Alpster

It's hard to beat a good old Rapala "Fish & Fillet". It's made by "Forschner" and is easy to sharpen. If you want to spend more $ you can buy a "Wusthof" or "Henkels Pro S" boning knife for right around your $100 price tag. They will last forever. I have all 3 of the knives I have recommended above. The Rapala goes with me in the boat, the others stay at home. I hope this is helpful. Ronnie

I built a new box also...it has.... a Momentus ZRX-G1000 XL5 motherboard with proprietary nuclear interplexor. 200 gigawhops of memory, optimized with Ovaltine. 3 Giganto 12 gigaflam HDs (can virtually hold the content of the entire internet) a Light Brite AL7 4D video card with sensaround and 20 gigawhops of memory a Honda 3200KW 10HP motor driven 3-phase power supply It's a great system, but it has a few of drawbacks... you can only use it in a Hobart walk in freezer to prevent overheating It can play the hottest video out now ("World Nuclear Zombie Annihilation 3.4), but it's not much fun as the game is usually over in 3 or 4 seconds, very fast computer. You must have a "Star Trek 405" nuero transmitter for an input device as mice and keyboards are way too slow to provide legit input. the refresh rate and frequency of the video subsystem will burn the retinas out of your eyes. outside of a few bugs, it's a pretty decent rig........ Ronnie (PS - sorry, I couldn't resist)

This has been bantered about over the years and you will get the vocal minority that is "absolutely sure" that switching hands "is inefficient, un-american and just plain crazy". The fact of the matter is, even though most reel makers offer a left hand version of their most popular baitcasters, the vast majority of right handed anglers stick with their technique. After 40+ years of fishing, I can honestly say that I have never missed a hook set or failed to land a single fish as a result of casting and retrieving with the same hand. I actually use both hands to cast because of my arthritis, so my left hand is in place (palming the reel) half way through the cast. I can cast almost any bait and be prepared to set the hook or begin retrieving before it hits the water. Pitching is the only place I actually change hands. Still, never lost a fish as a result. JMHO Ronnie

I have an heavy oblong ring that weighs about a 1/2 pound. It has 4 treble hooks (no barbs) has a snap opening to get the rig around the line. It has a heavy nylon cord. Many times, I have retrieved the whole log the lure was snagged on. Ronnie

Thanks for all the good wishes on my B-Day. I must admit, there were times when I didn't think I would make it to my 39th B-day. But hey, here I am. KEEP ON KEEPING ON! Ronnie

You old hound dog!!! Good to see you are still around. Look forward to your posts. Ronnie

Great news indeed!!!! Ronnie

I really like the frog colored HT. LOL Sorry, I couldn't resist. Ronnie

Most of us are just too impatient to fish very slowly. Sometimes I will let a worm sit still (dead stick) for several minutes while I get a snack or study my humminbird, etc. I have goten lots of bites after some lengthy dead sticking. Always move the bait slowly after such a long pause. I think bass will study the bait for a while before taking it. Most strikes come as soon as it moves gently. Ronnie

1. CitiBank 2. Zales Jewelers 3. American Express 4. Nike 5. Coca Cola 6. Culprit Baits 7. Mud Hole (rod building supplier) Ronnie

I have no experience with the Diawa, but you can throw anything you want with the Calcutta and if you clean & oil it every year or so, you can pass it down to your kids. Although I admit to being a member of the "Shimano posse", any reel that says "Calcutta" on the side is as close to bullet proof as you will get. JMHO Ronnie

It's mostly an issue of how the line behaves on the spool. I use very small diameter braid (20#) on spinning reels and it's great. Baitcasting reels will just work better with a larger diameter braid (50# +) as stated above. Also, I tend to use spinning gear in open water and light cover. My baitcasters are working in the thick stuff where I may have to retrieve 3lbs of grass or a tree stump along with my dinky fish. Heavier braid on baitcasters and lighter braid on spinning gear seems to be the consensus. Ronnie

I have been very fortunate to be able to fish with and to try nearly every line there is. There are many threads here that will tout the benefits of fluorocarbon line. Co-polymer, mono and braided lines work and behave so well that I don't understand why anyone would choose slinky spring, wiry fluoro line that kinks and breaks off by just tying a simple knot. Other lines work so well for me that it's not worth dealing with the drawbacks of flouro. Nothing is more sensitive than braid, you need the the 'give' of mono or co-polymers on treble hook lures & spinnerbaits. Fluoro is expensive and a hassle to fish with. JMHE Ronnie

I have 2 5-1/2' rods. One is a heavy pitchin stick for jig/trailer in tight thick cover and the other is a MH top water. Also 2 6' spinning, and 2 6' BC that I use for everything. Ronnie

This worm (Culprit Black Shad)7-1/2" or 10" will produce in heavy cover. Texas rigged with a bullet weight. Ronnie

Show them how you caught your fish and share your baits. You not only get to go back to fishing your spot, but you are a hero to the whole family. Ronnie

I have a well used Garmin E-Map I will sell to you for $50. Runs on AA batteries and slips into your pocket. It has highway maps installed. You can use it in your car, but it won't auto route or speak to you. Send me a PM if you want more details. Ronnie

I believe that if you give back the 25% the average middle income earner is now paying in income tax, he can afford to pay the 23% sales tax and he fares better. A consumption tax is equitable for everyone. The rich will still pay more because they buy more. As far as the new bass boat and the fancy truck to pull it goes, I really like the idea that I can keep my 16' aluminum boat and the old CRV that pulls it and I can avoid paying the extra taxes on the fancy new one if I so choose. When $ circumstances are tough, some one is sick, college tuition or kids need braces, etc, I can put off buying discretionary items and save on my taxes to meet the needs of my family. I am free at any time to go ahead and cough up for the fancy boat, truck, RV, time share, you name it and pay the taxes. The trick here is I get to choose when and how much to pay on discretionary luxuries. In the mean time I will still pay my share in groceries, utilities, fuel, clothes and other necessities. The government would automatically benefit from any policy that causes Americans to prosper as the more money I make, the more I spend the more tax revenue increases. There would, of course, have to be some exceptions for those who are at the bottom of the pay scale or on the poverty line. They don't currently pay taxes anyway. There are a million good reasons to shift to a consumption tax, not the least of which is 'all cash' businesses and tax evaders will begin to pay, you can't avoid a 'point of sale' tax, the IRS would cease to exist (billions of new dollars back in the budget here alone) and 'we the people' have control of spending and taxes instead of the government. Just my thoughts on the tax situation. Ronnie

The best quote on this thread. Ronnie

What he said.......... Ronnie

Even if it's a C series (round)reel, it still sounds like a good deal if everything is in good, working shape. Ronnie

I tend to dropshot with plastics (worms, creatures,etc.) however I do not subscribe to the idea that dropshotting is always a finesse technique. I sometimes will dropshot with a 1/2 ounce jig & trailer as a bottom weight and a trick worm rigged 18" up from that. I have been bit on both. I have never used a crank type bait or swim bait for DS, but why not? That could certainly be worth a try. Ronnie

All this geo-political, economic discussion is very interesting and I am very encouraged that at least most of our members here (which I believe are somewhat representative of the average American)are at least trying to remain well informed and are concerned with the issues. THIS IS A VERY GOOD THING! With that said, the economy can be quickly boiled down to human nature. There are 2 rules 1.) You always get more of what you reward...and 2.) you always get less of what you punish. As long as we punish small business, entrepreneurs, and the middle class workers with higher taxes and government regulation we should expect less productivity and revenue. Conversely, as long as we reward able bodies who choose to abuse the systems and refuse to pull their weight and expect the government to take care of them, we should expect a larger drain on the economy. The definition of insanity is "To keep doing the same things and expecting a different outcome". You don't have to look very far to see what cradle to grave entitlements and nationalizing business has done in other countries. History has proved over and over again that societies always thrive when individuals are free and empowered and they fall into ruin when government is empowered and dominates. JMH $0.02. Ronnie Ronnie

Texas rigged on a 1/8 oz Charlie Brewer Slider head or fished as a shakey head on a Spot Remover. KILLER BAIT and one of my absolute favorites. It's also a great dropshot bait (wacky rigged). Hard to fish it wrong. Ronnie

I keep an eye on big sales at the retail stores and watch the flea market for exceptional deals. I know what baits I use the most and I stock up pretty heavy when I find a great deal. I could easily fish for a couple of years without buying another bait. This way I don't find an empty tackle box during lean times. I choose to keep a surplus on hand so when $ are short, I can still go fishing. Ronnie