WIGuide

A boat from new should definitely last 15 years. My current boat is a 97 Ranger and it still functions like new. I've owned the boat going on 3 seasons. The boat I owned before that was an 83 Ranger, that also functioned as new. Aside from modifications I wanted to make, I didn't have to do any work to the boats themselves.

Very nice upgrade! Congrats on your new ride. Gotta love the classic look of that 300 series hull

Unfortunately, I can't zoom with my drone camera and I don't have a good enough video editing program that allows me to zoom in. If you watch it on a computer and go full screen that should help. When I initially make the cast it lands a little about the middle of the screen just slightly higher, and when the blowup happens it's mid-screen height-wise and over 3/4 of the way to the right border. You can see the ripples of the splash more than the actual blow up.

It sounds like you lose confidence too quickly. One thing I've found is that the classic lures that you have no confidence in do work. Part of it is learning where and when those excel over other baits. That takes time and experience and you don't get either of those in a few casts here and there. One of the baits I had no confidence in 2 years ago was a jig. I had tried them a few times and struggled. I always did better on a t-rigged bait, but last year I put my mind to it that I was going to learn to fish a jig effectively. It took a while, but I slowly learned the how/when/where, and even though after a year I still don't consider myself a jig expert, I've gained a ton of experience and confidence in them. They also pulled in the majority of my bigger fish last year. My advice is to take your time. If you go out next time and don't catch anything don't think they're garbage, just put it down for a while. Maybe throw your crankbait through and area and if you catch a fish, turn around and fish it with a worm.

I believe I tried some on a backup spinning reel. One of my primary reels went down and after 1 day of use I stripped it all off and spooled with something else. I never had high expectations for it, but it underwhelmed even my lower expectations.

The DNR used to tag walleyes around here. Unfortunately, that was pre-internet days so you would call in the number and report the catch. I believe they actually paid you a few dollars for reporting it regardless of if you harvested or released the fish. I think it would be really cool to do what you're doing on a small lake though and see how many times the same fish get caught and where. There's a small public lake I fish that I wouldn't mind doing that on actually.

The mend-it and screw lock hooks are great suggestions. I would also suggest taking a look at the Eco Pro Tungsten Swing Shads. They have an Ayu Shad color and a gold flash minnow color that have those golden hues to them. They look more like a Keitech, and have a great action like they do, but is more durable. I've even skipped them on a jig head with no modifications and they held up just fine, far better than expected.

Some bass clubs can be like that especially if you're new. If you're still interested in joining one, check out the Chippewa Valley Bass Attack. It's a club filled with some pretty good guys. They are based out of EC, but fish up north a lot. No club fee other than the B.A.S.S. Affiliation fee of $90 or something like that.

Put a quick video together of the catch of the largemouth. Not sure I could have framed things better had I actually tried. Yes finally! I even got to fish with my shirt off for a while! My arms are finally starting to even out as my hands were tan, but from my wrists up were stark white haha. The Waldos went back to swimming. I was going to keep them, but in the short time, it took to pull the boat out the mosquitoes drained about 1/2 of my blood. Cleaning them would have probably killed me!

I like the rubberized nylon nets (no specific brand) They are still easy to pull through the water and although they aren't as hook resistant as solid rubber, they're a lot easier to get than a non-coated net. Rubber is great for trebles, but at least the ones I've used the netting created a lot of drag in the water so if you're trying to make a quick scoop you almost need to have two hands.

Yesterday I was a little annoyed, the weatherman was telling me it was supposed to be a beautiful day....until about the time I got off work and then there would be a pretty good chance of severe storms. Whatever, since when are they accurate anyway? I hooked up the boat and headed out, staying fairly close to home just in the off chance they were right. I went to a small lake known more for numbers than size and despite looking like rain on the way over, I was greeted by clear skies upon arriving at the lake. Being clear, sunny, and next to no wind, I started out fishing some docks but it didn't take me long to figure out they weren't holding on them. Next, I tried fishing some cribs out in 10-15' and again, nothing. I moved back in towards the bank and fished in the 4-6' range on the submerged grass flats and finally started running across a few that were willing to hit a lipless crankbait ripped through the grass. A shower did end up moving through a few miles away from the lake but I stayed dry. It ended up making for a beautiful evening with all sorts of crazy colors in the sky. Fishing picked up and I had pretty steady acting for the evening. A few highlights included a pair of nice walleyes. I had never caught one there before and didn't think they were present in the lake so that was a pleasant surprise! I also took my drone along and managed to catch my biggest bass of the night (just over 18") on my first cast after putting it up. I'll add the video here later since I didn't have time to edit/upload it when I got home.

Congrats man that's awesome!!

Nice fish, especially for only your second one!

Definitely not 5 lbs, it's a healthy fish for its size, but I'd be guessing right around 2.5. Why is it the people who come on asking how much their fish weighs are always the first to tell everyone that they're wrong? haha

Just curious, but how many of those pros do you see that don't palm their reel to hold the rod? I feel that holding the reel this way is going to force you to move something in order to cast correctly no matter the side of the reel handles are on. I'm a hand switcher, and before the bait hits the water my left hand is palming the reel and I'm engaging the reel as soon as it hits the water. There's no wasted time or efficiency in my opinion. To each his own though, do what works for you, that's what makes fishing great anyway

Picking out the right prop is actually a lot more challenging task than some would think. I would say in most cases the 3 blade prop will provide the highest top end speed, but depending on the hull that won't always hold true. A lot depends on the individual hull. Some boats that carry a heavier load up front will be faster with a 4 blade than a 3 because the extra grip of the prop will provide more lift. I would use the prop selector to get you in the ballpark, and then make a stop at a larger marine dealer in your area. Many will let you try props before you buy them. If it were me, I'd try a few, making sure I ran different series of props. Once you find the series that performs well with your setup, then you can fine tune the pitch going up or down pitches to adjust rpm to the desired range. Normally you want to prop your motor so under normal load you're running close to your max rpm. That's key to remember when you're testing the props too.

Dish soap will work just rinse well. You could also use something like a Mr Clean magic eraser (wouldn't recommend for fiberglass). I've heard of some using bleach and rinsing really well and then letting it dry.

I really like my first gen St. Croix Mojo Bass for-n-slop rod for these purposes. The gen 2 version is longer and is made with a bit more tip and a lighter, more sensitive blank. I think it'd be a good rod for you, especially since it's only slightly above your price range.

Triline 100% fluoro is the only fluoro I use anymore and like Rich, I haven't had any issues with it either. I would suggest checking your spool tension. If it's not set correctly, it doesn't matter how you adjust your brakes, they can only do so much. If you want to run the spool tension extra loose, you're going to have to learn to use your thumb, it's as simple as that.

Running the wires on these is easily done if they haven't changed them. My buddy has one and there is a trim piece that runs along the back deck. There are like 6 or so screws that hold it on. Nothing is hidden, it's all right there. You take that off and run the wires behind it.

If it does turn out that it's your charger, I'd look into Dual Pro. My dad's is 18 years old and has never had an issue. I'm not sure on the age of mine as it wasn't original equipment on my boat, but I purchased it used as the original owner added a battery so they moved to a 4 bank charger instead of a 3, but mine has been in 2 of my boats and is at least 10 years old. I've never had an issue either.

Your results are definitely not uncommon. We tend to give fish too much credit for their intelligence. There's only so much that goes on in their brain that's the size of a pea.

I've got a boatload of Dingers in 4 and 5 inch. I don't believe I've bought a pack that won't catch fish. I do have my favorites though. My top 3 colors would be Mardi Gras, Black/Blue Laminate, and green pumpkin.

What a way to start things off! Enjoy your retirement and may there be many more bass like that!

I go down to the local fabric store and pick up sewing thread instead of buying normal braid because it comes in so many more colors and it's easier to match to my reels! I can even buy a couple of colors and braid them together myself and although it takes forever it looks sweet so I could care less!