A-Jay

Try a Blade Bait ~ Worked for me this past December in the snow. Another very good option is a tube - Mark Zona style .. .. .. .. A-Jay

I'm going with Debatable on this one. A-Jay

Love the LTB line myself and that drop shot rod is no slouch. But for heavier D/S presentations I'd recommend going up one to the TBS610MXF / SHAKY HEAD rod. It has a little more low end. Spin on the new Shimano Stradic Ci4+ Spinning Reel and you're good to go. I like the 3000 size right there. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

The first few weeks after ice out, and in waters that offer the visibility, pike can often be found sunning themselves in somewhat shallow water. Places like the backs of bays and sides of sheltered points, you get the idea. This offers a rare & most excellent opportunity, in places where it's legal, to sight fish some of the Biggest Pike, I'll see all season. But they are often not interested in anything thrown near them and will often either spook off or even worse, totally ignore a bait completely. But - one thing I've found that sometimes can turn a 'sleeping submarine'' into a willing participant, is dead sticking a magnum fluke. Pike are notorious dead bait eaters, especially during the colder & even hard water seasons. So after I've located one, I cast a big plain white fluke past it, slowly inch it into site, and then just let it lay on the bottom. Sometimes they will stare at it for what seems like eternity and then slowly move over and suck it right off the bottom. Other times they'll wait briefly and then go right for it. Either way - I'm good with. I'll usually use MH spinning gear, braid & a short trace of knottable wire with an oversized Round bend or EWG Hook. It's sort of like bed fishing without the warm temps & the pesky buck bass. A-Jay

Try It - It allows the blade bait to be worked a little faster - a little speed encourages the bait to "hunt" a bit, which is almost always a good thing. A-Jay

I have two favorites. The SK Rage Blade & Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Blade Minnow ~ love this one early season, low & slow. The Z Man Chatterbait Freedom & Culprit Incredi Craw ~ the specially designed, twisted hook attachment allows anglers to swap-out hooks in an instant, opening the door to an almost-endless combination of trailers. A-Jay

Hello & Welcome to Bass Resource. I'm iced in still myself, but I'm handling it well, really. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Unfortunately I can not assist you in that boat ID. But do applaud your apparent enthusiasm. Good Luck A-Jay

Clearly not a fan of unnecessarily harming the bass, but I was thinking the same thing J. A-Jay

Sometimes what might be considered a simple install, one can run into problems. A-Jay

Looks like I'm on the opposite side of this discussion. Clearly, this can be & in many, many cases, is a DIY install. Conversely, for a first timer, this can seem & be a bit of a daunting task. One that can be done, but how many of us can say the that very first time we do anything, it's the best work possible ? I'm not one for hack work, especially on my boat, and after already shelling out a sizeable lump of $$$ on the equipment, paying for a professional install may be the other way to come closer to "perfect', which is what I want & need. If I'm not confident in my own ability to achieve that, I have no problem with using funds to pay for quality, guaranteed work done by experienced humans with a favorable track record & reputation. And I'm willing to pay the $$ to get the top notch work. I am at least average when it comes to DIY projects however when it comes to in-dash mounts, heading sensors, linking & networking 2 or more units, etc, I know my own limitations. So to the OP - While it definitely helps to know & understand as much about your boat, motor & trailer as you can, there's nothing wrong with paying the people who know what they are doing to install your gear. A-Jay

Hello Donnie and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

3/8 & 1/2 should cover most situations. A-Jay

You guys had a Day ~ Congrats. That field work looks exhausting. Perhaps you gents should go fishing to help you recover .. .. .. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Congrats and Best of Luck with the New Rig A-Jay

Flip the reel upside down. On the bottom of the frame (under the level wind assembly), find the black plastic spring loaded tab / button. Slide that to the left ( in the direction toward the center of the reel), this will release the palm side cover. A-Jay

Two words ~ Live Line. A-Jay

Nice Haul ~ And that's one FREAK of a Yellow Perch. Congrats & I hope you enjoy the sweet, flakey Goodness. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Hello from up in Otsego County ~ Welcome to Bass Resource A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ This site is has it all ~ http://support.zebcobrands.com/quantum/support/product/TE1170PT http://support.zebcobrands.com/bps/zebco/tackleservice/knowledge/te1160pt_te1170pt schematic_de5a8cbc-5_.pdf A-Jay

This will get you started . . . . http://newboatbuilders.com/pages/hp.html Here is the link to Title 33 NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS PART 183 BOATS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT Subpart D—Safe Powering. It applies to monohull boats less than 20 feet in length, except sailboats, canoes, kayaks, and inflatable boats, that are designed or intended to use one or more outboard motors for propulsion. http://newboatbuilders.com/pages/33CFR_HP.html Have fun with that. A-Jay

Good Term. A-Jay

~ Ghost Gill, Ghost Minnow, Morning Dawn, and Perch HD. A-Jay