abkeenan

Very VERY nice Alex. Not so nice on blocking out background landmarks...lol.

Bite your tongue you blue and crimson rat with wings! lol. While SEC East is certainly weaker than it's western brethren, the East is still very very solid. UGA, MIZZOU, South Carolina and Tennessee are all very good football programs. Kentucky made strides last year and is no longer a complete laughing stock in football. FLA is stuck in a rut right now but at any time they could have a great recruiting class and jump right back into a top 25 or even top 10 in the nation program. I think Arkansas and Tennessee both are going to shock some people next year with how much they have improved. We saw glimpses from Champs hawgs the 2nd half of last season that they were a force not to be taken lightly (back to back shutouts of LSU and Ole Miss). Would love to see them mix things up in the best division/conference in NCAA that is the SEC West. Mark my words that Tennessee is going to be much much better next season and wouldn't surprise me at all if they were a top 25 or better team next year. By the way SEC East was 5-0 in their bowl games last season.

I did fantasy fishing for the first time ever this year and it starts with the Classic. Kinda fun and you can win some sweet prizes (Tackle Warehouse has MASSIVE payout of tackle at years end). I also think Cliff Pace has a real good chance to win as it sets up just like on Grand when he won. Seems like it's going to be a jerkbait and jig combo that wins it just like on Grand so that bodes well for Pace and McClelland. Casey Ashley is one of the huge favorites because it's his home lake but I read somewhere the no local has ever won the Classic on their home lake so I didn't pick him as one of my 5 anglers on my fantasy fishing team. Jacob Wheeler is also a wild card as that kid can FLAT OUT FISH and he seems to be very versatile.

Hey, Nothing wrong with that! It's like going to the casino for 8 hours and breaking even when you're walking out. That's a win in my book!

Hahaha. I love those stupid Hitler spoofs. They never get old to me. Surprised I've never seen that one before and it was 100% accurate in every way about MU Basketball. "It's OK, Gretel. Who could resist that hair?" CLASSIC! lol.

That's what happens when within a 15 year period you have two coaches that are shady individuals (Quinn Snyder and Frank Haith with underhanded dealings and all sorts of NCAA infractions) and one coach (Mike Anderson) that gave MIZZOU Basketball little time to find a decent replacement (ended up being Haith) when he left for those people that praise an animal that wallows around in mud and it's own filth . Haith is the one that really set back the program though because his recruiting was terrible other than being able to get junior college or disgruntled transfers from other schools. That's nice to be able to pick up guys like that from time to time but you can't build a program like that and it is more or less just a patch work or band aid. I guess you have to hit (Table) Rock bottom before you are able to gather yourself up and forge ahead.....but man...my Tigers sure are a LONGGGGG way from seeing the top again. Kim Anderson sure has tough road to hoe that's for sure.

Buahahahahaahaha.

Well said and spot on.

This is what I thought as well.

I though about mentioning that in my original post. I am aware of that but since the LEWS brand was bought out just a handful of years ago (after a hiatus from producing rods or reels) by the current owner it's safe to assume they started from square one on the rod and reel building. Don't know that for sure but just my assumption. How's that you smart alecked Razorback?

Gary, You are on the right path. I don't know your budget so it is going to be hard to recommend a rod without knowing that info. Also, is this going to be your only rod or are you going to use it specifically for say...cranks, topwater, spinnerbaits, jigs, texas rigs...etc.? If this is going to be your only rod I would get something in the 6'6"-7' range. Most likely I myself would go with a 7' MH rod. Lew's just got into the rod market a few years ago so they might be a little green yet. They very well may be awesome rods but I have no experience to base that off of and I would trust a rod maker such as Falcon that's been around a while over Lew's. The Lew's reel you mention the Laser MG is a decent reel and I own one. I will tell you I would 100% buy the next model up (LFS Speed Spool) for only $20 more. It has an all aluminum frame compared to the Laser MG's graphite. Well worth the extra $20. Again without knowing how you intend to use this combo makes it hard to suggest a gear ratio but I would get a 6.3:1 ratio or in that ballpark because it lends itself to use it for cranking or soft plastics/jigs. A happy medium if you will. Line. Again can't really help without knowing your intentions. Co-poly like RPS mentioned is a good all around line that would work for just about any bait application you could think of....soft plastics, jigs, cranks, topwater, jerkbaits..etc. 12 pound would be a good best all around line if you only had ONE rod to use. Hope this helps and we can dial you in a little better with more info.

Just like a lot of rules, regulations or laws they were put in place to protect against something and as time goes on (technology advances) they become irrelevant and need to be restructured or thrown out completely. I believe the 3 hook rule in MO was put into place to help with the over harvesting of certain fish....say spoonbill, sturgeon, etc. I am not entirely sure but that is just my guess. Now the A-Rig comes along in which that rule or regulation should really not apply but it falls into that illegal gray area. Either way I don't find it to be a big deal. I will also agree of the handful of A-Rigs I have found in tree tops (fish the MO side about 90% of the time but do venture into Long Creek AR side) when water levels are down every single one of them had 5 hooks when they should have had 3.

SOLD. PLEASE DELETE.

Pretty sure this is going to make it's way into my tackle box very very soon. http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Jackall_Gantarel/descpage-JGAN.html#multiview

I have one. It wakes and works but I don't like the action on it because it is a one piece bait. If Buckeye made that same bait in a jointed model I think it would be killer and the best waker on the market. I have had thoughts of cutting the bait's last 1/4 or 1/3 off and adding a joint.

Exactly.

Def not. Going to go stretch out some Zinkers in your honor so I can get some more salt in my wounds.

Did all those things on your checklist other than using braid and adding weight to the read portion of the front half of the bait. Still to no avail. I WILL figure it out though eventually.

1 to score and play defense while the other 2 laugh uncontrollably at how bad we are.

A TON. There are guys that swear that you have to mod them to keep them from diving and then their is the other team of guys that say don't mess with them and fish them out of the pack AS IS. But Team "Leave it alone" will also tell you you might get one or two out of 10 that run right and the other 8 or 9 are destined for the trash bin or tinker tank. I have a handful of Redfins I bought about 5 years ago. Tried them. Hated them (because they dive, are finicky and must be fished at the correct speed or action isn't right). I then decided to play with them by using a hair drier to get the bill just hot enough to make it pliable and change the angle on the bill making it more perpendicular to the bait (Say from 30 degrees out of the pack ballpark to 70-90 degrees). Was an absolute failure and couldn't get them to run right. They have been sitting in a box ever since but about 2 weeks ago I got the urge and fighting spirit to tame the Redfin beast and maybe this weekend I am going to completely remove the bills and insert new circuit bills which are lighter and hopefully get the front end of the bait to ride higher in the water hence not dive. Will be trying multiple shapes and size bills and see what works and what doesn't. Also might play with where the bill is inserted (same as original bill placement or move it forward more towards the nose/line tie (think Buckeye Wakeup)). Hopefully SOMETHING works or else this will be the death of the Redfin for me and I will just have to settle for the Jackall Mikey.

Great photo Macsimus!

Who are you kidding? You are plenty crazy enough already to try it (Self proclaimed to have a Madman's Glee I once read somewhere). You're just a gutless as Coach Krzyzewski. Heyyyooooo! Sorry, have to take my basketball frustrations out on you as my Tigers are just so pathetic. Worst season they have had since the early 60's. When you talking about the worst team a school has had in a half century that is really saying something...and not for the good. Pretty sure Duke could beat MIZZOU with only 3 guys out on the floor for your Blue Devils. March "Dave" Madness is right around the corner which would be a fitting time to unveil your FrankenTURD Rig

Next adventure......All Ned A-Rig aka A-Team?

Just can't get away from that Woo Pig Sooie red can you? That is a beautiful Cardinal red boat though.

She's a beaut Clark