zellamander

Sometimes you just can't help it when a fish dies. I fished the local jackpot tourny yesterday and got a birdsnest the 6th cast of the night, (hit a tree in mid cast and wasn't paying attention) and by the time i got it out and went to retrieve, i had a 5.75 lb bass on the other end. He swallowed the #6 Gamakatsu hook and so i just cut the line and put him in the livewell. I worked with that fish the rest of the evening and he still died. I was very dissapointed with myself. Still ended up winning the tourny with the 1 pound deduction, but walked away very upset with myself.

This is a post i saw on here about a week ago. I think it will help you better than most of what we have said. Or atleast it will get you thinking.

If i were in this situation, like what some of the other guys said, i would have a mechanic simply check compression. If the compression is good, and he is bringing to boat to you, I would do the deal. I'm sure the boat itself (if in decent shape) is worth near $1500, if not more. Just my 2 cents.

I don't think that anybody on here is jealous. It seems to me most people are just suggesting for him to get a used boat for his first boat. My first boat was a 14' flat bottom witha 7.5 hp evinrude motor. It wasn't much but i modified it and made it work. Then I worked and saved my money and came across a 1987 Champion with a 150 Mecury for $4500. Heck, i just bought a 16' buckshot bass boat with a 40 hp Mariner for $400. Personally i don't think any of us are going to lose sleep if you go out and buy a 12000 dollar boat. But all they are trying to do is help you out by telling you that when you blow your load on a boat, you need to think about the other expenses. LIKE: $4.00 a gallon gas, for your boat and your moms truck, (i'm assuming that the gas is your responsibility), registration on the boat, (here it is about $35 or so, upkeep on the boat, (the price on that depends on how long you want your boat to last) Then when you are paying all of that, you have to buy tackle, lake permits, fishing license. There is a lot of hidden costs. Being 19 myself i know what you are going through. I can't think of a single person that walks through bass pro or cabela's and see's the boats and doesn't get that want feeling. It happens to us all. I hope this helps. Thats all we want you to think about. You are a big boy, and we really can't tell you what to do, but you asked for advice, so thats what we are trying to do.

Welcome to the forum! These guys on here are great and can help you with anything you can imagine. Just ask!

I'll try to get pics tonight at the tourny. I'll for sure have them up by the end of the week. I had never heard of the brand either. But it looks pretty decent. I'm anxious to get it on the water. The mariner motor on it purrs like a kitten. I also found 2 somewhat new fish finders in the storage compartment along with an Abu Garcia bait casting reel! I think i got my money's worth.

Well guys, I have been searching for another boat for quite awhile now and i came across one today for a listing price of $400! I thought, there is no way that this boat is in any possible fixing condition. I went against what i thought it should be like and checked it out anyways. I get there and it's a 16' fiberglass Buckshot bass boat. It has a 40 hp Mariner motor on it and a 48 lb thrust motor guide trolling motor! I was impressed. The guy told me the trolling motor didn't work, and the motor would turn over strong but he hadn't gotten it to start in years. Well, i figured that the boat itself was worth the money so i bought it. I get it home and in 20 minutes the motor is running (THE KILL SWITCH PIN WAS MISSING!!!) and the trolling motor had a loose conection!!! I'll post pictures as soon as i can. I am going to register it tomorrow and then i'm off to fish a jackpot tourny in it tomorrow evening.

csleeper06@yahoo.com Still in Findlay OH guys, I've been at the hospital for 3 days now, running on about 5 hours of sleep. I'll keep checking in as often as I can. Thanks

Thank you to everybody who is helping out. You guys are amazing. I have 1 more question for you, A potential partner asked to see my resume, so i sent it to him, and he said that he thought it sounded great and would like to speak with me on the phone. He also said that he would like for me to give him more information, and color photo's so that they can put it on their site. What more info are they looking for? and how do I keep from sounding like a drooling idiot when they call? It may be a few days before I post again, I have to fly to Findlay OH with my Fiance, her grandmother had a stroke and her lungs are filling with liquid, Please pray for her. I'll check in occasionally. Thanks Coty Sleeper

Hey guys, thanks for all the comments, advice, and good graces. I thank you all for it very deeply. Here is a tweeked version of my Resume that a verly nice guy had given me tips on. Fishing Resume Of Coty Sleeper Coty Sleeper of Girard Kansas is an avid fisherman attending Pittsburg State University. When not involved in his academics, Coty is a tournament competitor interested in broadening his horizons as an up and coming fisherman. His values include politeness, respect and the Sportsman's Code of Conduct. As a high school student Coty had taken the initiative in recruiting his peers to the sport of fishing in a program he calls "Let E'm Fish". In this program, Coty would teach the basics to the children in attendance. Coty's Goals Cotys goals are to persue a degree in business with an emphasis on marketing. He believes this training along with experience on the water will lead him to be a better fisherman and a true ambassador of the sport. Coty's Fishing Accomplishments 2nd Place Bone Creek Lake 38 Boats July 2008 1st Place Bone Creek Lake 34 Boats July 2008 7 Top 5 finishes on Bone Creek Lake in 2007 1st Place Bone Creek Lake 32 Boats May 2006 1st Place Bone Creek Lake 27 Boats June 2006 1st Place Bone Creek Lake 36 Boats July 2006 2nd Foracre Tournament 67 Boats August 2006 Fished Beaver Lake FLW with Aaron Hastings (courtesy fisherman) Personal Strengths Commitment to academic pursuits Honesty Integerity Willingness to learn and share knowledge Fishing Strengths Soft Plastics, Finesse Fishing, Flipping and Pitching and Power Fishing

What i'm offering. I will pay for decals on truck and boat, I will get air time on 860 A.M. during fish talk and talk about the bait/service/product and the good people that make it/supply it. At weigh-in's I will talk about it, and again, about the good people that make and or supply it. If the manufacturer wants to offer a patch to put on my jersey then I will proudly wear their patch. The person that puts on the local jackpot tournaments is a Pro Craft Pro Team member, Kevin Shaffer. The monthly tournament is an ABA tournament.

To be honest, right now I want to develop a relationship with a "mom and pop" tackle shop if possible. I believe big dreams need to be taking with baby steps. So what is the best way to approach a "mom and pop" tackle shop?

Thanks for the info! I'll format my resume. Really on the bait side, i've only fished with stuff I can pick up at walmart, 2 of the 3 tournaments I have won came from a Black Angel Jig. Should I put that in there somewhere?

Woops, Thanks for catching that. I appriciate it! Zell

TED GOES OUT A BUYS HIMSELF A BRAND NEW BASS BOAT AND ON THE WAY HOME CALLS UP JOHN TO GO FISHING. SO THE NEXT DAY THEY GO FISHING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN JOHN HOOKS UP WITH A HAWG. HE GETS IT TO THE BOAT AND IT TURNS OUT TO BE THE LAKE GODDESS. THE GODDESS TELLS HIM THAT IF HE LETS HER GO, THE CAN GET ONE WISH. JOHNS SAYS THAT HE HAS A GREAT WISH, AND HE SAYS, "LAKE GODDESS, I WANT YOU TO TURN THIS ENTIRE LAKE INTO BEER!" SO THE GODDESS DOES IT AND SHE IS RELEASED. JOHN TRIES IT AND HAS A HUGE SMILE ON HIS FACE WHEN TED SLAPS HIM IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD AND SAYS "YOU A- HOLE, NOW WE HAVE TO PEE IN THE BOAT!!". Zellamander

Use jigs and focus on underwater rip rap. I don't know the lake so i'm not sure of the structure. Hit points and ledges as much as possible. Lakes have underwater humps that can be found on a fish/depth finder, active bass stay on top of those humps. Are you in the front of the boat or back?

Awesome, I'll starting loading up with information and see what I can get accomplished. That would be an amazing addition for my resume, and I think it would be an awesome program!

That would be awesome! My only concern is that they will hear the idea and write it off. None of the schools around here offer fishing, so i'm not exactly sure how I should tie it in with the college. Any hints on that?

Thanks guys. Those were awesome tips. fishfordollars, Who would be the person in a university to bring that up to, and what would be the best way to bring it up in an appealing way?

Personal info: Hello, my name is Coty Sleeper and let me first thank you for sitting down and taking the time to evaluate my Resume. I am 19 years old and currently reside in Girard, KS. In the fall I will be starting school at Pittsburg State University persuing a Major in Business with an emphasis on Marketing. Bass fishing is my passion and I spend every moment that I'm not in school, on the water. I've always fished but I became avid about bass fishing my Junior year in High School. Honesty, respect, and the sportsmans code of conduct is at the top of my priorities. My Senior year in High School I started a week long day camp for young kids called "Let EM' Fish" in which i basically teach the basics about fishing, from tieing a knot all the way down to setting the hook. I only have about 7 kids a year do this, but one day I hope to develop it to it's fullest potential. The more kids in the outdoors, the less kids on the streets. Experience: Even though my bass fishing drive began at a young age, it never turned into a true passion until one day I was getting out of school and I saw a bunch of trucks and bass boats go by. It turns out that they were heading to a local jackpot tournament. Immediatly my interest grew and it wasn't long before I was fishing my first tournament. - Won 3 local jackpot tournaments on Bone Creek Lake in 2006 1) The first tournament was in May of 2006 with 32 boats and 5 other fish weighed in that night. 2) The second tournament was in July of 2006 with 27 boats and 4 other fish weighed in that night. 3) The third tournament was the most exciting of all for me. It took place in the last week of July of 2006. Weigh-in was at 9 P.M. and we were all heading back up the the ramp, i stopped about 100 yards away from the ramp and decided to pitch a jig up in some rip rap, that usually produces fish, and there she was. She weighed in at 4.12 lbs. There was 36 boats that night and I weighed the only fish. Never give up! - Came in 2nd place at Foracre Monthly Tournament in August of 2006 1) There was 67 boats and 20 of them weighed in. I was beat by 2/10's of an ounce. - Fished at Grand Lake in the Okie Division BFL tournament in 2006 1) Boated only short fish, but soaked in more experience and knowledge from the trip. - Attended Beaver Lake FLW Tour tournament and curtisy fished with Pro Aaron Hastings in 2006 1) Aaron taught me to drop shot and finese fish. Another amazing experience and learning oppertunity. - Attended weigh-in from Beaver Lake FLW Tour with cousin Tammy Cox and Pro Aaron Hastings. - Finished in top five, seven times on Bone Creek Lake in 2007 Strengths: There is no doubt about it, fishing is a sport, and in every sport, all players have strengths. Here are some of mine. - Texas Rig, Carolina Rig, Drop Shot, Jig Style. - Flipping, Pitching, Skipping - Power fishing, Site fishing, Screen fishing (fish/depth finder) Favorites: Some of my favorite ways of fishing would have to be texas style and jig fishing. I love to pitch a jig up in rip rap in the pursuit of that hawg. I like to fish submurged humps, points, rocks, rip rap, and docks. What Can I Do For You?: With a decent local reputation for fishing, and code of conduct, I can promote from word of mouth. Local radio including "Fish Talk" and "Fishing the Four States", also local seminars on fishing and related subjects. I strive to get as many young people into the sport as possible, and strive to be the role model that stirs their interest. Currently in the pursuit of persuading Pittsburg State University into offering a Fishing Course. Overall Goal: My overall goal is to find a partnership with a company and promote their service and/or product and increase their sales by establishing it into the tournament world, conducting myself as a responsible, reliable investment. I can provide word of mouth advertisement, radio air time, and possible promotion from well established contacts which can advertise nation wide. Thank you again for taking the time to evaluate my Resume. Coty Sleeper

I am actually really suprised about your response on that comment. Actually, I would go as far as being impressed. Congrats. Keep up the good attitude. These guys on here will nail you if they see fit but it's only to help you. You just have to be honest and prepare for any critique they give. Kind of like my grandpa tells me, "Take it like a duck, and let it roll off your back".

I've read some threads on here where people are just starting out making there own plastics and jigs and stuff, how do you do it? What do you need to do that? I think that would be interesting to try. Any help would be great!

I've read some threads on here where people are just starting out making there own plastics and jigs and stuff, how do you do it? What do you need to do that? I think that would be interesting to try. Any help would be great!

I do improve my fishing skills as often as possible. When I get off work i'm on the water, weekends i'm on the water. As I said, I need to improve on finese fishing, but that really isn't possible on 1 of the lakes near me that our tournaments are on, you have to powerfish that lake, really no other option. As far as the other lake, that is where i'm trying to improve my finese, but they got that fat head minnow or whatever it is called that killed out a huge population of all game fish in the lake. The town I'm from has about 3000 people in it, and only has 2 fishing stores/boat stores. There is Albers Marine, and Johns Sport Center. Johns sponsors fishing events, not fisherman, and they focus on the youth of the local cities holding fishing derby's and casting competitions and stuff, which is great. Albers has a pro team, and quite a few people on that pro-team so they would be a hard catch. So for me to get attention it seems like i'm going to have to hit the BFL's and make a name for myself right? Then from that attention hopefully comes action.

To be honest with you, as of right now, i don't have the package that companies are looking for. I do however think that I am on my way to becoming very close to what they are looking for. I am currently in school seeking a business major, and a minor in marketing. I think that is a desirable trait to have in this business sport. I am an extremely confident person, and I am a very well spirited person. I help people whenever I can, and i'm very involved with youth outdoors. I actually do a thing that started with my little brothers, but became something actually more fun for me than them; I took my little brothers out and would teach them some basics and just let them have fun and get the feel of it, well that turned into there friends wanted to come, and then it just kept going year after year. So now my wife and I have a week long "day camp" that gets kids in the outdoors. It is still just a bunch of friends of the family and their kids, or kids from town, but one day we would like to go a little bigger, and actually have a camp where the kids can stay for a week, or a month, and enjoy the outdoors instead of feeling they have nothing to do but eat chips ahoy cookies and play video games or party at 13. I still need to mold and improve my fishing skills. I only know my local water and I don't have a very strong backgroud with finese fishing, (being in kansas we don't use finese much) and that is something I will need in this sport if I get the oppertunity to persue it. I'm not sure if that answered your question about the "what do I have that the next guy doesn't?"