Golfisher

Gentlemen (& ladies), I am thinking of getting another baitcast reel to compliment my existing, rather pathetic one-reel-for-everything arsenal. I have a Curado 100D, and I'd like to get another Curado given its performance so far. My question is which gear ratio I should choose. The one I have is 6.2:1, and the available options are 5:1 (DVP) and 7:1 (DHSV). I do mostly bass and pike fishing, throwing plugs and top-water lures (not good at plastics at all, though I'd like to learn the art at some point). Any suggestions, opinions, or ideas? Goes to show how clueless I still am about fishing. Thanks & cheers,

Here is a bump for ya; good luck, and post a report when you return!

Cool vids.. thanks for posting!

I haven't ranted for a long time, and so here it goes. In the 1980s, when the Big Three were being hammered by the Japanese imports, they pressured the US government to implement restrictive policies. So the US goverment tightened its screw around the Japanese government, and the latter agreed to limit the volume of Japanese cars exported to the US--called Voluntary Export Restraints, rather ironically. The result? The Big Three reaped billions of dollars in extra profits, but that wasn't the end of the story. Since there weren't enough Japanese cars to go around to meet the persistent demand for them, American consumers had to pay thousands of extra dollars to get hold of Hondas and Toyotas. So the Japanese automakers also did very well, earning a great deal of extra profits from higher prices. The losers were American consumers, who had to empty their pockets to fatten not just the Big Three but also the Japanese automakers. There is more to this story. Since it was the number of cars that was restricted, not their dollar value, the Japanese shifted their production and marketing to higher-end, more expensive models with even larger profit shifts. And we all know what Lexus and Acura meant for Lincoln and Cadillac; so much for long-term, strategic thinking. It's also unrealistic to think of automakers as national companies anymore. GM owns Saab; Ford has controlling interest in Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Mazda; Renault and Nissan are in the same bed; and Daimler took over Chrysler even though it was at first claimed to be an equal merge. These companies are globalized, with production facilities located around the world and parts supplied from all kinds of places. So the trouble that's ailing GM and Ford is no longer about import competition or high labour costs, but it is about bad strategic planning and short-sighted management that keep producing mediocre cars.

Carp through the ice... now I've seen everything.

And here I am, sitting on my arse, lamenting that the season is over. Kudos to your determination, ccmt, and for showing us once again why patience and resolve are virtues to be had.

While waiting to see a doc, try ginger tea. Not sure if you've already tried, but if you haven't, it might be worth a shot. Boil ginger in a pot, pour into a cup, add some honey, and drink while hot. Simple and wacky, but I was suprised by how soothing it was when I had a long bout of coughing last year. The taste isn't to die for, but you get used to it after a few sips.

Simply speechless.

Just curious, did you find your umbrella net more effective compared to a conventional minnow trap?

I spent a week on Lake Nosbonsing this past July. Didn't stay at Cozy Park though; rented a private cottage. I got a lot of help from a couple of fellow OFNers before heading out, but, unfortunately, all that help could not make me a better fisherman. A few hammer handles here and there, lots of panfish, a couple of dink bass, and that was about it. I think this says more about how I suck as a fisherman than the lake itself, but my friends didn't do much better either. Maybe it was the time of the year--damn scorching hot--or at least that's how I'd like to think to preserve some sense of self-respect. Much of that week is hazy, in fact. Too few fish, too much booze.

Niiiiice!

What my avatar is doing... mostly going nuts.