Hot Rod

Last year I was in my boat just about to load it on the trailer. As I make the turn to the ramp where the trailer is already waiting along with my unattended truck (I was fishing alone). I notice some delinquent has his head and shoulders stuck though my open truck window. I'm thinkin', "Some moron is pilfer stuff out of my truck, WTH?!". I'm so intent on watching him I'm not paying attention to what I'm doing as I nose up on the trailer. Forgot to trim up the motor in my distracted/POed state of mind. Just about the time my lower unit/skeg/prop hit the concrete ramp the "moron" gets away from my truck. Here it was a lake staff person checking for my launch permit (which was planly hanging on the mirror, not sure why he had to practically crawly in my truck to see it). Skeg and LU were O.K. but it wrecked two baldes on the SS PROP. That was a $300+ mistake >

Awesome article. Kudos to BM for a job well done! Go get 'em this year G!

That ticks me off! > I got some BPS GC for xmas. I waited and waited for some "special". Finally the week before Daytona race I put in a BPS order as I couldn't keep fightin' that dang monkey away from the GC's and had to pay for shipping with no other discounts either. Oh well, at least i got my lucky crafts and that crazy monkey is happy...for now anyway.

I checked out some jersey's on the G2 web site where many pros get theirs. Dang those are cool! Just wish I had a sponsor or two so I could afford one ;D

McGuires Qwik Klean Marine 8-)

Amen!!! Nothing worse than waiting for some inconsiderate person to move. I had a guy last spring take his cowling off his 1976 motor and work on it right in the middle of the launch on a single lane ramp with about a half dozen boats wating to launch or load boats > Also I think there was pre-season checklist here under the article section.

X2

I buy the deeper, single section (no dividers) 3700 type boxes. They are about twice as deep as the regrlar boxes. I leave all my plastics in their original pouches then file the pouches in the 3700's. They hold them in two rows side by side, standing up and facing foward. Therefore I can flip though the bags to get the color, length, brand, model, etc I need. they fit perfectly in my boats compartment when stacked on their back edge. I have a 3700 for each type of bait (one for tubes, one for finnese worms, etc.). I make a label for each so I can easily ID them and pull them out of the boat compartment when needed. Its really like haveing a "library" of baits at my fingertips. Since I've been doing it like this all the baits keep there shape better and when I'm running low on a bait it is easy to know what to replace/buy since I still have them in the original bag. I used to take them out of the bags and put them in compartmental boxes. But they'd get bent/balled up and sometimes I wasn't sure what the color or exact length the bait was when it came time to re-order. The system I use now works much better for me. I keep two more of these type of 3700 with assorted extras of my favorite baits. Beyond that if I need to keep a few extra bags of a "hot" plastic baits in the boat, then I just put the pouches in a one gallon zip lock bag and keetp it in the back of one my boat's compartments.

For jigs I usually like P-line Floroclear in 12,15 or 20 lb test. Or I like 30 lb braid for heavy cover and/or dirty water. Worms if I'm fishing em on spinning gear, like a shakey head, its 8# Pline floroclear; or 10# to 15# on baitcast gear. Its such a wide range for me cause I fish everything from "finesse" to "gorilla" tactics depending on lake, cover and conditions. Remember , for both worms and jigs or any other bait, to match your line size with you hook and with your rod action/power. Lighter lines should be used with light wire hooks, for me 10 lbs and below I always go with the lighter hooks. If you throwing 15 or higher then I use the heavier gauge hooks. Similarly don't try to throw 10 lb on a 7ft H rod. Match the rod action/power with the correct line. Use whats printed on the rod as a guide, though you can usually vary a little from that within 2 to 5 lbs.

What power/action/length rod are you using? What line type and lb test? When you are in close to heavy cover you have to be able to control a fish somewhat to get their head turned and get them to the boat. Not to mention getting a good solid hook set. The wrong rod/line is a sure route to frustration when pitching/flipin'.

I have a pair or unisulated gore-tex lined hiking boots (actually intended for early archery season hunts). They are comfortable, have decent tread but not a huge clunky sole and best of all my feet stay dry all day as the bib bottoms cover the top of the boots to keep out the rain!

How about it? I sent a unit in to Navico for repairs back in November and am still waiting for the replacement unit; which I had to pay $200 for cause it was a couple months past warranty. Incedentally it was the second time I had an issue with part of this set-up. the GPS puck went bad the 1st time but under warranty. The fact that Lowrance service is so bad is enough to make me switch to another brand not to mention the cost difference. >

I follow up top water misses with a lightly weighted tube or a Supper Fluke.

I did an install on my Strat last summer. I would not install them on the underside of your deck lids unless you have to. I think it is better to mount them inside the compartments, which is what I did. If you install them on the lids the light shines right in your face while you are looking in the compartment. You can't see anything in the compartment this way. If they are in the compartment mounted up under the lip or pointed away from your position then they light up the compartment but you are not staring directly into the light and you can actually see. The other thing with mounting them on the lids is that you are wearing on the wires/connection everytime you open the lid. Its eventually goint to fail. I mounted mine with the wires safe and out of the way through the side of the compartment. I also would not place them on your gunnels close to your LCD as I have seen some do. It makes reading the display more difficult at night. I kept mine mounted back away from where I stand at the bow of the boat. They are more back towards the console, so I get the benefit of the ambient light but I'm not staring right at them getting all the glare. As for the gunnels, Id probably just use an exato knife or utility knife to carve out a piece of the carpet just large enough for the LED strip to fit and use clrear marine adhesive to seal he edge of the capet before positioning the LED strip.

As noted it is illegal to dump anything in public waters or even waterdsheds (which is technically everywhere) in most states without the proper permit. Second, regarding the question about why it would be O.K to put in one of the fish habittats sold BPS and other places compared to an artificial tree in your own pond; there are 10's of thousands of different plastics with different chemical make ups. They have many different purposes. Artificial christmas trees are not designed to withstand outdoor or submerged applications. They could potentially leach a lot of toxins into the lake as they break down.

Add a little current to the scenario and the angles gets even more criticle.

Dang it man! Why did you go and do that. Those look like awsome jigs and now the "bait monkey" is screaming in my ear, "BUY THEM, BUY THEM, BUY THEM NOW!!!!" ;D

I used to think that too until I tried the Picasso. JMHO.

I understand how patents work but it seems pretty asinine to me. Wasn't lowrance the first company to invent depthsounders and then graphs/LCD's for the fishing industry mainstream? Seems to me its sort of the pot calling the kettle black, to use a cliche. I mean if it weren't for the original Lowrance would there have even been a Hummingbird? JM.02

X3! I too have had good experience the couple of times I've had issues with either Bassmaster or Bass Times customer service!

I agree with what has already been posted. Its all about practice and getting the "feel". That said, you have to have a decent quality reel that is pretty smooth. Also I find that you have to have the spool tension set perfect for best results. Again that requires trial/error. Keep the bait low and paralell to the water on the cast. It is more of a "quick" motion than a "power" motion if that makes sense. Works best with compact lures without a lot of appendages.

Bare feet are great in the summer, until you step on a DD crank. I stuck my big toe with a #2 treble. Now its nothing but running shoes for me while on deck. (I always have 50 rods scattered on my front deck, ha.) Also recently saw a segment with Dave Wolack. Who is a certified trainer. He said always wear running shoes for support for long days on the water.

I don't care so much for the original spot remover. It got a lot of bites for me but I lost more fish on it than I should have. I think it's with the "peg" as i don't have that issue with the pro spot removers because of the coil they use instead. I am looking foward to trying out the "mop" jig though. Not sure if they'll send shipments to Happy Valley area though

There is a bacteria that grows in moist environs that is redish in color and sort of like sludge in consistency. Not sure about its ability to proliferate in fuel although there are some bacteria and other micro organisms that can. I'd drain your tank, treat it with a stabilizer and refill it.