RobDar

my cousin used it on his boat...works fine...use the lightest color you can get away with though...he matched his dark red boat color and it gets HOT HOT HOT on da' footsies

some of it depends on where you are...I have friends in kentucky and tennessee that see 20+ days fairly often...where I am a 20+ day is reason for a party. a 50+ day though... I find most of these guys usually have been out alone, no one saw them do it...their camera was suspiciously out of film or had dead batteries...and if you ask them to go out with them...all the sudden they have a birthday party to go to, or will be working overtime all month...yadda yadda yadda. Not that they do not happen, just not as often as alot of people would have you believe. My best day was 21...and that was with a partner ( so about ten fish each) and most of them were small fish. 6 - 8 fish a day is a fair day...hell it is a good day. I would be happy with it.

someone on www.iboats.com forums will know...probably even have a manual for you.

We go when there is time...which is not very often. I think if it were not for tournaments and being a tournament director, my boat would sit out in the yard and rot like our camper did. Going fishing is a bit of a project though...no real close lakes, everything is a drive. I cannot just decide to go fishing because it is...at the best...a half of a day deal. oh jeez...now I am depressed...LOL!

I swim the Senko over the top, like you would a frog, then let it fall into holes, the pull it back up on top and keep going like that...have had moderate success... I have got hit while pulling it across the top more than I have got hit with it falling into the holes. I think because it is so hard to get good action inside a small little hole inside weeds...it is a "hit em on the nose" kind of deal...but I have got bites. I usually just let if fall as far as it will then twitch a little. It is a rough way fish no matter what.

get a butt seat... the other problem I see with the Ranger... I did not like the digital touch pad controls, the proprietary breakers, nor the goofy sliding deck latches... all three of these things are exclusive to the Comanche and you can only get them from Ranger...which makes them horrifyingly expensive to repair! boats cost enough as it is! I prefer the boats like the Stratos and Legend ( and the standard non comanche Ranger) who still use the standard breakers, deck latches, and rocker switches...all of which can be by-passed is a pinch, replaced with stock switches from a electrical supply house, and or fixed with parts from nearly any marina. EXAMPLE....my father in laws Javelin had a breaker fail while fishing...the marina wanted $18 for the part...I bouth the SAME EXACT part at my local electrical supply house for under $6 and swapped it out in about 4 minutes. Guy in our circut with a new Triton whose digital touch pad that failed in the rain...had to order the part, took 10 days to get and cost $700 dollars. I suggest looking for a comparible boat without the widgets and gidgets that is easier to repair and uses parts that have third party suppliers and a competitive market that keeps the price manageable. Other than that...I have riden a boat like this...it is a sweet boat!

I was told the same thing by Mercury...use a good 10 micron filter and they suggested a couple additives I cannot remember the name of... ( I could not find them near me) and fuel stabalizers... BUT...they said to be careful the make sure that the stablizer and or additive does not contain any alchohol...I guess alot do... so far the only ones I found that do not are Miracle oil and Lucas....but have not heard back from Mercury whether they are okay to use or not.

I do not know if this means anything...but I see ALOT of old beat up Polar Kraft jons around us...been around for years and still in use. That says to me that they must be durable to be around for so long and still in use

we have a similar lake near us...called Fish Lake...which I sometimes question whether there are actually any fish in Fish Lake...but that is besides the point. I wont fish the slime and algea...makes a freakin mess, is slimy and gross, and last time I did I ended up with my reel filled with a bunch of dried sticky green gunk it took me forever to get cleaned off the bearings and spindles. We actually stood there in the boat scratching our heads thinking..."well what the heck to we do with this malarkey?" I agree with the heavy waited worm... another method I have used is a Senko...weighted ( Texas) and unweighted both...cast it out and let it flop on top of the weeds... softly jerk it across the surface of the weeds where they actually reach the surface to get a snake wiggly kind of motion...when the lure reaches a pocket between the weeds let it fall down between the weeds...then pull it back up on top and continue on like that...I have had moderate success with that.

Not true... I have family members who work for newspapers... not all newpapers articles are reviewed in any other way than for grammar mistakes and/or for editorial preferences ( a kind euphamism for political agenda). Actually a small percentage of them are reviewed by anyone other than an unpaid intern working for the reporter. Many ARE NOT REVIEWED AT ALL prior to publishing and instead left to the "integrity of the responding journalist" as they say. "subject to scrutiny" makes it sound like the checking is being done by some kind of professional...this is not the case. I think there is alot more to this story than just the "facts". I think that the DNR did contribute to the stress of the fish... I also feel that if they had such a concerning die off in 2005...they should not have issued a permit for another tourney this year. perhaps not issued a permit for a tourney on a lake with infected fish. DNR could have been more pro active. They have some responsibility in this as well... someone mentioned it is a shame that DNR and tourney circuts could not work together... I agree. It will be the only way a solution will be found.

Welcome RockvilleMD... active weigh in....a rep on the boat to weigh fish immediately...is somewhat practical. Some of the redfish and large game fish ( Marlin, Shark ) tourney's do this already. The downside...corruption, pay off's...that kind of malarky. I do think however that there IS ENOUGH MONEY involved in these tournaments that they should be able to find some solutions! I agree, there are camera crews on the boats already.... In talking to an engineer friend of mine...we came up with this...a built in weigh in system on the boats. An auto tare scale on board...pull the fish from the water, remove the lure, weigh the fish...the weight is logged through a wireless modem and sent to both an onshore reciever and to module on the fish finder...the fish finder logs not only the weight but the location ( for GPS active units)... this info could also be used by DNR to track fish population, size, and locations on lakes and rivers. These guys spend so much money on their electronics anyway...

perhaps the biggest thing we are all over looking is that he said all he has is a two prong wall plug...which indicates an A/C voltage pump...which you cannot hook to a D/C electrical system... at least not without a rectifier...

somebody mentioned the long weigh ins at FLW tourneys...I agree...freaking stupid. But then if you ask me, anything to do with wal mart will involve a certian amount of idiocy. I am not at all a fan of Wal Mart! I have long said...stop with the show and big production and just weigh the fish in already. I sat through two or three of these and thought to myslef...good lord guys get the heck on with it already! They need to do staggered weigh ins...go out and return in more staggered flights so that the fish do not have wieght in the live wells for all the hupla and goofiness. and the driving to the nearest Wal Mart parking lot is a stupid thing...show Wal Mart cares about their PR more than the fish or conservation...it is all business with them. I also think that if this was a BASS tourney there might be a better response about this ad occurance...but since Wal Mart is involved and apparently they can do no wrong... well anyway I am ranting and my dislike of Wal Mart is not really the issue....

Jim... I am a bit confused at what the difference would be between weighing in every hour as far as fish contact with each other. If there are two fish in a live well one with LMBV and one without...does it matter that they have been exposed to each other for an hour or eight hours? I supposed it is more likely that there would be just one fish in the livewell that hour...but that certianly would not always be the case. and from what I have been told it is not so much the stay in the livewell that causes the stress as it is the struggle and the original capture that produces the stress. Is it not true that the LMBV is transmitted through the mucus the fish produce as protection? Perhaps the FLW and large tourney's use of salt solutions to stimulate this protective mucus secreation is actually hurting them in instances like these. I will have to look that up now. I agree that fish do die from stress. I have myself released sluggish acting keeper fish at a tournament hoping to spare them rather than keep them and have them die (not that it was any guarantee they did survive)...and yes we DO need to be aware of how our behavior effects the fish AND we need to do everything we can to ensure fish survival...from careful handling ( I hate it when I see the pro bring the fish into thier boat and let it flop around on the carpet etc etc) and livewell improvements ( recirculating pump and oxygen pumps as mentioned by AL)and additives...Proper cleaning and sanitation of both boat and livewell after each lake. I think for the most part tournament fisherman...at least the ones I know...do have concern for the survival of the fish and do include conservation in their thinking. I agree there are problems...and it is not perfect. Anyone with any suggestions on improving fish survival speak up...I am ALWAYS willing to listen to good ideas. Now that the tournament fisherman have been criticized( perhaps questioned is a better term)...I will make a point on the performance of both Indiana and Illinios DNR near me... While for the most part the officers are always VERY professional and a pleasure...I have been repeatedly stopped, checked, and otherwise "hassled" ( not a good word but it all I got right now) during tournaments...in FULL VIEW of shore fisherman keeping undersized fish by the dozens. I have made repeated calls...even told one officer that if he were to check one guys bucket just a hundred yards from where he stopped me he would find at least a dozens or so undersized fish... I was told he did not have time to check every bucket...yet he had time to check each and every tournament fisherman on the lake ( and found not a single violation I might add) So niether system is perfect...not the DNR's enforcement nor the tournament clubs. though I will say anytime I have had a question about this or other fish survival topics, both DNR's fish biology departments have been very forth coming and helpful.

hmmm... a guy I know uses two trolling motors and it seems to work fine with the exception of when he is fishing alone it is kind of a hassle to mess with two motors...but he has one on front and one on back..it is actually entertaining to watch him click one off then run to the other...we giggle. Can you carry two batteries? 2 54# pound motors is alot of thrust...i think with just one battery I would be afraid you would not get a days fishing out of the battery...bbut adding a the weight of the second battery will negate some of the thrust of the second motor. With the 82# thrust I would worry about the wiring getting hot if it is not sized properly...which will also shorten battery life... but the 82# thrust seems a simpler solution to me. Those props someone else posted...they work really well on the little bass buggies and canoes I know...a noticable difference in speed, but I have never known one used on a Jon so I cannot speak for them there. none of that was very helpful was it

call your local conservation office... they will know and if you have an illness they may want a sample

I bring the point through the lure and then bury is back just barely under the surface...unless I am fishing in heavy weeds, then I bury it just a bit deeper so bumps against the weeds do not push the hook through and snag me up. You may want to shorten up your lure, get the hook near the back...you will have more success on hook sets and learn the feel quicker. As far as setting the hook... that is a thing that just takes practice and learning the feel... if you are getting actual STRIKES, you should not have a hard time ( when the fish are actually hitting the lure)...all fishermen still miss some strikes on the days when the hits are soft...or the fish just seem to scoop it up and walk away with it without you ever feeling it...those days are hard for us all... The best suggestion I have ever gotten for those days...when you do not feel the hit but your line starts moving... alot of the time the fish are just carrying the tail in these situations...If you set the hook you may pull it out of thier mouth... an old timer told me...reach down and flick the line with your finger....to give the bait a little jerk/vibration...this usually makes the fish gulp at the lure to keep it from getting away....flick the line...SET the hook... we have had alot of success with this!

the state conservation department is a great suggestion... another good source of information is any college that has naturalist/forestry/agricultural/land management type of cirriculum ( Southern Illinios University maybe?)...even if they do not know, a professor there will surely be able to lead in the right direction. I find the state is usually the most "common sense" and implementational approach...some of the people involved in naturalism etc are way too green peacy for my liking. Anyway...I have called the Indiana DNR several times with questions and looking for Information and have found the people there very helpful and very informative. I had a question about the condition of Potato Creek once...A naturalist and a DNR officers met us there our next tournament and talked with us....took water smaples...took fish samples...they were out there all day... it was a fantastic response...

You did a sweet job peter...nice work!

My father in Law has a 96 Javelin ( Stratos)...it is a damned nice boat! Not the speed demon on the water, but has a good stable ride...smooth and manageable in rough water...well laid out... If I were in the market for a fiber boat it is one I would consider... My father in law fished and won Mayor Daley's Bass Challenge a few years back on Lake Michigan... He ran 15 miles out to a spot...a storm rolled in...he came back, on Lake Michigan in 6' and 8' waves in that Javelin and it did fine... My only thing with it is that the throttle is a bit touchier than some of the other boats I have driven...

We have a paper called the Bargian finder... there are usually some good deals in there...I think If I were looking for that kid of boat...watching the papers is how I would go... My onlt worry with buyingused is the motors...but with that style, motors are affordable...

The price of fiberglass boats have gone freakin loopy. Buying a used fiber boat worries me. I have had too many friends with too many problems. (one of which landed a guy in jail until the cops figured out he had actualy bought the boat...FROM A MARINA...and that he really had not known about the fraud involved.) I cannot justify my boat costing more than my Van, especially when I can only use it 9 months a year...and having a $500 payment sitting out in the yard in January covered in snow will give me ulsers. ...an aluminum is better suited to my fishing anyway... but this is the problem... Aluminum boats run the gambit from around $10,000 ( low end Tracker) to the high $20,000-$30,000 price range ( Triton) and have some big differences in performance, construction, yadda yadda yadda... which is why this is difficult for me.... I will stretch the budget a bit for a really good boat... I will cut it as well for a good value... What I did yesterday was make a spreadsheet listing several manufactuers, features, beam width, motors, yadda yadda...so that I could look at all the info all at once... ( I could not remember from brochure to brochure and from website to website what was what and what boat came with what)...putting all the boats side by side like that was helpful. I have narrowed the list down to a top three manuctuers and top 5 boats that have what I am looking for in a boat.

I am so tired of reading reviews and talking with "know it all, full of it" marine salesmen. ( I was surprised by how many marine sales guys do not know that much about the boats they are selling)...anyway.. If you were looking for a boat...what are your guys priorities? ( I know...that it floats...LOL...this is a serious question though) What do you look for in a boat? The reason I ask is that depending on the price range you have to kind of balance price against features... I do not care at all about gidgets and gadgets...in fact I would never buy one of the boats like the Ranger Comanche or Nitro 9 series that is full of proprietary parts like digital touch pads etc etc. Boats cost enough as it is without having to pay to replace speciality stuff. Graphs and trolling motors that come with boat packages are not a big concern either...they can be replaced later... ...But...what would you sacrifice to save a few thousand...and what would you not sacrifice? Would you buy a boat with a little rougher ride if it was 10,000 cheaper? Is it the outboard choice that is most important? that kind of stuff... let me say that if I buy Fiberglass it will have to be used...I cannot bring myself to have a boat payment that is more than the truck pulling it. In Aluminum boats...like the G3 Eagle...the Polar Kraft Bass America...The Triton Aluminum series( holey crap are they expensive)...and the XPRESS ( my personal fav)...there is a huge difference in performance characteristics. I am told that this is somewhat true in the fiberglass as well... If you ask a marine salesmen his boat is, of course, the best boat ever built. This is a one time deal for me...this will likely be the only boat I ever buy or I will at least keep it a long while...so I do not want to end up with a clunker...as an example...I am glad I had the chance to drive the Lowe Stinger...which I was considering...It is a nice running boat and handles well, but has a noticable amount of flex in moderate water at speed...that would have been a source of aggrivation if I had paid 18,000 for a boat that flexed like that....

not a fan of Carolina rigging. I spend time each season trying to learn or get more proficient at something...I spent alot of time with the C rig last season and walked away from it feeling like..."Well, that sucked"! Not a big fan of tubes either...

The Cuda is basic... I use it as my trolling ( front) graph...and I use it mostly for depth and bottom detail...having already found structure and more detailed info with my main graph.