slonezp

Brandon, Make sure you put your boy on some fish so he can show up Rhino.

Yes, But it can also be a benefit. 80+ degree water temps, 90+ degree air temp, bluebird skies, and shallow lakes, can be for easy pickings. Any type of shade has potential. I have caught my biggest bass either at daybreak or between noon and 2:00. The fish will definitely become more active as the sun sets but there is no reason a well placed bait won't catch fish in the heat of the day.

You guys are boring me with all this chatter. Is Jeff the only BR member who can catch fish?

It sure beats sticking toothpicks under my fingernails.

The Lund Sport Trak is built into the boat and the mounts snap into the trak. Here's a few links of things that may appeal to you. http://www.boatoutfitters.com/boat-tool-holders.html http://www.magneticmarineproducts.com/ These clip onto the butt seat http://www.basspro.com/Handie-HoldIt%c3%83%e2%80%9a-Supply-Caddy/product/15978/ http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Caddy-Holder/product/58679/

I catch them on bass gear all the time. Your best bet is to find a quality musky fishery.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/205490811.html?refer=y If you have never seen this guy shoot, do yourself a favor and look him up

I could totally see that getting in the way, and/or being uncomfortable a whole day on the water. I've got a nice little carpeted tray at the helm of the Lund below the controls. It's a hair wider than the bump board, a couple inches deep and about 3ft long. Right now I just keep the bump board, needlenose, and scissors for braid in there. Everything else is in 2 waterproof tool boxes in my starboard deck storage. Not that it matters to you, Lund has something they call a Sport Trak system. Basically what it is, is a track to snap brackets onto and then mount whatever you want to those brackets. There are a bunch of mountable tool and lure holders on the market. Some are magnetic and some you just slide tools into and come in all different sizes. These would require drilling holes in your boat to mount and I don't know if you are up for that.

You're impatient You still have 3 weeks. This thread is in the wrong section. Needs to be in the Northeast section. I've never fished Clinton but there are IL guys who have. I'm sure someone will chime in

Honestly, If I'm not in a tournament, it doesn't matter. 0 fish, a hundred fish, whatever. I find complete serenity in the act of fishing. May sound stupid but it's like Caddyshack and being the ball. I'm one with the act of fishing. The challenge to myself is what I find exciting. The catching fish is the same as making the shot. It's eventually going to happen whether it takes 5 minutes or 5 trips. Some days I am Ty and some days I am Danny http://youtu.be/LGKkmpbhv9k I did not vote in the poll.

Reminds me of a tin knocker I did some work with years ago. He went by the name "Home Depot" and wore one of these http://www.amazon.com/BucketBoss-Extreme-55035-Mullet-Buster/dp/B0001LQY2G

Can kiss that fishery goodbye.

cadman, Is Long lake open to boats or closed like the rest of the Chain?

http://youtu.be/AF_nfazQaek

If you need seats without posts, I have some blue butt seats that were never used you can have. They are just the seats, no posts

Boat mfgs doesn't make their own posts. Are their any stickers or numbers on the posts or base. There are different size bases. measure the diameter of the hole in the base.

Water temps in N. IL are 53-56 as of this past weekend. Ice has been out for about 4 weeks. We caught fish in 18fow on jig n craws, 8fow on swimjigs and spinnerbaits, and 2fow on flukes. Nothing on suspending jerkbaits. Talking to other fishermen, seems like swimjigs were the preferred bait. Water was stained and weed growth was nonexistent.

Who makes the old seats/posts in your boat? Swivel Eze, Attwood, Wise?

1 bank for each battery. If you're not making any long runs, the outboard will not keep the starting battery topped off. If you're running electronics, a stereo, and/or a livewell, batteries can drain. The higher the amp rating, the quicker the charging. So a 12v trolling motor and a starting battery get a 2 bank. A 24v trolling motor and a starting battery get a 3 bank. Being assured the motor battery is charged each and every time you plug in the boat is worth the minimal cost of the extra bank. Also, they are easy to install, but follow the directions wiring the batteries. I know the last 3 bank smart charger I bought required wiring the starting battery to a designated set of leads(if that set wasn't used for a TM battery)

See if you can take a test ride in both. If you have dealers or reps near you I'm sure they would be more than happy to take you for a ride. There is a thread on here somewhere with key input from some retired USCG who are members here, and I quote "Bass boats are not designed for rough water". A 20ft boat will ride better than a 17ft boat. The ride should not be your only concern. Deck layout and fishability are other things you should look at as well. Basscat fishes bigger than other boats in its class because the placement of the trolling motor. Z series boats have a lot of deck as well. Ranger, Charger and Phoenix also have good reps as far as a better ride. I recently bought a new boat with big water in mind, after researching boats for 2 years, and got a Lund Predator which is a multispecies boat with a bass boat layout. I sacrificed a fiberglass hull and rear deck space but felt it was the right boat for my needs.

Titanic

the bass I caught yesterday weren't much bigger than those crappies. The one caught in the shallow was dark colored and had a big belly. The ones in deeper water still had no coloration. Weeds haven't grown in yet. We need a little sunlight.

Here's a sampling of Loon Lake pannies 4hrs for boneless filets Looks like the Chain is going to be closed at least another week or two. If my boy opts out on a bass trip on the Chain I'll give you a heads up as well. Once tourney season starts that's where I spend most of my time.

Caught my first fish in the new boat. Another virgin off the water . Loon Lake water temps are 53*-56* and the water is quite stained. I haven't fished there in 3 years or so, but it used to be gin clear with 20ft of visibility. With the Chain closed my choices are limited. Anyway, had bites shallow and deep in the 45 minute window the sun was out. Once the clouds moved in the bite all but stopped. No fish were picture worthy but they were caught in 18fow on jigncraws, 8fow on swimjigs, and 2fow on flukes. Mark, If you like bluegills and crappies, another few weeks and the bite should be spectacular. I normally don't fish for them unless I'm with my dad. The lake is abundant with 9"-10" gills and 11"-13" crappies. They tend to school with others similar in size, so if you find one it should be game on. I normally stock the freezer in spring. If I head up there with my dad I'll give you a shout.