ejtaylor822

x2 Nothing wrong quite yet I hope nothing goes wrong or I will be real mad > x3 here. But admittedly, I dont fish as hard as some others might. Probably every other weekend at most. x4. Not a tourney guy either and I take care and gentle with my stuff. Nothing against the others, just bought my first quantum several years ago and have had no problems. The Zillion is a great reel. Know lots of folks that use and love them. IMHO, can't go wrong with either one. Me, I'm partial to Quantum . Eddie

2x - I agree. I like Mike, really do, but the screaming is, well, rather embarrassing.... :-[

Came a long way from my old sub in a sealed pine box behind the seat in my truck (1983). Did sound good though.

There's really nothing more I can to add to what others have said, but that it is very satisfying to make something with your own hands and then catch a fish with it. A custom rod, built properly, will easily outperform most store bought rods. You can get started very cheaply. I built my first wrapper from scrap lumber and still use it. Bought a turning motor off ebay for $9 - still use it. Eddie

Suffix. Only one I have ever used.

Another vote for the softer rod - IMHO, works best for treble hooks for hook setting and fighting.

I am anxious to give these a shot. Keep waiting for them to show up Dick's.

X-Rap.

I pretty much use a "burner" 7x:1 for everything (BC wise). Its easy enough to slow down but harder to speed up on a slower reel. Also, soon as I am through the "strike zone" can get it back quicker with the faster reel to cast again.

Cast with my right, switch to my left, then reel with my right. Tried doing the left hand retrieve with a BC, and for me, just did not feel right aven though I retrienve left handed with spinning and fly rods.

You want a rod with a slow/soft action. A nice parabolic curve that will allow the lure some action and will aid in fighting the fish. A fast tip will not allow the lure to be sucked into the fish's mouth as well nor load up to set the hook - although with trebles not as critical a single hook. Also, the slow action will maintain good tension on the line while fighting - not so tight that it will pull loose/off the fish's lips, nor loose tension so that it is easier for them to throw. I use a custom made 7' Lamiglas composite (CCB) with Fuji titanium guides. Awesome rattle and crank rod.

Man, Keith, that's scary. Thanks for sharing and really glad you are alright. Eddie

IT Architect for a large NC Health Insurer. I deal with the infrastructure and platform areas: Server, storage, network, database, etc. and how it all fits (and suppose) to work together. It's OK, can be stressful and demanding but it provides pretty well for our family. bilgerat, 100% spot on, cubicles can be unhealthy - not necessarily dangerous - just unhealthy. Eddie

Those look nice. The lead craw is awesome. Good job!

I want those top 4.

We have it all: Mountains and the Ocean (Outer banks!!!!!!). Elevations from sea level to 6700 feet. English colonists, sent by Sir Walter Raleigh, unsuccessfully attempted to settle Roanoke Island in 1585 and 1587. Virginia Dare, born there in 1587, was the first English child born in America. North Carolina is the nation's largest furniture, tobacco, brick, and textile producer. Did not have a professional sports team until 1980. In 1903 the Wright Brothers made the first successful powered flight by man at Kill Devil Hill near Kitty Hawk. Our new governor declared a state of emergency in January after 3-5 inches of snow fell across the central part of the state. Come on 2012! Exactly 100 counties in the state. State: motto: Esse quam videri "To be, rather than to seem" song: "The Old North " flower: Dogwood bird: Cardinal colors: the red and blue of the N.C. and U.S. flags tree: Pine shell: Scotch bonnet mammal: Eastern Gray Squirrel salt water fish: Red Drum also known as the Channel bass insect: European honey bee gemstone: Emerald reptile: Eastern Box Turtle rock: Granite beverage: Milk historical boat: Shad boat language: English dog: Plott Hound Christmas tree: Fraser Fir carnivorous plant: Venus Flytrap folk dance: Clogging popular dance: Shag freshwater trout: Southern Appalachian Brook Trout Selected famous North Carolinians: Howard Cosell sportscaster; Ava Gardner actress; Richard Gatling inventor; Billy Graham evangelist; Andy Griffith actor; Jesse Helms politician; O. Henry writer; Andrew Johnson president; Charles Kuralt TV journalist; Sugar Ray Leonard boxer; Ronnie Milsap singer; Thelonious Monk pianist; Edward R. Murrow commentator and government official; Floyd Patterson boxer; Richard Petty auto racer; James K. Polk president; Soupy Sales comedian; Earl Scruggs bluegrass musician; Randy Travis musician; John Scott Trotter orchestra leader; Thomas Wolfe novelist. FrogTog, fisherman ;D We have some of the best and most controversial pork barbecue in the union. Our state is divided over Western Carolina and Eastern Carolina BBQ. Eastern North Carolina pork barbecue is vinegar-based sauce and the "whole hog" is cooked using both white and dark meat. The capital of eastern Carolina barbecue is usually considered to be Wilson although the wife and I consider Kings in Kinston, NC. Western BBQ uses a ketchup and vinegar based sauce and only the pork shoulder (dark meat) is used. The "capital" of western Carolina barbecue is usually considered to be the Piedmont Triad town of Lexington, home of the Lexington Barbecue Festival which brings in over 100,000 visitors each October. Home of the 82nd airborne, Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg, Army Special Ops Command, MCAS Cherry Point, Pope and Seymour Johnson Air Force bases. Finally, home of the University of North Carolina Tarheels!!!!!!! Say no more.

You may want to take a look at some small zip ties. Can get them in various colors that can match up really well. Put the clip on top and cinch down tight.

They have worked pretty well for me. Like others have said, I throw them where a spinner would be a good choice. Have also used them as a search bait. I have found that a stop and go retrieve seems to work best. I pull them back, reeling, and will raise the rod tip. Then stop reeling and let them fall. That's seems to be where I get hit.

If you want optimal performance, you need to decide on which technique will be primary for this rod. As others have said, you are better off going with the more expensive and "technical high-end" for the plastics - very high modulus, extremely light and sensitive. For cranks, in all honesty, fiberglass works best or at a minimum a composite - high modulus is a waste for cranks. Optimal action for cranks is a slow parabolic curve for hooksets and fighting. For the plastics you want a very fast tip for hook sets so you are getting into the blank's power. Also, the faster tip will give you much more sensitivity for detection the slightest of nibbles - both of which are benefits of high modulus. BTW, and I am HUGE fan of quantum, but I would choose the St. Croix avids over the quantum rods. Eddie

For the plastics, single hook and sensitive applications, you want med-hvy to hvy (depending upon the line wt) with a fast tip. This will also work pretty good for the spinner (faster the better for spinners). This power/action will not be optimal for cranks. Want something a little slower for cranks. Doesn't mean you can't use the same rod for single hook vs. treble, just have to work at it a little more with delaying the hookset and maintaining the right amount of tension during the fight. As previously stated, think the BPS combos are pretty hard to beat for the $$$.

Favorite rig: Rod: Custom made 7' Lamiglas CCB Reel: Quantum TourEdition PT 7:1 Baitcaster Line: 14 lb Trilene Fluoro Bait: toss up, Rapala DT Fat Shad or Rattlin' Rapala baby bass Go to rig - when nothing else is working: Rod: Custom made 5'6" Shikarii (yes it's small but it casts accurately and the distance is pretty remarkable for a 5'6") Reel: Quantum Energy PT 6.3:1 Baitcaster Line: 14 lb Trilene Fluoro Bait: 1/4 oz (or weightless depending upon wind) T-rigged pumpkin senko

Hey, what kind of baits do you like to throw? Cranks, worms, jigs, spiners, etc.? May help narrow down the choices when talking about actions and reel speeds. Also, FWIW, I think the BPS combos from what I have seen are hard to beat. A 6'6" Med power fast tip with a 6x:1 reel is a good all around setup for tight line single hook applications - spinners, jigs, worms, etc. Eddie

RIP. I remember growing up spending the summers with my Grandmother. Listening to Paul Harvey at Noon on the radio was part of the daily ritual. Conservative, liberal, democrat, republican - almost everyone liked and enjoyed listening to Paul Harvey.

Great show. Enjoyed the part on the trophy hunters - I don't have that kind of patience.

Doc Holiday (Val Kilmer) in Tombstone "the strain was too much for him to bear" "I'll be your Huckleberry" (I like that one too) "Nonsense, I have not yet begun to defile myself" Apollo 13: "Failure is not an option" Men in Black: "Elvis is not dead. He just went home"