huskertko

guess I may be taking it back and exchanging it.

This maybe a stupid question, but are you required to have it on at all times or just having it in the boat? I know the only way it is effective is if I have it on, i only ask because several times last year there were rangers checking fishing permits and said nothing of the fact that I didn't have one on, only on my boat.

I've researched this greatly last year before buying my Mustang. Basically it boils down quality of fit and the amount buoyancy of they provide. The cheaper inflatables will have 25lb of buoyancy while the higher end models will have 35lb. It is said that 25lb will right SOME people face up after deployment while 35lb models will right MOST people face up. So I guess it depends on your size on wether to get the 25lb of 35lb model. IMO, manual inflatables and belts never made much sense to me. Neither would help if your were knocked unconscious for whatever reasons. I wear the Mustang Tournament. Its a 35lb auto-inflate and I like the neoprene collar along with is highly visible color of red. They are on sale at BPS for $160 So if I bought a Cabelas one today that has 35lb of bouyancy and I find it comfortable to wear, then the $200 models aren't really offering me much if anything more than I already have, right? I bought the Cabelas one because they had the price mismarked and I got it for $75 instead of $100.

I bought a Cabelas Guardian 3500 auto/manual inflate PFD today partly because they had them mismarked at $74, but I got to wondering, what are the significant differences between say the one I bought and a $250 Mustang PFD. I don't really want to spend a huge amount of money, but this thing could someday save my life and if there are significant benefits to spending more $$, I will.

On this subject, because I need to get one, but what would the difference be between a Cabelas $100 auto/manual inflate PFD and a $250 Mustang auto inflate PFD? Other than comfort. I was looking at the inflatabelt style, but they are manual inflates and in 40 degree water, that can put the body in shock almost instantly, meaning no time to pull the cord.

Who has used or is using the MapCreat software? If you are how much more detailed are the maps? I am wondering if I get that would I be able to see smaller county lakes as at least bodies of water or would it still show that I am on land when I am in the middle of the lake. By smaller I am talking about 50 to 150 acre county lakes.

I have Costas as well and other than the scenario that KU was talking about, the only thing "image" i have ever seen is when looking out the windows of my car/truck, I can see dark lines in the windows. Presumably from the polarization in my car windows.

Baitcasters are just about all I use even fishing from the shore. Like other before have said, just be aware of what is behind you or to your side and you will be fine.

Thanks for the input, I bought a Lowrance H20 today at BPS. I just couldn't justify the extra $100 for the color unit though.

I am going to be getting a small boat in a couple weeks with TM. I have never needed a deep cycle battery so I have no idea what I need for a charger. I have seen chargers for $27 upto $100+, what should I look for in a charger, what is absolutely necessary and what is "fluff" that I may be able to get by without? Thanks

Ok, lets here your opinions on what handheld GPS units are best and why. My budget is $200 or less, don't need color, want it mainly for fishing on smaller lakes that are not on hotspots etc.

Thanks, it is a skimmer transducer.

I am in the early stages of getting a more "real" boat and i have a question about my electronics. I would like to mount the transducer on the TM but I am not sure if i need a special transducer or can i just use the one that I have?

i have a pair of X-tools pliers that have a cutter on them, and they seem to cut braided line as well as anything else I have tried and best of all when I drop them in the water they float so I don't lose them.

I have decided not to put that boat on that lake, but i am looking at some john boats or pond hopper type boats, tha i can use in the coves and such.

I have this same exact rod, in fact I bought it right before thanksgiving last year when Cabelas had their big sale on rods. I would not worry much about throwing lighter jigs with it, i have used my to cast weightless senkos and ikas and have not had any problems with it. I have it paired with a new Curado 100 and I love it.

If your not adverse to it, Benadryl works wonders. We just took our kids to Phoenix, both got a dose of Benadryl right before we boarded the plane and they both slept the entire flight (2.6 hours).. IF you chose to try this I HIGHLY recommend giving them Benadryl prior to your trip, some kids react opposite of what you want. Meaning some kids instead of getting sleepy, will actually get very hyper, like several Mt. Dew's hyper, not the best thought when you are stuck in a flying tube. Check with your doctor for dosages and such, before giving kids any kind of medication though. BTW, my two kids are 5 yrs old and 18 months old. Edited to add: Make sure you give them childrens Benadryl, this was actually suggested by our doctor to make them relax on the flight.

kinda, along the same lines as the registration, do you have to pay personal property tax on a john boat/trailer? I am trying to get one this spring, and trying to get all my initial expenses in line. BTW, i didn't mean to hijack the thread, sorry

I have been using Suffix braid, but i am thinking about trying the new Stren Microfuse, supposedly much more like mono in terms of visibility underwater.

I am ging to try to buy a john boat this spring, and I am just trying to figure out how big of one I need to get. I want to be able to stand up and be relatively stable, I would like to put a wood floor and if possible a small casting deck. I am 6 foot tall and weigh about 235. I had been looking at 12-14 foot boats but they all seem to be 32-36 inch wide, is that wide enough to be pretty stable? Thanks,

kinda off topic a little but how long of a leader does everyone use? Do i need a 3 foot leader of will a 1 or 2 foot one work?

I asked this a while back and nobody responded, maybe because no one had use them yet, so I will ask again. Has anyone used the new "invisible" braided lines? Stren Mircofuse and Spiderwire Invisi-braid. The Stren says it is very visible above the water but virtually invisible underwater. I really want to find a braided line that i like to fish jigs with but I feel like the others on the market are too visible. I have tried tying a floro leader to it, but I hate how the know goes through the eyes of the rod. It always gets caught on the last eyelet when I am pitching and causes a backlash.

I used it as my primary line last year, and love it. It is on all my reels except my crankbait rod, and that is Suffix, and I really like it as well. I also have been using Suffix perfomance braid a little and I like the line, i just can't develope a lot of confidence in it because I keep thinking it is too visible underwater, so if I am not catching a lot of fish using it, I always assume it is because of its visibility underwater. Of course, I have the same problem with any braided line. I really like how it performs, it casts well and stays pretty tight on the spool.

Amen Muddy, but those may make me go blind after a while, not see better

I have the Fathoms in blue mirror and i agree with KU, they are great for really bright days but tend to be too dark for overcast, early AM or evening times. I have tried the Vermillion lenses and they will definitely be my next choice. I am going to get som interchangeable ones this summer. By the way, the customer service at Costa is second to none. they have a 7 day turn around time from when the get the glasses to when they send the back to you, which is nice, you don't have to wait weeks to get your favorite shades back.