DogBone_384

X2 on the anchor trolley. My 128T came with one and I bought more for my other kayaks. The line was too short for some of my ponds so I use 75' now, keeping it in a canvas bag similar to the rescue ropes we have on our apparatus. It took some practice to get using it down, but after you get the hang of it, it works great!

There'll be open water soon enough, it just takes more patience (discipline to keep the 'monkey' away too). I drove to my closest fishing spots on Monday and can still walk across them. The longer the bass stay under the ice, the more aggressive they'll be when the sun finally hits them - at least that's the attitude I'm maintaining. Just keep thinking how good it'll feel to make that first cast.... soon enough....

X2

Buying a house/condo is better than renting, no matter what because you're paying into your own equity and not a landlord's. If you can find a house you can afford, consider it over a condo because there are no condo fees and fewer restrictions on what you can/can't do to with respect to landscaping, window replacement, modifications, etc. Privacy is also something to be considered when deciding house or condo. Being in Eastern MA, look at the tax rate for any properties you're interested in, whether or not it's in a flood zone, and if water & sewer are supplied by MWRA. These are all extra expenses on top of your mortgage. Owning your own home is expensive up here, but the longer you stay in that home, the cheaper it'll be to live as opposed to renting. We built new 15 years ago. Our mortgage remains the same until we pay it off, but rent in my area increased significantly - to the point that a 2 bedroom apartment in my city is more than my mortgage. I agree with other members' advice to read the fine print if you're going for a condo. Best of luck with it. It's sometimes a lot of work, but ownership is always better than renting.

I drove by Blue Hills Reservoir, Houghton's Pond, Jacobs Pond, and Whitman's Pond yesterday to see what there was to see. Blue Hills is solid and looks very, very low compared to last Fall. Houghton's Pond is also solid except for the little creek on the Southwest side. Nothing open enough to cast without bouncing baits. Jacobs Pond is again, solid, so I followed the footsteps and trekked across it to the Northwest walking bridge where there was a narrow opening. The only wildlife I saw there was a lonely Swan sleeping on the ice. It looked like a lot of ice fishing was done there lately. Whitman's Pond is 90% frozen with some open water on the route 53 bridge. I didn't drive down to the dam on the other side. Unless we get seasonably warm weather, I'm figuring the ice will be here at least 3 weeks to a month. Hopefully I'm wrong and it melts sooner.

Would it help to apply some heat to the spool shaft in attempt to expand it enough to get the bent pin out?

X 500 ... I think I spent $2,000+ last year on rods, reels, and stuff the bait monkey made me buy...

The solution to your dilemma is simple: BUY BOTH!

I use a Spiderwire backpack I bought @ DSG three years ago. It holds 4 3600 boxes and my spinnerbait box in the bottom compartment, which is plenty. I put my smaller soft baits in one side pocket & larger ones in the other. I keep hooks, tools, and a basic 1st aid kit in the top front compartment. The top rear compartment is plenty big for a sweatshirt or light rain coat plus other 'whatevers' you can think of. It also has two rod holders, though you've got to remember how tall you'll be when traveling through wooded areas. It's been great for the last 3 seasons. I use it mountain biking, walking to fishing spots, and on my kayak. Best of luck with your choice.

Reading your post about DSSG's gave the monkey my IP address - didn't buy much, just a couple packs of 4" Senkos and a couple different Kreatures to try out this Spring (when baits stop BOUNCING off the water...)

*** or Veritas - you choose. Both are light and sensitive. I'd say the Veritas load better. I've never dealth with ***'s customer service and Abu's once, when I snapped a Veritas in my truck's tailgate, for which they were great to deal with.

I agree, cheer up Hootie, lures still bounce of fresh water in my neck of the woods, and will for at least two or three more weeks.

I have.1 & 2 piece spinning & casting rods. I use 2 piece rods when I fish while mountain biking or when space is limited. I don't notice a difference in sensitivity between them, even my 1 & 2 piece Veritas. I also have a Diawa Ardito 3 piece rod and find it as sensitive as most other rods I use. The Ardito is typical Daiwa build quality : A++

That's awesome! I'm not sure if my 2014 season totaled 25 pounds of bass !?!?!?!?!?!

A+++ Great news! More proof that prayer & faith work.

I have both the A & C and really don't notice any difference in casting distance. The C is fractionally lighter. Either is an excellent choice.

I have one. Got it last year on sale. It's got a great feel to it and its build quality is very good. At its $99 price point I'd rather a Abu Garcia Veritas, but being on sale, it's a great 'every day' rod. I believe there's a BPS PQ on it right now.

Good to hear. I have an A & E but haven't tried either on my ML casting rods. When it thaws out up here I'll give them a try.Thanks for the info.

Odd bass? They're generally between the even ones... Both of your bass look like regular LMBs.

OK, I'm starting to get really itchy.... It's getting warmer, the monkey bit me hard with a JDM Shimano and an *** Black..... Hopefully just a couple more weeks! I'm trying not to toss a kayak on the truck and going South for a week... work & family obligations prevent it..

It wouldn't hurt to tear it down to clean & lube it. I do that to all my new reels, including my 1st PQs, for which I gained a little casting distance.

Welcome to the forum. You'll find anything & everything you want to know about bass fishing.

X2

I've got a JDM CI4 on the way. It was cheaper than driving to my local BPS and buying US model. Add to the list a *** I picked up for Christmas, as well as my existing arsenal of Shimano, BPS, Lews, Diawa, and Abu Garica. I take out different reels based on what I'm in the mood for, but my Cores, Lews, and Concepts get the most use.

I stopped by Whitman's Pond in Weymouth on the way home tonight. The only open water I saw was about 4' at the boat ramp, likely caused by plows when clearing the parking lot. The ice looked soft, but it was dark so I couldn't see very far out. A coworker was ice fishing there last week and said folks were pulling up good pickerel. Just a few more weeks...