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Lucky! We'll still have ice for another 3-4 weeks up here most likely and even when it comes off I can't start fishing right away.

I try to, but there really isn't much around me. There's one place in a small town that's an outfitter, but he caters more to musky and hunting than bass fishing. I also fish on a limited budget so I've got to stretch my dollars and get everything I can with them.

Intro beat me to it. Unless you can get thousands to attend a weigh-in and get them to pay quite a bit of money to get in they aren't raking in nearly the same revenue as something like the NBA, NFL, MLB, etc, etc. You're never going to be able to do that for just a weigh in, and due to the nature of our sport, fans can't take in all the action. Also, K-pink failed to mention that most pros get at least a portion of their entry's paid for by their sponsors. Something else to consider since this is is mostly talking about the Elites is that you still have to qualify to fish the Elite series. Sure, once you do you could be a very wealthy person that doesn't mind donating over $100K a year to your hobby, but I think those people are very few and far between. Is being a pro a bit of a struggle? I'm sure it is, but I also know people aren't going to willingly dive head first into that struggle unless they really want to. If they aren't good enough to perform then tough luck. Life isn't always fair and that part is not going to change.

Judging from the pic, I'd say what you're wanting to do is fine in that storage.They shouldn't damage anything, but try to make sure they stay in one place so they aren't sliding around. Aside from that you should be fine.

Clean it up and run it like you stole it because from the pictures it looks like you did! haha For $1500 that looks like a pretty darn good buy. Congrats on you purchase and have fun with it!

I'd be guessing it's just a seal there. Hopefully the shop gets it done as quick as they're saying!

My best all around line is Berkley 100% Fluoro. I use 12 lb test for just about everything on my bait casters other than flip&pitch/punchin'/froggin'.

Braid isn't exclusively for froggin'. You can use it for whatever you like. I like using it with with frogs, pitch/flip, hollow body swimbaits the most. I know people who have used braid for everything and they like it. I say give it a shot, even at 50 lbs that's about the diameter of a lot of 12 lb lines. If you feel so inclined you can add a leader, but even that's not a must.

Their in store deals are usually better than what's online. Like brett's said they generally have a multi rod discount as well when they close them out. There's times they have a discount like that on their "B-stock" rods as well. The one year I went up there to pick up the rods I ordered and they had LTB blems for $150 a pop $110 if you bought two, or $75 a piece if you bought 3 or more. Had I had some more in my bank account at the time, I definitely would have cashed in! To OP it really depends on what you're looking for. The Rage seems to have had a love hate relationship. They have the micro guides which some like and some don't, and they experimented with the handle that again some really like while others couldn't stand it. If you're looking for sensitivity, the Rage will be better as it's built on an SCIII blank instead of an SCII like the Mojo. I'd try to get your hands on a Rage and if you like the way it looks/feels go ahead and order one of those. If not, go with the Mojo.

If it's leaking the leak needs to be fixed. I'd be guessing that since there is a leak, it's low on fluid which can cause poor trim performance. You'll need to add some and then possibly bleed the system, but even without bleeding it, you'll know pretty quick if that's the issue. I've never had one apart to rebuild it, but I have had a trim motor start to go out and that also caused slow trim.

I'm pretty sure they haven't had their own booth there for quite some time. As fry said, one of the Ranger dealers will have them there. There's no mention of the name because all the Ranger dealers are marine dealerships. There's not one called Ranger Boats. Even the Tracker booth isn't from Tracker's main company, it's their marine dealership from Forest Lake MN. Same with Alumacraft. What you're seeing has nothing to do with the switching hands.

You can wire 2 batteries in parallel to get more run time. Either way, you might as well just prepare for it to suck. Pretty much any wind or grass or combination and you'll be wishing you had more. I started out with a 42 lb thrust on my last boat which was just shy of 16'. It was very underwhelming to say the least. After a year I upgraded to a 24V 82 lb thrust on the same boat and was sooo much happier. Back when your boat was new a 45 lb thrust was a big tm, but a 45 lb thrust was also a 24 volt motor. Since they've dropped down to 12 they don't seem to have the oomph they used to. I remember my dad had a 45 lb thrust 12/24 motor on a 17 footer and it did pretty well, but in all the years he had that, we never ran it in 12v mode because it just wasn't enough power unless it was absolutely zero wind and in open water.

It'd probably be a better idea to get your RPM's down first before messing with motor height. Sure you can get your rpm's to drop by lowering it, but your introducing more drag into the equation and that will usually hurt your speed. It's possible you might get slightly more speed with the current prop if you do, but a bigger prop at current engine height would be the faster of the two and also wouldn't cause unnecessary engine strain.

Not knowing which boat you have, and the layout makes it tougher. However, you can purchase a paddle holder and mount it to the inside of the lid of your back storage. I'd suggest not putting the throw cushion in the rear compartment and keep it somewhere more accessible. Life vests probably would fair better stored somewhere else too. Maybe throw them in the truck at the end of the day instead of storing them in the back.

I don't think it's very common, but I'm sure it happens. If I had to guess I'd be guessing a part is missing, or it's faulty from the factory. I'd look to exchange it or get my money back.

They are a bit under rated as far as power goes, but if you were looking to buy a medium in another brand, I'd still buy the medium St. Croix. Check the recommended weight on the blanks to be sure it'll handle what you want, but it should be good.

I think I'd be passing on this too. There are better options out there. I think I'd even go back to my two man bass tender over this for about the same price. There's a whole lot less to go wrong on one of those than this old glass stream.

If you're at a place that has a dock next to the ramp, just back it down along side the dock, hop in and unhook the front clip. If you're at one that doesn't I just use my docking lines. I hook one end to the boat eye and the other to the winch strap. Back it down, let it float back some and then slowly pull it back forward. Really no need for any sort of special rope or anything like that.

I'd probably go with wayne's suggestion and just get the normal ram mount, however they do have the swing mount you're looking for with a ball adapter on the end. http://www.rammount.com/part/RAM-109H-G1U

If it's released like the Shadow Rap was last year, It'll be on store shelves after it's released at the classic. I picked up one from Gander last year within days of the release. They should definitely be on shelves before opener.

I practice catch and release quite a bit of the time with bass, but I have nothing against keeping smaller ones, usually nothing over 15" unless it's badly hooked and not going to live. I keep northerns and panfish to eat as well.

Yeah, it's kind of like driving a dark vehicle on a dreary gloomy day without the headlights on. Other drivers should be cautious enough to see you anyway, but let's face it....people can be idiots and I'd much rather do what I can to try and avoid any accident possible. Especially when boat vs kayak is pretty much like train vs bike.

I'm not really superstitious. I did used to have a lucky blaze orange Bass Pro hat. I caught my PB largemouth with it on, my PB smallmouth with it on, and my dad borrowed it during hunting season and shot his biggest buck ever with it on haha. I don't put too much stock in it though. I used to think catching one on the first cast was bad luck, and there's been times it's seemed that way, but I've had days I've pounded them after that too. When it all comes down to it, it's fishing. One cast in the right spot is going to catch a fish and it doesn't matter if it's the first, last or anyone in between. For tournaments I do have a ritual of drinking a Monster on the way to the tourney. I'm jacked enough to get out there to begin with but that just takes it to the next level. My tournament partner is usually my dad and we also always have to stop to get a couple 100 Grand or Payday bars so even during a bad tourney we still are in the black haha.

Glad he survived and also glad you did too! It might be worth adding wearing something that's a bit more visible as well. Not will it only help in the even that something terrible happens, it also makes sure you're more visible to other boat traffic. Blending in when you're out in a kayak is not a good thing with other boats ripping around.

Just from looking at the pictures, it looks like the shallow version would be for the electric steer foot pads as those don't sit as tall.