Alpster

Rubbing alchohol and a stiff tooth brush makes natural and synthetic cork look like new. RU40 is a grip saver as others have already posted. Between hard scub cleanings I carry the little alchohol wipes like the nurse cleans your arm/butt with before a needle injection. A quick wipe gets fish slime and boat grime off every trip. They are very inexpensive and I use them for everything. JMHO Ronnie

Mike is amazing to deal with and hid jigs are as good as it gets. Ronnie

"Gorrilla" braid? I have some that looks like that on my catfishing rig. Ronnie

I use 15lb power pro on my 2500 (JDM Twin Power). I use 12lb Big Game mono for backing to save on the braid. Ronnie

With a small bribe to the only other witness, it could have gone even heavier. Just sayin....

Yep.....

A way to insure you don't apply too much finish is, after coating your wraps and turning them for a short time. Stop turning for a few minutes and allow the excess finish to sag and wick it away with the corner of a clean dry paper towel. After absorbing the excess, continue turning the rod until the finish will support itself. Ronnie

I cut & shape eva foam on my "Renzetti" lathe and my "Grizzly" lathe all the time and it comes out great. A lathe is the only way to make it perfect, but I have used a sanding grum on a Dremel tool to make acceptable notches for reel seats, etc.. You can shape a grip with sand paper, but you will likely have some uneven places as a result. If you are inteseted in function over looks, you may be able to do it yourself. If it has to be (look) perfect, you need a lathe. JMHO Ronnie

X2

Merry Christmas right back at cha.... Ronnie

We will be having our traditional "Surf & Turf". This year I found some real pretty sirloins and grabbed a couple of pounds of big shrimp. Can't wait! Ronnie

I use the 3700 boxes and carry them in these. BPS and Cabellas have them. About 15 bucks and they carry 6 3700 boxes. I like em because I can just throw tyhem all in my boat and when I am a co-angler I can put just what I need for the day in one of them. I have 4 3700 size and 2 3600 size. I love em. Ronnie

This is how I do it..... Ronnie

Just placed my order.........& bought a few that weren't on sale. Just couldn't help myself....Thanks! Ronnie

That's AWESOME, God bless you & your wife! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Ronnie

I use a black ink marker (magic marker). It's clean & easy, dries instantly, doesn't chip like paint and it's color is flat, not glossy. You can touch them up in the boat also. JMHE Ronnie

Mine is a TE200DC Calcutta, not a Calais. It is one amazing reel and if I had the money I would certainly buy a Calais DC. Outside of the DC cast control, the construction and attention to detail is incredible. Ronnie

All is well at my place. Power came back on at about 9 last night after 13 days. We were just inconvienienced by the storms & power outage, but very near us, on the shore, THEY WERE DEVISTATED!!! A team from Southern Baptist Disaster relief is coming to my church to train us to help with the clean up. Pray for those who lost their homes and all their stuff. Ronnie

Although I am a founding member of the Shimano Posse, I have two President spinning reels (both were gifts to me) and I have to say they are great little reels. I fish with them way more than I thought I would. As said above, excellent bang for your buck. Ronnie

Just got my power back on after 8 days in the dark in New Jersey and I am one of the fortunate ones who didn't lose everything. This was a bad storm. I lived through hurricanes Betsy and Camile in South Louisiana and this is a similar disaster. 1000s of homes destroyed and millions lost power. This densly populated area has never seen anything like this! A real disaster! Ronnie

22 years at 4+ packs a day (anxiety disorder) at 35 years old I got the chicken pox in my lungs (vericilla pneumonia) very close to death. Spent a month in the hospital and half of that time with a respirator tube down my throat. Turned out to be a great blessing. Quit 20 years ago and I feel great now. I would likely be dead by now. My mom died from enphysema (sp) after smoking all her life. 2 uncles died of larynx & throat cancer in their 40s. There are few things in my life that I am more thankful for than quitting smoking. I had to nearly lose my life to wise up. Don't put yourself through something like that. No matter how hard it is to quit, IT IS WORTH IT! It will kill you, I have seen it. God bless you. Ronnie

I am thankful that my wife likes to fish. She doesn't quite have the passion for it that I do. She is good for a couple of hours and she loves being out in the boat. She's can't do the sun up to sun down that I do, but she is fine with me doing it. I too, married over my head. She encourages me to make the Road Trip every year although affording it has been tough due to the rotten economy. I am blessed beyond description. Ronnie

G-Loomis 7' 6" FS905 IMX Flippin Stick. Mines a heavy power, fast. With 50lb braid, light & easy. Hooksets are quick & sure. You can land anysize bass along with 10lbs of grass, tree limbs, etc.. Light enough to fish all day. You would have to go with a 903 or 904. They don't make the 905 anymore. Ronnie

I use the tube tool and O-rings. I find that I have far fewer snags with the hook parralell to the worm. I don't think it has an effect on hook sets. I get my o-rings in a kit from a club tool company in my area. The kit has several sizes. I have some pretty big stick worms that get pinched in two with the rings that came with the tool. JMHO Ronnie

As I said in the other thread, these rods have spent many years on a horizontal rack with no discernable issues. If you look close, they are Sage, Orvis, Loomis GLX, etc. they are not rods I don't care for. Ronnie