slonezp

Welcome from Streamwood

Same thing only worse. I forgot to remove the tie downs on the transom. I backed down the ramp a little too far and the boat and trailer began floating, which also took all the weight off the back end of the truck. What made things worse is I had a 2wd pickup without positraction. I couldn't move. After a short while a guy came to the launch and was able to tow me out.

Welcome from the western suburbs.

How long do cranking batteries usually last? Bought my boat new in 2005 and replaced the trolling motor batteries last season. I normally fish 15 -20 weekends a year. Should I bother installing the old one for another season or just pick up a new one? I know batteries can be tested but I'm not sure if they can tell how much life is left in them.

As long as I'm not fishing for money, my biggest strength is I don't care if I catch anything. I love being on the water, and the "thrill of the chase". Trying different presentations and fine tuning my abilitys and a few of you said "patience". If I am fishing for money or bragging rights throw all that out the window. 1.Finesse fishing 2.Spotting structure 3.Watching bait, and watching birds feed 4.Persistance My son started keeping a fishing log of what worked, what didn't, weather and water conditions and because of that no longer complains that he's in the back of the boat. Him and I are learning together to be better fisherman.

As long as it was legaly caught there should be no issue. That being said I don't agree with "training" and chumming because that changes the odds. In Illinois it's illegal to bait deer for the same reason. The guy who foul hooked "dottie" was a sportsman. IMO Kurita is just a guy looking for his 15 min of fame.

whats happened with Ruger the last few years? every Ruger firearm i have has been great. I have a P95 9mm which I absolutley love and a Super Redhawk Alaskan .454casull which is a really cool gun, although I did have problems with it with less than 100 rounds fired. I sent it to Ruger they had it back to me in a few weeks (no charge) and never had a problem after. Ruger claims it was the ammo I was firing so I changed from a 360 grain round to a 250 grain round

Had the same problem a few years back. It went on for a year or so and my provider said they couldn't help. I switched providers for this and other reasons but kept the same phone #, never had the problem again. Doesn't make sense but it worked.

Should I stay or should I go. When tournament fishing I always question catch a limit of small fish or look for the bigguns. Or maybe the bigguns are with the small ones and I should change presentations. Or how long should I stay in a spot that normally holds fish but is not producing. I guess the answer to the question is Indecisiveness

You're in northern Illinois. Take a long weekend an drive to Door County Wisconsin. Smallie fishing is good most of the season, but pre spawn and late fall would be best times for big fish. Spring tournaments consistantly have 4lb average sizes but there are fish topping 6lbs swimming around. Try white on white spinner baits, and cranks early and late in the year, gobie and crayfish immitators during the summer months

Don't forget Tyrone Shoelaces, and the Irish couple Patrick Fitzgerald and Gerald Fitzpatrick

I bought the Ardent F500 flipping reel last season and have had zero issues with it. It can only be used for flipping/pitching and has a fixed drag setting which is plenty strong to pull fish up thru the weeds.

That which does not kill me makes me stronger. You have admitted you have a problem, but until you've hit bottom there's little hope of recovery. My advice to you is to continue to feed your addiction.

ditto

Thanks for the feedback

Last year I bought a Fenwick HMG/AV rod and an Ardent 500 reel. If I remember correctly I put a copolymer line on the reel which was recommended by the guy at Cabelas. Don't remember what brand or lb test it was. I'm not too happy with the line as it has alot of memory and seems to loosen up on the spool. Can I get some recomendations as to brands, types,and what lb test you guys recommend. Is braid an option? Alone or with a leader? Thanks

Welcome from Streamwood,IL

My son and I have fished local tournaments in the chicagoland area for the past few years. The first larger tournament, I'll never forget the first thing he said to me. "Dad you've got the crappiest boat here" Three years later we're still fishing in that "crappy" boat. Haven't won much money yet but we finish better every year. Our first tourney this year is on Sunday and my crappy boat will be there. Last year we finished 10th out of 40 boats for the season. Makes me feel good that I'm able to out fish guys with $40,000 boats. The latest issue of Bassmasters Magazine covers this issue with Rick Clunn. The only one that will hold you back in life is YOU.

'Til you hit the bottom.

Practice, practice, practice. Try dragging, twitching, dead-sticking, swimming. Different colors, sizes, weights vs weightless, texas, carolina, wacky rigs. Different presentations work at different times. The worst thing you can do is stick to one presentation. Keep an open mind. What works on one lake may not work on another. What works one day may not work the next. If you can find a pattern that works stick with it but continue to experiment. You may find that tweaking a pattern my give you even more success.

My son is pretty good at that. When I tell him to turn the livewell on he does, and when I tell him to turn it off he does. Good luck with your search.

Headed down there this Saturday from Chicago for 4 days. Staying with family friends not too far from the Moore's. How's the fishing? Lake conditions? Weather? Will be targeting bass and crappies. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

Firstly I belive it takes a certain mindset. If you look at any successful athelete, what makes them successful is the desire, drive, and determination to be the best. Football players practicing 5 days a week all day long for 4 months and keeping in shape in the off season, baseball players playing ball almost every day 6 months of the year etc. Fishermen use rods, reels, tackle,and boats as their tools to reach their goals the same way a professional athelete uses his physical atributes to reach theirs. If you have the mindset to be out on the water training every chance you can during good and bad weather conditions. The ability to learn and retain information about baits, patterns, structure etc. Patience to learn the differences in fishing shallow water, deep water, river systems, clear water, stained, etc. Commitment to the sport. If you have all these atributes then the only thing that will hold you back is yourself. My son used to tell me the reason I caught more and bigger fish than he did was because I had the front of the boat. These last 2 years things have changed, because he has changed. He began paying attention to what I've been doing, gained a little more patience and opened his mind up a little. We fish in 2 tournament trails in the Chicago area together and he is becoming an exceptional fisherman. He has a competitive spirit which has helped us place better every year the last 3 years. Me, I just love to fish. As far as supporting a family I would probably become a professional fisherman first. You will need to focus on the sport and it may make your relationship suffer.

Sorry to hear. Happened to me once in an affluent tourist area. I was fortunate they only got about 50.00 worth of soft plastics i forgot to take out of the boat. Check your policy I have extra coverage for items that are inside the boat

I met the man who owns Lake Michigan. Was pier fishing in a marina on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin a few years ago, which I have fished for 30 years when an older gentleman approached my son first, and then myself. He brought me over to his dock (about 50 feet away from where I was fishing) and showed me the sign that said private slip and then told me how his wife is sick blah blah blah and he doesn't want me fishing near his slip. He said "You're fishing in my back yard, how would you like it if I sailed in your backyard" OK fine, we left our previous fishing spot and started fishing on another pier. Well about 10 minutes later the dock boy came by and said we can no longer fish on this pier and would have to go. It's true, those with money can get whatever they want.