Bassbum80

I'd want some Fish Hedz for when you are slinging rattle traps that close to someone else! :-? Good luck with the new boat! Looks good!

I am sure there are better kyaks to fish out of, but I fished out of a Prijon in N. Minnesota for a couple of summers. Definately strange at first. I liked to get into those hard to reach areas the previous posts talked about and actaully get out and fish from shore. This was a whitewater kayak rather than a touring kayak so it might change my opinion if I had the chance to fish out of a touring boat.

Yes there are!!! I appreciate it.

I like that Cajun ...but seriously, I am not expecting to overdo it...I would just be curious to know. I really want an aluminum Ranger or something similar so I don't have to worry about every little stump or rock. I like to take care of my stuff but I also want something for the long haul. That's why I want to buy something new or very close to new & then just replace electronics every so often & re-glue carpeting, etc. As we all know, the boat isn't really the major expense, so I am just trying to see what motor is going to be the one I want for a long time. I'd like something between a 90 & 130. I really don't need to go 75 mph...but 55 would be nice. I don't know...decisions, decisions!

I agree with that but those are all of the obvious questions you ask before nearly any purchase. I am not going to drop my last dime on it but I wouldn't with a car either. The % for the car purchase was mearly a range in which most people feel comfortable purchasing within. I am glad I used it...I could have afforded a different car at the time, but after answering some of my own questions and looking back at the formula...it was pretty darn close. Same situation now. I am single, have a good job, and live off of basic things, but I am not even interested in a $40/K boat. I am most interested in this because I pretty much have a boat narrowed down, I just want to get an idea of what motor & options are realistic for me to put on them at this time. As for a job layoff or paycut...well, I will worry about that when it happens eventhough it is a vilid thought. I shouldn't lose too much on the boat. No disrespect to you MG b/c I can't wait to have a family, but I don't right now and in my situation, I will get the most out of my boat right now. If I have to sell it...that will suck, but I have to keep an open mind to that possibility depending on where I am at in my life when that time comes.

When I was looking at buying my last car, I saw an article that said you should not spend more than a certain percentage of your income on a car so I was wondering if there is a general thought on this percentage when it comes to a boat. I am guessing it is all relative to your other spendings, because a car is considered a pretty necessary purchase and a boat is recreational (although I have a different opinion on that right now). Any help would be great...thanks.

We just fished a similar resevoir and the main lake points was were the big ones were at. anytime we went more than 1/4 the way into a cove, the bite stopped. Silver & blue Ratl Traps & White spinnerbaits w/ tandem willow blades were the way to go there. 8-12 feet deep on these points was where they were.

We are going to start bringing the video camera with from now on. We were going to this trip but it was a new camera and my bro was a bit worried about it. Needless to say he was fighting a fish and walking on the fron deck of the boat when he stepped on the cooler & the lid slid out from under him sending him flat on his back while he was yelling to grab the fish. It was a nice 4 pounder. Would have been classic to have on film. Oh well...live & learn.

These are all true, but you often hear about pros in tourneys spending way too long trying to entice one of these bass into striking without success. It is very difficult to leave them alone when you can actually see them but sometimes you just have to move on. A perfect example is a lake we were on this week, there was a nice 4-5 pounder sitting there in plain view on a bed & we threw everything we could at it to get a strike. It wasn't interested in any of them. We were hoping that it would at least try to pick the bait up and move it so we could set the hook, but it wasn't having it. We finally just had to move on and within a little while, we caught some others. It would have been nice to get her in the boat, but you can only spend so much time on a single fish.

SRV...we just saw that report yesterday & it's about the only thing that saved us from not going there. I'm still not that confident in that lake but that's where we decided to go. Yeah...if we are in fact still going, I am happier to see that report than the ones before. Hopefully the timing is in our favor! Thanks for the help!

My two favorite sounds by far are the loons in Minnesota & Canada and the sound of the outboard motor turning over at the begining if the day!

Yeah I am comming from Chicago. This started as a weekend trip then stretched slowly into a 4+ day trip b/c we cannot find any good lakes within a 3 hr drive. We really can't stretch the drive much farther. We thought Twain would be good but Truman & Table Rock & Bull Shoals are too far for us. We've definately got a problem on our hands. I appreciate the info though...that helps us a lot in this decision!

Ouch...that's really discouraging! Was the water or air temps 55-66? Maybe we will have to change our plan and fish a different lake. I have read a lot of reports that said the fishing was slow but the reports had the lake temp around 45-50. I thought after a week or so of 80's the fishing might turn on with a little warmer water. I guess not. I really appreciate the info...this could impact our whole week. RJ

I don't have a boat, but I don't go on one without some sunscreen & bug spray. My brother always keeps an extra plug, prop & nut in his boat too.

Thats more how I pictured it being. Nothing against golfers here...I golf occasionally myself, but there just seems to be an elitist attitude among many of them and they take great ownership of their country clubs or home couses...as they probably should. I only picture myself running away when i think of fishing a golf course pond, not actually fishing.

yeah, i am pretty sure that rain only effects the surface temps. Doesn't seem possible to have any effect on deeper water and probably not that big of a difference even on surface temps. I guess a smaller body could be effected greater by this but unless you get a significant rainfall...inches...I don't think it will do a whole lot.

I am not sure, but it seems to me based on the original information that if the bass were to travel at 7mph (per foot?) or at any given time for that matter, it would mean that a 12 inch bass travels at 10.27 feet per second. Seems close enough when you picture a bass darting away. 7mph = 36960 feet per hour 36960 feet per hour / 3600(seconds in an hour) = 10.266666... feet per second I wasn't a math major but I think this is right?

This lake is pretty large...18,000 acres

2lb 14oz...hasn't really been a great year for me so far so I will try and be realistic about this. Anything larger will bring great joy to my life!

I wish they all could be California girls...bass

...in about a 2-3 week period. I am looking to go fishing in Northeastern MO and the reports are showing the lake temps at about 50-55 as of April 7th. I'm not sure if it's raised any since then but the forecast for the next week has a good 4-6 days in the low to mid 80's and another day or two in the upper 70's. How much could this affect surface temps and the chance of better fishing?

Maybe a dumb question, but isn't it frowned upon by the golfing community to do this? Do you just fish at night? I too have heard good things about these ponds but have always been a bit hesitant to go out there.

Sorry...I'm not from MO but I thought this would be a perfect place to ask that if anyone has any good info on Mark Twain I would appreciate it. We are going there in about 10 days. We have never been there so any help is great (from fishing tips & campgrounds to places to go get a beer!) All help is much appreciated! Thanks

I agree with the previous posts...the fish are going to hold tighter to cover most likely in the shallow parts. I think for this time of year, I would start off in the Northern arms of the lake since they seem to be the warmest. Soft & slow presentation will be key. If you are jigging, trim the skirts and keep the presentation to a minimum. They will be skiddish and you will need to produce defensive or reaction type strikes. Good luck, this is a crazy season to fish!

I have to agree...have you ever seen "Bigmouth" that old bass fishing video with the porn music behind it? There is a LMB that had half of a duck in it's mouth and the thing was flapping it's feet on the bass' face trying to escape. If my memory serves, it did get away, but it was still really cool to see.