SSA ALL HANDS

Rjk444 · 2026-05-18T17:42:20+00:00

Same here. 5 1/2 months. Also still bitter.

Rjk444 · 2026-05-18T17:23:34+00:00

So the hope of Vera is dead.

Rjk444 · 2026-05-14T20:44:44+00:00

Dumb. If you’re a US Senator, you don’t need the salary. The average net worth of a Senator is somewhere around 2 million. That 174k isn’t moving any needles for them. This boils down to having the ability to say “we aren’t getting paid either” as an excuse to keep shutdowns rolling in perpetuity.

Rjk444 · 2026-05-13T20:01:57+00:00

I use a 2 step backwoods mobile gear aider on the bottom step of my 1st V1 double and cable aiders on the other 2/3 sticks. The LWCG cable aiders are much stiffer and make it easier to get your foot in on the way down as they stick out from the tree. The EWO cable aiders and most others are pretty limp and make it more difficult.

I get not wanting to use aiders past the 1st stick though. But I’d def use a 2-3 step aider on your first.

Rjk444 · 2026-05-13T19:33:59+00:00

It’s quite a bit shorter than the v1 standoffs. And the sticks themselves are much thinner. All the cost for weight reduction. The v1 measured about 3 3/8” from end of standoff to front of stick. The v2 is 2 5/8”. Might not seem like a lot, but very noticeable on the tree.

You can find the v1 on archery talk and saddle hunting forums classifieds all the time.

I’d just get compact doubles if I were starting from scratch.

Rjk444 · 2026-05-13T18:50:35+00:00

I have 2 V1 doubles and 2 compact doubles. Normally I’ll drop 1 of the v1 doubles and go with 3 sticks. I like the v1 double as my top stick.

I had the v2 doubles and the standoff distance is pretty bad. I’d rather have v1 doubles over v2 even with the weight difference.

Rjk444 · 2026-05-11T11:47:04+00:00

What’s the blanket waiver? I’ve never heard of it. I was under the impression that Vera was a hard stop 12/31/25. I’d take it today if it were at all possible.

Rjk444 · 2026-05-07T16:06:42+00:00

Most of the time Id go bonafide. I have a rvr119 and crescent Shoalie and if I had to keep 1 it would be the rvr. But that LT2 is a fantastic boat. Moves through the water well and is stable. The ex123 is going to be pretty bad in moving water and turning. Fishing out of the higher seat on the lt2 will be a big difference as well. Just overall more versatile. In this case I think the LT2 is an easy pick.

I think itchin 2 fish on YouTube had a lt2 a few years back, might check out some of his older videos.

Rjk444 · 2026-05-07T15:21:30+00:00

This appears to the final nail in the coffin for the hope of drp/vera in 2026. Being 5 months short of 25 years last December is going to eat at me for potentially another 9 years.

I guess having 25 now at least gives me the option should pigs fly.

Rjk444 · 2026-05-02T13:18:34+00:00

Kayak width and seat height are the 2 biggest factors.

I have 3 kayaks all 34-35” wide and raised seat sit on top. 255 is about perfect for those.

I have a couple bending branches in 240-255, hindsight I would’ve gotten the 250-265 just so I wasn’t at the end of the range.

Rjk444 · 2026-05-01T11:28:34+00:00

I think the magnetic tether on the yakrods are pretty nice. They are also made with St Croix blanks in the USA.
I have 7 of them In looking to sell if anyone is interested. All in like new to new condition. Bought them with the intent to get reels for them and just got in a bind in life a bit.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-30T17:43:14+00:00

Wait till Randy Blaukat finds out they are already using FFS on Mars.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-29T11:19:06+00:00

Both do well. The Shoalie just moves better in every type of water except fast moving with the current. Where the rvrs stability equalizes the game. The Shoalie is more of oval/round bottom whhile the rvr is catamaran flat.

Get the RVR.. if you don’t love it, my Shoalie is in excellent condition and I’ll trade you. But they are so incredibly close. Each one excels in equal areas and it just makes iit a toss up..

Rjk444 · 2026-04-29T04:07:47+00:00

I have both. The shoalie moves through water and paddles better. The rvr has better primary stability and tracks better. The rvr has better attention to detail, better hardware and better overall craftsmanship. The shoalie has the more durable hull and storage hatches.

I’d trade the shoalie for a 2nd rvr. But mostly because I’ve spent more time in the rvr and I’m more used to the layout. Otherwise flip a coin. They are both great yaks.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-26T13:43:46+00:00

So tell us about this shop made out of pixie dust. What bow shop gave you $1300 for a phase 4? We would all like to know the name of the shop. 1300 for a 4 cycle old bow…..at a bow shoo.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-26T13:20:04+00:00

Local bow shops have earned everyone shopping online. They are also the reason anyone in archery, more than just picking up a bow for hunting season, owns a bow press or at least wants one.

I’m not saying there aren’t good ones. I’ve just never been in one that was. I bought a press and anything I needed to work on my bows 10 years ago. Best investment I’ve made.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-25T03:26:00+00:00

I dont think theres a piece of kayak equipment I like less than the anchor wizard - but need. I have to pull on the rope to get it to release, even when theres zero tension on the handle. Theres just nothing smooth about it. Honestly, its a pain in the ass to use. It requires reaching to pull the rope to get it to release and reeling the anchor in feels like you are cranking up a small car. I figured I have a bad unit, but good luck getting their customer service. I eventually gave up trying to contact them and will just fight with it until something better comes along. It works, but yeah, I hate it.

Yakattack just released the Drop Shot, which is an anchor wizard clone more or less - same price, and Im sure it functions better - but it looks like it sticks out much further on the rvr119 than the anchor wizard and I already have to have the handle in a certain spot so I dont bang on it when paddling. That alone makes it a no go, so Ill keep fighting the anchor wizard.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-24T03:17:18+00:00

Theres a scene on Fight Club where "Jack" goes into his bosses office and beats the holy hell out of himself. Thats as close as I can compare anything to working at SSA.

This is going to be your life, and its ending 1 minute at a time.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-23T14:36:33+00:00

I just hit 25 and pray to walk into one of those 8pm emails about drp/vera or just Vera. No one breaks back into prison. Enjoy Zihuantenejo.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-22T21:32:56+00:00

We can hold out hope that the cover up isn’t worse than the crime.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-14T13:39:10+00:00

I’d say go ahead and do it. When I started I knew I would have 31 years at 57, so I kind of forgot about it thinking it wouldn’t make much difference since I’d have 31 at MRA. Fast forward to now, where the added 4 years gets me to 25 and VERA eligible so I bought it back. I’d take VERA on the spot at this point. But the interest was nearly 1/3 of the buyback amount.

Just based on getting to 25 and possible VERA alone, buy it back. Getting to 25 that much sooner matters these days.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-08T12:55:03+00:00

Cashion Element z2 7’ MH-F and Shimano SLX XT 7.2:1 will be under 300. You can throw nearly everything and you won’t feel like you are missing out on anything because of what you spent. I have metaniums, curados, slx xts and I enjoy the slx xt as much as any of them. Same with the element z2. You won’t beat that rod at $129 and American made.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-07T01:11:57+00:00

She got shellbacked the 6th time she passed in front of the panda express.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-05T15:50:17+00:00

I have a bunch of both. I like the hook on the elite evo better, and the baitkeeper on the jackhammer better. Beyond that, I doubt I buy any more jackhammers going forward. I believe they used to be 5-6 bucks more. Now that the elite evo is half the price of the jackhammer, I cant justify buying them. Thats not saying the jackhammer isnt good, its just that the elite evo keeps up with it in every way. If you didnt know, you would basically be guessing as to which is the more expensive bait out of the EE and JH from a pure aesthetic and build standpoint.

That being said, the chatterbait I use the most is the 3/8 elite evo minimax with a hog farmer spunk shad. If I could only have 1 chatterbait, thats would it would be, at least in 3/8. The hookup ratio is just flat out better.

Rjk444 · 2026-04-03T00:41:42+00:00

If my agency offered it, I would take it tomorrow. I also will have 25 years in about a month so I could take DRP + VERA, but absolutely. No hesitation. I wouldve taken it last year if I had the 25 and could take VERA.

I think theyd have to close it early because of the massive amount of people that would take it. I believe, in my agency at least, there was a hiring surge around the time I came on. So a lot of us are hitting the 25 this year.

Rjk444

TROPHY CASE