Hot Rod

So I got the new Fortrex 80#. I haven't even taken it out of the box yet but plan on doing the install this weekend. Anyone ever replace a MK Maxxum with the Fortrex? My main question is do the bolt mounting patterns line up or will I have to drill? I'm assuming they won't line up cause nothing is ever easy. Oh well won't be the first (or the last) time I've drilled a hole in a boat worth half my annual income ;D

Seems a bit high to me given the current economy and what new Nitro's go for.

My favorite time to fish is that window you discribe in may to mid june. The fish are up shallow and eager to bite. Try a texas rig worm or a lizard in a dark color along shallow flats then. Craw it along the bottom at a medium speed. Pay special attention to areas with wood cover. Shallow running cranks, lipless cranks and spinnerbaits are worth a try too but I catch my bigger fish on the T-rigs. As for the other times of the year do our research on this site and other sources. Then fish as much as you can. There is no subsititue for time on the water and experience to help you "read" the conditions and find fish. Good luck finding that place you can consistently catch 2lbers.

I think a palomar is the worst knot for floro in my experience. I always tie a uni-knot with my floro. Though I've heard a couple pros say the double improved clinch is the one to use. I've used it to with no issues. I use the uni just cause I can tie it quicker and think works as well as any. IMHO.

I almost always thread my trailers on. Mostly because I fish clear water and want a smaller profile. On an ocasion when I'm pitchin/flipin' more muddy water I will just pass it through the chunk to get more action/vibration.

That "easyview" looks pretty trick! Not a bad price either.

Well, I didn't really steal it but close. Gander Mtn had the Fortrex 80# with US2 on an "end of season" sale. I got the last one still in the box. Only $750! Wasn't sure I wanted the US2 option but at that price I couldnt' pass it up! Should be a big improvement over my MK Maxxum 65# SC! Just can't wait for "ice out" to try it out.

Are you talking about something like the Cooks Tackle organizer? I made mine myself. Get a 6' section of 1" almuminum 90 degree (it looks like an "L" when you look at the end of it, also called anlge iron). You can get it at Ace, Lowe's, etc. Measure it the length you want it for your locker lids and cut it with a hacksaw, sawz-all or even tin snips. Mark and drill holes about 1" apart along the lenght of one side of the "L". Use about a 1/8" drill bit or a little smaller. Use fine sand paper or emory cloth to smooth out all the rough edges and courners. Drill a few holes, depending on lenth two may be enough, along the other side and use short stainless screws to screw it through those holes to the inside of the locker lid. You can buy the cheap metal wire shower curtain hanging clips to hang your soft plastics in there packages. You can also hang spinnerbaits, jigs, cranks, etc. from their hooks through the holes. Becareful not to get too much weight/bait on each lid though b/c they get difficult to open/close. Good luck!

Was just watcing a video on another site about this topic. The Pro said that you should only use a snell when you are using braid because mono and floro will cut its self and it won't be a strong connection. I know this is true for floro but I'm not certain that mono wouldn't work since they've been snelling hooks with mono for eons. Still I plan on trying it this year when I'm out flipping.

As an aside, make sure your insurance company (if applicable) knows that you keep it somewher other than your residence. If you suffer a "loss" you may run into issues with your claim if they don't know this upfront.

I like 30# braid. I think a lot of it is personal preference but has a lot to do with how heavy the cover is and how big the fish are. Flipping for LM in lake Toho FL is a lot different than flipping here in PA. You can break a rod with braid on it if you pull too hard on a snag but also on the hook set. You don't need to set as hard with braid as with mono though you should still use a quick motion on the set just not as big of a movement.

I like the Gammy G-lock. 3/0 for the smaller beavers and 4/0 for the larger beavers.

If you live near the coast make sure the rig has not been in salt water. A freind of mine got one that had been used to occasionally go out for redfish. The trailer rusted away from the inside out. It looked good when he got it, but it was scrap after 2 years and the rig was only a couple years old when he got it.

I'm also thinking of upgrading to the Fortrex from a 65 MK. I heard someone advise not to get the US2 b/c if you bust it up or it wears out/breaks it is much more expensive to replace than a regular transducer. While the US2 is more protected and less likely to fail, if it does fail, it could be an issue. I guess it depends on how you fish. If you are trolling around stumps/rocks all the time you may want to stick with the traditional transducer.

What does the leading edge look like on the MG prop? If the edge is dull or has a lot of nicks in it it will not slice through the grass like it should. I wouldn't think the batteries are at fault (unless you've notice them running out of power earier than they used to). I sharpen my MK blade by drawing a sharp knife along the edge at an appropriate angle on both sides of each blade. It will wittle out the rought spots and sharpen it. Alternativly you can use sand paper or a file, which is what I used to do. It just takes longer than the knife.

I got a small pair of titanium scissors from the craft section at wally world. Had 'em in the boat 3 years and no rust which is why I went with the titanium. They are still very sharp too. I use those mostly on braid and still use the clips for floro/mono.

I use a uni-knot for all my floro including cranks. As I have had bad results with a palomar on floro but I use the palomar on other line types. Make sure that you lubricate the knot well with water or saliva before you tighten it regardless of what knot you use!

I plan on trying out some of the LC pointers this spring for the first time since I've heard so much positive feedback on them. Restocking will consist of various T/Crig weights/hooks, P-Line floro (8,10,12,15#), Jewel jigs, senkos (especially 4"), cut-tails, beavers, blade baits (sonar and XPS) and some spooks. That is if I have any money left over after buying a case of 2 stroke oil to feed the beast this season. Dang that stuff is expensive!

I fish an average of 3X/week from April thru October with a few trips in March and Nov too. Crankin' bat last me about 3 "seasons" while trolling bats last me 2 "seasons". I take the best care of them I can, but I run them hard and often. The battery test should tell you if you need to replace it or not, but after 5 years I'd say its time.

Supposedly once a mouse eats the poison it makes them thirsty so they head for water, where they die. Now if there is water in you boat from the last trip, they probably won't leave. I have found some "casualties" in glue traps that I use in my garage/basement. They didn't get ripe. They pretty much just dried up, so no smell. Not sure if the same would hold for the ones that die from the poison or not. Especially considering the moisture/water in a boat.

I don't care too much about how much gear my co brings. As long as it does not weigh too awful much. I always give them an empty compartment for gear and room in the cooler for food/drinks. I just ask them to keep it down to enough, eh, "stuff" that it all fits either in the alloted comparment and/or under their console (my boat has a dual console) while we are running. Number of rods doesn't concern me either as long as they stay next to co's seat and are strapped down to the rod ramp when I'm ready to run, though 6 to 8 rods is probably about right on tournament day. On "practice" days, bring a dozen or more, I don't care. As someone else said I always announce a couple minutes before I fire up the big engines to make a move so the co has time to stow. That being said, if I draw a guy that is 300+ lbs I might have to change my "rules" on co gear I also had a guy show up at the launch with a giant garbage bag he could hardly carry cuase the bottom was about to tear out. It held about 150 lbs of plastics in every color/size/style you can imagine and enough sinkers for 10 years (all he fished was Trigs). The weights were in a couple of tackle boxes but the plastics were just in the original bags. He dumped/cramed it all into the compartment. Then stood on the lid to get it to latch. I had to stop the boat halfway to the first spot to redistribute the weight >

X2

I usually put a few of the poision blocks out around the boat/trailer in the fall where only the mice can get at the blocks. I'd say put them right in to the boat since the mice are alredy there. Just keep 'em out of reach of kids/pets/non-target animals. Fortunately I've never had mice in my boat cause they can cause major issues. But I have trapped them close by.

Been there, done that too. Funny how you only have to do that once to learn the lesson. LOL Of course Murphy is always going to make it so the launch ramp is up wind and/or up current of where you broke down. Plus it will be the only day of the year where there isn't another boat on the lake insight to ask for a tow. >

Since both the bow and stern light quit simultaneously makes me think it is an issue with a fuse or connection at the ground or connection at the pannel. First I'd check the fuse. Most likely if it was just a short in wire one of them would light (unless it is the main supply to the panel, but then nothing else would work). If you have a short (i.e. bare wire) in the positive it would also probably keep blowing fuses(or tripping a breaker). So if you replace the fuse and it keeps popping you got bare wire contact somewhere most likely. Next I'd check/clean the ground at the battery and/or pannel. If you know how to use a multi-meter or ohm meter they are great for diagnosing the problem. I can't tell you how many times that $10 investment has saved me a lot of time and frustration.