WIGuide

There's a possibility that you might have just gotten a dud battery too. I'd still check the charger to see if that's causing it.

Glad to hear you got it out! If you remove it every time you leave the ramp you shouldn't ever have that issue again. I wouldn't bother replacing it as it'd probably be more hassle than it's worth since it'd be a different size hole and I don't think they build in the metal sleeves for those type drain plugs in anymore. If you were going to replace it, I'd go this route https://www.flow-rite.com/products/marine/remote-drain-plug/mpa-rdp-006

Although I haven't used a PQ I've had great luck with all the BPS reels I've purchased. From the reviews, I don't think you could go wrong with a PQ either.

I'd go with the 5". They are still small enough that they aren't going to chase away very many small bass, and they still give you a better chance at catching a bigger one. This bass was only about 12" but he had no problem choking a 5 1/2"

Glad to hear she's doing better!

If I was taking my best guess, there's probably a bit of ice left in the bottom of the boat. Those plugs have a piece of plastic that extends into the hull so when they are unscrewed they can just hang there and you won't lose it. If there's water left in the hull and it froze, it probably froze around the plastic in the hull so that would explain why it twists a little but not keep coming out like it's supposed to.

Yeah it pulled pretty hard. The flowage I caught it on is one of those where you have the chance to catch a whole bunch of species and you really never know what you're gonna get. I didn't get a good look at it right away and I had no clue what I had on haha. We catch quite a few on lipless crankbaits during the summer.

The St. Croix Legend Tournaments with the XF action is where it's at. They've got a modified micro guide system and are just overall sweet rods! You wouldn't be disappointed.

I'd suggest anything in the M/F to MH/F You'd have to look at the recommended weights on the rod you're looking at since int's not an industry standard regarding power, you'll have to check out the individual rod you're looking at buying. Either way though, for an all around rod I'd be looking for something other than the Crankin Stick.

I don't see anything wrong with it. You'll lose a little distance with the shorter rod, but you'll gain accuracy. Depending on where you fish from that may help or hurt you a little bit, but not all that much. I've still got a 6' rod that I use for spinnerbaits mainly, but it'd work for jerkbaits and topwaters as well. Don't let people tell you that you can't throw a bait on a certain rod. You can make just about anything work in a pinch. Granted there may be better tools to complete the task a little easier, but you make due with what you have. If you're throwing a crankbait on a fast action rod you can back the drag off some to compensate for the faster action.

The XPS Static Shad is a good one to use. It's a suspending crankbait that I work much like a jerkbait. That bait killed it on the river in the spring last year for both smallies and walleyes. I caught my PB walleye on it last year which isn't gigantic but it's a big walleye for around here.

My favorite would have to be a St. Croix Legend Xtreme in that category.

For the smaller ones I could only find the 3 year/300 hours online. The G2's might be 500 but they only go down to 200hp for now. I hear you though, I'm not letting anything go that long without at least a few checks.

They fish for 8 hours on a normal day.

Aside from needing a little cleaning, it looks like it's in good shape especially for the year! Congrats on the new boat!

It'd be a little under-powered but depending on your location, that could be ok. I know they are fairly narrow and not much for storage, but again depending on your needs that could be ok. A lot of it is going to depend on your needs on if it's the right fit for you.

I don't know why anyone would flip with a 1/16 oz weight either. I know some brands stop at 3/8 oz in their flippin' style. Maybe they figure people will buy them because they don't know any better? Or maybe there's people out there using finesse flippin' weights? Your guess is as good as mine on that one.

We don't have them around here, but we have Northern Pike and they are in the same family. They'll hit just about anything, but one of the best baits for them would have to be a spinnerbait followed closely by either a hollow belly swim bait or a boot tail. Lipless crankbaits are also pretty high on the list. Their teeth are SHARP though so a wire leader of some sort is a must on anything other than a spinnerbait.

There's probably not much of a difference in how the bait comes through wood, but the flippin' style helps them come through a little better in grass because they're broader to match the bulkier bait. As far as I know though the only flippin' style weights I've seen have been tungsten so I'm not sure if this is also a tungsten vs lead question or not. If it is, there are many advantages to tungsten .

Both are good motors. It's really up to you. I know the pros of the Etec are the 3 year no maintenance and the face that you can winterize them on the water in a matter of minutes without any tools the last time you uses them for the year.

If you go with the St. Croix you might even consider the ML/XF depending on what you throw the most. Look at the recommended weights on both and figure out what suits the technique you'll be throwing the most.

Don't worry about what people say if they say anything. If they do they're a pretty crappy person to begin with and you can shut them up quick by going out and bringing in a bigger bag than them. Be sure to start out small at a local level. You can join a bass club that's affiliated with B.A.S.S. or FLW that might not be that big, or just some local guys getting together. Once you know that tournament fishing is for sure what you want to do, then start working your way up.

I'm slightly on the fence as to if they should move it again or not. On one hand the Classic was originally put together to be "the test of the best" obviously what they've been through the last few years has been a test. The lake, no matter the conditions still provides the same challenges for everyone so it doesn't matter if it's sunny and 75 or if it's so cold that the lake is icing over in spots. On the other hand, it'd be nice to see the Classic in a few more locations around the US where they're limited by climate now. Although, I'm not sure what the attendance number would be. The 2000 Classic was a fall tournament held in Chicago and there were very few spectators. The weigh in at Soldier Field had a pathetic turn out. Not that it'd be like that every time but it was the first time they had it this far north and it was a flop. I guess either way though it's still fishing so there's going to be an interesting aspect to it, at least there is for me.

You also have to realize the strategy that plays into the Classic is different than the average tournament. Throughout the year these guys fish to make a check to pay the bills and a lot of times that means fishing conservatively. In the Classic, all the bills have been paid and the pros all go out with a hero or zero type mentality. They're all fishing to win because nobody remembers second place at the Classic. The downfall with that approach is that if you make the wrong gambles you will end up down the list so you see a lot more big names towards the bottom than normal.

Sorry for your loss. Prayers are going out to you and your family.