B@ssCrzy

I just ordered a new trolling motor from these guys which comes in tomorrow. They seem to be legit. Are registered with better business bureau and customer service (at least ordering from them) is outstanding. They have a combo with DI for $399 for you. Free shipping and no tax. http://www.imarineusa.com/humminbird386cidicombo.aspx

Wow, that is an interesting concept puts a lot of action on those worms. Really like how it works the fluke. I would be interested to know how the fish feel about it.

I got it from my wife and kids last year for Father's Day. Has held up pretty well. I keep 3 (sometimes 4) of the smaller (not sure what size) plano boxes in the big compartment and then have a spinnerbait box and other smaller boxes that sit around/beside them. Keep all of my soft plastics in the worm compartment. I have a lot of weight in it and it has held up so far. Although I will say that the way the arm straps are secured does make me a little nervous. I think they need to be a little stronger. That being said I don't see any tearing or ripping in that area at this time. The only thing that has ripped on me is the pliers holder. My pliers are the type that have a spring mechanism that is made to open the pliers when not in use. So the force of them trying to open while in the sleeve has loosened the stitching and it is coming apart at the bottom. Other than that I have not had any problems and really like having a back-pack for my tackle. Hope this helps.

Boga Grip, Frog Toggs, and various tackle. Or I would go with a new Chronarch and save the rest toward a new rod.

If this is your first bait-caster I would suggest mono in whatever lb test you feel you will need for the situation. It is cheap and you will probably have some over-runs that you will loose line on.

Nice!! I am sure you will enjoy it. Although I might suggest you practice out in the yard to get the hang of it and get it dialed in first. Nothing can be more frustrating than getting out on the lake, taking a few casts and then getting a huge over-run b/c you are not used to it yet. Tight lines!!

I spend more on reels. Huge difference between a cheap real and one in the $150-$200 range. Normally try and spend around $100 for my rods.

Thanks everybody for your help on this. After all that I have read and the positive and negatives of both to me it does seem that the Terrova is a better choice and worth the extra money. Would be nice to have the I-Pilot right off the bat, but would rather have a motor that I will be happy with for the next 10 years. Guess I will have to save up for next year to add I-Pilot. Tight lines!!

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If you feel it does what it should why do you feel you would go with the Terrova hands down? Just wondering....thanks for your thoughts.

I am looking at getting one of these units and will probably have to start out with the base model and add the i-pilot as I get the money. What I am trying to figure out is why the Terrova is more when the base models basically do the same thing. The only real differences I see are the way it is stowed/deployed, pedal is nicer, and you can use the pedal with the co-pilot. Are there other things that make you prefer one over the other? Thanks for your help.

Wow!! You hit a home run on this one. Nice!!! Congratulations!!!

Thanks for that information. How do you like the Maxxum? That is the model I believe I am going to get. I am holding out for the variable speed.

Just wondering what is involved in switching from a Motorguide bow mount trolling motor to a Minn Kota bow mount. I guess what I am trying to figure out is that for most boats do you just need to change the plug and receptacle or do you have to run new wires to your battery? I will be staying with a 50-55 lb thrust motor and will stay with the same 12v battery configuration. This is my first boat and first attempt at anything like this. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks everyone for your input. Gives me some things to think about. Really appreciate it.

So do you mean that for Pike and Musky you just use the Boga and not try and net them first? or you believe that the Boga will damage them and so you just use the net?

I've been looking at getting a Boga Grip in order to be able to weigh fish, but also deal with some toothy critters. However, in looking into them I have read about how gripper tools can damage and harm fish. Both from the metal tearing and harming their lower jaw, but also from the way it causes them to be hung vertical causing damage to vital organs. On the other hand it allows you to get the hooks out quickly without the fish flipping around and harming itself or you, and taking off their important slime coating. So which is better using a net or a Boga Grip type device? I would appreciate your input. Thanks Guys!!

I have 3 kids, two girls ages 2 and 6, and one boy age 4. My oldest likes to fish for panfish mostly, but when we stop reeling fish in and the bite slows down she immediately loses interest. My son on the other hand loves to fish. When he was 2 he started wanting to collect lures instead of other toys. We would just take the trebles off and he would put them on his snoopy pole and cast out in the yard. His favorite show to watch was Fishing with Roland Martin. This past year he caught his first couple of bass on his own using a senko. It was cool to see him do it. He also has learned how to cast a spinning reel, which I couldn't believe he actually would be able to do it, but he stuck with it and is pretty good at it now. Anytime I would go out fishing he wants to go with me, but towards the end of the summer he started slowing down a bit. So we will see what his interest level is in fishing this summer. I am keeping my fingers crossed. The youngest will be introduced to fishing this year so we will see what happens with her.

Looks like and interesting bait. How and where do you fish them?

Green Pumpkin is my go to color.....

I have. Bought the longest one. First one they sent me one of the extensions would not lock. Called them and they were great about sending me a replacement no charge. Fished with it for about two seasons or so. Then on my new one one of the fasteners broke. Did work to retrieve a couple of lures, but I think that it is a little difficult in getting the bait in the correct position to knock it lose. I have not tried the other "pole" retrievers so I can't say that one is better than the other. If I were going to buy a knew lure retriever today it would probably be the "plug knocker" type that you send down on the line to knock it loose or catch the hooks with chains to pull it loose. Hope this helps.

I don't keep any secrets from my wife and she does not keep any from me. We talk about what to spend our money on and what not to. With that being said she is more than willing to help me feed my fishing habit. Happened to get a new Shimano Compre and Powell Diesel this past month with the TW sale that was too much to resist. The best part is that I can share my love of fishing with her b/c I am not trying to hide anything. There are times when we decide not to buy any fishing stuff, but for the most part she is very gracious in that department. She is a great partner and friend.

I use my spinning gear for throwing lighter baits and also like it better for my carolina rigs. However, I also like my baitcasters b/c I can get them in a faster gear ratio than any spinning reel. I prefer 7.1 ratio. Lipless cranks, spinners, jigs, top water or anything I need to bring line in quick on I like to use my baitcaster. The thing that is nice about spinning reels are that you can buy a reel that will perform great at a lower price point. Whereas with a baitcaster you will really get what you pay for. Big difference between $150 baitcast reels and $50 baitcast reels which IMHO are not even worth using. If you are going to use a $50 baitcaster I would just stick with the spinning reel. I use 50lb braid on my baitcasters so the braid does not dig in and then use a mono leader. I use 15lb braid on my spinning reels with mono leader. Best thing you could do to improve your spinning set up is to throw some braid on it. Makes a world of difference.

I have two: First; My wife and I were able to go out fishing together one afternoon which is always one of my favorite things to do. We fished for several hours with not much luck and on our way back in we decided to stop at a sunken island that has produced big fish in the past. We just happened to hit a school of monster smallies. In about 15 min we pulled in 5 big fish and lost a few big ones as well. The smallest being 3lbs and the largest being my personal best weighing in at 5.3 lbs. Second: Went fishing with my 4 year old son. Put a senko on and he was casting with a spinning reel he had learned to use off the back of the boat. Cast and caught his first largemouth without my assistance at all.

Learn to catch fish with a jig.