roadwarrior

And check this one out that's brand new and HOT: "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Winehouse

Hmm... Brooks & Dunn, Sugarland, Gretchen Wilson, Kelly Clarkson, Terri Clark, LeAnn Rimes, Carrie Underwood, Toby Keith...

avid, Seems like we had this discussion recently. :

Yes! 8-)

I was trying to stick with your pricing target, but if you can afford to step up a bit, I'm in total agreement with flechero.

Oh, there are significant differences my friend, but I say it mostly boils down to the "fun factor." Better equipment is more fun (for me) to fish and cruising around in a $50,000 Triton is more thrilling than a $10,000 Tracker.

I suppose there are a lot of things we don't "need" in life, but some of those "things" are what make life more enjoyable. "Faster horses, younger women, older whiskey"

Just pitiful... :'( This isn't about C & R, I think it's fine to keep small fish and ONE trophy fish (as long as they are not smallmouth 8-). As far as I'm concerned, this thread is about environmental rape. That slug is not a "bass fisherman" and he is not a sportsman.

grimlin, Welcome aboard! Regarding losing fish: I don't think a jig is much different than any other single hook lure. The hook-set you should use is a "snap-set" or sometimes called a "quick-set." Snap your wrist, moving the rod tip only. The butt of your rod should remain stationary relative to your body. NEVER "double set." Maintain constant pressure on the fish and move it to you (gently by pulling not jerking) as it is about to jump. Using this technique, I would estimate that my hook-up ratio with single hooks is north of 95%. Once the fish is hooked, landing ratio approaches 100% regarless of whether they jump or not. BTW, aerobatics is what I enjoy most about smallmouth fishing- those fish can fly!

Well, maybe... One of my best trips of all time was in June, 2002 at Bull Shoals. The lake had been flooded after the trees had fully leafed. There is a legal agreement involving certain farm land in the White River flood plain. The point is, the Corps of Engineers raised the level of the lake more than thirty feet in thirty days! When I arrived for my outing, guys were leaving...NOBODY, including the guides, had caught a single fish on the lake all week. I met with my guide, Tim "Hot Dawg" Curtis the evening before we were scheduled to fish to express my concerns (there is always a trout option below the dam). Dawg just smiled and said, "I'll see ya early, let's meet at 5:00 AM." Everyone was fishing the flooded grass and in the trees. My guy puts me out in what appered to be the middle of the lake and started casting. For two and a-half days I don't think we ever went fifteen minutes without "Fish On!" We were targeting smallmouth, but also caught just about every other species native to the region. The fish were staging on and around the "normal" bank and submerged live trees that just a week ago had defined the shoreline. The fish did not follow the water, they stayed with the structure and the locations they knew.

A gift certificate might be a better option. You can still go to the store with him when he is checking the equipment out. I've been married for about 1,000 years and that's what I would prefer. Asking my wife to pick out fishing equipment would be like sending me to the mall to buy her a pair of shoes... That ain't gonna happen! :

Tell us how much you want to spend and you will get several helpful reccomendations.

Neither reel is a Shimano. : The Techna AV is a nice rod, but the only brand at any pricing point that has raised their retail quote in at least five years. That rod should retail for $160 not $210. I would suggest taking a look at the St. Croix Avid AC66MF or AC66MHF for $160 instead. I think Medium Power is ideal for spinning gear and for your stated purposes I would also recommend Fast or XF Action. If you save $50 and buy the AC66MF, you can step up and buy a St. Croix AS66MF for your spinning equipment. That would be a nice matching pair for you.

You know I'm not a fan of braid, but in heavy vegetation and timber, that might be the answer for you.

Welcome aboard!

Focus on breaks in current, ridges, ledges, humps and pools: structure and transition. I suggest jerkbaits early and late, soft plastics all day: grubs, Hula Grubs, lizards, craws and 3 1/2" tubes.

Man! That's quite a fish.

Welcome aboard! Nice fish.

Man! What a trip... p.s. That's it. This post was the straw that broke the camel's back. Order placed...Perch, Largemouth Bass, Striper.

Way to go!

If you fish other Berkley products (XT, XL, Big Game), call the customer service department at Pure Fishing or contact Berkly through e-mail (http://www.berkley-fishing.com/about_contactinfo.php) and ask them to send you replacement line. Otherwise, give the Yo-Zuri Hybrid or Hybrid Ultra Soft a try. That's what I'm using and I like it. 8-)

Welcome aboard!

Throw him UNDER the jail.

Welcome aboard! That video might be the best first post ever. Congratulations!

Let's cut through the BS. There are lots of people that do and will do VERY well without a college education. However, on AVERAGE, college grads will earn $1.5 -$2mm more during their working years. How many MILLION DOLLARS do you have?