HPBB

just like most fishing gear, there isn't a "best" but "favorate" gear. what works best for one guy might not work for the next. If there was a "BEST JIG" than that would be the only one made, bacuse nobody would use anything else I have tried many, but Bass Stalker Jigs work the best for me http://www.unclejosh.com/bassstalker/modules/cart/

I know they are cheep, but I always seem to catch more fish on strike king ones. I also like War eagles. I bought some cheep strike king ones on slae at Dicks a few year back. I think I paid $.50 for each, bought about 20 and gave away most of them to the guys I go fishing with in Canada. They all loved them. I still have few left and they catch fish. I am a big fan of double bladed buzz biats. I had some that a guy made custon for me, but those are all gone now. I do like the strike king double take, and the Skeet duble buzz. The worst buzz bait I have ever used is the leverage brand. never, never again

WELCOME ABOARD.

I fish a few "Ice out Tournaments" each year in late march early April. Sometimes a day after the ice is gone. some times there is still some ice. Water temps in the 40-50 degree range. I always look for the parts of the lake that the ice came off first. those areas are slightly warmer. I like to find where a big or the main creek flows in. That water is usually warmer. I look for wood/stumps in or near the current. If I find an area even a degree or two warmer that the rest of the Lake I will start there. even one side of the lake will be warmer than the other side. I use Jig & Pigs (black/ blue or black/red , 1/4 or 1/8 oz (I like Bass Stalker jig) with abig Zoom big salty chunk so they fall very slow, I also like to use Bang pure craw spray this time of year) T rigged tube jigs (dark green 4 or 5 inch (I like BPS magnum flippin tube #13 melon-pepper color) with 1/8 to 3/8 oz weights). Fish them slow, and repeat cast. I have noticed that these lure produce the best fish this time of year. If its an unusually warm day. Bright sun. You know those spring day. Its 35 one day and 75 the next. look for shallow flats and try spinnerbaits or what I like best Baby 1 minus. Just fan cast the flat, it there is wood cover or even weed starting even better. run the baby 1 past it a few time. Run the lure into the cover a few times making it bounce off of it. In no fish or even if you catch a fish off some cover. then flip a jig in it a few times. If you catch fish off of the cover. come back to it later. Those fish are moving and new fish will use that cover.

7-2 SM on Lake Erie Believe I caught a Lm 2 years ago over 8lb, but did not have a scale that day, so the 7-2 SM is biggest recorded. Both caught in PA. Should also say where the fish was caught. A 5lb bass is big up north, but a 5pounder down south or out west is not that big

About 8-10 years ago I tried the string yank move, it worked. We were muskie fishing Fell in the boat due to some wake, and landed on a Big jointed Swim Wiz, you know the ones that are about 10 inches long. Right in the palm of my hand. Remembered reading about the string move years ago in an outdoor life mag. Tried it and it slid out like butter. Finished the rest of the day. Even caught a nice muskie on that swim wiz that day. My blood still on it. Last summer, put my hand down on the deck and got the hook from a nice new X rap right under the finger nail. Tried the sting move. the hook was against the nail so the hook would not slide. Had to cut the hook and use the pliers move. Grab and yank. hurt like H**l

You can look on ebay and try to find a bow mount only and convert your motor to it. I don't want to sound mean, but that is why they make bow mounts i don't know anyone who makes a conversion kit.

If your looking for a lower unit. I have one for sale. Its off of a mid to late 80's 85hp suzuki. Bought it last year to replace mine on my 75 suzuki, (75 and 85 are the same) never needed it. still the the package it was shipped to me in.

Bass Stalker Jigs They are the only ones I use, always have one tied on and ready.

I have a 1988 suzuki 75 HP, on a 1990 Sea Nymph, bought boat/motor in 1995 with about 150 hours on the motor.Power head went this fall with just under 1900 hours on it. Over its 18 year life it averaged over 100hour a year. and for the 11 years I have had it it has averaged well over 100hours a year

You where late, left your boat and didn't have a live well, just a stringer. any tournament I have every fished, no matter how small, any of those 3 would have been a DQ

those items are up the the owner to buy.

I would say yes. if the motor has to be trimmed up to drive it when on the trailer. I don't care what size motor it is. I would have a transom saver. A transom saver will cost under $50 and save the boat. Cabela's even sell a short one that is only $19.99. with the weight of that motor hanging out there puts a lot of strain on the transom. That little bar that was talked about is just to rest the motor up to take the pressure of the trim, not for travel I don't know anybody that does not run a transom saver. and eulerentinc I would get one for your boat too. Your going to spen that much on a new boat and not spend $50 for a transom saver? :-? I just can not see having that big motor hanging out there with nothing to support it.

wait a kid driving a Mercedes to school :-? I must be getting old. And living in the wrong part of the country. I had a chevy chevette :-[ in school and thought it was the greatest

It should work just fine. I have a 14 foot starcraft V hull that had a floor in it, but front and rear bench seat. I build front and rear decks using the seats as the frame work and it worked out fine. The boat is very stable. good luck and have fun.

Its a personal preference. Minkota or Motorguide. Its like ford or chevy. I have owned both and still do. I now consider the new motor guide tour series TM the best I have used. But that is my opinion. On thing I would suggest. Instead of buying 2 motors, one for the front and one for the rear. since you said you'll run both at the same time to run. Why not thing about getting a bigger bow mount. like a 24v or 36 volt. They will push better and run longer than any 12 volt. The reason I say this is. I have a 14 foot startcraft V hull. have a 55# powerdrive minkota on the bow and a 55# transom mount on the rear. That is a total of 110 pounds of thrust. I have a 109# 36 volt Motorguide Tour on my big boat. I put it on my 14footer some times, and it will run faster and longer that the 2 12volts. yes I add one more battery, but I can run all day with that 109 and still have power left. the 2 12 volt will kill the batteries is a short time. I am not saying go for a 109#, but maybe a 82# 24volt or something in the 70-80 pound range 24volt might be a better set up.

I do the same thing every off season. turn them all down. just like you would with a bow. After hunting season I turn my limbs down till next season.

OK, first off your going to get a thousand different answers. But here is mine. Humminbird is a good choice. I would go with the 787c2i I have the 787c with the external GPS antenna and I love it TM I would go with a motor guide tour series, get one that already has the built in transducer. It is a lot neater. Buying one off of ebay. I don't know. I buy a lot of fishing stuff off ebay, but big dollar electronics, well when I am spending that much money I go with BPS or Cabela's. I fact the Gander Mountain by me had the 787c (last years model, with the external antenna), for around $500 Now, what fishfinder to put up front. I am a little different than most I put the better one up front, because that is the one I use most often. I have a matrix 87c up front on a Motorguide Tour 109# TM, when I bought the 787c I put that on the dash. I got the Matrix 87c a year before I got the 787c, they are almost exactly the same unit. just a year apart. Changed the name, that's all. I am going to order their new Interlink system. It lets both GPS unit share info, so when you mark a spot on one its marked on the other too. It works with most of the new Humminbird GPS systems.

Its a problem that is growing all over. here is something about the same thing in PA. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07031/758103-358.stm If you can't get it to link, just copy and paste.

the 115 johnson are good motors. Those V4's have been around for a long time and parts are easy to come by. I think $7500 is a bit high, but maybe in your area its the going price.

2 of my buddies have the 170w and love them. from what I have heard they are nice boats. go for it.

Practice....Practice...Practice Oh Grasshopper wax on.........wax off. in fishing term. Fish...fish....fish Oh Grasshopper cast out....reel in

freedomfisher Sorry, you made some wave with another post you had, and didn't want to see this one go that way. You said it better in you second post. don't feel at a disadvange. I felt this way the first year or two I started fishing tournaments. Now, I like the boat i have I would rather be in my boat that other. I know where my boat can go and can't. I compete with guys with the big boats all the time. don't bother me anymore. I am confident in my fishing skills. There are no disadvantages. OK speed and size, but not always. Other than that a boat is a boat. I fish out of boats that are not "bass'Boats and compete very well. I have finished in the top 5 in my club every year but one. First year I finished 7th. and have fished several state regional tournaments and state classics with my boat. and in all those tournaments I only had one guy complain about my boat., and he didn't even own a boat. most guys had a boat like mine in the past and most wish they never got rid of it. My boat is 17years old now, and I don't see me getting rid of it anytime soon. I just had to repower it. I will fish many more tournaments out of it for years to come. I have good equipment in it. great TM, good fish finder/GPS, good livewells. years ago. I had a 12 foot startcraft with a 6hp on it. I was about 17 years old. I was putting the boat on the trailer after a good day of fishing and this guy was putting his new ranger on the trailer to. I was talking to him. saying I wish I had a boat like that so then I could fish right. He said "the fish don't care what type of boat your in. Its how you fish. the only difference with your boat and mine is my price per fish is more"

Your new to this, once you have figured out your TM you can hold a boat very steady. Just get out there and practice. One thing with the TM. don't over power your moves. If you only need to move a few feet. Keep the speed down the boat will move slowly but you will be in better control to stop it where you want it. If you hit the TM in high speed than you might over shoot you spot you want to stop at. you might feel that you are always using your TM. Well, talk to most guys and they will tell you that they are on their TM all day.

As long as the live-well is above the water line. The water will drain out. If the live well is below the water line, build a platform for it to sit on that raises it up above the water line. The pressure of the live-well water being above the water line will make it drain out below the water line