Logan S

Short answer is yes and we'd love to have you . (And anyone else) Long answer is that we don't do a 1-for-1 admittance thing and we don't close membership to Co's even if they outnumber boaters. Most years we're pretty balanced, but sometimes we might have a handful of extra Co's. Our annual average is right around 25 boaters and 25 co's. The way we handle it is a priority system that is based on payment for each tournament...Co-angler priority is determined by the pay-date for the specific tournament, so the last guy to pay for that tournament is the first one out. Seniority or anything else has no bearing, it's strictly by the date you pay. A lot of Co's will just pay for the specific tournaments they want to do (or all of them) right in the beginning of the year to get it out of the way..It's a golden ticket to guarantee you're in. If you have to pull out you get 100% of your entry back or you can just roll it over to another tournament - Either way you get it all back if you can't make it to a tournament. It's typically not even an issue though, the boaters just fish more often on average...We usually have an open boat or two in at least half the tournaments every year. IF there are actually more co's than boats for a tournament we use a waitlist and if anyone drops out the Co on the waitlist gets in (or if an extra boat comes in). Black Hill is the most common venue we have to worry about waitlists since it's so close/convenient to most members and the fishing is generally good (it's also where we have the annual family picnic after the tournament). Bottom line is that if you pay early, you'll be guaranteed to get in any tournament you want...Whether you've been a member for 2 days or 2 decades. Might be overkill to pay early, but it doesn't hurt anything.

You need to open the eye a bit, it's a pain at first but after a couple it's pretty easy.

Nice, I make my own Phenix recreations too. My way is not as inventive as yours though, I just put their blade on their 'swim jig' which comes out to be identical. Almost like they planned it that way . If I wait for sales to buy the components, each one comes out to about the same retail price as other chatters...Which I'm fine with since I'm not setup to pour my own. Can't help with the blade color as I prefer standard gold for the ones I put together.

Create your placemarks in Google Earth and save the folder as a .KMZ file (in Earth on the left side pane just right click the folder and select 'save-as') and then use a free GPS program like GPS Babel to convert to .GPX. Put that .GPX file on micro-SD card and insert into your unit and import the file. No need to manually enter each one. It might sound complicated, but once you do it one time it's super easy....Few clicks on the computer and you've got your new waypoints on a card ready to go. Google Earth can open .GPX files too, so you can export your existing waypoints from your unit and view in Earth. I don't use DMS format on either Earth or my Lowrance...I prefer straight decimals (like this, 38.56742). It's not inputting to Navionics, it's putting the waypoints on your unit....Which will display them on whichever background map you choose/use.

They can share with each other all they want, it's non-contestants (locals, guides, etc) they can't get info from. Lots of anglers work together during practice or even the tournaments within the rules.

Don't think the anglers are as fired up over all this as we are...There might be an added competitive drive to the BASS guys that stayed, but overall I think they will all fish like they normally would. Would surprise me if anything got ugly between the camps. The interesting thing will be the MLF guys switching gears from "catch all the dinks" mentality (trolling, don't get upset ) to best-5 format...Since I think they will have 2 BPT events before the Classic.

I like a fast reel so that I can burn it in quickly to cast at blowups I might see. The difference from 6.x to 7.x+ is very noticeable to me in that situation. In terms of the presentation of the bait, I don't think it matters too much.

Yes, the way it works is that the Saturday before the tournament (1 week out) is the payment and notification deadline and then the pairings are out the next day. Even if you do have to cancel the week of the tournament it really not a big deal, it happens....The only time it would be an inconvenience is if it was a travel event and you had arrangements for lodging/travel/etc with your partner. If you can make the January meeting great, but if not you can come to any other meeting also...FOBA is open year round.

Most of the tournaments are a random draw. For the 2-day tournaments, members are allowed to choose their assignments to make travel and lodging logistics easier...But you don't HAVE to pick, the TD will still pair everyone up if needed. The pairings are done 1 week before the tournament... For the 2-day tournaments many make arrangements well in advance, but the deadline to sign up and the "official" pairings are still 1 week prior. If you're signed up for a tournament and have to drop out, you get a 100% refund or credit for another one...Whatever you prefer.

Annual FOBA schedule post spam. I made a full post in the Bass Club section so go check it out there: I put a nice fancy image in that post, but heres a quick link to the schedule on our site: https://www.fishonbassanglers.com/tournaments/schedule/2019 If you're a boater or non-boater in the MD area (or NOVA/DC) I encourage you to check us out...We make it easy to join and fish even if you've never fished a tournament before. Great mix of competition, fun, learning, and sharing...Something for everyone.

Annual schedule post for Fish On Bass Anglers. FOBA is a non-affiliated bass club based in Montgomery County, MD that is open to all boaters and co-anglers. We have a divisional format so boaters and co's are in separate divisions and don't compete against each other. In addition, FOBA utilizes a catch-weigh-release format for some tournaments where all boats are provided with identical digital scales and fish are weighed, verified, recorded, and immediately released ("MLF-style", though the 5-fish limit still applies). We use this format so that we can hold tournaments on bodies of water that have closed seasons and/or restrictive limits and also during the summertime when fish care is a greater concern...Approximately half the tournaments are CWR and the other have are traditional weigh-in. We have annual dues of only $60 and then each tournament has it's own entry fee ($30 or $40, 1-day vs 2-day) with 100% payback. We hold an annual picnic for members and families after the Black Hill tournament and several non-scheduled 'fun' tournaments through the year. It's a great club and we fish the best schedule you'll find in the area...In my somewhat-biased opinion . If you want any more info feel free to post or PM me. As you can see, the tournament season kicks off in late March but our meetings are monthly. Next one is on January 2nd. Can also check us out at fishonbassanglers.com (currently being renovated, but it's 90% complete). Also want to point out that we have no commitment or participation requirements - Can do as much as little as you want. No waiting periods, probationary periods or anything else like that...If you want to join, you're in!

I've had both brands...And I liked them both. Each one has a few things they do a little better than the other, but the gap is not so much that you're really 'losing' anything.

If you are financially responsible and really want to make it happen it's not terribly difficult. Just make a plan and execute it. Different ways of doing it, most notably cash -vs- finance...But at the end of the day it's just a math problem. If you have a lot of other expenses, like an extra house, it will probably be more difficult. Most of my buddies with bass boats are very similar to me...Our boats and fishing are pretty much the only things we spend disposable income on.

Do it! The Piedmont schedule is pretty good this year, and the regional is on the Potomac which is nice . I'm still debating whether to sign up for Piedmont or just cherry-pick a couple of closer tournaments between it and the Shenandoah division. If you're a boater you may end up regretting not being a boater in the tournaments, but you'll still be fishing places you haven't fished before and that's always fun. Kerr and SML to start off should be great events, prime times to hit those places.

Not strange to see it since the Potomac is loaded with them...But it was very odd to actually catch it, not snagged either.

The Upper Potomac has some, but they aren't universally distributed so you need to be in the right sections (I don't really know which sections are the right ones either). Conowingo/Susky has some, I usually catch a couple each year up there while bass fishing. If you want a real shot at catching them, Deep Creek is the best place...It's a great walleye lake. I don't fish for them, but I catch a lot while bass fishing up there.

Is it a hydraulic or manual jackplate? If it's manual, the answer is easy....Just drive it, you can't move it while running anyway. If it's hydraulic you can adjust on the fly, but in terms of what you need to do while running the answer is still nothing. You can make adjustments on the fly, such as lowering the plate for better handling in rough water or raising it for better performance (keep an eye on water pressure if raising)...But it's not something that needs constant input in order to drive the boat. You're describing trim and not jackplate operation. If the plate is at an appropriate/universal setting you don't need to adjust it every time you take off (and you shouldn't).

The Picasso Tungsten Football is what you're looking for...No living rubber, but its a nice little bite-sized jig and you can choose hook size for each weight. The 3/8 with 2/0 hook is my spotted bass special .

But if someone DOES have all the trimmings, marker buoys are just redundant....And the OP has got the trimmings . If you've got decent electronics and mapping and are competent using them while fishing and running the trolling motor you just don't need to bother with buoys anymore. The visual reference you need is on the screen instead of the in the water. I say this as someone that was a die-hard buoy user back in the day. Before GPS and accurate mapping was universally available/affordable for bass boats, marker buoys were the only option to put a visual reference on something. We also used the triangulation method to accomplish the same thing. I stopped doing both when I realized I was more accurate with my electronics than I was with the visual references...The bonus is that you save a ton of time - Can go directly to your waypoint/spot and start fishing immediately. Doesn't mean buoys are useless, but modern electronics make them unnecessary for many.

I'd start with the prop...Send it off to get repaired, blueprinted, and balanced. The first time I did this I was amazed, it was like I had a different boat. Better holeshot, top end, and overall handling/responsiveness. Should be around $300, many good prop guys but I recommend Mark Croxton - His site is easy to find. If your prop is dull and/or has any visible knicks, dings, or imperfections then it's hurting your performance. Plenty of good advice here already, but if it were my boat and money I'd start with the prop...It's the single biggest factor in overall boat performance.

Marker buoys used to be required equipment for me, obviously before GPS was universal, but I haven't used one in probably 10 years...Although I still have 1 in boat, probably just for nostalgia . I don't have spot lock, but with GPS at bow and console and accurate mapping I just don't need them. I would say not to bother with them...Instead of learning a defunct methodology, just put that time toward getting familiar with using your trolling motor, GPS, and mapping.

Search & Recovery and Rescue Divers are trained for that. Many divers get the S&R certification without actually 'needing' it...Divers tend to collect certifications much like fisherman collect tackle. It's not an 'easy' dive, but it's one that an experienced pair for divers should be able to handle no problem...And they would probably enjoy it as a real-world test of their training. Scuba Board forums has a FL section, probably a good place to try. Not sure how willing people would be, but I'd imagine it'd at least draw some interest. I also agree with another poster who said to see if you can find a local fisherman with nice graphs on his boat already to help you. Assuming there's a boat ramp and the area is accessible. This might be an easier first step than the diver option honestly....Not hard to convince a fisherman to hit the water for a day ...Surprised this wasn't my first thought.

It might be more efficient and less expensive to hit a local diving board or shop. I'm sure there are plenty of local divers that could find it. If you know the approximate area and it's small/shallow with no current like you say...Should be a pretty straightforward recovery even in low-vis water. Lots of experienced divers in FL for sure. I'd be willing to do it if I were local.

@Burke, FOBA is always open and willing to work with anyone...If you want to talk logistics feel free to shoot me a PM. I'll be honest about how things work and won't try to 'sell' you on it. Same goes for anyone else that might be interested. Since this got bumped I'll just shamelessly plug again... The 2019 Tournament Schedule will be coming out in early December, I'll make a post about it when it does.

Since you're putting on a kayak, no need to network...Which is the biggest advantage for the HB G2N since Elite units don't have ethernet. I'd pick the Elite 9Ti in your specific situation for the screen size and touch screen. Either is a good choice though.