roadwarrior

Wow, that's as backhanded a compliment as I've ever read. I simpy mean I found a way to fit a square peg into a round hole. 8-)

Welcome aboard! Highend equipment makes fishing more fun, is generally more dependable, lasts longer and performs better. However, the "value" is in midrange gear. For "best value" I recommend the following: Spinning reel: Shimano Stradic 2500FI Baitcasting reel: Shimano Citica CI200E or kick it up a notch, Curado CU200E7 8-)

Silly man... 8-)

Welcome aboard! Save up a couple of bucks and get a Shimmano Symetre. If you're patient, you will find one on our Flea Market close to your price constraint. 8-)

Huh? I have a few Shimanos and I never adjust them. 5/8 oz does not equal "heavy". 8-)

Well, Thanks Again! One reason we have been together for 31 years is because I would NEVER forget the day! :

Stick baits from Cabela's: http://www.cabelas.com/ssubcat-1/cat600382.shtml I've always thought the term was used for Senko type baits: http://www.***.com/catpage-SBSTICK.html 8-)

December 25 when you have to stay home with the family! 8-)

I suspect just about every member of your posse responded to this thread. There aren't that many. 8-)

Trading down over 238 points with an hour to go, the DJIA rallied 400+ points to finish +172 @ 8691. Volatility rules the market! 8-)

Oil Rises as OPEC Head Says There's a Consensus to Cut Output By Mark Shenk Oct. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil rose from a 16-month low as OPEC's president said that members had reached a consensus on the need to trim production and Iran said the cut may be as much as 2 million barrels a day. There's no agreement on how big the reduction needs to be, the group's president, Chakib Khelil, told reporters in Vienna, where OPEC ministers arrived before a meeting tomorrow. Iranian Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari said OPEC must ''balance'' the market, after prices tumbled 54 percent from a record in July. ''If OPEC makes a cut of 1 to 2 million barrels tomorrow, prices should firm up and move higher in the short term,'' said Gene McGillian, an analyst at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. ''Unless there is something huge announced, the market will eventually start moving lower again because of the weak economy.'' Crude oil for December delivery rose $1.06, or 1.6 percent, to $67.81 a barrel at the 2:30 p.m. close of floor trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures touched $65.90, the lowest since June 13, 2007. Prices are down 21 percent from a year ago. ''Prices have fallen a great deal, so a gain should be expected,'' said Peter Beutel, president of energy consultant Cameron Hanover Inc. in New Canaan, Connecticut. ''I think we are in a bear market where every rally will be followed by a move to a new low.'' Saudi Arabia Oil prices dipped to the low today after Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi declined to express his support for a possible cut, on his arrival in Vienna. Saudi Arabia and Iran are the two biggest producers in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. ''Who said anything about a cut?'' al-Naimi said when asked whether he supports the possibility of the group agreeing to reduce output when it meets tomorrow. ''Prices will be determined by the market.'' OPEC needs to lower production to restore equilibrium after the exit of speculators from the market hastened oil's drop from July's record, said Khelil, who is also Algeria's oil minister. The group, whose members supply more than 40 percent of the world's oil, has asked Russia and other non-OPEC suppliers to trim output, he said. He wasn't confident Russia would respond, he added. ''If the Saudis don't play ball, it doesn't matter what OPEC decides,'' said Christopher Edmonds, the managing principal of FIG Partners Energy Research & Capital Group in Atlanta. ''Without Saudi support and compliance with a production cut, the cartel doesn't even need to meet. It will have an immaterial impact on production and price.'' Inventory Buildup The group needs to avoid a buildup in crude inventories that could cause a collapse in oil prices next year, Edmonds said. OPEC should evaluate whether a further cut is needed when it meets in Algeria in December, Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said today. ''We are going to parse the statement they make tomorrow,'' said Kyle Cooper, an analyst at IAF Advisors in Houston. ''The tone of the statement may be more important than the amount they actually cut.'' The last time OPEC lowered quotas was at a December 2006 meeting in Abuja, Nigeria. The 500,000 barrel-a-day cut took effect in February 2007, expanding an earlier reduction agreed to in October. The cuts were reversed later in 2007 as prices rose. Brent crude oil for December settlement rose $1.65, or 2.6 percent, to $66.17 a barrel on London's ICE Futures Europe exchange.

DUDE! Laugh-out-loud funny! If this goes "political" it's closed, but otherwise, I think it's GREAT! Oh! And definitely REAL! 8-)

This thread is adrift in open sea... Good night Irene

Nope... Since dedicating the reel to a specific function (jig fishing), I have not had a single backlash of any significance. The new combination, STX saddled to my MBR844C is a match made in heaven! The reel balances perfectly, the low profile is comfortable and the overall combination is beautiful. After only twelve hours or so of fishing this rod & reel for the past two weeks, I declare it a winner! In addition to being happy with the STX, I can also report that it performed perfectly under stess. Since I didn't have a scale or camera, I'd estimated my big fish recently was somewhere around 22 lbs 4 oz... Well, maybe not, but it was 24" long and fatter than me! So Micro, for the record...I'm on board as long as I don't have to make major adjustments to the reel, just minor tweaks. However, I still think the magnetic brakes are a major drawback for those fishing lures with different weights or profiles. I would not buy another STX or recommend this reel to anyone considering a purchase. 8-)

The models don't matter unless you're dealing with ultra light baitcasters. Baitcasting gear: Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft #12 (.013" diameter, 19.5 lb test) Spinning equipment: Ultra Soft #6 (.010" diameter, 11.9 lb test) 8-)

The argument that stocks lead a rebound is sound, but the market has never hit bottom at the beginning of a recession. There will be more bleeding before the healing begins. p.s. After being up more than 200 points earlier, the DJIA is now down on the day: -25 @ 8493.

Trout, crappie and white bass. I like throwing a Panther Martin (gold spinner, black body with chartreuse spots) and Rapalas (both Floating and Countdowns). 8-)

Welcome aboard! 8-)

It looks like Ghost Tennessee Shad to me. 8-)

Simple solution: Fish them both! I think the LC Pointer and Rapala Husky Jerk are the better choice most of the time, but when bass are very active and aggressive, the X-Rap is my weapon of choice. 8-)

Congratulations! Great post and pics! 8-)

Welcome aboard! This was my response to your PM: Subject: Re: Fat Ika Date: Today at 08:31:40* Snap-set also called quick-set: When you detect a bite, lower your rod tip while reeling in slack, quickly! Raise the tip of your rod to about 11:00 by snapping your wrists without moving the position of the reel relative to your body. All the energy is transferred by the rod and this will drive the hook deeply into the fish. Also, I use 4/0 EWG Gamakatsu Offset Worm Hooks. You should be using the sharpest hooks, too: Gamakatsu, Owner or XPoints. My hook-up ratio is north of 95%. Once hooked-up, my landing percentage is significantly higher. 8-)

Enough... Good night Irene. -Kent a.k.a. roadwarrior Global Moderator

Dow Average May Sink to 5,000 By Thomas R. Keene and Ken Prewitt Oct. 23 (Bloomberg) -- The Dow Jones Industrial Average may sink as low as 5,000 next year, a 41 percent decline from its current level, according to Peter Boockvar of Miller Tabak & Co. "The market's going to overshoot on the downside," Boockvar said in a Bloomberg Radio interview yesterday. ''When that occurs, I'll be a raging bull.'' The CHART OF THE DAY shows 40 years of the Dow average. It last closed below 5,000 on Nov. 20, 1995. A retreat to that level would represent a 65 percent plunge from its all-time high of 14,164.53 set in October 2007. Earnings estimates are too high and when investors realize that, they will drive the stock market lower, added Boockvar, Miller Tabak's New York-based equity strategist. Companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index will earn a total of $60 a share in 2009, not more than $90 as some analysts estimate, he said.

#4 Yo-Zuri Hybrid or Hybrid Ultra Soft. 8-)