Jeff P.

Thanks for the replies. I went to the bank and got some information about the boat. The trade-in value that they have listed in their NADA guide for the boat is $11,300, with retail price between $10,900 (low retail) to $13,200 (average retail). This boat has a couple "nice to haves" that seems to make it a pretty good value for the asking price (well-kept, new batteries, new tires, etc). I'm going to meet the guy to take it out on the lake, and I'm bringing along my Father-in-Law who has owned his own bass boat for 20+ years to get his opinion. Thanks.

I'm looking at a used 2002 Nitro NX882 150HP Merc XR6. The boat is in very good condition, has been kept in a storage building out of the weather. Not a whole lot of hours on it, about average 2-3 trips per month during fishing season. The boat has dual console, 2 fishfinders (nothing special), 3 new batteries, new tires and new spare tire, trailer brakes, keel guard, on board 3-bank charger. Basically this is a well-kept boat. Asking price is $11,500. Picture attached. Thanks.

<soapbox> To those who are upset about the fact that he fishes on small waters, private ponds, or whatever, what do you think he needs to prove by going out and fishing high pressured public waters? Bill Dance has established through decades of fishing that he has tremendous knowledge and skill when it comes to bass fishing. Also, without sponsorships, these shows can't exist. I think we all understand that. EVERY fishing show has sponsors, and the anglers that host those shows are obligated to promote the sponsor's products. EVERY major fishing show I know of does this. Bill Dance Outdoors, Jimmy Houston Outdoors, Hank Parker Outdoors, the Lindners, Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Pro Team Journal, the list goes on and on. Bill Dance Outdoors is one of my favorite fishing shows. To me, Bill Dance is like the Grandfather I never had. As to the original subject of this thread, if you feel that strongly about the way you perceive that the fish are being mishandled, perhaps someone should put a polite post on the BDO forums when they come back up. </soapbox>

A 4/0 EWG Gamakatsu hook is a pretty large hook. I'm having trouble envisioning how you rig a tube with this large of a hook. I currently use a 2/0 Eagle Claw HP hook with the little clip on it. With the 4/0 hook, are you bringing the curve of the hook back around through the skirt tails, or through the body of the tube? (I know, it may be hard to explain....anyone got a pic they can post?)

I would definitley be willing to pay $20 - $25, but I would not be able to justify $45 dollars for that type of shirt. $.02

For me the best colors: Watermelon w/ black flakes Green pumpkin Junebug Black/blue laminate

A big black or dark colored spinnerbait is one of my first choices when fishing at night. I like to fish it on flats and points. Also, at night I like to fish large, dark-colored soft plastics. For example, I really like to fish a 7" power worm with black and red, T-rigged. For docks, I like a large black and red tube. Also, a dark-colored buzzbait can be really good around docks. Riprap is something I also like to target at night, because the rocks keep the surrounding water a bit warmer after dark. This is a good place to throw a jig with a craw chunk trailer.

Had me going as well. Like many of you, I was already formulating a plan to go stock up on senkos before the end!

I have the KVD video "Pitching to Heavy Hitters" and I highly reccommend it.

barrabait, There are some excellent articles on this site that discuss pitching, and the related technique "flipping". They can be found under the Fishing Articles link at the top of the page. Here are a couple to get you started: http://bassresource.com/fishing/pitching.html http://bassresource.com/fishing/flipping_pitching.html http://bassresource.com/fishing/flipping_pitching_fishing.html

The G3 boats have a solid reputation as good boats. The new ones come with Yamaha outboards which are very good motors. I was at the dealership a couple months ago talking to the salesman, and he said to me that the new aluminum boats have really come up in starting price the past few years. One major factor is that the cost of aluminum is going up, and another is the fact that the boats are being made bigger in 2006 to accomodate the 4-stroke engines (which are also more expensive than 2-strokes). All of this adds up to the price of a new aluminum boat approaching some of the fiberglass boats.

Classic Patterns Schooled with Denny Brauer (not on the schedule anymore, but maybe ESPN will bring it back) Bassmaster University (also not on the schedule currently) Fishing University and Crossing Country (not for information, but holy cow talk about babe-a-licious)

What are the safety or health concerns that should be considered when pouring your own lead jigs? Thanks.

LOL Gobbledog, nice one. 8-)

Sorry for the hijack, but how do you sign up for the newsletter? I looked all over the site but couldn't find it.

Like Rattlinrogue, I too have caught the majority of my fish at night on a Texas rigged plastic worm. At night I will go with colors that are darker (black, black/blue, green pumpkin w/ black flake, etc). My bass club fished a couple night tournaments this past summer, and most fish were cauught with three lures: Texas rigged large worm or senko-type bait Large spinnerbait with single Colorado blade (black, black/red) Black buzzbait

I spray paint all my lead weights, in several different colors to match the plastic I'm throwing or to match the bottom. I have a bunch painted green, black, and brown. I just use the cheap Wal-Mart spray paint, and touch them up in my spare time.

Jigs would work fine from the bank. Most folks use the pork trailers in colder water. Cast it out, let it fall to the bottom and let it sit for a minute or so. Slowly work it back to you (really slowly). Also, take GobbleDog's introduction - senko style soft plastic. Rig it either wacky or weedless, and work it the same way. Cast out, let it fall to the bottom and sit there. Slowly work it back. Another option you might try is a lipless crankbait. Good luck.

I just want to add my appreciation for your writing, Chris. I really enjoy reading your articles, and appreciate your willingness to share information in a manner that is easy to read and understand.

Since I don't have a boat yet, I have fished all Summer from fishing piers that are just like the ones you described. I almost exclusively fished these waters in the evenings and nights this Summer with my Brother-in-Law. We caught bass pretty well, also had some luck with catfish as well. Things to consider are: what is the lake structure like (is it chunk rock and rip-rap, sandy or muddy bottom, gravel), is the water shallow or does it get deep, is there any brush or vegetation, is there a food source for the bass? These factors will help dtermine if the bass will come to the area. I had the best luck fishing soft plastics. Some action on topwater, but I mostly fished plastic worms, senkos, hula grubs, as well as a jig with a Yum chunk trailer. I didn't have much luck in my area with spinnerbait, buzzbait, crankbait, or flukes. Try fishing slower, and be patient. Fishing piers can be good places to fish.

Thanks for all those that have responded with their comments. I went to the local Tracker/Nitro dealer this past weekend, so I could see the new 2006 model Bass Trackers. They had two models on display: 175 TX (similar to the PT175) 190 TX (similar to the PT185) Both boats are a little bit wider in beam and transom, to accomodate the 4-stroke motors. Talking to the salesman, he says that you can't buy regular 2-stroke motors on any new 2006 boat (you can still get the OptiMax motor). I believe this has to do with new laws about emissions regulations (I'm going to start a new topic to discuss that further). The 175 has the storage reconfigured, and I really like the new setup. The 190 is also really nice, new seats, storage setup, and more massive feel to the boat. However, since you can't get them with a 2-stroke ELPTO, the cost has gone up considerably. I'm going to continue looking around, especially at the G3 and the Lowe. We'll see how it all turns out.

Re: chicobass, I'm looking to spend less than $15,000 for my new boat. The G3 and Lowe both come in over that price, but I might be able to justify if they were much better. The G3 has a Yamaha motor, which I hear nothing but good things about. Both boats are sold by local dealers, so service shouldn't be an issue.

I have looked at the G3 boats as well. The dealer that sells the Lowe boats also sells G3. They are very nice looking, but also come in around $1500 or so more than the comparable Bass Tracker. However, if they are worth the cost premium, then I wouldn't mind spending just a little more. I have not ever been on the water in any of these boats yet. I plan to get test drives in each of them next Summer when I'm ready to buy. Perhaps the on-water test drive will give me an idea of which boat is superior.

Hello all. I am buying a new boat next Summer, and after doing a lot of research I think I've settled on a Bass Tracker PT 185 with a 90hp Merc. This boat seems to have the best package of features and best price for the setup I want. The important factors I've been considering (somewhat in order of importance): - price (this is most important, and is why I'm going aluminum vs. fiberglass) - "boat size" (length, beam width, motor hp) - tackle/gear storage setup - durability and longevity I looked at the PT175 also, but I don't like the storage layout, and I'd like to have a little bit more motor than the 75hp maximum for that boat. I see that Lowe has a new line of boats called Stinger. They have a 17' and 17'10" model (Stinger 170W and 180W). Comparing these two boats to the Bass Tracker counterparts, the Lowe boats compare very well except when I compare the price. These boats come in about $1500 to $2000 more than the Bass Tracker with comparable motor setups. Does anyone have personal experience with either the Lowe boats, or the new Bass Trackers that can offer opinions on either model? Or maybe you want to suggest something that I've not listed here? Thanks a lot.

Thanks for the replies. I talked to some of my more experienced fishing pals, and they said that most of the time they use a pitch rather than flipping - they say it's easier, and you can pitch to most any area you might want to flip to. It seems that the main point about flipping is to present the lure very quietly. Do you guys find the same observations as well? Thanks.