K_Mac

Sratos 375, I don't know you well enough to call you a "tool" (your words, not mine ). I started bass fishing from a tin "pike boat", and have since moved up to an 18' tin bass boat. It is a bass boat BTW, and I consider myself a serious fisherman. That could be argued if you want, I'm OK with that. What cannot be argued is that there are MANY others on this site that fish from aluminum boats. A large number of these folks can hold there own on the water with you or anyone else. There are many reasons why fishermen choose aluminum over glass, and if your as experienced and serious as you say you are, I don't have to list them for you. I will if you like. You can choose to feel superior because you fish from a glass boat if want to. I don't get. I don't have to. What I can tell you is this, if you post on this site "despising" "tin" boat fishermen or bank fishermen it won't make any difference what else you bring to the table, you will not be taken seriously by many of us. Just my $.02

I use 6.4:1 ratio reels for just about everything. The Inch Per Turn rate is 26". 6.3 should be fine for whatever you want to use them for IMO.

I paid $200 more than that on sale. Great buy! I think you will like the TM and the US2 is a really nice feature. Edit: I just checked my sales receipt. You saved $260 on my price.

I agree with fishfordollars, that 8 is much too big to use up front. : I have a 5 (w/Lake Insight) that has only been used one season that I am willing to trade... ;D Sorry fishfordollars I couldn't resist.

M Star thanks for the info. I have a friend that shoots a 9mm who says that with the proper loads you can achieve excellent stopping power. I can get a great price on a Ruger 9mm, but want to make sure it is up to the job. I Pray that I am never in a situation where I have to use deadly force, but if I do I want the bad guy to stay shot.

I know little about handgun shooting, but I have played around enough with them over the years to know that how a gun feels in your hand makes a real difference in accuracy. I once shot a .357 mag. that just seemed right. I am going to a least consider a revolver for that reason. I am also considering a 9mm and a 40 cal. I have shot several different 45s and don't feel comfortable shooting them.

I want a handgun that I can easily take with me when fishing (esp. at night), camping, traveling, etc. My wife often is with me, and that increases my concern/need for protection. I agree with all that say a pump shotgun is the best for your home protection.

I've been thinking about this for the last few days. I am a life-long Cardinal fan. The year McGuire and Sosa raced for the record was a magical time here in St. Louis. I know that sounds naive, but it is the truth for many. Many of us hoped it was just the readily available supplements (e.g. Andro) for muscle growth that were responsible. I agree it was naive, but sometimes you believe what you want to believe. : With all that said, I believe McGuire should be banned from baseball. I really feel for the guy, but for the good of the game...Pete Rose was mentioned earlier in this thread as someone who worked hard and did it the right way. He did not. He violated the integrity of the game and should never be allowed back in. The hardest thing for me to accept are the ones who have gotten away with cheating and have been, and continue to be, rewarded for it. The blame for that rests squarely on owners and management IMO. They knowingly allowed drug abuse for years. They could have stopped it if they wanted to. I am still a fan of the game in spite of all the junk. I just can't help myself.

This is a very timely discussion for me. I'm in the process of making the same decision about a hand gun. As was mentioned earlier, the sound of a shell being chambered in a shotgun is more than enough deterrent for a rational man. The effect of a shotgun blast will bring a non-rational one into compliance...

It would take a fairly long shaft on that trolling motor! That is one of the coolest vessels I've seen. A couple of heavy machine guns and watch out bad guys. 8-)

I will pray for all involved in this tragedy. My thanks and prayers are also with all who serve. What you do makes a difference. Never lose sight of that. Kirby

My prayers added for you, your daughter and her unborn child, and the rest of the family. Trust in Him.

I like the way you think. I could save carrying about 15# of plastics using this idea.

No problem.

I don't know what your disagreeing with. There is a cable that comes out of the foot control that goes to the sonar unit. I am not talking about the transducer, but the display unit. In order to plug it in to the unit, an adapter cable is required. It is about 12" long. One end of the adapter cable plugs into the the sonar unit; the other end connects to the plug on the cord coming from the foot control. My sonar unit is a Lowrance 5X. That is the way it works. End of story.

I have three Extremes and two PQs. I think both are good reels for the money. The PQ is smoother and the dual control is great. I will be buying all PQs in the future. Just my $.02

I did not get to one minute of the game (live) . While I am also not a big fan of either team, I sure hate that I missed an instant classic offensive battle. I am a HUGE fan of Kurt Warner. He is the real deal. I'd like to see him get another ring before Social Security retirement kicks in.

The hardest part for me is time management on the water. Sometimes good can get in the way of best. Knowing when to try a different spot or technique when what I'm doing is working, but maybe not quite producing the quality fish I'm looking for. That, and staying on the boat. : That seems to be more of a challenge than it once was.

Fishing Rhino with that budget you are going to be amazed at how good the new stuff is. I am not one of the experienced hands, I just moved up to the smaller Lowrance (HDS5 and 5x with no side imaging) this past year. Good luck.

Yes. One end to your sonar unit, the other to the foot control. Easy to disconnect when you take your unit off the boat.

Welcome aboard! One of the moderators will probably move this post to the introduction board. Just protocol. Glad you joined us.

Some of us come here as a part of our court ordered community service programs. I won't mention any names. ;D ;D Seriously, this is by far the best bass fishing site that I've seen. I don't even bother to look elsewhere anymore. It feels like home to me. 8-)

That is a fantastic deal. The PQ is great reel in my opinion. It has a dual brake control, and is a very smooth reel. I have two, and use them all the time.

ODgreen I would add one thing to the excellent instruction given by Goose52 FWIW. I would try setting 4 brakes on inside the reel to start and then adjust the magnetic control outside. It is a little more conservative, but having a couple Pro Qualifiers I can tell it won't compromise distance too much, and will give you a little more margin of error. If nothing else it will give you a sense of how the centrifugal brake effects casting. Hang in there man.8-)It's like swimming; seems really tough till you figure it out, but once learned it is feels perfectly natural. Good luck.

I've seen this post before. Glenn do you have this on a clipboard?