fourbizz

Why Wal-Mart is evil is too philosophical a question for the likes of me, but I can produce some evil-sounding data. Keep in mind, however, that you may like the Wal-Mart world; cheap carbonated water may rank above healthy unions and livable wages in your personal priorities. I doubt it, but I want to recognize that each of us is a unique person with unique thoughts and opinions. Wal-Mart's impressively effective business practices have led to the spread of Sam Walton's Arkansas discount store to 5,000 locations in 10 countries, with $256 billion in global revenue in 2003. Wal-Mart prides itself on (and sells itself on) low prices. You yourself are swayed by them, and they constitute the only argument anyone has been able to muster in favor of the chain. Sadly, in our economy, low prices and wide profit margins are considered good, while work conditions and environmental and social impact are seldom considered at all. If they were, we would have a very different assessment of Wal-Mart's business model, considering the company's enormous adverse impact on: industry wages and state health care programs (more on this below), on sprawl (with its attendant problems of impervious surfaces, destruction of open space, miles driven, air quality, petroleum production, and the death of downtowns), on agriculture (size and sustainability of farms worldwide), on international manufacturing plants and their environmental ramifications (one word: China), on small-business ownership (adieu, ma 'n' pa) -- I could go on. All of these are environmental issues of the most essential kind -- issues, that is, about the physical terrain of our daily lives. Although the directly observable environmental downsides of giant international outlets sited in strip malls across the world are certainly plentiful enough, I think the success of Wal-Mart has a meta-impact of similar magnitude. I believe Wal-Mart, and the businesses forced to follow its lead or die, are creating a culture of scarcity in the United States. Consider this: If Wal-Mart, the country's largest employer, offers unlivable wages and shoddy benefit packages, a giant group of employed people -- Wal-Mart workers -- are struggling to make ends meet. (It's a strange feedback cycle, to tout your own low prices while expanding the numbers of the working poor.) In California, Wal-Mart is exacerbating rather than easing health care and welfare burdens on individuals and taxpayers. A study [PDF] out of the University of California at Berkeley found that California Wal-Mart employees earned significantly lower wages than average large retail employees in the state, and employee families used higher proportions of public welfare programs. Berkeley researchers and several other Wal-Mart watchers pieced together the company's wage structure [PDF] from testimony in a class action lawsuit against the behemoth. Cashiers earn annual wages that fall below the federal poverty line for a family of three. Families of California Wal-Mart workers used health care programs at rates 40 percent higher than large retail employees as a whole. In short, Wal-Mart disables and replaces small businesses that may have provided health care coverage and higher wages to employees, forcing people to ask the government for assistance or go without health care -- ultimately the costliest solution. Meanwhile, those businesses able to survive around a Wal-Mart are joining the race to the bottom. Grocery megastores involved in long union strikes in California over the past year repeatedly cited the need to compete with Wal-Mart as the central problem on their side of the battle over wage and benefit packages. Income level is no indicator of support for environmental preservation, but in this culture of scarcity that Wal-Mart has helped to create, too many of us are left feeling as though there is not enough to go around. One consequence is that environmental programs become easy prey for pollutocrats, who cast them as costly anti-business hindrances. Whether this cumulative environmental impact of Wal-Mart, at both the meta- and micro-level, is worth cheap bait is yours to decide. -Umbra Fisk

With the exception of night fishing, most all of my worm fishing is done with a dart head or a drop shot. But at night its all about the T-rig

Glad to hear it Al, i felt a little bad that there were problems with something that I recommended. I am awaiting my third order at the moment. Can't get enough of those jigs and Hulas!

I use a Promar net. It doesnt fold up or store real well, but then again when its time for the net, I don't want to dig it out of storage and unfold it, I want to pick it up off the floor and stick it in the water.

Now that is funny right there.Vettes, Strippers, and Meth. Theres 2 of my favorite things. I guess I'll pass on the meth though.

No real terrible experience to speak of really. I'm a fan of local tackle shops and online shops. I just don't like to support monolithic companies like wal-mart and bps that push regular people out of business. I would never done business with them had I not had a gift card.

I have now opted out, AND blocked their email address. Hopefully that will work. As far as the don't buy from them anymore recommendation, I have only and will only buy from them one time. They do in fact suck. It's like Sam Walton with a camouflage hat.

Black 2007 C6 Z06. They give me a....make me happy!

HJ-14 in rainbow trout. Never tried one for bass though.

I've got about a dozen of them. Lets just say that I would much rather dump my LC box overboard, than my swimbait bag. God forbid I ever had a house fire, I would fight till the end trying to get to my big bait stockpile! They sure are sweet baits though. That staysee is one of my all time favorite baits.

I did, 5 emails ago. They will still send you paper mail too.

I've placed one single order with this company in my entire life. I was given a gift card. I spent the hundred bucks on worm binders and boxes. That is all I ever wanted to do with this company. This was 2 months ago. I now receive spam email at the rate of about 4 emails per week, along with every stupid catalog they can send me. I don't need a bps saltwater catalog, I don't understand? God, BPS sucks.

I don't fish any lakes that have a length limit. most that do are overrun with dinky spots.

I expose the hook about 90 percent of the time. I just dont like having a plastic stopper on my hook point. But in real heavy cover sometimes you just got to.

Look at Fish's reproductions then look at the skin mounted tens that we have seen in the last couple months. No comparison. Dead in a year or not, someone might get to catch her in 11 months.

I hear ya, I spent months swimbaiting and my first ten plus finally came off of a ten inch worm. I'll take 'em how I get can get 'em! But the thought of an eleven on my dropshot rod scares me to death!

That I am on the right lake, in the right spot, at the right time, with the right bait, in the right conditions, to at anytime be blasted by a ten plus. Too often are all of those criteria met, except the last

A SoCal donkey on a DROP SHOT! You my friend are "The Great Southern Trendkill"

I thought the same thing when I first read it. You just have to read it a little more deliberately.

Having used tungsten at work (welding) I don't think that it will lend well to the split shot idea. It is not malleable at all. It is a very hard metal, so it breaks before it bends (noticeably). Novel idea though. Just think how small a 1/64th ounce tungsten shot would be!

The only obstacle I can really see, is cartopping it. Between the structural reinforcements required and the decking itself, you are probably looking at another one hundred pounds, depending on plywood thickness.

That is incredible Randall! You guys are on some great fish. That 10-2 must be on an old age slide or something. Looks like she used to be a teen fish to me. Awesome, simply awesome.

owner mosquito hook, hands down!

You can (and I do) throw the matt trout on a regular setup. I think they only weigh like 1 3/4 ounces. I would use no less than 17lb though.

The Huddleston is a pretty heavy bait that requires specialized gear, and bites are few and far between. I would HIGHLY recommend the mattlures trout bait. It can be thrown on a flippin stick. www.mattlures.com