Alpster

Good Job Burley!! Man, you need to get your butt over to Guntersville next week and pay us a visit. Ronnie

I use 50lb Power Pro on a baitcaster. I carry a wooden dowel in my box to wrap around the line to pull a lure free. I have straightened out some pretty stout hooks and lifted some impressive logs. I like the braided lines. Ronnie

I only use them from the beginning of January til the end of December. If the water isn't frozen, plastics will produce. It's more a matter of where and how you fish them. Fish them more slowly on deeper structure when the water is cold. Work closer to shore and less deep when bass begin to stage and bed in the spring. In the summertime, find the thickest cover and beat it to death. JMHO Ronnie

This is shaping up to be quite an evening, but time is running out to make a reservation. Let me know (send a PM) quick! You DO NOT want to miss it. Ronnie

This is shaping up to be quite an evening, but time is running out to make a reservation. Let me know (send a PM) quick! You DO NOT want to miss it. Ronnie

Zel, This has to be some kind of glitch or one time anomaly. I have a feedback rating of over 300 on ebay. All as a buyer, never sold anything. I am in a couple of ebay's "sniping" halls of fame. I have never once had this happen. I use a digital stop watch to place my sniping bids in the last decimals of a second. I have on dozens of occasions hit my last bid (being more than twice the current high) and been shot down by a Max bidder. The only way anyone can ever beat me at an auction is to have a Max bid already set. And it happens all the time. Also the customer service reps go to school to learn how to tell you exactly what it takes to make you go away. Most important thing to understand about ebay is, it is designed to benefit sellers ONLY! Buyers don't pay a dime to use the non-auction, sellers are the only ones who are allowed to complain. It's just the way it is. My experience FWIW> Ronnie

The layoffs where I work (Sprint) are taking place today and tomorrow. I just found out that I'll still be a working man tomorrow. I believe my wife is in the clear too. It's a little late to plan a Guntersville trip but I am extremely thankful that we both made the cut. You guys are going to have a great time with lots of stories to tell. Long Mike, I'm glad you were able to make it. Kudos to RW, Mike, and CJ! Hey Senile, Congratulations on missing the ax this go around. I hope it is as well with your wife. It's not too late to make it to Guntersville. It would be quite a celebration. Get back in the game. We would love to see you there. Ronnie

Although this is true and is usually advised. I have all my personal rods with the bumper on the left (I crank right handed). The reason I like it personally is, I will sometimes decide to pitch or flip a bait with almost any rod in my hand. With the bumper on the left, I can strip line for a vertical fall and strip line for a flip without dragging it over the top of the rod. I hope that makes sense. I just want to make it clear that which side of the blank the line transitions on has no effect on performance. As fletchero stated above, it is strictly a matter of preference. X2 Ronnie

I hate to spoil the fun here, but the purpose of this thread was to generate interest in more members attending the Wed. Dinner. It would be a big help to your humble trip coordinator of we can stay on topic. Thanks! Ronnie

It IS all it's cracked up to be, IMHO. I love mine. ARB stands for Anti Rust Bearings. The bearings have some sort of non corrosive coating. They are available on most Shimano reels. I hope this helps. Ronnie

My home lake is within walking distance if it weren't for the boat. I pay a $40 yearly fee for a launching sticker. Lake is electric only and I burn almost no gas to get there. Food is the biggest expense. I am glad I don't have to think about cost to fish. I spend a few $ on snacks/drinks. Ronnie

Great! Dinner is at 7 PM on 3/26/08 at the "Hickory Room"! Sending you a PM. Ronnie

I made this one from parts at the Home Depot. I need to make another one. It has casters on the bottom so I can roll it around. Ronnie

I am a power pro fan also. You know, if it ain't broke.... I have tried Stren Super Braid and it works fine. Comparable to PP but not any better. I would use either if it were on sale. LOL I will try Suffix when my current supply of PP dries up. I can't comment on Suffix because I haven't used it. The other braids I have tried are "Gorilla" and Tuff line. They are both good and behave very well, but have not made me want to switch from PP. The other advantage to Power Pro is availability. You can find it in several lb tests almost anywhwere. WalMart, Kmart and the dinestores have it. When I want to try Suffix, I will have to order it on line. Even Dick's doesn't stock it here. Ronnie

Even if you can't make the trip for the whole week. If you live within reasonable driving distance of the Park. Why not ride in and join us for the awesome, Wednesday night BBQ buffet dinner. It only costs $18 and you will get to meet some of the 'Legends of the Board" and have an evening to remember. There will be a raffle for some EXCELLENT prizes and a SURPRISE speaker you won't want to miss! Check it out! Send me a PM if you are interested and I will get you set up. Reply ASAP, as arrangements have to be made. Looking forward to seeing you there! Ronnie

Tell her you are just getting started. I am travelling light to Guntersville. This is not everything, just what I can't leave home without. Ronnie

We used to drive to Luling TX from Hammond La. about 8 hours. We would burn up several boxes of shotgun shells and kill 75 or a 100 squirrels. Before you PETA conservationists have a kitty, in TX at the time, they were crop depredators. That means that they were a pest/varmint. No limit and no closed season. We would skin squirrels till the wee hours and the ensuing squirrel/fish fry with hush puppies was a feast beyond belief. You just had to be there. Ronnie

Hey Mike, Hang in there buddy. It ain't over until it's over. Sent you a PM. Ronnie

Even if you can't make the trip for the whole week. If you live within reasonable driving distance of the Park. Why not ride in and join us for the awesome, Wednesday night BBQ buffet dinner. It only costs $18 and you will get to meet some of the 'Legends of the Board" and have an evening to remember. Send me a PM if you are interested and I will get you set up. Reply ASAP, as arrangements have to be made. Looking forward to seeing you there! Ronnie

I would pitch a Jig & Pig next to each one of those stickups. 2 or 3 times. Ronnie

Sage has a line of spinning and casting rods. They are mostly for trout salmon and steelhead, but they are in the game. I disagree that Loomis can't compete in flyrods. I have 3 high end Orvis rods and a Sage, but if I could only keep one flyrod, it would be my Loomis GLX. JMHO Ronnie

I have both of his DVDs. He is an amazing talent! I'm a big fan. Ronnie

Here in NJ, drinking water reservoirs are considered "terrorist targets". The ones owned by the state, county or municipality are open to fishing and are incorporated into the respective Park systems. This way, there are park rangers on duty when the park/reservoir is open. The ones owned by private water companies are usually closed and fenced for security sake. The treatment plant around the corner from my house has a police patrol car at the gate 24/7. Here, the health department, department of water quality, department of environmental protection, municipal utilities authority, local water company and the department of homeland defense all have some/differing jurisdiction(s) over water facilities. I think you would have a hard time in NJ finding out who is actually in charge. It's very convoluted and bureaucratic. Ronnie

Wow! That's another BIG disappointment, I was really looking forward to meeting you. BUMMER. Ronnie P.S. - Don't worry, I will send you some pictures of Muddy's meatballs.

I generally fish plastics on semi-slack line and watch the line closely. My most common experience is the gentle tap or bump along with a slight jerking motion on the line. If the line moves without any input from me, I set the hook. This kind of line movement helps me to distinguish between a bite and just feeling the bait passing over a rock or twig on the bottom. Ronnie