Raf

beat me to it HH. Monroe & Hepburn.

i am probably over complicating things for you; the 7'6" is a great choice and if I were to have just one, it's what I'd get. it would depend on what you are casting. some guys prefer a shorter rod for jerkbaits (I use 6'9") and longer rods for topwaters/bucktails (I use an 8').

yep, that 7'6 is a great all-round rod. Once you get sucked in further to the addiction (and you will), you'll start seeing the benefits of shorter or longer rods for the different applications. However, as a start the 7'6" is a great option. You should be able to get a St.Croix Abu C3 combo at or just south of $300.

most of mine are 1pc. you buy a vehicle where they can fit!

IE 7 is a big improvement over IE 6. Unless you use firefox or another browser going to IE7 is a worthwhile upgrade.

6500s virtually unchanged for years.. because htey work.

I heart my cherokee. it'll pull 2k pounds easily. 4.0L I6. great off the tarmac too.

you mean you'd rather go to mexico than fish those lakers ray? what's wrong with ya? enjoy your trip!!

Thank you Lew, I've been trying to find them locally for a while now. Wallet's going to take a beating.

Ron Fellows!

Are any of the vendors selling LARGE muskie sized spinnerbaits? I am thinking of Grim Reapers and others that size and up. JBs hasn't had any in stock for a while.

Great to hear that Rob.

I also have a mustang and love it. Good advice about buying one or two sizes larges so you have room to move and layer up if needed. The only thing I would change about my mustang is add some type of suspender system. The weight of the suit can be a BIT tough on the back.

Here's the DNR Article. ----------------------------- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 25, 2007 Contacts: Kelley Smith 517-373-3375, Gary Whelan 517-373-6948 or Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014 Department of Natural Resources Confirms Spread of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) in Great Lakes Recent analyses of fish sampled from northern Lake Huron have confirmed the existence of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) in lake whitefish, walleyes and Chinook salmon, Department of Natural Resources fisheries officials announced today. VHS is a virus that causes disease in fish but does not pose any threat to public health. The analyses that were completed earlier this week establish that VHS has now been confirmed in lake whitefish samples from the Cheboygan area, in lake whitefish and walleye samples from the Thunder Bay area, and in Chinook salmon samples from the Swan River egg-take station near Rogers City. "The continuing march of VHS through the waters of the Great Lakes is a major challenge to our agency and our management options," said DNR Director Rebecca A. Humphries. "These new discoveries are extremely unfortunate and further highlight the problems created by the constant introductions of new diseases from outside of the Great Lakes region, the speed with which they can spread, and the threat that such pathogens pose to our natural resources." VHS was detected in lake whitefish from the Cheboygan area after re-analyzing samples collected in 2005 during a survey for bacterial kidney disease (BKD). "It is not unusual for us to collect fish that have unknown viruses, which typically require a significant effort to properly identify," said Gary Whelan, fish production manager for the DNR. "Once we had indications of VHS in other samples of fish from Lake Huron, this sample was retrieved from storage and fully analyzed by Dr. Mohamed Faisal at Michigan State University." Samples from the Thunder Bay area were collected last fall during a mortality event that included lake whitefish and walleyes. "At the time, we suspected that the cause of the mortality might be related to VHS," said Kelley Smith, chief of the DNR Fisheries Division. "Because the fish were so badly decomposed, however, it is still not certain that VHS caused these fish to die since botulism was also a possible cause. But given the detection of VHS and the fact that the mortality occurred during the spawning season both implicate VHS as the probable cause of death of these fish." A number of Chinook salmon observed at the Swan River egg-take station last fall also showed signs of VHS infection, Whelan said. A standard fish health inspection that is annually conducted by the DNR Fisheries Division on this key broodstock did document VHS in both female and male fish, including one fish exhibiting clinical signs of VHS. Standard methods for disinfecting the eggs were applied last fall at the egg-take station prior to transfer of the eggs to the state's hatchery facilities. To date, all lots of Chinook salmon hatched from these eggs and being reared in DNR hatchery facilities have been tested and all are negative for VHS, which is attributable to the disinfection methods that have been employed at all the DNR's egg-take stations for many years. "This shows that our standard disinfection procedures, similar to those used on the West Coast where VHS has been found for a long time, were effective in protecting our hatcheries and the fish reared in those hatcheries," Whelan said. DNR officials have been in contact with personnel in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, alerting them to the new confirmations of VHS in Lake Huron fish, and outlining the steps being taken by the DNR in response to this new information. "In the continued battle to slow the spread of VHS throughout the Great Lakes, we must remain vigilant, take every precaution, and implement all options available to us," Smith said. Those actions include: * Reclassification of Michigan's waters of Lake Huron, including Saginaw Bay, as a VHS Positive Management Area. In addition to Lake Huron, the management area encompasses the state's waters of the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River and Lake Erie. * Reclassification of Michigan's waters of the St. Marys River from the Soo Locks to Lake Huron and all of Lake Michigan as a VHS Surveillance Management Area. * Sampling efforts for several fish species, including walleyes, emerald shiners and lake whitefish will be significantly increased in the new VHS Surveillance Management Area. * Additional testing of all lots of Chinook salmon in the state's hatchery facilities that originated from eggs collected at the Swan River weir will be conducted prior to stocking those fish in the state's waters. * A prohibition on the trap and transfer of live fish that are collected from the state's waters of the Great Lakes for management purposes unless the fish have tested negative for VHS. * Increased efforts to inform anglers and others about the dangers of VHS, especially to inland waters of the state. Anglers are asked not to move live fish between the Great Lakes and inland waters, particularly minnow species, and to use standard disinfection techniques for boats, live wells and other equipment. See www.michigan.gov/dnrfishing for more information on helping prevent the spread of disease and invasive species on the Great Lakes. Citizens are encouraged to report sick fish or fish kills to their local DNR office or use the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr. Anglers should contact the DNR if they observe fish that exhibit any of the following signs: hemorrhaging in the skin, including large red patches particularly on the sides and anterior portion of the head; multiple hemorrhages on the liver, spleen, or intestines; or hemorrhages on the swim bladder that give the otherwise transparent organ a mottled appearance. This information will help DNR fisheries staff to track VHS and take appropriate management actions to help slow the spread of this virus. Anglers and boaters can also help prevent the spread of VHS and other viruses or bacteria that cause disease in fish by not transferring fish between water bodies, and by thoroughly cleaning boats, trailers, nets, and other equipment when traveling between different lakes and streams. The use of a light disinfectant such as a solution of one part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water (i.e., one gallon of bleach to 10 gallons of water) to clean vessels and live wells is very effective against VHS and other viruses and bacteria that cause disease in fish. Soaking exposed items such as live wells, nets, anchors, and bait buckets in a light disinfectant for 30 minutes is also an effective method to prevent the spread of a wide range of aquatic nuisance species. In 2005, VHS was detected for the first time in Great Lakes fish species in the US and Canada, including muskellunge in Michigan's waters of Lake St. Clair and freshwater drum in Lake Ontario. It is not known how VHS was transferred to the Great Lakes region or how long it has been in the waterways of the Great Lakes. The DNR is committed to conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources for current and future generations

You're thinking of the old digital linecounter add-ons Abu made to work with 6500s. I believe tehy discontinued those and are only offering the mechanical LCs Pigeontroller posted above.

I've only used the one made by Shakespeare. Worked fine for spring lakers.

well i suppose it's about time southern ont. got hit. woke up to a fresh 19" two weekends ago up north. not looking forward to the gridlock around the city though.

Minnows get 'lazy' under the float/jig.. give them a lift every once in a while to wake them up. I dont think you are killing them.

well UB you won your own tickets!! LOL. So I guess you don't need mine.

We have three now.

GHahahah Well I am donating one to Uncle Buck.. because well.. HE CAUGHT A FRIKKIN' FISH!! :D

feb 11th

get them to replace the water pump too. they are already in there doing the headgasket so the labour is paid for. pump itself should not be expensive. it's good practise in my mind to replace the water pump at the same time you do the timing belt.

Nice shots Wayne. You've a great place up there. When it's that cold, the fish seem to know it too and tend to shutdown.

hopefully it is just an air bubble. in most vehicles you can 'burp' the system by running the car (when cold) up to operating temp with the rad cap off. remove the rad cap, fill the rad w/coolant. keep filling coolant into the rad as neccessary. when the t-stat opens and coolant start flowing, you're done. hopefully you are not looking at a bad headgasket and/or water pump.