bilgerat

South Jersey here (Camden County) Haunting hidden sand pits and other waters out of a kayak. Most Jersey guys I've seen on here are from North.

I hear ya. Same thing with New Jersey. People from out of state ride the Turnpike once or watch BS like The Sopranos or Jersey Shore and think they've got it pegged. I'll take you to places here where you would bet your paycheck (and lose) that you weren't in Jersey.

Good points brought up by all. It's going to be a goalie battle and I couldn't be happier. I don't expect to see high scoring games at all. If the final game of the Boston / Tampa Bay series is any indication, the refs seem ready to let it fly. Let's hope so. I still say the 'Nucks take it in 7, although Boston will make them earn it. If the refs find their whistles, Boston had better find it's power play. If you are on the fence about hockey, take the opportunity to check out a game or two in this series. It will blow you away. (except if you live in the Atlanta area and weren't one of the 14 Thrashers fans.... )

Nice fish. Get him on the Fenwick ? Good to see ya around. How is the baby doing ?

U-40 works very well. On Trondak's website, they emphasize that only ONE thin coat is needed to get the desired result. If you apply it like you're painting a fence, you lose the cork feel. It will be slick and glossy. I get a season out of a single application. In the winter I use the Magic Eraser and diluted Simple Green to clean the handles. I then let them air dry a day or two and apply the U-40. An old soft bristle women's makeup brush works well. Another good product from Mudhole is Renzetti Ferrule Lube. If you have a two or more piece rod that you break down often, this is the stuff for you. It tightens the joint and eliminates twisting and accidental separation during a cast, but allows for easier breakdown. It's about $10 for a tiny bottle, but it will last you for years.

That looks awesome. Is that a lip from a Jitterbug or can they be bought elsewhere ?

Buy the tube, learn the tube, be the tube.... Seriously, it can be rigged 1000 ways. With every color imaginable and all of the rigging options, it's as close to a perfect bait as you can get. It works in clear and stained water, open water, heavy cover, hopped up and down structure, whatever and wherever. And don't believe it's a smallmouth only bait. Tell that to the fatties that I've been crushing them on for several years now.

If you have or have access to a swimming pool, it's by far the best way to determine fall rates and see how different baits act on the fall and at rest. And a big fat NO - pool water will not degrade your line, make your baits undesirable to fish or ruin your fishing trip. I'm with Francho and Snook for the most part, just go fishing. However, I regularly use a pool when I want to see how a new rig or bait acts. You can also see how much rod tip movement translates into bait movement, such as with a jig. It's fishing, not advanced calculus...

It was a great game. It reminded me of a pitcher's duel in baseball, but it was a goalie's duel. Both goalies were outstanding. Tim Thomas was a class act giving props to Roloson after the game. Well done Boston.

I agree with some of what you said. I stand firm om my independent shop opinion. As far as aftermarket vs OEM parts, that can be a gray area. I'm a Detroit Diesel mechanic (you know them well Tom... ) I've seen poor results from aftermarket parts (pistons, bearings,cylinder heads) but keep in mind that many parts originate at the same factory. In other words, GM does not manufacture a majority of their parts. They are made by a supplier to GM's spec, but that supplier may make similar parts for other automakers and the aftermarket. Aftermarket is not necessarily a bad thing. They usually build parts at different price levels to satisfy market requirements as many customers decide on repairs strictly on price alone. You don't get a steak at a Big Mac price. Good independents are indeed hard to find, they are few and far between. If you are satisfied with your dealer, fine. I'm not saying all dealers are bad, but it's a lot of money to keep that place lit up and it's gotta come from somewhere, that's where the relentless upselling starts. Sometimes, not all, "Genuine" is nothing more than a word printed on a box.

I don't know what your options are up there, but after warranty is up, the dealer is the last place I go with my vehicles. Are you still under warranty ? Dealerships and chain automotive repair stores (Goodyear, Midas, etc.) are too big on the 'up sell' - talking you into unnecessary extras beyond what you originally came in for, often using fear as a tactic to get the extra sale.."If you don't do this now, you could have a major failure in the near future" Years ago I worked part time for a Goodyear tire and auto service center. What they did to their customers, women in particular, was downright criminal. I didn't last long there, I saw enough and walked out one day never to return. I'm no saint, but they were flat out scumbags. Like I said A Jay, I don't know your situation, but as general advice you're better off at an independent shop. Word of mouth is the best way to find a good mechanic. There's a shop I know of run by two brothers. They don't advertise, they don't up sell, no waiting room, no television or free coffee, none of that. They just go on their reputation alone. Often they talk customers OUT of repairs as they are not necessary at the time - "Your brakes are good for at least another 20,000 miles. Don't worry"...Find a shop like that (if you can) and you're set.

Nice King Snook. The only ones I ever caught were off of the Outer Banks. They were around 12" to 14" long. I'm not sure of their patterns, maybe it's because they are hatched in the Mid Atlantic and grow as they travel down the coast ?

The guy with the hammer will NEVER be topped when he's with his buddies swapping stories. Even 10 years from now...."I ever tell you about the time when a naked guy crashed his truck into my apartment and I lit his arse up with a hammer ?"....

Game 7 tonight in the Bruins/Lightning series. Winner gets to battle the 'nucks for the Cup. I think Boston will take it tonight, but predict Vancouver takes the cup in 7 games. There is nothing in the sports world like playoff hockey. If you offered me Super Bowl (snore), World Series or Stanley Cup Finals tickets, it's no contest. Hockey Rules...

Let's review the crappy jobs I had in my younger days... First one was at 15 working in the back of a pizza joint. That one sucked. Delivering auto parts - this actually worked out in the long run as the parts store owner and his wife were great people to work for. I learned a ton of things that help me to this day. 25 years later I still deal with them. Worked for a landscaper. Mostly commercial cutting at apartment and condo complexes. Long hot days for little pay. Warehouse order picker, then truck driver for same company. The worst job I've ever had. Period. Pumping gas. The only perk to this job was making extra cash doing the 'air oil' scam. Back then, motor oil was sold in quart cans that you had to stab a spout into before pouring into the engine. The scam was to keep an empty can of oil on top of the display. When someone asked you to check the oil, you told them they were a quart low. 99% of the time they ok'd you to put the oil in. You went through the motions of stabbing the can and pouring it, then checking the dipstick. Bingo, $3.00 for 5 minutes effort. 10 to 15 times during a busy shift gave you some spendin' cabbage. I'm not particulary proud of it, it is what it is. With the exception of the auto parts store, crappy jobs motivated me to go and get something better, so they can serve a purpose.

I'd watch that, but only if they put those bickering New Jersey houswives in the canoe, then sunk it with "The 1812 Overture" playing in the background.

Sign seen hanging in an automotive engineer's office (Supposedly a true story as written in a national automotive magazine in an article about the fallacy of electric cars.) "Electric cars. Fast, cheap, reliable. Pick any two..." Ask any proponent of electric vehicles about the emissions generated by the coal fueled power plants required to run the charging apparatus. (Substitute nuclear for coal if you'd like). Sure you will decrease emissions from the cars but there's a trade off. I agree internal combustion engines have run their course. The best diesels run at about 33% efficiency, but the cost of diesel is prohibitive. Diesel has always been superior to gasoline efficiency wise. Modern automotive diesels have advanced to the point of being equal and in some cases surpassing gasoline in performance. Split injection (in which the injection cycle is divided into multiple stages occurring in 1/100's of a second) has all but eliminated the familiar diesel knock. Smoke is a thing of the past. But with diesel prices exceeding gasoline, right now they are not a viable option. The moral of the story is there is no quick solution.

The sheer ferocity of the storm was incredible. From what I've seen, there were warning sirens and such. This ties the record for tornado deaths at 116. Winds were estimated @ 198 mph, which is the high end of a category F4. I saw a shot of a kitchen chair who's 4 legs were impaled into a wall by about 8" and the chair was intact. Not to downplay the tornadoes you have dealt with, were any on this scale ?

Just wait until someone gets the balls to get alternative energy rolling. Oil will collapsed and speculators will push price of alternative energy up because it will be the new trend. lol.

I don't know your budget but I own this in an ultralite and it's been a fabulous rod for me. Also has a lifetime warranty.... http://www.basspro.com/Fenwick-Elite-Tech-River-Runner-Spinning-Rods/product/10210426/-1743459

This is the first night I've sat and watched the news. I'm stunned by the severity of the weather down there in the past few weeks. Seeing that hospital in Joplin dam near leveled really caught my attention. The scary thing is there is at least two more days of bad weather forecast for that area.

Not trying to be a Richard but there are at least 37,937 more exciting ways to catch a bass than with a stickbait. Put them in the flea market and let them become someone else's crutch. I'm not anti-stickbait, any port in the storm is ok, but not for your primary bait.

Good luck with that. I've tried several times to e-mail them and they've never replied. Possibly water getting inside throwing them out of whack ?

We have them already. They're called 'wives'....

That ain't your ankle, that cankle belongs to what you woke up next to. Did you have to chew your arm off to get away ?