jignfule

Pay your brother in law back. Go out and enjoy the reel, take care of it, and don't feel guilty. The one thing your brother in law wanted to do was to make you happy. Be happy and thankful and go have a lot of fun. (be sure to tell him thanks and relay stories about the fish you catch with it.)

Clearly an indication of age.

I agree

When I was a scout I used a lot of night crawlers

X2

I could coat my pants in it.

Opened up my "Cabelas Ultimate Fishing Essentials" catalog to page 31 and saw at the top of the page, Stella Spinning Reels for a remarkable price, about the same price as a Stradic. In fact for the exact same price as a Stradic FJ. Someone is in hot water. The reel model numbers are not Stellas numbers, but are the same as the Stradic numbers listed below on the same page. I called Cabelas just in case, but it was a no go. Somebody, somewhere made a mistake, but I was all ready to buy 4 Stellas for $179.99 each.

Congrats, nothing beats a great waterfowl hunt.

I swim my jigs a lot and "fat albert twin tails" very effective

Around the first of the year I went to my "bookmark" on "foxfire" to go to "Bass Resource Forum" as I had done for years and found a blank page with only the words "Invalid Http Request Header". I thought that maybe the sight was down for maintenence or something and tried a little later with the same result. Ditto the next day, then the next week, even when I seached "Bass Resources" with foxfire I had the same results. This morning I "Googled" it and found this forum alive and well.(thank heavens). Glad to be back, can anyone explain the "Invalid Http Request Header" that still appears when I attempt eo get through with "foxfire"?

Cute baby, may I suggest a NRX 893 and a Metanium to start him off on the right foot.

two years ago when I bought mine the basic package was $499.00, I believe.

Most of the ponds I fish are small, less than a mile long or wide

I fish a pond where coots reside during much of the fishing season. I don't see them having much of an effective on fishing with the possible exception of disturbing the water when a mass of them pick up and move, especially on calm days. It may effect fishing in that area for a few minutes, but there may be many other factors involved when it seemingly slows the fishing down for a while.

That's what the anchors for.

I have a gray 285fpb that I bought two years ago. I stick it in the trunk of my car when I'm traveling and when I see a place I want to fish I can be on the water in about ten minutes. I use a 55#TM and an anchor is a must, most days. I avoid large bodies of water and I had to develop a good pair of sea legs. One of the reasons I bought the 285fpb was the fact that I could stand up while I'm fishing. It is made out of pretty tough material and has held up well so far. I did notice a small gouge on one of the sides that scraped a few layers off, but I just patched it with material from the repair kit they sent with it and have had no problems since. Bottom line, I'm glad I bought it.

If you're by a Harbor Freight Store you can buy digital scales for around $10.00 and weight them your self.(handy to have on hand) Sorry, other than that I have none of the rods you're inquiring about

#1 goal each trip: HAVE FUN & ENJOY!

Just use the one that feels most comfortable and natural to you.

Congrats, I hope you have his rod and reel ready to go. He'll be using it in no time.

Few people know the real reason baitcasters handles started out on the right side the spinning reels handles were on the left side. It was due to the pressure that the N.A S. applied to the industry. The N.A.S. influence has diminished in recent years, (thank heavens),but at one time they pretty much dictated all policies and actions of all manufactures in the fishing industry. The National Ambidextrous Society is still alive and well though, and we still should be vigilant in our attempt to curve their power and influence.

Been thinking NRX 895 and a Metanium

If my life depended on it and I could only take one bait, it would have to be the senko. That way I would either die of hunger or boredom.

I've had a 285 fpb for two full seasons now and so far it has been great. Easy to handle and set up. I've got a 55#TM that pushes it around at a decent clip. I need to stand when I fish, that is one of the reasons I got it. It's fine for one person and his gear. Seemed to be rugged, but I mostly fish smaller ponds and lakes with it. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking it out on a large body of water unless I stayed closer to the shore. I'm glad I bought one.

There has been many days when I've dragged a frog across the top of the water, waiting for an explosion, when I know I could have been catching many more fish under the surface with a senko.