We had the NPSFA dinner last night in Matunuck, a stons throw from the early season schoolie grounds a few weeks away ;D

Great show with Joe Flip getting the lion's share of the awards with a few 40 pound bass, a big fluke, and biggest bass from Block Island shores...

Oh, and I won a Abu6500 matched to an Ugly Stick for Flukin' in the raffle afterwards ;P

Good for you John on winning the rod and reel! One can always use another rod.

That gives me an idea, if my wife asks where I got these new rods and how much?, I'll just tell her Oh they were the door prize at the show. Devious

I just keep hiding the new rods in the rafters in the celler. When you pull it out and she asks you where you got that, your responce is: "what this old thing?"

One of the times I can honestly say "Honey, but I didn't PAY for the reel... ;P )
The hardest part of saying "What, this old thing?" is the battle damage neccessary for the reel to look old... The other thing I've noticed is that if I build a rod and it is pleasing to her eyes, it's not that it's something I dropped $100 to build but a piece of art that kept me locked up for 24 hours off and on without bugging her...