Junk Fisherman

I know this rod is highly recommended for deep diving cranks from 3/8 to 1.5 oz. My question is does anyone use it for anything other than crankbaits? The main reason I would get this rod is for 20'+ cranking but I have a secondary need for open water, spinnerbait fishing. I know there are MH rods with moderate-fast action that are recommended for spinnerbaits but I haven't heard of anyone using this rod for that. I have used 8' rods for casting spinnerbaits before and I was very pleased with my extra casting distance. I am looking for a way to help justify the cost of this rod. Any advice is appreciated.

Just curious- how often do you lose these baits? Compare it to other baits you throw. Thanks.

The good news is that fall is the best time to buy a used boat. Get a compression test and leak down test on the motor before you buy. It is better to spend a couple hundred on tests if it means not buying a boat that will give you a lot of problems. I wouldn't look for any specific brand since you have a budget. Just look for the best deal. With that said, there are a lot of Tritons TR186 which you will find in that range. You should easily be able to find a Nitro or Stratos in that range newer than 2002 too. Good luck.

You enjoy having a wire on the deck?

For a nearly 50% higher price, I hope for your sake the Ultrex is a better motor. With that being said, the Xi5 turns incredibly fast. In over a year of use I have never been in a situation where the motor did not turn fast enough. I have some minor design issues with the motor but overall I am happy with the Xi5. Love the wireless pedal. 8/10

Thanks fellas.

Has anyone had this problem? I am using 10 lb J Braid with an 8 lb leader and using the double Albright knot. The knot is great, and slim, and I cut the tag ends as close as possible. The problem is that when I cast I will often get a tangle on the first guide at the braid/leader knot. The knot wraps around the guide thus killing the cast. It has happened with other braids but it seems worse with the lighter J Braid opposed to the 15 and 20 lb 832 and Power Pro that I have used. Any thoughts?

OP- A couple weeks ago I saw a boat like your's get dumped early with about half the boat sitting on the ramp and the back end in the water. He unhooked too early.

I use ziplock bags for some same-style baits- Senko or tubes for example. I also have some file box style containers which are perfect for putting in a bags upright. I use these same presentation baits- dropshot and pitching for example. Works for me.

I keep my boat in the garage so I am only concerned with hotel parking lots while on trips. I use the inexpensive motion detector and alarm from Harbor Freight for less than $15. I have two and put one on each side of my deck under the cover. It works well when I can park right next to my room. Depends how much you want to spend but I know there are security systems that use motion detectors that will call your phone. I considered one of these from Best Buy but went with the less expensive option. Would have gone with a Lock R arm but my boat doesn't allow it.

Are you talking about a permanent alarm or just periodically? I have a couple motion detector alarms that I will put in the bow of my boat with the alert in my hotel room when fishing tournaments. I too have heard of the motorcycle alarm. My wife suggested a baby monitor for overnights. Pretty cheap methods for a little protection. At least they allow me to sleep at night.

Get a 16'-17' tin bassboat that you can comfortably tow. Fish small, local tournaments and then bigger tournaments on bigger bodies of water as a nonboater. You'll learn a lot by being in the back of a boat with an experienced boater. And I don't just mean about fishing but handling the boat and a lot of small things you learn with experience. Plus, as a nonboater you can concentrate only on fishing. You're going to make mistakes as a new boater. I find it better to do them alone (less embarrassment) or with a buddy fun fishing rather than a tournament. Good luck. And to answer your question- I see the specs on the 17' Tracker as 2100 lbs. I wouldn't hesitate to tow that with a truck with a 3500 lb towing capacity.

Hit up Braidwood Sunday. Good day- caught 12-15 bass. Biggest were a couple 16"-17" fatties. They weren't going crazy but we had relatively consistent action. Normal producers for me- chatterbait and finesse baits did most of the damage. Beautiful day to be out. Mid 50s, light winds, partly sunny. Surprisingly, the lake wasn't too crazy. Off to Southern Illinois next weekend for my spring trip. Going to fish Newton and some of the 10 HP lakes. Hope I approach the success I had last year down there.

Braidwood. Never fished Lasalle before. If I am fishing the 2nd or 3rd day I might cut it down but I haven't fished this lake in 2 weeks so I will try several things. I also feel it is good to have options and to go through a lot of different stuff throughout the day. If the combo is in the locker I am more likely not to take it out. Not trying to be offensive but I think there is subtle undertone of "All I need to catch fish is a couple combos" which I don't subscribe to. If I am fishing a woody shoreline for example I want to have a jig, two plastics, a square bill, a bladed jig, a swimjig, a shakey head- I want all that stuff out so all I have to do is pick it up. I don't know what the fish want so I am going to show them a lot of different things. Even if I only run that squarebill a dozen times I still want to see if that is what the fish want. Obviously, we all have those days where we only need 1 or 2 combos but when I am starting out I want to go through a lot of different baits.

This lake is not a big jerk bait lake and I am a lousy jerkbait fisherman on top of it. It's a powerplant lake so the water will be 60-something degrees.

Just got my boat ready for tomorrow. This is what I have tied on: Rattle trap Chatterbait C-Rig Dropshot 2 finesse combos Pitching Combo So I have 7 on the deck but I'll probably put the pitching combo in the box so that will give me 6. Different spots call for different baits. I could narrow that down to 3 but why? Part of the reason of having a big boat is being to carry a bunch of stuff. I agree that 20 is excessive.

What do you got? Looking for an 1/8th, 3/16, and 1/4th oz ball head jig with 2/0 hook for the 4" swing impact (not fat) I would prefer to buy lead over tungsten. Thanks for any recommendations.

The bracket supplied by Minn Kota does not tilt so if you need it to tilt to get it in the garage you will spend another $200 per tilt bracket. And then the locks are $50. The add-ons for a Talon really add up. It is a great tool though. Love mine.

15 fluorocarbon is on my main reel that I have dedicated for bladed baits and spinnerbaits But I will not hesitate to use my setup with 40 lb braid with a leader.

I should have been more clear- I am only talking about Daiwa reels. Ballistics and Procyons to be exact. I didn't realize the Shimano 2500 and 3000 were the same weight.

I've got a buddy who swears by using the 3000 over the 2500. He says the 3000 cast further, balances the rod better, and doesn't weigh that much more. Anyone prefer the 3000 over the 2500? I have never used a 3000 and all my Daiwa spinning reels are 2500. Thinking about giving a 3000 a shot since this buddy is very knowledgeable about fishing and I doubt he's wrong. How say you?

You are going to have to compromise somewhere since there is not a boat that can do everything great. Decide what is most important and then get that kind of boat. Make everything else work. With that said, the deep V sounds like it is the best compromise taking into consideration all the different things you want to do. Now if you skip docks and pitch shallow cover 50% time, you probably won't be satisfied but for all other types of bass fishing a deep V is fine. And I know all about compromising with your boat choice. I wanted a boat so I could do Great Lakes smallmouth fishing but still be able to put on a kicker motor and fish horsepower restricted lakes. My boat has a semi-deep V layout and it is not ideal for shallow water largemouth fishing but I make it work.

I considered a Crestliner Fish Hawk for a long time. It has one of the biggest front decks in its class yet it has open space around the cockpit since it doesn't have a large rear casting deck. I don't think people would call it a "semi-bass boat" but it is one of the better tin deep Vs for bass fishing IMO.

The advantage of the Deep V is it generally runs better in choppier water compared to the flatter front of the bass boat. You will lose deck space in the Deep V and will have a very narrow back deck unless you look at some of the newer options. The Deep V's higher sides will catch more wind and will make boat control more difficult in the wind. The bass boat will be better on the trolling motor and you will be lower to the water and have a better platform to fish shallow cover. I like the saying- you fish "on" a bass boat and "in" a Deep V. I would decide what is most important to you. If you are looking for a more versatile boat that handles rougher water better, get the Deep V. If you want a better bass boat- get the bass boat. You can do either type of fishing in either boat. I would get the bass boat and simply don't fish the real rough days when you are retired. I have run plenty of trout line and jugs with my dad in his old Tracker so it can done. Good luck.

Didn't he drive the #1 Penzoil Car for Earnhardt? (I'll stop now. I am sick and am kinda doped up on cold medicine.)