sarcazmo

No thanks. Ten dollars is pretty ridiculous.

KLX 7'3" w/ Lews BB1 ALX "Deputy" with Scorpion 1000xt Dobyns DX744 Daiwa steez (also use it for t-rig) Dobyns DX745 w/ Okuma Komodo. (Use this one the least)

A rod in the 3 power range would probably suit you. I'm going to continue my trend of recommending ALX or KLX rods. I have a scorpion 1000xt on my ALX deputy and really like it.

I have a DX744 Steez 103 combo that retails for around that... Of course I spent no where near that :-)

I'd look for a rod with a lure weight rating between 1/4-1oz. That covers A LOT of techniques. Back up jig, texas rig, spinner baits, etc. Rods that I've been big on lately are Kistler KLX. They routinely go on sale and there are various discount codes out there that make them an even better value.

About average. I dont really mind as long as I'm catching fish!

ALX deputy. Absolutely love mine. Every bit the rod my dx744 is and cheaper to boot + us made. Can do a search on the hydra NG blank to see what all the rod builders think of this blank. Another option would be KLX from kistler. I love that Gary is available to talk to consumers about his products and his warranty is pretty exceptional. Just wanted to mention I've also gotten the same treatment from Alex @ ALX rods. Also talked to Trey Kistler directly about his rods.

KLX or ALX. American made and insane value.

Skirted twin tail grub and hags tornado have been getting a lot of work from me lately. Either jig or shaky head. Those two are so versatile its insane.

The fact that they aired megalodon at all makes me want to NEVER watch shark week again. There was a program a couple years ago called 'sharkman' or something like that. I remember the title wasnt that great but the show was FASCINATING. It was all about this guys quest to put a great white shark into tonic immobility. They had some great footage of him putting smaller sharks, and even a tiger into it but he couldnt find a white that was 'game enough' to try it on. They need more programs like that.

Not a sponsor but a darn fine product. I have plano boxes full of Northstar and Siebert as well dont you worry.

Can I ask why the aversion to bait casters? I was initially very leery but its MUCH easier than you think. You can get a carbonlite rod/PQ reel combo for 160.

I would always recommend spending more on a rod than a reel. Being able to feel that subtle tap is a big deal!

I'd go with a kistler KLX rod. You can find them on sale for 130-140 on the website and there are other discount codes out there that will help bring the cost down further. Dont need to spend a ton to get an amazing rod. As far as reels go I'm of the opinion now that used or fleabay is the way to go! Snagged a few curado 50es for less than 120 shipped...

E series curado = chronarch.

Have both and I'd take the e series.

If you truly want to cure it and not just delay it I would highly recommend looking into what I posted earlier.

My parents have a big green egg. Amazing griller/smoker/baker/ whatever you want to do machine! Absolutely love it. Wish I could afford one.

Sure. Most supplement companies hide behind proprietary blends and claim they've found some super duper blend that does xyz and will really help you. When you ask them for the research they cant produce it. I've been seriously lifting for the past dozen years or so and there have been 3-4 supplents I've used where i noticed anything. Caffeine, creatine, protein and to a lesser extent beta alanine. Is it coincidence that there is numerous scientific studies supporting these claims? I dont think so. I've also dabbled in Pro Hormones and AAS and thats the only 'get big quick' way out there. Even that route its still not an easy thing and not something I'm recommending at all. I'm not sure that the supplements made as big a difference to justify using them. I'm still working on reaching my full potential. I injured my back pretty bad in a skateboarding accident years ago. The past few months I've gotten down to brass tacks and have made real progress improving my mobility and overcoming that road block. Its from personal experience that I talk about olympic lifts. I promise you will make the most progress from squats, deads, cleans etc. However there are so many people that dont know how to do it right. My previous injury has made it difficult for me to perform certain lifts but I get coached and it has really helped. Its very important to stress proper technique and body mechanics. My squat really suffers but my deadlift has improved tremendously. On a good day right now I can rep 275-285 twice and I weigh ~165. Squatting is a different story as it takes me a LONG time to warm up and even then its difficult for me to hit parallel. I'd highly recommend Kelly Starrets book "Becoming a supple leopard" to everyone on the planet as well as watching his mobility wod videos. Seriously changed the way I approach lifting and its helping me create a better foundation every day.

Supplements in general are a waste of time. There are VERY few supplements with scientific studies done to back them up. One such supplement is creatine. In truth if you want to 'bulk up' you need to eat A LOT! If I were you i'd focus on getting stronger. Olympic lifts are your friend. Most crossfit gyms have some decent coaches that can help you get started with olympic lifts and you'll really get into some phenomenal shape doing it. Just make sure no matter what you choose to do you emphasize proper body mechanics to minimize the risk of injury.

Honestly I try to limit myself to 5. Still running my aluminum boat and if I have a buddy any more than that gets a little crazy. I find that with 5 I can cover pretty much every presentation though.

Pro qualifier is a great reel. There are some decent deals on lews BB1 on ebay as well. If you're patient you can really find some deals. I just got 2 curado 50es from ebay for 125 shipped. Past couple weeks I've got a 200e chronarch and 50e chronarch both for 140 shipped.

Man people that are up in arms over this have NO IDEA how tame what he said is compared to some of the stuff that comes out of peoples mouths in general not to mention every day language used in a professional locker room... It happened... People need to move on.

The whole point of life is to be happy! I always found it odd that we look down on people that choose a different career path because it may not be as financially lucrative. Shouldnt the emotional and overall happy life benefits far outweigh that? As long as it makes you happy and you can support what you need to support go for it and dont look back. I'm a firm believer if you work hard at what you enjoy you'll never truly want.

Look up kelly starrett and his mobility wod stuff. He's VERY legit, trains olympians and pro athletes and has his PHD in physio. Dead serious he has some AMAZING information abou tall things mobility and some grat advice on how to reduce inflamation and proper use of body mechanics to prevent things like this from happening in the first place. You can buy some voodoo bands from rogue fitness, wrap the area, and really get some great relief! Proper mechanics in all things really helps reduce overall injures across the board.