ironbjorn

For over a week I've weighed whether or not to share this and have decided that I will. I'm not retired, but I'm newly disabled (I'm in my 30s). I've struggled since 2014 with severe mental illness, but I refused help until I couldn't any longer (summer of last year). It crept up on me slowly over time, each time worse than the last, until I lost my ability to function "normally." I turned out to have Schizoaffective Disorder. This illness is a mixture of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. I hardly know my dad and his side of the family, but I've since learned that Schizophrenic Spectrum illnesses run on his side of the family. I couldn't make sense of why I was seeing and hearing things others weren't, or why for some weeks I couldn't get out of bed but then over the course of some other weeks I would be wild and reckless, bordering on ruining my life, or why I would believe I was being followed, poisoned, stalked, plotted against, leading me down paths of extreme delusional thinking. I lost a lot of people during these years. I refused help because for awhile I thought everyone else was crazy and I was absolutely correct, and then as the years went by the slow realization that something is wrong with me made me too scared to get help. It was the delusions that finally became so extreme that I let my fiancee start the process of seeking help for me. Unfortunately therapy and medications only do so much to help and to some level I'll continue to cycle in and out of rationality. Working is now behind me and mental health care is now my reality. Since I've received help I haven't fished a lot. Last fall I used the excuse that the fishing was sucking so I'll hang it up for the year, but deep down I know learning that my brain is sick and that there is no cure put me in dark place. I've fished this (early) spring on some of the nice days we've had (when the wind isn't howling at 20-30mph like it seems to be most days). I'm doing a lot better now and look forward to fishing as much as I can this summer. I actually feel happiness and giddiness thinking about the season blasting into full gear soon. I bought a couple new rods I'm excited to put to the test (an Expride and a Zodias). We'll see what happens.

Most of us would be priced out of the game if "American made" was true. "Made in the USA" comes with a HEAVY pricetag and is why things are made overseas these days. Wish people would realize they don't really want to pay for American made and that it's nothing more than a nice thought.

"Someone" ?

At $99 it's a mental disorder not to be looking at Shimano, Daiwa, Dobyns, St Croix, Falcon, or Abu or Lews, company depending on if you're looking at rods or reels or sometimes both (SLX rods and reels anyone?) I mean how mental would it be to buy a cheap graphite reel for $100 when the SLX and Speed Spool exist?

Wow, he is reported to have been wearing a life jacket but still drowned. Goes to show how powerful and dangerous water is. Most of us tend to have the mindset of, "It couldn't or wouldn't be me." .... But it can be us. That's what the victims think too, and then it's them. Be careful out there folks. Lord have mercy

I once snagged a lipless and yanked and yanked until I freed it. Once freed it flew back at my face at the speed of light and hit me right under the eye, no glasses on. Luckily it didn't hit the eye and luckily it didn't hook me. Left a bruise. Made me nauseous thinking about what could have happened. I always wear glasses now and I never try to free snags like that anymore.

Some guys have all the luck.

It won't cast the bait or set the hook.

Black Max (now called the Max X), but just get a Shimano SLX for $100 honestly. I buy Black Max / Max X reels from time to time to slap on low to mid $ range rods without reels and they're great, but if I was just starting out, $100 for an SLX is where I'd go. It casts great and will last.

Good chance the rod will come broken because their packaging for rods is some of the absolute worst, but they'll keep replacing it until they run out, you quit trying, or you actually get one intact.

Not enough posts/activity. That part of the forum mentions that it's only for established members to buy and sell some things from time to time and not for someone to use as part of business. The rules used to be there. They're missing, at least for me.

I came to suggest the Dobyns Maverick 733c as well

It's super illegal to hit someone on a bike, the burden is on the driver. So if it's equivalent boaters beware.

You've got a giant sack to fish where you'd previously been threatened with a gun.

I don't really get angry, but I'm a d**n good millennial when it comes to certain things. My phone would come out and I'd make screaming Karens and Kens, who don't know the law, famous on social media. Everybody would know their face and the way they behave. Complete humiliation. Plus, should they do something stupid, it was filmed.

Shimano Expride 6'10" MH/F Shimano SLX XT (LH) 7.2:1 I bought this rod specifically for my one rod, one reel bank beating trips. Previously it was a Dobyns Champion XP 684C.

Get the Aird-X Also get some KVD 1.5 squarebills. Excellent river bait for me.

I have the Dobyns and it's amazing.

I carry a net with a folding handle. It slips onto one of my backpack loops and stays put when folded.

I regularly burn lipless crankbaits in open water and catch fish. You don't need grass or any type of cover.

One rod, one reel. Anything else is a waste of time. Learning how to fish a variety of baits from the bank with just one rod and one reel should also teach you a few things about marketing and what is and what is not essential, saving you money.

With those run-on sentences there's no way he had enough time to annoyingly clear his throat every 4 words, so doubt it.

4-15 lb YZH and 10-15 lb BG for everything

You keep asking the same question in this thread and you keep getting the same answer. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 lb bass or whatever can and will break 10lb line with maxed out drag and any weakness in the line. Who freaking knows dude. Replace the reel.

It's 18 degrees right now with 20 mph winds and 30 mph gusts. I'll gladly trade.