PGA Dropout

I don't hunt but I know where the supermarket is. Does that count?

I have the 6'8" MF. In addition to what Goose posted, it makes a great 1/4 oz jerkbait and popper rod.

Mine came today as well. Great looking shirt. Now I just need t-shirt weather and soft water.

From a business standpoint, $80 is a less competitive price-point these days.

Don't feed the troll.

How many rods do you want to carry?

A BPS Crankin Stick is a pretty good idea.

Avid or LTB 6'8" MXF or Elite Tech SM 6'10" MF, depending on your price range and brand preferences.

Glass or graphite?

1/4 to 1/2 oz Husky Jerks and X-raps. I fish for big trout.

You should hold out. A pretty solid alternative to buying new is to check out that internet auction site and purchase from a respected seller, or continue to check the flea market here. I have seen a lot of Rages and Avids go for ~$100. It sounds like you really want that higher-end blank.

Uni to Uni if the lines are similar in diameter, Alberto if not.

It's hard to beat the Veritas at $80. I don't feel like you're getting good value in St. Croix rods under the Avid series. If you're open to spending above your price range, the Avid spinning 6'8" MXF would make a killer wacky/jerkbait rod.

I need to pretend to be angry about this or else I'll just get lazy and not call.

So things just got hilarious. My girlfriend decided she could get a fingernail under the composite nut retainer. So a little prying and boom, the nut retainer is up! So I take some pliers and break the composite nut retainer (I am mad at this point), get the loctite-covered screw out, take the handle off, and put on the Hawg Handle. It fit so much better! VICTORY! TEMPORARY VICTORY! So my girlfriend had picked up the 201E. Not the 51E with the stripped screw. The 201E with the perfectly fine and removable screw. We destroyed the nut retainer on the wrong reel and took ten minutes to notice. I guess I can't tell the difference between palming different Shimanos after all. So now I'm ordering a second Hawg Handle and angrily calling Shimano's customer service tomorrow armed with pictures of very-blue screws. At least I don't have to send the reel in!

I got a sandstone short sleeve. Get excited for the fashion show when it arrives!

I went with my buddy. He bought a Daiwa Aird 2000 spinning reel, some Lucky Crafts, and a Red Eye Shad. He was going to pay $11 for a Jointed Rapala and I said how about a Live Pointer instead? I am a bad friend. Or a good friend. Depends on your point of view. I didn't get anything. No Curado I's in Detroit 'til God knows when. No 6- gear ration CI4+ 151; only the display model 151HG. I handled a Revo Premier for a bit but put it back. I'll definitely go back next weekend for the rod trade-in. I intend to walk out with a few St. Croixs and a Fenwick HMG or two.

Nut retainer is definitely composite. Basically the screw is super stuck. I got the screw out of the 201E with significant effort and some colorful language. It made a distinctive "pop" then turned. That leads me to believe that there may be something in there with the screws from the factory. Not certain. Anyway, I have stripped the heck out of the 51E's screw but I can get a flathead to catch. No luck getting the screw to turn. I am hesitant to drill it. I do like the dremel idea but I think I would have to buy one and I'm not certain I could get it to turn anyway. I put a message in to DVT and I'm calling Shimano customer service. I mean, I shouldn't have stripped the screw, but why the heck was it so hard to remove in the first place?

It loses a little distance vs. the Chronarch 200E with 1/2 oz spooks and frogs in my experience. Not a lot, but enough to notice.

Nothing that a Pointer 100 in Ghost Baby Bluegill can't fix.

We don't have the time shares but we have the vacation package pushers. Generally nice folks. The only thing that bothers me about our store in Detroit is they don't stock enough reels, especially lefties. I just can't bring myself to drop over $200 on a display reel.

So I have a somewhat interesting problem today. I went to take the handle off my 51E and the screw that holds the cap on will not budge. I tried my 201E to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong, but that screw also will not turn. However, I can unscrew the handle on my Citica 201D without issue. These are both new reels that I have not taken the handles off of before. I am turning the screw counterclockwise but I also tried clockwise just for fun with no luck. The one thing I can conclude is that the Chronarch handle screws are lousy. The 51E's stripped pretty much immediately, so I have a new fun problem after I resolve this one! Anyone have any input?

MH *** is a good way to go.

TW lists the Tour 100 MG at $279.99. If you're comparing it to a Curado I and a Gen3 STX, you're comparing it to significantly lower priced reels. I would be interested to see how it would compare to a Chronarch CI4+ and Lews Team Pro. It certainly is a pretty reel. I look forward to the six-month report! Just don't drop the sideplate in the lake.

4 lb Stren Original.