livemusic

Do you fish Toledo Bend in your 1652 boat? Rough water isn't a problem? Seems a 15mph (which is not uncommon!) would give pretty big waves on that big lake. Curious.

No, not a spinning reel, a baitcast reel, Daiwa T3 1014SHL TW, on a 7' MH graphite rod. It's a great reel, really smooth. I will return this 25 lb and try something lighter. I don't recall why I bought that particular line and weight, it might have been fishing soft plastics in heavy cover. We certainly have a lot of wood in our lakes. But I would rather go lighter. I really like braid, I was just trying FC because it is popular with a lot of people and wanted to see what it's about.

That's not a very good answer when it is obvious that I can simply not use it. I mean, what is a forum for other than gaining insight? I am serious about wanting more info. The fishing is world is full of people who love FC and I can't imagine loving it. Yet. FWIW, the FC I have used is not 25 lb, it was much less than that. I don't have the boxes anymore but I think it was 12-15 lb. (EDIT: I found the most recent box... it is Seaguar Red Label 20 lb... this is the latest FC I have tried and it coils bad! The first one I tried was something in the 12-15 lb range.) The Shooter I bought *is* 25 lb test. I think I bought it for soft plastics. We have a lot of underwater cover here. Whoever was bragging about it touted it as a wonderful line. I think it might have been Tommy Biffle.

I can't recall what all I have tried, but a couple of higher end brands. I have yet to find any admirable trait! I also have KVD line conditioner that I have used on it. FC coils up way too much! I love fishing braid. What the heck. Far as I know, my FC was spooled correctly, it was done at BPS. I thought I would give it one more go and this time I bought Sunline Shooter 25 lb and dang it, I can't recall why I bought it! I mean, it was for a certain lure presentation. What would this be good for? As for what has been on my mind of late... soft plastics, chatterbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits. Some pro was recommending this line for something... probably pretty dumb for me to fall for that, but I did, lol. Braid casts so wonderfully limp. But I know some people prefer FC and I just don't get it! EDIT: Latest I tried is Seaguar Red Label 20 lb. Daiwa T3 1016SHL TW baitcast reel on 7' MH graphite rod.

In my 17' (EDIT: Tracker aluminum) boat, if there is wind and a pretty good chop, the ride is not very good and the bow takes a beating. Let's say I bought a high end troll motor like an Ulterra. Do you think that motor could be secured such that it would survive for very long without tearing out of its bow mounts? That is one heckuva pounding on the bow in a chop. I don't like to fish wind much but sometimes I do and sometimes it comes up after I start the day!

If you use lure wraps, what brand do you like? These are to keep hook(s) on a lure on your rod n reel from getting tangled by other rods and stuff.

LOL!

You are in Massachusetts... hmmm. I see. In my area, CL is loaded with boats, from junk to very high end bassboats and everything between.

There are plenty of boats under $20k, brand new. If you want larger or something higher end, you will need to buy used. This is a 'project' that you will need to take your time. As in... search, search, search, read, read, read. For used, Craigslist is an easy source, just be careful, there are some scams. If I were you, buying a first boat, I would probably buy used to get your feet wet with owning a boat. And I would spend less than $10k, there are tons of boats less than that. To allow you to get your feet wet. If it doesn't work, sell it, get another. In a few years, you could buy new. Bear in mind that once you buy one, you will have additional expenditures to make it your own liking, and the extra could be pretty significant money, so, allow for it. I have missed out on a couple of good used buys lately on Craigslist that I delayed on making a deal. Good deals are out there but you need to take your time. As in, months.

Here is their site -- http://tnastick.com/products.htm I am looking for an anchor, this is an option. I still don't know how this system works? On my end, it looks like your pic isn't complete? Can you explain/show more?

I had that very same thought, lol, I am not kidding!

I found a station that sells Ethanol free gasoline and the price is way cheaper than the E-free price in the city. Said high price is a ripoff. Last time I looked, I could buy the 87 octane E-free for $2.20/gal at the new place instead of $3.00 in the city. Regular 87 octane E10 is $1.80. But... I wonder if there is any concern. The place with the $2.20/gal E-free is a country store. I don't know how much gasoline they sell, but they don't have high volume, that's for sure. Which would you buy? My '97 Tracer 40hp is running cold-natured and idles kind of rough but is running decently well. I have been using 87 octane E10 with an ethanol additive to it. I also added some extra oil to the gas when I fired it up after sitting during the winter, even though it has oil injection. So, it has been running a bit rich. I ran it out of gasoline on purpose yesterday. Immediately shut it down and added a gallon of 87 octane E10 to get back to the dock. I would like to start with a fresh tank, thinking that ethanol-free from here on out might be good. But, obviously, E10 gasoline is far cheaper. I have read some say that E10 gasoline is fine during months when you run your boat quite a bit without it sitting up.

Say, what is " an entire fuel system clean regimen with every fill up?" What do you do? Also, guys... what about a 1990 200hp Mariner? That's larger than I want, but a certain used boat looks worth considering because it is in great shape and appears to have been well taken care of.

In my aging brain, I am forgetful. I am considering making myself a preflight list to go over just like you do when you pilot an airplane. I have pulled some dumb moves in my day. As for my plug, it is impossible to insert from the outside due to Tracker welding that bead around the hole edge. It sticks up enough to change the hole diameter and the plug will not insert. This is a major PITA to remove this plug from the inside! I wonder if I could find a different type plug that would go in that hole... will check into that.

Now, if that sucker works, that will take the cake. They may have to make them illegal, lol.

Tom, I think leaving those hatches open inside your garage is a big plus for your boat! We have a big problem with mildew in this locale.

The well where the gas tank and batteries are in my '97 Tracker that I bought used last year... the hoses and cables and the gas tank itself have this unsightly funk on them. Almost 20 years of grime and such. I am cleaning this boat throughout, wondering if anyone knows of something that does a good job to remove that funk or if there is anything NOT to use because it might damage the hoses.

You feel this is okay for your battery health? Others recommend having a charge on at all times, even after it's charged. I have always done it like you do. I just thought of another question for you guys. Does one need to remove the cell cap plastic thingy when charging, so that the battery can bubble more easily? I note that when I charge, my battery oozes out some water when charging, and I have not been removing that plastic lid. The water is just being forced out around the lid edge.

I tell ya, the worst part about loading up my old 17' Tracker is removing the main plug. I have to stand on the ground and lean way over and let the transom serve as a fulcrum as I reach back, and can barely reach, the main plug to pull it out. It's usually stuck and hard to get out. I am still pretty athletic. Once I hit old age, that move would be impossible. And then, reaching it from being up on the rear deck, that would be just about as tough to get to. Do you guys install your plug from the outside? We have a lot of stumps, it seems the plug could get yanked out, but maybe that is really low odds? Actually, on mine, it is impossible to install from the outside because Tracker added a weld bead around the outside rim of the hole, apparently for strength, and it lessens the hole diameter such that the plug will not go in from outside. I read recently that many states have laws saying you cannot trailer a boat with plug in. I wonder why. Removing my plug really is a problem! My bilge isn't working. Maybe I should just fix it and not remove the plug and just pump the bilge out each trip. I don't know if that will remove all water or just most of the water.

It's not elegant, lol, but if your boat has a pedestal seat, cut a hole in the bottom of a plastic coffee can, take the seat off, insert the can onto the pedestal, put the seat back on. The coffee can will sit on the floor below you and can hold a lot of stuff easily accessible. You can also use the coffee cans, with lids, to keep dry any number of loose objects to put into your storage locker. I keep a roll of toilet paper in one of mine, and another can hold tools, snacks, etc.

You are right, it's Rage. OP is fixed with edit.

I bought a St. Croix Avid (EDIT: It's a Rage model) casting rod, RC610MXF. I have never seen a guide this close to the tip. The guide closest to the tip is less than one inch away. Is this normal, is it okay? Why do they do that? Is it a build error? EDIT: This is a new rod.

How do you fish a fluke jr? What rod/reel and line and do you fish it weightless or not? Any particular color you like for the junior?

LOL, I guess they exist!

This is probably a crazy idea but has anyone ever heard of a stick steer boat that also had a small deck in front of the front seat in case you wanted to stand on a deck?