Trek

Nice rig. I didn't know ProCraft was still making a boat. The guys I know that have them like them. Enjoy.

You mean grind reverse.

That is true. When I was younger most trucks were the other way. Either a stick on the floor or a three on the tree.

In my business in the last 31 years I've owned a lot of trucks. Diesel and gas. I've done the math on the diesel and it doesn't add up. Maybe if your running 60,000 plus miles a year or pulling very heavy loads all the time but my trucks running 30,000 a year with about 1,500 pounds of tools just doesn't pay for it. The motor costs you $5,000 plus more, then you have higher costing fuel plus it will cost you around $1,500 to replace your injectors at 100,000 miles. One can buy a lot of gas for that. There is a difference between a guy that hauls 1,500 pounds every day 24/7 and a guy that hauls a load now and then. My trucks get a good test on how good they really are. I've never had a Nissan so I can't say how they are but we've had the rest and the best work truck by far has been the Toyota Tundra. I'm running the small V8 and we're getting around 17 mpg on a average. I never got that on the Ford or Chevy diesel. The one I drive has 147,000 miles and I have not done anything to it other then tires, brakes and oil changes. That's unheard of in a work truck. Normally by now we would be looking to trade. Transmission, rear ends, tie rods, bearings and you name it would have gone bad. I also drive one for a personal truck and it pulls my 2010 Z519 like it's not even back there. And it has the small V8 too. My mileage will drop to 12 mpg pulling but who cares, I'm not pulling it every day.

For me to carry a 45 or 9mm is to big. If I holstered it on my hip then yes they have good punch and hold plenty of rounds. But inside my jacket or in my pocket it's just to much gun. I like my Sig 380 for every day carry. At home and work I have 38 specials. I figure if they are wearing a vest it won't matter.

I'm a bicyclist as well. I rode 2,000 miles last summer. Staying in shape helps my fishing more then most think. Trek is the brand of bike I ride.

I have Cabela's Guide Wear. They do cost to much so you remember to take real good care of them. Nothing worse then a cold rainy day and your wet. Been there done that to many times. I always have mine in the boat, always.

I'm only 56 and the jitterbug was about the only lure we used for bass back when I was a kid. I don't remember the plastic lips. Just the metal ones. And always all black.

Carolina rig, I've just gut hooked to many bass on them. And crank baits. If you see me tossing a crank bait then you know I'm struggling. Much rather be flipping or tossing a shaky head.

This would be what I would use. Might even stick a rattle in it

I use to fish Federation for years. I ended up with hundreds of guys in my boat I never met before. Some were pretty good fisherman and some were pretty green. I drew this guy from his home lake in July and as we were sitting in the boat getting ready to go out he asked me " are we going to do any bed fishing ? " I thought to myself this is going to be an interesting day. He ended up not being that bad of a fisherman. He just asked dumb questions.

I do and I was also joking around but when I'm fishing I just fish. I don't drop the bait to the water to see if it's right or not. I tie a new bait on and cast. If it needs a little adjusting then maybe or just use my thumb more. I guess I'm not an OCD rule follower. I just adjust and fish. It's not that big a deal. But I have fished a bait caster for 40 plus years and when I first started they were a lot harder then todays. So no I don't touch the knob very often.

At 56 I've been checked a few times in two different countries and several different states. No big deal I have always had them. You got to figure they are only doing their job. I alway buy on line because I can print more then one copy. I keep one in my wallet, one in the truck and one in the boat. It works

I use a 2/0 weedless circle hook with an O ring on the worm. With that rig I can use the same worm all day long.

^^^^^^^ I'm sorry my friend that will never ever happen in real life. Who takes the time to do that ?

I make all my own plastics. You can mix the scent in with the plastic but it seems to lock it in and makes what I feel a weaker plastic. The most common way is put the plastic in a bag and put the scent on it. The plastic will soak it up to a point. But one would think that there is only so much there and can only last so long. I personally feel it's a gimmick to sell lures and scents to fisherman. But have no proof. I will say that it does seem that once you catch a fish on a bait it does seem to work better. Not sure if it's me thinking the bait is better or the fish smelling the other fish scent. I do know that there has been many many times that I go pre fishing and never spray any scent on my lure because it doesn't matter and have caught more fish then in the tournament.

I take everything off and run it behind the boat. It gets all the twist out. I also use KVD line conditioner and it does help. For me 15 pound line is to heavy for crank baits. I would normally go 8 to 10. FC line can be a pain but stick with it and learn how to use it. You'll be glade you did.

Growing up my dad owned a hardware store with a big fishing department. We would go to Chicago to the market in the winter to buy for the spring and the lure companies would tell us when each show was going to be aired with what new lure. It was amazing. We would get the lures in and only sold a few till the show aired then we would sell out. I still say stick to the basics. Put in front of the bass in a matter in which he wants it and he will strike. Always sounds simple.

Nice ned jigs. What size sickle hook are you using ? The more I read about that head the more i want to try it.

I jig fish a lot. I think as a rule your not going to get as many bites but the ones you get are better fish. Not always. As for bites jig fishing is different. Your not going to get that big pop that your always going to want. Sometimes you go to lift it and it's just heavy or you can't feel the jig at all. I had one this year pop it hard and I set the hook and the fish was gone. I reeled it in and she was under the boat, when we netted her she was our 5.3 pound kicker. So a large fish can move very fast. With small fish picking at the skirts and larger fish bitting so different I don't know how anyone would know while jig fishing that your missing bites. I've had small rock bass and blue gill pop my jig and run with it. Some you hook and they fly over your head and some you miss and wonder. But they all felt like a bass. That's just jig fishing.

The wind can be your friend. It pushes bait and makes current. So long as it's not to rough of there I like some wind. This year I added power poles to my boat and man are they nice. They save on the battery when it's real windy. I can drop them in the water and fish a brush pile on a windy day just like your fishing off a dock. They cost to much but they sure are nice.

I have a buddy that has a Ranger Reata but his is the 18 foot model with a 150. He loves it and fishes out of it all the time plus water skies. The front deck is pretty small and getting around that big windshield is a pain but he's learned to live with it. It is nice on a cold rainy day. I haven't fished out of that boat in years because we always take mine. A bass boat is just nicer to fish out of. I have big casting decks, sits flat to the water and even the haul design tracks true and is made to run shallow. Putting two boats into one for me just isn't a good idea. Buy what you want to begin with. It's cheaper then buying boat after boat after boat.

That's an old Indian saying. " To find the owl you must know the mouse "

That's very good advice. I remember when I was younger and went from a row boat with a 40hp to a Champion with a 200hp. I ran across the lake to a bridge at full speed and jumped off the gas. The boat glided all the way past and under the bridge till it stopped. I was lucky that day and learned a lesson to respect the power of a high performance outboard. Take lots of time and learn the performance of that boat. Going from bank fish to this is a whole new world. I personally believe a person should have to take a drivers test just like you do with a car.

I think ponds are great for taking kids to catch lots of fish. Plus they can run around and you don't have to worry about them falling in. Makes a fun family day. But for me I've owned my own boat for 37 years. For the first 20 it was an old junk 1958 row boat but it got me on the water. When fishing by myself or with a friend I have never fished a pond since. Nothing against it just no reason to.