Tom 513

Can I ask where You mounted Your transducer? if on the transum, do You find that You miss things because they are 17 to 20 ft behind You? Reason I ask I am about to buy a HDS 7 or 9 to work with My MG Xi5, and most guys tell me to mount it on the trolling motor of buy some contraption to hang over the bow and mount it on that, I dont either of the choices. I think if You have a HDS unit at the helm you can use a Elite 7 on the bow and the HDS will share waypoints.

I installed a 24v/80# Xi5 with pinpoint on my Pt 175 this Winter, although Ive only had it out once to set it up, so far so good, I am sure it will help me catch fish, its like having someone driving while You fish. The delima I have now is where to mount a side scan.down scan transducer?

I use google maps, but I like to fish skinny water where trees can hide a lot, Bing maps has plenty of winter shots that show areas without vegetation, plus the water is normally clearer in the Winter months

I use a 10ft crappie pole with 6# flurocarbon, 1/16oz Punisher brand lure with a 3/4" round cork bobber, talked to a guy from BPS he said a bunch of the employees went to Dale hollow, cast toward the steep drop offs that had ledges, let the lure trickle down the steps of the ledges and did well on the SMB.

Ummm well wouldnt it be easy enough to take a look? plus having a extra on the boat is a good thing ya know. My guess is that its 3/4"

Ironically I just bought the same boat, although it is my second boat. The owner of the boat explained to me that there is a red and a green light on the charger, which is hard to see, unless you duck your head in the battery compartment and look, the red light tells you it is charging when the red and green light is on it is close to being fully charged, when the green light is on the batteries are fully charged and will not over charge. Dont make the mistake I made and not check the electrolight level before you plug it in, apparently my starting battery as dry when I charged it, a rotten egg sent filled my garage. Luckly I purchased a 800cca battery to replace it for $75 at a local battery company, by the way Walley world wanted $95 dollars!

I am assuming, Walmart's guarantee is for the advertised life of the battery, which is true of the Napa I deal with. I have to go to BPS today and will find out what cca's the batteries should be too. I think I have a cheap volt meter, do You know what voltage the charger should be putting out? seems like I read 13.3 or so.

Anyone have advise on what size and type of batteries to run? would it be best to run 2 batteries in paralel for the trolling motor? and is there a way to check the charger?

So, I bought my first bass boat, a 04'pt 175 the boat is in immaculate condition too, it has two batteries and a Guest 6amp charger, the starter batt is a Maxx 29, 875cca and the trolling batt is a Intestate 500cca, both are 2012' models. I had plugged in the charger 2 weeks ago upon buying the boat, earlier this week I had smelt a rotten egg odor in my garage didnt put two and two together till the following day when I remembered what a frying battery smelt like, bingo! so I removed both batteries and went to top the cells off with distilled water, both batteries needed filled but the larger starting battery had 4 dry cells, and the smaller one showed 73% power after a slow trickle charge. Ok so much for the history...... Now I am assuming the batteries just need replacement and there isnt a problum with the charger over charging? or is there anyway of checking the charger? if I need to replace batteries, I would like to run 2 battery for the trolling as I did on my 13ft boat and need to know if I just wire the batteries in parallel like I have done with my old boat, (Neg to neg and Pos to Pos)? The Tracker owners manual shows a few wiring options, but none apply. If money was unlimited I would buy a 24v trolling motor too go with the dual battery set up, but thats not in the buget! Also does quality vary that much in brands of marine style batteries? Thanks

Well, I was waiting for what Moguy said, (anything that mimic's a crawfish) or as we call them crawdad, allthough I have read that in the late Fall a smallie will seek forage that suppys more fat content like minnows. I have good luck with plastics, Rage Craws, small tubes in Pumpkin green and Rootbeer color. I plan on trying more jigs this coming year, and also senco worms, but for now my go to smallie lure is a 2 3/4" Pumpkin green tube weighted according to the flow of water that day. Also I would suggest any of Tim Holschag's books, I am reading His newest one right now River Smallmouth fishing, and its killing me not being able to fish (5"of snow now)

I use a St.Croix 6'8" med extra fast MoJo bass rod with a Abu orka spinning reel, The St,Croix should run around $90, St.Croix has excellent customer service and I love the feel more so than the Triumph series poles,which I use also

Thanks You Chief, the tracker is a 10 yr old boat that looks like a new one, and coming from my first boat a 13ft fiberglass tri haul I am sure it will be a delight, although I can see my self babying it too much, might have to keep the old boat for the shallow rivers! Conrads on the 190 that is a nice boat, I know that one well too, You see I've marveled over Trackers brochures like a teenager with a stolen Playboy magazine, funny how Our interest change through Our lives! lol

After 5 yrs of Racing go karts on dirt here in the midwest, at 54yrs old I decided racing was getting to be to much work and cost too much. I decided to sell my racing equipment and buy a fishing boat, I hadnt fished seriously since I was a kid too. I bought this nice little Crappie boat a 1968' 13ft Safe-T-Mate with the original 9.5hp evinrude, 2 throlling motors and depth finder, I have ran this boat about every week since I bought it in the Fall of 2012', the weeks I didnt take it out I was wade fishing local rivers and streams. Fast forward to last week, I sold my 18ft toyhauler camper to finance a like new 04' Bass Tracker pt 175 se, best Christmas ever!

Newbie here and a Buckeye also, I live west of Cincy (far sw corner), there are good lakes for large mouth down here and most creeks and small rivers hold nice smb. East Fork, Rocky Fork, Ceasers creek to the east of Cincy Brookville lake 20mins into Indiana. I have a very Small creek that runs through my property, we catch smb, cats Bl gils and pumpkin seeds on a regular basis, actually one July day this past year I caught a 16"smb 2 13" and a 14" Channel cat all on a small bass tube. I will say I seem to catch the biggest LMB in local farm ponds verses the popular lakes.

Well the Tracker was everything the man said about it, it was really hard to tell it wasnt a new boat (a real find), got a lot of extras too, the boat also has a $335 stainless steel prop. Now I just cant wait to get it on a lake! best Christmas ever for Me and my Wife is also pleased.

Off to look at the Tracker today

You mention that the Lowe boat even though its the same length would be more under powered than the Tracker, is that because of the weight of the Lowe? I too would prefer a Lowe, I like the idea of a no wood boat, but the Tracker is a find to me being a one owner and in show room shape. Also my current boat has a 9.5hp engine, so I am sure either boat/engine will be a big step up. We fish Crappie in Spring, so I am planning on adding side by side seating on the bow deck, and was wondering if anyone had any experiance with this? I cant see it being a big project but would like some feed back. Thanks, Going for a ride in the Lowe today!

Looking to replace my 1st boat a 68' 13ft glass boat which Ive only owned about a year, Ive been looking for alum. bass boats with a 7 to 8k budget in mind,a 2004-06' model 16-17ft boat is want this money will buy. Ive researched boats mainly new ones (G3,Xpess,War Eagle,Lowe and Bass tracker) and have narrowed my choice to either a 2004' Lowe 175w and a Bass tracker pro team 175 (see links) both have 50hp 2 stroke Merc's.http://lexington.craigslist.org/boa/4178420278.html or http://chillicothe.craigslist.org/boa/4240532719.html I wanted to find out the pro's and con's from owners of these boats? and if there is anything I should look for being a boating newbie? besides the obvious things and a compression test. I do not want or need to make a 8K mistake, thanks ahead of time.

Newbie to smallmouth fishing, but Ive fished plenty this year in S Ohio for them, my go to lure is a 2 3/4" Pumpkin Green tube on a 1/16" oz hook, but form what Ive read and I read plenty, the Smallmouth will change his diet in Fall, as we know Crawdads are there number 1# food source but when Fall comes they will seek minnows because of the high fat content. As Mainbass mentions a blade bait would simulate a minnow nicely, and fished low in deep winter pools is where I would try, that is if you fish streams and rivers as I do.

Hey Guys, trying to read threads here to learn more about boating, I actually decided last year to get back into fishing, I fished fairly often as a kid but at 54 I am taking it much more serious now. I bought a old fiberglass tri haul last Fall (my first boat) to see if I would like it and I am hooked (parden the pun) I fish 2 to 3 times a week and get the boat out about every other weekend. Ok so much for my history, well my question is do I need to winterize a small outboard? its 9.5hp Evenrude and yeah not laugh its a 1968' model and is very reliable and I'd like to see it last many more years! I did take it out last Sat, and launched into 1/2" of ice, but I doubt I will take it out again unless we get a warm spell here in SW Ohio this Winter. Thanks ahead of time