desmobob

I feel your pain... it never got above 25* here in upstate NY today. :-( Tight lines, Bob

One word: Megabass. Pop-Max, X-Pod, Vision 110... it won't take but a couple to get you to the free shipping minimum. Tight lines, Bob

I picked up a new Daiwa PX-R this winter. With the right rod, I'm hoping to be able to cast a size 22 Trico on a 7x tippet. Tight lines, Bob

I wouldn't worry about the gearing. If I had to set the tension to "near maximum" I'd be wondering if I was missing a small part inside the tension knob. I'd look at a parts diagram for my reel and check to see if everything was in place and in the proper order. Doesn't sound quite right to me.... Tight lines, Bob

Looks like the Walleye is a very popular to eat. I rarely take fish home (except when I'm ice fishing), but if I catch a legal Walleye, it's going to end up in the frying pan! 1. Walleye 2. Yellow Perch 3. Bluegill 4. Crappie Tight lines, Bob

There are some nice ones in Lake Champlain. I got this one a wacky-rigged Senko! Tight lines, Bob

The best --by far-- solution I have found for dry, cracking hands is Eucerin. It's kind of pricey, but a tub of it lasts a long, long time. No stink, no greasy feel. Put it on your hands after you get out of the shower. Tight lines, Bob

I like that kind of thinking! I keep telling people, "In two months, we'll have forgotten all about this weather." I figure that has to be true, otherwise, there wouldn't be anyone still choosing to live in the Northeast. ;-) It is funny how quickly and completely you forget about winter up here. I've TRIED to recall that feeling of winter's cold on some hot, humid days in July and August, and I couldn't raise a single goose-bump! The forecast is for warmer temperatures this weekend - above freezing on Sunday! I'll be out on the lake, doing some ice fishing. Tight lines, Bob

I use the Thule feet and crossbars on my Subaru Forester, and Yakima's kayak cradles. I got slightly longer than recommended cross bars so I am able to carry two canoes at once. The recommended cross bar length would have been too short. The old-style rectangular cross-section crossbars are pretty much universal when it comes to adding accessories; I'm not sure about the "aero" style crossbars. I am very happy with the security, ease of use and ease of attachment/removal of the Thule system. Tight lines, Bob

The weather in the Northeast really stinks right now. It's a three-day weekend for me, and it's even too cold to ice fish! It's 5*F here right now, with winds gusting to 20 MPH. Forecast for tonight is for -15*F. Tight lines, Bob

ICE FISHING! It's a whole new set of tackle you get to buy. The northern bait monkey doesn't hibernate in winter! Tight lines, Bob

I have two Lew's TP reels. One has been refitted with Boca ABEC7s and the other with Hawgtech ABEC5s. The ABEC5s freespool longer (but the ABEC7s have more fishing time on them). The ABEC7s are quieter. I can't tell any difference in performance when casting/fishing. In the future, I'll probably buy ABEC5s. Tight lines, Bob

I greatly prefer the smaller size reels due to the way they balance on today's lighter rods. If the drag is good, no problem. I don't have any problem with line management using light braid (15lb.) and a fluoro leader. Tight lines, Bob

After buying too many spinning reels in the last few years, I learned this. ^ I found that the sizes that seem to make the most sense end up being too heavy (and hold way more line than necessary). Good modern rods are light, and need light reels for a good balance and feel. I have spinning reels I rarely use because they weigh down the end of their rods like bricks. I like the little ones! Tight lines, Bob

I need to learn to be more willing to change things up when I'm not doing well, instead of continuing to try to force-feed the bass my favorite baits. Tight lines, Bob

That pretty much sums up my eBay experience. I know a guy who does a lot of selling on eBay; it's kind of a second business for him. He told me that once you get to a certain level of sales, eBay puts pressure on the sellers to do all the right things in order to maintain their product placement, commission rates, etc. To those big sellers, one unhappy customer could have a large negative effect, and they seem to go way out of their way to be sure everyone is happy. If you're leery about buying on eBay, buy from a "power seller" with over 99% feedback and you have very little chance of being disappointed. Tight lines, Bob

In the last year, I have purchased two new Lew's reels at 25% below MSRP and two new Daiwa reels at 38% below MSRP from eBay sellers. They were both reputable sellers with LOTS of positive feedback. I figure if a seller has feedback numbers in the thousands and a 99% or better approval rating, it's a safe deal. So far, it has been... Tight lines, Bob

No cabin fever here... it's winter in the northeast, but if you have winter hobbies, it's just one more season to look forward to and get excited about. I just came home from Dick's with a new Eskimo Quickflip1 ice fishing shelter. The forecast for this week is for COLD weather, and I hope to be out on the ice next weekend, fishing! Tight lines, Bob

As a life-long canoe enthusiast and frequent paddler, I'd also have to say I would not be using one in moving water. Tight lines, Bob

I bought a new Pro 170 w/Merc. 40HP this summer and used it a LOT this season. I wasn't expecting much, but I've got to say I've been very impressed with it. No complaints... I'm loving it so far. I fish the lower end of Lake Champlain between Ticonderoga and Whitehall, and it's mostly protected water and generally calm. The boat is perfect for this kind of fishing. If I was going to be fishing the northern part of the lake, I'd be looking for something better suited to the big water. Tight lines, Bob

I don't know about that... I've seen it clash with dyed, dark brown hair. (The light gray carpet was how I knew the dark brown hair was dyed!) ;-) Tight lines, Bob

I don't know if we have any professional decorators here on the forum or not, but if we DO, I think they'd probably want to know what color your boat hull and seat upholstery (and maybe even motor color) is before they could make a recommendation on carpet color.... :-) Tight lines, Bob

It was a long time ago, but I'm pretty sure I caught my first largemouth on one of those early, pre-rigged rubber worms. It was orange, rigged with two or three weedless hooks, and had a couple of beads and a small propeller on the front. I was about nine or ten at the time and that lure is long gone! I remember being very surprised when the fish hit it because, up until then, the only times I had tried using a rubber worm, I had threaded a small piece of one onto a size 2 Eagle Claw snelled hook and dead-sticked it, just like I did with real worms. Darn things didn't work well at all! :-) Tight lines, Bob

I never bought any high-end spinning reels. Of the reels I have owned, my all-time favorites have been a 1990's Shimano rear-drag AeroSymetre and a Daiwa Whisker Tournament SS. I'm enjoying the new Shimano Sedona I bought this spring, but don't have nearly enough fishing time on it to form any kind of meaningful opinion. I've had some incredible service life from Mitchell 300, 308, and 310 reels I've had for a LONG time, but I never really liked them all that much.... Tight lines, Bob

I'm up in the northeast. I fish very muddy/green water, so I usually go with a pattern that has some chartreuse. I generally throw a firetiger sort of pattern first, but I also have very good luck on Norman's "Bull Bream" pattern and bluegill patterns. Tight lines, Bob