S Hovanec

I love finding reels with the handle on the correct side! A few years back, I stumbled across a 301DSV on clearance for <$100 and a couple years before that, I found a Chronarch SF (the gold one) for <$90. Even though I'm a Shimano guy, I snagged a new Black Max for $15 today. I'm sure I'll figure out something to do with it.

I would support a local store if it carried what I wanted. Problem is, nothing local or within a reasonable distance has what I need. I'd say that 95% of my bait purchase is on-line. The other 5% is local hand-pour plastics.

Erie is a different animal. Those fish have seen it all. Can you roll up and toss XYZ brand watermelon or green pumpkin whatever and catch fish. Yes, sometimes. When I've been thru my entire arsenal of Crosstails or Shad Shape worms and haven't sniffed a fish, it's nice to pull out a crosstail in a 'special' color and get bit.

My biggest beef with BPS/Tracker/Nitro is the lack of motor choice. When I was boat shopping in 2005, I liked the Targa alot, but didn't want to be forced to buy a Merc.

It will tow it just fine, but personally, I'd never own a full size truck without a V8 in it.

No they wouldn't. With an overpowered boat, insurance would be difficult to obtain. Also, that opens you up to a DQ in a tournament if you would be checked.

For me, it would be neither. The Skeeter is underpowered and the Nitro has a black motor hanging off of it.

There have been reports of the Coast Guard having up to 10,000 hours on some of their 4-strokes. Doubt you'll ever find a 2 stroke that will do 1/4 of that.

The book for both of my Hondas says to run 87, with no more than 10% ethanol. I find it funny that when comparisons between 2 stroke and 4 stroke fuel efficiency are made, they never use a Honda as the 4 stroke being compared.

How long have you had this rod? If it was the first or second outing, I'd believe possibly a manufacturing defect. If you've had it for any length of time, I'd lean more towards the rod was damaged at some point from use and abuse. Judging from where you said it broke, I'd bet it was impacted on something, fracturing the graphite under the paint. I have a custom SCv spinning that I'm waiting for to explode cause I whacked it on the gunnel earlier this year. When it does, I'll strip off the guides and build another. My fault, no reason to even try a warranty claim. It has been fished hard for 5 years. There are NO manufacturing defects in it.

Yea, kinda. I don't even possess that rod anymore. Sold it in the middle of summer. It's gonna be replaced with a 6'10" M/XF that may or may not be a dual purpose tube/DS rod. Also replacing the the 69MLXF with a 610MLXF.......If I ever find the time to build them! The #4 DS rod listed above was fished this year unfinished......just bare thread holding the guides on.

I'm thinking about adding it to my 'techniques to learn' for next year. If I do that, maybe there will be 5 DS rods listed!! Tubes are just so.......yesterday!

This is what's in the locker and on deck on a typical day on the water for me.....all spinning: 1. 6'10" mag-lite/XF Dropshot 2. 6'9" ML/XF Dropshot 3. 7'6" ML/XF Dropshot 4. 6'10" M/XF Dropshot 5. 6'8" M/XF Tube

Haven't got any in the new bags yet, but the batch of Baby Bass Sculpins I got this year look nothing like the batch I bought 2 years ago. Ayu was significantly different too.

I use electronics storage bags from Cabelas. One for dropshot baits, one for tubes, and one for creatures/senkos. Oh, yea....and one for my electronics too.

Make a tap handle for a kegerator!

Thats a tough call. A 17' bass boat with a 40 is a hard sell IMO. On the other hand, once you get a 115 on that boat, you'll want more. I'd look for a 18'-19' with at least a 150 hanging on the back. My boat progression was 12'/electric motor 14'/9.9hp to a 16'/25hp to a 17'/135hp......all in a 4 year window. I've had the 17' since 2005, so you could say I'm the happiest I've ever been with that boat. Only regret is not getting the 18'/150hp. I had delusions of using the 17' with a 20hp kicker on the limited lakes. Thought it would be more manageable with the kicker than the 18'.....I was wrong. I've since sold the kicker and don't bother with limited lakes anymore.

Another vote for white perch

I use a lot of this guy's stuff on Erie. Especially the Evil and Wee-vil http://www.hotfishpro.com/home.html

I'm still fishing with braid I spooled up in 2009. Just flipped it on the spool this year and it's like brand new. Good for another 4 years!

I've had one (older rivetted pincushion). I have friends that have had them. Can't say they were from the last 5 years....they were 2007's. Leaks around fittings, cracks in the hull near the transom, poor welds, stringers not welded at all, all around bad fit and finish I don't need to provide proof......I've seen it myself. Every manufacturer has problems, but the one you hear about most is Tracker. maybe it's because they make the most boats. Maybe instead of 'making the most', they need to reign it back and produce a better product.

I'm a St. Croix geek.

I wouldn't take that if you gave it to me. Well, maybe, but it would be heading to the aluminum recycler! Those trackers have enough issues without being bounced off the road!

I wish more breaks like that would come in the shop! Thats a relatively easy fix if you know how. All I seem to get is rods broke within the first 6 or 8" of the tip. While they can be fixed, its almost impossible to do so without affecting action and power.

I had one of those go in my tank 3 years ago. To the best of my knowledge, its still there. Never had any issues. That's a really small disk in 32 gallons of fuel. I'm not too concerned.