K_Mac

I am one that has limited resources, so I have mostly moderately priced gear. It is good enough not to limit me too much without breaking the bank. If I could afford to I would have high-end tackle. That is much more about want than need IMHO. Your comment that a $500 club can only do so much with a $10 swing is very true. It is also true that a $500 swing would be hampered by a $10 club. In golf and fishing, having the right tool for the job is a good thing. There is huge difference from high-end to low end. Most of us end up somewhere in the middle.

Click on the left side of the banner at the top of the page where it says The Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide.

Same here.

As Glenn has said many, many times this is a fishing forum. We do have a forum that allows for civil discussion of most topics. There are plenty of forums where you can discuss, fight or rant about politics, religion, civil disobedience, sodomy, mother raping, father raping, whatever. An "anything goes" forum would not be a positive step in my humble opinion.

Yep get the Pro Qualifier. I agree.

I have an 18'6" aluminum with a modified V hull, much like the older Trackers. I also went with a larger TM. I have a 24V 80# MK. I can fish all day in the wind. It takes a little work, but having enough TM makes all the difference.

Make sure the motor is rated for a max of 60 amps. if 30 amp is the max and you put in a 60 you'll burn up the motor. That is an excellent point. I just took for granted the motor rating. That is not good idea. :-[

.ghoti. I also love to read. I have several thousand books on Libronics/Logos (bibles and bible study) software that I bought while taking some college courses. It allows for all sorts of cross referencing and study aids at the click of my mouse. It is great stuff. What I've found though is when I'm reading for enjoyment, I'm much happier with a book. Just something satisfying about a real book. This post is not really relevant, just thinking out loud... :

I know "condition 1" works for some of you guys, but I've read a couple stories of guys getting to the end of the day with the lock not in place. I'd be a nervous wreck. I am not even comfortable carrying a DAO pistol without a manual safety, though I am comfortable carrying a DA/SA revolver. :-? I understand what makes a revolver work. There is some magic that happens in pistols that scares me a little. :-[

did you get yours yet? how do you like it? ive been eyeing those since they came out but those sights seem to have some sharp points and could possibly snag on clothing. i plan on picking a pistol up sometime next year and im going through my options. sorry to threadjack OP. I have not received the new one yet. I did not notice any sharp edges. It handled well. I should have mine in the next week or two, and I'll let you know what I think after a couple of hundred rounds. Stasher1 it is a single action blowback mechanism. As such is not a carry friendly weapon IMO. The thousands of 1911/mini 1911 owners who carry, "cocked and locked" would not agree.

X2 My only concern would be stability with my full-figured carcass on the front without some ballast in back. Great job, and nice video. 8-)

Just make sure your wiring is rated for 60A. #8 for a shorter run might be OK, but #6 if going from the back to the bow would be better. I'm no expert, but went through all this a couple of years ago while refurbishing my boat. Good luck.

The BPS Pro Qualifier in baitcast, and the Pflueger President spinning reels are really good, inexpensive choices IMO.

I have handled a couple Hi-Point pistols. The compact 9mm felt good in hand. I think it is basically the same size as the .380. The .40 and .45 are huge but feel solid. I did not fire any of these weapons. My local dealer has sold quite a few in the last 3 years with no problems. If you read the gun forums there are many who don't own Hi-Points, who consider them junk. Like some fishermen with fishing tackle, inexpensive automatically equals bad. Fishermen and gun owners have a tendency to be snobs... I have read many reviews by owners and a review by a writer for the Shooting Times that all rate Hi-Point highly, esp considering the price. They are American made with a lifetime warranty. I considered buying one to carry in my boat, but decided to go with a .357 Ruger GP100 revolver in stainless. Like many old guys, I really like the feel of a revolver. I agree with Stasher 1 regarding caliber. If a .380 is needed for concealment, then it will have to do. A .380 is a lot better than nothing. If concealment is not necessary 9mm or bigger would be a much better choice IMO. The new Ruger SR9c is a good shooting 9mm that is small enough to conceal, and with the right ammo big enough to stop bad guys. For $390 out the door, I had to order one. :

You are probably pulling more than 30A at full speed. My MK recommends a 60A breaker and #6 wire. Full load is 54A according to the manual.

I use 15# CXX for the main line, and 12# YZ hybrid for the leader, on a 7' MHF Carbonlite rod with a 7.1:1 PQ reel. I do not use braid. With that said, what you have should work fine. The line is a little light and the reel a little slow, but I doubt the fish care. Enjoy.

I use BPS Pro Qualifiers with dual braking most of the time. I only use the mag brakes on windy days and distance is not an issue for me. Dumb or not, I like it.

I think you will enjoy the combo. I have that reel on a 7' MXF rod. It is my favorite 8-).

Blue Streak I am sorry for your loss. It has been over 10 years since I lost my brother, who was my fishing partner. Keep fishing. It's what your friend would want. Josh. if you fish with me you can use any bait I have. You can also use any equipment as long as I am not using it. It's just fishing man.

I haven't used them, but at that price I may give them a try. 8-)

Many love braid, but as one who hates it, I would recommend a soft mono like Berkley XL. It has little memory and casts great. Just my $.02 It is also inexpensive. 8-)

kllrbee I had to test to make sure. I was wrong. :-[ I took 2 lbs 8 ozs and put it in a plastic bag. With the bag on the floor and lifting with the rod parallel to the floor (9 o'clock) it takes exactly what you said to get the drag to start slipping as the bag comes off the floor. You are not doing anything wrong. I then found my typical drag setting is right at 2 lbs. I will continue to use the lighter setting. It has worked well for many years. Edit: I am using 6# line on my spinning reels this year. In the past 8#. My drag setting is pretty much the same for both.

I generally use three. With three I can set the spool control fairly loose and still maintain good control. I then can make adjustments to the spool control and add magnetic braking if needed.

Excellent post. 8-) I have a couple of 6730 President reels that I use all the time. Tightened down to within 4 or 5 clicks of max is way tighter than I set mine. With 6 or 8# line that tight of drag setting will result in broken line and lost fish. It is easy to tighten up a bit while fighting a fish. Too tight and you may lose a fish before you can back-off. Don't over-think it. With a little practice you will be able to set the drag without much thought. The first thing I do when picking up a combo as I take it out of the box is set the drag. This is important if you forgot to loosen the drag at the end of fishing. After setting for a while the drag will often stick a bit until exercised. This is esp. critical with light line. Good luck.

It brings up many issues that need to be thought and talked about. IMO I do not believe I have the right to trash anyone in public, if what is being said is not true. I also believe that if I make false accusations about an individual or company I should be accountable.