bilgerat

Do yourself a huge favor and try to get out to a tackle shop so you can try different reels on different rods so you can get a feel for different rigs- you dont want to end up with a rig that is too heavy at one end(either tip heavy or butt heavy) Search the forums here for past discussions on rod balance, too much to get into here. OR just get one of the combos from BPS or Cabela's and you won't have to deal with it, the work has been done for you. Good time of the year to get a deal.

Sooo, are we in for a rough one ? I think we are here in the Mid Atlantic region. We're due for one. Our last monster was 1996 when we got 36" of snow (stop laughing you midwesterners, thats a lot to us ) in a single storm. Have had relatively mild winters since. My prediction is based on my Black Walnut trees. They've dropped a ton of nuts this fall, and the squirrels have been tearing them up more than usual. What do you observe (besides the Weather Channel) to try and predict what the winter will be like ?

Thanks for the support. See ya at the next TA (Tackleholics Anonymous) meeting

Finally went for it. Got myself a St. Croix Avid AVS66MF spinning rod, then a Pflueger Supreme to complete the rig. Here's the kicker- it's my Christmas present from my wife, so it's off limits for me until then :'( Oh well, after all these years, whats another 6 weeks ?

Whadya 'talkin about , Muddy ?? It's fine here

We could discuss what a chair would look like if your legs bent the other way :-? (think about THAT one for a while )

Nothing wrong with Trilene at all, it's a great line. Where exactly are you breaking at ? At the knot? Up the line a few inches or feet ? If your breaking at the knot, most likely it's the knot. It's important to wet the line before pulling the knot tight. If any thing doesn't look right with it, start over. If your breaks are further up, you may have a nicked line guide. Run a q-tip through them, if any cotton fibers stick to the guide the guide will have to be replaced. There is no "best " mono, you'll have to find what works best for you. Use the search function on the forum, you'll find a hundred different guys with a hundred opinions on fishing line. Good luck with the UL rig, you will have a blast with it. If you're new to it read up all you can. I got into it heavy this year and did great. Only wish I had started sooner.

To all veterans past and present, Thank you.

That whole franchise (owners down to equipment boy) should be REQUIRED to wear a bag...

My wife feels your pain- she's a diehard Lions fan. I'm a Vikings fan myself, I don't have much to root for myself It's the dome syndrome. Teams go soft when they put 'em in a dome. It used to be such an advantage for the central division when they were at home out in the elements. Tear the roofs off !!!

Yeah, but we didn't have time to go in. Will check it out if I get back.

and 10 lbs fatter A few weeks ago I asked you where the good eats in Brooklyn were- Roast beef sandwiches at Brennen and Carr- out of this world !! New York pizza- what else can you say ? But the best we found was Randazzo's on Emmons Ave across from the head boats. The calimari with their special hot sauce was a killer. I had fish fillets stuffed with baby shrimp & crabmeat. That one would make a priest kick out a stained glass window !! The fishing was another story. We were there on a job, not a fishing trip. Went out behind the motel Thursday night for a couple of hours, didn't get anything though. The storm had come through the day before thats what probably scattered them. I was suprised to find two nice bait and tackle stores within walking distance of the motel. Didn't expect to see that in the middle of Brooklyn ! Oh well, if I make it back up there I'll have my gear with me for sure.

I did a little search- World record bluegill 4lbs 12oz caught in Alabama in 1950. Imagine that.

Only caught one trout in my life and it was while I was bass fishing. Got him on a Johnson Beetle Spin. The thing had to have been two lbs, but I didn't have a trout stamp. I couldn't get that thing back in the water fast enough !!

Muddy can explain. It's not a bad thing. Congrats on the new Flooger, you will enjoy it. Keep it clean and lubed, it'll last for years. Just two things to keep in mind: Use line conditioner and ALWAYS close the bail manually after every cast. Post back when you get some fish.

It's official. You are now a Mook.

Don't be a commie !!! Cast your vote for the Mook party this Tuesday !!

Gotta go with the Pflueger

I'm waiting for the biologists to breed 5lb + bluegills- now that would be a fight ;D Anyone whos ever pulled in a 1lb + gill on light tackle knows what insane little *astards they can be. What a blast.

We had a similar rumor here in New Jersey a few years ago that went like this- Gang members would purposely drive at night without the headlights on. When a motorist would flash their lights at them to alert them, the gang would turn around and pursue them and either shoot them or carjack them. My policeman neighbor told me it was a BS story. Best thing to do is be aware of your surroundings. If something doesn't seem right, trust your instincts.

More than likely it's graphite, which is fine for light/ultra lite. IMO graphite is fine until you get up into the larger size reels. Larger size graphite frames can twist and distort under the strain of a very large fish, which can wreak havoc with the gear alignment. But for what you're looking for, graphite will be fine. You will NOT be disappointed by the Pflueger. The Supreme is a magnesium frame, but now you're talking $100.

Last friday night from 10pm to 1am I had a good night. Mixture of bass and nice 11" to 14" crappie. All on a 1/16oz jighead with a 2" tube.

Don't forget the Pflueger Trion- I'm tellin' ya for 40 bucks YOU WILL NOT FIND A BETTER UL REEL. Don't believe me ? Do a search and read all of the reviews. I've fished UL about 90% of this season, all with the same rig, which is a Pflueger 4725GX on a 6' BPS Microlite graphite rod strung with 4lb Trilene. The rod is decent, I don't have any complaints at all other that it isn't available as a 1 piece.

I bought a boatload of the 2" Senkos earlier this year- some from Cabela's, the rest from GYCB. According to the GYCB site, they were made for the Japanese market. They are down to three colors now. When they are gone, thats it- unless they can be had through Japanese tackle sites ?? They are awesome little baits when the conditions call for them. HEY ***- got a niche to fill here !!

We mechanics have an old saying: "If it's got boobs or wheels it will give you nothing but trouble" ;D Take it from me, make sure they have the flywheel "cut" (slang for surface grinding) as part of the job. Insist on it, it's critical. You'll have nothing but trouble with the new clutch (chattering, decreased life, etc.) if it's not done. One last thing to consider- Try only using the clutch for first and reverse gears. You can shift without a clutch from second on up, you just need to let off the accelerator and ease the shifter into the next gear. It can learned fairly easy.( Downshifting without the clutch is a little trickier) I had a Toyota truck for fifteen years that never had a clutch problem. Anyhow , good luck with the jeep when you get it back.