J Francho

I eat a bacon cheese burger a day, two or three gallons of ice cream a week, needless to say, you don't get a body like this eating salad. If you think I'm kidding, ask DVT mike, he sees the gluttony on my FB feed.

It was started by someone that had a grudge with me. By the end, we were all laughing. So it goes…

We've been stuck around 2.40 to 2.50.

If you only knew…

Nothing in my post was directed at you.

The average tournament fisherman is a weekend warrior looking to have some fun.

For some, the taxes and fees incurred with winning a boat might actually be a hardship.

I don't bother shouting from the rooftops about how humble I am. Seems a little insincere, lol. I think when you're worried about how someone thinks of you, there may be a bigger problem staring at you in the mirror. "Elitism" is almost always a tag designated from outside the circle, and stems from (sometimes innocent) ignorance. Anyway, it matters little to me. I just like chasing bass. If you think what I'm doing is easy, elitist, over thought, over done, etc., the so what. I'm having fun at no one's expense but my own. ******************************************* Northern pike put a good fight, and eat bass lures. Try those if you want a hard fighting fish.

Ok, now I have to add to my list the time to harvest used cooking oil, the equipment to process this into bio diesel, and the time and effort. Ok, I'll hop in my cheaper truck, fill it with cheaper gas, and go fishing while your busy with that. Lol.

Do most salt water fisherman chase a single species, year round? Or do they take what's available where they can fish, within their means? Elitism? I don't disagree. The beauty and attraction of bass fishing is that it is well within most peoples' means to specialize and persue throughout the seasons. Try that with trout and salmon. How about reds and specks? Tuna? Marlin and other billfish? Tarpon? There is a DIY ethic in bass fishing that isn't there in many other forage. If there is, it takes a significant amount of money. So if you want to call it elitism, go ahead. The common man rarely gets to be considered elite. Thanks for the compliment!

I would buy a diesel if it came in close to what my truck currently costs to operate on a daily basis. I don't make my purchasing decisions based on a one aspect of it's use. I do a tournament every other weekend from Late June to ice out. I drive the truck everyday. A 3/4 ton diesel adds more cost than I can recoup through fuel savings. Furthermore, it adds zero performance. In fact, most are slower than what I use. If I plowed in the winter, towed a heavy tool trailer daily, and ran my boat three days a week on long hauls, then maybe the cost and wear and tear would be offset. But as a wholesale recommendation to tow a bass boat, a 3/4 ton or larger is just an ego trip. The numbers don't add up.

I don't fish for bass for the fight. If it's a fight I'm after, there are plenty of opportunities for bigger fish. The problem is catching them is generally a chuck and wind affair, and doesn't take much skill. Bass are a brain game.

Thank you for hanging in there with us. Everyone has some adversity in their life at some point. Glad you're getting through it.

I'm not really a stitcher per se, but I do do it in a way with several finesse baits. I really like a little bit stouter rod, with braid and a leader for this. I'm using a Pinnacle DHC5-681SPM, PEF30 reel, 20# 832, and various leaders like 8-12# CXX or Seaguar leader material (not reel filler line). I feel like I can feel what I need to feel, have the power to horse a fish from cover, while still using a light stick, that can deliver baits that weigh nothing with little effort.

Good read! Let's hear your take away from that. How did you apply it to bass fishing? I'll comment in a bit.

I've used 3/4 ton to tow. It's not really any different. A stronger frame, axles, and transmission aren't going to change footprint, mass, and the potential of the brakes to dissipate heat. I've got over 90k on my truck. Toes my Bullet just fine. Now if you're gonna tow a monster 26'+ offshore boat, sure. For just about every bass boat, it's overkill. And costly.

Try them in water that is wet.

I'm gonna sell on the notion that weight = shorter stopping distance as well. It was a lot less to get a 1/2 ton with big brakes than step up to a 3/4 ton. Mass is mass - you still gotta stop the truck itself. If a bigger truck doesn't stop as fast as a smaller one, why would it magically do better with the same boat in tow? Bass boats are all at the bottom of the towing range, so I say you can rule out control as well. I can tell my 22' boat is back there, but I guarantee I get better performance in 0-60, 60-0, cornering, and at the pump. Anyone got data to support this?

Brian, any new 3/4 ton pickup outfitted like my half ton.

You might be right, lol. Hope he got paid.

So, I have to buy a $60k truck to get another 1-2 mpg?

Under water.

2010 Sierra 1500, 6.2L, 18-22 daily, 14-17 towing. I am using an Edge Systems CTS ECM/TCM program.

The facebooks are crackling with "Duo." No idea, though I still don't really care.

I use 12# for lipless over weeds. I step it up for rocks.