cart7t

I saw a couple older gals at the lake once with one of those Walmart SW rod n reels. The one tied into a huge fish (turned out to be about a 25 + lb grass carp). She's fighting the thing in when her girlfriend decides to help by wading into the shallows to net the fish WITH A TROUT NET! ;D It was like trying to knock down a California Condor with a fly swatter.

Didn't you get us all drunked up on Saturday nite, not Friday? Who can remember anyway? The good news is RW says there's a Liquor store across the road from the park we can crawl to in an emergency.

IMO, of Missouri's big reservoirs, Twain is the hardest to figure out. It has a history of an up and down Bass population and the fish just don't act like you'd think for that particular lake. If I was wanting to learn Mark Twain, I'd hire a guide for a day and pick his brain while I was on the water. I'd like to catch fish obviously but getting a feel for how that lake fishes year round would be worth the money alone.

The Extreme's, on sale, are great for the price. They also have one model with the flippin switch. As for the switch itself? You either will love it or hate it. I would prefer one on my pitchin rod but my reel brand of choice (Pflueger) doesn't make a model with one. Neither does Garcia for that matter.

Great job.

Yes sir! Going again in two weeks. I have an invite over in the Central Region forum if you're interested. ugghh.. I hate that lake. I fished it during the first few years it was open back in the mid 80's. Have gone back sporadically over the years. The bass fishery there has always been up and down. It has never been a really good bass fishing lake, at least not what everybody thought it would be. It has similarities to Truman and was dammed around the same time so that's where the comparisons have come from. I've just never clicked with that lake, at least not like I have with Truman. From what I've read elsewhere, the guys catching fish in that Bud Shootout were either dropping weighted Senko's or drop shotting along big trees on points out on the main lake. There was apparently no rhyme or reason nor real pattern as to which trees the fish were hanging on. I believe most of the fish were around 15-20 feet down from what I was reading.

Would this be Mark Twain?

I experienced it. Then I bought my own boat and solved the problem.

Save your money, go to the top under fishing articles. That should keep you busy for a long time.

Are they even available for purchase yet?

Welcome back. I'm, I'm, I'm....overwhelmed with indifference.

After all the research you've already done, I think you're way over complicating the crankbait. I'd suggest that you start throwing them and let your own experience be your guide.

The few I know with an Associates in Business work very long hours running fast food places, small retail stores or cell phone stores. If you equate the number hours to an hourly rate I'd say the degree doesn't pay. BTW, this recession has been hard on those in managing. Many cuts with the bulk of the work dumped on those that are left.

I'm more curious as to which BPS had a reel this old in stock. Which location? Was that location even open 13 years ago to even have a reel this old?

Not knowing your exact setup, here's how I do it. Make sure your cover is elevated by the front and rear seats or, more preferably, a couple of homemade pvc pipes to support the cover at front and back. Use some rope (BPS makes a cover support strap system that isn't too expensive) tie it off to your front bow eye, then up and over both pipe supports (or seats) and tie back off at the back to the transom tie down cleats. Your cover will now be supported with a peak to allow the water to run off. Buy some scotch gard or water proofing spray for tents and coat the entire cover. Next purchase a heavy duty tarp (the silver on one side, brown on the other work good). Sounds like a 10x16 will take care of your boat and put that over the top of the cover. Use bungee cords to secure it down to the trailer. You now have double protection for the boat. I usually put a new tarp on just before winter storage and replace it around the first of summer. If you use cheaper, lighter weight tarps you'll have to replace them more often. This has worked for me for years.

??? So is your buddy the reason you.. cantcatchfish4somereason? If it was my boat I'd tell him to get in back and LEARN how to cast from the back of the boat.(Throw his pole from the back of the boat? I don't understand that?). If it's not your boat but his, step up to the plate, be a man and buy your own boat.

You may have some debris in the level wind pinion shaft or something in one of the teeth of the main drive gear depending on just how often you have that stuck feeling. I'm betting it has to do with the level wind assembly though.

That reel is a lot older than 2 years old.

$1500 or less. I would be surprised if there wasn't some transom or stringer rott in that boat.

BPS used to sell a fish tagging kit. Not sure if they still do.

In the day, it was a Cadillac brand.

I saw a guy at the lake a couple weeks ago in an old Cajun bass boat, circa late 70's early 80's. When he was on the front pedestal seat that boats rubrail was just a couple inches above the waterline. Any sort of small chop on the water or boat wave would've gone right over the front of that boat. This was no big guy either. Probably only weighed around 170lbs. Now that was a boat that had some low-rider issues.

Did you buy a Terry bass boat Terry?

I go to Lowes and buy 2" diameter pvc well casing which is schedule 40. You can get 2 rods at most into those pipes. If you need more room and have to go to 4" diameter, the weight of schedule 40 will really drive your shipping costs up.