scbassin

I have had both & never had problems with either.

A friend of mine had a 21' Stratos done a couple of years ago for $3500.

Santee Cooper is loaded with them. I have heard of 2 over 12' being killed this month.

Assuming you have 1 battery for the engine & 1 for the trolling motor hook everything to the battery that starts the engine. If you hook everything to the trolling motor battery you could have a low voltage problem as you run the trolling motor.

I am not sure but it might be because the battery is maintance free. I think they need a different type of charger. I would check with the people that made the charger & the battery company.

If it's hot & humid where you are you will lose 300 to 400 rpm anyway. I would get a 3 bladed stainless steel prop before doing much else.

You motor probley got water in it & shorted out. Take it to a boat dealer & have them put a meter on it.

What kind of a boat & where are you going to mount it? What kind of an antenna is it?

Cudo's to both R/W & Raul for their excellent posts.

Yesterday I checked a spot that I had checked several times with no luck & still no fish. Today the wind was out of the northeast at 20 knots & I found the fish there. I caught 9 largemouth all about 2-2 1/2 lbs. The lake was very rough,waves were breaking over my bow as I was running the trolling motor. The drop goes from 5' to 8' to 10' to 13' than out to deep water. I was fishing a carolina rig down the ledge & they were taking it as it came off the 10' ledge. It was a great feeling to catch fish there knowing that I found this area by using my GPS with maps & my depthfinder. Now I'll put 4 or 5 piles of brush down & maybe have a honey hole that will hold more than flies.

I hear it's tough to get insurance on those rigs. Any feedback on that?

R/W I don't tournament fish either. I don't get up early enough. I also like to catch a lot of fish & big fish. I really enjoy finding a new spot that is productive, It gives you a rush to know you did it and you are good as the big boys. With a good GPS unit, Depthfinder & a map that shows contors you can do it, & it's great fun. I can't tell how many times I have said to myself "well I'll be" or "so that's how it works" or just plain WOW. I have also discovered that you can find bass in shallow water (15' or less) all year long where I fish. I fish on Santee Cooper in South Carolina. I would bet that would be the case anywhere that had the same climate as we do. When I find a spot that has the ingredients to be productive & I don't catch any fish I still mark it & go back to it at different times & under conditions for a good while before giving up on it. I also like trying different tackle & equipment in different conditions. You will be suprised on what you learn. When I read where you switched from Pline to Yo-Zuri I decided to try it. I have been using 12# smoke & like it so far. I also would use a guide if I were going somewhere on vacation and time was a factor.

Sweetwater that was an excellent reply. I have been retired for the last 4 years & spend about 60% of my time fishing for bass. Doc here are a few things that I picked from OJT. 1- Largemouth tend to stay together by size. If I am catching "dinks" in an area I'll move deeper. Keep in mind it's all relative, 5' is deeper than 3'. If I am catching small fish on cypress trees in 3' of water I'll move to cypress trees in 5' of water. I don't remember ever fishing for largemouth in 20' of water most of the bass I catch are in 10' or less. 2- I find the heavier the cover the bigger the fish. 3- If the the fish is a dark & green(real pretty) it lives in shallow water, look for cover just like that to find more. I have noticed the deeper I catch them the lighter there coloring. 4- Once you find the cover & the fish you will find them year round. 5- for big fish you MUST FISH SLOW!!!! When you think you are fishing slow, SLOW DOWN!! I catch 65% of my fish over 5# on a lunker lure or a spinner bait & 90% of them over 9#. I use a 3:8 to 1 Curado & cup the blades on my buzz bait to slow it down. Rod length depends upon if I am fishing in the trees or grass but always the longest I can get by with. 6- I use bigger baits, If the cover is real heavy I'll start with a buzz bait & then a large worm with at least 1/4 oz weight (depends on depth). I soak the worm in vegetable oil to help keeping it from hanging up. If the cover is wood peg the weight. I am also sure the lake you fish is different than the one I fish, water temp, depth ect. That will make a difference. Example this past January & February the coldest water I noticed was only 45 degrees & that lasted only a couple of weeks. Well "Doc" I hope this gave you a couple of idea's.

Just wade when the water is warm & use a pair of boots when the water gets cold.

Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

You should not have to drill thru the transom, the mounting screws should not be that long. Make sure you read Glenn's post. Read the directions on the sealent you buy, it will tell you on how long to let it set up. Permatex makes some thats ready to go in an hour. Boat Life makes on that takes a week to set up but it is real good stuff. Going below the water line I would use it. Better to be safe than sorry.

Look into a Garmin 178C.

This is a test of a true fisherman. Did you get the birds nest out 1st? lol, hope she is ok.

Leave it as low as conditions permit for better boat control.

In shallow water be quiet, the trolling motor even spooks them use a push pole. In deep water or heavy traffic I agree with Raul & R/W, It don't matter much.

I have had both a Motorguide & now own a Minn Kota. They were on 2 different boats, both Rangers. Both Boats were rigged with the stop-start button on each side of the casting deck. When I sold the Ranger with the Motorguide it was working fine, and as far as I know it still is. So that would make it 19 years old. I have had the Minn Kota since January 2002. I have never had trouble with either one & they both did a good job. Just make sure you get one with enough thrust to move your boat around in a strong wind or strong current. It's much better to have to much thrust than not enough. I like for my trolling motor to put my boat on a plane.

I own 1 & love it.

The very best way to choose is, if is broken & can't be repaired & there is nothing that can be used. Then put it in a save in case bag. When you have so much tackle it don't all fit in the boat, get a bigger boat. I called Ranger Boats & asked them when they were going to build a forty foot bass boat so I could store my tackle. They are getting right on it.

E-mail Ranger with your serial # & what you want & they might have it.

I'm sorry I forgot to tell you that the Sport model's have been up-graded to the VS line.