wasabi_VA

Hey folks, I recently switched from hauling my Bass Hunter Bassbaby in the back of my pickup to using a small harbor Freight 4x8 utility trailer. I put a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" treated plywood down as the deck and now the lift onto the 2' trailer deck is much easier on me than all the way up onto my tailgate. I want to add something to the trailing edge of the plywood to give it a little protection. Loading my boat onto the deck doesn't generate much contact or pressure, but it is when I unload by sliding the boat backwards and off the trailer that the bottom of the boat slides right across that sharp rear edge of the plywood. I think my hull will be fine as it is tough plastic, but i just don't want to start compressing or tearing up that edge of the plywood as that will speed up the inevitable delamination. I don't want to use the aluminum edging i see at Lowes/Tracror Supply. Instead I'm trying to think of some plastic or other material like stair edging that will give me a more forgiving and/or rounded edge. Any ideas of a cheap product or solution?

Sweet! Glad to hear you got out in it. I just love my little boat so much that I it's exciting to see a another fellow fisherman also enjoying one. A day or half-day out alone in this boat is just absolute bliss. That last photo of your boat at the water's edge is not any the kind of surface that I would worry about harming the boat. That sandy/small shale/crushed shale is fine...and hopefully your dolly solution will will keep you off that heavy shale shore you posted previously. I wouldn't worry about any kind of protection for now and just keep an eye on it. I would wait until you determine you truly need a rudder before worrying about it. Get a few trips under your belt. I don't use or need one in my BassBaby but that could just be me. I would expect almost all of these pond type boats to behave similarly given they are pontoon style so my thought is it comes down to preference and if some people fish in windy waters than others. I'm glad I don't need one as it is one less "thing" to fool with on a small boat. I went with a foot controlled trolling motor which allows me to be hands-free and make continual position adjustments as needed without feeling like I need to repeatedly disrupt my retrieve to reach for the motor handle. I have a Motorguide Bulldog which was made specifically for bow mount on small boats like this. Compact, basic feature set, etc. I am not sure it is available anymore and I couldn't find anything like it the last time I checked. Not suggesting you abandon your investment in your existing t/m, just letting you know this could be an option for you in the future. I know some have installed the more expensive and traditional foot (or remote) controlled trolling motors used on full sized boats but for me these I thought their footprint was too big for my little boat. (I see it is still available if you search. Mine is the 40-lb unit and I see a 54-lb unit for sale at Amazon. 40 lbs is plenty for me, maybe 54 is ok in your bigger 10' boat. especially with 2 batteries and/or 2 people. You just have to careful as they can get squirrely on high speed and yank the bow around if you take too much of a turn or accidentally cut it on while it is positioned to the side). My Bulldog is 10 years old and going strong. These types of hooks are your friend in these plastic hull boats to secure things and can be found at a lot of places like Kayak gear stores online.

Tonight i’m doing my preseason clean of some of the rods and reels...you know, the thin scaly stuff that likes to build up on my spinning reels and rod guides. Throw in the airborne dust and other particles that settle onto them from sanding and grinding projects in the garage. i used to use WD40, then switched to glass cleaner a few years back after a tip somewhere (maybe here). This year I had a lot of white powdering mold spores on my gear because last summer and fall was so humid/wet. Thought of switching to a diluted water/vinegar or water/bleach to help clean up the light mold but in the end stuck with glass cleaner which still seemed to work fine. Curious what others use...?

Congratulations! What's this homemade dolly idea like? Do you think it will get you past that shale or are you asking for ideas to protect the hull while dragging across the shale?

Thanks guys. While that guy's price is just way too expensive, I did find them for much, much less buying directly from Arkie

I saw a pic awhile back of someone who modified a milk crate to hold their deep cycle battery. I think it had a lid too, and it maybe served as an additional amount of storage space? I’d love to see some pictures if anybody has built one these and using it in their bass hunter / Pelican style boat.

I notice both of these seem to be considered 'salt water' reels by tackle shops. Is there anything about them being designed for salt water that would make them less suited as a freshwater bass reel? I would only think they have increased corrosion resistance, or possibly a tad more weight for more solid construction?

Thanks team9nine, you nailed it and my Walmart has em!

I was at a new pond and noticed a salamander swim up to the surface, then back down again. So I started throwing this 4" Zoom salamander and it has been working well for me

Hi folks, Lately I've been fishing with some really old tackle...probably 15 years or so...and the bass don't seem to care I'd like to get some more of these stand-up jigs because I really like the weedless wire. Do you recognize it as something currently being made?

+1 for using a label maker. It makes all the difference in the world for me. I use an older Brother P-touch to print a 1/2" label with the line and when spooled and apply it to the reel somewhere. I've never had an issue with the label coming off using their standard tape. At first I was hesitant because I thought it looked funny, but nobody is looking at my reels. Now I have one label for the line and another for when (if) I have serviced them inside. See the spool of this spinning reel:

Most of my gear is kinda light and I have lost a couple big fish lately. I’m reel shopping and looking for a good value that will last 20+ years (most of my gear has). Trying to decide between a Daiwa BG and Penn Battle II in a 2500 series size as a spinning reel for bass. Thoughts between these two? Both are right around $99.

11B here. Spring is coming! Sounds like you still need eyes on it to check it out. Now is the time to get it straightened out and ready for Spring. I'd like to see a few pictures of it...post up!

I'd go for a 16' 48" wide jonboat since you mention being a big guy. Also google up the Carolina Skiff J14 series. Basically a jonboat but fiberglass and can feel a tad roomier.

I’m with these guys. Step 1 - get it to a decent dealer. where ya gonna fish when you get it going?

Yes, I'm expecting more bouncing and jouncing of the boat and contents when I switch from truck bed to this little trailer with those stiff leaf springs. I don't want to over-engineer things but might revisit how my battery is secured in the boat. Currently it has a 2" strap built in. Maybe I'll but something underneath like a larger foot of plywood or maybe even build a milk crate box to help spread out the battery weight. I've got several positives and negatives involved with moving to a trailer solution.....I'll make it all work somehow. And if not I bet that trailer will sell in a heartbeat on Craigslist!

This video shows a guy sliding a Pelican into the back of a Ford Ranger I think. How does a Ranger compare to a S-10? Not sure which Pelican model this is.

Dang, that sucks a BassBaby won't fit between the wheel wells of your truck. I have a full size and it fits fine. The wider minitoon models will be more stable, but even the narrower ones that fit within an S10 will be more stable than a similar aluminum 10' jonboat just because of their pontoon style bottom. My BassBaby is durable as heck. It's thick plastic, durable, heavy duty. I've had it for 10 years and it has held up to both general age as well as usage. I take care of it but don't necessarily baby it. No seams or anything has failed. Even those wheels and their mounting mechanism has been good for 10 years. I friggin love the ability to roll this thing to the water's edge rather than dragging it, and it helps me get it out easier when I have to get it up a small hill from a pond. Earlier I said I can easily put it in the back of the truck, which is still true. And it's just like the guy in that video says - throw it in there and just use one quick strap. In and out fast. That said, I'm in my early 50's and trying to go easy on my neck and back so I am building a Harbor Freight 4'x8' utility trailer that you can get for $260 with a coupon. A lot of guys use these for 'yaks and small boats over a traditional boat trailer, plus you also have a utility trailer for other junk like firewood or your riding lawnmower when needed. I already assembled it so know it's going to work beautifully for me. I only mention this to give you another option - using a small trailer like this - in case you want to consider it based upon the boat models you are evaluating. You can google this trailer and finds tons of forums and videos about how guys use them for boats, bikes, 'yaks, etc. Lifting into the back of my full size truck was starting to worry me as I get older and weaker (yep, getting old sucks) but this trailer is gonna be a delight to use in lieu of doing that. Edit - let me add that it isn't the boat itself that is starting to get heavy (for me) to load into the bed of my truck. It's the fact that I keep EVERYTHING inside the boat even when loading/unloading because ordinarily it makes it super easy an fast to load up and go when burning daylight. Also makes it easy to unload. Sure, I could remove my trolling motor and series 27 battery and assorted tackle but that stuff is clamped in/bolted down and I just never needed to do it. And since I still want that quick departure I'd rather switch to using this little flatbed trailer and still leaving everything in the boar rather than load/unload every trip. Now I can just leave the full boat on the trailer and take the same minute or two to connect it to my tow hitch and go.

In my case, with my 8' BassBaby, I do both sitting and standing. I am predominantly a crappie fishermen so many of my presentation methods allow me to relax and sit and just watch my rods (bobbers, suspended jigs, trolling, etc). Other times I'm actively casting jigs. I think I've gotten 'calibrated' to sitting and probably do most of my casting sitting now, but occasionally I'll still stand if I feel like that will help. My decision to sit or stand isn't a function of boat stability though. This little boat is so stable that I do whatever feels most natural to work the rod. One reason might be that I was previously using a kayak, and I was never really comfortable casting from such a low seating position. Switching to the BassBaby, where I sit with a single seat in the middle, makes me feel like I am sitting upright and with a good angle to cast accurately as well as watch my line and fight any fish I catch. How close to the water can you unload your boat?

I know you seem interested in an aluminum model, and by all means get what you want, but it’s hard to beat the Pelican / Bass Hunter / BassBaby style plastic hull boats for small boat stability. That’s because this style has pontoons underneath which offer great stability in a small boat. If you are open to this just scroll thru the Pelican thread in this forum and eyeball what some of these can provide. For myself i’m partial to the BassBaby and haved owned one for years and absolutely LOVE fishing out of it. It has built in wheels, so you can pull it out the bed of your truck and easily wheel it to launch anywhere you want. I leave all my junk in mine including battery and foot controlled trolling motor and it is still not bad to get in/out of the truck. I stand in mine a good bit but find the sitting position also good for casting. good luck!

The seat base is recessed and the strap won’t hold it down.

Thanks, that would work. I'm trying to think of a little fixture or method that would clamp or otherwise apply pressure over the area circled in red. Maybe some kind of spring loaded hook. I thought of a turnbuckle or bungie cord going down to a small hook on the floor, but prefer to not block the area under the seat as I stow stuff there while fishing. I could use a tight bungie or turnbuckle and go from the center of the seat (underneath) to the side to a little pad eye. Don't know...still trying to think of the easiest and least fiddly method....

The seat in my Bassbaby has an aluminum frame with 'feet' that are moderately snug in the groove they sit in. This has worked fine while transporting the boat in the bed of my truck since there isn't a lot of wind pulling at it. But soon I will switch to transporting it on a new trailer I'm building and feel I need to secure the frame down a little better. What have others done? I see a lot of Pelican/Bass Hunter style boats have a similar style seat arrangement and hope someone has come up with a simple yet effective way to secure it better in the boat. I am trying to avoid putting yet another strap across it as I'll already have a couple straps holding the boat on the trailer. I'm thinking of something that secures those feet a little better...or something that locks them down, but can be released as needed when I want to move or remove the seat. Here's a pic. For me I use only 1 of the seats. The base fits into that channel, but I feel wind blast from trailering would blow it out even with the seat folded and snapped.

T/W is about 30% more than Amazon so maybe not

I have a Daiwa Legalis I want to buy myself now that all my Christmas shopping is done for others But I can't find any of the major retailers with a big discount in place that carry it. I'm thinking I should be able to find somewhere with something like a 20% coupon or sumpin! Know of any place?