Long Mike

I'm another advocate of the Boomerang SNIP. It cuts through limp braid like a knife through hot butter.

I tie the flouro at such a point that the knot never goes through the guides on the rod. I generally start with a 6' leader so that I can retie several times if needed.

Ben, you can use my boat. It's a 2004 Tracker TV-18 with a Merc. 150 on the back. The front end has a Minn Kota Terrova with i-Pilot and 101 lbs. of thrust. On the console is a Lowrance HDS-8. On the bow is a Lowrance LMS-28-C. I live in Tulsa, which is about a one hour drive from Grand Lake.

If you are fishing very stained or murky water you can get away with your 30# braid. For water having better visibility I would recommend a fluorocarbon leader. Take a look at Seguar's Abrazx for the leader. While we are talking about braid, Tuf-Line has a new product out that is reported to be amazing. I'm headed out for a week-long fishing trip on Thursday and I will be using our sponsors' products. I'll report back after my return. I'm especially looking forward to using the Tuf-Line. Apologies for semi-hijacking the thread.

I'm gratified to know that there are anglers out there who don't mind throwing away perfect;y good money to spool up with nothing but braid. I wish I was one of them.

Yes Glenn, I was kidding, and Gary knows it was a jab at him. I forgot that other members may not know that Gary is a close friend of mine and a fishing buddy. That said, Gary, when will I receive your Registration Form?

Sorry Gary, we'll have to cancel the Soirée'. I haven't received a Registration Form from you. Too bad for the Tackle the Storm donations.

I boat the fish with my rod 98% of the time. Haven't broken a rod yet.

Compared to cheap mono, braid is expensive. Just as RW said above, I spool on cheap mono as a backing, then spool on the braid. Most braid comes in 125 yard spools, so I use about half a spool per reel. Braided line will last for years. When it starts to show its age, all you have to do is switch ends.

Thank you for a very good report. I would very much like to see a comparison of the units at say, one, five and twenty pounds to determine if the accuracy is linear between units.

Fishing has its hazards also. I think OSHA got a call on this one also.

Not trying to hijack the thread, but taking this a bit further, the word "mano" in Spanish means "hand." Using your analogy, does it mean that when you fish with a Shimano, you have a load of crap in your hand?

Unless I can fish sheltered areas, I avoid any wind over 15mph, and I have an 18-footer. If you're fishing a big lake it's more trouble than it's worth, and can be downright dangerous.

Nope. I carry spare reels - attached to rods.

Contact one or more of our Sponsors. Each of them started small, just like you.

We just had a major upgrade, but you folks didn't notice it, other than a brief inability to log on.

It's Pfleuger Phreak, not Pfleuger freak.

OK, thanks Brian.

20 days until the resort releases the block we have on the cabins and rooms. If you haven't yet made your reservations, you're running out of time. Please note that both Brian Needham and Bassin Is Addicting have beds available.

Welcome Lele! We need more ladies on our forums.

Happy Birthday young lady!

Sam, the "electrical manual" that I got from Tracker was a one-page schematic diagram, and had nothing to do with the motor.

I've found that I can get skunked regardless of the body of water in which I'm fishing.

I hate to say it, but I agree with slonezp. Contact Tracker. They have a lot of info. As for the decks, just look for the screw holes and remove the screws. I have a Tracker TV18. On that boat, the screws are roughly eight inches apart and require a #3 phillips.