FishTank

I can't speak for the *** but I have the Citica and it is a nice reel for the money. I think you have a nice set up that you can enjoy for years.

A couple of these guys were drinking but it seemed within reason. A few were out of hand but the conservation officers were all over it. As far as the bobber guys, the set ups they had were like the ones you get bubble wrapped at a discount store. It was like they bought the boat and fishing was not really it's purpose. They were also making Margaritas with a blender.

I have a couple of these and have never caught anything on them. I can't explain it, you would think they would work.

Some topwater would be fun and I bet some heavy jigs would work just fine.

I have tried and it did OK but was not overwhelmed. I T-rigged it with a 1/8 bullet weight. It is a fun bait to fish though. It can do all kinds of stuff.

In the senko line up, I like Green Pumpkin Amber Laminate

I would give it about 2 more hours. I usually do great between 7-8. Then some times later between 9-10 (this is a great time for whipers around here).

The LC Sammy in Ghost Minnow and the Jackal Mikey.

I went out on a small, trolling motor only lake today and did pretty good in my little boat and trolling motor. Here is the odd thing though, on this same lake and they were using only their trolling motors, I saw two new Ranger boats, one Skeeter, one high end Lund (big lake size) and one Triton. My question is why? The fishing was just OK. The larger boats were not in the way but why put a $30,000+ boat on a little lake. Just doesn't make sense to me. I would have taken these awesome boats on a bigger lake. The other weird thing, the guy with the brand new $50,000 + Ranger boat was fishing with a bobber and a rod and reel that sort of did not go with the boat. It left me scratching my head. I don't hold his fishing against him or his choice in boats. It's was odd, like seeing a Ferrari toe a U-Hual. Any of you guys see anything like this?

Shimano Citica. It's a good, basic, get the job done reel. I found mine on clearance dirt cheap.

If you play it right, DSG has some good deals. I picked up some of the Keithech Impacts as well. My big purchase was a new trolling motor. They let me use two $10 of $50 coupons and I had two $10 reward cards. They then gave me 10% off for signing up for credit card even though my wife already has one. I also picked some new sneakers. They gave $30 towards a pair of shoes for donating two pair of old shoes. Then again two $10 off coupons and 10% off. $120 down to $60. I can't explain it. I asked if it was ok and they went with it.

One more thing, it should be weightless and rigged backwards.

I like the following.... Gami 4/0 EWG Gami 5/0 Deep Throat Gami 4/0 G Lock Owner 4/0 Wide Gap plus (my favorite)

I T-Rig mine with a 4/0 EWG Gami. and a 3/16 ounce bullet weight.

The bait monkey got me again today.... I went in to DSG and used up some coupons.... I picked up a new Minn Kota trolling motor and my first fish finder. I picked up the Lowrance Elite 3x. This is the low end model but I figured it would be good enough for what I do. The last time I looked at a fish finder it looked like this...... This new one will be high tech and confusing as you know what.

With Kraft not contesting the punishment from the NFL, what does that mean for Brady? If Kraft does not contest the fines, does that mean the Pats are guilty? Just a few thoughts.......

St.Croix Avid 7' MH Fast with a Shimano Citica. This a get the job done type setup. A great rod and a work horse reel.

This is would be my recommendation..... This will keep you under $600 and you will have an awesome set up. G. Loomis MBR 783 GLX and a Shimano Chronarch 50e. You can use this set up for just about anything. The reel is smooth and powerful but it is not as top shelf as some of the others mentioned. It's a workhorse of a reel. It's light and casts a mile. The rod is super sensitive. It has a fast taper with a soft tip, so you can use it for soft plastic, spinner baits, some cranks, top water, and jerk baits.

How about letting us know what you want to spend on this combo and then we could get a better picture. What do you fish currently? What do you intend to use it for?

The Shimano Antares would be the one I would chose, if cash was not a worry. Just make sure it feels right to you in the hand and on the rod you are going to choose. Also, IMHO, I would choose a top notch rod before I would choose a top notch reel.

One of the ponds I go to used to be a pay lake and is now run by the city's park department. I see guys show up from time to time that carry buckets, fill them up and kill what they don't want to keep. Funny thing is there is a police department directly behind the pond. Some days they get caught and other days they don't. There are also signs that say "Catch and Release Only". Nothing seems to discourage them. I have even seen them get fined and ticketed and come back the next day. I heard from another fisherman there that they had been fined for each fish they had in the buckets once before. This same group litters like crazy too. I wish they would at least some respect.

The cost of being pro at anything is huge and there will always be sacrafice, mistakes and loss. But if you don't take the risk, you will never know. To give you an idea, a friend of mine that plays in a southern rock band (can't mention the name for his sake) just bought a lear jet, a tour bus and a pair of Lambo's. He is 43 years old and went to school to be a pilot. He quit his job 20 years ago to pursue a dream. All he did was pick up a guitar, that he did not know how to play, and used raw determination and courage to get where he is at today. I'd like to think he got lucky but when you come down to it, he earned it.

this would be my pick..... This rod has a slightly softer tip. It would be the perfect rod for working the baits you described.

The biggest problem is integrity and the NFLPA. It's seems no matter what it is, you mess up, you get punished, and then you get to file an appeal that will more than likely result in a reduction in punishment or none at all. This leads to no accountability. Players have done some really bad things, though outside of work, that have damaged the leagues image and no team is immune. Maybe deflated footballs is a way to open the gates a little and have the commissioner assert himself with the NFLPA. We will see what happens... Here is another rumor I have heard on this..... There maybe another report that Wells is working on involving other allegations against the Patriots. Sort an ace in the hole for the commissioner if he needs it. Again just a rumor.....

Shimano Stellas, Cores and Chronarchs with G. Loomis Rods. Probably 2 spinning and 5 casting.