FryDog62

Agreed... I have the battery tester and a charge ready to go. If I get another 1-2 years out of the AGM, may switch to Lithium then. All depends on how long you want to keep your vessel too. If you sell in 3 years then I would opt for another AGM most likely.

So when I purchased the boat 5 years ago, it came with the standard group 27 trolling motor batteries. The dealer talked me into the more expensive AGM starting battery - in part because of the no maintenance advantage, but also because it lasts longer. But I can’t remember if he said it was significant longer life. I just replaced all 3 TM batteries this morning, but the AGM/starter battery still indicates a strong charge. I’d prefer not to buy another battery this year but don’t want to go dead on the water either. In the meantime, I’ll keep checking the AGM battery every time before I go out...

Yes, but does it last longer, if so how much..?

So if a lead acid trolling motor battery is estimated to last approx 5 years (with normal use/maintenance) then an AGM starting battery should last approximately how long??

I have three 12v lead acid batteries for my 112 Ultrex. As one or more of them begin to age/fail... can I swap the bad one out for a 100ah Lithium battery that I already own? Or would I need to change all 3 lead acid batteries out for 3 lithium? I also currently have a MinnKota bank charger for the lead acid batteries. What charger would be recommended for 1-3 lithium batteries?

I ended up buying a graphite Tatula cranking rod and absolutely love it! Daiwa Tatula Casting Rod 7'2" Medium, Regular, 8-17lb, 1/4-3/4oz

Clip-on ties went out years ago - so should swivel snaps for jerkbaits - -

There was a class action suit back 10-12 years or so ago where thousands of us experienced severe leg soreness and other muscle and joint problems from Zocor. For many of us, it never went away even when we stopped taking it. I know Mayo stopped prescribing it just ahead of the announcement of the lawsuit. https://www.classaction.org/zocor

Have been a fluke/soft jerk bait user for decades. Once I switched to a Caffeine Shad, never looked back. A Caffeine Shad on an EWG is a good soft jerk bait - but a 5 incher on a 4/0 Owner Twistlock Light hook is other worldly. Never seen such a natural action lure swim on its own at times so well.

Have been told its mostly hereditary/age. 2 things could help before going on a statin: weight loss, and Psyllium Fiber. I went the fiber route years ago and my bad cholesterol went down about 10%... enough to get me back in the "normal" zone again (for about 10 years). Then age and genetics kicked back in and now I'm on Crestor (after Zocor ruined my legs).

Anyone wondering if those imitation duck lures might work this time of year … friend of mine in the boat today caught a 17 inch largemouth and pulled this out of its throat ~

I buy the 1/8 oncers... break them in half for approx 10 feet or less (depending on wind/current). Occasionally the full 1/8 oz at deeper depths or sometimes in river current.

Yep, hook up percentage goes way up - and I almost always hook them in the roof of the mouth. I use the weedless version in either #1 or #2.

But then you can’t hear the fish swim by... ?

Be sure to use plastics that float. Especially if you're in silty, muddy areas or around sand grass, the sinker stirs things up and it helps if the bait rises up to be seen: Big Bite Baits Flying Squirrel Grandebass Airtail Rattler or Neko stick bait Netbait T-Mac worm (instead of Trick Worm which doesn't float as well) Biwaa Armored Craw Savage Gear 4D Craw

Length matters on buzzbaits trailers. Too short and you lose action, too long it interferes with hook up %. For most 3/8 oz buzzbaits a 3.5 inch plastic is about perfect. I use the Zoom Z Craw Junior 3.5 inch size.

I skipped jigs for years until I realized that I could catch more fish and klank less docks, boats, pontoons, etc. and spook less fish... with weightless plastics or plastics where the weight is buried inside the plastic like Nekos. I never skip jigs anymore, nothing wrong with it, but I’m now a 100% plastics guy...

For me, the number one reason to use fluoro is sink rate. IMO, it helps keep the jerkbait at the stated depth range of the lure and in the strike zone longer.

I think in general Chatterbaits float up upon retrieve... therefore unless I’m running a long shoreline in a shallow river, I almost always opt for 1/2 or 3/4 oz.

Sometimes the fish are tentative and all they want to do is to nip at your paddletail trailer and avoid getting hooked very well...

I have both the Levante Whipsnake and NRX 852... and agree they are much closer rods in performance, than 2/3 the price difference.

Like my Stone Cold bladed jig rod. Versatile for other applications too - swim jigs, 4-5 inch paddle tails, larger underspins, single hooks, etc?

I was there late April so probably not very current for you. Look up Del Colvin on YouTube - he posts a very detailed fishing report on Bull Shoals about every 2 weeks. You can look up the week you're going from prior years as well. I found his reports very helpful when I was there ?

Been trying to get to SoDak for 3 weeks now. Those guys either picked the right day, or caught the fish in 25 mph winds.

Mepps are still deadly, I like 4’s and 5’s in red/yellow/silver without hair, especially for smallmouth in rocky, sandy lakes. However, many of our lakes in the lower 2/3 of Minnesota are weed choked and the trebles are a problem there.