Johnbt

I see a store at that address and there are rod-length boxes in the trash. The image capture on google maps says June 2024, but those dates can be years off (example: our house image says 2024 but the pic has 3 decks that were torn off, redesigned and rebuilt in 2021.) That's all I know.

"I am a firm believer that a fisherman should hold the rod with their dominant hand and reel with their non-dominant hand." I don't feel that way. But I'm righthanded and I've done it that way since lefthanded casting reels became reasonably available and affordable. I wanted a lefthanded casting reel in the '50s, but got by with what I had. Fwiw, my first spinning reels were for saltwater fishing in the early '80s. "I’m left handed but bat and golf as a righty." My father was right handed, but golfed and batted lefty. I write, throw, bowl, and usually bat from the right side, but putt better from the left side. Whatever works is good.

"they all look extremely ugly and ancient?" You probably wouldn't like any of my Conquest rods either. They are simple, functional, and I think quite attractive. They're fishing rods, not fashion statements. __________ You say 1994 like that's really old. That's cute. You're funny.

Quit overloading it and making the top bulge. I'm speaking from experience.

"Izzat like a 64(ish) Galaxy convertible in the background?!!" It's a 1964 Olds Jetstar 88 2-door convertible with a 330ci V8/245 hp. It's big and slow. It was an Olds for poor people.

I took a new 2012 Grizzly 1648, added a hinged deck on the back supported by 2"x2" aluminum angle I cut with an angle grinder, some glued down indoor/outdoor carpet, two screwed down battery boxes for the Maxxum 70. I have a 9.9 for reservoirs, but usually use an Endura Max 55 for all the small lakes we fish. The Endura Max and the fish finder are run off a third battery by the transom. The Polar Kraft in the background is my buddy's antique 1648. All of his homemade decking is framed with aluminum and decked in plywood.

Does Simms even have stores? I've only seen their products in stores.

Never fished one. It's been 40 or 45 years since I got interested in largemouth fishing, so I guess I never will fish a tournamet. The guy who taught me to bass fish for big fish used to fish tournaments and after a few years even he got tired of it. Fishing is relaxing. Tournaments aren't. Ever see a guy in tournament sitting there watching a bald eagle dive for fish? Or watch a great blue heron stalk a fish? Me either. We decided to concentrate on catching big bass and fishing where we wanted and when we wanted.

"Boron rods made in the 70 & 80s were nothing special." Compared to the metal rods I had that were made in the '50s they were great.

"SOLID, COMFORTABLE DECKS Boat decks have to absorb heat, vibrations and sound, retain fasteners, remain firm underfoot and last for the lifetime of the boat. We use ¾-inch 7-ply marine grade plywood, covered by our limited lifetime structural and deck guarantee, because it fulfills these requirements better than aluminum." www.trackerboats.com/quality-manufacturing.html

That's terrible news. It really sucks. My wife is sitting across the room and says to tell you that she is a breast cancer survivor - and it's been 17 years.

I just did a Build Your Own with a 250, power poles, better batteries, better fish finders, jack plate, and some other stuff. Total $69,490

"Honestly, who cares about what's on TW?" Lot's of people I know. You start with their price and then shop for deals, both here and overseas. And honestly? You said, ""their higher end reels are as expensive as Japan Made Shimanos and Daiwas"" And honestly, they aren't. Maybe Japan Tackle or Digitaka will have an ABU prototype that costs more than the higher end Daiwas or Shimanos, but many of them are never sold in the states. If you have some additional pricing info to share, well, go ahead. I'm glad I'm in the know and buy the cheapest things I can from Japan, but I'm always on the lookout for a better supplier. The reel dealers in Japan have been great to deal with.

www.abugarcia.com/products/max-x-baitcast-combo?currency=USD&variant=42039890083979&stkn=846e8546609e&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqL28BhCrARIsACYJvkdwvB4aFts6EH8EA5rF8HsehDWSbUMY6mGdeujaSA7WsjILfxf1PaYaAkE_EALw_wcB Max X Baitcast Combo, 7' MH Right $54.99 $89.99 The banner on the home page says free shipping on orders over $50 and to see details.

"their higher end reels are as expensive as Japan Made Shimanos and Daiwas" I just looked at some casting reels on the TW site. ABU has a $550, but Daiwas run up to $750 and Shimanos up to $600. It's all play money past about $250 or $300. Play, as in it's a hobby and I'm blowing my play money budget on it (if I actually limited myself to a budget.) I could be down at the bowling alley every week spending $75 on three games, shoes, a burger and a pitcher of beer, but I don't. Or maybe it would be $100 these days from what my wife spends to take our 2 little grandsons bowling once a month. I bought 3 ABU Premiers in 2012 and they are still fine reels. Meanwhile I have purchased more Daiwa Steez than Shimano Metanium and certainly prefer the Steez variations more than the Metaniums even with the brass gears I added.

Even no wake or 5 mph is dangerous. If you hit a submerged stump or a large diameter submerged standing tree at 4.5 mph while sitting in a bass boat seat on my 1648 and you're coming out of the seat and landing somewhere in the boat or the water. If you have both feet back under the seat you'll probably end up on your face on the floor. One time with both motors running at 2/3rds and the boat at 4.5 mph we hit a submerged sandbar in a reservoir. Luckily it wasn't a stump, but we stopped in about 2.5 feet. We both ended up landing on our butts sorta of hanging over the gunnel. The Maxxum prop and motor bent all the way back under the boat and took some paint off the hull. It cracked the bottom of the upper housing, which I replaced, and I had the local MK repair shop replace the armature assembly. They had one in stock and did the job the next day. No harm to the prop or the shaft and I'm still using the repaired motor. I learned a lesson that day. Slow down.

"PA can make their own laws." The chart is in the PA booklet on the pa.gov website. They should fix it. www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/fishandboat/documents/boating/regulations/boatinghandbook.pdf _________________ "Electric motors are outboards" - Okay, I see that now at the end of the first paragraph. The trouble is, the entire paragraph reads "There are four primary types of boat motors: 1. Outboard motors vary in size and clamp onto the transom. The whole motor pivots on its mounting to aim the wash and steer the boat. The boat turns in the opposite direction that the tiller arm is pushed. Electric motors are outboards." So the 70-lb MK Maxxum bow-mounted trolling motor on my boat isn't an outboard and doesn't need a kill switch? But the transom-mounted MK 45-lb Endura Max trolling motor on my boat is an outboard and does need one? This is making my head hurt. Anybody have a trolling motor with a kill switch? I have never seen one. Neither of my MK's do.

It's not a switch. Here's the 26-page boating handbook. I was looking to see if electric motors were included since they said "engines". They only list four engine groups: OB, stern drive, inboard and jet. www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/fishandboat/documents/boating/regulations/boatinghandbook.pdf The chart on page 11 says use the switch "if equipped". They need to fix that.

"It makes no sense to run heavy line throught the entire spool when you don't need it. " It eliminates the knot, always a weak point and frequently an irritation. I don't know about anyone else, but I am constantly cutting off the first two feet of frayed/nicked line and retying. I may be down to half a spool by the end of the day. Line is a wear item, like tires and brakes and wiper blades. I live by the motto, "If you aren't getting hung up you aren't fishing." See the spinnerbait by the rod? I love spinnerbait fishing way back in the pads where the fish hang out.

Strong leaders and line are useful around treetops, stumps, snags and even chain pickeral. Ever fish a place like Briery Creek Reservoir in VA? My usual lines are 17# to 20# nylon and 30# to 65# braid depending on how deep I'm fishing and I don't use a leader. Nothing like worm fishing 20' feet down in the dark on a moonless July night. My idea of finesse fishing is 15# with a 3/8 spinnerbait and a 3-,4- or 5-inch grub. Fishing in a stump field is sort of like playing pinball. Cypress swamps are fun, too.

"like to cast their worm out and light a cigarette and they don't even move it till they're done smoking the first 100 mm." I used to catch more fish that way - bass, catfish, pier fishing, surf fishing, boat fishing, everywhere. Lures, nightcrawlers, minnows, cut bait, whole fish, everything. And then I quit smoking about 15 years ago. Maybe there were more fish back then? P.S. - a largemouth will pick a spinnerbait up off the mucky, swampy bottom after it's been sitting a minute or three. Maybe it was the grub trailer that attracted them, but they ended up in the boat.

My mentor's 10.5#. One of many he caught in VA. Let a guy drive your boat for an afternoon... Of course, the 10.2# I posted was caught from the backseat of his boat.

This is my first one - 10.2# on a chartreuse double willow spinnerbait, with 3" chartreuse silver flake grub trailer.

I'm 74 and started fishing when I was 4 or 5. I've never been able to figure out why I would want to ruin a fine day fishing by being restricted to when and where someone else tells me I can fish? And pay money to do it? I've never been tempted. The guy that taught me to bass fish over 40 years ago used to fish a regional circuit and work a booth for Shimano and take some of the big name guys fishing when they'd come to town, but he quit after a few years of running himself ragged running his business, fishing, working shows, and playing tour guide for the big boys. We decided we'd rather fish for big bass. __________ Was it fun to see the big boys weigh fish and get to meet some of them? Sure. For a year or two anyway. "The Bassmaster Classic was held in Richmond, Virginia in 1988, 1989, and 1990, with the following winners: 1988: Guido Hibdon won the championship on the James River. 1989: Hank Parker won the championship on the James River. Parker narrowly beat Jim Bitter by two ounces, who led the first two days of the tournament. 1990: Rick Clunn won the championship on the James River. Clunn made a comeback that was so big that no camera boats captured it on the water. "

I'm about 35 years past being able to sit or kneel in a canoe. I liked them when I was younger/middle aged, all before I had back surgery in 2003. I know why fewer and fewer people are buying new jon boats like I did in 2012. A 2025 Grizzly 1648 bare hull is now $5195, which includes the $200 freight. In 2012 mine was $2699 including freight. Mine is small enough to load over banks on lakes with no ramp, even with a 24v motor on the front and a 34 ft.lb. motor on the back. And carpet, rear deck extension and bass boat seats. I have a 10 hp Merc for restricted reservoirs and the river, although it will only go 11 or 12 mph with two 200-pounders and a load of tackle, 2 anchors, etc.