slonezp

HTS 2000

Rest assured, I'm willing to bet she doesn't look like that anymore and you shouldn't let it bug you.

Sounds like you have a long road ahead of you. There are thousands of posts and videos on this site give you more info than you could ever absorb. Your going to have to join a club. I would recommend a small or local club to get your feet wet and see if tourney fishing is really for you. It's not all chocolate bars and gumdrops. As a non boater you will be limited as to how much tackle you can bring with you so the stuff you choose will need to be what you are confident using. You will also be limited in your prefising.

As far as the boat, a clean title is good. The boat shouldnt leak. If you can, fill it up with water from a hose and see if any leaks exist. If it's riveted check for any sheared off rivits near the bottom caused from beaching or hitting rocks. If it's welded look for stress buckles near the seams. As far as the trailer, a clean title(here in IL. its a must) Look for any moderate to severe rust. Check wheel bearings by grabbing the top of the tire with both hands and try to wiggle it. If there is any play it could be bad bearings or additional damage. Make sure the lights work. If you can, inspect the bunks. As far as the motor, paperwork is good. Any kind of maintenance records. If you have the option to have a mechanic look at it that would be best. See if it will run on the lake, in a garbage can, or with earmuffs on. Get an oil sample from the lower unit. All you'll need is a slotted screwdriver. If the oil appears milky, theres water in it. I just went thru this yesterday looking for a boat for my son. Ended up buying just the motor.

Here's a ton of info LINE CHOICE Me, I have mono on my setup for larger cranks and spinnerbaits. The mono has stretch and will act as a shock absorber when the fish nails the bait. I use flouro for smaller cranks, and some soft plastic applications as well as leader material. Flouro is sensitive and abrasion resistant and somewhat invisible under water. I use braid for jig fishing, topwater to get thru the slop, and on my spinning gear with a flouro leader. Braid is super strong and super sensitive but not very abrasion resistant and has no memory.

The weedguard is flourocarbon, not white.

Go for it basslover. Whether you use a Senko or any other type of bait you will learn. PAY ATTENTION to everything you do, the weather conditions, the colors of baits you're using, the different types of structure and weeds you're fishing. Try different ways to rig(as Catt mentioned)the baits. Keep a log and refer back to it. I like to throw jigs. My son has always loved to throw Senkos because they work. Well, this year he decided he's going to try jig fishing and not throw Senkos. After our last 2 tournaments which we came in 3rd (with 4 fish, first place was less than one pound heavier) and 6th (with 3 fish, first place was less than two pounds heavier), he says to me "Dad, you know if we had caught a limit both times we would have come in 1st place. Next time we get a couple good fish I'm switching back to a senko." He's absolutely right. Part of learning is keeping an open mind. To not use a bait that catches fish, because it catches fish???

You're right but, I think most of the electric reels are for deep saltwater applications. Which leads me to an idea. Would he be able to use a saltwater rod belt to hold the butt of the rod? That way he would just need to brace the rod with his left hand and reel with his right.

The answer...Abstinance

I learned to use a baitcaster on my grandpa's stainless steel fishing rod. Not sure about your rod and reel in particular but I've heard some of the old steel rods can be worth some $$$. I have no idea where you would go to find the value. I have tried. I have a couple pre-Browning Siloflex rods that I haven't had much luck with. Seems old lures hold more value than equiptment. It would definatly look nice hanging on your trophy wall.

Back in 1991 I had a hammered guy drive into my house. Only did $26,000 worth of damage. If it wasn't for the front yard being lower than the floor joists, I would have had a Chevy Cavalier in bed with me.

At 20 I had a wife and baby. I was the "new car prep" guy at a car dealership. In addition to getting the cars ready for the customer after they made a purchase. I was also instructed to disable the cars people were planning on trading in if the salesman was close to closing the deal. The customer would get in their car to leave and it wouldn't start. Now they either buy the new car or have the dealer repair the old one. So a few years later I'm watching TV and the Feds shut down the dealership and threw the alleged mafia owners in jail. First of all, you should be wearing some kind of respirator when you're blowing out the shop. Secondly, you want to lose your social life? Have a kid at 20. Thirdly, cutting lawns nowadays is not just cutting lawns. Most people who can afford a landscaper also have bushes, trees, and flowers to tend to. Remember, you can't win if you don't play. On the flipside there's a chance that won't work out. If nothing else you'll learn from the experience. My crappy jobs before I turned 21: Stock boy at Ace Hardware @ 13 years old Unloaded trucks at Toys R Us Changed oil Washed cars

Better delete the post befor FOX turns it into a reality show.

I saw a show on Discovery channel the other night about the tornadoes that ripped thru Alabama last month. They made a point on the show to say the overkill of sirens during the previous 2 weeks had people thinking "Just another false alarm" If you guys get a chance, I'm sure they will rerun the program. I don't recall the name. Great show. Lots of cell phone footage and recordings. Tastefully done.

Where will poor "Storm" go to the washroom? I hope not with Irene. She's kinda creepy.

Can't be. The state of California has banned everything detrimental to the enviroment.

I also grew up in a fishing family. My grandfather was a walleye/pike/musky fisherman. My father a Lake Michigan perch/salmon fisherman. My son and I bass fisherman. I had the basics growing up, but taught myself bass specific, and continue to teach myself and my son.

3rd paragraph If "Storm" is a hermaphrodite...maybe this is ok. Maybe. These people should not be reproducing. I thought I lived in a nation that has evolved to where men and women are equal. Now, I don't mean to contradict the statement I just made, but men and women are not equal. Each has a specific role going back to the begining. The men being the hunters and gatherers, and the women bearing and raising children. Thru the evolution of the U.S. men and women have learned to share their roles but I believe that is fueled primarily by the cost of living and women who have an extra Y chromosome.

All the above, plus large roaches cut in half, both halves on the hook(but they can be expensive). If you know where the cats are and they are actively feeding, I have caught many, many cats while bass fishing on chartruse/white spinnerbaits. Those cats all weighed between 5-10lbs.

Welcome back and thanks for your service. I wish you all the best getting back to the "real world" I work with a Marine who spent 18 months in Iraq at the begining of this ordeal and experienced many a firefight. Talking about it seems to be his best therapy. I'm not sure of your situation but you have some ears to listen to you here on BR. Tight Lines!!!

I spend most of my time on the Fox Chain. You'll do better fishing the docks in the channels than on the lakes. The bluegills and crappies congregate around the metal boat lifts and the bass should be close. Personaly I'd recommend pitching to the metal seawalls or fallen timber. That's where I've gotten all my fish this year so far. Come summer time(if it ever shows up), you can work the docks with some type of weedless rigged plastics or fish the slop with frogs or weightless flukes or senkos dragged over the top.

Why not? I've caught them on jignpigs, flukes, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, why not a rattletrap?

Thanks for sharing Tom. Great to see someone helping kids get into something positive. Instead of watching them sit around and play video games or get into trouble. Bassasassin, I think you're right. It was a warmouth. I've been fortunate that I know the body of water I fish well enough to overcome the crappy weather, although it's been really tough. I haven't weighed in a limit and have been lucky enough to find a few quality fish on an alomst nonexistant bite.(7 bites each tourney)

Patience. Some quality barrel swivels to reduce line twist, and spend some time matching your hooks to the bait. You don;t want too big or soo small a hook for your presentation.