WIGuide

I believe I have to be right around 100 times this year. I start fishing on weekends in early to mid April and then average about 4 days a week from May through mid October when basketball season starts and I'm coaching after work. Then it's just Fridays and weekends until I can't go any longer. Trips left this year...most likely zero looking at the weather. My fingers are still crossed that I can get out this Saturday though. That hard water is coming fast

Ranger makes one heck of a boat. I've been the proud owner of two of them, both older, but both were great boats. The quality of them has always been a huge selling point. The Z185 looks to be pretty close storage wise in the center compartment, but it's not a rod locker. It should have a big enough lid. You could always call Ranger and get the dimensions of the opening to see if it's satisfactory for you. Obviously cost is the big thing, but if you're considering those, check out the Z518C. Same hull design and layout of the Z518, but it's rated for a 200. If I had the money to buy one, I'd have a Z518C with a Yamaha SHO 200 and get the ECU flashed so you'd have a 250 since that's the only difference between motors.

You can also pull the cowl off and follow the tubing up to the engine block. Pull the hose off and run some compressed air through it. You can usually squish the hose a little and see if there's some sort of blockage inside of it. Also, take a drill bit and run it up where the water comes out to see if there's an obstruction there. While you're doing all this you can go to the hardware store and find some clear plastic tubing to replace the OE black hose so you can see if there's clogs in it in the future.

Use a section of tooth pick stuck through your jig trailer at the bend of the hook to keep it from sliding down. Saves a ton of money on trailers.

Gun season just ended up here in Wisconsin. I don't know if the final numbers are out yet, but it was a pretty pathetic year for us. Deer kill numbers were down for I believe the 5th straight year. I didn't hunt every day, but of the days I did hunt, I didn't even see a little buck, and hardly any does. It was bad enough that I didn't hunt as much as normal just because I was seeing so few that it gave you zero confidence. I'm definitely envious of all these monster bucks being posted here! Keep up the good work and hope you guys harvest some of those giants!

You can lock the drag down and horse them to the boat, and in certain situations that's what you'll do. You will lose some fish that way though, ones that you didn't hook as well, skin hooked, or hooked in a soft part of the mouth. It's not terribly hard to rip a hook out, and at least for me, tend to be the fish I kick myself for loosing. Not because they're always big, but if you played them a little better or didn't pull so hard, that one would have been in the boat. I feel like when you use big heavy baits you're better off trying to get them in quickly as well as when you're fishing in heavy cover. If it's more of an open water situation, with lighter baits, I feel you land more if you take it easy on them. Just my 2 cents though and what works for me.

What I look for in a dropshot reel is #1 smooth drag. You're usually using light line, unless you're using braid and even then you have a very light wire hook. I don't want a drag that's going to surge, or have inconsistent pressure when that fish tries to take off boat side. Line management is another thing I look for. I've had the opposite results that Blue had with Abu, but I have only used the Revo S and Premiers, but no matter, you don't want your line constantly getting twisted up. Dropshots are known to twist line as it is so you don't want a reel that's going to add to that. One last thing you want to consider is the line recovery, you want a reel that can move a lot of line to keep up with fish if it surges towards you.

I frog with a 7'1" and punch with a 7'6". Every once in a while, when I feel a little crazy, I'll punch with my 7'1". They both work equally well for me so I think you'll be just fine!

I've got one of the previous generation St. Croix Mojo Bass rods (frog/slop model). It's my primary frog rod, but I've used it for punching too and it handles both equally well. The revised generation are lighter, and more sensitive, and the same model is slightly longer. I have no doubt it'll be able to punch just as well, and if they changed it like they did the new jig rod it will have a slightly lighter tip making it even easier to throw frogs. It's $10 over your budget, but it would be an extra $10 well spent.

Very nice man!

That rod should work just fine as well! I'd give that a shot before putting money into a new rod...well unless the bait monkey has a tight grip on you haha.

Have you taken a look at the St. Croix Avid X ML/XF? That model would make a great ds rod and it's got a 15 year warranty. Personally if you fish a drop shot a lot vertically, I'd go with the shorter rod simply because it's easier to hold it under the cone of your transducer. I actually cast a dropshot a lot too and a 6'9"/6'10" is a great length for either.

x2 The Elite is St. Croix's high end rod with the traditional style, while the Xtreme is a more radical design when it comes to handle and components. Either one is a great rod.

For what you're looking to do I'd either get a St. Croix Mojo Bass 6'8" M/F or an Avid X 6'6" M/F. I usually throw a 5" senko style bait on a 6'6" M/F Xtreme and it handles it very well even skipping.

Are you looking at throwing 4" or 5" on it?

I think you'll be ok with it as long as you aren't pitching into too heavy of cover. Something like a laydowns, docks, pads, or even grass as long as it's not really thick or matted and you'll be able to get by with that.

I use a palomar for virtually everything. I haven't found a line it doesn't work well with yet as long as you tie it correctly.

I'd still be trying a jerkbait for largemouth. Smallies are usually more active in cold water than largemouth are and are a bit more willing to chase. Largemouth still eat, but aren't willing to chase as much so a jerkbait with longer pauses is usually the ticket.

If you're looking to add rivets to hold a support structure, I'd go buy a cheap riveting tool at harbor freight and some large pop rivets. Pretty cheap and if you're coating over them with truck bed liner anyway you won't have to worry about leaks. Otherwise bolts will work too.

I'd probably go against black, not only because it's going to be hot, but black will show every bit of dirt, or mess in your boat. It's like a black vehicle, they look great clean, but they get dirty really fast.

It looks fishable, and there's no damage to the rod itself if you landed one over 11 lbs with the rod. On a cheap rod I'd let it go, but if I spent that much on a rod, I'd want it to be looking great. If a recoil on one of my older St. Croix Xtremes looked like that I'd want to get it replaced. If I were you, I'd call Loomis and see what they're willing to do. Being that the guides are marketed as practically indestructible, they may be willing to replace it since it didn't live up to it's advertised durability. If not, you could look into getting it replaced locally.

I fish for bass a vary large majority of the time. With as many tournaments I fish over the summer I'm forced to fish for them and I'm totally ok with that. They're my favorite thing to fish for, but I enjoy fishing for anything that swims. If I hook into something else when I'm bass fishing I enjoy catching whatever it is too.

Haha yeah, the old snot rockets never seem to come through when you count on them to. If you go again, you'll probably catch a boat load of them and come short on the other species.

Sounds like you might like the St. Croix LTB 7'1" MH/F (Jig/baits) rod. It handles a 3/8 oz spinnerbait without a problem 3/4 oz football jig, and I'm sure it'd handle something up to an ounce the same. It's light at only 4.4 oz and has a lifetime warranty. It makes a great all around rod too.

When I was in the same position as you I had called St. Croix customer service to pick their brain on the subject before I ordered one. The guy I talked to up thought graphite was a better option hands down. Lighter, more sensitive, same action, etc. etc. Although I didn't go against his recommendation and try a glass rod, and still haven't tried one I'm 100% satisfied with graphite cranking rods.