Tim Kelly

Oh yes. He would sulk if I didn't take him and I'd miss his endless enthusiasm!

I tend to cut the stuff behind the head off with the shears, so it probably ends up weighing around a 1/16 anyway, but I still think the little football head has some slight advantages.

I've been using little 1/16oz football jigs which I think are marginally better than mushroom heads as they are slightly more stable and so slightly less prone to snagging. Also, because my football mold makes 1/16 but my mushroom mold only goes down to 3/32.

Don't think it would be a problem at all. A half zinker with a 1/16 head weighs at least 1/4oz I would estimate. The compact shape makes it cast and skip really easily too. Spinning would be easier, but if you're a rabid spinning tackle hater it would be easy to use casting gear if you understand lighter weight baitcasting.

Cut the ends of the prop off so that it doesn't produce as much thrust? Redneck solution, but it would probably work, and if it doesn't a new prop shouldn't be as expensive as a new board if you try messing with the electronics.

I don't think 2hp will be producing too much wake really. If you put it on a flat fronted john boat you would get more wake than a more streamlined shaped hull, but the boat is only going to be moving at around 5mph max, so any hull that is relatively wake free at displacement speeds will be fine. Will definitely make more wake than a kayak, but I don't imagine you making that lake into a wave machine.

Don't over think it! They're perfectly good reels and whether the t wing makes a difference to casting is kind of irrelevant. Unless you find them impossibly too large in your hand, as some people claim to, it is just a good standard baitcaster on a par with a curado. Getting a standard model for around $100 on the bay is just a bargain for a good reel. Try one.

I think AMart and Biffle in the boat together would be an amazing combination. Be like watching a bear with a chimp on it's back. LOL

Two fingers either side of the reel stem. Middle (longest) finger touches the spool when casting to trap the line and to feather it at the end of the cast. That way is the most accurate way to cast and gives the most control of the line.

I'm using 6lb on a light rod at the moment and it's doing well. Had a fish go into a pile of sticks and tangles the other day, when it eventually decided to swim out and get landed I was amazed that the line didn't appear to be at all damaged.

Blimey, they've got the boat to run the drugs now too! LOL. It just gets better. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155334568035405&set=vb.324136500404&type=2&theater

Looks more like a money laundering scheme at the moment, not a viable business!

What is the deal with this? As far as I can see it's a few T-shirts, but they seem to have a massive promotional budget. Utterly bewildered!

I bombed more than you! Lol

Ambition is to be admired, but for those with fists of ham, knowing your limits is valuable! If you are certain the parts are assembled correctly then the clip should go in easily as described in the previous post. I suspect something isn't seated quite right if you're having massive difficulty getting the clip back in.

Waft the baits over with a flame after you take them out of the mold. It gives them a nice shiny finish.

I think the ranger hulls would have wedges in a different place as it's not a pad hull. Might be worth calling Triton, or putting a post on the Triton or tin boats part of BBS. Plenty of knowledge there.

A friend of mine had the same boat and it went around 50 with a 90 opti. Great interior layout. really liked that boat.

Have you tried shifting some weight around in the boat? Sometimes redistributing the weight can make a big difference.

I'd guess the weld was to act as a trim tab. It would have to go at the back of the pad so that it was in the water and able to do it's job while the boat was on plane. The Ranger RT188 has little Ali tags welded on now after issues with porpoising on the early boats.

Many thanks. I'm from England, where we virtually invented catch and release fishing as a standard practice. Believe me, if you were seem boat flipping fish here it wouldn't be long before someone had a word! I completely get what you're saying and dislike people fishing too light and exhausting fish unnecessarily. I'm amazed the IFGA still promotes line class records as it leads to things like people trying to catch marlin on 4lb line. Very clever, but not for the fish.

Thanks. I was surprised when a ML rod was recommended previously. Your recommendation sounds more reasonable.

What rod, reel and line would you recommend? ML, 2500 and 10lb braid?

What would you recommend as a suitable general beach lure fishing outfit for the keys?

I'm going down through the keys in mid April. Is it easy to find spots to fish from the shore?