Ratherbfishing

By halfway through any given fishing trip, my shoulders are killing me-especially my left one. It's a combination of torn rotator cuff and arthritis. I try to stay ahead of the pain by taking ibuprofen and rolling my shoulders often to keep them limber. For me, it's not the casting but the holding of my arms/shoulders in the same position too long.

Until you get the hang of it, try not to use it as a hammer.

Unless it's about as wide as it is long, no.

I would never have a boat I couldn't trust to lean in ANY direction. As WRB suggested, if you insist upon keeping this boat, lower the center of gravity and/or install outriggers on it. I doubt you want to repeat this experience anytime soon. Trolling motors are designed for wet conditions. Corrosion would be more of a problem with trapped water than anything so when you dry it, make sure to shake it all out (but not too vigorously). Don't run it until you're sure it's dry.

How large are the lakes you fish in? Are they "windy" lakes or lakes with a lot of boat traffic? Do you fish tournaments? Are any of the lakes you fish restricted in horsepower. Will you ever have more than two people on the boat? Do you have a lot of "expendable" income to play with? Do you mind the "hit" you will take when you sell your (now) used boat? Will you have to purchase a bigger truck or SUV to pull the new boat? SOME small boats/motors are too much of a compromise and others are perfect-it all depends upon your personal wants and needs. MY experience is this: I have a 17.5 foot johnny with a 25 horse motor tiller-steer. Assuming I don't have more than two people (total) aboard, it will get on plane and it will get me where I'm going in a "reasonable" fashion. Not fast but reasonable. One of my favorite lakes is restricted to 25 horse and another is trolling motor only. If need be, I can take my motor off for the latter lake. So, the motor is perfect for me 95% of the time (For the other 5%, I just live with it).

Two HP isn't very much. The weight of the thing itself (plus fuel tank) will almost offset the power it provides. I'm exaggerating a little but not much. Go with a bigger motor. You'll regret it if you don't.

Long-shank number 6 or 8 hooks are about right. I don't suggest Aberdeen hooks as they flex too much and you want some stiffness in the shank so you can back the barb out of a flesh without the hook flexing. A pair of needle nose pliers or forceps is a must.

Most who have fished with soft plastics for any length of time are familiar with those pesky bluegill bites-those very rapid machine gun style tap tap taps and then the experience of bringing in a soft plastic which is missing a tail or pincer. The kind of bite where you just stop setting the hook after awhile because you've gone through enough baits already and it's just getting old (and expensive). I've had that experience myself. Often. Last week was like that. But then, near the end of the day, I decided I would reel gently up to the bait and if there was tension at all, I'd sweep the rod side sideways. Surprise, surprise. They weren't bluegill after all. Ultimately, I wondered HOW many fish I missed that day (or on other days).

So, you're saying "I'm not addicted. I can quit anytime I want"? Same here.

true enough.

That poodle likes to have its belly scratched.

In June I would have thrown a fit because it was constantly raining and seemingly wouldn't stop. Now that it's middle August, we're in a drought and I'd throw a party.

About the only time I do "mindless casting" is very early in the season when I just GOT to wet a line and catching is highly unlikely. Otherwise, as I always say to my friend, "You can't catch a fish if your bait isn't in the water." If I think it's become "mindless", I'll try a different pattern.

If I find other fish which are biting I'll sometimes switch over. But it depends upon how well the bass are biting and sometimes I just want to "grind it out" to see if I can, eventually, catch some bass. If the weather is bad and I'm having a terrible time with the bass, it doesn't take much to sway me. About the only species I won't ever target is Carp. It's my personal bias but I hate carp.

X3

I don't need to listen to my music while I'm fishing and I especially don't need to hear someone else's music while I'm fishing. If they use earbuds or whatever, more power to them.

What is a tighteye? Bummer about the fishing rod.

It's a plecostomus. A fairly common aquarium fish.

Call me overly sensitive but I avoid post fishing dock talk like the plague. If I caught fish, I'm happy and I don't want to hear if/when someone has done a lot better. I don't mind talking to someone at the beginning of the day, however. You just never know what pointers they may be willing to share.

I have never lived farther south than Arkansas but I can guess that, with the exception of night fishing, deep south summers are pretty unbearable. You'll trade long cold winters for long hot summers. Or am I wrong about this? Seems to me that the mid-south would be a better compromise.

My dad took me and my 7 siblings (yes, 7) to a pay lake to fish for mostly rainbow trout when I was...6 or 7. After he died a few years later, and I was left to my own devices, I would ride my bike about 2 miles to a bridge where a creek widened and deepened under it and I fished for punkinseed (mostly) and yellow bullheads. After a couple of years, when I'd "graduated" to an actual spincast outfit, my first fish caught on an artificial lure (a creme worm on a harness) was a small "grass pike." I didn't know what it was but I was hooked on the idea of tricking a fish with an artificial lure and the rest is "history."

I haven't landed a 15 lb bass either. Or even a ten lb bass. I think I've come close to 7.5 lbs, though.

It's a standard lead acid cranking battery. Size? Without looking at it, unsure. Not huge and not small. Many of my runs during the day are not long. Perhaps 200 or 300 yards. Just enough distance to not want to use the trolling motor. The run at the end of the day is usually the longest. Perhaps ten minutes (or longer if we're slow trolling in). Distance is the same, though (obviously).

This year it has been a ribbontail plastic worm in purple. But I've used it a lot more, too, so go figure.

I have a 25-horse Evinrude motor. It is an excellent motor and, when primed properly at the beginning of the day, starts usually after just a few revolutions. And later starts require just a quick tap on the starter button (I may start the motor just 10 or 15 times a day). I've noticed, however, that at the end of the day, the battery (freshly charged in the morning and only a year old) requires some charging. My question: Assuming you don't do a lot of stops and starts, should an alternator keep a battery fully charged OR will the requirements of starting/running a motor tax the battery more than the alternator can "keep up"? Or should I have the alternator checked out?