CountryboyinDC

I guess opinions on the Xtremes vary quite a bit. I don't have any St. Croixs above a LTB, but I've handled a few Xtremes and the other variations with the same blank. I wonder why they didn't start with a model with the full cork model or the split grip. I see quite a few people fishing the full cork handled one, and you see split grips (other models and makes) everywhere.

I've got a Kistler KLX Feel 'n Reel. I got mine for $180 back when they had a end-of-year sale. I think they're normally around $300 or so. I've fished it exactly once and caught no fish on it, so I can't say much about it. I guess I could say, it'll pull a 10XD okay without seeming overwhelmed.

Got a link to this in my email https://stcroixrods.com/pages/legend-xtreme-opt-in-page?mc_cid=736194e05e&mc_eid=3ead0dc0d4. I thought the line with the weird handles were Legend Xtremes. Honestly, I'd be more interested in a few more casting Avid models.

I'd say you've gotten a tubular magazined rimfire to shoot about as well as anyone could expect.

For flurocarbon, l like the Shaw Grigsby knot unless I'm snelling a hook. It isn't pretty and has 3 tag ends, but I have confidence in it.

I agree with the many comments that say what you're seeing in the bathtub may not translate into what the bass see on the bottom of the lake or river. If you do want the stand up presentation, the Buckeye shaky head is the ticket. To my mind, it's more like a Neko presentation. The Megastrike is another of my favorites, but that's more because it doesn't fall on its side like some of the others (Owner shaky head included) are wont to do. I still like the Owners, mainly because they don't get hung up so much and have a screwlock I like.

I had all sorts of ideas for that rifle that hasn't come to be. It was going to be a wildcat I haven't seen, a 6mm-.284 AI with nice Lilja or Hart barrel, the stock I mentioned and a Jewell trigger (I can usually do pretty good with a Remington trigger that I fool with, but for a sub 6 ounce one, I like Jewell). With the exception of a 788, I don't think there's a better place to start if you're building something for tiny groups. My first light varmint gun was a 700 action, and depending on who was behind it, it could hold it's own against Panda action guns. Anyway, this one can't be shot in the state it's in, but I'll get back to it one day.

Thanks, that is one way of looking at it. It's worth less than retail price to anyone else, but I think I'll try to make a point to shoot it when I get a chance. Otherwise it will sit in the back of the safe with all those other 'heirlooms'. I have a few other .22s, and with the few opportunities that I have to shoot these days, I probably can't justify another one. I still have a 700 that was going to get worked into another 500 yard groundhog gun that hasn't been been touched in years. All I've done is buy a semi-inletted McMillian stock for it. One day.

I talked with the owner when he was in Richmond, VA a couple of weekends ago, and he's using Hydra (don't know where these are rolled) blanks. I haven't fished it yet, but I've tried some others folks have and they've seemed pretty good. I could have misunderstood and you have a full-fledged custom from the company; mine says ALX Custom Rods on the label, but I think you can buy them off the shelf at places like Tackle Trap. I know Lamiglas used to make a lot of the rod builders' blanks, but I think ALX has changed that for their inventoried rods. I've seen these, and I don't think they're built any better than a St. Croix, Kistler, or ALX. I've seen some Loomis and Cashion rods that I think could stand some more QC. They may well be just the rod you need - I know folks that don't find the Legend Elites, etc. from St. Croix sensitive for their needs and go for the NRX or similar rod, but the build quality isn't the reason.

Thanks, I will mark the receiver where the rings sit and check after I shoot it some. I can't remember what setup I had last time I shot it. Definitely wasn't going to free float the barrel; that doesn't even help in every case with bolt action centerfires. A lot of people took assumptions from what works on benchrest guns and applied it in other places. The barrel doesn't have any engraving, so I could replace it, but for what I plan for this gun, the barrel is fine. You're a wealth of knowledge for this - thanks so much for sharing.

I learned from my Platoon Sergeant that they chose the stainless and regular wood stock (I don't know what wood it is, but it is surely not walnut or maple) due to what the engraver said would be the best material to engrave. I can't remember what scope I have on it, but it's definitely a cheap scope in standard Weaver rings mounted on the integral dovetail. I wish it was tapped for bases, but since it isn't, what type of rings have the set screw you mention? I doubt I'll shoot this one a great deal, and when my son first shoots it, I'll have him use the open sights on it. When I put a scope back on it, I may as well put it back on right.

@Way2slowI think I may start with the M Cabo spring kit. I only came across the kit that fixed the take-up, which isn't a big deal for the one I have Getting it to 4-5 lbs. would be a significant improvement. The YouTuber you mentioned and your instructions will be a huge help, thanks so much. I have a few other .22s ranging from a Walther 98k pattern single shot training rifle my grandfather brought back during WWII to an Anschutz with a nice aperture sight I bought for my wife (she shot 3 position in college), but this has sentimental reasons for wanting to get this one tuned. @SuperDuty, the other rifles you mentioned are good ones (I owned one of the 10/22s Jim Clark's shop bedded and barreled for me), but this is one that's special because of the folks that gave it to me. Some of them are no longer with us, and the fact that they had it engraved with my call sign and name makes it irreplaceable to me.

I'm with @Tennessee Boy, and the last rod I bought was an ALX Zolo I got at the Richmond Fishing Expo. The proportion of US-made St. Croix rods will probably grow too.

There are a few others - Alpha Angler, Cajun (I think they make some bass rods), a few of the Fitzgerald flippin' sticks, Impulse, Edge, Power Tackle, and the BPS Patriot all say Made in USA on the label. I don't own any of those I listed, but I have to wonder if the US made rods are going the way of the buggy whip. My dollar is going to companies who try to keep jobs here as long as there is a reasonably suitable product made here. Falcon was the last horse that left the barn in terms of companies whose products I used, but there'll probably be others.

@Way2slow what did you do to the trigger to get it to a manageable pull weight? My platoon gave me one when I left the service, and I'd like to have it be the first gun my son shoots. The only fix I've seen for pull weight would be a trip to the gunsmith for me (I see there's a fix for takeup that's pretty drop in). https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143780#/topics/143780

This is Chris Funk's (one of the Jackson Kayak pros) setup. I thought about until I thought about it. I'd give anyone the ancient Bear setup I have had in the attic for a couple of decades. https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DCIO_jmtvpj4&ved=2ahUKEwjn-YLNn6fnAhWDj3IEHaUYC2YQwqsBMAB6BAgEEAQ&usg=AOvVaw3zCD0weXGxiFO0R4FTENRJ

38 years is a life too short. I'm so sorry for you and your family.

You can definitely take the 'buy a little more truck than you need' idea too far. A dozen years ago I bought a 3/4 ton Dodge with the 6BT Cummins when I thought my life would turn out a little different than it has and I was sick of the underwhelming capabilities of my S-10. It has 30,000 miles on it today, and boat-wise, the heaviest thing it hauls is 2 kayaks. With the high prices of new 1/2 tons and low miles it has, it'll probably be with me for a while, but I'll be the first to admit I have way more truck than I need. While it's great 'not know the trailer's back there', the new gas trucks have way more power than the small block trucks of the 80s and 90s. My brother-in-law last year bought a Tundra with the V8, and it pulls his enclosed motocross/sleeping area trailer with relative ease. I would guess that trailer is around 4k (it is tandem axle and has brakes, so it should be raked above 3.5k).

The 360 drive is probably as close to hands free as there is. With my pedal drive (Predator PDL), I often have to touch the rudder when I get a fish on too. The old 180 Mirage Drive is the reason I have a Predator rather than an Outback (they were the same price when I bought the Predator).

I would probably be looking at a casting setup once casting the bait with one was feasible.

I don't think you'll see too many kayaks appreciate, although the Hobies seem to increase in price about 3 times a year, so it may be feasible. The really stable kayaks are a bear to paddle any distance. If I were you, I'd look at a Jackson Big Rig HD/FD. You can probably get a 2019 model for $2,700 out the door right now. The Native Titans are another good option, and you should be likewise able to find last year's models on sale (both the 12 and 13 foot models). If money is no object, the Hobie Pro Angler is a favorite. They have a new 360 drive that allows propulsion in every direction, and promise to lighten your wallet by 5 grand or so. Stability comes at a price - all of these have some heft about them, and the Hobie is pretty fast and maneuverable, but the other 2 are going to be much less so.

I'd try to negotiate that price some. The landing gear is about $275 - $300 for Boonedox (I might be wrong, but the one in the picture looks like the Native one, which I think is less). The graph could be anywhere from under $200 to over $500 new depending on what variety it is. I see he has an anchor holder and some mats, and maybe there's more I don't see. Considering the season, that there are a bunch of sales for last year's model, I think you should have some negotiating room.

@Bassfisherman05081986, I think the Natives are good choices. They've been in the pedal drive business as long as anyone other than Hobie. The new Slayer Propel Max promises to have fixed the rudder insufficiency that plagues the Native and Jackson pedal drives, but if you go with another model of the Native pedal drives (like any of the Titans), make sure to get a Boonedox rudder and a BerleyPro rudder kit at the same time. Without it, the Natives are pretty hard to maneuver. It's good to be picky now, once you're 5 grand into a couple of boats, you'll be happy for the research you did.

I'm no marine biologist, but I do wonder about how much of an effect those monsters have other species in the same body of water. People were (and to a degree still are) worried about snakeheads around here and what that will do to the bass population. Most of what I've read suggests that the primary damage to the Chesapeake tributaries from flathead and blue catfish will be the crabs, shad, and river herring. I have no reason to reasonably expect that I could land one of these if I hooked into one, but if by some miracle I did, it would be making for one heck of a catfish fry. By all accounts, the shad run isn't what it used to be, and I'd like to keep the 'poor man's tarpon' off the extinction list.

That boat is seriously stable, but I don't think surf launches will be its forte. If you really try to push that one, you get some cavitation behind the prop. I can imagine see it being great for you otherwise. Who's at the pedals matters for sure. I have no experience with surf launches, but I kind of thought that it may be okay for that. It's neat to be able to keep pace with the Hobies and guys and gals with Torqueedos, and the boat's good for what I do.