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Almost all my reels are 7:1 the ones that aren't are only because I haven't worn them out yet and they don't need to be replaced. For me it's easier for me to slow down than it is to speed up because you can only wind so fast. When I upgrade I will probably go with the fastest retrieve I can get.

Nope, keep it in inches. 231 cubic inches = 1 gallon, so you're finding the total number of cubic inches and then converting that to gallons

I put them on my last boat, everything was pretty simple. Like @slonezp said you want to make sure the lights have at least an IP65 rating, IP68 would be better yet. If you want to do it on the cheap, ebay is your friend. 3' strip lights work pretty well and I used a 15' strip on each side of the trailer. I'm going to be putting some on my newer boat this spring and it will include deck lights this time around.

Congrats on the new boat!

You can figure out volume without finding the specs. The conversion equation to calculate how many gallons will fit in a rectangle is (length x width x height)/231. Remember when you measure height of the livewell, you'll only measure to the height of the overflow since the livewell won't fill up any higher.

I go somewhat against the grain here, but I like faster reel for everything. I have no issues slowing down if I need to, and then I still have the speed when I need it. I also prefer right hand retrieve reels as I palm my reels to hold the rod. I lose no time making a switch as it happens before the bait even hits the water.

I think what you have will work well for you. It seems like you have your bases covered and you can adjust what you're throwing on the fly. I'd stick with what you've got and would worry more about what to throw than what to throw it on. Best of luck to you in you're tourney, but I'm just giving you a heads up...if you like it, you WILL be hooked haha

I like the Rapala Shadow Rap and Shadow Rap Deep.

4" wacky rigged Yum Dinger

One thing to remember when you're looking at rods, the recommended lure weight on the blank is the recommended lure weight for casting. In other words, the amount of weight it will take to load the blank on the cast. Since pitching doesn't load the blank, you don't have to adhere to what's on the blank anymore. As far as length goes, stick to what you're comfortable with. I like shorter rods, so my to heavy power rods that I use for the same techniques are 7'1" and 7'6". I don't see myself going any longer than that, but then again I prefer shorter rods anyway. I don't use a leader with my braid as they're generally pretty fast moving and most of the times even if not in heavy grass, there's grass present which I feel camouflages the green braid.

Think of it this way, the higher modulus the graphite that goes into the rod, the less user error it's capable of handling. This doesn't mean it's less durable, but it's designed to be used and take forces in a specific way. Something like high sticking or doubling a rod over to pull a lure free of a snag with a high end stick will lead to breakage, where a lower modulus will handle more of that abuse. If used correctly, there will be no difference in longevity or durability, if you're not going to use them correctly, you're better off buying an el cheapo rod that you're ok with losing money if it breaks.

I don't keep all that much overstock, but there are a few discontinued baits that I have stockpiled, as well as extra soft plastics and terminal tackle. All in all, it pretty much fits into one of those under bed containers.

I must have missed the videos that came out on these at Icast, but they look pretty sweet. I'm tempted to give them a shot, but I was wondering if anyone has gotten their hands on them, and what they think of them.

With your price point, I'd check out the St. Croix Mojo Bass 6'10" ML/XF or the 6'8" M/XF for the techniques you're looking at. If you primarily dropshot with it, I'd go with the ML as it's best suited for that technique.

That's not legit. As far as the boat being able to handle the horsepower and weight it definitely will. The 225's and 250's are built with the same block and are usually listed with identical weight. The extra power will get you out of the hole a little quicker and end up being a few miles an hour more on the upper end. The issue becomes if you want to get insurance, or fish tournaments out of it. If someone were to notice that your boat is overrated, in most tournaments they could have you dq-ed. If you ever got in an accident with it, you'd most likely be held liable.

Largemouth are a pretty good tasting fish in my opinion. There are many smaller lakes around me that need some of them taken out to prevent overpopulation/stunting so I've eaten my fair share. I can't say I've ever eaten one that tasted bad.

I fish because I'm obsessed with everything about it. I have been for about as long as I can remember. While other kids were reading comic books, I'd be paging through the Bass Pro catalog instead. Other kids had GI Joes, I had trucks and boats. There's just something about trying to outsmart those fish and the satisfaction that comes with something pulling against you. Fishing is such a universal activity because you can make it what you want it to be. If I want peace and quiet and to be by myself I can do that. If I want to be more social, I can invite people to fish with me, or even have a weekend with some friends that revolves around fishing. A person can make it as simple or as complex as they want, and still have a good time either way. I also like fishing competitively. As a former college basketball player I've always had a strong competitive side, when my career was finished, the competitive nature that's always been a part of me is still left over and doesn't go away. Fishing has helped fill that void as it gives me an outlet to compete, and even though I do still play ball, I'm not dumb enough to think I'll be able to play forever. However, with fishing, I'll be able to continue that for a lifetime. Lastly, I love fishing because of the mystery of it all. I'm not old by any means but I fish A LOT and have spent a lot of time on the water. Even as much as I fish, no two trips have been exactly alike. You're never sure what you're going to catch, or even see whether it be a group of topless women sunbathing on a dock, or a bald eagle swooping down to grab a fish no more than 20 yards from the boat.

Congrats on the fish and coming home. Thank you for your service, it's greatly appreciated.

Definitely a good read! Thanks for sharing!

Haha around here they generally keep their distance, but that guy was so focused on gorging on baitfish he was only a few feet from the boat so I had to snap a quick one of him

Round 4

Round 2 Round 3

Congrats on the new Costas! I bought a pair a few years ago and I'm really glad I did, I'm sure you will be too!

I pick my hook sized based on the thickness of the plastic I'm using. I carry quite a few hooks though since my plastic selection varies quite a bit. I've normally got 1/0 - 5/0 EWG's 1 - 2/0 Weedless Wacky hooks, 1- 2/0 Helix Dropshot or Spinshot hooks as well as some specialty hooks for tubes straight shanks for flippin' and belly weighted swimbait hooks 4/0 - 10/0. My most used hook is a 4/0 EWG

One thing to consider when switching to braid, especially when trying to get such a long cast on a technique that involves picking up slack, it's entirely possible when you do hook into a fish, the braid is going to dig into itself.