Hanover_Yakker

I can respect that but I guess my point was more towards balance like deak just mentioned. It has been proven year in and year out that a passing focused offense will not have long term success and will be challenged to win a SB. As soon as teams realize that the balance hovers around the 60/40 rule (60% pass/ 40 % run), they will be better off. Remember, football is a three-sided equilateral triangle - offense, defense and special teams. If any one of the three or even worse two are disproportionate, it places greater pressure on the remaining element. Look at the Cowboys the past 3 years - decent special teams, competitive offense (albeit skewed more towards pass than run) and an excessive amount of pressure placed on the defense to hold leads with inferior talent. Or in specific games where the defense does their part to get the ball back but albeit too late in the game and forcing the offense into pass only mode and predictable. You have to have personnel to balance out each side of the triangle throughout each game and for the season on the whole otherwise, you'll end up like the Cowboys every year - big on promise, low on fulfillment.

The one you're looking for at Radio Shack for the AA type is this one: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062242 You may also need to snag something like this as well to make the connection: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062218 Good luck!

The real deal is for 4 years if you look at how the contract is structured. A lot of fans overreacted to the news of the deal without fully understanding it's true value. The only numbers they saw were $108 Million extnesion and $55 Million in guarantees. What they failed to understand was the $11.5M was already guaranteed under his current deal for the 2013 season, so in reality, the remaining amount is really what was "new money". The remaining fluff in the guarantees is a medical safeguard for the cowboys for the first three years. All in total the real value equates to just around $57M. Which by the way is less than Drew Brees ($61M and Joe Flacco $62M). The rest of the numbers are just funny money that the player will never actually see the full value of due to future contract restructures or the player getting cut. Romo's deal is actually very favorable when compared to other QB deals currently and will pale in comparison when the deals for Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Matt Ryan come up in the next two years. Where it is going to be a challenge is in year 2-3 of the deal where his salary balloons into the mid $20M range per season, but that will pale again in comparison to the aforementioned QBs who will have larger deals and more guaranteed money. The real terms of the contract look like this: Year Base Sign. Bonus Misc. Cap Charge 2013 $1.5 M $5 M $5.32 M $11.82 M 2014 $13.5 M $5 M $3.27 M $21.77 M 2015 $17 M $5 M $3.27 M $25.27 M 2016 $8.5 M $5 M $1.64 M $15.14 M 2017 $14 M $5 M N/A $19 M 2018 $19.5 M N/A N/A $19.5 M 2019 $20.5 M N/A N/A $20.5 M In reality, the only problematic years are 2-3. The rest of the deal looks like a less than market deal for a top10-15 QB. He'll never see any of that money in reality, because they will approach him next year and have him restructure his base salary again. It's done every year on every team in order to extend the player until the point in which the player loses leverage over his team and can be cut without too great of a cap hit. For all the Redskin fans out there - good luck with your QB situation. If he continues to have some measure of success, which I think he will, you will be faced with the same dilemma only worse - the market value for his services will far outweigh the price that the Cowboys will have paid. Oh yeah, you'll still be sitting there 5 years from now waiting in anticipation like the rest of the Cowboys fans for that long overdue Super Bowl ...... It's a proven fact over the course of history in the NFL, change is only temporary. It only takes one offseason to figure out how to stop a new wrinkle on the offensive side of the ball. Remember the run and shoot based offense from the Oilers under Warren Moon? How many Super Bowls did that win? Zero. How about the WIldcat? Didn't last long as a viable play call did it? A mobile QB is a great thing when they are under pressure but not as a primary offensive play call. Look at all the mobile QBs in the history of the NFL - that means the QBs who were runners and not passers like Vick, Cunningham, Elway, Young, etc. How many of them won a Super Bowl as a running QB? Zero. Now Elway and Young won SBs eventually, but only when they honed their passing and used the run as a last ditch effort. If RGIII keeps it up, his career will be over before he even has a chance to sign a long term contract. He is gifted and an awesome athlete, but he needs to learn how to play smarter. Brady and Manning haven't lasted this long for their athletic prowess and they are classic prototypical pocket or mid-line passers. RGIII, Romo, Kaepernik, etc all should take note of this fact and hone their passing skills first, run when needed to extend a play or get that first down but slide and avoid the hit. You'll last a lot longer in this league.

If you own an iPhone (not me), you can download an app entitled Float Plan that will automatically email the information to a designated individual as well. I always just send a text to my wife when I arrive, where I am at, what time I plan to leave and when I actually leave with an ETA of when I will be home.

This Friday is my scheduled day off, and I was wondering if anyone was free or interested in meeting up on the water. I'm in Richmond and usually travel about 1.5-2 hours max for an outing to make sure I have at least 5-6 hours on the water before loading up and heading home. I'm up for anything but have a special place in my angling heart for Sandy River & Briery Creek. Wouldn't mind checking out Lee Lake or somewhere new though.

The modified Albright is the only one I use. Much easier to tie on dry land though . I usually pre-tie mine at the house or prior to launch.

Confidence Baits Little Tubes on a 1/8oz. Micro Draggin' Head jig. In either the River Bottom or Raven color schemes. You can also rig them on the CB tube jig heads in the 3/32 or 1/16 oz heads and the tube will stand straight up.

Abu Garcia Revo Inshore baitcaster. The best all purpose reel made hands down. It doubles as my heavy cover bass reel and my saltwater reel for chasing reds, stripers, sheepsheads and spadefish.

You can use a variety of options as long as it provides 12v. Some folks use the 8 AA battery approach in the battery holder they buy from Radio Shack. I have used both the 12v/7-9ah versions (deer feeder style) and I am currently using a 12v/5ah (basically half the size of the 9ah version). Lots of good cost effective options if you are diligent in your search. The key to any powered solution though is the wiring. Use tin-based wire from a marine store, not the car parts store. The wire sold at the parts store is copper based and will corrode the second it hits any salty or brackish water. Use tin-based solder (.15 content) and solder all of you wires prior to connecting them, then use heat shrink to seal the deal. Where possible, find a waterproof container for your battery and seal the area with a silicone sealant like GOOP or Lexel where your batter power wires feed into the container.

Congrats. The Slayer is a cool design.

Wonder if they would let me compete in my Hobie Pro Angler?

Glad to help. I use the Stewart Products STS like you see on HOOK1, but another option that is fairly new is Conseal also to be sold on HOOK1.

As a loyal fan for over 37 years now, the JJ era is one that pains me. The Romo deal is not the issue at hand, the issue is that JJ is living in a dream world where he undervalued the concept of a team and thinks that big splashes in free agency and the draft will be enough. Ever since JJ fired the real JJ back in 94, the Boys have spiraled downhill. Parcells planted and built a foundation that JJ has since succeeded in only adding overpriced talent and overvalued draft picks. Ware, Written, Ratliff are all good picks, but those three do not make up for two decades of mismanagement. The focus should now be on drafting a core interior line for both sides of the ball. If we don't shore up that line quickly, Romo will never survive the length of his contract. Monty Kiffin bases his defense off of a war daddy 3 technique, an athlete at middle linebacker and a savvy safety. We only have the ILB right now. We also still need a true C, two OGs, a RT, couple of RBs, another WR, and a QB in waiting. We are in a rebuild whether anyone wants to admit it or not. Face it, the Romo deal is a bandaid to make it appear like we are being competitive during a rebuild. Romo is a top 10 QB who would excel in many systems if given better protection. And for all of the nay sayers out there, look at QBs on teams with porous offensive lines and tell me how good there QBs look lying on their back play after play? Even Eli, Peyton, Tom, Aaron, Matthew, Matt, etc look human when they get no protection. That doesn't exempt Tony from some of his bad throws, but not all of them are truly his fault. Most of them can be linked to pressure.

Congrats on joinging the plastic navy! I have several friends on the JK Pro Staff and can offer one recommendation - if at all possible, keep the seats in the low position when paddling in choppy waters or heavy wind. First, it may be a tad difficult to paddle at times like that; and two, it decreases the chances of you getting tossed overboard. I had a friend who was launching at a boat ramp in some choppy water and he flipped/turtled at the ramp with his seat in the high position even after I warned him. He doesn't do that anymore Other than that, your approach on just heading out and enjoying the experience first is a great way to start. As far as rigging, I would take a single older rod with you so you can fish some, but also take with you vaseline. What you do is place a dallop of the vaseline on the butt of the rod and while sitting in the various seating positions, move the rod around you to see what feels natural and what does not. Then, mimic stowing the rod in a rod holder by seeing how far you can reach beside and behind you. When you feel you have reached your maximum comfort zone, touch the butt of the rod to the hull. This will now mark the spot and make it easier for you when you get back home. Then you just have to decide on what rod holder to use. I'll make a couple suggestions on this front for you that will pay off in the long run. First, draw out your plan first on paper - be precise on your measurements and know the various options out there before you go a buy something. Second, use the YakAttack GearTrac rail mounting system or Mighty Mount with Backing Plate wherever possible. Both of these moutning systems allow you to interchange rod holders, FF mounts, accessory mounts, etc by using the YakAttack Might Bolt based products like Screwballs (RAM products), VisiCarbon II Safety Flags, Scotty and RAM rod holders, etc. The beauty of the the GearTracs and Mighty Mounts is that they give you greater flexibility in positioning your rod holders for different situations. I use my GearTracs to position my RAM Rod Tubes slightly forward and angled outwards - it serves two purposes. First, it allows me to troll with my rod tips still visible yet the rods are stowed aft of my seating postion out of the way. Second, it works as a rod storage location while I land a fish. The rod is out of the way. Third, it also makes tying leader knots, lures and baiting hooks much easier without having to deal with a rod laying in my lap. Regarding your list of remaining items to purchase - do not purchase cheap accessories like a $50 paddle or PFD if at all possible. If you have to cut costs, do so on the PFD initially, because using a cheap heavy paddle will discourage you and increase the chances of you not enjoying your time on the water in your new Big Tuna. I recommend that people start our with a paddle similar to the price point of the Bending Branches Angler, Aqua Bound Manta Ray ($79-129 price point). As far as a PFD, USCG requirements state you must wear a Class III level PFD in most states, so make a trip to your local kayak shop and test fit your PFD while sitting in one of their Big Tunas on the floor. If the shop doesn't have any, then sit in the JK Coosa, Cuda 12 or even the Native Slayer or Ultimates. They have a similar style seat. The key with choosing a PFD is fiding one that is both comfortable and suitable for your paddling position while seated. If it's not comfortable when you paddlle, there is an increased chance that you won't wear it! Safety first!!! Other than that, once you have your PFD, make it a point to go to the water with only your kayak, paddle, and PFD first and launch into a shallow 3-4' section where you can test out your stability comfort zone. Learn the limits of both your kayak's primary and secondary stability and your overall equilibrium and level of comfort in each seated position. Once you have that nailed down, then you can spend more time on the water focusing on the fishing and not worried about whether you are going to flip or not. Everyone has been knocked out of a kayak or flipped it out at some point, and if they haven't they will at some point - it's not a question of whether you will ever turtle in a kayak. It's only a question of when will it happen. Most of the time, it happens when you do something beyond your normal limits and put yourself in a position where the slightest change ends up with you in the water. Like trying to unsnag a lure and leaning too far one way or the other or reaching for a fish in the thigh seat position (don't laugh - I've seen it ). It happens - just expect it and move on. Now go out and have some fun!!

Today was a tough day for me on the water. Got a late start with the full moon still out when I woke this morning. I went to a local pond to try out some new PTL plastics I had ordered but got no love from the normally hungry bass., so I switched gears and started slinging a MegaStrike Strikeback SB only to have it snapped clean off by a very aggressive snapping turtle - we're talking 30" shell here in length. He also chased after one of my PTL Sick Sticks and got hooked again only this time I go him closer to the yak and he turned suddenly and almost snipped the end of my Shimano rod off. With that lure now gone as well, I decided to do a 180 and try to seek out some aggressive fish perhaps hangin off the banks. The pond itself if only 5.5' deep at the deepest spot with most of the depths ranging between 3-4' after a short dropoff at the bank. Mucky bottom and murky water. Water temps hung around the shaded end of the pond at 52 degrees with the area exposed to the sun heating up to 56 by midday. I ended up parking the Hobie on a rock long enough to go back to the van and snagging my rod rigged with a CB. I ended up only catching one on the day, a lonely 17" LMB, but it was caught on a Rick Clunn square bill in the citrus shad color, and he flat out choked it. This was a first for me, as I had never caught a fish using a billed crankbait out of the kayak. I have to give props where props are due though. Thanks go out to the local kid who was extremely intrigued with my Pro Angler 14 who gave me the tip on slinging a CB. He said it is what he does when they won't hit his creature baits. Until that point, I had thought about it but didn't make the effort to go get it. It was a breezy day with winds gusting around 10-15 mph all day, but at least there was no skunk!! Also, a huge thanks go out to the good folks at HawgTech for their handles. I was cranking steady with my Revo Inshore, St. Croix AVID for three straight hours and never got tired once due to hand or arm fatigue. Those handles rock and are worth every penny!! Thanks again for a quality product!!

Looks like a walleye to me. Another cool tool utilized by many in the kayak fishing world for all fish but real handy for toothy critters is The FishGrip. $12-14 and it floats!!! http://kayakfishinggear.com/thefishgrip-madeintheusa-newcolorspinkandglowinthedark.aspx

Welcome aboard!

I think the reel spec you need to pay attention to is the IPT (inches per turn) or lure retrieval rate with each crank of the handle.

Let's see....... An order from PTL with a couple packs of the new Swinging Hammer swimbaits, 6 packs of Sick Sticks, 4 packs of Texas Rig Jigs and a pack of 10" Ribbon Hinge worms. Also just bought a Revo Premier from a fellow BR member, an AVID 7'0" MH/XF casting rod and some Bull Shad swimbaits from Mike Bucca himself........ Now I just need a swimbait rod!

Like Mike said. The easiest way to test spinner blades off the rack is to hold the spinnerbait and gently flick the edge of the blade so that it turns. If the blade does not freely turn with a slight flick of your finger, put it back. FWIW - I'll be using a couple of the Strikebacks myself this year.

I'll throw a different name into the mix for you. At first glance, the paint detail of the bait out of the package is not like a SPRO or Lucky Craft. No these are handmade by a fisherman and look "rough". His name is Mike Bucca aka "Triton Mike", and he makes the Bull Shad. It is a hard swimbait much like a SPRO but it comes in sizes that range from 5" all the way up to 9" and they flat out catch fish. http://www.bullshad.com/ Check out TackleTour's review - http://www.tackletour.com/reviewbuccabullshad.html

All I know is that my biggest three to date are going down this year! I am on a mission to catch some serious pigs this year!!!

Actually, I was fishing a small retention pond testing out a new color of a Ribbit and had just spooled up a new batch of 65lb PP braid (ie: it still had its coating on it) and tied a single palomar. The frog got crushed, and the bass buried itself under a thick grass mat. As I was reeling it in, the line went slack. When I got it back to shore, the knot had simply come undone. I had been using a single Palomar knot up to that point for over three years and never had one come undone. Hey, if Dean Rojas of frogging fame swares by it as the only knot he uses on his frogs, that's good enough for me .

Regarding braid, if you use a Palomar knot, consider tying a double Palomar. I've had a single Palomar come undone under a heavy load. A double Palomar has never failed me.

Wow.....some quality fish right there guys. Mine pale in comparison but are decent sized I guess......