Joedodge

I love to hear that!!!

They are machines as @gim said. Wear and tear is just part of it just like maintenance. I’ve been a professional mechanic for 20 years. So I pretty much do everything myself. Biggest thing I can say is read the manuals, familiarize yourself with the stuff you own. Maybe dabble in some maintenance yourself. Lower unit oil changes, bearing repacks, all that kind of stuff is really really basic maintenance. It may help you gain some confidence in the equipment just understand how it works and why. Also non ethanol fuel is a huggggeeeee one. Keep that ethanol fuel out of everything with an engine besides you’re car or truck.

Thanks everyone. I’ve got a couple white swim jigs tied up and ready!!!

Dangggg

How would I break one like this in? Do inside that rivet up snug and crush it tight?

I never knew breaking buzzbaits in was an actual thing!!!!

Well said! We shall see next Sunday. That looks like my best day to go out.

Looks great! Nicely done. And props to you for doing your own work!!!

Remounted the guided bar with some new hardware and added some pool noodles to it. It was just bare EMT conduit before. So closes the gap up a lil bit and is a lot softer lol.

Thanks everyone. I’m gonna give it a try. Shipped this guy up quick ( didn’t feel like tying one up) we will see how it goes!!!! Black and chartreuse did so well. Hopefully this works lik everyone recommend!!

I will add almost everytime a Texas rig is gonna do better in tree limbs and brush piles and such.

Several good comments here. I don’t have much to add. Other than if ya wana get good with a jog leave one tied on and deal with it. Could learn not to lose them and learn how to work it the way the fish like. It’s also about confidence. You may just have more confidence in a Texas rig.

Well the little 6hp 2 smoke ran great. Not fast by any means but cruised me from one end of the lake to the other no issue at 4-5 mph with out a trouble at all. Caught some fish out of the boat. Finally lol. And pulling into back into the ramp when it was time to pack up my trailer guide poles bolts broke and the whole thing fell off. I about died laughing. Threw it in the back of the truck and loaded the boat. Couldn’t get it on worth a car with out the guide poles. Had to pull out with the boat half off the trailer and man handle it on lol. It sucked. So I gotta grab some new bolts and gonna add pool noddle to it to make it a tad tighter and softer than just electrical conduit lol.

That was literally my thinking. But sometimes my ideas don’t make sense haha

So the water is low visibility. 12 inch or so of dinghy water. I’ve done well on black swim jigs. But I have the itch to throw white or white and chartreuse swim jigs and a white trailer. Does anyone have success in lakes that do not have shad in them. With shad imitations?

Well said. You are correct!

Since moving to Iowa I have no more gator friends like in Florida. Occasionally a mean goose if I fish a pond they are nesting at. And I actually don’t have any actual fishing friends lol. Just me myself and I

Ya know I should poke around the regional threads more. Thanks @gim

Yesterday it was a black and chartreuse 3/8 swim jig I tied with a black/blue menace grub trailer. Definitely a number one confidence bait for me is swimming a jig. So when I can’t get bites I’ll go back to it. It’s a real natural looking subtle approach.

That’s a fun idea! I think I will. Thank you so much. I was definitely shocked and excited

Oh man check that guy out!!! Wow. lol I’ve had to get some pretty mean ones out of garbage trucks when I used to be a diesel mechanic them lol. I’ve got some funny pics of me with them as well.

Good for him. I hope he continues his show. Great guy brings a lot to anything he does.

Man that’s awesome!! I’m glad that brought back some aweosme memories. It’s actually a possum with the words “ fake it till you make it” since possums play dead lol. They are my favorite animal. And when I was in my teens my family drag raced at the local drag strip. And the first race car I built was white,primer gray, and primer black. And we named it “possum” because ya couldn’t tell if it was dead or alive lol. So all my projects I’ve had over the years kayaks, motorcycles and now this boat have all been called possum. With 1,2,3 and such behind it lol. And it kinda became a nickname that stuck with me the last 20 years lol.

Got out for a bit this morning. Post front blue bird sky’s today. Water has warmed up into the high 60s. Grass is getting unbelievable thick already. Blades jig and spinnerbait weren’t getting it done. Tied on a swim jig and got 5 off one grass bed in about 30 mins. I floated it a couple times. Finally got some fish out of the boat though. 3 small 1 pounders and a 2 pound 8 ounce. The 3 pound 12 ounce was a really nice fish. Tough finding them on a lake but so glad I did.

Thanks everyone. Means a lot everyone’s so supportive. The paper work wasn’t bad for Iowa. A online form. Biggest thing is they need a good pic of the fish measured. It has to be over 20”. I had one last year but got rejected because the measurement wasn’t clear. So I made dang sure I had a good legible measuring in the picture lol