RockRonin

I gave my honest appraisal of the rod Scooby, seeing your comment directly below mine makes me think maybe you think I'm one of those "shills", which couldn't be further from the truth. I'm just a guy who happens to fish, that likes St. Croix rods and really appreciates their customer service. I don't know how much of the tackle I own I bought on your say-so, but dollar-wise, it's in the thousands. 2 years ago, I offered to send you my new Saltiga to do one of your famous teardowns on, which tells you what I think of you, but nobody gave me anything for posting my opinion (FWIW) on the SC Legend and St. Croix gave me damn good reason to buy them, based primarily on their fantastic service. I told them I broke a rod through my own negligence and they sent me a new one for the cost of shipping, who does that? I'm sure I don't have the knowledge you have and I didn't compare it to every rod on the market before choosing it, and this is no attack on you, but my opinion is based on what I've fished, and there are a bunch of rods being pushed by guys everyone's heard of that aren't nearly as good as what I'm fishing. Since I fish lures and I have both tops, I don't have a problem with the 3 1/2oz top end of the range, unless I'm jigging, I don't need more. I must have missed the part where everyone attacked you, but you posting your comment directly under mine sure gave me the impression I was one of those "experts" you were talking about. Maybe it's not all about me...and maybe, it's not all about you.

I don't own any Van Stal reels, but I do have the 10-6 Legend, I have it paired with a Gen1 Penn Torque5 Bailess. In your price range, you could look at a Penn SlammerIV in the 5500 range, or something similar size/weight. Different folks like different brands, assuredly, and I assume you're getting a good deal for your trade-up, but I've never been a fan of putting a $200 reel on a $600 rod. Those new CertateSWs are pretty nice, but maybe a bit pricier than you want to go.

When I got there, the line was 50 deep for Scabelly's, so I got some of the other stuff I like and picked through what was left. It all works.

I love my Legends, best rods I ever fished off the rocks. Re: 10'6", I've got 2 tops for each of them one 3/4-4 and one 2-6, I let my buddy use one of them, I can't say a bad thing about them, or St. Croix. Legend blanks are made in the USA which is nice. As for the sweet spot on the 3/4-4, it's pretty wide. I handles everything I carry in my bag and is sensitive enough to fish 3/4oz bucktails, yet beefy enough to throw 3 1/2oz plugs.

Christmas eve, I was out on my friend's pond in NJ, I'm 210# I went out there with a ladder to test the ice for the kids to skate, but there wasn't anywhere on that pond that you couldn't take a riding mower on. looked about 6" thick.

That was the meat of the conversation on the trip back home. Spring is around the corner.

I was just playing fun with what you said, if I have to watch another 20-something dude out with his girlfriend "teaching" me how to fish, while spot-burning I might blow a gasket. There are really good fishermen out there that have channels on u2oob that are entertaining and sometimes there's a hidden gem in there with what they share, but for the most part, I want to strangle a lot of the kids. If you know, you know. Your OP was money, I was joking about buy Go Pros.

I was out this morning, fished NOMC and CMC, nothing happening at dawn. Saw birds working hard over a school of bait, fast walked a half mile down the beach cast into it for 10 minutes but there was nothing under the bait. Birds left, I left, thus endeth the season. Got my exercise for the day though.

I generally point them up since I'm always hooking up on the front hook and by going hook up on the tail hook, I'm less likely to hurt the fish, since it's pointed away during the fight.

Speak for yourself, I've sucked at fishing for 45 years at least. Doesn't matter fresh or salt...I suck at it. After all this time, I bet I'm the only guy here willing to admit to never catching a 40#er. Came close on Paulie's Jetty, but nope... For want of a nail. Think I'll buy a few Go Pros and become an Internet sensation. Do drone cameras show wind knots?

Willie McGinnist... Why do I know that name?

The 9mm 115gr rounds are definitely not going to be optimal, I'd say barely adequate. Also, barrel length will enter into it as well. Using a 9mm for protection against bears a whole bunch of variables may or may not become critical. When you step up in caliber you eliminate variables. I don't know what pistol you're shooting, but some, like the Glock, can be converted to .357sig, which would be adequate. You're really better off with .357, .40SW, 10mm, or .45ACP, but suit yourself, a lady once deleted a grizzly bear with a .22LR pistol(not recommended). Once you've settled on caliber, bullet selection comes next. 115gr JHP/FMJ is unsuitable for a woods gun. Regardless of caliber, stay away from light hollowpoints, look for heavy-for-caliber Hard Cast rounds instead. An exception might be Underwood Lehigh Defense Extreme Penetrator or Extreme Defense, but first choice would be hard cast bullets. Look and see what Buffalo Bore has in your chosen caliber, Underwood Ammo also makes a hard cast. For bear defense, overpenetration is a good thing, so like I said "Extreme Penetrators" or Hard Cast are what you want. Make sure whatever you choose you go through a few boxes at the range to verify it cycles perfectly in your pistol and where it hits.

A bridge collapsed in India this weekend, 130 dead, used to be trains trying to not hit cows killing hundreds. Human life is cheap elsewhere in the world. Now it's becoming cheap here.

Just caught my typo. Stock, not stick. Stock up and prepare defenses against stickups.

I've made myself useful to someone who's stocked up. I have a little, they have a lot.