roadwarrior

Congratulations! If you focus a little more on smallmouth in Minnesota, you'll be surprised how well you can do. Good luck! 8-)

Brag all you want! Your son is THE MAN! My son had a similar experience at Kenyon College. He was the EMT for a six county volunteer fire department, in addition to his fireman tranining. In his "spare time" he was a full-time student and graduated with degrees in both Anthropology and Molecular Biology. Two weeks ago was my son's first day at medical school. 8-)

Comparable rods will cast exactly the same distance, baitcasting or spinning. Accuracy is exactly the same when either style set-up has been mastered. I fish both styles and like them equally, but I have a strong preference for one over the other for certain techniques. p.s. The World Record casting distance is held by a spinning rod. 8-)

My MBR844C is my dedicated jig rod, but I do fish some big soft plastics with the rod. Specifically, the new Rage Tail 10" Anaconda with a 1/4 oz weight. Otherwise, I fish soft plastics (generally weightless) on a Medium Power/ Fast Action spinning rig: St. Croix Legend Elite ES70MF/ Stella 2500FB/ Yo-Zuri Hybrid #6. The MBR 844C is perfect for medium weight and up (Senko for example). I don't fish unweighted soft plastics on a baitcaster simply because they "occasionally" take flight. The resulting backlash is not worth it to me, even if it's a rare occurance. 8-)

I completely agree, but I am still surprised that they don't have an option for that market segment. 8-)

I've had some luck with the GYCB Kreature, too: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1180909581

You don't need much to catch a few bass: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1158577137 8-)

This is my suggestion: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1196114229 Good luck! 8-)

Congratulations! 8-)

Man, that's some beautiful country. Nice fish, great pics!

Welcome aboard! Spend some time in th BassResource.com Library, "Fishing Articles" at the top of the page. We have extensive coverage of all techniques, including fishing jigs. This will get you started: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1189609782 8-)

MBR844C 8-)

Sharkbite, Dude! You're highjacking your own thread! Start a new one about reels in the "rod , reel and line" section if you like, but not here. Your last two posts were deleted. -Kent a.k.a. roadwarrior Global Moderator

Beautiful smallmouth. Good luck on your trip, I hope to see the post of your new PB! 8-)

Welcome aboard! You will be very pleased with any of those reels. If you want to match it up with a soft plastics/ jig rod, I recommend the G.Loomis GLX MBR844C. For more of an "all-around" rod, take a look at the MBR843C. This might help: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1196114229 8-)

when will the middle east be at peace Not for 2000 more years They have never had peace. Never will either. Wrong... The same thing was said about the Japanese during WWII. The Germans have always been associated with war and aggression. A few hundred years ago the same was said about the Spanish and for a thousand years the Vikings were nothing but ruthless savages. Democracy, independence and freedom can carry the day. American is a beacon of light for all of humanity. Iraq is a symbol of hope for the entire world. I believe that peace in the Middle East is achievable. "A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step." Back on topic, Oil is nothing but a commodity. Prices will fluctuate, but there is nothing intricitly "valuable" about oil. There is a glut of oil in tansit and the pricing is contrived. The commodity is not scarce, delivery to end users is the problem. In a broader context, the universe is unimaginably large. The only thing greater than the volume of mass is the amount of energy in the system. If we mere mortals can find a way to harness a small portion of that energy, life becomes simple. There is not now, and will never be a shortage of "energy". 8-)

September crude contracts closed down $5.03 at $114.99 (2:00 CDT). The markets will continue to be very volatile, but without war in the Middle East, prices should continue to drop. I expect some stability in the $60 - $80 range. This would price retail gasoline in a range of $1.75 -$2.25 or either side of $2.00. 8-)

I grew up in Kansas City and was a season ticket holder in the Wolf Pack at the old Municipal Stadium. We won the Super Bowl my senior year in high school! After moving to Denver in 1980 I remained a loyal Chiefs fan until the Broncos acquired John Elway from Baltimore in the '83 NFL draft. I still have a soft spot for the Chiefs from days gone by. 8-)

Man, that is cool! 8-)

With fishing line, the issue being discussed is always "visibility". Color has no impact on any line in terms of managability, strength, stretch or other variables you might consider. 8-)

I lived in Denver for 17 years. The Broncos are my favorite, but I am, and have been for decades, a Cowboys, Chiefs and Green Bay Fan. During the McMahon & Singletary era I liked the bears. When San Francisco wasn't beating up my Broncos, the 49ers, Joe Montanna, Ronnie Lott and Jerry Rice were some others I admired. I guess I'm just a NFL junkie! 8-)

Regarding the buzzbait: Buy a Cavitron! The Cavitron Buzzbait comes on plane faster than any other buzzbait and will stay on top at very low retrieve speeds. More importantly, the lure creates a unique chirping sound that seems to drive bass crazy! I highly recommend the Cavitron, particularly 3/8 oz, black on black. http://www.cavitronlures.com/ 8-)

Well, you're not far from Kentucky Lake, so plan on making it to the BassResource.com outing next spring (April 19-24). There is a very good chance you'll catch a big brown fish!

Use a large seine as a net. Dry them out and grind 'em up for catfood. No mess, no waste... :

Welcome aboard! This might help: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1158577137 8-)