SoFlaBassAddict

I may just have to take you up on that next time I'm out on the West Coast. Those rods are really nice, I just have a hard time justifying spending that much on a single stick sometimes.

14k's in 7 is pretty amazing. Hell of a start for that kid's career. Hopefully he stays healthy and has a nice long career. Baseball needs another real superstar again. Not to mention that the Nationals finally have something to cheer about.

I keep a small assortment of general hand tools (sockets, wrenches, pliers, etc). I also have wire on hand, some good water/fuel proof tape, epoxy, and jb weld. I keep a manual hand pumping bilge on hand as well just in case. I also keep extra hydraulic fluid and oil handy as well. I frequently drive the boat over to the Bahamas, so having all kinds of small stuff stored below the deck is just smart. I've been in the boat and had a breakdown out in the middle of the Gulfstream before, not cool. That is a long ride back to the marina behind a tow boat. Short of me having to rebuild the engine, I believe there is something in my emergency stash that can cover almost anything. But, you never really know.

I don't like them, some people say they don't care. The rubber/silicone inserts take away from the sensitivity of tungsten. If I'm pegging it, I'll use one with or without an insert. Doesn't really matter to me then. Otherwise, insert free for me.

I really wish I still enjoyed baseball. As a kid it was great, then they did the whole strike thing and I just lost it. I'll watch a game every now and then, but eh it just doesn't do it for me anymore. Sure hard to ignore all the hype about this kid though, it's been all over the sports radio down here.

David loves those Dobyns. I'd buy myself some if I wanted to make the jump to the upper echelon gear. Those Dobyns rods are beautiful.

Not me by any stretch. But it makes me laugh...

Required? No, of course not. But if you're planning to crank deep for long periods of time, I'd use the Curado 5.1....with the 7' MH Kistler x2 You can use the 6.4, but you'll be working a lot harder then you need to. Stick the 5.1 on there. The MH will be the better choice as well.

I caught something on the ticker on ESPN that said he's not ruled out. Definitely good news for the sport.

JJ's has a stronger scent. JJ's lasts longer. JJ's is a vastly superior product.

Nice fish as usual, Shane. Gotta love them Gators.

Rofl. 5 lb penalty to start the day. I'm game though. Sounds like a good plan for the summer. Kids are getting out of school, gives me a good reason to get away for a little while...

Plenty of people are stationed outside of the states for several years, Skunked_again. Thats nothing out of the ordinary. The only place that I've been to that had restrictions was Korea. You spend one year there because it's whats called a "hardship" tour. No bringing family, etc etc. I'd imagine that if he's got orders for three years at Guam that it's not a hardship assignment. Never been to Guam myself. Supposed to be some beautiful beaches there though. Gotta be some good opportunities for some surf fishing out there.

Great fish. Every time I see somebody post up a Smallie like that I keep saying to myself that I really need to make a trip up north one of these days to try and catch a few of those.

Sounds like you're about ready to haul in a few beasties, Catt. Nothing better than fishing right as the sky changes colors in the evening. I love it when dusk comes around here. All of a sudden you can see the baitfish feeding, birds feeding on the baitfish, etc etc. It's really amazing how everything turns on instantly at a certain time of the day. Hope you wind up with a few photo worthy pics.

Mini South Florida Roadtrip?

Boat: Break Out Another Thousand

Yes braid is easier to pick out. But I think you're setting somebody up for failure if you say to use braid on the first casting reel they own. Braid casts exceedingly easy. If they ever want to use mono, fluoro, or co-poly they're going to hate life after using braid. Learn how to cast on a cheaper line. Once you get comfortable with it, then move up to something else. As far as set ups go, the PQ reel is a fantastic reel. The Carbonlite is basically the same reel, just has a different handle material and the main gear is made up of a lighter material than the PQ. Carbonlite rods are great, especially at the 100 dollar price point. I believe Bass Pro has the Pro Qualifier combos on sale right now for like 140 bucks. Good deal. I've never used the PQ rods, but from what I hear they aren't bad at all.

If you can't learn something here....you got problems.

Well said, K_Mac.

Wow, sorry to hear that man. You're having a rough year so far. Hope everything starts getting better for you soon. At least getting a new prop is a lot easier than dealing with Tracker.

Way to go. Great fish. Hope you guys did good at the tournament.

I've got the same problem with my HOA. We don't have gators, but Clearwater shows up every few months and sprays the crap out of my lake. The fishing has really declined over the last few years because of it. The lower oxygen levels have really started to drive fish out into some of the other areas. The peacocks seem to thrive in my lake though, go figure. I want to catch more largemouth They say the spray is only effective with the Hydrilla, which is a load of BS.

I've got 4 PQ's and one Citica. PQ's are slightly heavier, but thats really the only difference for me. For the money, you can't beat the pro qualifier. BPS got it right with that reel.

Definitely don't want to see anybody hurt, but I'll agree that it does favor the US. FIFA may need to rethink some of these friendlies this close to the Cup starting. If they really want to get more of the US audience, they need to make sure the superstars aren't getting hurt. I realize Ferdinand was hurt in training, but there are other players getting injured as well.