MemphisFisherman

what he said. I am all for bank fishing, and even competitive bank fishing. but even if you are given a boat, it's still one boat. not nearly enough to do anything like a tournament with, and all it would lead to is people fighting over who gets the boat on a certain day. my suggestion is to get jobs :-p

A trained monkey could fish a catfish tourny with James Patterson and win, I don't think I give Bill any credit for this... As for him cheating, nope I don't think he ever has, reading everyones post i am guessing they don't either. In-fact I am not real sure how you could cheat, short of having a diver hook the fish to your line, and uhhhmmm I don't think he has done that. It is a shame that his show is the way it is, because I believe the man is still a great bass fisherman, it's just unfortunate that we don't get to see it anymore.

x2, and if you are looking at cheaper model's, well this is just my personal feeling...Motorguide SUCKS's, the cheap ones have tiny little brackets on it that look like they can snap at any moment, get yourself a decent Minnkota or find an old used Johnson OMC.

Congratz! As for your boat I have never heard of Aggressor, but I wouldn't put more than 400 pounds in it, thats probably around capacity if not a little bit high. If it is a "145 Deluxe" model than your max hp is 60hp, and meh I don't wanna be a drag here but I'm not sure if I would run your 50hp at full speed, well sometimes you can but just know when enough is enough. What I mean by that is some people buy short fiberglass boat's and think that just because it's fiberglass then they can go ripping through rough water no prob. It's still a small boat and should be treated like one regardless or if it's fiberglass or not, if you catch my drift...just be safe. Gratz again on the boat, remember what they say, the happiest day in a man's life is when he buy's his first boat, the second is when he sell's it, or something like that I dont know for sure ;D

Everybody is entitled to thier opinion, but in my opinion...this boat would be WAY to overpriced for 3,000. The point I am trying to make it be patient, wait and keep looking, it may take up to a year but sooner or later you WILL find a great boat for a great price. With 3000 to work with you should hold out for atleast a 16.5 foot with a 60hp on it minumum, thats not over 20 years old. I know you may not be able to find one like that right this second, but patience will pay off.

In my experience, buying a used boat is just as much about buying a motor as it is buying the actual boat. It may be different where you are but if you have 3,000 to work with you can go out and buy a new jon boat, and maybe a small, small, small used or possibly new motor. Or you can go and buy a used bass boat with a decent sized motor for the same price. The only downside to the bass boat is you may need to fix a few thing's here or there. My boat, 85' Bass Cat 17.5 foot, 90hp engine 64lb TM ran me 2300, and it's been a GREAT boat after I made some small adjustment's to it, ie pro seat's, different TM cause the old one got stuck in 24 volt, new motor toter, turned up the idle on the engine, runs like a champ now. So in my experience working with the same amount of money as you, and am VERY glad I bought a bass boat, but thats the kind of water I fish too, If I fished alot of backwoods swamp stuff then I would have gone with a Jon Boat.

HAY U GUYZ MEMPHISFISHERMAN REPPIN WEST TN HERE... Sorry I had to do it, everyone ignore this post it's dumb. Welcome to the forums FSU

If speed is what your after, I wouldnt put a TM on the back at all, get yourself a decent little used outboard, something small, it will move you along alot better than a trolling motor, but alas gasoline is so pricey!

If I have my lakes correct (I get confused on Pine Lake and Pin Oak) then Pine Lake is generally more shallow than the other's, lot's...lot's...LOT'S of boat houses, GREAT looking lake, never caught a thing in it...but I know they are there!

Bah your thinking too hard, yes a 40# will get you around just fine. Be super redneck and just use your truck battery as your TM battery, when you feel the battery getting weaker and the motor getting slower then its time to go back and your alternator will charge it back up. okay I don't really suggest that, but you could if you wanted to, just hope you don't capsize and loose your battery =)

Hydra Sport is a very light boat tho, but I still agree with ya, 75 should be plenty enough for any 17 footer.

Ive got the same sized glass boat with a 90hp on it. Runs 44mph by the GPS. Dropping down to a 75hp wont make it much slower, the boat will still get up on plane and go fast enough to get you around trust me. Besides new engines cost WAY too much.

how many acres or miles of shoreline are the lakes your fishing?

depth of your water plays no role in it assuming you can swim and have a life jacket. Open water is the big deal. You don't want some idiot flying past you pushing out a wake thats going to send you flying. Having a gps depth finder doesn't seem like it would do you a flip of good in my opinion, they arent all that good until you are talking about large open water that you can't easily just float over and find yourself. But do let me offer up this advice. If you don't have a depthfinder and you fish alot of different lakes that go up to 10-12 or more feet deep then you do want a depth finder. If you just fish one lake then pass on it, you will learn the spot's quick enough if thats all you fish. If you only want to mark spot's then just get a cheap handheld gps, you will find it to be cheaper, and possibly better for you. For the price of these gps depthfinders now, you can buy you a lot bigger boat than what your currently in! to wrap up what I was originally saying....I wouldn't dare be out in your size boat on any lake that is large enough that they even make a lake map for your graph. So if you get the notion to go out and get one, do make sure that your lake comes on the lake map software (oh by the way, theres enough $100)

My idea of using a GPS depthfinder is to get out in more open water and catching fish, I wouldn't take an 11 foot jon boat out in open water to catch anything, you could wind up drowned. As to wondering the cost, you wont even get into super cheap ones until $400, much less a good one.

because anyone that has ever come to memphis knows its hardly the south..maybe "dirty south" as the rappers would say, but knoxville is much more southern than this crazy city.

My Dad's tackle box is about half the size of a bass pro shop's, then there are just bags and bags and bags of unopened stuff sitting around, tons and tons and tons of rod's but somehow no extra reel's. its good because that means i can help myself to it all and he cant keep track of it.

....First off I don't think it would cover all of America with a depth of 9 feet average, but let's say it did, it would be cool for i guess a few hours until you got hungry? sorry im cranky, my memphis tigers are down.

Excellent advice! Even having dog's as well trained as this I wouldn't attempt it not even in a canoe or jon boat. A sturdy well balanced boat w/plenty of room so that casting is uninhibited and curious noses don't get hooked is a different story. Care for them enough not to take that risk and enjoy your outing. Take it come from a professional hahahaha great picture, thats gunna be my background for awhile

Hola! I have been out a few times this year but its only been to Kentucky Lake (behind Pickwick Dam) fishing for other species. But I fish all over, tho not many small ponds.

send me one!

Did you go to the River this weekend RW? I just got home from Kentucky Lake (River Heights area) and the current was CRAZY, didn't work wonder's for my white bass fishing but I'm sure it made the smallmouth bite behind the dam.

floruocarbon line first off is nearly invisible underwater, it has no stretch, and sinks rather than floating like mono. If most of the lakes you fish are stained to muddy then regular mono will do the job, but if your fishing clearer water then flouro definately helps. there is no point in using it for topwater however. If you do alot of nightfishing you may want to stay away from it since it won't show up under a blacklight. Also when you get a strike on flouro do NOT pull your rod down before you set the hook, or the fish will feel it and let go (remember it has no stretch) just set the hook from wherever your rod is when he hit's.

let's hope so

I have been to Reelfoot a couple of times but never fished it, used to go to UT Martin and would take the ladies out there late at night and...nevermind. Anyway's, from everything I hear the crappie fishing at reelfoot is always good, if you really want to get in them your going about a month or two early. If your going to bass fish, go somewhere else.