be we Canadians are more polite :-) Regarding prices -- I don't find BPS to be any better or worse than my local outfitter except that they obviously have a far bigger selection. Usually if I can't find it locally I'll order it from BPS. I've never tried Cabella's so I can't compare the two companies.

I work in a management capacity for a federal agency with an alphabet name which I am not at liberty to state. They aren't keen on their employees publicly stating they work for this agency and I have little desire to annoy my employer. At any rate, it pays decently and it gives me a relatively good amount of time to go fishing.