BassinB

To be honest I have a hard time catching 'em after ice out. If I'm fishing a river for smallies i usually start by looking for warmest water and rocks. I often just throw a small jig or tube and work it really slowly to pick up bites. Can't fish lakes in WI till first weekend of May and its mostly spawn by then.

natural lakes

Vendetta.

I fish the san diego jam knot exclusively with flouro and mono, and i use the palomar for braid. The knot in the link is neArly identical to the SDJ, i have never had one of those fail. Sometimes i will double the line up if i am using it for flipping/pitching.

I use these for all my dropshotting. They are actuAlly pretty effective at reducing line twist and i havent had any issues with them. I bought 10 packs for a $1 a piece at my walmart too lol.

I use them on crankbaits. I stay away from them on soft plastics or finesse situations because they mess up the action.

Revo SC on a Lew's Speed stick. Exact same shade of red.

I have one and love it so far. The screen size is perfect for the options that come on the unit. Being able to overlay the downscan is fantastic, and the fact that it uses one small transducer for everything is really convenient. Seems to me that compared to my elite 5 the processor is faster as well. In the price range it seems to be the best unit available, and if you are like me and can live without side scan then it is perfect.

the thing I like most about swept handles is that I can pitch with my left hand and reach underneath the reel with my middle finger. Hook the handle and engage the spool with it and never have to take my right hand out of my pocket when its cold. I often wind up slack by using my left hand fingers underneath the reel, and just spinning the handle. Now it doesn't leave you lightening fast reaction time but if your drinking a beverage or its cold out it sure is convenient.

I ordered a mount for my Lowrance elite 7hdi straight from them and it shipped fedex the next day and arrived 2 days later. Can't complain.

Happened to see the episode today just by chance. Really seemed like a great guy, and had a true passion for the sport. Saw the part where he blew up his lower unit while towing another angler on the water, that's the kind of stuff that a true sportsman does. Would have enjoyed a day on the water with that guy. Gone too soon, great tribute.

who I'd bet on: KVD who I'm hoping: Shaw Grigsby or....Greg Hackney lol I love those two guys.

I use Pline cxx for clear water flipping around docks and stuff in 17#. Stuff will not break until at least 25# from most of the tests I've seen. I've also conducted a few tests myself to see how much it stretches compared to Viscious and Trilene 100% Flouro and it stretches far less. Nearly 2 inches less in 2ft, also its abrasion resistant as all hell. The stuff has memory and is stiff but it won't let you down.

Lake geneva, big cedar lake, big green lake, waupaca chain to name a few.

Where can you watch the Classic online?

Yes, mine was not really rough it just felt kind of tight compared to me gen 1 and gen 2 sx's. I took it apart and thoroughly cleaned it out and relubed, now it is smooth and as free as it should be. Rough gears might be a different problem, so good thing you sent it back.

I use exclusively Suffix 832 now and switched over from Power Pro. For me the Suffix seems to be a little more durable against frays as well as slightly quieter through the guides than Power Pro. I use 832 for Musky fishing in Canada to drop shotting in Green Bay. Seems to handle all situations well.

I just purchased a Lowrance Elite 7hdi unit. For a unit that can be found under $700 honestly I don't think it can be beat. It is NEMA2000 capable for sharing waypoints and stuff and with a 7" wide screen I am really happy with it. Good option if you can live without side scan IMO.

Looks sharp! How long is it?

She loves it. A natural with casting gear. Often we'll head out to our favorite lake with our swimming gear and a cooler packed full of beverages and a lunch. She'll fish for an hour or so and then we'll swim for a few minutes and then go back to fishing. Turn the radio in the boat on and just relax. Sometimes she'll just read a magazine or something, but after some success she won't put the rod down. The lake we like to go to has a few restaurants with boat parking and will often have live bands in the evening so we'll grab a burger when it gets dark. Must have done this 2 times a week all last summer, now with a new boat this year I'm hoping its more haha.

Ok after much searching I've figured it out. Just so that everyone that is thinking about buying this chip or any of the premium hotmaps chips knows, the lakes that are listed in their "HD" list on the website are NOT all 1 foot contour lakes like I had thought. A very select few are 1 foot contours while the others on this list can be anywhere from 10-3 foot contours and are still considered HD. I wasn't doing anything wrong I just mis-interpreted the website I guess.

So far I really like the elite 7, havent had it on the water because its all ice yet up here. But the processor seems much faster than the elite 5, and being able to use 3 split screens is convienient. Im looking forward to using the downscan overly as well, it looks as though it will make identifying structure and fish pretty easy. Yes, if i zoom all the wAy in to 50 or 20 ft the lines are still in 5 foot contours. I think i have updated the card correctly, i will try again from the navionics web store i suppose. I havent figured out how to transfer things on my pc-app to the sdcard yet though..

I have the Navionics Hotmaps Premium North chip in my new Lowrance Elite 7hdi unit. It shows on the navionics website certain lakes that are in HD should have 1' contour lines. On my Pc-App it show the lakes with 1' contours but when I put the SD card into my Lowrance the same lakes that are supposed to be in "HD" have only 5ft contours. Any ideas as to why? I bought this chip for the 1' contours exclusively...

i've got a pair of Guideline's from Cabelas with amber lenses. Super lightweight frame and fairly high quality/durable optic. I think they were 49.99 2 years ago. Still using them. edit: Just checked Guidelines website. I have the Mantis model, now I see that they are MSRP for $70. Great budget shades IMO

I would love to see this thread... link?