crw

Will the van stop the van, trailer, and boat in safe distance. I would think that would be the deciding point.

I bought a 5000D, in the 1974-76 time frame, that is still being used by my oldest son today. Last I saw, it was on the orginal Lew's Speed Stick. I guess that is why I have 3 5500C3's and 4 4600C3's now.

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/rod-building-grips/ has handle kits, might work.

If it is reed induction, one or more of the reeds may have cracked/broken.

I throw light weight stuff with my ABU SX's on Medium fast tip rods. Small buzz baits and crankbaits.

The Gar did not jump, boiled a couple of time and headed under the boat, 3 times. Until he boiled, I thought I had a nice bass. Thought my rod would get broke under the boat, but he came out my side of the boat. The smaller Gar, 2-3 feet will jump, but the larger ones head down. All the fish, Gar and Bowfin, were caught on the trailer hook of a spinner.

They were caught in the Flint River, north and south of Albany, Georgia. The alligator lives there also.

Some of what we have with teeth, Gar, Bowfin, Chain Pickerel, and Gators.

This year, one gold one silver willow blades, white skirt..........changes year to year and sometimes season to season. Of course here, we have almost summer, summer, just past summer, and summer is coming.

Beatle Spins and Rebel Wee Frog

Basic rule, never pull anything that you can not stop. Big heavy boat, small vehicle with brakes designed to stop only the vehicle equals the big heavy boat pushing the truck into something. Ranger's are not known for their stopping power. I believe that Ranger's with a towing package have upgraded brakes.

When I fish with my son(s), I will have a few while fishing, they drive the boat, trailer it, and drive home. The few tournaments (I am not fond of tournaments, makes fun work) I have fished here, none is allowed. I believe that in South Carolina, no alcohol is allowed in a boat.

The meat is really good, just too many bones. A long time ago, I whizzed some up in a blender, the consistency of canned salmon and mixed and pan fried them like salmon patties. Really good, as I remember. I gave that up along with turtle a while back, too much work.

I have a Tracker PRO V16 with a 75 HP. With a fill tank of gas, 3 batteries and three adults, the boat can float in 14 inches of water with the motor up. I added an casting deck on the back with a 3/4 inch plywood.

I catch Gar, too often, on spinners with a trailer hook. The trailer gets them under the lower jaw more that the main hook or trailer in the mouth. The nylon rope also works, if fishing specifically for Gar.

We catch a lot of Strippers and Hybrids on (All or mostly white) Crankbaits. We have tried others but always come back to Crankbaits.

Looks like a Warmouth to me (Chaenobryttus gulosus).

+2 Braid does not stretch, at all. Changing from mono to braid, you have to use a less violent hook set, if not, you may break your rod.

Man made structure/cover made from Christmas Trees, old rims and tires, work really well for crappie. Only marginally well for bass, although the rims and tires seem to do much better the Christmas trees. We have pull fallen trees half way into the river and had luck within 2-4 day.

Must be new or newer Corps. In the mid 60's, at Parris Island, a recruit just had to endure the sand fleas, if you were caught swating them, there was a high price to pay. I was in Platoon 208, formed January 28, 1965. I retired from the Marine Corps in September 1988.

X2 It can be learned, but you will never catch up with the person that has it naturally and then work at it.

There was a time, when I was younger, that cold, heat, rain did not bother me. I fish for the enjoyment of it, and if I am not comfortable, I go home. If I am out fishing and it starts raining, so be it, I just put on a rain suit for a while. If it is raining when I get up, I wait until it stops, then go fishing. Lighting is a totally different story.

Noseeums that hang around hardwoods while you are Deer Hunting are immune everything, cover your entire body. They eat DEET as a meal. For gnats, the type from Macon Ga. down, Bounce dryer things seem to work. Diluted Skin So Soft works for some people, it clogs my pores and just makes me hot. Bug spray on my ears and under the bill of my cap works for me. If the bugs are too bad, fire up the big motor and go somewhere else. Odd, when I am catching bass, the bugs do not bother me. Except for Black Flies, I swell up in a hurry when bit by them.

There are many other fish that taste better than bass; Crappie, Bluegill (Bream in the south), Strippers, White Bass, Hybrids, Catfish. But if you want to keep LM Bass to eat, the 12" to 16" are the better. IMHO, over 2 lb, the taste goes way down.

+2 See the instruction contained in a Bill Lewis Rattle Trap.