VolFan

Cabelas Prodigy rods and reels are on sale right now; you can get the combo for about $120. I have the 200 size spinning reel and med/F 7' 2 piece rod. It's a good soft plastics set up, and does well with spinnerbaits. I recommend it.

Get a couple 3X mono leaders and a spool of 8 lb mono. I surgeon knot the mono to the leader. A leader will last just about forever when you do this. When your 8lbh tippet gets too short, cut off and retie a new tippet with surgeons knot.

We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one. If you get that hook through the jaw and keep a taut line, they're not throwing it. More likely, and I've had this happen alot, it that you're not getting that giant gaff of a hook all the way through the plastic and the jaw. That's alot of hook/plastic/jaw to get through, but it's like a gaff once you get it through. As long as there's some pressure, they're not going to shake it. I say this from fishing that size hooks (both trokar and gammy) barbless for pike and lmb. Sometimes you have to tex-pose it to make sure you get a good set.

Big worms or big creature baits, even lizards. Make sure you set like you mean it, 'cause that's a big bait/big hook. As for the hook falling out, keep a tight or at least semi-tight line, and that won't happen.

The bass seem to be in all stages right now; some spawning, some staging, some have already spawned in the creeks. That could be the problem. We need some stable weather to put them all (or at least a significant amount) in the same stage.

The flasher/dodger comparison is accurate.

X2 on the Prodigy. I have the 7' medium in a two pieca and use it as a general purpose rod. It handles most things short of 3/4 oz+ baits and very heavy cover well.

This was the only way Elway was getting out from under the Tebow albatross without angering many, many Denver fans. Even if Manning doesn't play a down, Elway has set the Broncos up for a more traditional build. I still think Tebow's going to have a huge impact with a team, but I don't know that the Jets is going to be a big fit unless they dump the Sanchise. Rex Ryan is just crazy/dumb enough to go for a smashmouth offense led by the Tebow.

Citybasser, nice job on the initial review. Good to hear it fits small hands as I have those myself. post an update after you use it on a trip. Maybe how it handles your favorite way of fishing? Thanks for your input on the boards, and WELCOME ABOARD!!!

You've got the memory, and that's better than any pic...Nice fish!

PM me an address. I'm doing some spring cleaning and I'll mail you some stuff.

Do the Basspro Bionic blade H or MH and then pic a reel for the combo. Their action is great for frogs and you'll save some money.

Small beetlespins Small inline spinners (roostertails, mepps, panther martin, etc.) Fly and bubble with something rubber legged Small dark marabou jig under a bobber 1 inch curly tail grubs on a 1/32 or so jighead the smallest classic rapala in persh or gold/black Get a micro rod and have at it

Your Tigers got knocked off too Ken...sorry about that.

870s need VERY little oil. They really just need you to set the oil near the firing mech after you clean it.

I don't; there was a huge waiting list to join when I was younger. Your best chance would be to stop by and ask nicely, maybe while carrying cash, liquor, and/or baked goods.

It's Glengary Lake. One of my best fish came out of there on an orange walmart special crankbait. It is private, and they will enforce the privacy part of it. I used to go to church about 100 yds from there, and my parents live about 2 miles away. I passed it every day on my way to school and thought about fishing it every.single.day.

Born in Germantown, grew up in Oakland/Somerville. Fished alot of farm ponds, Herb Parsons, and, way back when, a lake across the street from Herb Parsons called Monterey.

HEY! My wife's from Chicago and I'm from TN, and I've seen waaaaaaaaaaaaaay weirder stuff in Chicago. You don't even marry in the family!

Think of pushing on a nylon rope (braid) vs pushing on surgical tubing (flouro). The fluoro is much less compressable longitudinally, hence when a fish moves toward you on flouro, you feel it moreso than with braid. I don't fish much on a totally slack line and have no problem feeling bites on weightless worms with braid. It really is what you feel comfortable with.

It's ok, I still laugh about it. The look on my friend's face when I sat down was only slightly less priceless as the look on his face when the blood started trickling down. He then ran and to this day I have no idea where he went.

There used to be a commercial for the Marines where there's a blacksmith forging a sword. Seeing that, as an aspiring and industrial young man I took a tubular steel fencepost and a small sledge, and set to work. First swing bounced off that post like a spring and cracked me square in the top of my head. Sat me down, where I stayed until the blood came tricling down my face. My mom ( a nurse) handed me an ice pack and advised me to stay on the couch where I couldn't hurt myself. Also, a few weeks ago I was running in the very early morning. I found out the hard way that some new parking meters had been installed on one of the sidewalks.

You're probably nancy short-stroking it. Take it to the range, load, and then complete only the rearward stroke of the slide, bringing it all the way to the rear with some force. Does the shell eject? If not, then you have a problem with the extractor most likely. I've shot and seen shot several hundreds of thousands of rounds through 870s, and never seen a malfunction like that that wasn't operator error, unless the extractor broke, which shouldn't be on a new gun. Have you been poking around in the ejection port? What happens alot of times is guys/gals want to empty the gun fast or get a quick follow-up, and don't stroke it all the way to the rear, and then you get a stove pipe, or a shell that doesn't clear the chamber at all. On a funnier note, when you put the end cap back on if you clean it, make sure not to cross thread it. I have seen guns literally fall apart after a shot because people didn't have the end cap on. It's pretty hilarious, BOOM, rack, end cap flies off, barrel follows, person standing there with the forearm in one hand, stock in the other, barrel hits the macadam, etc.

For the record my normal running shoes are Sauconys. I like them MUCH better than Nikes. But I needed the motto...

Excuses are for losers. If you keep making them, you'll keep losing. There are no secrets to hard work. I'm 5'6" (with my shoes on) and 175 and can do all of the above and pass my PT tests. Get some Nikes and Just Do It. We're all pulling for you. Coffee is for closers.