JustinHoffman

Hello All, Spent a few hours casting a line yesterday on the Rideau River. The largemouth are still scattered and not relating to their normal haunts, making fishing a bit of a struggle as of late. Saying that, I did pop a few casting frogs and toads along shallow shoreline areas, and a couple on jigs in heavy cover... Did come across an interesting sight at one point. Saw what appeared to be a log sticking slightly out of the water. Worked the boat over, and to my surprise, caught two snapping turtles (and a big guy and gal at that) discovering the birds and bees! Was really neat to see, and I was able to get within a foot or so from the action. (At least the big guy was nice enough to let his mate catch her breath every once in a while! ) Good Fishing, Justin

Hey Bud, Thanks for the kind sentiment - positive approval from the reader's is what makes the job all the more worthwhile.... Haven't seen the issue myself, yet....but I know what article you're talking about. Good Fishing, Justin

Thanks for the comments, guys... Another report to follow soon... Good fishing to all. Justin

Thanks, Roy... As for the Sentier hat - I work for them. Well, I do freelance articles and supply stock images for the magazine. As I alluded to, the photo shoot I was taking photos for was actually for Sentier. I have an article coming out in August or September on "Eating Your Catch - From Landing Net to Table." Sadly, I can't read a lick of it when they publish my stuff, as my reading of the French language is non-existent.... Good Fishing, Justin

Hello All, Headed out on the water for a few days of fishing earlier this week. Three different bodies of water over three consecutive days....this is how it turned out. Day 1 - July 13 After watching the weather (dark skies, wind, and rain) for most of the morning, Tim and I decided to roll the dice and head over to the Madawaska for an afternoon/evening fish. It was my first time on this stretch of river, and I must say, the scenery of the area was very nice. The other nice thing is that the weather lifted upon our arrival, and we were greeted by warm and sunny skies. Both of us needed to get some photo assignments finished up, so walleye was the fish to target. Worked current areas and points between 18 and 36 feet deep, tossing grubs. Picked up a mixed bag of largies, smallies, pike, a beauty catfish, and one walleye. At that point we opted to change tactics. Ran up river to an arm of the river that offered slack water in 10 to 30 foot depths. Tied on bottom bouncers and spinner rigs, and tipped them with Gulp nightcrawlers. Our luck changed quite quickly... Put six more walleye in the boat fishing this small stretch, but all of the fish remained the same "cookie-cutter" size - around 14 or 15 inches. I needed some shots of cleaning fish for a Quebec publication, so off to shore we go. Filleted, bagged, and on ice they went... Fished up until 9pm, but couldn't get much more to go than a slew of hungry rock bass. Here is a shot of Tim working a bottom bouncer just prior to us heading back to the launch. All in all a great first day! Got into some walleye, learnt the finer art of bottom bouncing, and shared the boat with a good buddy... Day 2 - July 14 Headed down to my folk's place in hopes of getting out for a fish with my Dad. Shortly after arriving at noon, the heaven's opened up and proceeded to rain on our parade. The wind also decided to blow pretty heavy. Did a few things around the house, and at 3pm, the weather lifted...revealing blue skies and sun. So, off we went to a favourite stretch of the Rideau River for a quick two hour fish before dinner. Although it was getting a bit late in the day for flipping, we headed to the calmest spot on the river and began working the shallow slop and cane beds. Fish were quite active, and by 6pm we had put 9 largies in the boat. Actually, we didn't - I did. HA HA! Yep, the old man got skunked. And as if to rub salt in his wounds, I even caught a fish on his rod on the one cast I made with it! (He had tangled up his line slightly, so asked me if I could make a long cast with his rod to get it back in order. So, out goes a cast with a flipping jig into an area of pads. Started reeling in fast to pick up all of the line when I felt some weight. Of course, the old man states it's just weeds. I got the last laugh when I swung a largie over the bow....he still claimed it was his fish later that night, as it was caught on his rod!) ha ha. Here is a quick shot of a fish from that night. 3/8oz. Booyah flipping jigs tipped with a YUM chunk...and using a Kistler LTX flipping stick. Day 3 - Lake XYZ Had extremely high hopes for this trip. I know the quality of fish this lake can cough up, and having not visited it in two years, it was hard to control my excitement. That was short-lived. Arrived on the lake at 8:30am with my bud Andy. Weather was good - warm, sunny, and light winds. My one concern was the previous nights weather - a front came through around 6pm and also overnight. My fear of this scattering the fish and shutting them down certainly weighed on my mind as we motored to our first spot. Began working rock and wood shorelines, in water between 2 and 12 feet deep. I managed to put two, 2-pounders in the boat along this stretch on flipping jigs, but then our luck ran dry. We fished for the next two hours without a bite. Although the fish normally would be in the spots we were targeting, for whatever reason, they just weren't. Or if they were, they had a severe case of lock-jaw. To change things up a bit, we headed to one of three pad areas that the lake holds. I quickly put a decent fish in the boat using a frog. We also saw one other nice fish in the area, and Andy lost two or three throwing a YUM toad. I began to really scratch my head at this point. If the fish did shut down because of the front, the last place I would expect them to be in, and in quite an active mode, would be in water a foot or less deep. I was also very curious why in mid-July there were still a tonne of sunfish and gills sitting on nests? Was the bass spawn much later, and fish hadn't returned to their normal summer haunts yet. Much like the song went, "things that make you go...hmmmmmm." Headed to some deep water off a point to try for some smallies on jigs. Nothing doing. It was now almost 2pm. I had three fish in the boat and Andy had none. This was turning out to be the toughest day on the water I had ever experienced. And I wasn't liking it. Headed to one of the last two pad bed areas. Due to the higher than normal water levels, this area looked more promising than previous years. It was also ringed by red arrow root plants, that held a bit of water and slop around them. Not a lot of water - a foot max, but enough to hold fish. Andy got the first fish from a small clump of pad. Finally, his first fish in the boat! A decent fish at that.. And the YUM Toad it fell for.. Within five minutes, I got a decent fish to go. A cast to the edge of the fire root, and without a twitch, the water erupts. This fella tied me up in the pads, but the electric motor and the net finally helped her into the boat. 3lbs 7oz... And the release.. A few more hits and one more fish in the boat for Andy, and finally, the day had come to an end. Six bass in total for 8 hours on the water - a very poor average, especially for this lake. But, a fun day none-the-less. Hopefully conditions improve and the fish get back in the mode. When they do, I'll be there waiting for them... Until next time. Good Fishing, Justin

Hello All, Headed out with my buddy Tim on Monday morning to spend a day on a lake just outside of Ottawa. We both anticipated a good day on the water, but as we've discovered during previous outings, this body of water can either bring you luck or hurt you bad....we both needed bandages after this trip. Arrived at the launch around 9am. Water was up considerably. Sun was high and burning already, and winds were pretty non-existent. Decided to give the smallies a go first thing in the morning, then turn our attention over to the green bass come 11am or so. Hit a few of our proven spots, but had little to show for our efforts. Threw a variety of baits, including topwaters, tubes, Senkos, drop-shots, etc. A few dinks and that's about it. Headed down to one of our favourite spots - sand, wood, and rock. I got a chunky smallie to go on a flipping jig, and Tim picked one up a short while later on a Senko. Both fish were fat, spitting out craws, and probably weighed in at 3.5lbs. Both came from three feet of water. (Tim took those photos.) I missed a really decent largie from under a canopy of wood.. One thing that was weird was the lack of weeds this year. Bays that were previously choked full, had little or no vegetation. A very different look to the lake from previous years, and it seemed like it was affecting the fishing. Here is the only fish I have some film of. Came on a flipping jig from a slop/pad patch in two feet of water. The Kistler rods worked like a charm! The Helium 2 LTX Flipping Rod was a main stay today, and the difference in performance from previous rods I've owned was more than noticeable. For a hard-core flipper like myself, the extremely light weight is a God-send in itself...and in terms of feel and fight - definitely top-notch. We definitely struggled the rest of the day. Although conditions had been steady for the last few days, (which I thought would make for an awesome shallow slop/dock bite), it just was not to be. Saying that, we did catch and move fish on frogs and toads that were sitting in less than a foot of water. But prime docks, slop, and weed edges held nothing. We began to wonder if the spawn was late this year, and fish were in that "in between" stage before moving into typical patterns. We did notice a few rock bass still on their nests, so maybe this train of thought has some validity. Whatever the case may be, the largies were not were they should be for this time of year... Got off the water around 5pm, but not before a quick jump in the lake to cool off. The heat was definitely a major factor today in terms of comfort... All in all - a slightly disappointing outing, but only in terms of fish. The laughs and friendship definitely means a whole lot more... So, with a mixed-bag of 18 bass, we bid farewell...there's a good chance we won't bother returning again until late fall.....when the true piggies come out to play! (Will be fishing three days out of the next five, with one stop being at my "big bass" lake - will post a report of my outings next week...) Good Fishing, Justin

Yep, the resemblence is definitely there, Smokey... Good Fishing, Justin

Thanks for the kind words, guys... Toronto Angler - I haven't heard of it, but I'm sure my brother has or even visited it. (They do lots of travelling in the area..) Beautiful part of the country for sure. Gerritt - forgot to mention about the hand. Two days before leaving for Greece, I chipped a fragment of bone from my knuckle on my ring finger, and obviously pulled some tendons, etc. It happened while playing soccer/baseball with the kids at work. (I slipped on the wet grass when running for the ball, and landed hard on my hand.) So, the first week in Greece saw me with a splint on the finger, and the last two weeks with "buddy tape." Just took the tape off two days ago, and gave the digit a good working out while flipping for bass yesterday in the boat. Still sore when bending it, and the complete range of motion is not quite there, but I'm well on my way to recovery.. If that wasn't bad enough, my brother broke a bone in his foot the second day into our trip to Corfu. He took a bit of a tumble while going down a hill in his sandals...ok, the Mythos beer might of added slightly to his unstableness~! He spent the last week of my trip in a cast and on crutches - I'm sure we certainly made an interesting sight! As for fishing - I had hoped to get out for some Carp, but it just didn't pan out. Next time I'll definitely be bringing a bit of tackle and a fold-down rod... Happy Canada too, bud.. Justin

Hello All, Since I had only seen my brother once in eight years, and wanting to get away to sunny skies after a long and miserable winter, I made my way over to Greece on May 31. My brother, Julian, and his girlfriend, Julia, have lived in the village of Agios Germanos for the last eight years, after moving to the area from London, England. The village is located in the northern reaches of Greece, in the town of Prespes, Florina. It is directly on the border to Macedonia, and Albania can also be seen with the naked eye from their doorstep. Here are a few shots of their village.. The front of my brother's house.. And the back...Lake Prespes can be seen in the background.. The beauty of this region is beyond stunning! Surrounded mostly by mountains, the word breathtaking doesn't really do it justice. The first ten days of the trip saw us do many day trips throughout the area. All three of us are avid birders, and Prespes is a birders paradise. It is reknowned for the pelicans that flock to the area, and it was quite a sight to see them circling in the winds above you. Other noteworthy sightings were Cuckoos, Bee Eaters, Egrets, Buzzards (hawks), and of course, the Golden Eagle. Here is a spot my brother and I spent a day birdwatching in - it was less than a ten minute drive from their house.. A Carp fishing boat - many of the Greeks fish (net) them.. On another hike in their town, we came across a herd of these - water buffalo. They have been brought in to keep the water reeds under control. (Luckily a shepherd was close by with his dogs, just in case any of the bulls decided to charge us) Wild poppies are everywhere in Greece, and really made for some stunning photography subjects.. Lizards are also extremely common.. A day trip into Kastoria, which is an hours drive from Agios Germanos. My first official pint of Mythos in Greece.. Did another day trip into Bitola, which is one of the main cities located just within the border of Macedonia. Although the country of Macedonia is quite poor, and many of the areas are rather bleak looking, Bitola was a thriving and exciting place. People out shopping, drinking, and perusing the open-air markets. Macedonia is also extremely inexpensive. A four course meal with drinks, for three people, cost the equivalent of $16. A few shots of the city.. A shot of the border crossing... Day 10 saw Julian and myself head out on a little trip for some brotherly bonding - six days on the island of Corfu. After six + hours in two buses across the mountains of south-western Greece, we finally reached the ferry.. A 2 hour boat ride, and we reached our destination. Here is a view of Corfu Town (located on the east side of the island) that you see just before docking.. Spent one night in Corfu Town, then rose early to catch the bus for a 22km trip to our destination - Paleokastritsa. This is known as one of the most beautiful areas in all of Europe, and is on the west side of the island on the Agean sea. We booked a studio apartment for the five days. At $15 each per night, you certainly couldn't go wrong! (Our room is the one with the towels hanging on the line..) The area is divided into five or six "lagoons", all with their own beach. The water was the crystal-clear I had ever seen, and you could see down 30 metres! Here is the view from just outside our studio.. Our favourite beach of the lot.. Some other shots.. A couple of the boats in the small harbour.. On the second last day, we decided to go on a little day excursion. For the equivalent of $30 each, you got to go on a glass-bottomed boat for an hour boat ride, at which point they drop you off at Paradise Beach. (This place was beautiful - and is only accessible by boat.) They roast up chickens on spits right on the beach, and that is what you have for lunch, as well as salad, fruit, and bread. Booze is also free. You then lay on the beach and swim, and they take you back on the boat four hours later. A great deal for sure... On the way to Paradise Beach.. Feeding the fish from the boat.. Our tour guide..and the boat we took.. Arriving at Paradise Beach.. Ok, I used a little bit of tanning oil on the trip.. Enjoying a drink during our last dinner in Corfu before heading back to the mainland.. The last week of the trip was mainly full of relaxation. Well, other than the mountain climb I did! Julia and I decided to tackle one of the mountains that is located just behind their house. It is 2100 metres above sea level, and my brother's house is 1000 metres. So, yep, we were climbing over a kilometre high!! The rock peak in the middle was our destination - we had already been hiking 1.5 hours to reach this spot.. And success!!! It wasn't easy, and I certainly struggled at times. But the thrill of reaching the peak was undescribable! 3 hours and 45 minutes to get to the top - let's just say that I was sweating up a storm! Another cool thing was that a Golden Eagle flew directly overhead within five minutes of reaching the peak.. You can just make out my brother's village in the centre of this shot - that is where we began our ascent.. The cool thing was that the top of the peak marked the boundary between Greece and Macedonia. Here is a view of looking down into the valley of Macedonia.. Taking a rest on one of the lower ridges - the peak we climbed is in the background. The marker I am leaning against is the border between the two countries.. Beginning our decent back to the village.. It took us three hours to get back down. Some sections were quite steep, so the best way to save your knees (and stop you from falling) was to weave a zig-zag pattern along the way. So, all in all, 7 hours of hiking to tackle the mountain! And it was worth every minute! Here, Julia and I celebrate after returning back home - the mountain peak we climbed can be seen in the background.. And here we enjoy a cold drink and chicken on the BBQ after a long day of exercise...this was my last night before flying back home. Due to the healthy eating lifestyle that both my brother and his girlfriend follow, and the increased exercise that I did, I ended up losing 7lbs of weight and 1.5 inches off my belly. I was happy with that..lol If only all holidays were the same! I will definitely be back... Hope you all enjoyed! Good Fishing, Justin

Thanks, Brian... Never went anywhere - work has kept me more than busy over the last few months, so fishing excursions were few and far between. Add in to that 3.5 weeks in Greece, and a broken finger prior to leaving, and reports were the last thing I could write about. Then again, we all know that I'm a bass snob... (There will be many reports to read this season.....a 6+ lb fish is still on the radar for this year.) All the best, Justin

Hello All, Having just returned back from holidaying in Greece, today was my first opportunity to head out for some bass. I decided on a stretch of the Rideau River, and headed out with my bud Andy. Conditions were perfect when launching at 9am - clear, calm, and hot. With the unstable weather of the last few days, we both wondered if today would be tough or easy. (At the conclusion of the fish, we agreed it was both.) Started fishing pads, slop, and flats first thing - tossed a variety of baits, but mainly worked Booyah Jigs with YUM trailers and YUM Toads. The first twenty minutes and 50 metre stretch saw us put three fish in the boat, but the fishing seemed to shut down after that. We fished hard for the next 2+ hours, but only managed two more largies. Headed upriver at noon, and fished some deeper water that had a scattering of wood strewn about. That pattern produced four or five fish for us on jigs, but then we really cleaned up hitting the slop with Toads. All fish for the day came from water between one and six feet deep. Here is a shot of Andy that showcases the slop we were targeting... A minute later, and Andy winches in another one... The fish were very aggressive when hitting the Toads, and very few fish were missed or lost. One for me... Another for Andy... A jumbo rocky that hit a jig... Shortly before 3pm, conditions changed for the worse. The wind began to howl, the sky turned black, and the heaven's opened up. On came the rain gear and a half hour wait for conditions to clear. With the weather decent again, we hit one last spot on the way back to the launch. It is a mid-lake, undercut cane bed that often holds some decent fish. Picked up three more largies on flipping jigs to end the day.... Although the fish were fairly small during the outing, the laughter and fun was second to none. In total, 23 largies, 5 pike, and 1 rocky found their way into the boat - and the action definitely turned on after the mid-way point of the day. Ended the excursion with nachos and a beer at the local pub...gotta love that! Until the next bass adventure... Good Fishing, Justin

Hello All, Thanks for the kind words regarding OOD and myself - it is an affiliation I am both proud and honoured to be a part of. As for working with TJ - we've been partnered up for close to a decade now, and I appreciate and hold close the working and personal relationship we've formed. Thanks, bud... As for 'baby-face' Justin - yep, that photo was a couple of years old! haha As a side note - I am writing this post as I sit in sunny Greece, visiting my brother who resides here. Right now I am in the mountainous region of Northern Greece, sitting on the border of Macedonia. Beautiful scenery abounds! Off to Corfu come Tuesday... Will be back in Ottawa a few days before bass season commences.. Here's wishing everyone a safe and fruitful fishing season. Justin

Hi Maureen, Yep, it would be a spinning rod. Easiest way to tell the two apart in the future is by whether or not it has a trigger grip. All baitcast rods do. The trigger is just under half an inch long and shaped similar to a curved and pointed finger. It is located at the reel seat, and is placed between your own fingers when wrapped around a rod for fishing.) Baitcast Rod (showing trigger grip) Spinning Rod (no trigger grip present) As for the type of fishing it is best for, I would say walleye and bass. Will work well for light jigging and tossing small cranks and spinners. Bit light for working any heavy cover. Would also make a decent panfish rod if an ultralight model isn't at your disposal. In terms of reels, like other have said, there are many to choose from. I just picked up a bunch of Quantum "Incyte" reels this spring. Really impressed with them. Go with the model "20" for the rod you have. They retail for about $50 U.S. Another great reel is the Bass Pro Shops "Extreme". I've owned a few of these in the past, and they are extremely smooth, great drags, and comparable to many higher-end reels. They also retail for about $50 U.S. There are three sizes - go with the middle one to match up with your rod. Happy Shopping, Justin

Hello All, With the Mazda B3000 running as rough as you know what, and with the amount of miles on it and a hefty repair bill looming, I decided it was finally time to buy a new vehicle. After doing some research, and a tad bit of impulse buying last Saturday, I became the new owner of a 2005 Ford Escape Limited V6 4WD!! Couldn't really say no - only has 33,000 k's on it, and is loaded to the gill's! Heated leather seats, air, power everything, sun roof, fog lamps, heated mirrors, towing package, remote starter, backing-up sensors, 6-CD changer, etc... The price was right, and with my trade-in, it was even better! My question to the board is this: The vehicle still has two years remaining on the factory power train warranty. I have the option to buy "bumper to bumper" warranty, for two years, for roughly $40 additional dollars per month. However, I would pay this fee for the five years of the finance package, making the total cost approx. $2500 with tax and interest included. The coverage, though, would only last for two years. Looking for opinions on whether this is worth it or not. I realize buying warranty is always a crap shoot at the best of times. Since the truck is relatively new, are the chances of getting over $2500 in repair work done over the next two years a possibility? I don't know. I'd like to think not. I'm wondering if it would be better to put that $40 into a seperate "repair fund" each month and just save it up instead... Bought extended warranty on the last truck. Only ended up using it for $200 odd dollars. Decisions, decisions.... Thanks, Justin

Hey Marko, Own two cats myself, so I know where you're coming from. I've only had to deal with the smells in the litter box, though... I'm thinking that the male cat was marking his territory, as he was in a new environment. First step is to get that fella fixed! The problem is just going to get worse, and from what I've been told, the issues get real bad around the one year old mark. Both of our cats were fixed at about two or three months. Never had an issue... Just something to think about.. Good Cleaning, Justin

Congrats, Gerritt!!!! You're in for a fun ride with the X-Treme Guys!!

I know each particular species raises the ire of some folk, but why does virtually every steelhead thread resort to name calling, belittling, and high and mighty posturing.....(I used to think musky anglers were the worst for this stuff ) Back in the late 80's and early 90's, I used to do a tonne of steelheading. I still remember getting my Mom to drop me off at the Thickson Road bridge of the Oshawa creek, and pick me up some 8 hours later down at the Rossland Road junction. Those were the days - plenty of fish to be caught and never any issues.... I haven't picked up a noodle rod since then, and quite honestly, I don't want to. Same reason I gave up golf - became too much of an elitist sport for me, just like chasing trout has. Nope, I'll stick to a shallow shoreline and a bunch of flipping jigs....never have to deal with the ridiculousness of fishing when in that element. I'm all for being serious out on the boat, but do any of you steelheaders actually have a day of laughter and fun out there??? As for tresspassing - that should just be common knowledge to folk. Good Fishing, Justin

Ironstone - the rebate has nothing to do with any of the retailers - it is put out by the manufacturer's. I've provided the link for the Quantum form. Depending on which style of PT reel you purchase, rebates range between $15 and $50. Just have to send the form in, dated receipt and UPC codes. That simple... http://image.basspro.com/images/images2/fr...lcoupon2008.pdf Good Fishing, Justin

So TJ.....do Gerritt and I get some royalties for securing that banner ad?? Good Fishing, Justin

Well, three hats for $5 is a pretty good deal in my eyes... Check out the catalog of gear - you might be surprised that it is not junky like you may think. Yes, the rebate program is your best deal - but it runs out in 6 weeks. After that, it might be worth getting a couple of new ball caps or shirts up until December 31. Or, hang on to your UPC code and receipt and do nothing - your choice. And everything you buy nowadays is some sort of promotional gimmick - from your Nike shoes to your Columbia jacket....and of course, your Shimano rod wraps.....something to keep in mind. Anyways....thought some might be interested. Justin

Hello All, Since I just picked up a couple of Quantum reels, I've been checking out their website. Came across something they are doing called the "Quantum PT Club." http://www.quantumfishing.com/extras/ptclub.html It is a free club to join, and you accumulate "points" based on the PT reels or rods you have purchased. For instance, my two Accurist PT's would garner me 12 points each. You can then order hats, beanies, shirts, jackets, and even a bar stool with the points you accumulate. For my 24 points, I could get a long sleeve shirt (20 points) or a hat, visor and beanie (7 points each). Just for joining, you get a free patch and boat decal. You do have to include $4.95 (shipping) for each order. Also, you can either get a rebate OR this merchandise - you can not receive both. The Quantum PT Club is available to anglers purchasing Quantum PT rods and reels purchased between December 1, 2005 and December 31, 2008. Thought some folk's on here might be interested. I've opted for the rebate with these latest reels I've purchased, but once the rebate period ends, I'll definitely be getting some of this swag... Good Fishing, Justin

No worries, G.... I have a long list of things that rub me the wrong way too - you're definitely not alone! LOL Good Fishing, Justin

Just a quick note, guys.... This thread was meant to highlight what I felt was excellent pricing and service from a new online retailer (well, new to me at least.) I didn't want this to turn into a Fishing World rant. That was certainly not my intention. Blake is a good buddy of mine and a fellow Pro Staffer. I can't comment on the store he works at, because quite frankly, I live five hours away... Let's not turn this into a thread that needs to be locked down. Gerritt - we know your strong feeling towards FW. Let's try not to get into that all again - at least not on a thread that has nothing to do with that retailer in the first place.. If people want to check out this new store - good for them. If they choose to shop at their locals, again, their right and I say go for it. Good Fishing, Justin

Hey Dan, Not sure how it works, but all of the online stores are offering the rebates. BPS is giving them out also, but their reels are $20 more to purchase. All-amercianoutdoors.com actually has a retail store (located in Texas). I could walk in, pick up the reel for $100 (plus applicable taxes) and also get the rebate. The rebate forms are mailed to Quantum directly. They are the folk's that send you a rebate check. To be honest, the All-americanoutdoors.com site makes no mention of rebates for the Quantum reels - I printed the forms directly off the Quantum website as I knew they were offering them to customers. However it works, yes, I'm paying $75 per reel after all is said and done. Bottom line. I ain't going to argue, that's for sure... Whichever way you look at it, for once, I am happy to deal with a retailer that charges me the exact shipping costs that they pay. Have ordered far too many things in the past, that state $4.80 on the box, yet they charge me $14.75....(just for illustrative purposes) lol Good Fishing, Justin

Also, thanks for the message Blake. Wasn't at the Fishing Show, and sadly, I don't live anywhere near Fishing World...but if I had of been around and you could of beat my price, I know who I'd be giving my money to... Call me frugal when it comes to my purchasing power. But finding the best deal is pretty much my motto nowadays... Good Fishing, Justin