The one that got away

Good enough for me, the answers were pretty much as I expected. Just wanted to make sure I was going the right direction. Ordered the 783 in the GLX version from BTD (25% off). Can't wait till it gets here. Thanks for all the responses.

I've convinced myself to pull the trigger on my first Loomis. For some background, I currently have a St. Croix Avid (AVC66MF) and a Legend Elite (LEC70MHF) as my baitcasting rods. I was looking for something to slide kind of in between the two rods, power-wise, and briefly had a new Crucial 6'8"MH rod, but was not a fan of the Crucial's split grip or the foam handles. Sold the Crucial and an Avid spinning rod to a BR member and I've sold a few other things recently so I have a few bucks burning a hole in my Paypal account. So it's time for a new toy. Anyway, I'm trying to decide between the MBR783 or BCR803. I will be putting a Lew's Tournament Pro 6.4:1 on this rod. I'd like it to be as "all purpose" as possible, basically to do everything I can do with the 7'MH but with a little less length and maybe a bit less power. The reason for a rod less than 7' is I fish from a canoe and sometimes my fishing buddy comes along. He rides in front. The 7' rod hasn't smacked him up the head on a hookset yet, but I've come close a couple times. So a rod less than 7' is preferred. Any suggestions/advice would be appreciated.

I haven't been there in a few years, but from what I see on another local board the fish are becoming active, both lakers and smallies. With warm temps between now and Monday, the action should be there. And I'm guessing you should be alright with the rental since it's not a weekend. There's a couple of W.Mass members on this board who are on a first-name basis with most of the fish swimming around at the Q, so hopefully they will chime in with better info.

Prayers sent from Massachusetts, stay strong!

I am in the auto insurance claim industry, sent you a pm

ouch....

I would bite the bullet and get a trolling motor. After paddling for a few years, I now fish with a TM in my canoe. Second best fishing-related investment I have made (the canoe itself was the best investment).

It's still mostly frozen over, but the best shore fishing I know of close by is Whitins Pond, off Main St in Northbridge. Go north on Rt 146, get off at the Main St exit, go by the Walmart on the left and it's about a 1/2 mile down. It's on both sides of the road and it's all fishable right off the road. If you specific advice, there is a culvert that goes underneath the road - it's at (I think) the third telephone pole on the right as you're coming to water on the right. That part has some moving water so it's probably the first to melt. You'll understand when you get there, I can't be more specific than that. I used to fish from shore there all the time before I got a canoe a few years ago. Trust me, there are some big fish in there. There's usually a pretty good amount of shore anglers, but there is TONS of room, you'll never get crowded there.

This might help http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/habitat/maps/ponds/pond_maps.htm

Not to be a party pooper, but what it means is you're undefeated in 18 regular season games. Like winning MLB games in June or NFL games in October. Yeah they count, but they don't count for playoff wins. Nice streak though.

Auto insurance fraud investigator in MA. Plenty of job security.

Another vote for braid with a leader. It is cost effective in the long run, and easier to manage on spinning reels IMO.

I signed it, hope it helps.

That's a cool report and photos, nice job.

Springsteen, Providence RI, Jan '85

A trip down memory lane: http://www.boston.com/news/weather/gallery/013108_78blizzard/ Let's hope this one isn't as bad

Excellent job, looks great

There are a ton of great articles on this site. Look at the tab "fishing articles" at the top of the page. After you've done some research, get out there and try to start applying what you've learned. There's no substitute for experience. You will probably develop some techniques that you have success with, and some that you may need to work on later. After you've put some time in fishing, you will probably have more specific questions that other members can help answer for you. Hope this helps

Probably won't be long before that kind of legislation makes its way to MA.

Canoe with trolling motor

I used to be a pretty big boxing fan. Maybe it's just me, but there just don't seem to be as many good fights as there used to be in the sweet science. I still do watch Ward/Gatti Rd 9 every now and then just for an adrenaline rush: Didn't mean to hijack the thread. Nowadays I watch more MMA than boxing. I don't mind a decent hockey fight, either

And as far as what seat to sit in, my canoe has the molded seatbacks, front and back, so I am also restricted. After being out on the water one day with 20+MPH wind gusts, I quickly learned that some weight has to go in the front of the canoe or you'll get blown around like a top. If I'm going alone, I put three 25lb weight plates in the front end. It takes up almost no space, and balances the canoe out pretty well.

I'm with A-Jay on this one. Fishing may start to become more of a hassle for you, and will take away from what it's supposed to be - fun. My story - I have an Old Town canoe that I transport on the back of my wife's minivan. My canoe has a yoke in the middle, so picking up the canoe is not too much of an issue. I get the canoe to the minivan, angle the front of the canoe so it rests against the top of the minivan at the back, crouch down and get out from under the canoe, at this point the canoe is basically half on the vehicle and the back end is on the ground. I walk to the back of the canoe, pick it up, and basically slide it up into position on the roof rack of the minivan. The minivan is now about 6 years old. I used to lay a moving quilt on the back of the vehicle where I would initially rest the canoe before moving it into position on top, but the vehicle itself now has so many dings, scratches, etc from kids and the dog that I don't even bother with it anymore. Anyway, my point is I think you're going to get pretty tired of trying to get your canoe - without a middle yoke - on top of your vehicle every time you want to go fishing. You will eventually either end up getting a trailer, using some of the other methods in this thread (I like the idea about that pole or whatever it is that goes in a rear trailer hitch), or you'll probably just end up selling it. However, it would much different if you have a fishing partner that can help you load/unload the canoe off the top of your car. Should be a piece of cake with a second set of hands. Best of luck with whatever you decide, and I hope you get on the water in some way, shape, or form. It's a whole different ballgame when you are no longer restricted to the shore.

Great link, thanks for posting it