Dan:

how important to you is the lightweight reel?

oh I don't know if I'd say there are a lot of knuckleheads. There definitely are some knuckleheads, I lived next door to some junior year, but for the most part everyone is very friendly and at least some what intelligent. The admissions standards have become a lot higher so I'm guessing lots of the knuckleheads don't get in anymore. Steve, what year did you graduate? I can see why you might want to carry a gun off campus sometimes, but I don't think I would carry at something like block party. oh, and an update. out of the 30-35 people arrested, 4 were JMU students...

wow. those look great.

holy... guacamole what did ya catch them on?

If I'm not playing with friends, I don't use the headset. Too many racist, foul mouthed e-thugs that like to shout into the microphone.

Some buddies and I are hoping to fish the New River next month. I was hoping that someone from closer down that way could help me out with any advice about canoe/kayak rentals and what sort of river conditions we should be expecting. We are hoping to stay either near Galax or Radford. We have probably around 5 or 6 guys so we'd like to find a place that either has a nice campground or cabins that aren't too expensive.

ahh, it's from jackall japan.

I don't believe they Giron in two sizes. Must have been another bait?

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1258001611/0

No, not generally. In some cases the blank is warranteed against manufacturing defects by the manufacturer, but it's up to the builder whether he wants to warranty the parts/labor that went into building it. Which means, you may receive a new blank but you're still out of pocket for the cost to rebuild the rod. precisely. Plus, it's up to the manufacturer to determine if the failure was their fault or not. Also, this in no way includes accidental damages like St Croix, Loomis, etc...

I set the hook on spinnerbaits by sweeping to the side hard. I fish them with my shoulders and rod perpendicular to the line. If I start missing fish, I use trailer hooks.

thanks steve. actually i know about lake fairfax, and was considering hitting that up this weekend actually. apparently they will be stocking it friday. however there is also a fee associated with trout-stocked waters in fairfax county. i think its $12/day, or $37/yr for a pass. anyone interested in reeling in some ditzy bows this weekend? that's in addition to the VA trout stamp? no thanks!!!

I don't know. It seems like the majority of people here are more interested in the warranty than quality of the product. I think some of us just don't think it's a smart buy. The blank MIGHT be better, but at that level, how much better than a GLX or Steez can it be? Marginally. Combine that with no insurance like that offered by other companies...no thanks....but I'd be glad to buy a LTX or LTA!

No, not generally.

I'm not saying that they SHOULD take care of rods that break as a result of negligence or accidents. I'm just saying that other companies DO, and it seems like a poor choice as a consumer with limited funds to go with the company that does not offer an "insurance" policy.

I just started fly fishing. If I go down there it will be with a fly rod. I'll let you know when I make plans.

lol, well depending on our traffic around here, you could probably make it to a native trout stream in the Shen. Valley from Sterling in almost the same time it would take you to get to some of the stock streams down our way! I plan on exploring the GW National Forest this summer, I'll let you know what I find.

So you don't want stockers? I think you're SOL as far as NOVA goes.

Sometimes shore fishing at Anna can be good if you know where to go. My friend Mike caught an 8 pounder from shore at Anna about 3 weeks ago. Heck I can catch tons of small ones right off of my boathouse all year. For years I didnt have a boat and I used to catch bass, sunfish and catfish all day from shore on the warm side. There is even a public fishing area there where you can cast to the warm side or the cold side depending on which side of the bridge you stand on. I seen guys catch many big stripers off that bridge and it's free to use. You have to either know where to go or have friends who own property there. It doesnt have anywhere near the shore potential as the potomac tho thats for sure. I bet riverside park is heating up now, from what I heard the big bass are staging at the mouth of LHC feeding right before they spawn. And even all that depends on the time of year but there are better places to shore fish, especially within a closer distance.

what about the time that I broke a St Croix Avid that was in my trunk. During my drive, the rod had somehow rolled on the reel and elevated the tip so it got stuck in the arm that opens the trunk. (It was a 2-piece). When I got out and opened the trunk to retrieve the rod, it snapped in the trunk hinge. Is that something that someone could have reasonably expected to happen? Absolutely not. It was a freak accident and was not my fault. It's not St Croix's fault either, but as a company, they took care of it and I ended up with a Legend Tournament and a love for St Croix at the end of the day... EXACTLY!!! The price of a Z-Bone is so high! higher than other rods that DO have lifetime warranties! For me, part of buying an expensive rod is having the reassurance that the company will help me out if something happens to it. I'm more than willing to pay a little more if I know I can replace the rod cheap if something happens. It's like paying for insurance. Normally, I would not ask the company to take care of an accident, I get that point. It's not their fault but when so many others in the fishing rod industry are offering some form of recourse for broken rods for A LIFETIME then I'm not going to spend my money on a rod with no such assurances. It's just part of the purchase decision for me. I'd love to have a Z-Bone but I don't want to spend a lot of money without any reassurances when there are other companies out there with warranties that are way, way better. That is assuming that rods do not develop issues over time. Can you say for sure that a $250-$500 rod will absolutely, 100%, NEVER, EVER have a problem 90 days after you buy it?

geez, we got Loudoun County people coming out of the woodwork! The problem I see with Burke, the Occoquan Reservoir, and Anna is that they are very difficult to fish successfully without boats. If you have a small boat, checkout Beaverdam Reservoir out west of Ashburn. It's near you and it can be really good. A group of guys NOVA just did very well out there this past week. If you don't have a boat, your best bet is to learn how to use Bing Maps. It is an invaluable resource. Also, make an effort to meet other members. Lots of guys are more than willing to share spots and info with people they've met.

I don't understand this mind set at all. How in the world is Kistler responsible for replacing a rod that is broken by a negligent act like closing it in a car door? I have a warranty on my truck, but if I crash it, Ford doesn't have to replace it. Trey has a very good point. You can purchase a rod or purchase a warranty. I imagine I'll have a couple of Z-Bones in the near future! what's not to understand? Other companies offer some sort of warranty that saves my butt if either myself or a friend is to blame for a freak accident. Even Kistler has been known to take back rods with no questions (although some reports conflict)...Until they can offer a similar warranty on a high end rod, I'm not going to risk the money... besides that, I'm not going to bet that much cash that I'll never have a problem with a rod...who knows what types of defects might show up after 90 days? If I break my Shimano, my St Croix, a Loomis, or even a different model of Kistler, I have some sort of recourse. Why is it too much to expect the same from a $250-350 Z-Bone?

That doesn't ease my mind whatsoever. I understand they are probably great sticks, I just don't want to risk a pile of cash that size on a freak accident that may or may not happen as a result of my own actions. With a purchase that size, I want to have some assurances that if someone closes the door on my car and snaps a rod tip, I'm not going to have to murder them...

make sure you extend an invitation

Then I'd drive over to the launch by Indian Head in MD and launch the yak in Mattawoman. That's very nice back there, especially in the summer when all the vegetation has grown in. I am going to rent a canoe/kayak and launch back there this summer.