HeavyDluxe

I'm a budget shooter in the same way I'm a budget fisherman. I've *loved* my Palmetto State Armory rifle. It's cycled everything I've put in it (and I've fed it some crap) and it is pretty accurate, too. Built out a stripped lower with my son, but we bought the fully assembled upper since the thought of screwing up the headspacing kept me awake at night. But, based on our experience, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a fully-factory AR from them.

As has been noted, someone just asked the same, exact question over here.

As a n00b, one of the things I struggled with in reading posts on this forums was - as Tom alluded to - the tendency of people to use the phrase "Texas Rig" somewhat loosely. Here's what I learned, in case it's helpful... As Glenn points out in the video, a 'Texas Rig' is technically a particular way of fishing a soft plastic bait (usually a worm) by using a pinned or unpinned worm weight on the line above the hook. There's a particular way of hooking the bait - sometimes called 'Tex-posing' - that involved running the nose of the bait up on the eye of the hook and then hooking back through the bottom of the bait in such a way the plastic hangs straight and the hook bard is flush with the bait or slightly buried (so it's weedless). The trick is that lots of people refer to just about any Tex-posed soft plastic fished with bottom contact as a Texas Rig - even if it's weightless. It can be confusing.

For starters : From Bass Resource's own, prolific Glenn May:

Glad you enjoyed the trip and made it back home safely, Shane... "Maybe next year", as they say in baseball.

I've gotten to use two of the reels people are advising - the Sahara and the President. I would think either of these would be fine choices. For my own setups, I am now a dedicated Pflueger fan. They consistently seem to 'feel' like a reel above their price point. And, since I'm on a tight budget, that matters to me.

Actually, technically you said Shimano - singular and possessive.

Relative n00b, but I've had good luck looking for smallies on Bomoseen.

I can't believe I am just hearing about this event. Wow. Have a great trip up here to our section of the country, Shane!

I have a 2013 Ride 115 waiting for me... Great boats.

Something green, some craw-colored, and something black.

I don't think that fishing partner is the $250 model, unless you mean $250/hour or something.

Ok... Well, I suppose it just remains to be decided whether we'll go down on the 22nd or 25th. Since we homeschool and I'm blessed with a pretty flexible work schedule, I can easily skip down on a weekday to (hopefully) avoid some of the madhouse.

Moderate threadjack: I got a BPS gift certificate for Christmas, though there is no store near us. I was half planning finding a day to do a big production and drive the couple hours to the nearest BPS for a day with my son. Shopping, lunch, time chatting in the car, etc. Is it worth waiting to do this around the time of this promotion? Not really in any rush here...

I was lucky enough to get an early 2013 blemished boat right as they were rolling over into the New Year. (Such a shame that the Ride sticker isn't perfectly straight!) Your post is a great write-up on the Ride... As you showed, the initial and secondary stability in the boat is pretty cool and was the main thing that sold me. Great video, as well! Flyfisher: I demo'd the Cuda, Coosa, and Ride boats last year before making the decision to move with the Ride. FWIW, I think that the Coosa and Ride are designed to fill very different roles - and they each fill their roles quite well. You're mileage may vary, but I really can't imagine a situation in which someone who owns and likes their Coosa feeling that the Ride is an upgrade. A great second boat for flat waters? Sure. But, I think they're both excellent. If you'd like to read more of what I wrote last year, here's my post on which boat I selected and why. EDIT: Flyfisher, I just realized that you were a poster on the same thread, so I'm sure I look like a jack[rearend] for directing you to that post. I apologize, and I repent in sackcloth and ashes.

So, my interpretive summary of this thread: Use appropriate equipment for the type of fishing you're attempting Properly adjust the drag on your reels before fishing If hooking into a fish in heavy cover, assert control early to get them clear of the dangerous obstructions. In all other situations, use the rod, reel's drag, and patience to steer the fish away from trouble and keep pressure up until it tires (aka "Be Patient")

Brand loyalty is a completely different thing, IMO, than brand SNOBBERY. I use Yamamoto soft plastics exclusively. Why? Well, for whatever reason they have always and consistently seemed to produce for me. One day, I threw very similarly-colored, stick baits from three different manufacturers. I threw them from the same spot on the same bank in succession. For whatever reason, the GYCBs resulted in a clear, objective uptick in hits, hooksets, and landings (to say nothing of 'quality of fish'). Is that luck? Superstition? Was I more confident with the 14k gold sticks on my line and fished them differently? Maybe. Whatever the reason, on my limited budget I'll choose to spend the funds on GYCB stuff whenever I can because I 'feel' like it will serve me better. Correspondingly, if someone asks me for a recommendation, I'm going to point them - unapologetically - to GYCB products. That's brand loyalty. It's worked for me, I'll keep working it, and, if you ask, I'll tell you to work it too. What I never understood is the sense of irrational superiority and snobbery that comes with certain brands. You'd never hear me saying something like, "This senko is absolutely better than your sink-o, and if you keep buying that crap you're a fool." So, being loyal to a brand is admirable... it may get a little foolish, but it's harmless and, so long as you're having fun, who cares? However, the minute we start attaching some sense of self-worth into the brands we use, we go crazily off the rails.

I used to fish Stren exclusively... Last year, after a couple of spools that just didn't seem 'right', I switched to Trilene XL. So far, I've been very happy with it. Still planning to mainly fish monofilament this year.

It's so volatile right now that I think it winds up being a real wild guess. The President's announcement last week rightly punted some of the more troublesome gun control measures back to Congress (where it belongs) while allowing him to posture that he's really serious. If some level or party solidarity is maintained, it's not likely that many of the restrictions people are talking about will make it out of the House. In that case, things will return to something resembling 'normal' in a couple months. Prices seem to have moderated just a little since his address last week adding some weight to this view. On the other hand, the states are still free to do whatever they want... And NY seems to have started a "We can have stricter gun control than you" war among the various governors. Add the continuing publicity around "AR15-style weapons" (whatever that means) being used in crime and anything could happen. If you have a rifle to unload, I would unload it now simply because no one knows what tomorrow will bring. For the gun you listed, I would say a final price between $2-3k seems reasonable in the market. Again, with the volatility, it's impossible to really set where in that range to aim.

Yeah, that's kinda my point... I tend to be a little OC once I get interested in something. I shudder to think how much money I spent on fishing (between books, time spend on the internet, time spent on the water, and gear) last year. I loved it, but it was a little over the top. If I was to get into fly fishing, it would be a whole new descent into madness. "Hmmm, let's really study the lifecycle of the mayfly. You know, I think I would like to tie my own flies. Hmmm, I wonder if this kinda feather would be more realistic than the other..." One thing I learned last year is that, in my opinion, there's a diminishing return on equipment. That isn't to say that a $200 rod isn't better than a $30 one. I do feel, however, that the difference is such that most people fishing most applications won't derive massive benefits from the equipment upgrade. For example, I still fish mono because, well, I'm on a budget, I'm naturally a bit of a cheapskate anyway, and because I think that it's still completely adequate for most presentations/uses. Best? No. Adequate? Yep. You know, that's so true - even though I would generally agree that the rod (since it and the line are the instruments through which you interface with the bait and any strikes) is more important. My best guess as to why is that it's so easy to feel and appreciate the difference between different reels in the store. For example, I could easily 'feel' the difference between the President reel I bought last season and other comparably-priced reels from other manufacturers. Discerning the way a rod will 'benefit' you - aside from immediate weight and balance - is a little more vague, in my experience.

The *last* thing I need is another obsession, so I am steering as far away from fly fishing as possible. For now.

FWIW, I actually want a halfway decent UL for troutin'. When fishing in the spring thaw streams, sensitivity matters (at least I think it does).

Ok... quick question. My goal is to outfit two more 'improved' combos for myself this year... First, an ultralight for panfishing with the kids or hitting streams for trout, and second a MH-H combo for pitching into heavier cover. My main rig this year was a M Pflueger President combo. The local tackle store strongly recommended the BPS Graphite Series rods (which they resell), but it looks like a lot of people on here prefer the Berkley Lightning rods which are the same price. Help me flip the coin. I'd buy nicer stuff, but I've blown the yearly budget on a fishing kayak and some of those evil black rifles...

I grew up fishing spinning tackle, and that's what I continue to fish... I've experimented with baitcasters and been able to fish, but I just didn't "enjoy" it. I agree with most of the other posters on here... Assuming you're willing to practice and be patient, you can be successful with any setup. *ANY* setup comes with limitations. The trick is learning those quirks and figuring out how to use them to your advantage. Alternatively, you can buy 50 different (or more!) 'niche' setups that are each very, very good at a particular thing. All that said, the most important fish-catching skills (IMNSHO) are a willingness to slow down, an ability to think and analyze, and an interest in practicing something before making a judgment on it.

Greetings from the People's Republic of Vermont, Scully.