Smokinal

It's going to be tough without some sort of finder. Sure, you can tell somewhat what the bottom is like from where the shoreline enters the water but that only goes so far. If $ is an issue, I'd find some cheap fish finder on Craigslist. And remember, it's called a fishfinder but really you want to use it as a structure finder. I just bought a Lowrance Elite 4X from Craigs, brand new in the box for $100; there are deals out there if you are patient. You don't need anything fancy to get you going finding humps and ridges offshore. A Humminbird 597 Ci di is one of the best bangs for the buck and should be able to be bought for between $150 and $200. Then get out there with some marker bouys, find some structure, drop a bouy and hit em with a t-rigged worm, jig, drop shot etc... Then in the fall you hit the same places with a blade.

I have never heard of or been in a tourney where trolling was allowed. This brings us to another topic of "strolling". First, lets clarify trolling as using your motor to move your bait. Strolling on the other hand, is making a cast, leaving your bail open or your spool free, using your trolling motor to move your boat a distance from your cast while pulling line off your reel, then reeling in the "long" cast. I haven't recently heard whether this is still legal in the Elites or FLW so someone may chime in and add some info on strolling.

^^^Thank you sir. You are a wealth of information when it comes to electronics.

my mistake Wayne. I woulda swore I saw something in the installation manual when I was doing my 798 that said for a clockwise outboard you want the ducer on the right side of the boat; I could be wrong. I gotta go back and look at it now.

^^^AAhhh, the old Fishmark 320; what a popular unit that was. I upgraded from the same thing to a 597 Cidi on my bow and a 798 si at my console. Great deal you found; good for you. You'll love those 597's.

I just spooled my spinning rod with 10# Sufix NanoBraid; the stuff is literally like a thread. I have better casting distance that I ever have with any other line.

Had the same issue with my 798 at my console. Found a loose connection under my dash, never happened again.

Bite off the tip or super glue

^^^Wayne, would it be better on the right side of the motor as well or is the left ok? I seem to remember the right side has less prop turbulence, no?

I've been looking at them as well. I like the idea of the Talon being all electric and more "self contained" but have heard they weigh quite a bit and really change how your boat sits in the water; could effect hole shot as well.

Those things are junk! Give me the contact info for them and I'll make sure they are off the market so no one gets taken by this crook!

I plan on doing mine soon too and will be greasing it lightly. It takes 2 seconds; why wouldn't you?

^^^Ahh, thank you; I'll try again.

Where are you headed?

What happened? I threw this contraption today and it spun the blade up in the skirt Cindy Lauper style

No bass here....nope. Move on; nothing to see here...

Amidoinitrite?

Are you talkin just whats in my boat or my overstock in the basement?

^^^Sweet Harry! EDIT: <------------

True, but you're not going to throw your setup on a baitcaster to ledges in 30 feet of water.

Me likey

Braid cuts like butter on rocks. I fish a lot of rock; I don't throw a C rig at all but if I did my setup would go like this = braid to fluoro leader with an albright; on my leader would be the weight and bead to a swivel to the C rig fluoro leader to hook. I know it sounds like a lot but I've broke off so many times on rock before I went to a fluoro leader. If you fish fock, you gotta have something with some abrasion resistancy.

I've found visibility doesn't really matter. I thought it would but the main lake I fish is clear in the spring and greens up pretty good as it warms and it still crushed em. I haven't had many hits on the fall, hardly any at all. Don't work it too fast on bottom; give some pauses and shakes. Definitely works better in rock; I use the exposed hook Shroomz heads and of course they do gather some grass in grassy areas but not as bad as I thought. I will give you a tip I do that I found helps a ton on rigging the TRD. I snap off the little keeper on the shank (if you are using the Shroomz heads) and super glue the end of the bait to the flat bottom of the head. You will find that the keeper is more of a hindrance after a few fish as it causes the bait to ball up. With the shank straight and clean it stays flat better. Tell us how you do with it.

PBJ and GP are the only 2 you need

I typically use a 5-6 ft leader = knot