lew

If there's a Metal Supermarket around you they'll have whatever you want in aluminum. Can't offer anything on the plastic though.

Good to hear you got it all worked out Mike, that's a huge savings.

Now THAT'S a pike !!

You better stay away from musky fish'n

Be sure the lug wrench for your truck wheels will also fit the lug nuts on your boat trailer, cause their not all the same size. And before the season starts, also be sure the lug nuts aren't seized on so tight you can't loosen them.

Very enjoyable read Mike, but then, all of your fish'n tales are !!

Don't forget your boat keys

very nice of you hirk !!

22 years ago I went on a health kick and gave up smoking, booze, coffee and sugar, all cold turkey, then got seriously into mountain biking and ended up with nearly $3000 invested in a bike and rode 5-40 miles everyday for years, spring, summer, fall & winter I was lucky and never gave a 2nd thought to the booze, smokes or sugar, but giving up coffee really bothered me. I went to see my doctor about it and she said not to worry about it, because the smokes were the big one and go back to coffee if I wanted. And 2 years ago I also gave up salt. Still off all the bad stuff, but no longer riding and still loving my coffee.

WTG Bill, that's great !!

You've got yourself a sweet set-up there now Dave, best of luck with it !!

Those lures are outstanding Joey, but where's the black with orange ?? Have a great trip and just leave me one 50"er Hopefully your still there when we arrive on the 22nd.

Beautiful fish, very nice !!

That's great Rob, I really enjoy those kinda stories !!

My dad was stationed just off the Normandy coast helping to keep the U-boats away from the thousands of Allies that were coming ashore. He said for anyone that wasn't there, it would be difficult to imagine all the ships coming in and the unbelievable number of fighters & bombers flying overhead. It was a proud day for all involved. This was my Dads ship.

Atta Boy Simon, being a quitter is often the best thing a person can be

I no longer ever keep or clean fish, but when I did I always used the fine side of a wet stone with 3 & 1 oil and even now, I use the same stone for all my knives. I couldn't tell you what angle I use, it's just something you'll need to figure out for yourself. Once I have the edge I want, it's very easy to keep it with just a bit of work on the stone.

Very very nice indeed, well done !!

I've got 40 years of casting for muskies under my belt Chris and IMHO, the split grip that I'm currently using for bucktails and spinnerbaits feels much better than any other rod I've used. Maybe it's the split grip that works., or maybe not, but to me it's perfect and if and when I buy another musky pole, it'll probably be exactly the same as this one. But again, that's just me.

Alot of the musky guys, me included, use the DownEast holders for trolling so the grips don't really come into play. It's basically just the part of the rod below the reel that sit's in the holder. Can't really speak of any other kind of holder myself.

OK, I'm missing something here Josh, why would a split grip hurt your sides while fishing jerkbaits but a full grip doesn't ??

Your 100% correct about the weight Raf, but for me personally, I just liked the way it balanced with the reel and the overall feel of the whole combo.

I've always used full grip musky poles, mostly Premiers, Avids and Compres, but liked the looks of the new St. Croix Legend Tournament rods with the split grip. I went down to Gagnons a year ago and spent alot of time looking at the 8' model and really liked the feel of it so I bought it. I paired it up with a Calcutta TE and it is, without a doubt, the best musky set-up I have ever used. Not saying the split grip makes the difference, but to me it just feels good.

The funny thing is I stayed in the tent by myself so the 12 x 12 was excellent. I like to have lotsa space, specially if the weather is bad. My brother was the same and he'd put a 12 x 12 up right beside me. My wife joins me now on all my trips and has no interest in tenting so now we always rent cabins. I must be getting old and soft though cause now on those cold dirty rainy nights it sure is nice to be snug and dry inside a cabin

I agree with Eureka, I had a 12x12 for years and it was excellent. Very light, easy to set up and even in the heaviest rains it never leaked a drop. The top of the tent was all zippered flaps that could open completely for ventilation or keep them closed if you preferred.