Junk Fisherman

Ok- so here is the situation. I have a new Curado 70 mgl and I picked up some 30 lb Power Pro V2. The spool comes in a 150 yard spool. Now the reel has a line capacity of 125 yards of 8 lb diameter without any backing. Would you try to fit on as much as possible and throw away the rest or put on 40 yards of backing with 75 yards of braid so I can squeeze the spool onto the reel twice? I plan on doing deep water dropshotting so I am tempted to put on as much as possible realizing I’ll have to throw 30 yards or so away. I really needed a 200 yard spool. What would you do? Thanks for any help.

I use 6 lb Edge for leaders on all of my finesse applications. It is very abrasion-resistant with good knot strength. I have tried many other leader lines and the Edge is the best. I plan on using 10 and 12 lb for leaders on baitcasters. The line is a little thicker than others so scale down. I also use Gamma Touch and that is fantastic line. Straight 7 lb is what I use for small swimbaits on a spinning rig. Manageable with good strength. A buddy swears by 9 lb but that is too thick for me.

I'm not trolling. I fish a couple HP-restricted lakes and I have a 9.9. It beats just using the trolling motor. I think if the ProV Bass had come out a year earlier, I would have bought one over my Tuffy.

Hey A-Jay. Is there enough room to put a kicker on the ProV Bass? How many inches from the top to the deck? Have you seen any guys add kicker plates? Just curious since I am always thinking about my next boat and the ProV Bass is definitely on the short list.

So I've got a tournament this Saturday and for all the tackle I own and carry, I am only using a Ned rig and a swimbait. I'll have other stuff tied on in a rod locker but unless my coangler gets on something and forces me to, I know what I'll be throwing.

Since no one else has responded, I'll tell you what I think are the answers to these questions based on all the reading I have done about boats back when I was doing research 6-7 years ago. This is just the consensus I have gathered from reading many, many forum threads. 1) An 18' glass bassboat will give you a much better ride than a comparable modified-V hull tin. The glass is more forgiving and absorbs the waves better. Plus, the heavier glass hull will sit in the water better making boat control easier. I have heard from multiple people that the Xpress pad hulls are great in rough water. 2) I haven't heard much about the ride of the RT188 vs the Tracker 190 vs the Lowe Stinger. I suspect they are all comparable. 3) I agree the Lund ProV 1875 looks like a fantastic boat. I wish it came out a year earlier since I probably would have bought one. That XS model looks extremely versatile and the amount of storage is mouth-watering. Good luck with your purchase.

This Saturday I have a tournament and the weather looks like it will be great (55 and sunny). So this will be 3 weeks in a row where I have been able to get out fishing with very good weather. Within those 3 weeks we have had some high winds and snow on different days. So while I definitely understand the premise of this thread, I am recognizing that I've been pretty fortunate so far this spring with good days to fish when I am available. How many times do you have beautiful days during the week and then a weekend hits and we are met with a cold front and 25 mi/hr winds? So far, so good for me this spring.

I agree. Our fishing license in Illinois is very reasonable as well ($15) and many boat launches are free.

If it makes you feel any better, Michigan increased their out-of-state licenses to $76 a couple years ago. Now, they have a launch pass that is for all DNR launches that is $35 or so a year. I am just numb to cost increases. I pay it, go about my business, and don't let it get me angry.

I think this is the new norm. All of this "grow the sport" and getting all these HS and college tournaments going are just adding to the fishing pressure. We have added a lot more fishermen and more tournaments without adding any more, or at least very few, bodies of water to fish. Here in Illinois there are more tournaments than ever. Lakes that used to be relatively quiet have 10-20 tournaments per season now. All your major tournament bodies of water have a couple tournaments every Saturday and Sunday. I know it is this way in many states. Hell, there is a 75-boat HS tournament on one of my favorite lakes on Good Friday. I normally spend a good chunk of that week on that lake but I'm not going to fish elbow-to-elbow while on a vacation, midweek. It's annoying. What I have started doing more of is targeting smaller bodies of water, lakes that are electric-only, or rivers that are only accessible by kayaks. Also, your tournaments end at 2-3 PM. I have started thinking that fishing the afternoon and evening will at least give you more space and less people on the water. That is something I'm going to consider.

I have tried all sorts of ways to save Elaztech baits but haven't been able to. I often straighten out swimbait tails in boiling water but that doesn't work for Elaztech. I did message the company and told them that I combined a couple bags and they all ended up being crooked. They sent me 2 new bags. Nowadays, I don't combine bags and lay them flat in a tray. I also make sure that the baits are laying straight in the bag.

Like these other fellas have said, it depends on the time of the year. I always get out at daylight during summer conditions but during the spring and fall I will often get out later in the morning.

If you post a picture of your console we might be able to give you some ideas.

That's a good decision. I used to work part time for the Angler's Outlet operation a long time ago and a couple moves ago when it was in Markham. I actually popped in there yesterday to see if they had something I needed for this weekend. I do 98% of my shopping online.

Yes, I go to Fishing Connection. Nice place and Greg is good for a conversation about bass fishing. He's pretty knowledgeable about the local bass tournament scene. I also go to Angler's Outlook off Oak Park Ave in Tinley. Water Werks is a pretty decent boat shop which is just a couple miles away in Country Club Hills.

If it is windy I will go to a small swimbait. Yesterday, I was faced with tough conditions and when the wind picked up I caught several small bass on a 3" Hazedong. No, it wouldn't have helped in a tournament but it made the day more enjoyable. If it is calmer, a Ned is tough to beat when the conditions are negative.

I don't believe in any jinxes or things of that nature. The fish do not know if you caught a fish on your first cast. They don't know if you have a banana in the boat or if you are wearing your lucky hat. It's all in your head and it's kinda foolish.

I used a T-rigged 1/0 hook with a bullet weight but I think if I was fishing it now I would use a small football head jig.

Yum Crawbugs were mainstays back when I used to fish rivers for smallies. I just dragged them on the bottom. I would always have a 3"-4" swimbaits on a ballhead jig tied on as well.

It's very easy to get overwhelmed when you are first getting into the sport. I remember walking into large tackle shops when I was a kid and looking at everything and feeling so uninformed. But after fishing for years and knowing what works for me at the places I fish, I never feel that way anymore. I know my style of fishing and the cover and structure I will be fishing so I know pretty much all the techniques that apply or would apply to my fishing. I used to read Bassmasters in its entirety. Nowadays, I just read the articles that apply to how and where I fish. Overall, the number of techniques I use has shrunk over the years but I am much more proficient at them and much more specialized in them. I used to be all the over the place with what I would use. Nowadays, I have a good half dozen or so techniques that I feel very confident in that I usually have tied on depending on the season and the conditions. However, I am continually adding to the techniques I use as I improve in them and gain in my confidence in my ability to fish them. But I do it slowly. I am always using my confidence baits but then working on something on the side. Great topic.

For everything you mentioned except cranks, I go 15 lb. Cranks are 12 lb or even 10. Big Game is cheap and reliable. I'd get a spool of that since this is your first baitcaster. Tatsu is expensive and it would be painful to have to cut out a bad backlash. LOL- you'll be justifying 10 rods in a couple years.

I prefer a little less power with my rods than most and still say MH over M for your first baitcasting rod.

Many times I fished trolling motor-only lakes for 8-10 hours. I was always impressed with the Maximizer feature on the Minn Kota motor. Only a couple times did I register in the "yellow" rating at the end of the day. I could see considering going 24 volts if you had a trailer and you'd always keep the batteries in the boat but handling a 2nd battery on a boat you put in the back of your truck would be a PITA. Taking both batteries out and charging them would be a hassle. No thank you especially when it is questionable at best if it is needed.

Are you fighting a lot of current or planning to run the motor nonstop for 8 hours? I fished with my old 17.5' deep V and a 55 lb, 12 volt Powerdrive for years without ever needing more. And I put in many 8-10 hour days with that boat. I can't imagine needing a 24 volt system or 2 batteries in parallel for any jon boat that you can fit in the back of a truck.

I spend quite a bit more on rods than reels. I have a couple $4-$500 rods and have never spent much over $200 over for a reel. In terms of what rod, an 843 GLX is an extremely versatile rod. I'd also consider those new Megabass rods that are in the $500 range.