FlipSide

What kind of boat are you putting it on and do you fish in high winds often?

They probably didn't feel like dealing with the holiday weekend drunken idiots running big motors

Definitely don't rush then

I would look for a good aluminum bass boat to start off with. If you run it into anything then you aren't going to put a hole in the boat and your going to run into things. Your going to be able to find a better newer boat for the same price as an older beat to hell glass boat. Just take your time and keep saving money. If you look at the grand scheme of things waiting will benefit you more than buying a boat with tons of problems. You might be stuck on the bank for a couple more months but you won't be dealing with the headache that comes with a boat that hasn't been taken care of.

Your going to want more than the 9.9 hp. I started looking around this time last year and didn't end up with a boat until March of this year. As slone said, take your time. Don't jump on the first thing you see.

Lews Reels and Dobyn's Rods Ill take as many as they will give me lol Cant forget Sunline either

If it were me I would keep saving my money until I had enough to buy something newer than that. I know having the cash currently and the thought of being out on the water in a bass boat is killing you, but you dont want to jump into something that is going to be a money pit. I was in the same situation as you, I'm glad I waited.

Its all about personal preference, its hard to go wrong in the $200 range with rods these days. I love my champion, and have fished the hell out of it. Ive only held the e6x in stores with a reel on it, It was the 7'1 heavy or medium heavy jwr, I cant remember off the top of my head. It felt very balanced with the lews tp I put on there, but I cant comment on sensitivity, etc. since I havent fished the rod. Either one I think you will be happy with, as they both come from reputable companies and are in the "high quality" rod category.

I wouldnt listen to anything anyone is saying about the rod be it good or bad, fishing equipment is all about the user. The only person who can decide if its good or bad is you.

Just when I told myself I was done buying stuff

Learned this the hard way

That's horrible. Glad to hear everyone is okay

IMO a bigger motor is better because you can cruise at the same speed as a smaller motor at WOT at say 1/2 or 3/4ths throttle

Any rod in the $200+ range will be more than enough. You are probably gonna want 2 separate rods for dropshots and jigs/worms. Something around 7' and a ML action spinning rod for the dropshots and around a 7' MH action casting rod for the jigs/worms.

There are more color options on the site

Its been fine for me so far

Only thing I see is its a 6 ft keel guard, if you have an 18ft or less boat then I say go for it.

If you plan on upgrading the trolling motor any time soon I would get a 3 bank charger so you dont have to purchase another one when you upgrade to a 24v trolling motor If you arent planning on upgrading then I suggest this http://bbgmarine.com/minn-kota-mk220d-2-bank-x-10-amps-p-2490.html If you are planning on upgrading then I would suggest this, http://bbgmarine.com/minn-kota-mk330d-3-bank-x-10-amps-p-2489.html I have the 3 bank and so far it has worked like a charm. Not too expensive either.

IMO neither of those. I would finance a good used boat for the 12-15k. Aluminum or fiberglass your gonna get much more boat for the 12-15k being used. Just take your time and shop around

KVD L&L on everything for me, I dont use braid. Spray some on when spooling and the day before a trip... Makes flouro coil a lot less

12lb copoly or mono... either will work

Yeah bank fishing is what I was referring to... If you get hung out on a boat 90% of the time you should be able to get the lure back.

I cant stand seeing anyone flinging their rod around like a banshee trying to get a snag out, drives me nuts. Just pull straight back and if your meant to get that lure back then so be it... If not oh well, lures are a lot cheaper than rods generally speaking.

As long as you dont mix them with other soft plastics you will be fine