Kevin22

Well, lets hope the pro's would be smart enough to not go out into the main lake during those conditions.

It will increase safety no doubt. Instead of running 70-80 across the lakes and up/down the rivers they will be in the 50's range. There is a BIG difference between 50mph and 70mph on the water. How many boat accidents in the ELITES have we heard of in the last 2-3 years? I can think of one right here on the Miss, Ike lost control coming out of a backwater going 70+ and hit a submerged log. Shot him across the slough, up over a 10' bank, and onto an island. I don't think all of the accidents can be avoided, as most of them are operator error.. but hopefully it will reduce the damage and make things a little safer for the marshals and co-anglers as well as the pro's. I am all for the 150hp limit. Don't think it would ever "pass" though.

Could be a lot of things from a hairline crack to a blown seal. Either way I would take it to a service center or to someone very reputable who knows what he is doing. If It has water in it, you could have already done some damage in your lower unit. Water in the lower unit oil is a worst nightmare for a boat owner.

Got to fish for a few minutes until a couple guys started throwing nets around. Just a traditional hop and fall around the boulders worked, he popped it pretty good on the fall.

No. I havent. But I may. I find them fairly difficult to walk compared to other baits so it may help. Put me in the boat of not catching anything on them. I think they have their time and place, I just havent found it yet!

I run 100 yds of backing (cheapo cajun red 8lb line I got for $5 for like 1500 yards) and then run however much main line it takes to fill the spool. I tie the backing down tight to the spool so it will not come undone and then use a blood knot to tie the backing to the main line. If I am using the reel for something that will need to be cast pretty far or for using heavy line I will drop down to as little as 30 feet of backing. For instance my reel I am using for topwater spooks has nearly a full spool of 14# mono on it, and I have nearly spooled myself trying to reach out to schooling fish. If you do backing make sure you use line that will lay flat and even. Don't use 20-30lb line. The best backing I have ever used was old cheap tip-up line (flat line). Only works with the spools with holes in them, otherwise it will slip. But that stuff laid down so flat and smooth...

Basic 4" split tail spinnerbait trailer. I'm mimicking shad on my chatters though, if I was mimicking bluegill I would use the tail end of a skinny dipper.

6 of one, half doz of the other. Wiring 12v in parallel will draw from both batteries equally. Wiring 24v in series will draw from both batteries equally. Correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that those motors came with the 12/24 switch so you have the option of both. But they both do the same thing and will have the same effect regarding power... 50lbs thrust I would rig it up for 24 and if you ever have a battery fail on the water you can switch it to 12V and just use the remaining battery... but it is totally up to you. If you do 24V make sure your onboard charger has a bank for each battery and is hooked up correctly. Otherwise do 12V in parallel and you can charge them both at once with one bank/charger if you only have one.

There is something wrong if it is ever NOT clicking.

This might piggyback with the other topic on shad here but I thought I should make my own instead of jumping on his thread. I have a spot right below one of the major L&D on the Miss river that is currently PACKED with smallies and largemouth. I was catching them on shallow shad raps, lipless cranks, and spinnerbaits fished aggressively above the boulders. I could see the fish come out and smack the lure as it went by. Now they messed with the flow and throwing upriver is no longer an option, the current is too much to get spinner blades moving and cranks are just impossible. The fish are still behind those rocks so I was thinking a 1/2-3/4 jig would do the trick. Drop it right behind a boulder like a shad coming over it. Forage is silver dollar sized gizzard shad and 3" shiners. I figured a white jig would do the trick. My question is, how would you fish it? Throw upriver and scoot it over the boulders letting it fall behind each one, swim it ticking the boulders, or pitch to each boulder individually and just let it sit?

Three drops red, one drop blue, then add a drop of loctite super glue to the top. If it starts smoking you did it right.

Quite simply, I use a WTD when the fish are active. Be it fish busting the surface (whites and largemouth) or when they are waiting to ambush along a rip-rap bank. I use a buzzbait around low hanging trees, stumps, weeds, pads, things where a treble hooked bait would just create a mess. I use a popper (usually a Pop R) when the fish are in a slower mood or real dark water where they need the sound to help locate the bait.

Non perm threadlock or a drop of silicone sealer will do fine.

It is wanting to walk left (back end goes left) or it is turning the bow left (back end going right)? Almost every chime walk problem is the back end pulling left and the boat turning right. Mostly because it is a weight issue and the left side is riding higher and has less drag than the right. Mine does it bad when I am alone, but put another person and more weight on the left side and she runs great. My boat is a 17.5' ranger alum with a 115. The only way to stop the chime if I am alone is to trim it back down off pad but keep it on plane.

We flip (hoist really) fish up a 15 foot and a 20 foot wall along the Miss river when walleye fishing. I've seen many 10lb+ sheep being swung over, and I have done it a few times myself. Have yet to see a rod break. Lean over the wall as far as possible, reel down to the fish and then swing her on up over the wall/fence in one quick motion. These are mostly with 6'6-7' ML rods and 6-8# mono.

After two I think I would have put a steel leader on and loosened the drag a bit before casting in the same spot.

Wow that is awesome! I think I would hang that lure (both halves!) on the wall next to the picture.

I would think you would want the best flow possible. If it really is just a piece of fiberglass separating it I would probably put some 1" holes in it. But both of my livewells are open so I have no experience with a sectioned livewell.

I have to admit, for smaller 12" fish I just swing them right up into my hands. Did it 10 times today, have never broken a rod. But a 3lb class fish is so rare for me I would never swing one for fear of losing it.

Guess I don't have that problem... been hard to catch even a 2lb fish with this cold front!

I love walking topwaters. My favorite lure to catch fish on. Unlike a traditional popper you can work them super fast to get a reaction strike or super slow to sort of finesse the bass into taking it. You can even fish them like a popper by popping your rod straight without giving slack to make it scoot forward and spit.

Save a few more pennies and buy a lews speed spool off ebay. Couple on there now for $80 (the black one, not the laser mg)

Carp will eat minnows, crawfish, bugs, vegetation, anything really. But yes, we do catch a lot of them fishing with live shiners for white bass in the spring. They will cruise just under the surface looking for bugs/larvae on the surface.

Looks good to me! I'd throw it!

Warmouth, rockbass, and sometimes green sunfish (although usually orange) have red eyes. We can rule out green sunfish. Looks like a warmouth like the rest have said if that is its true colors.