JustinHoffman

Just filled in my rebate forms for the PT reels... So, the deal is even sweeter than I first reported.... $30 off for each reel I purchased... So, the total cost of 2 Accurist PT's delivered to my door (without me putting a dime in the gas tank for a retail experience): $150.26 Can't beat that! Thanks again, Gerritt. Good Fishing, Justin

Hello All, So many rants about bad service these days, I thought I'd tip my hat to all-americanoutdoors.com. Thanks to a thread by Gerritt a few weeks ago, I decided to check out the reels for sale on this site. Huge selection from every major manufacturer. Ordered two Quantum Accurist PT's - $100 each. The thing I loved about ordering from here is, the price you see for postage on the box when it arrives, is the exact price you pay for shipping. They do charge an additional $2 for shipping/handling. So, the final tally's: 2 Quantum Accurist PT's - $200.00 Handling Surcharge - $2.00 Shipping - $8.26 Total - $210.26 (U.S.) No duty, no brokerage fees, no taxes. And it arrived at my door in 14 days. Respond to emails within an hour (at least with me), and the box was extremely well packed. I even paid through Paypal... Well, off to order some spinning reels now... Thanks for bringing this company to the board's attention, Gerritt... Good Fishing, Justin

The stated price of $16,999 is the U.S. price before prep and freight. The Canadian price is $18,811 complete, plus taxes I would assume... I know a couple of guys that run Tracker boats and they all have good things to say. I was actually looking at the "bass boat" style Tracker last year... Good Fishing, Justin

Cliff - I say forget about it and move on. I doubt that anything will come about from this, even if you pursue it, and life is too short to waste time on something when I have a feeling the lesson is already learnt... "The guy in front of us thought it was a little girls so he grabbed my friend and they rolled over 3 rows of seats, security came and broke it up." The above line makes no sense, and half of the "real" story is obviously missing. As Irishfield mentioned, I'm sure it had something to do with a wise-crack to your friend about his pom-poms. Your friend shoots a wise-crack back, or an F-Off, and then punches are thrown. I don't think most folk would just leap on a guy because they believed he was stealing someones pom-poms.....then again, they were Sens fans. The best retribution is to have our boys in blue and white hand the Sens a loss tonight, and a step closer to a tee-off time. Just my 2-cents worth.... Justin

Wayne - I wouldn't be surprised to find out that a fisherman or skidoo'er plowed that area with their own truck....makes sense if they've got one. Looking forward to exploring that body of water more this spring and summer...some jumbo perch and 'gills are also present as a tasty alternative to the bigger boys... Good Fishing, Justin

Nice report and pics, Wayne... Living in Ottawa and doing a lot of travelling, I pass by Silver quite a bit. You lucked out in having the parking area plowed - it often isn't during the winter. I still have yet to give the laker's a shot during the cold months - have trolled for them in the spring, though... Silver is a beauty of a lake, both in scenery and fish. Some big smallies and largies swim it's depths.... Here's a shot from this past summer of a decent Silver Lake smallmouth - and not far from that magical island. A fish missed my Spook shortly after this one was caught, which would easily of doubled this girls size. (If only the hooks met their mark each and every time... ) I'll be back to get her... Good Fishing, Justin

Larry - don't you musky hunters carry nets/holding pens that are large enough to hold water buffalo?? I'm pretty certain that could contain your prized fish while you get things in order...No? Like I stated, the camera and tripod is already set and ready to go. Simple push of the button and you're done... Good Fishing, Justin

"Torpedo Diver - We Put the Bulls-Eye on the Fish!" (T.M. Justin Hoffman) Good Fishing, Justin

Ha ha! Dan - I must of been into the bottle last night - no way should that secret of made it's way out! Good Fishing, Justin

Thanks for the compliments, Radnine... The little organizer I picked up about a dozen years ago. I believe it was made by Fish Formula, and holds three bottles of scent, files, pliers, etc. Excellent tool to keep things organized at the front of the boat. As far as being "the best dressed bass fisherman", well,.....I do my best. ha ha I do photography for fishing magazines, so looking half decent on the water has become second nature to me...I actually bring various clothes and hats out on the boat with me, just to add variety to my stock photography stuff... Good Fishing, guys.. Justin

Good advice, Dan....something that I forgot to mention. No point using a tripod if all of the shots come out blurry... Another tidbit is to use fill-in flash on all of your shots. Brightens up the shadows and makes the fish much more vibrant and colourful.. Good Fishing, Justin

Beauty shots, Mepps!! What a gorgeous fish.... Good Fishing, Justin

Ha ha - the more "sample" shots you have, Mike, the more fish you can photoshop in at a later date!!! Good Fishing, Justin

Good post, bucktail.... This tripod comes in my boat every outing: If conditions are calm, I will keep it in this position (with the camera attached) while fishing. 99% of my fishing is for bass, so if I get a fish I want a shot of, it's a simple matter of hitting the self-timer button and "gripping-and-grinning." Good idea to purchase a tripod that is of the sturdy variety.. If it is a decent fish, or if I want to take a shot of two fish - in they go to the livewell until I've set the shot up right. Once done, it's a simple matter of grabbing both fish (or the one trophy) and hitting the self-timer button again. If fishing for musky or pike, this set up would also work well. Just keep the fish in a large holding net at the side of the boat, hit the self-timer and lift the fish into the boat. Really that simple...I believe Lew uses a similar set up when hunting 'skies. I always like to take a "sample" shot at the start of the day, just to make sure my zoom is correct: Good Fishing, Justin

Hello All, I've been lucky to date a few girls that truly loved to get out fishing. My last girlfriend was no exception: This bass that she caught flipping was just two ounces shy of my personal best. A personal best, I might add, that took me 21 years to accomplish. She did it in two years. Good thing we broke up... I think I'd have a hard time dating someone that didn't enjoy the outdoors in general, and fishing in particular......just too good of a thing not to share with a loved one. Good Fishing, Justin

Thanks for the insight, guys... I think I'll pick up a couple of Johnny Morris's - for the price and quality I have heard about, you can't really lose. I'll also look into a Chronarch or two... Good to hear the reels have served you well, Garry. Good news for sure. Good Fishing, Justin

Hey Guys, Just found some info on reel weights: Shimano Chronarch Mg - 5.9 oz Shimano Core 100Mg - 6.081 oz Shimano Core 100MgFv - 6.73 oz Shimano Curado-D - 7.4 oz Shimano Chronarch 100A - 7.9 oz Shimano Chronarch SF - 8.4 oz BPS Johnny Morris Elite - 8.6oz Shimano Chronarch 100B - 9.0 oz BPS Johnny Morris Signature - 9.4 to 9.6 oz Quantum Energy PT - 9.5 oz Shimano Citica D - 9.9 oz Hmmm, the plot thickens... Good Fishing, Justin

Danbo - Thanks for the heads up on the reviews. I had actually read up on most of them previous, but was hoping for some more "personal" reviews from actual members here on the board that had used them. Sheldon - I would say the Core is a little out of my price range. The Chronarch is a bit more doable, but was hoping for something slightly less expensive. The BPS reels are supposedly quite light in weight (low profile, titanium), and I'd be curious to find out what the actual difference is between these and some of the "higher" end stuff. I know what you are saying in terms of the rods. Just want to see what my options are... And feel free to check out the Kistler's anytime you want - I'll have a bunch here. I imagine I'll be seeing you at the Carp show, also... Good Fishing, Justin

Hello All, With my position with Kistler rods firmed up, I'm now in the market for purchasing all new reels this year. I've narrowed my choices down to Shimano, Quantum and BPS. I love the feel of the BPS Johnny Morris Signature Series reels, but have not had a chance to do any on-the-water testing with them as of yet. Any members of the board own one of these, and if so, what did they like or dislike about them? With the work I do for BPS, I've been fortunate to own many of their products and have always been impressed with the quality and design. Just wondered about this reel. (Plus, with them being on sale right now, now would be my best time to buy..) The other lines I am thinking about are the Shimano (Citica's and Curado D's) and the Quantum (Accurist and Energy PT's) I'll probably be going with one line across the board... Decisions, decisions.... Thanks in advance. Good Fishing, Justin

Hello Sconceptor. Like Greencoachdog mentioned, if you are looking for a high-quality, high-end and lighter-than-air rod, then check out Kistler. They are just new on the market here in Canada, but have been going steady in the States for 10 years. Four lines of rods to cater to any angler's needs. The new lineup of Helium 2 LTX's are simply incredible....Although Loomis and St. Croix have been at the top for some time now, Kistler definitely needs to be mentioned when talking about Canadian-available rods... If you have any questions, or are looking for a retailer, just give me a shout. I am the National Pro Staff - Canada Division for the company.. www.kistlerrods.com Good Fishing, Justin

Thanks, Mike. I'll send them a note and see what I can find out. Might still be cheaper to buy from the States, even if I can't get the rebate.. Good Fishing, Justin

Hello All, Read Gerritt's post regarding the great deals to be had at allamericanoutdoors.com. Two that really stood out were Shimano Citica's for $98 and Curado D's for $168. Add in the $30 and $50 off rebates, and they are practically giving them away... My question is this - the Shimano rebate forms that are printable online state only for U.S. residents, and it is a U.S. address you mail it to. I know that we are eligible for the rebates, so do we just send the form to the U.S. and they will honour it, or is there a mailing address here in Canada that they can be sent to? Thanks in advance. Good Fishing, Justin

Hopefully only good things, Joe...

Hey Andrew, Freelance outdoor writer/photographer (fishing) here... Feel free to send me a PM in regards to any questions you may have. I'll do my best to answer them. Good Fishing, Justin

Wow - I sometimes just have to shake my head.. Instead of being happy that a store keeps it's "like-branded" stuff in the same place for ease of shopping and less running around - it becomes an issue. Instead of being happy that a store actually gives you variations on the "same" product in order for you to take part in comparison shopping - it becomes an issue. Instead of being happy that a retailer gives you the "option" to buy a similar-styled bait or lure for less of a cost - it becomes an issue. Look around - there are generic makes and models for everything we consume in our society today. And we should be thankful for that. I certainly don't want to live in a place where a monopoly on my spending money is dictated and controlled. I guess I become a little agitated when it becomes the "norm" and "in vogue" to rant and complain about every minute detail in our lives today. And when the complaint is completely unfounded and unnecessary, well, it kind of becomes a sad commentary on our society in this internet age... Be thankful we are given a choice - many countries don't allow their citizens that pleasure.. Just my 2-cents worth. Good Fishing, Justin