Gatorbassman

The HomeDepot/Lowes marine carpet will do you just fine. Every boat I have built has it and best of all it's inexpensive. The best place that I've found to buy electrical hardware for boats is Acadamy Sports and for the hard to find stuff use iboats.com. DON'T BUY ANYTHING FROM WEST MARINE!!!! They are way overpriced. I bought a 5 dollars fuse on iboats.com and West Marine had it for 45 dollars. Check out my thread at the top of this section. (Birth of an electric bass boat.) You might get a few ideas from it. If you have any questions for me feel free to PM me. I don't know much about glass boats though but there are several others on here that do.

That's a good choice for shakyheads. I prefer 7foot for dropshot.

That's cool. There's even another deer bedded down next to the shed. (Left background.)

I was a bank fisherman for over 12 years so I have put some time into maximizing my limitations. When I bank fished all the time I carried three rods. A spinning rod with 8lb line, two baitcasters with 12lb and 17lb line. My most important piece of equipment is a good pair of polarized sunglasses. When I'm searching for fish I am not only looking for fish that will bite, I am looking for fish that follow my lure. My favorite search baits are a white fluke and a trickworm. No matter what time of year it is fish will follow these lures almost all the way to the bank. When I see a follower I make a mental note of where the fish came from and where I was standing. Then I move down the bank and keep searching. I come back to that spot 10 or 15 minutes later. When I get back to that spot I like to start slow. I pull out the spinning rod with a 1/4oz Spot Remover Jighead with a finesse worm and toss it in that area and let it sit for ten seconds or so and the give it a hop or to and let it sit again. I work it back to me and try to fan cast the area before turning up the heat. I then go back to the fluke and this time I work it a little different then the time the fish was following it. If that doesn't work I grab my other rod that usually has a lipless crankbait or a spinner bait on it and try to get a reaction strike. If I still don't get bit I move on down the bank and start all over. I may come back to that spot later in the day. By doing it this way I have accomplished several things. I have located fish, used three different techniques to find out if the fish are feeding on the bottom or top, and if they want it slow or fast. If they are feeding on the bottom I might change to a short leader Carolina Rig just to cover more water and keep it close to the bottom. If they want it small and are located in submerged grass I will change spinning rod to a split shot rig. If they are relating to brush or stumps I'll keep fishing the Spot Remover. If they want it fast or are just reaction striking I might change to a spinnerbait or a crankbait.

I've seen somebody with it mounted to their raft. I just can't remember how they did it.

This is what I would be using if I fished from a raft. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_73437_200001001_200000000_200001000_200-1-1

As the water cools the fish's metabolism slows down. Due to their decreased movement and energy they don't need nearly as much oxygen as they did during the warmer months. Therefor the lower oxygen levels aren't a problem.

You have got to be kidding. The dumbest thing I ever did was decide to take a year off of school. By the end of that year I had all but forgotten how to survive in school. I had to join the army to make ends meet and that is where I received my schooling. I got lucky because my job in the army was marketable in the real world. GO TO COLLEGE!!! One option would be to go to school then take Spring off and then go back to school for the Summer, this will give you a feel of tournaments and you will a good foot hold in school.

The smartest thing I did after getting out of the service was get an account with USAA. They are the best bank to deal with. Consumer Reports rates them the highest in customer satisfaction every year. I have my boat insurance with them. They outsource with Progressive but have a deal with them to keep prices low.

Or Not :-[

I've got six or seven brand new 6V's in my truck. I am gonna do this. That's great

#1 and #4 circle hooks.

That's like 968 bucks. Not bad froggy. I claim everything I can to.

I would just move down south. : I don't know how ya'll do it.

There is nothing better than thanking those chest beaters for their donations as you walk away with the cash. I like being the quiet one they fear.

Our local newpaper has a listing in Fridays issue of all the up-coming tournaments. I take a look at it to find the pot tournaments and then I make sure I'm there early. I like the ones that are held on weeknights.

I always split it down the middle and then I try to split the big fish pot if I caught it. If my partner won't take it, I don't argue with him. As for a boat. My first option would be to sell it and then split the money. The second option is the boater gets the new one and the non boater gets the boater's boat.

Zell hit the nail right on the head. I agree with that list 100%. lol IMO... West Lake is a tough place to be. Randall lives about 40 minutes from there. He might know a little more. Where would you live? Most people who work inside the perimeter hwy commute at least 40 minutes to work.

A loop knot by the book but I just put a split ring on instead.

I fish walking baits ten months out of the year. I love a Gunfish. They are nothing like a Chug Bug. They are a great walking bait that splashes a little more. A Super Spook Jr. is my favorite but a Gunfish is a very close second. They are especially good when the fish want it worked fast.

Jimzee, You have a PM. That will teach you to volunteer. Thanks! Ronnie The ability to delegate is a sign of a good leader. lol

Our DNR has a huge Coot Shoot every year. A Coot's diet consists mostly of aquatic veg, algae; also fish, tadpoles, crustaceans, snails, worms, aquatic and terrestrial insects.

I am sorry you guys have to winterize your boats. Down here we get it tuned up and make sure we drain the water out of the hub and pump after each use. Then we cover it with a boat cover or tarp untill we go fishing again.........next week! ;D

I still haven't put a reel on my ML 795. I just haven't had time to get out and give it a swing. :-[

If the breaks are set in free spool they will hum. Try adjusting the break system.