The one that got away

I think they should name the teams for the Pro Bowl and not bother with the game. No one - players, coaches, fans - cares about the actual game anyway. The only real benefit is to players with incentives in their contracts. The selected players I'm sure are happy to be recognized, but that's about it.

We'll see if the Pats like having Julian Edelman trying to make big plays in crunch time next year, instead of Wes Welker. But that WAS a drop. The play last year in the SB would have been a great catch if he came down with it. Don't forget that Branch and Hernandez also couldn't make catches in the last drive last year.

Great game by Baltimore tonight. Flacco was the man. Brady hasn't had back to back strong games in the playoffs since way back. Should be a good Super Bowl. I'm just glad Atlanta didn't get in because they would have gotten smoked by NE or Baltimore. Balt/SF should be a good hard hitting game.

He was a bit before my time, but definitely one of the all-time greats. The Hall of Fame was built for players like him.

Shimano sent me a replacement for a 6'6"MH Crucial casting rod that broke near the end of last year. I know yours is a dropshot rod and mine isn't, but mine was an older cork model like yours. They sent me the 6'8" newer model with the foam grips, but I haven't used it yet. It has Alconite guides and supposedly the same blank as the old Cumara. The reel seat is pretty cool. I bought a new Chronarch to put on it. I haven't fished with it yet, so I can't give you any better feedback.

I've had an older BPS Graphite Series in my basement for a few years, it came as part of a combo that I bought a ways back. It is a medium power and supposedly a fast action, but it's a lot closer to moderate than fast. Might make a decent cranking stick, but from what I remember it wasn't very sensitive so I'd probably look elsewhere if sensitivity and/or fast action are the qualities you're looking for. I also have a really old MH 6' Berkeley Lightning spinning rod, it's got to be 15 years old and hasn't seen water in probably 10 years. It was a decent rod, just a bit short and I now prefer MH casting rods, not spinning. Between those two, I'd go with the Berkeley. My only trout rod is a St. Croix Triumph 6' light power spinning rod and it is perfect for its use - gets the job done just fine and didn't break the bank. If I were you, I'd get one rod that you really like instead of two combos that you'll probably want to upgrade soon anyway. In other words, get a nice trout rod because spring is around the corner, and deal with the MH rod down the road. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I wouldn't vote for him, nothing against him, he just wasn't a dominant player.

Eppinger Daredevle. Use a swivel to reduce line twist.

Cavitrons are the only buzzbaits I use. I'm sure other brands are good, but I've had good luck with Cavitrons so why change. I like black the best but the other colors work too. The OP's original question was what two colors, I'd say a black and a white, you pick the blade color.

I usually use a split tail trailer with no trailer hook. I'll put on a trailer hook if the fish are biting short

Great game, hope the GB-SF game is just as good

Both home teams - Denver and SF

I forgot about the bird. Now that I'm remembering it, I think all the animal rights groups were complaining about it - like he did it on purpose or something.

Big and ugly lol, but yeah he was clean. As far as anyone can tell anyway. Him facing John Kruk in that AllStar game was a riot; if you saw it you'd remember it.

That guy did a great job explaining it, I understood everything. Obviously I couldn't understand a word he was saying and I don't think he was necessarily trying to explain his casting technique, but it was very cool to see him doing it from his yak. What I took away from the video is it can be done (I fish from a canoe, sitting position) and perhaps the best way to practice inside the house this winter would be to sit on a milk crate and just keep practicing. The milk crate is about the same height off the floor as the canoe seat is off the water.

I took a quick break to check the numbers, Randy Johnson retired in 2009 with 303 wins and had 5 Cy Youngs, so he'll be a first-ballot guy.

Regarding the HOF balloting, the way I look at it (not counting anything with 'roids), if you have to think about it, they don't belong. If you have to discuss whether Biggio or some other guy should be in, they don't belong. I have a hard time putting those marginal guys in the Hall with Mantle, Williams, Ruth, etc. There are the no-brainers (Maddux and those kind of guys) who were absolutely dominant and those are the only guys that really belong. I was just thinking who was a completely dominant pitcher, at least in my mind, recently and Randy Johnson came to mind. I don't know what his numbers were, but a guy like that belongs.

Brady replaced Bledsoe during the second game of the 2001 regular season when Mo Lewis hit him and knocked him out of the game. 2001 Pats MVP = Mo Lewis It's impossible to tell if Belichik would have made the move, but the injury certainly opened the door for Brady and he took full advantage. I'm sure you guys remember the Brady/Bledsoe controversy that went on all season long around here that year. People were still disagreeing about who should have started in the SB because of Brady's injury that caused him to miss the second half of the AFC championship game against Pittsburgh

more good stuff:

Maybe if Belichik wasn't such an arrogant you know what, they wouldn't have received as tough a penalty. Bottom line: Pre-spygate 3-0 in SuperBowls under Belichik Post-spygate 0-2

I blame the owners mostly, but wow, something Donald Fehr was involved in got screwed up...shocker. Now let's play some hockey!

I use the older BPS rigging bag. Mine is gray, I think they are bright blue now, so I'm glad I have the older model. I have it completely packed and it weighs a ton, but only because it holds so much.

I was wondering this myself. I don't have an Aetos and haven't seen a user review. I do have a Fenwick smallmouth rod and consider it to be in the same class as my Avid. I would hope/expect the Aetos would be even better, given the extra $50 or so price tag.

Setting my canoe up backwards is pretty much out of the question, as it is currently set up. Both seats are plastic molded seats that have a seat back. I'll take the trade off and keep the seat backs! I wouldn't like the canoe nearly as much if I couldn't lean back. I know I could always swap out the seats and get an aftermarket portable seat back, but I think I'm going on 4 or 5 years with it the way it is so I'm OK with it. If the water doesn't freeze over around here soon, I might take it out after Xmas because I have a few days off after the 25th. I specifically remember it being unseasonably warm in my area on New Year's Day and also on Super Bowl Sunday last winter, and I almost went out both days - but didn't.

If I were you, I'd stick with what RW suggested. Just get them in 6'6" length if that's what works for you. But it sounds like you want to have more rods than that, rigged and ready to go. No problem with that if there's money to spend, and room in the boat. I'd 86 the broken rod, get the rods RW recommended, and keep the 6ft rod and use it for whatever the other rods don't already have tied on. That will give you three casting rods and a spinning rod. Put the 7.1 reel on the MH rod, put the 6.4 reel on the 6' rod you have, get the slower reel you mentioned and put that on a moderate action rod, and use the spinning rod for lighter lures. All done. Of course, it's always easier to set up other guys' equipment. I'd probably worry about it all winter, lol. Good luck with what you choose. Final bit of advice, spend more on the bottom contact rod(s) than you do on the rod for moving baits.