Hot Rod

5 3/8" Stick-o XPS Spinnerbaits Slim dog walking top waters Pro Finnesse bc rods

Forgot to mention; Be careful not to overfill the bearing buddies as you could blow the rear seal out of the hub.

If you have the older style "sealed" hubs, usually once a year is sufficient. Though you should check them often. If water leaks in it can ruin the grease, causing friction and bearing faluire. While your trailering just just feel your hubs for excessive heat. they should just be warm not burning hot. It they are too hot to touch you got bearing/lubrication issues. If you have the bearing buddies like I do they have the blue diaphrams that extend out past the hub when they have enough grease. When you can''t see the blue passed the hub its time to add grease. You may have to take the black PVC cover off to see it if equiped. I'd reccommend the waterproof marine grease. More expensive upfront but a lot less than having a bearing go out on the highway. Even if you have the bearing buddies you should inspect/replace the bearings once a year and re-pack if you want to be on the safe side.

Thanks!! I'm leaning to going with the 24V 80# Fortrex. From what I was able to decipher on MK site it seems the older "speed control" models (such as I have even though I purchased new in 04) though promoted as "extended run time" can't compare to the newer digitals for efficency. Staying with the 24v I can save the weight/$ of adding another battery/charger and probably still have enough juice at the end of the day. Even when my batteries are brand new (there also big 29 series batteries) I don think I could fish for 2.5 days with my current TM. Maybe 1.5 at best. A freind of mine with a similar size rig as mine says he can fish all weekend w/o recharging, even on big water in the wind with his newer TM.

I have 5 of the Tour PT's from '08 (the blue ones). They are incredibly strong/smooth and the '09's are even better!

Anyone ever upgrade a 24V system to a 36V system for the trolling motor? I'm in the market for a new TM and I'm thinking of steping up to a 36V on my 18' glass boat cause I fish long days often in high winds and find that my current 24V system can't fish as long as I can Just wondering what I'll have to do besides mounting and wiring another battery and a charger with an extra bank. Will I have to install larger gauge wire and/or fuse or will whats in place for the stock 24V be sufficient? Alternatively, I could go with the 24V 80# TM. My old TM is one of the 5 speeds with a "maximizer" but not digital. Will the newer digital TM with the variable speeds provide appreciable longer run times that the older anolog TM of the same size per charge? Thanks!

Looks to me like you aren't getting "smooth" free flowing water on the transucer when up to speed. If its mounted to close to the motor or a hull strake you'll get false readings from the turbulence/bubles those cause as they pass through the water. If it is already mounted so the transducer is riding below the hull, then you probably just need to adjust it more port or starboard on the hull to move it away from turbulence.

The law doesn't mandate that fuels have an ethanol component. Only that fuels can have no more than 10% ethanol. Which, of course they want to push to 15%.

In the fall when surface water cools it mixes or ''turns over" with the now warmer water below it. When that happens fish can be more difficult to catch as they are more dispersed throughout the water column. Another possible solution is the vegitation itsself. When a small body of water is full of plant material as you described the fish are negatively impacted when that vegitation dies off. Are you seeing a die off in vegitation? When it dies and starts to decompose it uses up a lot of the oxygen in the water. The lack of oxygen causes the fish to be lethargic and could even be fatal if it is sever. Needless to say, if they are struggling to survive they aren't much in the mood to eat. In either case, I would suggest fishing in the greenest weeds you can find as they will put off the most oxygen. thats where the fish will be.

Simple Green - spray it full strength on any stains and brush it with a nylon brush. Dilute it down and put it in a spray bottle for general cleaning. Spray a light mist all over the carpet. Let it sit a few minutes then hose it off on the "jet" setting. Move the jet of water back and forth repeatedly make small swaths from one side of the carpet to another. You can actually see the dirt comming out with the water/suds running off. When the water runs off clean, soap and dirt free at one swath move the spray to the next swath until you've complete the entire carpet. Put the bow up high as you can get it with the plug pulled, let it run off to dry. You can then brush the carpet to fluff the nap back up with a clean dry nylon brush.

I've noticed at the Blue Water LED site that a lot of the deck lights are mounted right next to the LCD at the bow. I would think it would make it more difficult to view the LCD at night. Anyone have any experience with LEDs close to the LCD?

Yes it works! But be very careful that the hook is not in a nerve orlarger blood vessel. I used it in May on a deeply burried No. 2 trebble. It was down to the bone. Not a problem I figured. I've popped out a few using the line trick but thist time was different. The hook did come right out but it hurt way more than the others I have had popped out. It was stuck in a nerve. I know this now because I still don't have any feeling in that finger past the point of were the wound was to the tip

X2!

Checked it out, ordered it, will post pics when its installed! Got the front/rear lighting set in green to match and the package for all the lockers! Sorry Bait Monkey. You'll have to wait until next time to get my cash since I just chucked what I had into my "Basshole-in-the-water- Boat" ;D

"small molecules"? Huh? I'm no chemist but I thought at the molecular level H20 is all the same size? Probably why I got a "C" in Chemistry too ;D

Awesome, that is "trick". 8-) I had wanted to put a similar lighting system in my Strat but figured I'd have to get something "automotive" and adapt it to the boat. Now I know where to find it. Thanks for the link!

Lets not forget prop dynamics (unless both motors also have identical props). The new motor probably has a more efficient prop too that can account for some of the difference. Generally the less of the lower unit you have in the water the faster it should be due to less resistance with everything else being equal. Unless that longer shaft helps lift the boat up on pad higher so there's less drag on the boat when its "on plane".

Yeah "day on the lake" is my favorite mag and tv series. I also get interested when a pro says he's catching them on a non-sponsor bait. But ya know what, despite how close many of the baits are, one brand may have an edge over another under certain conditions due to the slight difference in there construction (color, salt content, softness, scent, etc.) For exampe, and I know this might be sacreligious for some, but a couple weeks back I was actually catching more bass on a cheaper off brand imatation than I was on a GY senko rigged exactly the same. Now that said, most of the time I'd agree that the GY is hands down the best. But all depends on the action, fall rate, etc. that the fish find attractive on a particular day. 9 out of 10 times the "hot" bait (GY Senko, Sweet Beaver, etc) might be the best choice but not the other 10%. Its all in the details when it comes to winning at that level.

Currently: KVD with honerable mentions to Skeet, Hack & Spike Of all time: Clunn BASS VS FLW is a tough one since some of them fish both but I'd give the nod to BASS. JM.02

T rig on a Gammie G-Lock 3/0 with 1/16 to 1/8 oz wt. Color: green pumpkin cause where I fish its almost always clear water

I vote for the Powerbait Shakey head worm under most circumstances. Though if the water is below 50 degrees I get more bites on the same bait in GULP, (which is about the only time I use GULP) I also like the zoom 4" lizard on a shakey head when the fish are on beds in the spring. Its killer. Zoom trick worm has been good to me as well.

I almost forgot, with the lighter weights it is better to have a rod with a lighter action tip to it for pitching. You can't pitch the light baits as well with a broom stick. Though you still want something with a stout backbone for setting the hook. I have a BPS 7'6' M Pro Finesse that I use for this ap. I was afraid that it would be to whimpy to pull em' out of cover but I haven't had any problems. It has a good backbone and great tip action. I load it with 12 or 15# Pline floroclear.

I've sort of discovered a set up trick for pitchin' the lighter weights like the 1/4 oz/ beaver combo you spoke of or even down to 1/16 oz For fine tunning, I use the tension control knob to control/set up the tension for the start of the pitch and the magnetic control for the end of the pitch on the entry. I set both controls as loose as I can, but if I still get a bit of an overrun on the entry despite the use of the "thumb break" I'll go one more micro click on the magnetic. Of course you have to have a reel that ofers micro magnetic adjustments. Similarly if I'm getting some overrun at the start of the pitch I'll make the smallest adjustment on my tension knob, tightening it ever so slightly and testing it until I get it perfect. It is awsome when you get it right. I now can pitch light rigs, keepingit close to the water during the pitch for silent entry, with great accuracy and distance. The fine tuning doesn't matter as much for heavier rigs with heavier line, but for the smaller stuff the difference is amazing.

I like the Pline florclear as well for both those aps. 8lb for the jb's and 10lb for cb's. Though for crankbaits if I'm in heavy shallow cover I sometimes go with 12lb Trilene XL. It's flotation helps lures "back out" when you get them under a limb and I just seem to get hung with it less in that situation. Its just more foregiving around would-be snags.

How far foward are the two TM batteries? Are they up near the bow? If that's the case I'd move them back near the transom (if space permits) and reroute the wires or rewire the entire system. The last thing you want is all that extra weight up near the bow. IMOA It will get on plane better and handle better with that weight near the transom.