bigbuck

Either or. They are both fantastic reels. I picked up a Stradic in January and will probably ene up picking up an Energy Pti sometime during the spring/summer. I have Shimano, Quantum, and Abu reels and don't have anything bad to say about any of them. Get what you like better. Unless you fish every day and/or are really hard on your gear, you should not have any problems with either.

You're good with 20lb braid, I'm pretty sure the mono equivalent is either 6lb or 8lbtest. Filling up halfway with mono is a good idea to keep your costs down, (you can fill half way with cheap mono and spend a few extra dollars on good quality braid and have enough to fill an extra spool). Stick with a 2500 size, it's a good general purpose reel that would work great for walleye, bass, and even pike. A nice medium action rod and you'll be good to go.

Spend the money on a nice Quantum spinning reel in the 20 size, then save up for a nice rod to pair it up with. If you spend a few bucks now, you won't be wanting a 'better' setup later, just a 'different' one.

Try Yorkdale Mall. There is a TTC station at the east end of the mall. Get off at the Dufferin exit and stay left (you want to get on Yorkdale road) and follow it around. Parking is free.

It's one of the hardest things you'll ever have to do but it's better for your friend. I had to put down my dog almost 6 years ago and every time I go to my parents' house I always look to see if he's trotting around the corner to say hello. Take care and be strong in this difficult time.

I know it's cheesy with all the gidgets and gadgets but get the Fishermans Solution from Cutco. It's a great knife that has served me well for 17 years and still looks new. You can adjust the length of the blade which is kinda neat when you go from filleting a perch to a nice wally or 2.

Lew, tell her to go for it. We got rid of our '03 Element with 65000k's on it with NO PROBLEMS whatsoever. It was a great vehicle and I had two beefs with it, it needed a bigger gas tank (55L) and some more power (156hp). Going up the hills north of the Sault fully loaded were no fun but other than those 2 minor beefs, it was awesome. Like you, I'm a die hard GM kinda guy with 2 Oldsmobiles on the driveway now (the Element was sold to make way for a minivan). I'm just not a 4banger guy, I need at least 6 cylinders and preferably a V8 under the hood (my car has an 8). I'm no speed demon but when I have to pass someone, it's nice to know that the power is on tap.

Nice looking reels. I'm considering one in the 2500 size to battle pike and bass. They are silky smooth and if they are anything like my Quantum baitcasters, they'll be a nice addition to your collection.

I saw it at the show and took a pretty good look at it. For about $150, it's a pretty good reel, I figure I could buy 2 of these or 1 Calcutta. Depends on whether you are a Chevy kinda guy or a Cadillac kinda guy.

Jeez, I remember going to Sabres games 4 years ago and picking up nose bleed tix for $20 then walking down to the ringside seats unmolested by the ushers because you coulda shot a gun and not hit anyone. Now I hear it's a different story. We had our chance during the Stavro years but because of huge pressure from his partners in the Leafs, Steve could not get the cup winning team together (unfortunately, Toronto's biggest fan died last year before his beloved Leafs could bring the cup to it's rightful home, T.O.)

It's really coming down here at Yorkdale. Thankfully I made to St Catharines this morning to see a client and made it back to the office in the nick of time. Now for heading home to Oakville tonight..........not gonna be fun.

Look at it this way, it's a good day to buy...........

I just got a present from my secretary a few minutes ago. My new Knipex 8" spring loaded hook cutters came in from The Ring Lord in Saskatoon. I think it was last Monday or Tuesday that I ordered them in. Not too bad a price at $67.77 with the taxes and postage in. BRING ON THE BIG BAD SKIS!!!

I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist but come on, now all kinds of gas stations are running out of gas!!! Last night on the way home from work 4 out of the 5 gas stations in my general area in Oakville were out of gas. Only Sunoco is keeping the pumps from running dry. It's a joke. How big was this fire?? Did it shut down the refinery completely?? Early reports were it was a minor fire and full capacity should have been back on line in a week to 10 days. Now they are talking about weeks. Give me a break!! Good old Dan McTeague, the MP from Scarborough/Pickering USED to moan and complain about big oil and how we the consumers were being hosed, now he's an apologist for big oil. I wonder how big his villa is down in Grand Cayman??

I'd go with the Quantum, it's a nice reel but go with the 20 size, it's a bit bigger and tougher to deal with the toothy monsters of the deep.

Good idea to wait until it melts. Having that thing come down on top of you will definitely leave a mark. Hopefully the contents are not too badly munched.

Thanks for sharing that with us. It was a true adventure. Boat in the back, a full tank of gas, trunk full of tackle and camping gear and a map. That's a trip I'd like to do one of these days.

Lew, Big Cliff said it very nicely, I'd like to add that if you make one good solid friend who you can count on to be there for you, you are lucky, any more than that, consider yourself rich. I have 2 such friends and consider myself very fortunate, we don't see each other that often any more because of family, work, distance, etc... but when we get together, it's like no time has passed since we saw each other last. I hope things work out for you, you seem like a stand up guy and I don't like seeing people down. Musky season needs to get here quick, a good workout with a 50+incher should perk you up.

Not worth it, keep a spare aluminum in the boat with some tools so if you hit something the prop breaks, with SS, you'll need a spare prop AND lower unit. If you are desparate for more speed, start saving the pennies and buy a bigger/faster boat.

Sorry to hear about your loss. It's hard, made even tougher for you because you don't have any answers as to why. Be strong for your family during this difficult time.

He'll get his Lew, what comes around goes around. I feel for your daughter, the road to recovery just became a bit longer and more difficult but thank god, she'll heal, she's still around.

Well, I just ordered them from theringlord.com. Shipped by expedited post to Toronto from Saskatoon for $67.77. I'll probably have them in the next 7-10 days here at the office.

Pete???? At the Fishing Show, Gord Pyzer was extolling the merits of a Big Wide Circle as opposed to a Figure'8'. I'm just wondering what the thoughts are on this???

Thanks guys, at the Fishing Show over the weekend, no one knew where to get them here in Canada. I took a look at theringlord.com and found them there for about $68 Canadian delivered to my door with no surprise taxes/duties. Jeez, I got replies from the Musky King of the North (Lew) as well as the Musky King of the South (Pete). I'm hoping to spend some more time on the water this summer and my preference is to hunt Musky. Bass is fun, walleyes are great but Musky reigns supreme. I caught my first last summer up on LOTW and it was a snot rocket only about 22-24" but WHAT A FIGHT!!!! I thought my St.Croix was going to go in the drink.

I'm new to musky fishing and have spent the past several months gearing up. What I need now are a pair of Knipex bolt cutters since I'm told those are the ones to get. Now my question is, which model # and/or size?? Thanks for the help.