rboat

I would look for an old 2 stroke in the 4 to 6hp range that is in good condition. They are light enough to carry and move around. Very dependable and easy to work on. If needed it could move that boat around pretty good and get you to shelter much faster, if the need arises. It also could get you out on larger lakes if the conditions are ideal.

I'm with @Jig Man , vacuum, use a brush and some cleaner and see how it comes out. To be honest, it still looks in pretty good shape to me. Unless you have a tear, rip, or spots that have worn through I would just ride with it. A total recarpet is kind of pricey from what I have heard.

I would go with the 2000lb winch. A little extra is always a good thing if needed and probably won't cost much more.

I say set the hook immedialely if you feel anything. Hook sets are free. You might snag grass or at worst a stump or something solid, but waiting bad things will happen. With the lifelike feel, smell, and look, of todays soft plastics the bass will swallow it deep and you end up killing them. The second bad thing that will happen is the bass spits out your offering before you react. It is amazing how fast they can eject a bait. You can watch on youtube the documentary "bigmouth forever" it is the second film like this produced by Glen Lau. At about 11:12 in the film you can see a bass inhale a crankbait full of treble hooks and eject it without the angler feeling anything. These 2 films "Bigmouth" & "Bigmouth Forever" should be watched by all bass anglers. They are very old, but are excellent information. If nothing else, check them out to see the old time boat and bass fishing gear. Glen Lau was a master angler and filmed all of the underwater footage. He mostly fished springs and rivers in Florida.I believe they were shot at Silver Springs, near Ocala FL where the water is crystal clear. Sorry about the detour, but when in question, --- SET THE HOOK.

I buy a lot of items, fishing lures, small car parts, cleaners, lubricants, polishes, etc, from online places. Lately my shipping from usps has been very slow. When tracking, many packages are making a US tour before being delivered. Following tracking, I had one package that left my home state to go across the country before returning, taking well over a week. I talked with my local post office and they said, almost everything is now going by ground. Many small packages are sent either on purpose or by error to a sorting facility, which could be a long way away and cause delays. To me, this seems like they are wasting time and fuel. Maybe that is why they keep increasing their prices? I believe they also had their personnel cut which could be part of the problem. Anyone else notice long delivery times?

Not really a lipless, but for bottom hopping a blade bait like a dimiki vault, silver buddy, or steel shad. Also try any of the tail spinners for bottom hopping. For lipless, I have tried many and the LV 500 wins for bottom hopping and the OG Rat-l-Trap works best for a straight retrieve where I fish.

3691 + 60 = 3751

I don't care about the weight. I don't even have a scale in the boat. I think the tournament scene made everyone care way to much about weight. To me it is either a small bass, a nice bass, or a big bass. That is all I need. I see too many youtube guys with a small bass in their boat, out in the heat, fumbling around trying to find their scale, just to show us they caught a 2lb bass, before they finally release the poor fish. 🤬

I know some of you probably live on a lake, but for those who do not, how far round trip is most of your fishing trips?

PM Keith @Way2slow . He is an expert on OMC engines and helped me out.

If you could find an old Coleman Crawdad boat in good condition it may work well. I believe they are about 11ft long and 130lbs. It could go in the back of a truck or small trailer, handle 2 people, and can go with trolling motor or small gas engine. They are made out of similar stuff as a kayak but are more like a jon boat. Stabil so you can stand up and fish. They work well in smaller lakes or rivers. They are no longer made, but have a cult following. People modify them with decks and storage. Just google it and you will see some nice setups. It is the boat I started with as a kid. Another nice rig is a Geehnoe. They are like an extra wide canoe with a flat back for an engine. They come in many styles and configurations and can be modified. Stable and could probably handle many different lakes. Check them out. Good luck and I hope you find the perfect rig for your fishing.

Do you have anything in your arsenal that you probably shouldn't? You bought it, but not sure why. My example: I believe I have 4 or 5 -plano 3700 boxes full of deep diving lures. Most of the lakes around me max out at about 15 feet. I keep saying one of these days I will find a drop off and these will be needed. 🤔

If the wind is light and pushing in the direction I want to go to get to a spot. I throw a t-rig, wacky worm or split shot rig out behind the boat, let out a bunch of line so it is way back there and just drift to my next spot. I have been surprised several times with a nice bass. I am not sure it is a real strategy, but it can work at times. I know some walleye, crappie and river anglers have drift fishing down to an exact science.

Hard to pick just one. I think if you do the following, you are hardcore enough for me. Bass fish Post about it on BR. Have more lures than you probably should Try to help other anglers improve their fishing

To be honest, I have never fished out of a kayak. I think I would go for the john boat. Possibly more stable, could handle larger water, could be motorized, more room for storage, not sure your age, but as you get older, it may be easier to get in and out and stand up when needed. I have seen some basic john boats customised into nice bass fishing machines for very little time or money.

I always return to the OG 1/2oz RatLtrap,(chrome,blue back), but I have been branching out. The Berkley Warpig, RES, Lucky craft LV500 and the Yo-Zuri rattlin vibe in 1/2 oz in shad patterns have all been somewhat solid. What lipless do you tie on first?

@Ski Let us know how you do down there. Tight lines!

I can't add anything to the tin boat talk, it sounds like you have a good idea for what you are looking for, however, you mentioned a bimini top. I bought one for my bassboat and did not like it. It is hard to cast around and any breeze will blow you across the lake like a sailboat. I feel that addition was a waste of money. It is nice to get out of the sun for a bit, but the downsides are something to consider.

If anyone runs into this down the line, I was able to unroll the winch strap and re-roll it up and now the strap comes off the top of the winch drum. I guess at least on mine, it really doesn't matter. The safety anti rollback feature still works the same. I feel coming off the top of the winch drum lines up to more of a straight line to the boat hookup eye without rubbing on any part. I guess the guys that set it up had it on the bottom and maybe thought that was correct.

I have been noticing at the boat ramp some peoples trailer winch strap & hook comes of the top of the winch drum gear, and others come from the bottom. Which is the correct way? Does it matter? Can you change it from bottom to top or top to bottom? This may be a dumb question, but I think mine may line up better if I could move the boat hook strap to come off the top of the winch gear drum. Currently my strap comes off the bottom and makes a sharp upward angle to hook to the boat bow eye. Hope this makes sense. Thanks.

True, However, go out on any dock and if the water is clear you can count numerous bluegill and if you are lucky you might see one bass.

I am so sorry for your loss. Memories are your friend, as she will always be a part of you. Prayers to you and your family.

This large bait seems to have a cult following for the big bait guys. They are pricey. If I were going to pull the trigger, I believe the low float is preferred, but what would the top choice for color be since there are so many colors to choose from and I could only afford to buy one? Thanks.

I would never attempt that. That type of reality would scar me for life. It would be like trying to calculate Pi to the very end. No thanks, I will live in naive bliss. On the plus side, I don't believe the wife would attempt counting either.

Those that throw the old Arbogast Mudbug, Does anyone know the approx depth that they dive to? Thanks.