gulfcaptain

Is it an older model or a new one?

Correction not a Tracker 17'5" MOD V, was a Tracker Pro Guide V-175 SC. Sorry, been looking at a bunch of different boats lately.

Why don't you look into a MOD V. Looking to do the same here on the West Coast, but years of working offshore I have lots of respect for the water. I've seen people offshore in boats I know you would never find me in and if the weather came up well they wouldn't far very well. I have been looking at something in the line of the Tracker 17'5" MOD V so I can do both and it have enough free board to keep me dry and safe if the weather did come up with the ability to fish comfortably as well. But then that's just my opinion. If it was only freshwater I would be fishing, I'd probably opt for a Nitro or Champion.

If it cavitated and spun out, it was under pitched. He didn't have enough prop. Running a Crewboat in the Gulf, wheel size to HP make a big difference and if it's under prop'd well you just spin and cavitate as there isn't enough wheel to grab the water with the rpm's you're trying to turn.

Other then 2 300 size reels which are dedicated "larger swimbait" rigs, most of my reels are in the standard size although some have shallow spools and others deeper...IE EXO 100 has a deeper spool the a Kinetic. One I believe holds 145yrds of 12 the other 125yrds. But with backing and braid they end up about the same. But deep cranking would be the only advantage of a deeper spool in a regular sized reel as you have more line capacity.

Anyone think the warranty issue maybe caused because most now ARE pushing their equipment past what they are designed for. Most now use braid which has no stretch with much tighter drags which was fine with mono because of it's stretch. We all have up'd are game in the fishing world. We take our equipment out, and yes we push it to the limits and some past the limit. IF I believe no matter what I do to my equipment the manufacturer will replace it without questions. Maybe Shimano has seen this as I'm sure they pay attention and have seen a rise in returns as more of us use braid. Their only option to stay viable is to shorten the warranty, hope that their client base will still trust them and continue to purchase their products. If not they will fail, and then they will have to develop a better product that will hold up at the price point they are charging. Or they will jack the prices up on rods they sell that will have a lifetime warranty. I'd almost bet the next years line up will cost a lot more but will offer a lifetime warranty. I'd say these will be up in the $250-300 range.

Have had to wade in after a rod taken by a wisker fish, glad that my blank was blue and had a swimbait rod in the car to snag the line. Only thing I could see was the handle of my spinning rod. Got it back and cleaned it up. Also had a bass rod slip out of my hands fishing in the ocean off a boat. Went to make an underhand cast and the rod slipped out of my hand. Oops, picked up a different rod and just kept fishing although everyone that new me thought I was about to blow up and loose it.

I would say the retrieve, after all you fish it like a spinnerbait less the blade and as a trailer like the swimming flukes, or the Rage Menace Grub twin tail grub.

Well if I bought a rod based on warranty only, well then how am I gonna fish? I buy a rod as a tool, to be used as it was designed and if we push it past that point it will fail and to be honest if we take care of our gear it will last. Now I have broke 2 rods, both the same blank and in the same spot. I decided right there that although I liked that companys rods, well that rod wasn't going to perform the way I wanted it to in the technique I was fishing. Came to the reality that for me a flipping/punch rod needed to be more of a moderate action for me instead of a X-fast especially when you blow apart the first 18" of the rod both times into 3 pieces. Was it the company's fault, nope....it was mine. I ate the cost of the 2nd one and moved on to a different brand with the action I needed. I could have warrantied it but to me I wasn't their fault it broke, it was mine. Sounds like most people that have Shimano rods are more worried about being able to replace it when they break it then having faith that their equipment will do the job that they want it to.....although yes have a friend as stated that really needs this warranty since he breaks them more often.

you said you can somewhat pick up fish on your electronics, well go off what the average depth of those fish are. If most of the fish you are marking are at a certain depth range, doesn't matter what kind of fish they are, I would target that depth. Use it as an information tool as to the relative depth most of the biomass is located.

Gander Mountain may have them. Might also check Dicks, or Acadamy as well. They probably stock the Strike King double blades

I wont spend $4 on each either, but if you buy all the components the the twistlock centering pins and blades are about the most expensive coming to about $10 and then another $2 for the swivels and split rings. Looks like you already have invested in the blades and rings, and I have used this set up, be warned if you use them on Senko's the tend to tare out. I use Yum Dingers in the 5" and have had great success, and have never lost a rig out of the back of them. To make your own once you have most of the components you can get it down to around $1.50ea rig.

I get mine from TW. I like the 3/8 Picasso Din R Bell Double blade buzz bait. Strike King also makes them. But can find almost anything I need there. Also may be able to locate the double blades at Bass Pro Shops.

Can also try some of the double bladed buzz baits. You can reel them slower thus keeping it in the strike zone longer and a slower moving target may get there attention where a single blade bait won't.

I'd like to say it's from his fish catching abilities, but yes I agree, think he needs to take better care as well. But when they are your friend you have to take them the way they are.

Have to look at the lunar tables, you may have caught the tail end of a bite/activity from the moon providing more light for them to feed at night. Haven't had much sucsess early myself. Most of my fish have come between 8-11am or 2-4pm.

If you want to fish deeper water, need to find the baitfish. If the bait isn't there odds are the bass aren't gonna be there either. Find the most productive depth of fish on your electronics(fish in general). Where is the most life located on your electronics? If most of the fish are in the 15-20ft of water, well there isn't a reason to fish deeper then that depth, I would fish 10-20ft. If they are all above the 10ft of water, fish shallower. There may be a therocline layer they are sitting above and you fishing deeper then where the majority of the fish population is relating to isn't gonna produce anything but frustration.

I don't fish Shimano Rods, but have a buddy that does. He has had to replace 4 or 5 rods in the last 2yrs. This is gonna suck for him. Time for him to move over to the darkside and enjoy fishing with other brands and see what he has been missing.

Are you looking to throw the bigger baits closer to the 4oz range or smaller stuff? Smaller baits say smaller the the 6" hudd I would probably use a regular H action rod. Heavier baits I would suggest the Okuma Guide Big Bait line or if you're on a really tight budget, BPS Graphite Musky rods are about $60.00.

I would put a mono backing on first and then spool up your braid. Depending on what size braid your fishing I try and get about 100-125yrds on each reel and fill my backing acordingly so the reel is full. Never have a problem with it slipping. If you want a full spool, well you're gonna have to put some tape, electrical or some kind of adhesive tape to give the braid something to grip.

The DB craws seem to pretty durable although they have more suttle action.

yeah, don't think it has anything to do with time intervals, more to do with the safety of the competitors leaving and making sure nobody gets run over. When I fished a weeky bass club event, we always waited till the 2 boats were up on pad before calling the next 2.

Have the smallest ones as well as the standard 3" version. High pressured waters, the smaller one seems to pick off the wearier fish where they won't even look at a bigger frog.

I'm with WRB, the fish roam looking for an easy meal. They look for the bait or forage that's out on the edges feeding or sleeping. Easy meals for a hungry bass. Most of the fish I've caught from the banks at night came within 10ft of the bank. And like WRB stated, the mats are gonna use up the oxygen in there so the fish aren't gonna want to stay where they are gonna be stressed from lower oxygen areas. This again leads you to the edges as forage is in the same situation as the bass, if they stay in the weeds they can sufficate due to low oxygen, so they position themselves at the edges close to the surface where the most oxygen exchange rate is. I've seen it in my fish tanks that are heavily planted....have learned to run an air pump 2hrs before the light's turn off and 2 hrs after they turn back on. They sit at the top closest to the water output in the current. So if there's a lot of plant growth and you have a area that's a bit clearer as well as a bit of wind that would be my first choice especially if it was 3-4hrs after sunset.

They get hammered pretty good, walk easy, but also sit a bit low in the water. Find they work better when there's patches of thicker weeds mixed in. But then people complain because they do fill with water, but they work really well and have caught more "frog" fish on the field mouse then any other hollow body frog, but each style has it's pro's and cons and excels in different circumstances.