J Francho

Get a few packs of ice fishing soft plastics, in a some bright colors, along with some tiny hooks. We kill them on a float rig or a drop shot.

My thoughts on "Texposed" DUMB. Why bother Texas rigging, if you are going to negate all the benefits? I suspect whomever uses this at one point was having hook set issues, either from too soft a rod, bad technique, or just a weak set. Skin hooking? Not really, though the hook is VERY close to the surface. I find skin hooking, where you come completely out of the bait, and push the tip of the hook back under causes most of the softer plastic baits to look deformed or puts a bend in them.

That's true, but a 25 (mentioned earlier) sounds unrealistic to me. Gear ratio is a constant. You can't compare different boats, different motors, and different gear ratios. There are way too many variables, such as hull weight, hull design, He plugged his numbers into the slip calc, and 20 sounds about right. I used my bigger boat as a comparison to demonstrate how finicky the process can be. Everything the same, except went up two inches on the prop, and the difference was pretty dramatic. Anyway, sounds like a 20 is the right prop, in the same model.

@S Hovanec might agree with me here... I use the Gulp! Alive leeches and minnows, and there days when smallies are size specific. Other days, you drop the bait down, and it never hits the bottom, lol. It's weird, but I like to have at least two sizes, so it's possible there a ton of available forage in the OPs spot that is 1", and the fish bite them better.

My preference is for SS bearings, Abec 5 or 7 is fine. If the reel is going to be used in sub freezing temps, I'll go to the hybrids, but only run a vapor thin amount of Oust Metol oil in them.

I wouldn't expect you could go much over a 22p, even with 115. For comparison, I use a cupped 25 (makes it a 26) on a souped up 2.5L Pro Max Sport, powering a hull that is a few hundred pounds lighter than the Xpress, a Bullet 21XDC. When I put a cupped 27 on that boat, the difference was noticeable. Hole shot took forever, and top speed (within my driving ability) went up 8 mph. They were same prop model.

When evaluating a prop's performance, use a prop slip calculator. Don't guess. Get accurate numbers, plug them into the tool. Here's two: http://www.mercuryracing.com/prop-slip-calculator/ http://www.go-fast.com/Prop_Slip_Calculator.htm Here is a good explanation of prop slip: http://www.go-fast.com/prop_slip.htm Every hull and setup is different, but my 18' Xpress/115 Merc ELPTO ran great with a 22p Laser II SS prop. Ran around 50 with a full load.

I believe this is what he is suggesting. I know for Daiwa Samurai, it breaks at it's advertised strength.

I forgot what this thread is about.

Trim tabs can work, but I've never seen a ProCraft with them. I've been in quite a few ProCrafts as well, and I don't recall them being touchy, just a little rough at speed.

I have an aluminum Allison style planing foil on my 2.5L Merc. It helps the boat get on plane quicker, but once on plane, it's not in the water. I'm not sure how the Stingray product works.

And attach the kill switch! Porpoising is usually a trim issue. It can also be a prop issue, though I doubt that's the issue.

BTS is pretty much the best thing I've found.

Hawgtech has a 102mm model.

Exactly. I did it for a customer, I did NOT enjoy the results, though I suspect he liked bragging about it, lol.

These guys are very helpful, and have great products that I use: https://www.hawgtech.com/FAQ

If it isn't a worm, it's a creature....to me, anyway, though I could care less about colloquialisms. If you're talking about a bait, use it's name. For example, Sweet Beaver 420 Double Wide. Then I'd tell you to use a 4/0 Wide Gap plus. I've tried straight shank for a couple years, went back. Makes no difference to me, and the whole snelled hook thing is cool looking, but doesn't change how bites I get or the hookups. It's mostly subtleties that don't actually help your game. But if YOU like doing it, and YOU feel more confident in your rigging, then by all means, continue to do it. Nothing kills a good bite like indecision.

Puttin' your money where your mouth is. Get 'em!

Unless you're working with really minute diameter braid, it's all mostly over engineered, and all of them are strong. It basically comes down to personal preference, and since you typically leave braid on for a long time, you generally get used to what you have, if it works. At least that is how it is for me. I don't know that I've run into a braid I truly disliked.

Catt, I bet you drive through rolling hills, thinking, man that would be a cool spot to fish. Let's flood this place!

A beaver is a creature bait..... As for the gap question, this should clear it up:

Not really for a creature. I like the gap to be twice as wide as the plastic.

Here's the thing, if the clear gel is damaged through UV, all the way through to color, no polishing, wet sanding, wax, compound, etc. will bring it back. Only fresh gel will do it, and it's expensive. Learned from experience.

Any MH/F rod around 7' or a little longer will work. It's not a complicated bait or fussy technique.

I carry 3/0, 4/0, and 5/0 Owner Riggin' and Wide Gap Plus. I match the hook by eye. I want the hook point to come through right betweek the eyes on whatever creature I'm using. The difference between the two hooks is just how the bait looks on the hook. Some are straighter than others with different hooks.