Tokyo Tony

Do it yourself ;D

I've used both of these lines, and these are my observations: US is stronger than FC, has less stretch (so is more sensitive), and is more abrasion-resistant. FC is more invisible than US and much more manageable. However, it is just about as stretchy as mono. I guess it depends where your priorities lie. My priorities with line are sensitivity and strength, so I prefer US to FC. However, as others have said, make SURE you use KVD Line Conditioner, letting it sit overnight. Without the conditioner, US is a real hassle to use, even the 6 lb line on a spinning rig. That said, I use almost 100% Power Pro 8-)

Fair enough. I don't mind at all when beliefs are based on faith. I actually wish I were able to have more faith in that regard. However, if one tries to prove a belief by using flawed logic, that just doesn't work. J - the trout fishing was so crappy around here at the beginning of the winter, and it was so cold, that I only went a couple times instead of every weekend, like last winter. No pics worth bragging about :-/ I see you've been busy though

My point is, you say that because we no proof of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, we can't say it exists. I agree. I WILL say, given the figures involved, that there's almost zero probability that there isn't intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. We can disagree on that, and that's fine. But then you say because we can't prove there is intelligent life elsewhere, that there absolutely isn't intelligent life elsewhere, which in turn disproves evolution. That is a large, unwarranted jump. In my opinion, the intelligence, technology, etc. that goes into building an airplane is more impressive than what went into building the pyramids. That's not to say we're more intelligent than the ancient Egyptians. There's no way to know that either way, so it's not really worth speculating. I agree, this isn't the place to argue about religion. What I'm arguing about is logic. If any belief system will have me ignore logic, I will have none of it. If I seem hostile, I apologize. I promise I'm not being hostile. I just can't stay out of a good argument

Haha, hand-picked stats for sure, but entertaining nonetheless. I wish, I wish, I wish cigarettes were good for you. "A pack a day keeps the doctor away." ;D

Nicotine is a drug, for sure. It doesn't have mind-altering effects, however, and it doesn't impair your judgment or motor skills. Plus, it's been used longer than Europeans have been here. I think that's why it's legal and pot, for example, isn't. Now alcohol, on the other hand, is a different story. I think you could argue what you did with alcohol, but not cigarettes.

Great thread - it's always interesting to hear about different ways to make a living

You really can't understand how good cigarettes are unless you've been a legitimate smoker. I hate when non-smokers judge smokers. When you're tired, they perk you up. When you're anxious or nervous, they relax you. When you're hungry, they stave off the hunger. When you've just eaten, they relax your stomach and your soul. After certain physical activities, they're like an amazing dessert. They're a cure-all. Plus, no one can deny it: cigarettes are cool ;D I think another factor besides physical and mental addiction that makes it tough to quit smoking is that it isn't guaranteed that smoking will shorten your life. I definitely miss cigarettes, and I can't say for sure I'll never smoke again. It's kind of scary how powerful the addiction is. For now, at least, I plan on being a life-long Nicorette chewer 8-)

To offer a different opinion, I haven't found that at all. My go-to jerkbait setup included 10 lb test Power Pro with a long flourocarbon leader (you will notice some stretch with a long leader) on a fast action spinning rod. I catch smallies all summer on jerkbaits with this setup, and can't say I've ever lost one due to the no-stretch factor. Of course, one can never be sure. One thing though, if you use braid with jerkbaits or any treble hook lures - don't give a big hookset. All you really have to do is give a little pressure, or a gentle sweep set, and you're hooked up I like braid with jerkbaits because it gives you more control, and when you work the lure, the connection is much more immediate, allowing you to impart subtle action that would be impossible to do with mono/flouro on a long cast. And for topwaters (and basically everything), I like braid as well. It floats, and you can cast it wayyyy out there and set the hook like nothing 8-) Holy crap, I can't wait until the topwater bite.

Are you serious Pond-Pro? 1. We haven't discovered intelligent life on planets other than earth; therefore, intelligent life does not exist on other planets. - how about the ones, I mean hundreds of billions, that we have not been able to search? That's very much like saying, "I've never seen a fifteen pound bass; therefore, 15 pound bass don't exist." 2. You think the pyramids are a more impressive feat than airplanes, skyscrapers, bridges, space shuttles, etc.? I strongly disagree. With all due respect Pond-Pro, I think you're fooling yourself.

I'm so furious with everything the government is doing lately. They're sticking their noses everywhere they shouldn't be. I'm definitely glad I quit - 2.5 months without a single drag ;D However, I've been chewing Nicorette non-stop, so I'm not really saving any money :-/

Awesome fish J ;D

Hey guys, any hints of ice-out up there yet? In CT we're just about iced out. Maybe another week or two if it stays warm. I've found some ponds that are mostly open to throw some casts from shore, but there's still quite a bit of slushy ice. I'm itchin' to get up there to get some smallies!

Thanks guys. fourbizz - I actually haven't gotten the braid yet so I'll go with 80 lb when I get it (probably tomorrow). I am so used to braid that I don't know what I would do if I got a big strike at the end of a long cast with mono. I would probably pull my back trying to set the hook in a situation like that. The rod was supposed to come in yesterday, but didn't. I'm hoping tonight...

I see, you couldn't have found a picture without a fish in it? You just had to show off your bass... ;) In this picture, Buddy is staring into the water where my line enters, waiting for me to catch a fish.

This is Buddy, one of my golden retrievers. He used to be a huge pain when I took him fishing (used to jump in after every cast to try to get my lure), but now he knows the drill. The only problem is that he's a little noisy

Evolution and the belief in God are compatible if you consider that 7 God days could be 50 million, or some large number, of human years. He could have been tinkering with us, working on perfecting us... That's not to say I believe that, but the two belief systems are not mutually exclusive.

My lakes and ponds are really starting to open up now, and as the ice melts more and more each day, my desire to catch bass gets stronger. I'm finally equipped for swimbait fishing this year, and looking to catch some huge (for CT) bass. Here's what I got: 7'6" MH Okuma swimbait rod, rated 1/2 oz to 5 oz Shimano Calcutta 200b reel, 120/14 65 lb yellow Power Pro 1 6" ROF5 phantom rainbow trout Huddleston 2 Mattlures 9" Woody's, rainbow trout & baby bass color 1 Mattlures soft light rainbow trout swimbait and two more swimbaits I've had since last year: Mattlures soft bluegill Mattlures soft perch I think that's enough to get me started. Absolutely can't wait to catch my first fish on a big wakebait. Picture of the equipment to follow, hopefully tonight. ;D

It's not a question of whether or not intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe. It's a question of when. There are probably hundreds of billions of planets in our galaxy that are relatively similar to our planet - meaning approximately the same distance from a star that is similar to our sun. Our galaxy is only one of hundreds of billions in the universe. However, many of these galaxies are hundreds of millions, even billions, of light years away from us. That means if we could decode some of the light reaching us from a distant planet, and we were able to see intelligent life, that just means that there was intelligent life on that planet hundreds of millions of years ago. That doesn't mean they currently exist. Further, what good would it do if we knew they existed now, because they are 100 million light years away? The whole topic just blows my mind. Plus, we really aren't able to conceive of what 100 million light years is. Light travels at (I believe) 186,000 km/second. A light year is how far light travels in a year. Multiply that distance by 100 million and try to think about that distance. No doubt intelligent life exists or existed or will exist elsewhere in our universe, but what good does it do to know that?

I heard the movie was less than stellar. Plus, there's male full frontal nudity. I won't be seeing this film.

Quabbin has some nice smallies

Gillette stick.

Annuity Operations for a large insurance company. Would like to start my own business within the next few years (non-insurance business). I have a few ideas brewing...

Cool, thanks. 65 it is 8-)

Thanks guys. fourbizz - you'd recommend 80 lb test braid with the lures I mentioned, even if the fish I'm targeting are CT bass? Why is that?