The hunt is about to start..again.

[Leo Nguyen]

Big Bear Lake in Southern California reported in with good bites. So, armed with $100, went to the local Bass Pro (where all my fun money seem to be siphoned out on a regular basis) and grabbed some cheap replacement toys:

Bass Pro brand two-pieces Ultralite Glass 5'6" rod. Man, can that rod flex. Remember Kencor magnaglass series? Holy crap, this thing can do the same for $20, rather than $50. Same price can get a 7'6" rod for some major whipping action (crazier than the fly rod any day). 1lb gill are going to feel like 20lbs+ monsters. The reel is the the Quantum Micro for $20. Yeah yeah..I'm cheap. Love the reel's smoothness from the Signature Series combo without any snag during dragging, so, it's a good replacement. The flexibility of the rod is just..just..unreal.

Berkley Trout Dough Series (green) 7'6" ultralight for casting small flies with open reel, $35. Got a Browning ultra light reel for $25. Freaking awesome combo to cast flies with. Just sick! I can outcast my fly rod using a series of 3 nymph weights 10" above the fly, and wham! X mark the spot on every cast up to 30ft.

Okay..I'm itching to head out to one of the lake and give the rods the test run..Casting into a pool is not fun any more.

[Leo Nguyen]

Amen brother..amen. Been there..done that, and did went to shop for her boots and sexy lingerie last month, on my card that is. I think the women use this technique on us every night when we're dead asleep *LOL*

[Tony Livingston]

Let's see if I can put this delicately. The shoes, well, I can take that or leave it. The lingerie on the other hand.... let me just say that I will take off work, drive my wife to town, hand her my business credit card, turn her loose in Victoria's Secret, and stand there with a smile on my face the whole time............

 

Priorities Leo, it's all about the priorities!

[JBplusThuy]

I may be going to Bass Pro Shops this weekend, now you've got me thinking of stuff I don't really need :-)  Must be pretty cold up it Big Bear this time of year, though. Does it ice up much overnight?

[Leo Nguyen]

LOL You always need more stuff that you don't need..right away. Keep stocking up. You help the economy, right? I was actually looking for the U.S. made rods, such as the glass one similar to the Kencor or the China made version for Bass Pro. Couldn't find something something like that within budget, beside the $70+ version. Went cheap..real cheap. However, Berkley is U.S. made, so, scored 1!

Big Bear is not icy at all actually. Cold..but not icy. There was a nice little frost due to the little rain we had, but all melted by today. Cold as cold can be. No ice around the lake either. Coworker just came back and indicated the lake's condition to be a normal pre-spring condition, with out the snow and ice.

[JBplusThuy]

Picked up a 16.5 foot B and M crappie pole, looking forward to trying it out. I considered a 20 footer, but it was way heavier; feels like they get the extra 3.5 feet by adding a heavier butt section. It wasn't worth the extra weight for me.

[Israel Dunn]

Sounds like some nice setups.  Can't to wait to see the pictures of the monsters!

[dick tabbert]

Alright Leo let get that economy rolling again. Never ceases to amaze me when you go to Bass Pro or Cabela's the first thing out of the wife's mouth you got so much stuff now you'll never use iy all, you probably got more than the sporting good stores. It's that old saying all the crank baits, spinner baits and plastics and your rod and reels are made to catch more fisherman then fish, If you think about it there is some merit to that. It's just that one day you might need that certain something so you have to have it and if you ain't got it you can't use it. A fisherman must be prepared for all circumstances or scenario that may arise. We are taught that at a young age starting in the boy scouts -always be prepared, you can never have enough of a good thing. This is the only type of shopping I enjoy so Leo shop on.

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

HEY LEO,
This is a new member here and I LLLLLLLLLLLove watching all you young folks go through what I went through with the Supervisor of the refrigerator here!! She informed me years ago that the fridge was for food, I told her I knew that but this was special food for bluegills! Didn't work then and probably won't work for you either if she finds em by mistake. BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE IS TELL HER BEFORE SHE FINDS EM!
TOOTY

[Leo Nguyen]

LOL Welcome David! Glad you can join us in the discussion. And will take your suggestion to heart..ohh..sure will..trust me. Don't want to sleep with the dogs.

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT THE DOGS LOOK LIKE AND IF IT GETS COLD WERE YOU ARE!

I don't worry so much as about sleeping with our dog, but the food supervisor here is an  great cccccccccccccccccccccook and generally has a sense of humor about things. But of course that only goes so far and having been married for 42 years I know how far it goes.

 TOOTY

[Leo Nguyen]

LOL oh..that is good. I'm the fridge supervisor. But, she has a very sensitive nose. I had to pack that fridge and container with plenty of odor remover. Just in case.