SDoolittle

Welcome to BR, and congrats on the new boat!

Welcome to BR!

Thanks for your input. I haven't actually held one yet. I was looking at them online.

Welcome to BR! What lakes are you fishing down there?

Fortunately, there was no house involved in my divorce. I think what hurt the most was that she took my truck and my bird dog. If that's not the makings of a country music hit, I don't know what is!

That's one trick that I've never mastered. I've seen it done many times, but I have a 0% success rate doing it myself. I use a standard plug knocker, and I would guess my success rate at around 90%.

Yeah, but lightning sand is real for sure!

I was here for two weeks in August of 2005 en route to my first tour in Iraq. You're right about the summer heat being brutal. A mid-day trip to the porta-jon was practically a death sentence. There's nowhere to fish around Buehring, but I've spent a whole lot of time pitching, flipping, and casting to various targets. I may not be able to catch a fish, but I'm deadly accurate.

I'm at Buehring. This is a nice, relaxing deployment compared to my previous deployments up north. It's boring here more than anything. I'm just glad that I'm leaving before summer really sets in. Seven days and a wake up!

I have two Browning Safari rods (one spinning and one baitcaster) that I keep behind the seat of my truck. I've had them both for several years, and I've caught a ton of fish on both of them. The baitcaster has even made a couple of trips to the Middle East with me. BPS has them on sale right now for $59.99. At that price, you should have plenty of options for a quality reel. They're three piece rods, and they come with a rod sock and hard case. I would highly recommend checking them out.

Does anyone have any experience with Ardent spinning reels? I'm in need of a couple of spinning reels, and I was thinking about giving them a try. I really like their baitcasters. Those things will cast a mile!

Welcome to BR!

Since I'm in Kuwait for another week and a half, and I can't see them in person, my cousin keeps sending me pictures. I can't wait to see them in person and pick out my new hunting buddy!

I've been working hard to pay off some debt before I retire in a few months, so that I can afford to pursue my dream of fishing professionally. I just made the final payment on a credit card bill that I was awarded in my divorce a few years back. That bill has been a monthly reminder of the biggest mistake of my life. The feeling of knowing that I never have to make another payment is indescribable!

FINS XS

For durability, go with Wiley X. I know from experience that you can smash a pair in the back ramp of a Stryker without breaking them.

I did too! What town did you grow up in?

Welcome to BR!

Wrap it in bubble wrap, and put it in a PVC pipe.

That's awesome!

Welcome to BR!

Like this?

My cousin's bird dog had puppies last week, and he's giving me one as a retirement gift! I've been an avid upland hunter my whole life, and I've shared the field with many great dogs, but I've been unable to have one of my own for the past few years due to deployments. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited!

Yep

Welcome to BR, Jaimen! It seems as though the two of us think alike. After two decades of competing as an amateur, I too am preparing to move on to the pros. Like you, I decided to fish a Bassmaster Open as a coangler this year to get a feel for it. Planning was easy for me because they scheduled an Open in my home state of Oklahoma, so that was a no brainer. You're situation is a little trickier. I understand your desire to fish in the NY/NJ area from a logistics stand point, but since you are waiting until next season, there's no way of knowing where the Opens will be held. Hopefully, they will schedule one close by, but otherwise, you may have to travel a bit further. Either way, I wish you good luck and tight lines. I hope to see you on the trail in a couple of years!