A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

You're doing it wrong ~ A-Jay

Yup - leave the Hardware home. A-Jay

A wacky rigged stick bait under a slip bobber (with a long leader) is an excellent way to 'float' a very tempting presentation to smallies when they are suspended out over deep water. Works particularly well in clear water on windy days - Need lighter line, spinning gear & long casts. A-Jay

You're Welcome - Glad to help. Michigan state park boat launch sites are for the most part decent. With the bass C & R season open all year now (changed last season) and Walleye opening in late April - many of the docks don't go in well after ice out - So A Soon As The Ice is Out, I'll still launch without the docks - just have to use a good pair of hip boots. A-Jay

OK ~ Thanks but we're killing this thread - Sending you a PM ~ A-Jay

Not to hi-jack this one (sorry to the OP) American Fishing Wire Surflon Micro Supreme Nylon Coated 7x7 Stainless Steel Leader Wire, Camo Brown, 20 & 26 Pound Test, 100-Meter Have not tried the Tyger wire product ~ is it available in bulk ? A-Jay

Yup ~ Started buying my wire in 100 yds spools - that's a nice chunk of change. A-Jay

Not a surprised, but it depends where, when & what I'm, fishing for - brown or green bass. Early, calm mornings the brownies may be taken on topwater off long shallow points close to deep water. While the green bass are often bank & cover oriented so buzzbaits, squarebills, spinnerbaits, lipless baits, swimjigs - swimbaits, Texas rigged soft plastics - and pretty much anything with a decent hook can get bite. And depending on the cloud cover - this could go on all day. Good Times. As the sun gets up or daylight increases the smallies usually drop back to the first of second drop (or even suspend, which is a total buzz kill). Football jigs, drop shot and sometimes deep diving cranks sped & ground into the bottom can be the ticket. Same thing will often get some green bass but for me they are usually not as deep so some of the baits mentioned above can be good, just need to be fished a little deeper ( well, except for the buzzbait ) As the day burns away and the sun gets close to the horizon, the whole deal just goes in reverse and I'll go to the 'morning' routine again. Finally, after watching some of the most recent derbies, seems a jerkbait can be a major player even in the warmer water, so I'll be 'testing' that out in areas where I can as well. Certainly been good to me so far this year. A-Jay

I hear ya ~ you gotta do what works. Either way, fishing The Late Shift is pretty cool. A-Jay

I tried to like the snell knot on the straight shank hook deal - I really did. But despite my best efforts (and that it seems many anglers seem to love & promote it) - I found out, I HATE IT. I do not like the way it fishes And I did not see any type of 'advantage' with it all - none. Wasn't long before I was back to the EWG & a Palomar. btw - a small bead (or a bobber stop) in front of the hook is a good way to protect the knot and the Owner Wide Gap Plus EWG is like a Gaff. YMMV A-Jay

Timely Topic & Post Sir ~ Nicely done. "Once the dog days of summer hit - and the lakes are getting a fair share of recreational boating, jet ski & fishing pressure, mid-week night ops are often times my best opportunity for any decent action. Then there’s the Moon. Is it good or bad? Does it help or hurt ? And what about artificial lights like dock lights and street light etc. May be No definitive answer. The water's here in northern MI are for the most part Very Clear - often 15 feet plus of daytime visibility. As much as this plays a role during the day, it matters at night as well. Fish can still see me on nights with a big moon or in areas where there is sufficient ambient light. And the Shadow the boat makes on a brightly lit night sticks out like a sore thumb. If I disregard this, it definitely negates the effectiveness of being there after dark. Moonless nights are by far The Best for Fishing but were hardest to learn to fish in. Even nights where I can be out there before the moon comes up or after it goes down are always much better for both numbers & size. However, some my best nights have been Full Moon events BUT there was sufficient cloud cover to obscure it. Even a partially cloudy condition is often enough to do the trick. Clearly, some full moon nights are almost like day time. You may not even need a light of any kind, it’s so bright. These times are definitely easier to get around in, cast and fish in. I say cast because there may have been an occasion or two where a lure was launched across two or three docks or even 50 feet or so into the woods. If the waters you fish have color & / or limited visibility, you could be golden & be able to hammer fish while having the benefits of the moons brilliant glow. " A-Jay

Hello Joseph and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Perhaps Slow your Un-Roll . . . A-Jay

Try a uni-knot. A-Jay

That's some Big League Hamburger Hand right there ! A-Jay

Now That's how you burn some leave right there ~ With Green Fatties ! Nice work my friend ~ Congrats A-Jay

Thank you Sir - I certainly appreciate the kind words. I do not use a hot foot - Don't have anything against them, just grew up with, worked & trained with the traditional "throttle lever". So that's what I'm used to. I can see how for some humans, the familiarity of the 'gas pedal' on a boat could be OK. I'm just not one of them & for me it's sort of blasphemous . . . The trailering on this boat as well as putting it on & off the trailer, is always a solo act in my case. The 'higher hull' doesn't come into play at all here, at least for me. I take my time and try to stay safe so that the trailering, launching & recovery routinely go smooth as silk. Here's a video from early spring of me putting the boat in at the ramp and then getting underway to my first spot. It's a little long but it may help. A-Jay

Here's yesterday's ride to the ramp ~ A-Jay

Hello Anthony and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Can't speak for the 150 but the numbers for to 200hp are, at least in my case, accurate. A-Jay

Thanks Yes Sir ~ the 2 flush mounted Helix 10's are networked. And that's something I take for granted now but definitely use it every trip. And Yes, there are 2 pairs of bungee - like straps on the forward casting deck and a single job on each side of the aft casting deck; right behind the seat backs. Best of luck with your impending purchase. A-Jay I can not say how this hull will perform with a 150 HP - may depend on how you configure it and / or how much you load into it. I will say that I've never felt that any Out Board powered vessel I've ever driven that was powered with less that what was on the capacity plate was capable of performing as it was designed. YMMV A-Jay

I like to mix it up. A-Jay

Sounds about right ~ If I need to get that shallow - I should be in the Old Town. A-Jay