Alpster

So Jim, are you trying to be funny or are you just that rude? Our man if feeling good about himself after busting his a#$ delivering packages all day...and the first thing you can think to do is shoot him down? Merry Christmas. What Daniel said......... Not only have I found UPS's shipping service to be stellar, J.J. my UPS service man is a great guy and always calls me by name and wishes me well. I take organic medicine for my RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis). It comes packed in ice and must be kept below 48 degrees until I inject it. It costs $1200, it must be cold, it must be on time and it must be delivered by UPS. At least my insurance company and pharmacy thinks so. I am always impressed with their service. Oh, I almost forgot. Thanks Russ, for doing your job as though you think it's important to do it well. That is pretty rare these days. Ronnie

Good job Tommy! It looks first class. Thanks for posting the results. Ronnie

I don't know?? I lost it. Ronnie

I went and looked at their website. They advertise a place to park your boat but no facilities for launching. They also have photos of their place and doesn't look like it's on the lake. Ronnie

Hey Mike, Yes, sausage & chicken gumbo is the deal. I usually get sausage & andouille from a guy named David Broussard in Laplace LA. He ships to me overnite. Sometimes he knocks off for weeks at a time to go hunting, trapping, etc. Depends on when you catch him. If for some reason I can't make connections, I will let you know. I don't want to use hot/spicey sausage. Smoked is the best IMO. I will let you know if I run into any difficulty. Thanks for the offer, I may yet take you up on it. Ronnie

I have been doing a lot of builds on Lamiglas blanks lately. A light wt. flyrod, inshore saltwater stick, MH cranking stick and a 10' surf rod. The quality is very impressive. JMHO Ronnie

Culprit worm. Ronnie

Castaway, You can buy them used on ebay for $125 almost anytime. Look for Shimano Metanium XT or Scorpion, they are the same. I think you can get it cheaper. JMHO Ronnie

Catt, That's what I meant also. Roger, Yep, it's funny how the circle always seems to wind up where it started. Now I wish I had thought of the "Drop Shot Hat". That would have been a money maker right there. LOL ;D Ronnie

Valascus, Just something to think about. It's also a cost benifit equation. I now have 2 Calais s, 2 Chronarch 50mgs, 1 TE200DC, 1 Calcutta 400, 1 Stella, 1 Twin Power (Sustain), and 2 Stradics. Of all those reels I only bought 2 of them new. If you can save $150 or $200 by getting them used and send them to Reelmech and spend another 30-40-50 to make them better than new, your still way ahead of the game. A high end Shimano, unless it's been run over by a truck, will not give you much trouble. If one of my high end Shimanos should break, I will send it to RM even if it's under waranty. His prices are right and I know it's done right. JMHO Ronnie

Catt, I wasn't at all trying to take credit for inventing the technique, all I was saying is that I had done something similar more by accident than anything, and only to try to answer Avid's question about what it looks like when I do it. I think your example of live lineing with minnows was a good one as a comparison to what Carolina rigging looks like. Didn't mean to tread on anyone, SORRY. Ronnie

My whole family came home at around 8:pm on Oct. 7, 2000. We had been out to Walmart shopping and getting a fast food dinner (a favorite activity for us). I fell asleep on the couch while my wife and two daughters played UNO at the kitchen table. Life is good. At about midnight I woke up to what sounded like thunder. My wife of 22 years was having a seizure. It came out of nowhere. Turns out to be the most aggressive brain tumor you can have. 15 months later she was gone to be with the Lord. We live in broken world full of uncertainty. I credit my relationship with Christ, my very strong, dedicated church family and my hope for eternity for being able to cope with this kind of loss. I wish that for you guys also. I read Romans 8:28 from the bible when I get that feeling. I hope this helps. Ronnie

Avid, This is the way we always fished shrimp and cutbait for catfish when I was a kid. It just kept the natural (but dead) bait from getting lost in the silt or grass on the bottom. I started fishing plastic worms this way 25 years ago. I only learned it was called drop shotting a couple of years ago. I's no more than a way to suspend a bait 6", 10", 12" or 18" above the bottom. The action you impart to it (just like any other soft plastic) is up to you. It is my favorite dead sticking technique. I hope this helps. Ronnie

Note to self: ...keep an eye on Russ when he gets to beer #3. ;D Ronnie

As suggested above. Slooowwww jig in deeper water at the dropoffs. That's the ticket. Ronnie

Lamiglas SR all the way. The Premier series St. Croix are not even in the ball park. JMHO Ronnie

OK, we don't want this to become politically charged. I suggest to be politically correct, that we refer to them as a non-shimano fishing apparatus. Mike, At Fork we can tell a few stories about the closet thing to the great depression our geneartion has seen. Also a few stories about redfish and speckled trout fishing. Ronnie

Looks like a PB to me. Awesome! God bless Ronnie

I am interested in a little larger than 2 lbs, but this is a great question. I built myself a swimbait rod for next season. I will be watching for some experience from Northerners here. Ronnie

Yankees win LBH Guys, I think I have a pair of sox that are older than you. ;D ;D The music of the 50s, 60s & 70s will never be repeated, as far as creativity and artistry. JMHO Ronnie

Congratulations Avid, You won't be sorry, I am looking forward to your report on this one. If you don't love that rod you don't like home cookin. JMHO Ronnie

Hey Mike, No fair, pickin on me for becoming a (yankee). Dang, man, the only thing worse than a yankee is an "OKIE" ;D ;D I look forward to meeting you at Fork and remembering the good old days. I hope someone on the board takes you up on your offer to hitchhike. See you there. Ronnie

I caught about a 3 pounder on a chatterbait the first time I ever fished one. I used a pork eel instead of the included plastic trailer. I was dragging it over some laydowns, and a nice little LM just couldn't resist it. Ranger chased me out of the lake (county park). I went out and bought several colors and plan to put some miles on them in the spring. Could be a winner. Ronnie

All i can say is ....WA, WAWAWAWAWA,WAWA,WAWA,WAWA .......... Frampton was OK, but I think lyrics are great, I thought guys like Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Jackson Brown, etc. told some pretty cool stories. Like you, I love great musicians for their virtuosity. But if you are going to sing, tell me a story, teach me something or just shut up & play. I saw Leo Kottke at the SE music hall in Atlanta. He came out on the stage carrying a stool & his Bozo 12 string and said "I've got a voice like Muggy Geesefart, so I'll just play the guitar " and he sat down on the stool and blew us all away. A great memory, for sure. Ronnie

That there's funny right there. I don't care who you are, that there's funny! ;D ;D ;D Ronnie