JCOX2011

The reason being is that a stainless steel prop is much stronger. Here is a quick link that might help with more information. http://www.mercurymarine.com/propellers/about/how-to-choose/stainless-vs-aluminum I think a lot depends on the size motor you run.

Put me in the Skeeter fan club. I would think for that price you would be able find a well rigged 2013 Skeeter 200ZX

I went with all Lowrance electronics on my boat. The console is Elite 5 DSI and the Elite 4X on the bow. I'll be upgrading again next year to some HDS 10. The reason I went with Lowrance is that I liked the layout of the screens compared to Humming Bird. With only a 5" screen I don't feel that it's as cluttered as what I saw on the Humming Bird.

I had no idea about the engine needing to be under load.. I learn something new every day.

Do you have any local clubs in your area? If so check them out. I know the club in my area has a JR division. That would be an excellent place to start out at.

Do you have the option to put it to throttle only and see if will spin up to the full 6000rpms?

Sam thanks for the information. I had not even thought about a culling system. I don't have one so I guess I'll be off to Bass Pro to find something.

Thanks guys I appreciate it. I am most comfortable with spinner baits and buzz baits. I've been working on learning to fish a swim jig. I actually managed to get into a local tournament as a boater this coming weekend so I'm hoping for a good chance and practicing my skills with swim jigs. A big thanks about the casting forward thing. I normally stick to the side or behind the seats.

I have had the chance to check the Toughbook in the daylight and it works fine for me. I think the reason is that these have a TFT Matrix screen much like you would see on the older IBM / Lenovo ThinkPad laptops. But in thinking about the entire idea I may be trying to complicate the fishing process. But I'll give it a shot and see how it works out.

I have Sea Worthy. It was brokered to me by Geico.

I was just out there this past weekend. We got a couple over at what used to be the police dock in that cove just south of all the restaurants. I was fishing a 5" Senko in Watermelon color. Then a couple on 3 bladed Boo Yeah spinner baits on the other side of the lake near the spillway. The water is up so if you have a flat bottom boat I bet you could float the shallows and get access to that small lake area in that area as well.

I was lucky enough to be able to register in the BASS Central Open #2 on the Arkansas River this coming September. This will be my first tournament ever, and I registered as a co-angler since I've never fished in a tournament. I know many of the lakes around the area really well as I am from Muskogee but I've never fished on the river at all. So my question is does anyone have any advice for first time fishing on a river. I can't be more specific at the moment because I have no idea where I will be fishing at on the river. I'm going to assume that my tackle will consist of crank baits, worms, and perhaps some spinner baits. Also since this is my first time as a co-angler would a $100 bill be a sufficient amount to provide the boat owner to cover his cost? Also any other additional tips on co-angler edict would be welcome.

I was thinking of trying to mount my Ipad2 in a water proof case and put it on my boat for use as a resource for reference while I'm out fishing. But the Internet is a vast world of sites and information that an Ipad may or may not be able to access. That brings me to my question. Has anyone ever mounted a Toughbook laptop in their boat? The device is water proof and battery life can be great and I have access to a couple from work that we aren't using at all and I have a MIFI device that I have proven connectivity to for all of the lakes in the area I'd like to fish. The other bonus is these laptops also have a serial port on them so if I could find a sonar device to connect up that would be great.

I found myself asking this same question earlier this year. I had a budge inline with what you had. The best time to purchase is going to be the Fall / Winter time. You can find boats from people who thought they wanted one and bought it, only to find out owning a boat was a little more work and money then they thought. If the top end of your budget is 8k I would set your price point at 5 - 6k. Because you need to factor in any immediate upgrades you might want to have done on the boat. In my case I picked up a 93 Skeeter 200SX with a 93 200HP Mercury for 5900. That left me some money to fill the gas tanks all 48+ gallons, and replace the old Eagle electronics with a middle of the road Lowrance Elite 5 and 4X for the boat. The remainder of my budget sits aside for any repairs that may pop up unexpectedly. Which I just had to have the steering fluid drained and replaced and new set of plugs. The parts where cheap but the mechanic was not.

Perhaps a voltage issue? If the tech suspects a faulty board that would be the first thing I would look at. I am new to boating so I have to ask can you hook your other trolling motor to the same wires and if so does the problem replicate to it?

I don't have a black max as mine is fuel injected. As to the gas I'm not sure yet as I haven't spent but 5 hours in the boat. When I made the choice on a 200 mercury gas consumption went out the window for me though the only plus side I have drawn on at the moment is that I haven't worked my way up to running around the lake wide open yet so I have to assume my gas consumption is minimal. Sorry I am new to all things bass boats so I am unable to provide you with any additional information. One thing I would note is not to assume the motor would be the same year as the boat. When I was searching around here I would often find boats with replaced motors because of this issue or that issue.

I purchased my first bass boat this weekend. It is a 93 Skeeter 200SX with the original 200 Mercury on it. I love it so far, but I find myself being nervous as I have never owned a boat before and I'm sure that by the end of summer that will be a thing of the past. Took it out on Sunday but the 25mph wind was just too much for me so after 5 hours of getting beat up I had to put it back on the trailer.