gulfcaptain

X3. You can find something like the Tracker 175W which would give you just about the same amount of room or their 19ft model (don't know the model number).

Read over the rules and see how many tournaments are in that division. FLW gives priority to non-boaters that enter all of the divisional tournaments....place their deposits for all the events. This insures that they give spots to the guys that are going to compete on the entire tour schedule to those that may be local or want to just enter one event.

I do believe that was why they made them that way. But the point I was refering to was the posts that in cooler water, if it rises slowly it will sink in hot water. That idea right there will not work if a bait slinks slowly in cooler water and rises in warm. The I Slides do the opposite of this idea of thinking. Most jerkbaits I have either rise slowly, which if that was the case the warmer water they would rise faster, others sink slowly, but I haven't fished them in warmer water to see if they float quicker. This may be an interesting idea to look into to see how each act in different temps to get a true answer opposed to guessing. My fish may have to accept my jerkbait to see if it floats in 78 degree water, then see what it does at the lake in cooler water. I kind of want to know now how it works.

Your answer to how much tackle do I carry and what's it weigh.....well decided to weigh my pack one day just to see. Light with minimal tackle....6lb, loaded with a med worm binder with punch jigs included, 2 3600 boxes, attractant, hooks, weights, 2 spare spools FC, water thermometer, pliers, cutters just under 11lbs. Think the lightest it I get is when I'm fishing swimbaits since I only carry 1 deep 3600 and an 8oz bottle of Pro Cure. Then it's only about 3-4lbs.

I used to use just bread, bring 3-4 pieces, get them up feeding on the bread, pinch a corner of a piece to hide my #16 treble hook and pitch it out. Fun to watch them suck down the piece with the hook. But corn works, and I've heard about adding vanilla, shoot that might be good to mix with the corn.

Makes you wonder with the logic with cold water being dense and a bait suspending due to that and sinking as it warms up why the new Mega Bass I Slides are slow sink in cooler water and float in warmer.

Welcome, takes time to get used to fishing a baitcaster. Wish I could help with the trade but all mine are just like the one you got. Just keep practicing and it will come.

Decent crankbait rod, I would look into Academy's H2O rod's. Can get a good crankbait rod for $60.00 either 7' or 7'10" depending on what you prefer. But if you choose something else, look for a rod with a Moderate Action and preferably a composite blank. Doesn't have to be but the slower action helps with moving baits. As far as reels, you want to find something that has around the 23-26 IPT otherwise you will wear yourself out depending on the size crankbaits you want to use (refering to deep divers greater then 8ft) Brand is up to you but you could also get into a H20 Reel at Academy and stay under your $200 budget or you can shop around and find something else. But it's like I said, look at the IPT for the reel and find something you like in that 23-26 IPT range and you will be good.

My oldest will be in 5th grade next year......Good Luck. I def have respect for anyone that wants to be a teacher especially after what most of us put them through as we grew up. Congrats on your new adventure and the beginning of a rewarding teaching career.

Not fishing, but I've been caught offshore in the Gulf of Mexico 65mi from the dock with the winds blowing out of the north pushing 45-50kts. Lets just say a 170ft crewboat feels really small in 10+ft waves or should I say white caps when you can only go at the speed of slow, throttle up one wave, then put the engines in reverse to slip down between the two to do it all over again as so the boat didn't go airborne. 5hrs and 30mi later it laid down enough (3-5ft) where I could get on top and get back to the dock.

Theres nothing wrong with your new obsession. You are growing into a full blown fisherman. No more one rod I'm good guy, soon you will need rod racks, newer reels, rods to throw worms, rods to fish frogs, rods you see on sale you must buy, new rods you want to buy. Then you will need the reels, and your justifacation is all the new rods you have to put them on. Then next year you will justify upgrading your reels with nicer ones. It's a vicous circle. I know, I just purchased 7 new reels in the last 2 weeks. But there's nothing wrong with you. Welcome to the dark side.

Just because they are "certified" doesn't mean much. I've never seen that much grease in ANY saltwater reel I fish.....any reel actually. You could always scrape out the extra and use it. May have enough for 5 or 12 other reels. There isn't a reason for that. I always thought it was a thin film, not an actual layer.

Makes us all realize that even they can't catch them everyday and have their struggles. Think the MLF forum is a great equalizer when everyone has no idea about where they are fishing.

Wouldn't mind a few packs of those Mannipulator worms myself. May have to search for them. But they did catch fish quite well.

yep 2 for myself as well. One in the 5 and one in 12, one light and one dark(this is so I know which is which. Hopefully they will be here by the middle of March.

spawn and post spawn they really shine as you can cover shallow water quickly and the fish don't like anything around their beds as well as post spawn fish looking for an easy meal. Also fish them around bluegill beds, across the tops of weedbeds or any shallow cover.

used to use paper plates and newspaper way back in the day when I would sonar around and then mark a bunch of fish when I ran sportboats to give me an idea where to set up and drop the anchor. But Catt beat me to the Exactly post.

Some S-Weavers, couple styles of hair jigs, and some structure/jigging spoons.

I thought that's what GPS was for....lol but can't argue with old school tactics when the results are just as good. Takes less time to kick over a bouy then to punch in a waypoint for sure.

I learned without all the fancy brakes to adjust, and this knob over here and a dial over there. I leave all that crap at zero, fill it with line, check the spool tension knob and make sure the lure falls at a rate I like and go fishing. But then maybe that's just me. Edit: But I do ride my thumb ever so lightly on the spool to feel what the line is doing and how fast it's coming off.

I'd probably be the cheap guy that would take a piece of flat styrofoam and cut it out to fit in the ziplock bag in order to make sure my phone and wallet floated or something similar. Can't justify $100 on a cell phone life jacket when I can get myself one for $30. It just doesn't add up.

First, let me say once you learn how to fish grass, you look for it and seek it out where others do not. You don't need mats, thicker subsurface weedbeds will work. I would look into a H action rod, 7'6" or better, no less then 30lb braid, no leaders needed, and tungsten weights or punch jigs....I suggest looking at Siebert Outdoors website and look into his punch jigs. Find you some beaver/craw baits, bobber stops and some strong hooks and your set. Now fishing the grass you only want to use enough weight to get you thru the grass. I mainly use 1/2 to 1oz depending, like the Rage DB Craw as a trailer but that's me. Now, look at the grass, how it lays out. Look for where two kinds come together, where it has a hole, a thick spot, point, channel...etc. Look for irregularities in the grass. You want to let your bait fall on a semi-slack line(pay attention on the fall) and if you feel something that doesn't feel right or see it move, set the hook. Most grass bass you will feel weight when you lift up so you need to learn what your bait feels like and when it feels different. Once thru lift up and jig it 2 or 3 times and let it fall. No bite, on to the next spot in the weedbed. I use this a lot in the summer on bright days when a lot of people choose not to fish or have slow fishing......not too many people punch the grass where I fish and use this to my advantage. I fish the sunny shores....why, because I know the bass are going to burry themselves up under the denser weeds and that's where I am looking to pitch my bait. Once you're bit, pull, steady pressure, no herky jerky. Just pull as you may have to pull a bunch of weeds in with that fish. They may fight or may think they are hidden. Be prepared when you remove the grass for that fish to wake up. As spring turns into summer, watch the way the weedbeds grow, and any cover that may be in and around those beds are always great spots. Remember that anywhere two different kinds of weeds or cover meet is always a great place to try, and look for deeper water breaks close to the beds as well as if there are slight channed or bottom changes also. If there is a depression or hole under those beds, odds are there will be a fish sitting in it. There are quite a few articles on here if you look for them under grass/trash/weeds....etc. Welcome to punching, once you get a few you will be hooked, I love full contact fishing and that's pretty much what this is.

Yes, here in Long Beach Ca, the Fred Hall Boat Show used to be the big event to go get tackle at cheaper prices and find deals. Retailers had booths and you could buy all kinds of things, meet people in the business, look at fishing venues and get info for lodges and resorts all around the world....and they had a lot of boats.....for the low price of $6. Now $20 gets you in the door, used to be 2 different areas in the convention center is now down to maybe 1 and a hallway. Nothing to buy, no deals, not many boats to look at, overpriced snacks and beer, and the "wow" factor of old is gone. I've asked why to a few vendors that I know and the number one reason for no longer having anything to do with the show is it costs them too much money. They get no return on the investment and time it takes them to set up. The cost of getting in has dwindled the appeal of the big boat shows and the costs to the vendors to cover the lack of attendence drives the smaller operations away limiting the experience to just a few big names and nothing else. It's just boring, and a complete waste of time now to attend all but what Bass Pro Shops or some of the other giant outdoor stores do in comparision that like someone said before IS FREE.

They normally will take all orders for a couple days and then close it off. But they do look good.

I know what Rodgers fish weighs, but at least I don't think I guessed over what Dwight's weighs. I could narrow it down to both over 4 but less then 12....lol