Johnbt

"I received all of my purefishing orders." I haven't. I like the new Fenwick Elite inshore 7' HF spinning rod so much I just now ordered 2 more - a 7' medium and a 7' medium light. I was really impressed with the HF - rated 3/4 oz to 3 oz. It just feels good. I put an old Sustain 4000FE on it spooled with 10# Spyderwire Invisibraid and tied on a 2-oz bank sinker. Using a lazy two-handed sidearm cast I put it in the woods. The tape measure said 42 yards. That'll do for a half-hearted cast. Less than half-hearted. Okay, they aren't as nice as any of my Conquests, but they are still very good rods with full cork.

The bait monkey has friends, so be careful. You can't win.

I tried it on 4 Berkley Warpigs about 20 minutes ago and it took the price from $36 down to $13 and change. I didn't buy them, I was just checking. Buy 3 get one free and then the BELK50 code. I'm still shopping.

My Tuesday orders from Pure Fishing arrived an hour ago. The original tracking info said next Tuesday for both of them, then they both changed on UPS to before 9 p.m. tonight. Noon works for me. The Fenwick Elite Inshore 7' HF spinning rod looks great and is reasonably dainty - for a 3/4 to 3 oz saltwater rod. And no leaks in the box of Gulp and Gulp Alive saltwater baits. The rod came in a box, but inside it was zip tied to a full-length L-shaped piece of high tech, high density, synthetic looking cardboard of some sort. (I know tubes can be broken in half by the freight companies, one of them broke a heavy cardboard tube into 2 separate pieces a few years ago, but did NOT break the Conquest 844C inside. The tackle shop told me that the freight companies look upon plastic pipe tubes as a real challenge to their ability to mangle things. If they get sideways on the conveyors they can break anything it appears without having to drive over them with a forklift or truck.)

I'd guess they have a small crew and the folks who know how to make baits, well, they all work on making baits. Someone who doesn't know how to make baits, prints labels. Could be a part-timer or a volunteer neighbor or relative, or even a kid home from college for Christmas, etc. If the crew has to finish the bait making before they start to print a couple of hundred labels - or a thousand? - it's just going to take that much longer to pack it all up and ship it.

Just what I need for the beach to cover some of the gap between my MH & H bass rods and my 9-, 10- & 11-foot surf rods, a Fenwick Elite Inshore Spinning rod, 7' H, 3/4 to 3 oz. lures. Full cork too, and half price is nice.

"Can anyone say flat worms at 50% off? hahaha" I can say saltwater soft bait by the bag and jar. I never seem to have enough fresh shrimp, mullet or squid, especially when the surf is rough, and like to have some soft stuff in reserve. I can always get Fishbites at $7 or $8/bag, but this is so much better. Thanks.

"It's very cringy to me when videos end that way." The ones that really irk me are the ones that ask for all the button clicking first, before they even start their content. And then they ask/remind again at the end.

Fwiw, because I have one and have the specs handy. STRIKER™ Vivid 9sv With GT52HW-TM Transducer POWER INPUT 12 to 20 Vdc TYPICAL CURRENT DRAW 0.75 A MAX CURRENT DRAW 1.5 A POWER CONSUMPTION 9.0

That sign is so old I googled the guy's name for the heck of it. Jeff Engel was NC State Health Director from 2009 to 2012.

"Are most BR members adverse to swimbaits on a spinnerbait? I am certainly not and I have friends who aren't. I prefer 3" to 6" grubs, but use swimbaits maybe 30% of the time. And I usually fish 3/8 oz spinnerbaits. And chatterbaits, too.

Magazines? I miss the days when they were free to read at the barbershop and the dentist and you could hang out and read them after you finished your business.

A clicking drag? No thank you. Seriously? They put a clicker on it?

I don't know a thing about them. There's a Waveinn that's part of Tradeinn, but they're in northeastern Spain. It's a huge outfit. I have a sister-in-law who has lived in Valencia for 40-some years, but it's 250 miles away down the coast. www.tradeinn.com/en/about-us/st I know every company gets some complaints, but most companies don't get zeros and ones. www.sitejabber.com/reviews/tradeinn.com

If you like really nice reels, get the Steez. It balances very nicely on a 3.8-ounce 843C Conquest. And on an 844C. And I can fish a 22-ounce Daiwa spinning reel on an 11' rod all day while getting battered by the breakers and the wind on Hatteras Island. It's a nicely balanced outfit, too.

Sometimes it's hard to avoid them. I've never had much luck around a lot of turtles.

I ordered a Conquest 783C to see how it fished. Then I ordered a Conquest 843C. Then I ordered a Conquest 844C. Then I ordered another one. And an 843S. They suit me perfectly and I have no desire to change anything. If there's a better rod out there I don't need whatever it's offering. I'm kind of sad, I barely look at bass rods anymore.

The pros may not know much more, but that's usually enough. After all, a .250 hitter is just so-so average, while a .300 hitter is probably in the Hall of Fame.

"Many of us learned on non magnetic reels, glass rods and hooks that weren't chemically sharpened." Some of us learned on metal casting rods with a cork handle. I don't miss them for a minute.

Can they make it work in reverse? Can I back my boat trailer into the water and never get me or my truck tires wet? And then pull the trailer out and park it?

I'd give you advice, but every time I make the trip from Richmond I fish for rockfish/stripers/striped bass.

I bought mine before global warming. You know, back when the rivers used to freeze up in central and southern Virginia.

Chest waders are more of a hassle to put on, but not much more money than hip boots. They are very useful when the wind really kicks up and the boat just doesn't want to go on the trailer. Mine are insulated because I bought them years ago for duck hunting.

Killing game outright - and quickly - for consumption is humane. Fwiw, I'm on the borderline of humane when I'm bird hunting with a 28 ga.

Like a football against his body? Until somebody comes up with some good evidence that manhandling a live fish is good for it, I think I'll pass on carpet bouncing, bear hugs and tossing fish back into the water.