Chug Bug

Does Charlie Moore still do that "beat charlie moore" show?

I din't think that I ridiculed anybody. I am seriously taking more time to think about this now thanks to all the opinions offered. The consensus appears to be a higher hp motor, and I think you are part of that consensus. I will go back and read my posts, and if I ridiculed anyone I seriously apologize. I take the advice on this forum seriously and is the reason I posted to begin with. If I did not care what you guys thought of the matter I would have towed the Tracker home last Saturday. Thanks again for all the advice. I am a grown up, if I want a boat I will buy it. I have chosen to use you as a sounding board, and am now holding off on the boat. More thinking needs to be done.

Wow, I really am going to sound racist, but i'm gonna say it anyway. Asians are a big problem with the local ponds around here. They fish with bamboo 30 ft long cane poles with line tied to the end, hand rigs with no rod or reel at all etc. They keep EVERYTHING! You can only get in so many arguments before you just stop going and let them have the pond.

Are you telling me that these dealerships will tow their boat to a nearby body of water and launch it for a test drive? I am also still wondering why these dealerships want to get you out of the door with such underpowered motors? Now boating doesn't seem so much fun. The wind has certainly been taken out of my sails on this whole thing. When I did question them about motor upgrades, alot of them said "No you don't need that, plus it'll take us 3 months to switch out and prep that motor. I am thoroughly confused. I am clear however, thanks to you guys, the higher hp the better. Why even sell a boat that is not rated to the max on the coast guard tag?

Thanks for all the help you guys, and I certainly did not want to draw lines of division between members. I am not looking to fish any tournaments. I belonged to B.A.S.S in the 90's and have fished my share of local events as a non-boater. Do I want a correctly horsepowered motor? yes. Do I need to race to an area that is 85% no wake zone idling anyway? no. Cart I understand the advise you are giving me, I do not want a cheerleading squad. I currently have a 64 impala ss with a built 383, so I understand a little bit about mechanical things and performance. Tom Bass, thank you for encouraging me to get into whats right for "me". Madhouse, thanks for giving me the demand what I want pep-talk. The only place that this advise has gotten me now, is that I know I'm going to mull over this for another month, because yes I want to be happy. For me, I can see no reason to spend 45.000-75.000 for a Ranger V commanche with a 300 on it for fishing by myself. Yes going fast would be awesome. Once a week I go out with my partner on his 22 ft. Mako with a 250 on it. Going fast is fun. but not that important to me. On the other hand, I don't want to operate a rig that is so vastly underpowered that the handling makes it difficult to pilot. NONE of these dealers tried to get me to upgrade the motor on any of these boats. So I guess my final question is why would they attempt to sell boats with inadequate motors. Thanks again guys.

Yeah Madhouse, Stratos is suggested retail, both nitro and tracker are those nationwide set no haggle prices that they won't stray from. I did not know that you could haggle boats the same as cars. Thanks for the info. I should be a valuable customer as well because I'm going to put ten thousand down and only finance for five instead of ten. Do you think they will bend. Also, I edited my last post to include the dealer motor packages I have been dealing with here in Maryland.

Sorry to make everyone so mad about my lack of ability to "afford" anything. These two options that I have described are right from the dealers themselves. I did not say I want that boat but I want an inexpensive motor. These two boats are what the dealer is offering me. Thanks for all the help. You have at least given me the knowledge, albeit in a brutal way, that I need to upgrade to at least a 150. Thank you for that. I'll make it easier for both me and you. I will spend the extra 4500.00 for a 150. Based on the new motors, with all the specs above the same, which would you reccomend. Why would dealerships and salesman set up all their out the door boats this way? Maybe I should not buy a boat at all. You have me thinking that all these guys are purposely selling poor performing boats. Examples of dealership out the door boats I looked at, and the motors that were on them. Ranger175vs Max horsepower 130 motor on boat 90 Nitro 591 Max horsepower 200 motor on boat 135 Nitro 482 Max horsepower 150 motor on boat 90 Stratos 275 and 285 XL max horsepower 150 motors on both boats 90 Traker Avalanche Max horsepower 175 motor on boat 135

I am currently posted on another thread right now looking for advice. Thank god I'm lucky enough not to have kids and the wife has no problems with a bass only platform. That said, over the last month I have been to several boat dealerships and have done some close comparisons, and there is no way in the world I could even think about affording a Ranger. Their BASIC 17-18 ft bass boats START at 27,000. I am juggling other brands that offer a fair amount of ammenities more than the Ranger at 22,000 or so. I am sure the Ranger is an incredible boat, but 50 horsepower less at 15,000 more is not justifiable to me. Every brand I've shopped in person has several hybrid fish/ski boats at way below 32,000. Stratos, Nitro, Tracker, Triton etc. Good luck!

I am buying a "real" bass boat this year and need the advice of experienced boat owners please. This decision seems like a no brainer to me, but perhaps you guys can clue me in to something I'm missing. I have shopped Nitro, Ranger, Stratos, and Tracker. Seen every boat I'm interested in in person, and weighed the options down to the minute detail. My price range is 22,000 dollars. The two that are in contention are below and once again the tracker seems like a no-brainer to me. Are there any inherant problems with aluminum that would make the stratos a clearly better choice. 2006 Tracker Avalanche. Formed aluminum that makes it look exactly like glass. Looks nothing like trackers other models. 18"2" Aluminum transom 135 Mercury Optimax 24 volt Motor Guide 70lb thrust trolling motor Dual console. Dual aerated live wells, lockable rod lockers port and starboard, lockable gear lockers ice chest etc. Bow electronics area with remote trim and tilt control. 2006 Stratos 285XL 18' 6" 90 Mercury Optimax 12 volt Minn Kota 40lb thrust trolling motor. single console Same live wells, lockers etc. No built in provisions for bow electronics. Looked at both boats carefully, locker hardware, seats, carpet etc looked better to me on the Tracker. To me this seems like an easy decision with the motor and trolling motor options. Am I missing something? Thank you guys in advance for your replies. Needless to say I can't sleep I'm so excited. One more thing, the tracker max horsepower rating is 175, the Stratos is 150. so I guess that will also play a part in possible motor upgrades in the furure. Thanks again guys.

Have you tried bringing the point of the hook all the way through the body to the top side and then barely skinning just the point back into the body?

Those are really nice

Cool Beans Cali

You sure are mean for a moderator

How many of you have actually seen a dead fish floating with a lure in it's mouth? Be it boat or shore fishing, I've seen plenty of floating bass. Never seen one with a lure in it's mouth. Bass are resourceful. They get them out.

Just saw it on the news, so I don't have all the details. Drastically reduced levels of oxygen due to air temperature in Piscataway New Jersey. The film they showed revealed many good sized largemouths floating on the surface.

Great idea. I've often wanted to keep some sort of log to look back on so I would know what worked and what didn't for a particular place. The only thing I would add to your list would be where caught and weather conditions.

Thanks for the quick response Jim

Was curious whether or not any of you fishery sciences guys know whether or not there is an upper water temp where the bass stop feeding. I know that koi can not be fed when water temp reaches 96. Thats with sophisticated aeration, filtering, and o2 introduction. Does this apply to bass as well?

Great idea and concept LBH. That thing should be able to accumulate some mileage on it.

I have had good results at a golf course that I have permission to fish. Most golf courses stock their ponds with carp and those things can get huge! That is probably what you are hearing. I also think (I could be totally wrong about this) that golf course bass are less likely to spook, because they are used to heavy foot traffic at the edges of the water and the constant barrage of golf balls raining down on them. The pond I fish, the bite is super hot and just about every cast will yield a decent fish....2lb and up. I'm lucky, cause I am the only guy who fishes these ponds. I even get to use a golf cart! In your situation though, your pond sounds like the bass may be stunted, and I'd fish the neighborhood pond.

Great post NBOUCHER. Elephant skeletons in the pond...Now thats cool childhood lore! Plus I'm sure it made for excellent cover.

Thanks for responding with all the great posts fellas. I just wish I could go back to my teens armed with all the knowledge and equipment available now. It would be amazing, but I doubt I would have ever finished school or gone to college. Fishing would have consumed my young mind.

It's much different for me than it is for LBH. I fish 7 or 8 golf course ponds every night from about 8-9:30. I have found in these small ponds that the fish are feeding almost at the bank. Super, super shallow. I have had no luck with soft plastics, but very good numbers and size (for me) with topwater and spinnerbaits. It's almost like a rerun. Same results every night with the same lures.

I don't think you suck. If there are guys here posting 30,40,50 fish days that is definately the exception. 1 an hour for me is a GREAT day.