Brian_Reeves

I'm assuming that the designs started to become more evolved and specialized around the late '50s and '60s when bass tournament and recreation fishing started really taking off. Before that, because of limited tackle and media exposure, I don't think there was all that much of a market for bass fishing. I'd say that the compartamentalized designs that we have today came from around that time. Things like livewells, rodboxes, and consoles...that sort of thing. The hull designs actually remind me of some designs that first started appearing in Navy warships and patrol craft from the '20s to the '60s when awareness and knowledge of hydrodynamics and aerodynamics became more abundant. Before that, ships and boats weren't nearly as streamlined or hydrodynamic as they are in these "modern" times. Now that's all my guesses, but I hope it gives you something to go off of for your question. It's pretty generalized but should point you near the right directions.

Leaning really hard toward that Xpress. Everything I want brand new for 23k? That's their 18ft Tournament Series with a 150 that puts it around 64mph. Sounding good so far. I'll post more as I learn more.

The main thing that will help me lower the price is the fact that I'm going to be paying cash. That holds a lot of weight at the negotiating table Just tell the guy "I'm spending 25grand today. Whether it's on your boat or not is entirely up to you. No, I'm not paying for those depthfinders. No that hot foot and hydrolic steering is a safety feature that you should be proud to offer to all of your customers. What good is a dead customer? I swear I'll have my wife write that in my obituary. Ok, I'll pay for one of the depthfinders but not the hot foot or the hydrolic steering. No I'm not paying 30grand. 25grand for the depthfinders I want and the features I want. Deal" Keep that up and go in and out of that place about 6 times in a week and they will practically give you the boat. That's what I did with my truck ;D

I've noticed that aluminum boats have smaller fuel tanks than the average fiberglass boats. How much of a difference does this make in your cruise range?

I definitely haven't ruled out the possibilty of aluminum boats because I don't care about glitter and shine, but I was sure that I didn't want a Tracker. They don't have the beam or the rough water abilities that I'd like. I fish a lot of big lakes and big lakes have a tendecy to get pretty nasty pretty fast. I'm not quitting a tournament because my boat can't make it back to the marina. Lightning or a torential downpour is one thing, a stiff wind is another. How do those Xpress, Triton Magnums, and G3's handle in rough water? Does it offer a good ride or does it make you spend your tournament winnings at a chiropracter on the way home? I need the boat to be relatively fast so I'm not leaving backwater holes an hour earlier than I have to because of time constraints. CJBasswacker, what does the price look like on that 294?

Try going to Iraq for a year. ;D

With bank fishing, I would throw baits that are geared to fishing shallower water in the first place. Zoom flukes (watermelonseed), 1/4oz green jigs, 1/4oz spidergrub jigs (from Gary Yamamato also called the hula grub), Mann's Baby 4- and Baby 1- crankbaits, and possibly some carolina rigged brush hogs to start. As far as location, I'd try to get out on any point that is near a shallow water cove but extends out into deeper water. Why? Because you can work shallow to deep and back. Points hold fish and they are easy to fish from the bank. If you can find a good cove with a creek channel in it and a point extending to it, you have found a place that will hold bass year-round. Hope this helps.

I would have ran a search on this, but I wanted opinions of the new models because I'm buying a brand new boat soon. I'm looking for a great blend of affordability, fishability, speed, hole-shot, bells and whistles, and lasting quality. Right now I'm stuck between skeeter and triton, but haven't ruled out any brands yet. I really want a Ranger but I'm not going to pay 40grand for an 18ft boat. I think the magic size for me is around 18'6 with around a 150-175hp engine on it (4stroke or better) What is your opinions and throw out some prices if you know them offhand please. Here are the specifics of what I want Rear depthfinder with dual sonar beams at different mHz w/GPS Front depthfinder with dual sonar beams at different mHz 70ft-lb trolling motor dual console 150-175hp 4stroke or better engine (60-70mph top speed) 18-18'6 length overall 6ft beam able to handle rough water able to be fished in shallow water hydrolic steering hot foot accelerator Thanks in advance

Hey RochesterBasser, do you have a trolling motor mounted to that thing? If you do, where did you mount your transducer?

And that rough 80 degree mark applies to reservoirs too? The gin clear reservoir that I fish doesn't seem to have many feeder creeks, but has plenty of coves with creek channels in them. Is that where I should start watching for shad and perch activity or should I focus more on the open water grassbeds and points?

Around what water temperature or other weather conditions to the fish and baitfish start moving shallower on reservoirs? Thanks ahead of time.

I was about to be unconventional today and cast a full oz saltwater topwater bait at this boat that kept trying to cut us off from some schooler action that we found. They ran in on top of us and then kept cutting us off over and over again. I was about to start fishing out of their livewell. I hate it when people have no common courtesy.

That's what I said about the chinese food place down the road :-/

I don't do things in reckless abandomnemt. I do things like this because of 3 reasons. Either it's worked for me in the past, I have an idea going that I think might work, or I'm too lazy to change baits. ;D 9 times outta 10 There is a method to my madness and most of the time I have this kinda psychosis planned before I even hit the water. I agree that at any given time, a more conventional style will always catch fish. I don't like to throw everything in the tacklebox at them til they bite though. I want them to bite what I want them to bite on. That's why I use so many different styles and presentations and I try weird, and new things to get them to bite. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes not. But everytime I try something 'crazy' there is usually a reason behind it and I always have faith in what I'm trying might be the trick. Afterall, I am trying to replicate something I'm seeing (like a feeding mood of bluegill or a crawfish going for a morning jog by running along the bottem)

When you're out on the lake and conditions are tough, how long does it take you to slip into unconventional tactics? Like shallow cranks in 50ft of water, 20+ft crankbaits in 4ft of water or soft plastics in the middle of the water column looking for suspended lockjawed bass? I've been comparing some of my fishing tactics and techniques with a lot of other people's on this site and I realize I'm a completely off the wall fisherman. I start off with unconventional tactics and I hardly ever throw a bait the way it was designed to be thrown. I'll dig cranks, rip rattle traps, swim ikas, crawl jigs, and hop carolina rigs before I even try the "proper" way to fish these baits. My chaotic tactics pay off more times than not and when they don't, I slip into more conventional and finesse styles of fishing. How often do you catch yourself trying crazy stuff? How often does it work? Are you conventional or unconventional?

I can pretty much always trigger a secondary topwater strike when I'm using a spittin image or a pop-r by letting the lure sit STILL. Sometimes I'll drop my topwater rod, step on the handle, pick up my ika/senko rod and cast as close to my topwater as possible. Other times I'll finish my retrieve and cast a soft plastic into the area. Depends on if they are schooling or not. You would be amazed how many follow up strikes you can get like that if you're quick.

This site has helped me a lot. It makes me think about situations that I normally don't get to fish in because of various people's questions about their locations. Sometimes those same conditions and scenarios show up down here and now I know what to do. I've already thought about it and talked to people about it so I'm ready for it. It also helped me gain confidence and faith in my abilities to avoid getting skunked. It's very rare that I don't catch a fish when I go out now. If I had the time and money, I'd do like LBH and refuse to go home until I have landed 5 fish but I always have time constraints. Mostly, this site has helped me by allowing me to talk to people. I like talking over the internet and I'm not much for chatrooms so this site is awesome. It helps me have fun and do better at my fishing...which is my ultimate fun.

BASS fisherman...is your avatar cleaning fish? That's one heck of a filet knife :-/ Fatboy, you can also check out delmart. Their stuff looks pretty good. Micromunch tackle makes custom molds too if you have something special in mind.

I've pulled fish in with my partner out of the same hole on the same cast...probably merely inches apart. You wanna avoid that unless a big splash is helping you catch fish. Sometimes it does...most times it doesn't.

500lbs!!! My god. Were you feeding half of the troops here at fort hood? If so, I didn't get the memo

Swimming jigs, poppers, spinnerbaits, shallow crankbaits

There is a species down here that is ALMOST like a blue/black but the colors aren't that well defined. It's more of a blue green and dark brown. Pretty weird looking crawfish. I think that blue/black jigs are the best I can do as far as imitating though.

Pour ice on the radio and turn up the beer!!!!!!!!! ;D Nah...my favorite saying is under my picture. "Screw it, I'm going topwater."

Where I am from originally (Southeast Louisiana) the crawfish are a burnt orange with a brown-black color. For awhile, I thought that was the only color crawfish in the world. Then I did some research around here and saw some blue or purplish claws with more of a green or brown body. That's when I decided to do some more research and do some cross examining. I have never personally seen some of the color combonations that I said in real crawfish, but seeing as how all the bait manufactures make jigs and whatnot in these colors, I assume most are based off of something. According to a previous post by Jim, there are 300+ species of crawfish and they range in color combinations from across the spectrum. I know here in texas, I've seen red/black, orange/black. brown/black, blue/DARK green or brown, and orange and green. Their colors are different in each of the 12 lakes I fish and their colors change throughout the year and with the water clarity. Their colors are different before, during, and after the molt. The temperature apparently affects their colors as does water clarity and diet. They range in colors within their own species and other species are completely different colors. Up to 3 or 4 species may live in one lake and there is speculation that they can produce hybrids. The color combinations are limitless. So what I've done is by observing, studying, and reading up on them as best as I can, I've put together that little color table. That came directly out of my fishing log for the southeast US (only region I've bass fished so far) Because of my research, I've pretty much stuck with watermelon/red flecks, watermelonseed, watermelon/green pumpkin, watermelon/orange, black/blue, junebug, and red/black for all of my crawfish imitating baits. It's worked thusfar. Most of the water I fish is gin clear and highly pressured, so natural is the key. Some of the colors I have to make with bait dyes and whatnot, but I like to keep experimenting and match the hatch whenever possible. I'm consistantly catching fish so I must be doing something right.