Ratherbfishing

Had that happen to me a couple years back. Forecast called for 2 to 3 mph winds. Arrived at (trolling motor only) lake and it's blowing as strong as I'd ever seen it. I spent 2 hours at the ramp programming the blue tooth on my Pilot so it wasn't completely wasted time. Never trust a fart.

I think my lesson was learned: If I desire/demand detailed maps (certainly better than 10 feet contour intervals), I will not bother buying the base maps.

Yes, thanks. My unit does have AutoChart and I do plan to use it. Just was hoping to see the lake layout at a glance without having to motor over and cruise back and forth over an area to get a larger picture (which takes time and gas). Nothing terribly revealing may actually occur if I did have a more detailed perspective BUT the conclusion I am drawing is that either Lakemaster doesn't really have detailed maps (this IS a pretty popular lake) OR they wish to hold onto that information too tightly-only selling that information to those willing to pay premium prices. In addition, they made it so you can't disseminate proprietary information to just anyone. I'm just not very inclined to buy MORE maps if I can't trust them to provide much information. To me, their "promotion" seems to have actually produced a negative result.

Looked like you did fine to me. The hook set was, perhaps, a little light but that will depend, in part, on what kind of bait you are using and if you need to really "cross their eyes." You kept the rod high which is good. As Mr. Francho said, try to move the fish more with the rod than with the reel. With a small fish, you can get away with it but with a large, strong fish, you won't be able to turn or control a fish with the reel AND it can cause line twist.

I thought it possible that I needed to change a setting but after perusing things, I could find nothing. Also, it is possible-what you said: "you get what you pay for" but if it's for promotional motives, it sure didn't accomplish that.

Recently I bought a Humminbird. As part of a promotional deal, they included a free map from Lakemaster with my purchase. I thought, cool, I like free-until I discovered I also had to buy an SD card and an SD card reader. My "free" map was getting more expensive by the minute-ultimately costing me around 30 dollars. But, oh well, it's only money, right? ANYWAY, upon downloading the map and reviewing it, the contour intervals are a vast ten feet apart. I am completely underwhelmed. I already have a paper map that has that much detail. Anyway, I went online to lakemaster and they make a broad statement that their standard definition for maps is 3 to 5 feet. Certainly not in this case. I can't be too angry because it was, minus the additional things I needed to buy, free BUT I am disappointed. Is this how it goes with all Lakemaster products? Because if it is, I'm not sure I'll bother.

Never have I ever...caught a bass on a Carolina rig. I think it's the only method I have not succeeded at. Will have to remedy that this coming year.

I received a "free" lakemaster map from Humminbird after purchasing one of their fishfinders. I need to download it onto an SD card. SOMEWHERE in the fray, but I'm now unsure where, I think I read it had to be a 32 GB SD card and ONLY a 32 GB SD card. Does anyone know if this is true?

Depends upon the application. If I am going to use the reel for crankbaits and my existing rod isn't very limber, I'll put mono on it because mono stretches some. If I am going to be fishing jigs or soft plastics, I want braid which provides better feel and a better hook set.

If you don't have them (or they are scarce), you simply won't likely pursue them. Largemouth are almost everywhere whereas small mouth are...not so much.

My 3 favorite winter baits: Jerkbaits, jerkbaits, and jerkbaits.

Seeing as how I cannot (or will not) afford a talon or power pole (or two), I do still anchor from time to time. I am not outstanding with boat control on windy days and an anchor usually will do the job I ask of it. Of course, "my" lakes aren't smooth rock bottoms where an anchor won't hold so there's that.

I dunno about rods/reels but very old plugs, especially, very often command prices way outside of my price range for me to ever be a serious collector. I'm still waiting to discover an old barn out in the woods with all sorts of antiques inside. Perhaps in my next lifetime.

I call them "creek chubs." The local rivers around here have tons of 'em.

Your question gets me all "a itchin'". Are you looking for free handouts OR fishing advice? If you're looking for the former, try something like "go fund me." If it's the latter, this site will give you about everything you'll need to know except actual time on the water.

For a few seasons I was big into creature baits. Now, inexplicably, I rarely toss them.

That elephant was the same age as me (now) when she went to the great elephant burial ground in the sky. Am curious as to who will read those cards, though.

There's nothing magic about them and I'm no "pro." They just almost always produce-if nothing more than a few small bass. Using mono or fluorocarbon line no heavier than 6 lb, fish a small Texas-rigged white or pearl ringworm (boot tails are my preferred- I still have some Havoc Beat Shad which are hard to top) slowly along weed edges and especially along drop-offs or in pockets. Another oldie but goody is a small, natural silver or white original floating Rapala (sometimes chartreuse works great too) in among flats or any cover. Especially if you see any minnows jumping. Twitch it. Let it dive a 6 inches or a foot. Let it float back up. Wait. Rinse and repeat. When the going gets tough, however, my money is on smaller soft plastics fished weedless in and around vegetation. Shade is almost always good.

Well, you've got two baits in the upper-water column category and two in the shallow to mid-range. The red-eye shad can be fished at most depths (except the surface). The KVD will cover the upper water column nicely. You might get a few deep divers (shallow angle/long lips). I don't see any soft plastics. Don't forget worms and crawdad imitators.

The Sweet Beaver is an excellent bait.

If by "toads" you mean "hollow bodied soft plastic floating baits, the thicker the moss, the worse the hook ratio. And some baits work better than others. The worst I've tried is probably the BPS version. My BEST bait for fishing moss is the aptly named Moss Mouse by Snag Proof. It's pretty rare, if the bass can get it into its mouth, that I miss a fish with it. Sometimes but not too often.

If you don't count the long winter months when I don't fish at all, I don't think I've gotten skunked more that twice in a row. But in all fairness, one of those times was VERY early spring. I don't get skunked too often but this isn't to say I don't struggle and/or catch only one or two fish. I have a few tricks up my sleeve worthy of catching at least a few fish.

I know most if not all trolling motors are "sealed" at the shaft but that being said, I've got an old motor guide motor which has given up the ghost. How easy or difficult would it be to swap out one motor with another? Seems a shame to trash something if it can be repaired/replaced.

Unless you can SEE the source of the leaks (through the rivets), if you have a transducer screwed into your transom, you might check to ensure the screws securing it haven't worked their way out a tad. That was the cause of my leaky boat.