Click here for my first Salmon I caught on Oct. 1, 1968

Archived Daily Log 
(Dating back to the year 2000)

1/12/12  Yesterday in Manistee County, MI was one of those kinda days to mark on the calendar and remember.   Click to see yesterday's conditions
               I suspect this was the nicest day we're going to see until this coming March.  A pleasant 54 degrees and sunny skies doesn't happen often during January in Manistee.
               Mr. Winter will be open back for business tomorrow with a lot colder temperatures.  Snowfall is predicted for today, tomorrow and Friday. 
               Having a new current photo with a super imposed thermometer to work from sure makes my job a lot easier when comes to telling the entire story.

1/11/12  The eternal unanswered mythical question of what and where fish can see is an excellent subject for today.  Click for 6 separate fish eyeballs
               It's hard for me to understand, or explain fish eyesight.  Fish have a highly complex field of view.  Fish focus way different than us humanoids. 
               Lens inside a fish eyeball a lot more rounded compared to a human lens.  We all know about fisheye camera lens is similar to a carnival funhouse mirror with big in the middle & small on the edges.  Click fish eye vs. human eye
               Field of view for a fish on the horizontal plane is 165 degrees and their vertical plane comes in at 134 degrees.  Making a plus 30 degree visible downward angle.
               We homo sapiens have about 150 degrees on both planes mentioned before.  This kinda exposes another myth about fish not seeing, looking, or feeding downward.
               Posted a decoupage of 6 different fish eyeball images.  You can clearly see some of the live fresh caught fish looking downward to further prove my point.
               While this is kind of spooky and almost reel-unsettling ...if you watch a fish you just boated? ...their eyeball will move around, cuz it's looking at you.

1/10/12  I've got a bright outlook for you today.  Tomorrow will add about 90 seconds of daylight when compared to today.  Days are getting longer exponentially.  Soon every new day will add 2 minutes and more.  Over time, minutes turn into hours.
              I can tolerate Manistee winters.  Snow and cold in my neck of the woods are a fact of life.  Getting dark & full night at 5:30pm with the time shift is what I dislike most about the early part of MI winters.  More temps in 40s for Manistee today ...too!

1/9/12  There's something on the front burner to important to overlook weather related.  We all know MI and surrounding Great Lakes states are having a very mild winter. 
             This spills over to the water temps too.  The main body of Lk. MI off Manistee, MI on 1/5/12 was 40.5 degrees.  Click 1/5/12 Manistee water temp chart
              Had to go back a few days for a temp chart with no cloud cover.
              Surface temps in the 30s for this time of the season would be more normal for my area.  Big deal was Lk. MI surface temp in the southern end was in the mid 40s.
              One of the reasons for the larger over 20 pound bruiser 2011 Kings last season is these fish were more orientated to 48-56 degree water temps at the thermocline.  54 degrees is supposed to be the prime base metabolic rate for the growth of Salmon.  It stands to reason Chinooks will attain better size in 54 degree water then 40 degree water.
               In 2011 most of the Salmon caught aboard my boat came from 48 to 58 degrees, just above, at, ...or below the thermocline.  This was a huge departure from the 38 to 44 degree water temp Salmon I caught in years prior dating back to i2k.

1/8/12  The photo named "Boat Project Done!" with the marine band radio in the left border brought to mind how all forms of communication has evolved like nowadays electronics.  Today it's called networking.  In 1968 I called learning.
              In the late 1960s and early 1970s fishing info among the sports fleet was spread in person ...by talking.  Early MI Salmon fishermen were less stand offish then today's crowd.  Boat ramps, tackle shops, restaurants, and campgrounds is where info was spread.  Anyplace anglers gathered we spoke to one another like long lost friends.
              Back in the beginning there was a wide desparity with the sports fleet catching skills compared to the charter boats.  This is not true today with sports anglers on equal footing with charter skippers, but that's stone better left unturned for the time being.
              Boat to boat communication began in about 1974 with CB radio and taking a firm foothold by 1976.  You met friends on the CB and knew where ...and where not to fish.
              This rise of CB was a cost issue versus early VHF marine band radios that had 12 channels and were way more expensive.  Marine band radios expanded to many more channels by the late 1970s.  You'd shell out about 300 bucks for a quality marine radio in 1978.  Quite a sum back then when you figure that's close to $900 in today's money.
                              Part II in the future of a multi part series.

1/7/12  The good news is 2012 season is here & all the promise it brings!  The unknown factor is the most mesmerizing part of fishing.  Fishing and therapy have a lot more in common then the 7 letters each word contains.
             Been ordering inventory and made great progress this week.  By the middle of this month all items sold that out in 2011 will be restocked.  New Black's Downrigger Releases, Triple Fish Line, Smelly Jelly kits, Dive Bombs, etc. will be soon finding new homes.  Webstore will be reopening soon. Click restocking the shelves
             Like I said before, it's easy to have your enthusiasm level pegged on 10 if you're around a lot of first-rate tackle 24/7.  Everything we sell, has been fully tested on my boat and by our website members for top-notch performance over long haul.
     Tomorrow? ...part 1 of the complete history of Great Lakes fishing networking.

1/6/12  The offseason is the time to do easy boat mods.  Consol in my boat is small and installed a piece of plywood to mount electronics more to me liking. This was done in 2007 and the bare plywood wasn't looking all that good.  Click boat dashboard mod
             Never intended to leave this chunk of wood unfinished, but it was one of those kinds of projects that kept getting shoved to the back burner.
             Fixed this eyesore by covering it tan upholstery material for a brand new spiffy appearance.  Fun thing about rigging boats? ...is you can do it exactly the way you want.
             This job was made possible by our mild winter (yesterday temps in the 40s) and the Mr. Heater inside the fully enclosed cabin when the backdrop is on.
             Teak Tip: trim in the "after" pic looks discolored & needs to be wiped down with regular auto tranny fluid.  ATF is a lot cheaper than teak oil & does the same job.
             Plan is to be completely ready and waiting for the first decent day in this coming March in Manistee, MI for shoreline Brown Trout when the harbor clears from ice.
             It's entirely possible I could be fishing Lk. MI 10 weeks from now, or sooner!
                     What kind of boat projects have you been putting off?

1/5/12  Here's an email/testimonial from Capt. Steve in Kewaunee, WI:
                Hi John,  "Another great year on Lake Michigan over here on the Wisconsin side! Attached are a few photos of the Black Mamba in action during the 2011 season. 
             Black Mamba is by far my favorite pattern of all your flashers! Hopefully you can share these photos on your website." ...Capt. Steve Grose  Click for Steve's photo
            Slam Dunk Sportfishing Charters LLC  www.slamdunksportfishing.com

1/4/12  ZOV to the best of my knowledge this has never been written, or spoke about when it comes to fishing.  Even more specific, for Great Lakes trolling for Salmon & Trout.
             A complete ZOV article is in the works and will debut before winter is over.
Bringing this this key part of our fishing technology to light is no easy task.  However, I'm driven to do what hasn't been done before and strive to break new ground.
             Our Great Lakes Fishery is only about 50 years old.  There's still plenty of virgin topics left to be revealed and ZOV is definitely one of them!
             What is ZOV? ...guess you'll have to stick around to find out.

1/3/12   You know, ...another easy to keep New Years resolution is to join the "Occupy" movements.  Then, occupy your boat as much as possible to protest anything not directly connected to fishing!  Occupying my boat off Manistee in 2012 ...works for me!
             First reel-business day of 2012 and I'm glad to see it.  Been handcuffed since Dec. 23rd trying to order tackle and much needed supplies for this season.
             Something I've never touched on before is the effective underwater visible range of my flashers to the fish.  Coupled with 3 pronged 6 rod attack pulling my flashers to targeted fish in the top 50' will be further explained this week in greater detail.
             That means 2 diver rods, 2 riggers and 2 150' lengths of 45# test copper rigs all pulling about the same amount of action makes this a deadly tripartite team.
             Blizzard warnings for Manistee, MI were wrong.  The bands of lake effect snow stayed more to the north.  Some areas of northern MI got plus a foot, at my place 3".
   My 2011-2012 Manistee snowometer now stands at 8 inches of total accumulation.

1/2/12  Here's an easy New Years resolution not predestined to fail.  Mine is to fish as much as I did in 2011, ...if not more.  Making reel-resolutions you can keep is the deal!
             From the amount of fish off Manistee, MI last October the future of 2012 is bright.  Late season Great Lakes fishing can be a preview of what to expect the following spring.  Fall Coho (October) were at 2 to 2 1/2 pounds off Manistee.  Caught many spring Coho that had all winter to grow ...smaller then what we took on 10/12/11.
             Need to thank Frank M. and his skilled team at Calumet Marine for doing my boat motor swap last June.  Motor changeover was flawless.  Meaning zero grief for me.
             Tomorrow? ...sharing a easy tri-part deadly 6 rod program for geared for the smaller boat anglers.  I'll reveal a negative turned into a positive that took 3 years

1/1/12  First day of the New Year and it's starting off with blizzard warnings for Manistee, MI.  10 to 20 inches of snow with winds to 50 mph is forecast!
             High point for me in 2011 was repowering my 1979 Sea Ray with a new 4 bolt main GM 350 V8.  This is a honey of a power plant and cost was below some re-mans. 
             My boat now cruises at what top end used to be.  You can cover a lot of water at a 26 mph and still have the luxury of pushing 40 at wide open throttle.
             Older Sea Rays have stronger bullet proof hulls.  Fiberglass gel is actually polyester made from oil.  Oil was a helluva lot cheaper in the 1970s then it is now.
 

12/31/11  Out with the old and in with the new?  The 2011 chapter of Great Lakes fishing is about to pass into the history book of Great Lakes fishing. 
                What will 2012 bring? ...who knows, but it will be big fun to see how our new season unfolds.  It would be perfectly OK with me ...if 2012 was a rerun of 2011!
                 Today's featured photo is 8 point antler sheds that match.  This is a rare find seeing each side was found a few weeks apart.  Click 8 pt antler sheds
                 May the 2012 New Year bring you health, wealth, and wisdom.

12/30/11  T.G.I.F. for the last time this year.  2011 presented the Great Lakes fleet with overall calmer waters and less blow days.  September and October were not the constant barrage of wind ...as we've come to expect.  The return of larger Kings is another strong point for 2011, but May, June & early July Salmon fishing was no bed of roses.
                 It's been a pleasure to spend this year with you.  2012 will be my 12th year updating this website everyday.  That's close to 4000 daily entries in my Captain's Log since the birth of this site in late 1999.  This same devotion applies to the tackle I make.
  Thank you for tuning in to share my passion for Great Lakes fishing and the outdoors!

12/29/11  The days are winding down for 2011.  This season was very kind to us Lk. MI fishermen.  My memories start with developing a killer program for the top 50' fish during the middle of the day in ultra flat calm conditions. Click 10/12/11 mirror glass water
               This accomplishment is not to be taken lightly.  By far, bright sun and mirror glass waters are the toughest circumstance to deal with on the Great Lakes when the fish are up high.  Turning these negatives into a positive was in the works for the last 3 years.
                So far, 2011 is high water mark for my webstore with a close to 20% sales increase.  Although, I failed miserably with my efforts to sell my tackle/website business. 
                Internet sales are the least understood asset of my tackle business.  This is due the reel-fact public web based sales are still in their infancy, but growing every year!
                The begin 2012 on a solid footing my tackle manufacturing operation is no longer for sale.  I'm looking forward to the future of our Great Lakes Fishery.

12/28/11  Big news from my neck of the woods is still the weather.  Posted a top-bottom photo comparing Decembers 2010 vs. 2011.  Click 2010 vs. 2011 snows
                 Courtesy of website member, Rick B ...we now have all the details on the Ludington, MI Sea Grant Regional Workshop being held on 1/7/12.  This is a full day event that runs from 8:30am thru 3:30pm and now costs 30 dollars for those that are registering after 12/10/11.  Lunch is being provided along with a raffle sponsored by the Ludington Charter Boat Association.  Click for more details & PDF registration form

12/27/11  Yesterday the perch fishing was good on the Saginaw River out of Bay City, MI.  Late season anglers willing to brave the elements are being rewarded with some mighty fine eating.  Plus, bonus days on the water. Click 12/26/11 Bay City, MI perch
                Lower 40s yesterday in Manistee, MI as winter continues to be a no show so far.  I suspect Mr. Winter is laying low for an all-out sneak attack soon.
                Manistee normally has a 5 month snow season (Nov.-Mar.) that can overlap a few weeks on both ends.  Lack of Nov.-Dec. snowfall means this year our snow season has been cut from a lengthy 5 months to only 3.
                Last year at this time snowfall at my place in Manistee County, MI was already pushing around 40 inches.  This year it's a skimpy 4 inches.

12/26/11  Yesterday was one of the few times during a year when this website goes over the top with jazzy jingle bells music, flashing Christmas lights and falling snow.
                 My favorite Christmas gift was an upgraded trouble light ready to face the onslaught of 2012's future unknown mechanical gremlins.
                     Limbo week between the holidays is here again.  Hard to accomplish anything meaningful if you're running a business.  2012 will be here in 5 days and it's a must to be ready.  Winter lays the foundation for the summer rush tackle season.

12/25/11  Merry Christmas to All!

12/24/11  Best wishes to all for 2012 and Merry Christmas!
                    Shuffled the lineup of featured photos back to the 1985 Frankfort, MI photo.  There's a lot more to this picture then just a gal in daisy duke shorts. 
                 You can see how committed I was to attractors pushing 30 years ago with a selection of dodgers stored under the gunnels.  Plus, the fish in the pic was caught on a custom taped attractor.  The Great Lakes attractor market was evolving at this point. 
                 If you wanted fancy-dancy lure tape to dress up your attractor? ...it was a DIY arts and crafts project in most cases.  Click 1985 attractor evolving       

12/23/11  Took a look at the effort put into this year's updates.  As of yesterday 48,267 words, comprising 360 paragraphs, amounting to 85 pages (Microsoft Word data), & over 700 full-size images has been published on this website since January 1, 2011. 
               Winter paid a light visit yesterday morning to Manistee Co, MI by dropping a season opening inch of snow for act 1.  Click 1st full inch of Manistee snowfall
               Usually, it's hard winter for Manistee at, or around Thanksgiving, but this year has been quite balmy when you consider the lack of snow and warmer temps.
               Full range of temperatures for 2011 at my place is 101 to 6 below.  2010-2011 snow season came in at 133 inches.  Well be below the norm of 150 to 200 inches.
    My 2011-2012 Manistee snowometer now stands at 2 inches of total accumulation.

12/22/11  First day of winter 2011-2012.  Days will gradually start getting longer now as we are about to pass the winter solstice and shortest day of the year.
                Thanks to all who have bought my tackle this year.  Christmas sales season was up 10-15% over last year.  This is due in part to the big turnaround of Lk. MI towards larger King/Chinook Salmon.  Plus, a very oh-slight uptick in the economy.
                Whitetail bucks are beginning to drop their antlers as today's featured picture shows.  If the weather continues to be mild? ...bucks can carry horns well into February.
                Winter continues to be a no-show in Manistee County, MI.  No measureable snow at my place other then a few light dustings.  Click young buck losing horns

12/21/11  In keeping with this week's theme about taking pictures ...posted my favorite happy snappy taken in 2011.  This photo shows my ace double number on fishin' bud, John J fast into a King on a diver rod.  Click for my favorite photo taken in 2011
                 There's a lot going on in this photo to the trained eye.  The warm orange glow of the morning sun lights this picture radiantly.  Early morn fog clouds lifting off Lk. MI makes the grey and blue puffy sky a sight to behold.
                  On the fishing end you can see we're just setting up by noticing the Penn 330 GTI 1/2 copper rod unset in the bird tree rod holder.  Down rigger angle slows we've slowed the boat to deal with this King, or there'd be more blowback on the rigger cable.

12/20/11  My storyline about preserving past memories with photos needs to be postponed until I get a better handle on this vast subject.  Photos are a great way to record history of events that are important to you.  One picture is worth a 1000 words!
                The technical aspect of photos for web use dictate fairly low resolution compressed images for a short download time to display.  Another reason for low-res is computer monitor settings are below a 4000 x 3000 pixel count 2.6 meg image.
                Digital cameras?  The sky is the limit on what can be spent.  I use a point and shoot camera which eliminates the hassle and cost of carrying around extra lens like in my 35mm film SLR days.  High end digital SLR cameras are better left for the pros.  Not for somebody like me with slimy fish paws taking pictures aboard a boat.
                Webstore will be closing tomorrow at midnight.  Unsure of when the 2012 relaunch will happen.  Right now, first part of February 2012 is tentative.  Upon reopening my tackle manufacturing company and Mich-Angler website will no longer be for sale.

12/19/11  The setup on today's featured photo of a table full of spring Kings caught in 1979 out of Frankfort, MI begins with the top photo showing outriggers.
                The 1979 meat table catch of Paul, myself & my wife Merlene came mostly on outriggers towing small Deep Six divers close to the pier heads in Frankfort MI. 
                After finishing a successful April-May on lower Lk. Huron's spring King fishery, we decided to hit Frankfort.  Bait was packed in the harbor and so were the Kings.  Some to and past 20 pounds.  Not too shabby for early season reel-screamer King Salmon!
                Click 1979 meat table catch    Click 1985 outrigger photo
                Tomorrow? ...the top 3 photos will be stitched together in a common thread. 
                Answer to yesterday's question about what my camera collection photo has in common?  Every camera was less costly then it's predecessor.  The evolution of digital cameras? ...every one of them has more bells & whistles with a smaller tag price!

12/18/11  Photographs of your fishing trips will be cherished long after the season is over.  My fish photo collection is easy to get lost in ...when I post one for this website. 
Memories can fade overtime, but recalled immediately when a picture is viewed.  Pictures are magical and capture only a fleeting instant in time that can never be relived!
                I've owned Nikon Cameras since the mid-later 1970s, but in no way see today's collection of my Nikons an endorsement to rush out and buy one.
                Nikons take great images ...no doubt, but from my experience they are very fragile and do not withstand anything close to abuse.  Click my Nikon collection
                My Nikon late 1980s 8008 film SLR 35mm has internal off-on issues. 
                Nikon's first attempt into digital was their Coolpix 950 debuting on i2k and still takes good pictures for a 1 megapixel camera.  Nikon's next attempt in about 2002 is the Coolpix 995 at 3.3 mega.  That camera no longer focuses clearly, is obsolete, and has been retired.  Next digital Coolpix Nikon I bought is an upgrade from the 995 is the Cool-Pix 8700 at 8 megapixels.  The 8700 camera has been a workhorse for this website and still functions like brand new.  Excluding name ...what do all this cameras have in common?

12/17/11  With the evolution of the internet connections speeds for most have increased.  High speed connections makes video as a learning medium very feasible. 
                Signed up for a You Tube account and plan on posting "how to" short movies directed at the tackle we sell.  This will raise the bar even higher for product support.
                Shooting videos is a risk.  Done right? ...a tremendous tool.  Done wrong? ...it's reel chance to make yourself dumber than a box of rocks. 
                Striving for the done right part is the goal.  This is a huge undertaking and the next logical step to provide the best customer support on this planet.  Presently, my customer support ranks second to none and plan on keeping it that way!

12/16/11  One of my favorite things is turning the lights off in the our tackle shop when a day's work is done.  That's when I get to see all the glowy tackle saying goodnight.  Decided to reveal this "glow in the dark" experience with you and snapped a pic.
                 It's my great pleasure to share today's featured photo shot entirely in natural no light conditions.  Except from the all-night mercury yard light coming thru a window.
                 Making tackle keeps me in the switched on mode, during season, ...or not.  It's easy to show what separates my lineup from the rest: Click X-Glows in blue & green
                 This marks the first time both the blue & green X-Glow flashers and lure tape were photographed side by side for a true reel-impressive comparison. 
     Lot's of people will tell you how good their tackle is.  Me? ...I prefer to prove it!

12/15/11  Calendar of preseason events for 2012 begins on 1/7/12 with the Michigan Sea Grant Meeting being held at the Ramada Inn in Ludington, MI.
                The Ludington Charter Boat Association will be holding a raffle during intermission.  My apologies to this fine organization for missing my chance to donate tackle to their event in 2010.  I know how tough the charter business is firsthand with lessons learned over a span of 20 years. Click my 2012 Ludington tackle donation
                Not privy to all the Sea Grant meeting details like starting time, who's scheduled to speak, and what the topics are.  Tried a web search for specifics and that came up empty. Hope to have all the Sea Grant info listed soon.  Events Page will return with a schedule for activities directed at all Great Lakes anglers. Click 2011 Events Page
                My kudos to the Ludington Charter Boat Association for their dedication to our Great Lakes.  This fine organization is leading the area fight against nesting cormorants. 

12/14/11  Being in any business requires the wearing of several hats.  One of which is advertizing guru.  To be effective at advertizing you need to think of appealing names & slogans that become catch phrases to showcase your products.  Click Smurf & Turf
                An inspired idea came to me yesterday ...one, so easy I couldn't pass it up.   A virtuoso already ingrained modern terminology with a slight twist to the words. 
               "Smurf and Turf" has been embraced describe our lineup of Smurf glow blue and daylight blue glow UV tackle.  Smurf to designate the color pattern and turf to relay the message of meat.  Having reel-monikers speeds up the process of identification too!

12/13/11  In my travels around Manistee County, MI last week on 12/5/11 the High Bridge Public Access between Wellston and Brethren, MI.  It was shocking to see only 3 boat trailers in the parking lot setup to handle 40 some boat trailers and tow vehicles.
                This stretch of the Big Manistee River down to the Bear Creek access has striking scenery thru valleys punctuated with steep high banks.  This section of the BMR offers a vast mix of fast and slow water, all attractive to one of the greatest, if not the greatest game fish, our Michigan Steelhead. Click High Bridge Launch on 12/5/11

12/12/11  1. How do fish see things?  2. What colors can fish see?  Much has been said and written about these 2 mysterious questions.  None it to my satisfaction, because simply put ...nobody knows and at the best offer conjecture. Click fish eye view
                 One thing everyone agrees is fish have an oval eye lens.  Known in the camera world terms, as a fisheye lens.  To bring a better understanding of what a fish sees ...I used a fisheye lens to photograph the same meat head with the rubber fish in the toothpick photo.  If that's how a fish sees it's prey?  Their vision system is way beyond my comprehension and proves what an eternal mystery fishing really is!

12/11/11  Yesterday's photo showing the rubber fish rear toothpick is strictly a demo for when I hold meat school in my shop.  Meat school is for those new to fishing meat and is done by appointment only.  In less then 5 minutes all can be explained.  This aids my customer's confidence level and gives them a leg up.  Showing them first hand there is absolutely no learning curve. Click for toothpick & rubber fish demo
                In spite of claims about how fantastic phony bait is? ...I've pulled it and never had a bite on it.  If it works for you great.  The more alternatives the better.  
                If you're wanting to raise you meat program to an art form please take the time to click on these 2 articles: Rigging with Red  Fine Tuning Whole Reel-Bait

12/10/11  Christmas 10% off sale will be extended for a few days.  Ludington Ford dealer is having issues fixing my RV's cruise control.  Was hoping to be on the road headed south by the first of next week.  But, when hoping meets the reality of doing? ...it's a whole different unreel-world.  Snow has held off so far at my place.  Knock on wood:)!
                 The low tech toothpick is all important to fishing meat.  The rear toothpick is actually a tensioning device that holds and controls the bend for the proper spin rate when using whole herring.  Tip: Insert the toothpick firmly. Click pegging rear line hole
                  Equally important for herring strip users too, because it pegs the hook towards the tail of the meat strip eliminating short striking, or missed fish.

12/9/11  My tackle webstore will be closing soon for winter vacation.  Not sure when we'll reopen, but around Super Bowl Sunday is tentative for now.
               Our Christmas sale 10% off 100 dollar purchases has been a huge success.  This is the last discount offered until the 2012 Christmas season rolls around next year.  Thanks to all everyone for purchasing my tackle during the course of 2011. 
               The reason behind new re-engineered tapered rim shape in the rear line holder hole in our meat heads? ...that came from my bifocal equipped aging eyes that need all the help they can get.  This epiphany came to me while fumbling around last August in low light conditions in a hurry to get lines in the water.
                Tomorrow? ...the great importance behind the multiuse toothpick.

12/8/11  Perfected a new machining process for the rear line-holder hole in the back of our meat heads.  This re-engineered hole now has a tapering countersunk rim to make it easier to peg the toothpick at right distance for desired hook drop.  Granted, this is a small, but necessary tweak that will make hook spacing a lot easier.
               Ongoing improvements keeps the Magnum and Super Magnum Meat Heads leading the competition.  I'm proud of the added structural material incasing the rear line holder hole in the recently updated 2005 Magnum Heads.  New 2012 Magnum Heads in HRP, Sparkler, Firedot, X-Glow, Clear have this upgrade.  The other colors when existing old stock is depleted will have this feature too.  Click taper fit new rear line hole
                If you're not using my heads yet?  I have a question for you: what do the outdated flimsy foreign heads have slated for upgrading in 2012?  Short answer: nothing!
                Tomorrow? ...the reel-reason behind the new tapering fit hole!