Wannabe bass angler

I purchased my "Neptune Shallow Water Anchor System" at a fishing show or Bassmaster Classic when it was in Houston several years ago. It appears their website no longer exists. Sorry I can't be of more help. I purchased my "Neptune Shallow Water Anchor System" at a fishing show or Bassmaster Classic when it was in Houston several years ago. It appears their website no longer exists. Sorry I can't be of more help.

I have 2, bow and console. I have no complaints.

USN, ADJ2, 1975-1979, VT-21 NAS Kingsville, TX

For those that might be interested in an update to my Xi5 GPS issues, I needed to have the GPS module replaced. Apparently, it has been a common occurrence with the Xi5. The shop I take my trolling motor to says they see the problem often enough to keep the module in stock. Fortunately, it is a warranty item. Hopefully, Motorguide has taken steps to address this seemingly common problem.

To those Xi5 users out there... have you had any issues acquiring satellite signals? If so, was it hardware issues or software, and what did you have to do about it?

I'm running the Xi5 with 2 Elite 9Ti's. Feel free to ask, but I'm not sure how much help I can be.

I'll have to try that. Thx.

I changed the settings on my units to include seconds. I'll see how it works when I get on the lake this weekend.

Thanks for your replies. I found the coordinate settings on my Lowrance units were Degrees/minutes and not Degrees/minutes/seconds. Makes a big difference.

Has anyone taken satellite map coordinates from Google Earth and entered them into a Lowrance unit with a Navionics card, and accurately created a waypoint? Can this even be done, or can waypoints only be created on the water?

I replaced my factory installed transducer with a TotalScan on my 2016 175 in the exact location of the original, and it works great.

Thanks for your advice. I'll probably wait on this upgrade as going fast is not really an option with my 60hp.

Forgive me if there is another thread on this subject elsewhere, but I did my due diligence and searched high and low to no avail. In my never ending quest to spend money upgrading my '16 Tracker Proteam 175TF, I'm looking at installing a Hot Foot pedal. Is it worth it, has anyone installed one on their Tracker, and has anyone seen/made a video on its installation? Thx

Although my experience is limited, I feel like an expert on this subject. Go with size, and bigger at the bow. Try not to let $$ be the final determining factor. I started with a 3 or 4" on my new boat 2 years ago. I upgraded to a Lowrance Elite5TI shortly after getting the boat, mainly because I was watching the $$. Although the unit worked perfectly fine, I could not see the screen details unless I was right in front of it at the console. It didn't do me a lot of good when fishing from the bow. I have upgraded again, bit the bullet on the cost, and put 2 Lowrance Elite9 Ti's, one at the bow and one at the console, and have the linked both to my Motorguide Xi5. The upgrades weren't cheap, but I wish I hadn't done the in between step. If you can wait and save some money, I'd hold off so you don't make the same mistake that I made.

Regardless of what unit you decide and where you put what, make sure you get a screen large enough that you can see, especially at the bow where you are spending most of your time. If you are at all visually challenged, seeing a small screen is especially difficult, and if you use split screen, you might just as well give it up. I've had a Lowrance Elite 5Ti for about 18 months at the console, and I've tried various ways to incorporate my 10" Ipad at the bow, linked to my Elite 5. In an ideal world(in my garage), my set-up worked satisfactorily. However, on the water, the Ipad could not tolerate direct sunlight or Texas summer heat. In short, I constantly struggle to utilize my sonar fully. I've decided to offer my Elite 5 for sale and have purchased 2 Elite 9's. Since I also upgraded my trolling motor to a Motorguide Xi5, I'm really excited about putting it all together and getting back on the water.

The verdict is in. I got my boat back today from the shop. I've attached a picture of what's left of my impeller. I believe luck was on my side. Another angle.

I really appreciate all the input. Nothing to report yet. Boat is in the shop, but turn around is not overnight here in Houston. Season is well underway and shop is busy. I will post outcome when all is said and done.

Thanks, y'all. I'll definitely need your advice.

So, before I start, I've already beat myself up as much as I can take. If anyone feels the the need to take up where I left off, please do it privately. I'm just looking for technical advice and/opinions. At the boat ramp, where the weather was fowl and everyone was trying to get off the lake, I was loading my my boat solo. In my haste to get the heck out of the way, somehow I forgot to shut-off the motor before pulling away from the ramp. I know it was running several minutes before I realized how stupid I was. It's a fairly new Mercury 60 with low hours. Any suggestions on what I should do now?

Thanks for your input. Your advice on the electronics is right in line with what I was thinking, as I'm not fully up to speed on that either. I've got lots to learn and lots of time to learn it.

Thanks, I just found KVD's 6-season guide this morning. Awesome information. If I may, I'd like to follow-up with another question. How would apply his principles to a power plant lake that is always warmer. Last week the water temp was 64°, and, from what I was told, fish were at 20' or better. Thx.

Have you checked out the Xi5?

Well, it just hit me like a ton of bricks, right between the eyes! I went out last weekend to my favorite lake and there just happened to be tournament. It may have been a combination of two tournaments, as there 100+ kayaks and a lot of big boats. It sounded like Daytona at the start. Anyway, lots of kayaks and big boats equated to a pretty crowded 2300 acre lake. But, I was ok with that. I decided to go out anyway, because I'm still learning to use my electronics and I wanted to get familiar with my new Motorguide Xi5. Aside from spending quality time with my electronics and trolling motor, the day was unproductive. It was the first time that I was totally skunked and not even a bite. And then it struck me! I literally had no idea where to start looking for fish. My regular places were all "occupied", but even with that, I realized that being able to read a fish finder did little good if I didn't know where to start. Then, this morning, I saw a video that Glenn made where he interviewed several pros prior to a tournament and asked them "What are 3 things you look for when preparing to fish an unfamiliar lake?". Their answers-Season/time of the year, water clarity, weather conditions, wind, etc. I think you get my point. All the important stuff that effects the behavior of the fish at any given time. All the learning of electronics, trolling motors, and fishing techniques have little impact on fishing success unless you know that stuff. Duh! So, now I'm in pursuit of educating myself on all the stuff that every bass fisherman, or wannabe bass fisherman, needs to know before ever getting on the water. Feel free to weigh-in, no pun intended.

Well, I have to apologize. After posting my question, I did a google search for traveling with a boat. As luck would have it, my search took me to a 2013 forum post on taking long trips with the boat. So, my post was one of redundancy. My initial search in the forums failed to bring up any results, but the wording of my search may be what failed to produce. Y'all are still welcome to offer any advice.