slonezp

Hey Mike, What causes those bluegill to be so dark complected? The water color?

Been raining for 2 days straight. 60* today going to drop to 27* tonight and back in the mid forties at the end of the week. Come on spring!

Mine just turned 10 and I'm about to break the 200k mark

Only lasts about 3 weeks if you use it to brush your teeth.

The right way to do this is to use a multimeter to verify you have 12v at the pump. If you do, the pump is bad. If you don't, the issue is somewhere else in the circuit. And yes, there should be a fuse somewhere in the circuit.

You might have more within you're reach than you think. In addition to maps that @Catt mentions, take notice of the shoreline. On naturally occurring lakes as well as large man-made impoundments, many times the shoreline configuration continues under water. Steep shoreline=steep drop. Gradual shoreline=gradual drop. Rocky shoreline=rocky structure. Brown dirt to red clay=Brown dirt to red clay. etc. You can notice key queues in vegetation. Lilypads=hard bottom. Hydrilla=soft bottom. Coontail=hard or soft bottom. Look for queues in current. Current from a spring, current from a drainage tube, current from a sump, current from a funnel. Current from boat traffic. One more thing for a shore fisherman to think about. As shore fishermen, we spend our lives trying to cast our lines as far out as we can. Once we buy a boat, we spend our lives trying to cast as close to shore as possible. Just a thought, but maybe looking for what's beyond your reach is being counterproductive.

same here

What led you here?

As close as you can without any obstructions. you don't want anything to block the signal.

You will need both of these http://www.transducershieldandsaver.com/product/ap-hx-1-to-fit-humminbird-mega-si-or-solix-si-transducer-on-a-transom/ http://www.transducershieldandsaver.com/product/sbb-4-spring-back-bracket/

You've got more patience than I do. I became a step-grandpa 7 months ago, and if I had to deal with little kids on a daily basis again, I might just go incognito. I am however, looking forward to taking him fishing in another year.

Reread @WRB original post and break it into sections. Then think about the basics. We always forget about the basics. Where is the restaurant? Where is the forage? Why is the forage where it's at? Did the restaurant move down the block? So, the forage is there but why aren't the bass? Well, maybe they are still waiting for the restaurant to open or sitting in the lobby waiting to get seated. The wind to pick up, the sun to come out. Cloud cover. The moon. Drop in pressure. What is a route? Simple, it's a break. Simpler, it's an area where 2 or more different things come together. What is a den? It's the safe zone. Simple, it's cover and/or deep water, deep being a relative term. I think it's wise to learn the habits and patterns of all the fish in the ecosystem, especially the bait.

NADA is a good baseline, but it is also a guide for banks and insurance companies and doesn't take into account a lot of other things that affect resale. NADA only knows the age of the boat, motor, and trailer and do not take into the usage factor. Was the boat used in Texas 12 months a year or Minnesota 8 months a year? Was the boat used to fish tournaments 52 weekends a year or by grandpa 12 weekends a year? Was the trailer used to pull the boat cross country or was it stored because the boat sat on a boatlift all season? Is there 20 hours on the motor or 2000 hours? and so on

Have you made offers on the used boats based on your research? Are they willing to negotiate?

The tracker website has the 175 starting at $16,995. Sure you were looking at the 175 and not the 170?

It's possible they are trying to get a premium price from add ons like electronics and such. BUT, as far as getting a well equipped 175 for 18k I guess the definition of well equipped differs. The base offering is 17K with a 60hp motor and basic equipment. Equipped with a second console, 75hp motor, no electronics and a 12v trolling motor, and your at 22k. Add tax and dealer prep and your're at $25k out the door. At $1k depreciation a year over 10 years, your still looking at a $15K asking price. I bought a new boat in 2013. The model is no longer available but the new similar version is $10k more than I paid. That's $2k a year increase. I could sell my boat today for close to what I paid for it. Our economy is on an upturn. It is what it is.

The cost of new boats is increasing which in turn, props up the used boat prices. Used boat prices increase in the spring as well. Buying in the fall might be a better option

Looks ok to me, Maybe a visit to the eye doctor is in order.

My son went today to utilize the rod/reel trade in program. Said rod choices were minimal at best.

Did they move the hoses? If the hose runs above the waterline, before it gets to the pump it may not prime the pump.

Sturgeon Bay, obviously known for smallies, also has a population of largemouth. Just need to know where to find them. And, like Erie, the largemouth do not grow nearly as large as the smallies.

They will be more affordable than the Verado and cost right in line with the current 2 stroke line up. I know 5 years ago the Verado was a $2500 upgrade from my 225 ProXS. Can buy some nice graphs for $2500

Stratos is not history as of yet. They have a full line of 2018 boats

Seeing as, according to your signature, you won't be purchasing your boat for another 87 years, I think you're good.

Or kids who don't have all sorts of cash