Scott F

The replacement size you need depends on how much of the rod broke off. To determine the right size you’ll have to measure the end of the rod. Do you still have the tip top? If it broke off very close to the tip, I’ve had luck drilling out the tip top and glueing it back on.

A friend and I drove out to the Hennepin Canal for a few hours of largemouth this morning from 7-10:30. The water temp was 85*. The shoreline has a dense line of coontail weeds covered with a mat of yellow green algae. The center of the canal is only 2-3 feet deep. I tried a rubber frog but only got a few hits but no hookups. A Whopper Plopper 90 got a couple but it was plain to see that topwaters weren't going to get the job done. Nearly all the other fish I got came when I would throw an unweighted, T rigged, 4" senko up on the matted weeds then I'd drag it off and let it sink on the outside weed edge. I had 15 total with the biggest at 19 inches.

If you can be patient and wait until early next year, you will find many of this years model depthfinders on sale when they are replaced by the new models. It’s not at all unusual to find units with everything you are looking for marked down by 50%. No guarantees, but it’s been happening every year.

I fish clear rivers for smallmouth quite a lot and never worry about color. As a matter of fact, Bright gaudy colors work very well for smallmouth. River smallies are very different from largemouth. Largemouth avoid current, and smallmouth are found very near current. In rivers, which bait you throw is not as important as where you throw it. Smallmouth will sit in ambush points and attack anything that looks like food that is flowing by with the current. They don’t have time to look a bait over that is moving by them so they often are not very choosy about what they will eat. They can get choosy about when they’ll eat. If you only threw topwaters, unweighted Senkos, or an in-line spinner, you will get any active bass that you put in front of a fish. Tubes, Ned Rigs, and weighted lures will catch fish but if you aren’t used to fishing them in current, you can expect to lose numbers of baits.

The higher transom would be used if you were going to put a jet outboard on the boat.

Sure I think it will work. There are dozens of other guys who wouldn't use a ML rod for anything. There is no one way that is correct. If you already have the rod, go out any try it. The only thing that matters is if you like it.

Too many people listen others without trying things out for themselves. It's not like bungee jumping, just fish the 90 on your rod and see how you like it. Myself, I prefer to use it on a heavier rod, like my medium Avid spinning rod.

I personally don't like XF rods, but a St. Croix ML F is my first choice for my smaller jerkbaits, spinners, Ned rigs, or any of my smaller baits that fall in the weight range of the rod in mostly open water.

Cheap kids scissors from WalMart work very well. $10 worth will last you a lifetime. Myself, I use the Boomerang cutter. I hang it from my fishing shirt. It comes with the retractor built in so it is always where I need it and I never have to look for it. Scissors aren't as easy to hang on a retractor and they always open up when you do. I used to use the Dr. Slick scissor clamps. They cut very well and double as pliers for removing hooks. They clamp to my shirt so I always know where they are. The downside is if you use them as pliers, they stop cutting braid very well. They still work well for hook removal so I use them and the Boomerang tool.

I'd take the line off the reel and be sure the line is still tied to the spool. The line may have broken or the knot came undone.

Is the rod you have rated for 1/2 oz lures?

If it were me, I wouldn't waste any time trying to fish the very deep hole. Inactive fish may use that hole but when they want to feed, they will leave that spot and be found close by. During the summer, when the water is warm, they will look for the fast, moving water that has more oxygen. Keep checking the place you caught them and other close by areas with places they can be near the fast water and have a place to stay out of the current.

I do a 2 week trip for prespawn smallmouth and largemouth every year and I have averaged over 1000 fish during that two week span in each of the last 5 years. Outside of that trip, I don't keep track.

Are you using the private browsing feature? If so, the site can't recognize your iPad. Log in without private turn on, and the emails should stop.

Do you know how to fix it? Take off almost all the line, take a piece of electrical tape and wrap the tape around the spool where the line is tied on. Wind the line back on.

Let me guess. Braided line with no backing tied to the spool?

Foot pedals are still available on Ebay for that motor. I've got a used complete motor PD model that still works with 2 pedals. If it were me, I doubt I'd buy a used motor. Trolling motors aren't cheap and for the most part, guys wouldn't replace a good motor without a reason. I replaced mine because it started making a bit more noise when turning, and It was 10 years old. I don't know how much life is left in it. I was going to sell it but I wouldn't want someone to get it and then have it quit. At this point, I think the foot pedals are worth more than the motor.

Humminbird may just be putting their name on a Minn Kota motor.

It looks to me that Humminbird is coming out with a trolling motor.

If you were at the store and an employee told you they wouldn't take back the rod, my next response would have been to speak to the store manager. If he didn't give you the answer you were looking for, you get the name of his boss and keep going up the line till you get to Johnny Morris if that's what it takes. Sooner or later, someone gives in and you get what you want. Be reasonable, polite and persistent. If you aren't being unreasonable, you will almost always get the matter resolved in your favor.

Yeah, but the important thing is, is the bike OK?

I ran a 55lb thrust, 12v motor pushing a 17' fiberglass boat around for 25 years. Fishing all day on a group 29 battery and I don't remember every running out of juice even on 12 hour days. I didn't run at full speed all day and I typically drifted shorelines with the wind, but a 12 foot jon, will move pretty well with a 12 volt motor. Get the biggest motor and battery you can afford. But, if a smaller motor is all you can afford you'll still be fine.

During high, fast, probably muddy, water, smallmouth will be hanging out away from the fast current. A Whopper Plopper would get their attention. You'd need to find a decent sized eddy. Away from eddies, the fish will be holding tight to cover along the shorelines and don't necessarily chase baits out into the fast water. Accurate casting the bait inches from the bank will get bites while baits that miss the tiny strike zone will come up empty. I don't know how you plan on getting to the fish. Wading in fast, high water is tough and so is positioning and holding a canoe or kayak in water like that. Anchoring a kayak or canoe in fast water can be dangerous. Please be careful.

Don’t forget you’ll need a battery charger too. Search the forums here for advice on which charger to get.

Isn't the latin name for that Apetis Boogerous?