Goose52

I just got another "old-model" Compre from the current sale at American Legacy Fishing. 6'10" MH - $60 shipped. It will probably end up with a Zillion on it...

That is very cool! Congrats on a great fish.

Great fish indeed! Especially if you just recently caught it in cold Wisconsin water. Also, if you did catch it in WI - that fish is about 74% of the WI state record - a "high percentage" fish. That would be like someone in California catching a 16 pounder...

A boat certainly helps - but not totally necessary if you have access to enough water for bank fishing. My 1041 bass number is 847 from the bank, only 194 from a boat. Just didn't get the canoe in the water much this year compared to last year. My 9.06 LMB PB was caught from the bank...

1041 as of about 35 minutes ago.

I had this one at Cabela's recommended to me. A little spendy, but quality: Wire Quick Connector This connector is a soldering proposition so you need a higher wattage soldering iron or a soldering gun to work with this large gauge stuff (no little electronics soldering pencil).

Thanks guys. I knew that I would be motoring the canoe nearly all the time and wanted a clean way to run the cables so they wouldn't be underfoot. I stand up in the canoe and don't want to trip on the cables... To the OP - there's lots of ways to run the power - just depends on how much you want to put into it and how clean you want it to be when you get done.

I have the TM battery all the way forward on my canoe. I used a flex-conduit to run 8-gauge wires from the aft motor position to the front. The conduit is secured to the inside of the hull and provides a tidy way to keep the extension wires out of the way. The end of the wires in the bow have lugs to attach to the battery box (MinnKota box with built-in breakers). The end of the wires aft have a quick disconnect. The TM has about a 4ft lead with the other portion of this quick disconnect.

X2. The ice in my part of TN never gets thick enough for ice fishing so when the water gets hard, you're done...for a while. The good thing is that depending on temps, our water can ice-up and ice-out several times over the winter - giving you some opportunities in the middle of the winter to get a few fish. Last year, we iced up in mid-December, but that melted by the end of the month. I caught a bass on New Years Eve, and another on New Years Day (2011), then the lakes iced-up again until near the end of January. Iced-up again for a week or so in mid-February, then final ice-out by the end of the month.

You were missed, there's even a 'Fish Chris is MIA' thread in the General Bass Fishing forum! Glad you're back! Oh - nice striper! (but when I was reading your text, when you mentioned a 20.6, I was hoping I was going to scroll down and see a photo of a LMB...

Thanks for the info. I've got enough lipless cranks left to last through the end of this season and don't need to get these right away. I'll keep an eye on the Academy web site over the winter and see if they go on sale and then pick up a few (or get that 6-pack).

Yeah, I heard the same thing about the rattles. I've bought about 2 dozen Red Eye Shads and finally got a bad one just the other day - it rolls on its side big-time. E-mailed Strike King - they want me to mail them the bait and they will replace it.

X2. Lot's of folks think the low-ratio reels are "old-fashioned" but not me. I use a 4.7 (19ipt) reel on my deep cranking rod. Sometimes, I wish I had left my old Ambassadeur 5000 in the original 3.8 ratio so I had that as an option as well (I converted it to a 4.7).

I understand for sure. Hang in there. I didn't catch 150 bass (total) in the 40+ years between 1967 and 2008. Boy, have I got a LOT of catching up to do...

These look pretty good on-line - good finishes, hooks OK, sorta shaped like an Aruku Shad. Anyone fishing them? I'm going through quite a few lipless cranks and need to start building a stock back up. These might be an option...

Both trips sound great!

Thanks! Looks like I'll have to be satisfied with that 1K mark. Doesn't look like there's any way I'll be able to make it to 1100. The bite here has STOPPED. I fished for 6 hours yesterday and 4 hours today and got...nothing (that's significant since I've only been skunked 4 times since April 1). Last year, there was still a good bite at this time but this year, with the recent cold/rain front that went through, it looks like the fish are going to be hunkered down for a while. Hopefully, I'll get some fish in November.

Very cool indeed. The variety of the catch in the salt is just outstanding. I grew up in South Florida but never fished salt too often (the ocean was too far away for me and my bike to reach! )

WOW - CONGRATS! Some of my neighborhood lakes only have 80 bass in them total I think !

Beautiful fish...and right in your backyard...that's toooo cool ! Congrats ! (was wondering why I hadn't seen you post much lately)

Very cool - congrats ! My PB was this past February in cold water too. Gotta keep fishin'...even when it's a bit cold...

For sure. I think many will have different ideas of water conditions in the "fall" depending on how far north they live. For some folks, "fall" might mean water temps in the 60s. I originally voted spinnerbait - with my mind on 40 degree water. But since I still have 50 degree water (for now), I'm using lipless cranks nearly exclusively. When the water gets into the 40s, it will be more spinnerbaits and less lipless crank. In the upper 30s, it will be bottom stuff mostly. When the water hits the mid-30s, I think I'll take the rest of the year off...

Spinnerbait for me...at least down to about 39-40deg surface water temp. I'll go to Plan B when the water gets much into the '30s.

X2. Got mine at BPS. I also have a very small infrared model that I got on Amazon. It had high reviews but I still don't have as much confidence in it as I do the old-fashioned alchohol thermometer.

Thanks John. I've seen your photos - just beautiful fish that you have up there. I'll never see anything like that in my little lakes!