Hot Rod

3' to 4' of 12# or 15# Floro connected with double uni-knot.

I think I'd use Vicious Floro... Cause that is without a doubt the most crapy line I have ever used!!!! ;D

"entry level sonar" is better than no sonar IMHO. When I got my first sonar it was an Eagle Cuda. True, I don't every remember looking at a blob on the screen and thinking, "Ah ha, a pile of old red oak branches holding 5 LM, 4 bluegill and 56 crappie!" ;D But it was very useful in locating the subtle off shore structure such as subltle drops, small ditches and humps like Catt was speaking of. I started catching fish in places I never had before. Don't get me wrong, it was a long way from what today's HD SI systems are.

I like the mustad Triple Grips for most applications. I don't use splitring pliers usually. I just use a fingernail to open the ring enough to get the eye of the hook started. Then, while the old hook is wedged there holding the ring open, I just put the new one hook on and use it to force the old one off of the split ring.

Hope they have a "revolving" credit at that price! Could I finance a pack of those over 12 months? ;D

No experience w/ the 100 MPH BPS. But I love my Cabela's Guidewear (uninsulated). I've had it for 2+ years, lots of trips/use and no issues. You can tell how well made it is when you put it on. Mine still looks like new really even though I've worn it a lot. My only regret is that I wish I would have had it sooner!!!

Like most anglers I often struggle on days of H pressure. Though I can usually get a few bites. You can also try to get reaction strikes if you can't finesse 'em into biting. But it seems like the fish have been even more adversely affected by H pressure this year than previous. Its like they have lockjaw regardless of what ya throw at em. I'm guessing it has to do with the cooler temps we experienced on average this year in our area. Just a thought.

I'd try to get a topo map of the lake to see if there was any off shore structure to target. Or if you have sonar locate it with that. If not, I'd look around the dam (if one exists) or any points, bends with deep water near. I'd start by throwing a carolina rig around just to "feel" around for any deeper cover. Once I locate deep cover with the C-rig I'd fish it slower with jigs, shakey head, and/or drop shot depending on water clarity.

I gotta agree with Cart. I think its easier to have "family fun" (i.e. ski, tube, cruise, picnic, etc.) in a bass boat than to try to effectively bass fish from a fish/ski type. I guess it just depends on what you want to do most often and best. If you are skiing/tubing 90% of the time, the fish/ski and is probably the way to go. Not so much if you want to do much serious bass fishing. My family and I have a great time on my 18.5' bass boat when we are all out together. Though I spend far more time fishing on it than anything else. JM.02

I had the same issue awhile back and was looking at the M68C. I decided to go with the LMS 520C just because I wanted the bigger screen for viewing both the map and the graph in split screen mode when looking at off-shore structure and cover. The draw back is you'd have to gimble mount it next to the console on the gunnel instead of in the dash. But I think the bigger screen is worth it JMO.

Was just on the lowrance site troubleshooting my own LCD issue and came accross the same question in the FAQ's. Just as Wayne P. said, they advise adjusting the ping speed on one unit so that it is one speed level slower/faster from the other unit.

Raystown indeed. Yeah I try to stay away from Rays on weekends between memorial day and Labor day. It is nuts! But if you have a tournament there in the summer you just have to tough it out. As you said, its a dream to fish now and in early spring. I've grown more accustom to dealing with the traffic but still every once in a while they'll be some a-hole show up who seems like he's bent on ruining your day. I swear some of those boaters sole purpose in life is to p.o. as many other boats as possible. Like a buddy of mine always says; "What use is it to be an idiot unless you can prove it every once in awhile". I think for some of those people that is there life's motto.

I fish until thanksgiving. Then I set my sights on whitetails (literally) for good for the rest of the year. Well, I usually take a week or two off the around the first week of nov to bow hunt bucks in the rut too. ;D

I don't think there is anything you can do to completely eliminate "cross talk" short of powering one off while using the other. It usually isn't a problem for me unless I'm in deeper water probably around 20' or so. I usually turn the one off at the console while I'm fishing anyway though.

Where I fish the only thing that I have chance reeling in thats 10lb or better is the pound test of the line that is on my reel ;D If you can't tell, I'm jealous. Good luck!

Floro has some big advantages over mono for cranking. The sensitivity is much better most notibly!!! The down side is that with no stretch you have more of a chance of pulling the hooks out with floro as compared to mono. So use a softer rod and or try to let the fish fight more on a long line as opposed to right at the boat, which I try to do anyway with treble hooked baits. The only time I use mono for cranking is when I'm in super shallow (like 1 to 2') heavy coverlike pre-spawn. Because the mono helps float the lure back out of snags better than floro. Its sort of a personal preference but I'd say most use floro now. I really like a co-polymer line for cranking because it offers a little stretch but still good sensitivity. JMO

Thanks for the posts/insight! The law here is you can't be on plane when you are within 100ft of another boat (or the bank for that matter) and I'm familiar with the right-of-way rules. Like I said, I always give them as much room as I can at least 100 yds and go out of my way to be courtious. I too find that most boaters are not familiar with the laws. Can't tell you how many times I've had to come off plane because some cruiser or jet ski was approaching/crossing from the left where they should have been the one to yield. That's frustrating. > Just wanted to be a repsonsible basser and promote our sport in the best light. Just because something is lawful doesn't mean you shouldn't go the extra to be a little more courteious. Like the last time I was out. This giant, Miami Vice looking "cigar" boat came blowing by me while I was fishing a point. He may have been 100ft (maybe not, it was close enough) away but the wake he blasted at me was darn near enough to sink a freighter and it was 400 yds to the other bank so he had much more room to go around me. Good thing I was paying attention cause I probably would have surfed that tsunami up on to the rocky bank had I not got on the TM right away. >

How "hot"? It should get warm but not what I'd classify "hot". Have you checked the fluid level? If a cell is down and plate exposed you need to add distilled water. Though if that is the case, depending on how long its been like that you may have done irreversible damage. Also make sure your clips are firmly attached to the bat posts when charging. I had a week spring clip on one of mine that caused heat issues but it was right at the + post cause it wasn't making good contact. You can take the bat to advance auto or autozone or similar store or mech and have them test it. They can tell you if it has any life left in it or if its time to replace.

Floroclear - it also casts/handles better and has a thinner dia than the Tri 100% JMO

Let me start by saying I am very safety concsious and follow all boating rules and I beleive in treating others the way you would like to be treated. That being said... How close is too close to pass a striper fisherman's trolling/planner board set? One of the lakes I fish on has a lot of striper fishing boats. I try to give these guys at least 100 up to 200yds birth or more if possible when navigating around them which I feel is sufficient (it is usually way more space than they give me when I'm fishing). However the resivoir is narrow in spots, many times heavy with boat traffic and you'll often have a flotilla of striper boats zig zagging across the channel. I don't know if its better to pass in front of them(which seems like cutting them off ) or behind them (which is where they are fishing of course, ) either. Having never fished/trolled for striped bass I don't know. There are so many boats buzzing around I can't imagine it scares the fish anymore either way. I just want to be courtious but I also don't want to needlessly have to drop off plane every 100 yards of a 12 mile run.

Another variable to add to the equation: Boat Traffic If you fish in a high traffic lake like I do most of the time you'll appreciate the added stability of a fiberglass boat when "surfing the wakes". Now that said: i can't fish some of the smaller lakes as easily that I used to fish in my 14' aluminum. Like everyone else stated: it really depends on where you fish, what you tow with and where you have to store it. I would recommend any first time boat buyer to start out with something older and less expensive regardless of hull composition to "learn" on. Then upgrade to new in a couple years if they want. There is a learning curve. Its nice to make your novice mistakes with a $1K boat rather than on a $10K+ boat. Trust the voice of experience on that one.

The Trilene floro is far superior to the vanish in all aspects JMO. Vanish is so brittle it will shatter and bust right off when you set the hook unless you are using it on a soft glass rod or are using it in 20+#. Personally I prefer P-line Floroclear over both of them. While not 100% florocarbon it has all the qualities I want in a fishing line: invisibility, abrasion resistense, sensitivity, KNOT STRENGTH, thin diameter.

I heard Nike makes a "winter" golf glove that some guys use. Apparently they are water resistent with some insulation factor yet have some feels. I have some real thin gloves that are called "Skinz" that I use for fishing and archery hunting (thier intended purpose). They have great 'fee' though are not waterproof but they keep my hands warm down to about 25 degrees. I keep two pairs so if one get wet I can switch 'em out. They dry fairly quickly to because they are thin and poly.

Match your jigs to the cover you are fishing! You will be amazed at how many less jigs you loose when you get it right. I'm not saying you still won't loose jigs, just not as many. Use a jig with a tapering bullet head and a verticle line tie in grass. Use one with a rounder head and a horizontal line tie around rocks and wood. As for the Jig vs T rig. Some time the fish prefer one over the other. You just have to try both till you figure 'em out. Though generally I throw a jig in cooler temps and/or when I want a big profile.

Hydrodynamics. More surface area = more drag = slower fall Think of it like cars and aerodynamics. What has more wind resistance a Prius or a Mack? Or another example would be how a parachute works. Similar principals just a different meduim they pass through. H20 vs Air. With water being more dense, hence provides more resistance/boyancey, the affect is exponentially greater.