wasabi_VA

Out of ignorance I think of a trickle charger and battery maintainer as the same thing. Can you cite an example model of each? I might need to pick up a battery maintainer. I currently use a smartcharger for charging back up after a trip, but want to keep a trickle/maintainer on it in between going forward. I might use an outlet that lets me only turn it on for a certain # of hours or days per week so it isn't constantly on it.

I've always used a group 27 size battery for the trolling motor in my 8' Bass Baby. But the smaller waters I fish and way I fish is such I probably don't even use half the charge on a given trip, probably more like only 25%, if that. I always charge it between trips too. And now it is time to get a new battery so am considering the smaller group 24 to save a little weight and space. Every bit helps in these tiny boats. But in the back of my head is that little voice saying I could run out of juice and be stranded at the back of some lake...even though I just don't see that happening given my knowledge of the waters I'm fishing. Who is using a group 24? Any recs for a specific one? I'd like to find a sealed AGM this time too.

I spend most my fishing time on some small area lakes that have poor growth rates, thus I have to be happy with smaller fish. For that reason I generally use ultralight gear and only need 4 to 6 lb. test. My first foray into braided lines was Fireline crystal in 4 and 6 lb. test and that stuff really impressed me. In fact I didn't need to replace the line for several seasons it held up so well. Now it's time to respool and Fireline has jumped way, way up in price from what my older spools are marked. But it performed well so am willing to pay a premium to respool, maybe I will luck out and find a store near here that does spool fills cheaper than buying my own bulk spool. Anyway, anything newer/better than Fireline in the light diameter category?

Battery technology is evolving at a rapid pace. I guess I was hoping to see some interesting options in the trolling motor area but my research is suggesting the same old group 27 lead acid options are still the main option right now (aside from 600+ dollar options)

Any new ideas to help me change the output of the 5 speeds this Bulldog has? If I could I would reduce the lowest speed by 25 to 50% without slowing down the top end speed to get me to and from my honey holes ?

Cheap mushroom anchor from Walmart or pour an old coffee can (plastic ones quieter) full of concrete and set an eye bolt in it to tie the rope to. Or a 5 to 10 lb. weight tied to a rope.

Every few years my interests change and I either am 100% into fishing or 100% into hunting/shooting sports. It's weird, I just go cold turkey and have little interest in the other until I switch back. I'm feeling the fishing bug coming back and will need to replace my 4 year old Walmart group 27 battery. My boat is an 8' BassBaby with a Motorguide Bulldog (40 lb thrust?) 12V system. I don't run long distances on high - if I do it's usually no more than 15 minutes each way. I sometimes might slow troll crappie jigs for an hour or two, but always on the lowest setting so assume I'm not using a lot of juice. I've always bought group 27 size batteries out of fear of running out and being stranded but don't really know how low I ever discharge them. I'm good about putting it right back on my charger when I get home. I'm wondering if I can get away with a smaller, lighter battery like some of these group 24 size AGM (sealed) batteries? Or something else besides these Walmart ones I'm replacing every 2 years?

The cross-section of boat is smaller with my BassBaby than with my prior full-size boats, and I feel like the wind is less of an issue. It also helps tremendously that I use a bow mount trolling motor with a foot control as I can easily (and continually if needed) make adjustments to compensate for the wind blowing. After awhile I don't even notice it as the adjustments are automatic.

I have the Bulldog too and also love it. MIne came configured for bow mount and with foot pedal. I thought they all came that way.

I'm struggling with the same issue with my Elite-4 HDI. Lots of clutter. Especially sucks for me as a crappie fisherman.

OP - you can tell if that old charger is working by checking the voltage of the battery. First check the voltage before you turn on the charger - probably reading somewhere in the 12.whatever range. Then plug in the charger and the voltage should be 13.something.

I bought my Elite-4 HDI and have used it a few times. I set it up to use downscan overlay on top of the sonar. But I'm finding the downscan starts to clutter the screen after runnng it an hour or so. I tried turing up the settings to remove clutter but ony thing that works is to power it off, then back on. Not sur eif this is an issue from fishing shallow water? Very annoying

coffee can filled with concrete. 10 lbs?

WalMart Fast charge it. That's why chargers do it that way.

Yeah, that Coleman Crawdad could work. CLose to what I was thinking. Is that front seat adjustable to where I could slide it a little bit to the rear?

I just bought one too. I took it out last week and wasn't impressed with the downscan performance. I am assuming it is just my lack of knowledge and not sure how to use it. It showed me returns, but not a whole lot. The regular sonar would mark a lot of arches but most the time I didn't get a similar hit with the downscan (I had sonar on top, downscan under it). Whenever downscan marked a fish the dot was so small I had to wonder if it was a baitfish or piece of trash suspended in the water. The dot was way smaller than the sonar arch. I heard the best way to use downscan was to overlay it on top of the sonar, but I don't think the small downscan fish marks would be visible against the backdrop of the sonar arch. What is it I should be doing here? I'm using it on a slow moving small boat with trolling motor only, usually in 6 to 15 feet of water.

I like the looks of the Pro Strike 120 although it isn't exactly what I want. Those fixed seats and the livewell clash with what I'd like to achieve. Price - up to 1,750 for boat Not aluminum Will be trolling motor only, deck mounted with foot control 12' max Right now a Carolina Skiff J12 is frontrunner due to the open interior design and the front deck layout.

Keep em coming. I think I prefer a flat bottom, or maybe an old-school tri-hull like the old fiberlglass Gamefishers

I'm looking for something a little bigger than my I love my 8' BassBaby but am looking for something with just a little more room. But not as big as my old 14' standard aluminum jonboat. I'm picturing something like a 12' Carolina Skiff, except I don't think they make them that short. I want to sit down inside and not up on a casting platform, and have just enough room to walk around the seat and go back a step or two to additional stowed gear. I would still need a small platform up front to mount a foot controlled trolling motor. Any ideas? An older model is fine provided I can keep an eye on craigslist and find one sooner or later.

if you are lucky the storage room will have a screw in bulb. You can put a little screw in adapter that will give you an outlet.

Minnow, Can you please post a close up picture of how you have attached these quick clips? I tried to use something similar with double-sided sticky tape but it came off after a season or two. I think the composition of my BassBaby hull did not allow the tape to adhere very well. I am considering using a screw but prefer to avoid putting screws into it.

I have this Motorguide Bulldog 40-lb. thrust trolling motor on my little 8' Bassbaby. It works great except the slowest gear is still a little too much power. I'd like to slow it down if I can. The foot pedal lets me select speeds 1 thru 5. Does each setting use a resistor or something to adjust the power, or is it selecting a different tap on the motor? I'm hoping there is something in the unit I can change to slow it down a little.

I want to get a new seat in my Bassbaby. I just want something nicer and with more support. Here is what I currently have. What do you have in your boat?

I have to remove my trolling motor after each trip and set it down inside the boat. I can just see it getting knocked around if I do that. I'd like to try and find a way to utilize the hand-hold pockets around the boat. I'm thinking I can slide something down in one fo them and it will help stabilize whatever I use to drop it down. Anyplace besides Cabelas to buy the tranducer bracket that Guppy posted? I could probably make that work.

Is it the kind with a rubber body? I'd spray some WD-40 or something like that on it, give it a little while to penetrate, then try to tapi it out from the inside.