Thad

Loomis is awesome. I used to have a customized 7'6" popping rod that I got when I worked in sporting goods. It was incredible and had my name in gold on the handle. I lost the top half in a move and didn't realize that I could buy just half a rod until I had tossed the butt end. Stupid brain let me down! Now I just use Shimano stuff for marsh fishing. I tend to be rough on gear. I even caught a 40" redfish with a Shimano reel, Power Pro and a $12 Shakespeare rod!

Shimano Power Pro Speckulizer Mr. Twister Exude And yes, I have to own a guitar. Or seven.

We had our first hard freeze in a lonnnnng time last night and my 10 year old daughter is completely amazed this morning. "But Dad, the grass is frozen! The trampoline is frozen! Cool!"

You can have the bull red. Gimme dem tree and foe pound trouts! :D

Never heard of an ice hotel. Weird. Scott, a buddy called me to go last Wednesday- 30 minutes after I had scheduled a job. He went to Hopedale with two other guys and they limited on specks with a lot of 3 and 4 pounders. They caught some reds, too. JL fought one for over half an hour but lost it at the boat. They got a real good look at it and it was over 4 feet long. II'm dying here!

My kinda fishing!

We're supposed to hit a low of 24 tonight. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Maybe, I don't remember. If this cold weather keeps up I'm going to have to buy another pair of long pants! :D Next week it's supposed to be back in the 6os/70s. Sounds like fishin' waether to me....

I know for sure we didn't freeze last winter and I don't remember one the year before, either. I thought it was cute, but my daughter isn't happy with me. "I know what ice is, Dad. Thanks for making me sound retarded." :D

Very short, condensed version: Too smart to go to school, so I worked construction and did floors for a few years until I got into sales. I sold everything from toys to vacuums to cars to trailer homes and then got into the mortgage business. I received a LOT of sales training during those years and learned a lot about the psychology of buying. I took a leave of absence from the mortgage business in 2004 and never went back.

Duluth Trading Co. has a variety of gloves.

That trailer has just about been Loved to death!

I was contacted because I filled out a product card in Cleaner Times. I was planning on attending the training in Orlando in January but it was rescheduled. I guess there's going to be one closer. Still waiting for my box....

I only ever used Stihl. Like Michael says, they start every time. I need to buy a blower and I might look at Echo this time, though.

Do NOT let my little girl find out about them! :D

And then eat it.

Move south, Ken. We're knocking on 90 here today. It doesn't get hotter here that up there it just stays hotter longer.

Current rocker here.

Bob bought me a pony. OK, not really but he does have good customer service and SC is good stuff.

Jon, Priority Mail gives you Delivery Confirmation. Not a tracking number like UPS, etc. You only know if it gets delivered not where it is in transit. I recently had a Next Day Air package go almost two weeks before it showed up. USPS refunded the money but customer still came unglued in the meantime.

A legally concealed weapon story: A friend of mine in Houston (70sih and health problems) was accosted outside a convenience store. Several young gentlemen with dreadlocks started walking up on him saying, "You got some money for us, old man? Where's that money you got for us?" He placed hand in the small of his back under his jacket, informed them that he was armed, and assured them that he would shoot until he felt safe if they continued. They backed off and he went back in the store and called 911. When the cops showed up these geniuses were still hanging around outside the store. Every one of them had warrants in New Orleans. He didn't have to use force, but was capable and ready if it was necessary.

I remember that conversation- can't remember where it was. It's believable, Ken. I get a ton of business by standing at a busy intersection with a "Will Wash For Cash" sign. I'm booked through November of 2008 and I charge a minimum of $1000 for a housewash. I mean, it's not like you're gonna fly here and check it out so I can swear to anything. Right? ;)

Yeah, we limited. Schoolies, but it was still fun. We caught them on live shrimp, plastics on bottom, plastics under a popper- you name it. We had to work for a limit because there were so many shorties. We didn't catch any reds (saw a couple of big ones) and thankfully no hardheads. A couple of gafftops and one big stingray (mine) was it for trash fish. We threw some white trout in there, too. We had just pulled up into a bay and Rick said, "You smell that?" It took me a second to realize what that watermelonish smell was. Then we started slinging plastics and hauling in white trout. I wish it had been a school of specks, but oh well. He eats them. I hadn't been to Hopedale in almost 2 years. It was nice to get back down there. The marsh hasn't changed that much but the drive down is a lot different.

I'm leaving before daylight going fishing in the morning with a friend of mine. This thread prompted me to go over there this evening so that we could hook everything up and check it out in the daylight. :)

JohnW, A politician must live on her street- there are no SUV-sized potholes in it.