mcipinkie

Generally, I would say prop in, but with the Ultrex, the head is so darn big that I can barely get the cover on the boat with the prop in, so I turn in prop out. I very seldom tow with cover on. Don't like the way it scuffs the gelcoat, but if I did, I would put a towel over the TM prop.

Dadgum, This question escalated into the high rent district in a hurry. I was going to say I throw jerk baits on two different reels - A BPS Carbonlite and a a BPS PQ2. Bet I catch as many fish as you high dollar strokes, assuming at least half of you actually own those high dollar reels.

Let me add my 74 years of experience. You don't need bumpers for a bass boat. No place to put them and hard to make them useful. Get the mandatory stuff first. Fire extinguisher, PFD's, First aid kit (not mandatory, but you should have one), tie up lines. I like a paddle. PITA to store, but I like having one. You might not. A lot of what has been suggested, you will want. Some you will not. Don't go buy a bunch of crap that will not be of use to YOU until you figure out what you want. If you put everything suggested into an 18' or so boat, you'll not have any room for tackle.

Fellows, I'm sorry my answer was not completely accurate. I had 23 in the Skeeter. I have more, just not in the boat. Unfortunately have 4 boats. Funny, listening to some of the replies. I'm 74 years old, relatively affluent, so can afford pretty much what I want. I remember about 50 years ago when I got (actually built it, built a couple for rods in trade for a Zebco Cardinal 4) a spinning rod. I was in tall cotton, had a bait caster and a spinning rod both. Big stuff.

I had 23 in the Skeeter rod locker when I brought them in for winter maintenance. Every one absolutely critical. Even the ones that never came out of the locker all last year.

Every rod, at least every one I've bought this century. I have a couple old (20 plus years) rods that feel good. I can't find anything that I like new. Of course, I won't spend over $150 for a rod. Reels, I don't really care. Just something to spool line on. I am perfectly happy with a $50 BPS PQ2. I use Lew's Super Duty's more than anything else, but I'm just not into reels, as long as they cast well. I don't mind a little roughness or "geary" on retrieve. The last half dozen reels I've bought have been Revo - X's. I'm happy for $100 per.

Let me add what little I know, and may bring to the discussion I have a Yamaha 200 HP SHO that I bought exactly a year ago. The fluids, parts, etc for the 100 hour maintenance are $311.80 from Partsvu. Probably take a good day to to perform in the yard since this would the first time I've worked on a SHO. An oil change kit alone is $116. A gear lube kit is $94, but it's out of stock. I could have done the old HPDI for well under $100.These new high tech motors are very expensive to maintain.

Stable kayaks are like good riding bass boats. There ain't no such thing. Some are just more unstable (or bad riding) than others.

To the original OP's question - It really isn't that simple. Depends on the bait you're using, the depth you're fishing, the current/wind, how you like to fish, what the cover is, and a dozen other issues. I work just the opposite of most of the posters here, except we're saying the same thing backwards from each other. I throw the heaviest weight I can get the fish to bite. Heavier weights are easier to cast, easier to maintain contact with, punch through cover better than lighter baits. If the fish will bite a 5/16 weight, that's what I like to fish. If they want something dropping slower, then I have sinkers down to 1/16. This is for Texas rigging. Always peg my weight. If I need more, have up to 1 1/2 oz. Carolina rigs start at 3/4 oz and go up or down depending on what the fish tell me. There is not a stock answer. This is part of fishing. You got to figure it out. It may not be the same tomorrow.

Keitech, or Rage Swimmers Wal-Mart, or at least the one where I grocery shop, had a great price on Rage Swimmers.

Man, It's the second week of January, and we're already into this type of discussion. I know someone has got to be working on a thesis of some kind, because we ain't talking about fishing.

What the heck does all of this mean to a guy trying to catch a fish? I ain't writing a doctoral thesis on graphite moduli. Graphite is just more brittle and less forgiving than fiberglass.

Yeah guys, all this is your finishing wraps after you have tied 20 or so alternating half hitches to start. I hope Frank/Gary is getting a lot of money for this. Why can't I find some sheep to shear? If it wasn't for Defoe, I would never have wasted my time with this by product of a train wreck. I ain't wasting no more.

That finish itself is more complicated and time consuming than an Alberto knot in its entirety. I assume you have somewhere around 20 hitches in the knot before the finish? The only reason I even looked at this monstrosity is that Ott Defoe had a video on how he ties, and I have a lot of respect for him. Just lost some if he really ties this.

Is an FG knot ever finished? I've tied it few times just to see what the furor is over. Not for me. I can't see how this got foisted on the fishing public without money changing hands. Surely some guy named Frank Gary is getting paid for all the videos on this knot. It looks to me like you just keep making half hitches, up, down, over, and under until you think you have enough. When it comes untied, next time you tie it, make some more, then glue it. Or maybe melt it with a lighter. I'll have tied an Alberto and be fishing.

It might be getting close when you throw your brand new Vision 110 Plus 2 across a point and it don't sink.

I'm inclined to agree with MickD with some qualification. If you tie an Alberto knot with a short leader where it doesn't pass through the guides casting for flipping or pitching I've not had any problems. Where using long leaders so that the knot comes through the guides, I tie one half with the tag over the standing part. Two would probably be a little more secure. Got to pull them tight. Leave a long enough tag to pull. Aaron Martens mentioned this in one of his videos.

Hello ShortFish, I lived in Pine Bluff late 60's. Was working for the Corps of Engineers doing preliminary surveys before we dammed up the river. I was instrument man on the survey party that layed out the big curve when we cut off the river and made Pine Bluff harbor. Our office handled from L & D 5, whatever they call it now, to the mouth of the White River. I've walked it at least three times. Always wanted to go back and fish some of those old places. There was a ferry at Pendleton when I was there.

I don't want to be ugly, but you just need to work on it. It's easy to tie. Watch some videos. The Alberto knot is a fine knot. I tie 8 turns up, 8 turns down, take a half hitch around the standing part and I pull trees out of the lake. The uni to uni is a good knot also, but I've settled on the Alberto. The Kreh is probably also as are a half dozen others. You just have pick one, learn to tie it, and commit to it. I use it on everything from 6 to 25. You can always tie an FG.

Unless you are lot stronger than me, common dykes won't cut a big, heavy hook. I bought a pair of compound cutters and carry them. Try to cut a Gamy Heavy Wire Flipping Hook and you'll understand. Right idea though. Will cut most of what we fish with.

Really doesn't look to difficult to make. Just easy to buy. If this winters stays bad, I'll probably make few with around 6" wires just to see how they work.

Additional note, for what it's worth - I like the EWG hook's. Generally 4/0.

You spent $30 on a tackle box and it comes apart when you take a lure out of it? Pardon me? I'd be returning thae in a minute, and getting me a 3700 waterproof stowaway for $13, better yet, I'd get two.

We on the some wave length, shortfish. What part of Arkansas? Born and raised in Russellville.

In answer to the original question, the same line that's the best at TW, or anyother place that sells quality line.