zerofivenismo

Top current coach = Bill Self. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Slowness on site sure does make for an unproductive day at work ;D

Welcome aboard.

Probably those folks have better/bigger toys (boats) to mess with and neglect lesser items. I don't know about most guys but I care for my Accurist as much as I care for my higher end reels.

Thats awesome!!! Thanks. Bass Resource is truly awesome. Would have broke my back or wallet had I not found that great idea.

Luke, here's a link regarding boat dolly ideas that I found very useful when time came to building a boat dolly for my bass raider. http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1206570127/0 I used the attached photo as a template for my dolly. The dolly cost me about $25 ($20 for the caster wheels @ Harbor Freight and $5 lag screws @ Wally World). One thing that I would change is using 10" caster wheels instead of 8", because the larger wheel diameters sits higher, giving you a better angle when loading and unloading the jon from your truck. Dolly definitely saves your back and the bottom of your vessel from scrapes and scuffs.

Mike Iaconelli is that YOU!!!!!!! lol jk ;D I had to throw that one in for giggles. ;D

I just measured my BR 10E and the bottom only measures 44" wide :-?. However, the boat does measure 50" where the top and bottom sections are joined together, which is above the waterline.

You won't go wrong with either of the two boats. I have a 10yr old BR 10E and it's built tough. It's got tons of scuffs and scratches on the bottom from dragging on the ground by previous owner, but there are no cracks or punctures. While I've never been in a Prowler, I've seen and felt it in person and determined it to be just as well built. You have to be totally negligent and reckless to tear them up. The first thing to go is usually the seal where the top and bottom sections are attached. Based on the prices you listed, I'd go with the BR (Not because I'm a BR owner), but because the BR is $70 less expensive. That way you'll have $$ to get a new deep cycle battery from Sam's or wally world. In the end, it's your buck. Do what you're comfortable with. You can also check CL for used ones too. Good luck.

Never give up

Thanks for the welcome guys.

All good advice there. I'll chime in my 2 cents. I agree that you shouldn't change your set up from SP to BC right before an upcoming tournament. You'll spend too much effort concerned with your mechanics rather than fishing in the moment. Go in with what you're comfortable and confident in. On the other hand, keep practicing with that BC. 3 yrs ago, I was in your shoes. Used spinning gear all my life, tried BC and was terrified by it. Gave it up for awhile. But I gave BC another shot and stuck with it thru all the backlashes and frustrations, and now I am glad I did. I'm not advocating one method is better than the other. They both have their own places in fishing. I'm just the type of angler that when I see a mountain in front of me, I just want to overcome it.

I have been lurking around for a while now, trying to soak up as much knowledge as possible. Also made a few posts here and there and bought a couple items. But I never made an official intro...so here goes it. My name is Jefferson, age 32, and I'm from Kansas City, KS. Been fishing for about 15 years, but concentrated more on LMB in the past 5-6 years. My passion is crappie maybe because it fills my belly, but black bass fishing has immensely made up ground. I banked fish all my life until I bought a bass raider four months ago. The boat monkey is knocking on the door again, and the bass raider is on the market and in search of a 16-17ft tin boat. I used to religiously fish 3-4 days of the week, but now with a 1yr girl and a new one on the way. I get out maybe once a week. Otherwise, I live vicariously thru you guys. This site is great: loads of info, good guys, great anglers, and laughs.

I would keep the seam on as-is. I too have a mini pontoon - Bass Raider 10, and wanted to know how I would go about fixing cracks if the occassion ever arises. So I googled how to fix plastic-type boats and found a guy's how-to on re-sealing cracks on his kayak. The link is http://oregonkayaking.net/how_to/boat_repair.html. I'm not 100% how it would work as a seal to replace/repair your seam, but on a nothing-budget, it's not a bad idea. Good luck.

Both tickles my fancy, but cork is slightly preferred.

Keep an eye on the Flea Market and I'm sure you'll find one that'll meet your wants and wallet. And you won't have to wait as long....but that's coming from a guy that doesn't mind buy used.

I bought the wii and and Rapala's fishing game to help me cope with cabin fever. It's great because you can go after multiple fish species besides bass. I'm with angler1, I played it for a couple weeks, but my hunger for real fishing still goes unquenched. Still beats having nothing to do.

I have 2 Avids and 2 Premiers. Both are fine rods, but I tend to pick up the Avids more times than not. Like others have stated, Avids are lighter, more sensitive, and have superior components. You will not be disappointed with either.

SX - Too touchy + uneducated thumb = too many backlashes = sold it. Gave Abu another try w/PRM - Only made 20 or so casts with 3/8 oz spinnerbait. Casts great, but jury is still out until I try again with lighter baits & time on the water. Revo's are by far my favorite palming reels.

I'm just amazed how the guy had the time to neatly coordinate all his gear between ripping Cabelas, Wally World, BPS-allegedly, listing ads, responding to sales inquiries, shipping sold gear, and helping guys out on the boards. My only guess is because BPS and Cabelas closes at 9pm. :-?

Holy schnikeys! That's a great price range for a first baitcaster. You will not be disappointed with any TD's or Shimano's in that range. Good luck running from the bait monkey.

Sorry, I'm no help to your inquiry. But I'm just astonished that you've eluded the bait monkey this long. I should check myself into bait monkey anomynous...tomorrow. Agree that if it still catches fish, then keep on using it.

Thanks for the tips Fishing Rhino. I saw your fishing rig in the rides thread. You really did a great job with your rod storage. Initially, I didn't even notice that you staggered them. That'll keep those reels looking nice and shiny. Never thought to use a bucket for drift control. A great no-cost solution to a drift sock .

I've only had my Bass Raider 10E for a couple months and I love it. I've taken it out on the water (170 acre lake) with 10-15 mph winds and have not had any issues with taking on any water. Only problem I have with the boat on windier days is the back of the boat 'fish-tailing'. I have a 3hp outboard which helps some to stabilize it, but still looking for a better solution. May look into a small drift sock. As for rod securing, I bought Rod Saver's rod strap. The package comes with one big velcro strap and a small velcro strap. I cut a section out of the big strap and sewed it back on because it was too big. I screwed one strap on each side of the boat to secure my rods. Can't risk any of them going into the drink. Worth the $8 fix. Not that I would ever take that many rods on a trip....I just overloaded each side of the boat to see how many combos I could fit on there ;D

I have a 10ft Bass Raider (~145lbs) and it's a perfect little vessel. I can load and unload the boat by myself. I transport the boat in the bed of my truck. I use a homemade boat dolly to get from the truck to the ramp and back. I comfortably fish it standing up 95% of the time. IMO, an 8ft raider is too small to fish with two people. 2ft makes a world of difference. Considering your gear, battery, oar, PFD's, rods, tackle bags, and other misc, there isn't enough room to comfortably fish. My 10ft is comfortable when fishing two guys. Feel free to PM me. Maybe I can help you with some pics or vids on how I load, unload, launch, and fish in my bass raider. With whatever you choose to go with, you'll have a blast.